Ren Isana's group arrived in front of a primary school about ten minutes later. As soon as they arrived, they heard the sounds of children chirping away. Looking inside, they saw a group of children running and playing on the playground.
Every child was wearing a brand-new school uniform, and their faces were filled with happy smiles. Although their complexions were still a bit pale, their spirits were much better than before.
Everyone smiled as they watched the children; it seemed they had already embraced their new lives.
Ren Isana led the group directly toward the school gate. Just as they reached it, several children ran out from inside — it was Midori Fuse, Tina, and the others.
"Sister Yukino!" Midori Fuse's face lit up with a brilliant smile when she saw the group. She was dressed in new clothes, and she no longer hid the ears on her head.
She displayed them openly, seemingly no longer caring about how others looked at her. Seeing this, a smile blossomed on Yukino's face.
Just as Yukino was about to say hello, a figure suddenly blurred, leaping onto Ren Isana and wrapping her arms around his neck. Upon closer inspection, it was Enju Aihara.
Looking at the girl, Ren Isana was suddenly full of questions. *Wait, kid, since when did we become this close?* He was momentarily stunned as Enju hung from him.
"You finally came to see me! Darling, I missed you so much!" Enju shouted excitedly.
Ren Isana was left speechless. Beside him, Asuna's expression turned incredibly strange. *What's with this little girl? How can she be so bold? Also... did I just get another love rival?*
*Hiss, I haven't even hugged Ren Isana like that before! How dare this brat steal my first?* Asuna was fuming, but only for a moment. She began to comfort herself, telling herself not to get worked up over a child!!
After all, Ren Isana wasn't a lolicon, and she didn't think there was anything between them. Their last meeting was exactly that — their last meeting — and she had been there to see it all.
"Enju, what's gotten into you?" Ren Isana lifted the girl down and looked at her with an exasperated gaze.
"Hehe! Yours truly has discovered that I've fallen in love with you. Lately, my head has been filled with nothing but your image. This must be love!" Enju Aihara declared with great excitement.
The group didn't even know where to begin roasting her. Ren Isana gave her a light knock on the head and retorted, "Love, my foot. Do you even know what love is?"
"I do! How could I not? Don't look down on me just because I'm small. I've watched a lot of TV these past few days. Thinking about someone all the time means you like them, and that's love!" Enju was clearly unhappy with Ren Isana's dismissal.
How could she not understand? She understood perfectly, okay? Besides, Ren Isana was their savior. She had no other way to repay him except by offering herself in marriage — that's what they said on TV.
Hearing this, Ren Isana felt exhausted. *What kind of weird stuff has this kid been watching?* He looked at Enju and rejected her decisively. "It's not love! Please don't turn into a scary love-brain. You're still just a child!"
As he spoke, Ren Isana knelt down and gave her cheeks a firm pinch. Enju was furious at his words, but Asuna just glanced over and stopped paying attention. It was just a child's nonsense.
"Sister Asuna." Tina walked over to Asuna, suppressing her sleepiness to greet her. Having the Owl Factor made it very difficult for her to be active during the day.
"Little Tina, are you getting used to things here?" Asuna knelt down to greet Tina. At the end of the day, she was just a child. Asuna had never held her past as an assassin against her.
Tina nodded and said with a look of peace, "This place is paradise for us. The teachers are wonderful, and the adults around here are very kind. Even the cafeteria aunts are great to us, always worried we won't have enough to eat."
She spoke slowly, recounting their experiences since arriving. As she spoke, Midori Fuse and Enju also shared their situations with everyone.
Even Kohina, who had been sent over earlier, was no longer as silent as she once was. She was chatting with Megumi Kato like a normal child. The group listened quietly, gaining an understanding of the girls' current lives.
After hearing everything, Ren Isana was finally at ease. He looked at Enju and couldn't help but say, "Make sure you study hard here, okay? When you grow up, we'll start teaching you magic."
Though he didn't know the exact plan for their training, these children had already awakened their talents. It was likely they would be introduced to magic earlier than most.
Unlike Ren Isana and the others who only started in high school, these little ones would start sooner. They possessed an innate advantage that the others lacked — their talents were already active.
Hearing Ren Isana's words, Enju Aihara nodded and said confidently, "Don't worry, I'll grow up as fast as possible! I'll make sure I can help you in the future, darling!"
Speaking of which, her eyes filled with passion. She was incredibly excited about magic; of course she would study hard. How else would she become strong?
Ren Isana smiled and said no more. He rubbed Enju's head, stood up, and pulled out his phone to message Bell Cranel and Haruhime Sanjouno, telling them to come over.
