Boom! An invisible blast of compressed air slammed into the open ground nearby like a cannonball fired from its barrel.
The deafening roar rolled through the air.
Dirt and turf flew skyward in an instant, the shockwave rolling outward in a chaotic spray of rubble and debris. When the dust finally settled, a massive crater — several meters across and deep — had appeared in what had been smooth, level grass, the soil at its rim scorched black from the sheer friction of the blast.
"That's insane power!" Onigawara Rin stared at the crater, jaw hanging open.
If that had landed square on a person, even an adventurer blessed with Grace would probably have had every bone in their body shattered on the spot.
A moment later — Aihara Enju flipped nimbly through the air.
She landed steadily on the grass, hands planted proudly on her hips, her small face lit up with a triumphant grin.
"Well? Pretty impressive, huh, my Device!"
Aihara Enju crowed excitedly, showing off in front of everyone.
Watching one power after another manifest right before their eyes, the girls whose own Devices hadn't stirred at all exchanged glances, unable to keep a flicker of envy from showing.
First Nomura Satori, then Marie Kikakujou, and now Aihara Enju.
As happy as they genuinely were to see the others gain such formidable power, none of them wanted to be the one left standing still — not in a Familia crowded with prodigies growing stronger at a breakneck pace.
Haimer, naturally, took all of this in without missing a beat, his gaze sweeping gently over the girls who had yet to manifest their Devices.
"No need to rush."
"Your souls already carry their own mark. The manifestation of your Innate Device is bound to come — it just needs the right trigger."
"They're all hiding in your subconscious, waiting for you to wake them."
"Understood, Lord Haimer. We won't rush it — we'll calm our minds and try to feel out its presence."
"Still, there's one thing you all need to keep in mind."
Having soothed away their small anxieties, Haimer's whole bearing shifted, the air around him changing with it.
His tone turned serious as he began laying out what came next.
"When you head into the Dungeon's deep floors with [Loki Familia]'s group, and you run into a tough enemy and have to draw on these Devices in battle — remember this."
Haimer's gaze settled pointedly on Marie Kikakujou, Aihara Enju, Nomura Satori, and the others who had already manifested their Devices.
"Common knowledge in this world of Orario is built entirely on the systems of [God's Grace] and [Magic]."
"But weapons like yours — rule-bending arms that need no lengthy chant at all —"
"if you flaunt them carelessly, out in the open, in front of other Familias, you're bound to draw a mountain of unwanted attention and trouble."
"Those upper gods are craftier than foxes."
"So when the time comes, you'll still need to disguise them a little."
"For instance, chant something aloud and pass the ability off as ordinary magic."
"After all, as long as you insist it's magic —"
"knowing Miss Riveria's temperament, and the others like her, even if they're stunned that you can pull off this kind of large-scale interference without a single chant—"
"—out of respect for another Familia's trump cards, they won't be so tactless as to press for the truth."
Hearing this, the girls immediately grasped Haimer's meaning and nodded along. The old lesson — that the tallest tree draws the fiercest wind — was one they'd already learned in their old world.
"Don't worry, Kami-sama, something this small won't trip us up."
Marie Kikakujou tossed back her golden curls, brimming with confidence.
"I'll just say it's my very own original chantless Flower Magic."
Everyone looked like they'd already worked out an answer of their own.
With the expedition's hidden risks addressed—
Hanasaka Warabi reached over to pat the head of Kyoubou, the black bear curled obediently at her side, then seemed to remember something and looked up at Haimer.
"Actually, Kami-sama—"
"Even if this deep-floor expedition goes smoothly, it'll take at least half a month, maybe longer, before we get back."
"Ever since we became Constables, there've been shady types skulking around the city, prying for information on our Familia."
"If we all leave at once and someone comes knocking, what then?"
After all, most of the people present were the fighting core of [Haimer Familia].
If they all followed [Loki Familia] into the expedition, the force left behind to guard headquarters would look thin to anyone's eyes.
They could hardly expect Hestia to chase off desperate criminals with a broom.
Listening to the girls' worries, Haimer chuckled lightly and waved a dismissive hand, telling them to set their minds at ease.
"Don't worry about that."
"While you're gone, don't forget — the Cursed Children we just brought over are still holding down the fort at home."
"Real Gastrea Factors run through their veins, after all."
"If it ever came down to alley fighting in the tangled ruins on Orario's outer rim—"
"—those girls' sharp senses, speed, and recovery make the most perfect defensive net this world has to offer."
