Chapter 96: The Sudden Short-Term Exchange Student
At the nearby Enibrium Café in the station district.
The classic European-style brown wooden door bore a sign reading "Reserved for Today."
Behind the counter, the fading glow of dusk filtered through the blinds, casting light on the worn wooden floor.
As steam rose steadily, accompanied by a soothing melody, the rich aroma of coffee beans quietly filled the air.
Yet, the commotion at the only occupied table clashed starkly with the serene ambiance.
"Why did you have to tag along, woman?!"
Erika crossed her arms, her tied-up fiery red ponytail swaying back and forth in sync with her displeased mood.
The reason for her irritation was simple—Watanabe Mari sat directly across from her, elegantly sipping fragrant coffee from her cup.
"And why shouldn't I be here?"
Putting down her cup, Mari rested her chin on her hand and smiled faintly at the visibly annoyed Erika. "Mayumi is my close friend, and Mahiro-kun is Mayumi's boyfriend. Not to mention Mahiro-kun used to be my CAD engineer. By all accounts, I have every right to be sitting here."
"Tch, if we're going by that logic, Sayaka is Yotsuba's fiancée!"
"Mayumi falls into that same category too, you know."
The two were locked in a battle of words, though it felt more like Mari was teasing Erika.
"Mari!"
"Eri!"
Sayaka and Mayumi, who had been sitting together, simultaneously scolded the pair.
During the month of Mahiro's disappearance, though Sayaka had been visibly distraught, she had somehow become friends with Mayumi.
"Mahiro-niichan is as popular as ever, huh?"
Miyuki covered her mouth with a light chuckle as she witnessed the scene, though the emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes were rather intriguing.
"Erika-chan... it's better not to argue, okay? No matter what, she's still our senpai and the head of the disciplinary committee..."
Mizuki raised her hands in a flustered manner, joining in to persuade Erika.
However, Erika merely snorted disdainfully. "Hmph, so what?"
In Erika's eyes, Mari wasn't just a senpai—she was a disciple of the Chiba Dojo.
By seniority and rank, Mari was far beneath her.
"It's alright, Shibata-kohai. I won't take it to heart," Mari said calmly.
"Um... I think we should get to the main topic now?"
"That's right. After all, it's rare for us to gather like this, and we're all here for Yotsuba-kun's sake."
Honoka suggested, and Shizuku quickly agreed.
Hearing this, Erika swallowed whatever retort she had been about to make.
Though she disliked Mari, they were right—the reason they were all seated here was to learn about Mahiro's whereabouts over the past month.
Thus, she yielded the floor back to Mahiro.
The gazes of the others also settled on him.
"So soon, huh?"
Feeling the expectant looks around him, Mahiro set down his cup and smiled faintly. "Since you all want to know, I'll tell you."
"To you, I was only gone for a month, but for me, it was actually two and a half years..."
As he immersed himself in the aroma of his coffee, he quietly recounted his experiences.
This was the third time Mahiro had spoken of the other world.
He told them about the Cursed Children, the Gastrea virus and the Gastrea, the many encounters he had, and even the final outcome.
The reactions of the group varied greatly.
From initial shock and disbelief, to silent contemplation, and finally settling into a complicated mix of emotions.
"...So, Yotsuba-kun, you destroyed that world... for those children?"
"Yes, that's right."
In response to Mizuki's question, he nodded firmly, showing no intention of hiding anything. There was no point in hiding it anyway.
Yet, even with his confirmation, Mizuki couldn't shake the feeling of unreality.
"...That other world sounds incredibly dangerous..."
"It feels like something out of a fairy tale."
Shizuku remained as composed as ever, while Honoka gazed at him with concern.
As for the others, most remained silent. Like Mizuki, they struggled to accept the story as real.
It all sounded like fiction.
But Mayumi could confirm it was true.
The medicine Mahiro had injected her with indeed had the effects he described, and she was certain it wasn't something that could be produced in this world.
The only exception was Erika, who propped her chin on her hand and smirked teasingly at him.
"If that's the case, Yotsuba-kun, you brought back all the girls you met over there, didn't you? Fufu~ You better work harder, Sayaka-chan, or your Mahiro might get snatched away."
"Erika!"
Sayaka blushed and pouted at Erika with a coquettish tone.
"I agree with that point. Mayumi, you should work harder too," Mari, acting as the supportive best friend, gently nudged Mayumi with her elbow while teasing.
"Hmph... you playboy."
Mayumi also reacted, casting a slightly resentful glance at Mahiro.
That said, she was actually quite content inside. At the very least, Mahiro's feelings for her hadn't changed.
Moreover, she understood that given the abilities Mahiro had displayed, it was inevitable he would have multiple wives or lovers in the future.
Even without this otherworldly journey, in this world alone, countless families would offer their marriageable daughters to Mahiro.
All for the sake of obtaining those superior genes to continue their family lineage.
