On their way home, they had even managed to rescue Kayo Senju. They hadn't taken a single moment to rest. One had to admit, their efficiency and drive were truly remarkable.
"Go back and get some rest in a bit," Ren Isana said with a nod, repeating what he had already told everyone in the group chat. "What kind of weapon do you want? Let me know, and I'll forge your equipment later."
After listening to his explanation, Asagi Aiba pulled out her phone and logged into the back end of the academy app. Seeing that her credits had already arrived, she decisively began selecting items from the list Ren had posted in the group.
Once she finished, she spoke up slowly. "I want a magic staff. Or, if it's possible, could you make me an amplifier? Like a bracelet I could wear on my wrist or something?"
Asagi described the item she had in mind. She only needed something that could boost her own Magic Power. Since she wasn't particularly skilled at direct combat, carrying around a magic staff felt unnecessary.
"So you want to cast magic using your hands, right? I can integrate the functions of a magic staff into a bracelet, but it might not be as effective as a full staff," Ren Isana remarked after a brief moment of thought.
Asagi's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Then just do it however you think is best. I'm not going to be on the front lines anyway. In the future, you can just leave the electronic support during otherworldly expeditions to me."
Efficiency didn't matter as much to her as long as it provided some kind of boost. She was relieved that Ren understood her perspective. After a short discussion, they finalized the details.
Asagi would head back to the school with Ren to collect the materials and hand them over before going to sleep.
As they finished their conversation, Natsuki Minamiya reappeared with the young Kayo Senju following behind her.
Walking up to Ren, Natsuki stated flatly, "You can leave her to me. You guys can head back. I'll see to it that Kayo is properly trained from now on."
Natsuki couldn't quite suppress the curve of her lips as she spoke. From the way she phrased it, she seemed to be planning on adopting Kayo Senju personally.
Ren Isana gave her a surprised look before turning his attention to Kayo. "Blink your eyes if she's forcing you into anything. I'll stand up for you if I have to."
Faced with his question, the corners of Kayo Senju's mouth curled upward. She looked at Ren with a bright smile. "Onii-chan, Natsuki-ane isn't forcing me to do anything. She told me that she'll let me choose what I want to specialize in based on my own interests."
Kayo shared the details of her conversation with Natsuki. It turned out Natsuki had just been testing her, though she still had one nagging doubt.
She hadn't told Ren anything about her Factor, had she? Yet he seemed to know immediately. It was quite puzzling. Was this Onii-chan really that powerful? Could he actually just sense it?
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Why would I force her?" Natsuki snapped, clearly annoyed. What was that supposed to mean? Her, forcing someone? Did she look like that kind of person?
Ren, satisfied that Kayo wasn't being coerced, ignored Natsuki's indignation.
He gave Kayo a nod before activating [Teleportation Magic], whisking Asagi, Asuna, and the others back to the school.
Watching Ren disappear, Natsuki was momentarily speechless. However, she soon began to ponder. Now that Ren was becoming proficient with [Spatial Magic], perhaps it was time to teach him something more advanced.
Kayo Senju, meanwhile, was fascinated by the magic. How was it possible for people to just vanish like that? She wondered if she could learn it too and fell into deep thought.
Natsuki turned to Kayo and noticed her contemplative expression. "If you're interested in [Spatial Magic], I'll teach you later. I'm the one who taught that guy everything he knows."
Was the little girl interested in [Spatial Magic]? That was perfect. She would test her for a spatial affinity later; if she had one, Natsuki would finally have a proper successor to her mantle.
As for Ren? The less said the better. He didn't specialize in [Spatial Magic] at all, and teaching him provided zero sense of accomplishment. After all, the moment you taught him anything, he just... knew it.
In fact, there were things he could learn even without being taught. There was absolutely no joy in being a teacher when it came to him.
"Mm-hmm, I'm very interested. I'll be in your care, Natsuki-ane," Kayo said, slowly snapping out of her daze. It was wonderful to have someone willing to teach her.
