"Sumire… Now you can return to your original world."
Eugy-kun said to me with a gentle expression.
"..."
I couldn't answer him right away.
——Memories of the day I arrived in this isekai resurfaced.
Surrounded by flames and remembering nothing…that was how my life in this world began.
Eugy-kun rescued me, but I couldn't understand a single word he said.
Then Principal Uther gave me a magic tool so I could communicate, and I somehow became a student at the Lykeion Magic Academy as a person from another world.
We went exploring Babel, the Zenith Tower, and I met Leona-chan and the others.
I fought monsters for the first time, trembled before terrifying Divine Beasts.
And the promise Eugy-kun made to me.
"...I'll send you back to your original world, Sumire." (Eugene)
Eugy-kun told me that.
And now he has fulfilled that promise.
Standing before me was the divine artifact, the gift for clearing the 500th floor: the World Gate.
If I passed through it, I could return to my original world…
"Sumire-chan, so you're going home. Kinda lonely." (Claude)
Claude-kun was the one who said that.
"Be good to Leona-chan and Teresia-san." (Sumire)
"…Yeah." (Claude)
Claude-kun looked away with a wry smile.
(Ah, and Rita-san next to him looks awkward…) (Sumire)
Oops, wrong choice of words.
As I tried to think of something to fix it…
"Hey! Are you really going back!? Eugy, are you okay with that!?" (Airi)
Airi-chan grabbed Eugy-kun's arm and shook him.
"Sumire! You should stay here forever! I'll even get you a place to live! And if it's you, I don't mind if you stay with Eugy! I'll take care of you for life! I'll let you live in luxury by imperial decree!" (Airi)
"Ahaha, thank you, Airi-chan." (Sumire)
I answered with a smile.
Airi-chan's straightforward way of speaking really hasn't changed. Ever since our days in the Legendary Hero Department.
"Sumire-chan…" (Sara)
"Sara-chan." (Sumire)
Sara-chan came to stand right beside me.
"...…"
She hugged me without saying anything.
I hugged her back.
When we first met, things were tense because of Eugy-kun…
But now she's my closest friend.
"Sumire-chan, don't go back." (Sara)
I was shocked by Sara-chan's words.
I didn't think she'd say something like that.
"If Sara-chan tells me to stay, I might really waver, you know…" (Sumire)
I actually was wavering.
If I didn't joke around, I would've started crying.
"…Sorry, that was weird." (Sara)
"No, I'm happy." (Sumire)
"Take care." (Sara)
"You too." (Sumire)
Sara-chan squeezed me tightly, and I hugged her with all my strength.
"Hey, Eugene. That girl is an Ifrit, one of the Flame Demigods, right? Can she even live in her original world?"
I overheard that conversation while I was hugging Sara-chan.
It was Dungeon Master Anemoi-san who asked.
"I brought water from the divine artifact on the 300th floor, the Spring of Transformation. If she bathes in it with the intent to change, she should be able to turn human again." (Eugene)
Eugy-kun answered.
"I see… But don't you still need her power? Your Flame Mana Blade uses her mana, doesn't it?" (Anemoi)
"I'll figure something out. Eri taught me mana storage magic, and I can borrow mana from Anemoi too." (Eugene)
(Oh right, Eugy-kun even made a contract with the Dungeon Master…) (Sumire)
Now Eugy-kun could borrow mana from Anemoi-san as well.
Angel Eri-san had been far too strong.
Even with every method we tried, it was a narrow victory.
I looked over at Eri-san, who now had unfamiliar white wings on her back.
"Sumire, so you're going home." (Eri)
Eri-san's expression didn't change at all.
She remained calm and composed unlike Airi-chan or Sara-chan.
Yeah, the difference in experience really shows. She gets mad if you mention her age, though.
"Eri-san… Thank you for everything." (Sumire)
I stepped away from Sara-chan, went to Eri-san, and bowed my head.
She scared me when we first met, but over the last three years she taught me all kinds of magic and much more.
She was like a dependable older sister.
She placed her hand on my head.
"Take care." (Eri)
"…Yes." (Sumire)
Her words were brief.
But warm.
"Eugy-kun." (Sumire)
I turned again to face the person I love.
The moment I saw his face, memories of everything since I came to this world flooded my mind.
Student life at the Lykeion Magic Academy.
Learning this world's customs and culture under Eugy-kun.
Days spent challenging the Zenith Tower.
My first school festival in another world, when the Hydra appeared and everything turned chaotic.
Moving from the General Course to the Legendary Hero Course.
Traveling to the Holy Union to fight a Great Demonic Beast but being completely useless.
Helping out a little during the Black Mermaid extermination using mana-powered human dolls.
Just when I finally got used to life in this world…the calamity of the Red Dragon happened.
The peaceful Lykeion Academy was gone.
Eugy-kun, my guardian, vanished after being sealed in the Zenith Tower.
But with the help of people connected to Eugy-kun, I somehow managed to keep living in this world even without him.
I waited three years for his return.
And then we were reunited.
During that time, the South Continent fell into war, and Sara-chan and Airi-chan both became really important figures.
But we still gathered around Eugy-kun, just like before, in the Zenith Tower.
And finally, we matched the 500 year old highest record of the tower.
(There really…was so much.) (Sumire)
"Eugy-kun, thank you for bringing me to the 500th floor." (Sumire)
"…Yeah. I'm glad I could keep that promise." (Eugene)
He smiled sadly at my words.
"From this gate…I can go back to my original world, right?" (Sumire)
"Yeah. Without a doubt." (Eugene)
Eugy-kun didn't try to stop me unlike Sara-chan or Airi-chan.
Probably because…if he told me not to go, I wouldn't be able to refuse.
(He doesn't think he wouldn't miss me…right?) (Sumire)
I glanced at Eugy-kun's face. Beneath his usual calm expression…I could see a painful look in his eyes.
Seeing that made me feel just a little satisfied…and I stepped toward him.
"Sumire?" (Eugene)
I ignored his confused voice and hugged him.
"Eugy-kun. Thank you for bringing me to the 500th floor like you promised. But I'm not going back to my original world. I'm going to stay here and fight the Red Dragon together with everyone." (Sumire)
I told him my decision.
"That's… But…are you sure?" (Eugene)
"Yeah. Because I haven't repaid everyone who's helped me. I have to help the Principal too." (Sumire)
That's something Eugy-kun always says.
A favor should be repaid with a favor.
I've been helped by the people in this world more times than I could count.
I can't just go home without giving anything back.
"I see." (Eugene)
Eugy-kun sounded happy.
"Sumire-chan!" (Sara)
"Sumire!!" (Airi)
Sara-chan and Airi-chan hugged me.
"Sumire-chan, then we're counting on you from here on too." (Claude)
Claude-kun stood at my side.
"Yeah. Everyone, I'm counting on you too!" (Sumire)
I looked around at all of them.
"..."
My eyes met Eri-san's.
She wore the exact same calm and composed expression as always.
She wasn't surprised at all by my decision.
In her current angelic form, she apparently had regained her peak power and could see the future.
Which meant…
"Eri-san…you knew I wasn't going back to my original world, didn't you?" (Sumire)
"Who knows~♪" (Eri)
She teased me with that reply.
She definitely knew.
No wonder she was so calm compared to everyone else.
"Alright! So all of us here are going to challenge the Red Dragon, right!? Time for a strategy meeting!" (Anemoi)
Dungeon Master-san's booming voice echoed.
We all nodded.