In fact, many families had already shown interest—it was just that Mahiro happened to disappear at the time.
"By the way, that serum you gave Miyuki was also brought back from the other world, right?"
The one who spoke now was Tatsuya. With his usual ice-cold expression, he calmly asked, "It contains components that modern technology can't analyze—a composite extracted from countless animal genes, correct?"
As soon as he said this, everyone's gaze shifted back to him.
"What serum?"
Honoka blinked, confused.
Mahiro explained, "This."
With a flip of his hand, several metal syringes appeared in his palm. He placed them on the table one by one and pushed them toward each of the girls.
"These are souvenirs I brought back for you. They can enhance your magical aptitude, physical constitution, and recovery abilities."
"Ah!"
At first, hearing they were souvenirs, Honoka happily picked one up to examine it, ready to accept it. But upon learning it could enhance magical aptitude, she nearly dropped it.
Luckily, she caught it in time, cradling it carefully with both hands before gently placing it back on the table.
"Something this precious?!" Mari's mouth fell open slightly, utterly stunned.
"Yotsuba-san... th-this is far too valuable. I can't accept it."
This came from Mizuki, who had the same reaction as Honoka.
Even Kitayama Shizuku, the daughter of a wealthy conglomerate, shared the same sentiment.
The rarity of magicians stemmed from their innate aptitude—a trait determined at birth. If it could be enhanced...
Countless people would flock to it, even willing to pay any price.
"Mahiro-kun, this really is too precious... For someone like me with poor magical talent, using it would be wasteful. It's better given to Miyuki and Saegusa-senpai."
Hearing the others' reactions, Sayaka quickly placed the syringe back on the table and pushed it toward him.
But then, Mahiro pushed them all back.
"There's no need for this."
He chuckled. "It might be precious in this world, but the truth is, I have plenty more of these. Besides, I've already given injections to Miyuki and Mayumi—they can't take any more."
With another casual flip of his hand, dozens of syringes clattered onto the table as if they were worthless.
These weren't made by Sumire. Instead, he had replicated them using his own abilities combined with alchemy.
The effects are exactly the same as the original.
That being said.
While the AGV serum can enhance the body, it is still a virus at its core. After the first injection, any subsequent doses won't just add attributes; they increase the risk of becoming a Gastrea.
"Hey, since you put it that way, I'll take it then."
Compared to the hesitance of others, Erika was more decisive and directly took the serum to store it away.
"Of course, no problem. But remember to inject it in front of me when you use it."
"Is it dangerous?" Erika asked, alert.
"Well, there is a certain chance of failure, but the success rate is over ninety-eight percent."
"That's not bad then. I'll use it first~"
Erika picked up the serum and toyed with it in her hand before rolling up her sleeve and aiming for her arm.
Mizuki had intended to stop her, but she didn't have time to react.
"Hiss—"
Feeling the cold serum enter her bloodstream, Erika couldn't help but gasp.
But was that all?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, a violent tearing sensation surged from her heart, sweeping through her entire body in an instant!
"Ugh—"
She couldn't help but let out a small whimper.
It hurt! It hurt so much!
It was like the pain of growing bones in childhood, magnified dozens of times!
"...Erika-chan, are you okay?" Mizuki asked with concern.
"I'm fine, of course I'm fine...."
The pain had subsided, leaving only a lingering ache in her body, accompanied by a pulsing pain in her nerves, but this time it felt somewhat refreshing.
"I think you should experience it too, Mizuki."
"Eh?"
Erika was quick, seizing the syringe before Mizuki could react and directly inserting it into the back of her hand.
"Ah—!!! It hurts, Erika-chan!"
Mizuki immediately cried out in pain.
Holding her hand where the needle had pierced, she trembled slightly, biting her lower lip to endure the intense pain coursing through her body.
"Erika, what you did is a bit excessive. This isn't something to play around with," Miyuki gently reprimanded.
She knew very well how painful it was; even she had cried from the pain back then.
"Eh heh~"
Erika switched to a playful mode, whistling as she mumbled, "I just thought Mizuki really needed this serum; maybe it could even heal her eyes."
At the very least, she felt like her entire body was rejuvenated, even some minor injuries from training had healed.
There was absolutely no hint of personal malice involved.
Absolutely none!
However, just like the herd mentality.
With the first and second, there would naturally be a third.
Mari also picked up a syringe and aimed it at her arm.
"Mari... are you going to inject it too? It hurts a lot," Mayumi reminded her with some worry.
"It's fine. Since the younger girls are so brave, what's stopping me?"
Thus, Mari injected the serum as well.
Even Honoka, who was the most afraid of pain, mustered her courage under Kitayama's lead and injected it alongside her close friends.
In an instant, the café was filled with the girls' cries, rising and falling like a symphony.
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, two months had gone by, and Christmas was just around the corner.