"Sister Yukino, how long will you be back for? Is everything over on that side?" Midori Fuse couldn't help but ask Yukino Yukinoshita.
When they were sent over, that world was still facing an onslaught of Gastrea. Does their return mean it's all over?
"We'll be leaving in a bit. We only came back this time to see you. Next, we have to go and clear out the Tier 5 Gastrea in your world," Yukino didn't hide anything and told them the truth.
The little girls were stunned. They knew exactly what kind of existences the Tier 5 threats were. But now, Ren Isana and the others were planning to make a move against them?
"Won't it be too dangerous... Tier 5s are very strong." Midori Fuse was incredibly nervous. Although she had never seen a Tier 5 Gastrea, she knew what they represented — each one was a natural disaster-level threat.
Yukino Yukinoshita remained calm. "Don't worry, it won't be dangerous. We can still kill Tier 5s. Believe in us, okay?"
After saying that, she rubbed Midori Fuse's head. *So soft... as expected of a cat-girl. Once this is over, I'll have my mother come here. I'm going to adopt Midori!*
Midori Fuse remained silent for a moment before nodding. It made sense; if it were truly dangerous, Sister Yukino wouldn't go. Who would joke with their own life?
"Midori, next time I come back, why don't you come to my house and be my sister?" Yukino said to Midori Fuse with total seriousness. However, as soon as she spoke, Ren Isana's roast followed.
"Hey, hey, what kind of flag are you setting? What's the difference between that and saying 'I'll get married when the war is over'? Also, it seems everyone from Chiba really is a sister-con; people without sisters just end up adopting them!" Ren Isana was utterly speechless at Yukino's sudden declaration.
*Fine, fine, her sister-complex is finally out in the open, isn't it? And at a time like this, you're giving me a flag?* He wondered if he should cancel the Tier 5 hunt.
Asuna and Megumi Kato's expressions were also incredibly strange. Both wanted to laugh out loud, but it felt rude, so they had to hold it in.
Hearing Ren Isana's words, Yukino Yukinoshita glared at him, her sharp gaze sweeping over him like a blade. *What's wrong with being a sister-con? Did being a sister-con eat your rice?*
If she could have a sister like Midori Fuse, what was wrong with being a sister-con? Who could refuse a little cat-girl? She certainly couldn't. Sister-con it is, then; she didn't care anymore!
Midori Fuse was also a bit embarrassed. She just didn't know how to answer Yukino's question. Although she liked Yukino very much, was this really okay?
Would Sister Yukino's family accept her? If she agreed and they didn't, what would she do? Midori Fuse was nervous to the extreme.
"Um... Sister Yukino... there's no need for adoption. I'm doing fine now..." Midori Fuse said after a moment of hesitation.
"Does Midori not want to? Or do you have some concerns?" Hearing Midori's words, Yukino's brow furrowed. Was she being rejected?
Seeing Yukino's reaction, Midori nervously explained her thoughts. Once she finished, Yukino's brow relaxed. "Don't worry, my mother and sister will definitely love you."
She believed her parents and sister would also fall in love with this little one. Who could refuse such a cute child? Thinking this, Yukino pulled out her phone, took a photo of Midori Fuse, and sent it directly into their family group chat.
Yukino: [Image]
Yukino: [@Everyone. Mother, Father, Sister, can our family adopt this little one?]
After sending the message, Yukino handed the phone to Midori Fuse. "Look, they'll reply in a bit. Believe me!"
As soon as Yukino spoke, a series of voice messages started coming through. It wasn't text, but voice notes. Before Midori could even listen, a video call popped up.
Yukino answered it immediately. A beautiful middle-aged woman appeared on the other end. Seeing Yukino, she asked with great surprise, "Who is that little girl? Can we really adopt her? Did you bring her back from another world?"
Yukino's family knew about her situation. Now that she had sent a photo of such a child, their first thought was that Ren Isana had kidnapped her from another world.
"Mother, this is Midori Fuse, a very cute sister. she has no family left, so I want to adopt her. Is that okay?" Yukino asked the question directly.
Midori Fuse became even more nervous, terrified they would refuse. If they did... what would she do? At this moment, Midori Fuse was incredibly anxious.
"Of course! When are you bringing her back!! I would love to have such a cute daughter!!" A voice soon came from the other side, making her feel as though a heavy weight had been lifted.
Hearing those words, Midori's hanging heart finally settled. She wasn't rejected; that was wonderful. She almost felt like crying.
Yukino held the phone in front of Midori, pointing the camera at her. "Midori, this is my mom. She'll be your mom from now on."