"From now on, call me Natsuki-ane!" Natsuki corrected the girl, who was a bit too mature for her age. She then used her magic to teleport them both away.
As for the identity registration? It was simple. She would just register the girl under her own household. She was determined to raise this brilliant child. Natsuki even decided to bring her to Dimensional Nexus University to teach her directly, letting her attend classes with Ren and the others so the other students could feel the crushing weight of a superior IQ!
Of course, that was contingent on the girl actually being able to master the curriculum quickly. Otherwise, she wouldn't bother.
Back at the school, Ren's group didn't head straight for the dorms. Instead, they went to the exchange center to trade their credits for materials. After verifying their identities, they collected their items.
Besides the materials, Asagi Aiba had also exchanged for a high-tech computer and a Spatial Backpack.
"I'm leaving the materials to you. I'm going back to the dorm!" Asagi said, dumping the materials into Ren's hands. Having finished her business, she was desperate for sleep.
Ren nodded and stowed the materials away. He then used [Spatial Magic] once more to bring everyone back to the dormitory area.
As soon as they arrived, Asagi said her goodbyes and headed straight for her room without looking back. Ais and the others followed suit.
With most of them gone, Ren turned to Asuna and Mahiru Shiina. "Shall we go grab some breakfast?"
They hadn't eaten yet, and since it was still early, there was plenty of time before they needed to leave the school. In the meantime, the other students could prepare their materials to head over to Maya's shop on Nexus Island.
Asuna looked at Mahiru and nodded. "Let's eat first. I'm hungry too."
Once they decided, the three headed for the cafeteria. As they left, Ren used his perception to check the dorms; Megumi Kato and Yukino Yukinoshita were already gone, likely at the dining hall, so there was no need to call them.
On the way, Ren posted the address Maya had sent him yesterday into the class group chat and @'ed everyone. "Once you have your materials, meet up at this location. Maya is there now, along with Tsubaki and the others. If you want to enhance your weapons, go directly to Tsubaki."
While the newer students might have been unfamiliar with Maya and Tsubaki, the veterans certainly weren't. Not long after Ren sent the message, Sora replied excitedly: "Maya is here too? Got it! I'm grabbing my materials and heading over right now!!"
Others chimed in to acknowledge the message. The new students were confused but didn't ask questions, knowing they would find out who Ren was talking about soon enough.
Students like Motoki Yaze were surprised when they saw the address. They knew exactly what that shop represented on Nexus Island.
None of them had expected that so many people in their class would be on familiar terms with the owners of such a shop. It was quite the revelation.
After sending the message, Ren arrived at the cafeteria with Asuna and Mahiru. They immediately spotted Asuna and Yukino, along with several other girls from the class.
Megumi Kato was the first to notice them. She waved and patted the empty seats beside her, signaling for them to come over. Her movement caught the attention of Yukino and the others.
After greeting everyone, the three ordered their breakfast and joined Megumi's table.
"Did something happen? Was there some sort of trouble over there?" Yukino asked Asuna the moment they sat down.
They had wanted to go along earlier, but Ren had used [Spatial Magic] to bolt, leaving them with no choice but to stay behind.
"Yeah, Asagi and the others returned with a child who was on the verge of death. That's why we needed Mahiru to come over," Asuna explained briefly, giving them the gist of Kayo's situation.
Hearing the details, Yukino finally understood the urgency. It seemed everything was fine now; with Mahiru Shiina involved, there was no way the child would die.
Even though Mahiru had only recently joined the team, everyone had high regard for her talent. Her [Healing Magic] was exceptionally effective.
After finishing breakfast together, the group set out to leave the school. Most other students were in class, so Ren and his group walking around the campus was a rare sight.
No one tried to stop them. Even the security guards at the gates paid them little mind. They simply swiped their cards and left; it wasn't like high school where guards would chase you down for leaving campus.
Ren and the others followed the address to Maya's shop. Upon arrival, they were stunned to see that the shop was excessively large and situated right in front of a dimensional passage!