Honestly, Emiya didn't take Shizuka's words about becoming his if she wasn't married by forty very seriously.
He hadn't even thought about it.
The sentence sounded like a joke she'd set up for herself.
And if you thought about it calmly, given Shizuka's situation, was it really impossible for her to get married before forty?
Probably not.
Even if she acted rough, carefree, and a little sloppy, she was still a beautiful woman.
In ten years, it wouldn't be hard for her to meet a man blind enough to fall for her.
Even if the worst happened and she really wasn't married by forty, Emiya figured he'd reluctantly accept her.
After all, she'd basically be offering herself.
Refusing her then would feel wrong.
They were that close.
Of course, the chances of that happening were extremely low.
Next, Emiya went over the Nen cultivation method with Shizuka in detail.
He broke it down.
Explained it again.
And again.
Only after making sure she had memorized everything did he stop.
Then he lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.
Shizuka stayed behind, sitting cross-legged on the bed, beginning her Nen training.
The next morning, when Emiya woke up, Shizuka was still asleep.
He prepared breakfast, woke her up, and pushed her into the bathroom.
A short while later, Shizuka sat at the table, refreshed, greeting him.
Emiya nodded.
"Let's eat."
"I'm digging in."
She grabbed a sandwich and took a bite.
"By the way," Shizuka said, "where are you going next? Another world?"
Emiya shook his head.
"No. I'm staying here for a few days."
"Huh? My world?" Shizuka looked surprised.
"There's nothing special here, is there?"
Emiya lifted his cup and took a sip of milk tea.
"I want to master the four foundational Nen techniques first. Strengthen myself before moving on."
"Oh," Shizuka said. "As long as you're happy."
After breakfast, Shizuka went to work at Sobu High.
Emiya washed the dishes with Psychokinesis and began practicing Zetsu.
Morning passed quickly.
At noon, he ate lunch.
He didn't train in the afternoon.
Training needed moderation.
Staying tense all the time wasn't good.
So he picked up the light novel he'd bought earlier-The Dark Elf of Explosion-and started reading.
It was clearly a harem-style, slightly fanservice-heavy story.
The illustrations leaned hard into that.
Looking at it, it was hard to imagine the author was a beautiful blonde girl.
Most people would assume the author was some greasy chubby guy.
Reality was often stranger than imagination.
Emiya read from afternoon until night, fully immersed.
Before he realized it, he'd finished the published volumes.
The story wasn't over.
Which meant waiting.
Japanese light novels weren't like Chinese web novels.
Chinese web novels updated daily.
Japanese light novels released a volume every three to six months.
Sometimes even longer.
Yamada Elf was considered punctual.
About four volumes a year.
The last volume Emiya read had been released a month ago.
Meaning at least two more months of waiting.
Fortunately, Emiya only read light novels to relax.
Training could continue.
Since he was done with The Dark Elf of Explosion, he moved on.
Demon Sword of Fantasy.
A bigger hit.
According to the story itself, The Dark Elf of Explosion had sold over 2.2 million copies and even got an anime.
But Demon Sword of Fantasy had been adapted twice.
Over fourteen million copies sold.
A true monster.
Emiya decided to give it a try.
That evening, Shizuka came home and saw Emiya reading.
"I thought you were training," she said. "Why are you reading?"
"Training needs moderation," Emiya replied calmly.
"And the book's good. I got carried away."
"...Fair enough."
During dinner, Shizuka suddenly thought of something.
"Can you travel to the worlds of these light novels?" she asked.
"Like The Dark Elf of Explosion?"
Emiya paused.
"...Honestly, I don't know," he said after thinking.
"My travels are mostly random. Maybe I can. Maybe I can't."
Shizuka nodded. That made sense.
"Can I borrow your computer tonight?" Emiya asked.
"For what?"
"I want to watch the anime adaptation of Demon Sword of Fantasy."
Shizuka rolled her eyes but agreed.
After dinner, Shizuka trained.
The idea that Nen could grant eternal youth was irresistible.
She trained even harder than when she practiced Haki.
Emiya opened the computer and watched anime.
Days passed like this.
Training.
Anime.
Light novels.
Manga that didn't exist in his own world.
All extremely popular here.
Popularity-wise, they were no weaker than Naruto, Bleach, or One Piece.
Gradually, Emiya's mastery of Zetsu improved.
One day, when Shizuka came home and opened the door, she froze.
She couldn't sense Emiya.
"Did he leave?"
She hurried inside.
Emiya was on the sofa, laptop on his knees, watching anime.
But when she closed her eyes, her Observation Haki detected nothing.
It was as if he didn't exist.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Emiya didn't look up.
"I've mastered Zetsu," he said.
"As long as I don't move, it's normal you can't sense me."
"So you can stay eternally young now?" Shizuka asked enviously.
Emiya shook his head.
"Not that simple. Zetsu has to reach a very high level. I've only just started."
There were very few people in the Hunter world who achieved eternal youth that way.
Emiya knew one.
Biscuit Krueger.
A two-star Jewel Hunter.
She looked like a little girl.
She was actually fifty-seven.
And Netero's student.
Emiya's words didn't discourage Shizuka.
If anything, they motivated her more.
From that day on, she trained relentlessly.
Eat.
Train.
Repeat.
Her dedication was intense.
Even Emiya found it a little scary.
Beautiful women could be terrifying.
Time passed.
Half a month blinked by.
Emiya mastered Ren.
Then Hatsu.
With all four foundational Nen techniques complete, he prepared a Water Divination test.
A cup of water.
A leaf.
Nen activated.
The water increased.
Then crystals formed.
The water turned black.
The leaf moved.
Emiya took a sip.
"...Cola?"
It was identical to Kurapika's result.
All five phenomena.
A Specialist.
Emiya wasn't surprised.
With his collection of abilities-world traversal, Psychokinesis, resistances, magic, Devil Fruits, Haki, Fantasy Creation-it would've been strange if he weren't a Specialist.
He already knew how he wanted to develop his Nen.
Combine everything.
Create something overwhelming.
The direction was clear.
That night, when Shizuka returned, Emiya told her he was leaving.
She'd expected it.
"Tomorrow?" she asked.
"Tomorrow."
"How's your training?"
"...It'll take a while," Shizuka admitted.
Nen wasn't something you rushed.
Even with guidance, she'd need months.
Emiya could force her aura nodes open now.
But that was dangerous.
So he didn't.
Slow was safer.
"I'll come back to visit," Emiya said.
Shizuka nodded.
After dinner, she trained as usual.
Emiya stretched, lay down, watched TV for a bit, and fell asleep.
The next morning, he didn't wake her.
He left quietly.
And departed this world.