She introduced her mother to Midori. Since her mother had agreed, the matter was settled. There was nothing wrong with Midori calling her 'Mom' now.
Looking at the beautiful woman on the screen, Midori Fuse grew nervous again. She didn't know what to say for a moment. Yukino understood and patted her back, soothing her, "No need to be nervous."
Under Yukino's comfort, Midori soon calmed down. Looking at the person on the screen, she hesitated before calling out, "Mom." On the other end, the woman's smile grew even more radiant.
From that single word, Yukino knew Midori had agreed to be adopted by her family. Thinking of this, Yukino immediately said to her mother, "Mother, if you have time, come to Nexus Island to handle the paperwork. I have a mission soon, so you'll have to make the trip."
Her mother agreed without hesitation. "I'll book the tickets and head over with your sister right away. Give me Midori's contact info; I'll find her when I get there!!"
Ren Isana and the others watched Yukino's entire operation, deeply impressed by her decisiveness. She had notified her mother directly and left the handling to her.
Yukino then added Midori Fuse to the family group chat, allowing her to get to know everyone. This was a complete recognition of Midori's status.
After finishing everything, Yukino rubbed Midori's head. "While I'm away, if you run into any problems, just tell Mother, okay? Or you can go to Haruno."
Hearing Yukino's words, Midori Fuse nodded hurriedly. "I understand, Sister Yukino!!!"
Midori's eyes were red, looking as though she were about to cry. Everyone was so friendly to her and eager to meet her; it was a feeling she had never experienced before.
Enju Aihara, Tina, and the other little ones crowded around to comfort her. Everyone was happy for Midori; they felt no jealousy, only joy.
Enju, in particular, was thinking about how she wanted to be on the same household register as Ren Isana, but not as his sister. If the relationship column could say "wife," that would be perfect. For that, she would practice hard!
While Ren Isana and the others were chatting with the children, it wasn't long before Bell Cranel and Haruhime Sanjouno arrived. Both had brought their Spatial Backpacks and had already taken leaves of absence from their teachers.
"Brother Ren, Sister Asuna, Sister Yukino, Sister Megumi!" Bell called out as he reached the group.
Seeing them arrive, Ren Isana turned to Enju and the others. "Well, it's time for us to head back. You all make sure to study hard here, okay? When we return in a while, we'll take you out to play!"
Though reluctant to see them go, Enju nodded. "Don't worry, darling, I'll study hard. Everyone, be safe! If you can't win, just run — there's no shame in it!!"
Everyone was amused by her words. If they couldn't win, they would obviously run. Ren Isana rubbed Enju's head, waved goodbye, and led the group back toward the direction they came from. The little ones watched until they disappeared around the corner before returning to the school.
On the way back, Ren Isana and the others chatted with Bell Cranel and Haruhime. After asking about their progress at school, they had a good idea of their learning pace.
"Next, we're going to take you to earn a massive amount of Excelia. It might just be enough to give your strength a real boost. However, it's also very dangerous, so you'll need to stay sharp," Ren Isana explained.
Hearing this, the two nodded eagerly. They weren't afraid; in fact, they were quite excited. With Ren Isana and the others there, the danger was minimal since they wouldn't be the main force anyway.
Returning to the Dimensional Rift, Ren Isana scanned the area and found that Kisara Tendo and Miori Shiba were no longer there. He didn't dwell on it and led Bell's group toward the Dimensional Tunnel.
They passed through the tunnel and returned to the other world. Ren Isana then began to gather the rest of the team. Since Bell had arrived, he didn't want to waste any more time and planned to start immediately.
Asagi Aiba had already marked the locations of the Tier 5 targets. If they set out now, they would arrive by evening and could begin the hunt first thing tomorrow morning.
Everyone appeared before Ren Isana fully armed, including Asagi Aiba and the others, as well as the Amazon twins who had been staying by Seitenshi's side.
Regarding Seitenshi's safety, Asagi Aiba had arranged for the upperclassmen to protect her for the time being. If things truly got out of hand, they were to retreat to their world.
Given their mobility, the people of this world wouldn't be able to stop them. Seitenshi's safety was guaranteed. Especially since they knew about the situation in the other world; if anyone still dared to make a move, Ren Isana would truly have to take his hat off to them.
*Wouldn't that just give me an excuse to purge everyone in this world? Maybe that wouldn't be so bad? That way, I could just take full control of this world in one go.*
Ren Isana didn't dwell on it for long. Seeing that his classmates had all arrived, he spoke up. "Everyone's here. Let's move out. We'll head over now, spend the night in the field, and get to work tomorrow morning!"