Though this period had been peaceful, he had also lived a fulfilling life. Aside from attending school, he spent his holidays returning to Misaki Island to visit everyone.
They had even made plans with Miyuki and the others to visit the children on Misaki Island during the next long vacation.
The suggestion had actually come from Mizuki, and it was clear she had a soft spot for kids.
But soon after, something major happened—
"Huh? Shizuku is going abroad to study?!"
That's right—Shizuku was heading to the U.S. for a short-term exchange program.
Honestly, if you thought about it carefully, this was quite unusual. Shizuku's magical abilities were formidable, especially after the injections. She could now operate two CADs simultaneously while casting A-rank lethal magic, and her speed and precision in rewriting information bodies had improved dramatically.
To prevent brain drain, someone like her shouldn't have been allowed to participate in such a program in the first place.
This made him recall an interesting tidbit he'd heard from Miyuki and others.
Back in mid-October, while he was still busy on Misaki Island and hadn't returned to school, a major incident had occurred.
It was during the Nine Schools Joint Magical High School Thesis Competition held in Yokohama when they were attacked by forces from Great Asia.
In the end, Tatsuya had used "Material Burst" to annihilate the enemy fleet, including the strategic-class magicians aboard.
That day had even been dubbed "Scorched Halloween."
And now, right after Christmas, Shizuku announced she was going abroad—to the land of so-called "human rights," no less.
If anyone claimed there was no connection here, even ghosts wouldn't believe it.
But today, he received a call from Maya.
"Sorry to bother you so late, Mahiro."
"Oh~ Now that's rare. You actually apologized... Wait, where are you?"
Mahiro had been about to throw out his usual sarcastic jab at his so-called mother, but he noticed she wasn't at the Yotsuba main residence and swallowed the rest of his words.
"Kyushu Island~"
Maya rested her cheek on her hand and chuckled. "I'm enjoying some Hakata ramen here. Want to join me? It's quite delicious."
To prove her point, the elegant witch, who exuded an air of regality, deliberately turned the camera toward the bowl of ramen.
".....?"
Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like Maya was starting to let loose.
Ever since receiving the injections, Maya's constitution had improved.
One of the reasons she had rarely left the main residence before was due to her physical condition.
Not because she was frail, but because she had to conserve her energy.
But now that she was stronger, those concerns had diminished, and she'd been going out more often.
Had she even started traveling?!
Where had that dignified Witch Queen gone?
Mahiro felt too exhausted to even comment. He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Never mind, I'll pass. Just tell me why you called at this hour."
"Hmm~ Fair enough."
Maya smiled gracefully, though she seemed to mutter something like "What a shame, it's so tasty" under her breath.
Mahiro did his best to ignore it.
One thing hadn't changed, though—that enigmatic smile of hers. It was still impossible to tell what she was really thinking or what her true intentions were.
"You should be aware of the short-term exchange program at your school, right, Mahiro-kun?"
"Yes, it's my classmate Kitayama Shizuku."
"Oh my, so it's that child..."
Maya showed surprise but then said, "However, the exchange student sent by the U.S. is also a very beautiful girl. But her identity isn't ordinary—she's Major 'Sirius,' the commander of the USNA mage forces STARS."
"That would be Angie... Sirius?"
"Oh my, you actually know about her."
"I'm not some bookworm who ignores the outside world. How could I not know?"
Mahiro retorted with dead-fish eyes, adding, "And I'm guessing this must be related to investigating the 'Scorched Halloween' incident?"
"Quite sharp, but this time you've only guessed half right, Mahiro-kun."
Maya seemed to be teasing him, waiting quietly until he couldn't hold back anymore and sighed, saying, "Please tell me the rest." Only then did Maya smile brightly and continue:
"The other half is that this Major 'Sirius' is here specifically for you, Mahiro-kun."
"Me? That can't be. I'm neither a publicly known Apostle nor a secret Strategic-class magician. What reason would they have to target a nobody like me?"
"Hehe, you're far from a nobody now."
"Speaking of which, we have to thank an old 'friend' of yours—Jiedo Heigu. To avenge his disciple, he deliberately leaked your information to the USNA, and they've classified you as a top-level threat."
"Huh...?"
At first, he didn't react to the name that sounded like some beef pizza special, but after racking his head for some time, he remembered.
Oh right, there was indeed such a person.
"About this intel—is it just you who knows, or have the Ten Master Clans already been informed?"
"Only me for now. I happened to find out through 'that.'" Maya's smile on the screen was somewhat enigmatic.
The so-called 'that' was the intelligence system known as the "Supreme Throne."
One could say it contained every piece of information one could desire.
But only the "Seven Sages" could access this system.
It was composed of seven strangers who didn't know each other—for example, Jiedo Heigu was one of them, and coincidentally, Maya also held a seat.
"I see. I'll be sure to give this visiting Major 'Sirius' a proper welcome."
Mahiro said this, a slow smile spreading across his lips.
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