"If some blind fool from Evilus is stupid enough to come sniffing around—"
"—they'll be torn to pieces in some dark alley, silently, by those blood-hungry girls, before I've even laid a finger on them."
At Haimer's words, images rose in everyone's minds of those girls who usually looked so sweet and adorable.
With Aihara Enju and Kohina Hiruko as living proof, everyone knew exactly how strong the Cursed Children really were.
Their combat strength was nothing an ordinary petty thief could hope to handle.
Once those girls entered combat mode—
provoking them really would be like an old man swallowing arsenic just because he's tired of living.
"Well, if that's the case, we can rest easy."
"Also, doing the math, your expedition into the Dungeon's deep floors with [Loki Familia] really will take at least two weeks."
Seeing everyone finally set their worries down, Haimer's tone shifted, his gaze softening as it turned to Onigawara Rin and the others.
"Would you like to use this bit of free time to go back and visit your old world?"
The moment he said it, the members of the Five Swords from Symbiosis Academy all froze.
"Go... go back?"
Onigawara Rin and the others blinked, clearly not expecting Haimer to suggest this.
"That's right." Haimer nodded, smiling.
"Consider it a reward for everything you've done lately."
"Don't you want one more look at them before you head out?"
At Haimer's words, a handful of familiar faces flashed through Rin's mind.
She bit her lip, a flicker of conflict crossing her eyes.
After all — the last time she'd gone back briefly to the academy during a free moment, she'd sworn a solemn promise to her vice-captain, Mozunono Nono.
She'd told Nono that once she trained a bit longer at the academy and showed enough potential, Rin would recommend her to Kami-sama, so she too could bask in that miracle.
But — plans never keep pace with change.
In the span of just those ten-odd days—
[Haimer Familia]'s own growth had reached a speed that left everyone speechless.
Not only had the whole group shattered Orario's records, rocketing to Lv.3 within days—
now they'd even gotten their hands on something as absurd as an Innate Device that could bypass physical defenses outright.
Rin thought it over carefully.
Even she — who'd always considered herself a prodigy — felt a suffocating weight of pressure standing beside companions like Amou Kirukiru and Holy Emperor, who could level mountains on a whim or whose reserves of mana seemed bottomless.
If she kept waiting any longer—
by the time Mozunono Nono was finally, truly ready to come—
faced with this pack of monsters who'd already pulled their strength into an entirely different dimension—
how much pressure would Nono, who always trailed after her, have to bear once she got here?
There might not even be a corner left in this Familia for her to squeeze into!
"Kami—"
With that thought, Rin hesitated for barely half a second before laying out everything on her mind.
"I... there is someone I'd like to bring over."
"Her name is Mozunono Nono. She's my vice-captain at the academy."
"Our Familia is growing so fast right now."
"I'm afraid that if she comes any later, she'll really fall behind everyone else and end up sidelined."
"So... I'd like to recommend her to join Kami-sama's Familia."
Rin's candor immediately stirred up thoughts the others had been holding back.
After all, as members of the "Supreme Five Swords," they'd each naturally had followers of their own back in their old world.
"Um..." Marie bit her red lips lightly and spoke up in a small voice.
"If that's the case, Kami-sama, I'd like to recommend someone too."
"Ubaragasaki Choka."
"That girl's always trailed behind me like a little tail."
"I don't want to just leave her behind alone in our old world, watching me get farther and farther away by herself..." Seeing this, Hanasaka Warabi—
—afraid of falling half a step behind, quickly threw her hand up high.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Kami-sama, the Three Beast Warriors under me are really capable too!"
"Whether it's gathering intel or carrying out orders, they never fall short."
"If I could bring them here to receive Grace, they'd definitely be a huge help to Kami-sama going forward!"
Watching the girls' eager expressions, Haimer understood it all clearly, without the slightest surprise.
As leaders who'd each ruled their own academy, it only made sense that they'd have a handful of diehard followers and trusted aides at their side.
He also understood exactly why they hadn't brought it up before — it came down to concerns over the gap in strength between themselves and their followers.
They figured that if even they themselves were still adjusting to Orario's brutality, then their followers, however loyal, would struggle to keep up with such intense combat right away.
That was why they'd kept it buried in their hearts all this time, never speaking up.
"Of course, no problem." Still — at this point, Haimer nodded right away to Rin and the others' request.
After all, Rin and the others' strength had already met the bar.
They were only Lv.3 for now, sure.
But once they returned from exploring the Dungeon's deep floors with [Loki Familia]—
they were sure to go through another round of Rank Sublimation.
Besides, in any large, mature Familia—
you couldn't rely on just a handful of top fighters charging the front lines alone.
It was common practice, in Orario's major factions, for high-ranking adventurers to keep their own dedicated honor guard and personal retinue.
In [Ganesha Familia], for example, Captain Shakti always kept an elite unit of guardsmen close at hand.
And in [Loki Familia], Riveria — an elven royal — likewise commanded a mage corps built mostly of elves.
They all maintained a strict, tiered chain of command.
An honor guard didn't just take the tedious daily burdens off their leader's shoulders—
—when it came to major battles—
—they were the backbone that held formation together, cleaned up lesser enemies, and freed their leader to focus entirely on the strongest foe.
"I can agree to what you're asking."
"As my children, if you have people you trust, then as your god, I have no reason at all to object."
"After all, it's perfectly normal in Orario for high-strength adventurers to cultivate their own honor guard and retinue."
At Haimer's open-minded words, Rin and the others' hearts, which had been caught in their throats, finally settled back down.
But then — Haimer's tone suddenly shifted.
"That said." "There's one thing you all need to be crystal clear on."
"The situation in Orario is very different."
"This isn't your old, peaceful academy anymore, where a little sparring in the dojo was all you had to worry about."
"This place is full of bloodthirsty monsters, full of ambushes you can never fully guard against, and death that could fall on you at any moment."
"If you pull them out of that peaceful world and bring them here—"
"—it means they'll have to give up their comfort for good, and face the abyss of the Dungeon that could kill them at any moment."
"Before they come, they need to be mentally prepared for the very worst."
"And!"
"You, as the ones bringing them here—"
"—must also, correspondingly, take on absolute responsibility as their commanding officers."
"Understood?"
Haimer's stern warning was enough to snap Rin and the others out of their excitement in an instant.
It was true, after all. This was Orario.
A board where even gods played games with life and death.
But even so, Rin and the others exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes they saw the same resolve, all traces of naivety burned away.
So, in unison, they snapped their heels together, straightened their backs, and bowed deeply to Haimer.
"We understand, Kami-sama!"
"When we go back, we'll lay out Orario's true state to them, every stake, exactly as it is, down to the last detail."
"And if, after hearing all that, they still truly want to come—"
"—then we'll teach them properly, even if it costs us our lives!"
"Good." Watching the girls finally show the firm resolve of true leaders—
—a satisfied smile finally spread across Haimer's face.
He raised a hand, and as mana surged, a door of space glowing with a faint blue light slowly took shape on the grass.
"Go on."
"Have fun tonight." "Yay!"
As they saw the crossing gate to Rin and the others' world open — the moment it did—
—the most excited by far were Aihara Enju and Kohina Hiruko, who jumped up in delight.
After all, Aihara Enju and Kohina Hiruko had already gone to Rin and the others' world with them once before.
They'd heard that there, they'd not only eaten all kinds of food they'd never seen before, but also made plenty of new friends who never looked down on them at all.
Naturally, the moment the two little ones heard they could go play again, they weren't about to miss out.
"Well then, Kami-sama, we're off to visit Rin's place too."
At the same time, Tendou Kisara and Holy Emperor seemed to sense that Haimer might have other plans in mind.
With impressive tact, they suggested going along together.
"Last time, having tea with that dorm matron named Rose was really nice."
Holy Emperor said softly.
Hearing this, Inaba Tsukuyo's heart stirred too.
After all, the dorm matron had always looked out for her, blind as she was.
With that in mind, Inaba Tsukuyo immediately reached for her older sister Koharu Narukami, meaning to go pay a visit together.
Rin and the others filed one by one through the faintly blue-glowing door of space.
Amou Kirukiru stayed behind, last of all.
Everyone had assumed that she, who'd always sneered at their old world, wouldn't be going back this time.
But among the girls, she was second to none — both in combat instinct and in how well she understood Haimer.
Naturally, Amou Kirukiru was sharp enough to sense that Haimer definitely had something else planned.
After all, every single time their restless god crossed worlds, he always came back with some kind of monster that defied common sense.
This time it was the Innate Device, and now a whole new world besides — she figured he must be off to recruit someone new again.
With that thought, Amou Kirukiru simply announced her own destination.
This caught Haimer completely off guard.
Because the place Amou Kirukiru meant to go was — the Kirukiru clan.
Where would that be, exactly?
Delicious food... All mine—
____
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