——I can't see anything.
Passing through the World Gate was complete darkness.
I walked through the abyss.
A strange space.
I could breathe, but the air felt heavy.
It gave me the illusion that I was moving underwater.
…Gwooon… gwooon…
It felt like the sound of a distant bell, but it vanished right away.
…kya kya kya… kya kya kya…
A cry from a creature I had never heard before whispered past my ear for a moment.
This was the Otherworld.
And according to the Demon God, it was the Interstice Between Worlds that connected to all worlds.
—— "No matter what you hear, keep walking straight. Don't wander off. You'll become a lost soul of the Interstice." (Loki)
I kept the Demon God's words at the forefront of my mind.
Sumire, Sara, Airi, and Claude should have been walking right near me, but I felt no presence.
(If we really went back to the past…maybe we all got separated…) (Eugene)
If that happened, meeting up would be the first priority.
But before that…
When were we even going to arrive?
What if we never escaped this place at all…?
Just as that worry began slowly seeping into my heart…
"—!?"
Suddenly, the ground beneath my feet disappeared.
I landed with a thud.
"Kyaa!"
A girl in a white robe fell right in front of me.
I caught her tightly.
"Sumire, are you okay?" (Eugene)
"Eugy-kun! I'm so glad! I thought I got separated!" (Sumire)
She hugged me tight.
Her body felt more slender than before entering the World Gate.
"Huh? Eugy-kun, did you get thinner?" (Sumire)
"You too, Sumire." (Eugene)
Both Sumire and I lived together for three years…no, even longer if you counted the time training in the Zenith Tower.
And yet we were back in our student bodies.
My hand instinctively went to my waist.
My Black Katana and White Sword were there.
Good.
That saved me the trouble of searching for my weapons.
"Sumire-chaaan? How long are you planning on clinging to Eugene?"
"I should have asked Eugy to catch me too."
I heard voices behind me.
I turned around and saw Sara and Airi, also in their school uniforms, appearing younger.
"Sara, Airi. I'm glad you two came out in the same place." (Eugene)
I gently set Sumire down and exhaled in relief.
One more left…
"This looks like the back forest behind the Lykeion Magic Academy."
Claude had apparently already surveyed the surroundings.
——The Lykeion Magic Academy.
Hearing that name, we all silently looked toward the large building deeper in the woods.
The academy, standing tall and proud.
The school we once attended.
The building before the Red Dragon destroyed it.
We have truly returned.
◇◇
"All right, everyone. Let's move according to the plan we arranged beforehand." (Eugene)
Everyone nodded when I spoke.
"I'll check in with the Student Council and announce tomorrow's Emergency Evacuation Drill. I need the members to prepare the procedure documents immediately." (Sara)
Sara said.
Tomorrow, the Red Dragon would appear, exploiting a flaw in the Zenith Tower's systems.
This was all preparation for that.
Sara could do this naturally as Student Council President.
"I'll contact the Empire and use my Crown Princess authority to summon a Golden Knight division. If I say it's due to concerns about security, they should arrive in a day." (Airi)
Airi's authority was enormous.
Even without being Empress yet, it wouldn't be difficult for her.
"And… I suppose calling Jubei-ojisama, the Emperor's Sword, or Edward-sama, the Sword Hero…are off-limits, right?" (Airi)
"It's better not to. They'd definitely notice." (Eugene)
The Demon God had strictly warned us.
That taking "unnaturally convenient actions due to knowing the future" was dangerous.
We were currently using the World Gate to sneak into the past.
All to deal with the Red Dragon that destroyed the Dungeon City.
But altering the past too drastically would draw the attention of gods from the Divine Realm and the Demon Realm.
If we overdid it, this entire past transfer could be voided.
—— "What you're doing is essentially exploiting a bug in the Zenith Tower's rules. Well, it was the Dungeon Master-chan and the Red Dragon's fault to begin with… But if you make too much noise, the Destiny Goddess, Ilia-chan, won't be able to cover for you. Be careful, okay?" (Loki)
Another one of the Demon God's warnings.
Meanwhile, Mother and Rita had no comments about that topic.
Pretending they didn't hear anything was probably their biggest compromise.
Back to the matter at hand: Pops or the Sword Hero only leave the capital under the Emperor's decree or if the Empire is in danger.
Summoning the Empire's two top forces without cause would stand out far too much.
"I understand…" (Airi)
Airi answered, disappointed.
"I'd feel safer if those two were here too…but it can't be helped. Next…Claude." (Eugene)
When I looked at my friend…
"I'll contact someone in the Blue Waters Federation who can fight, and…I need to find the Principal." (Claude)
"Yeah." (Eugene)
I nodded.
Claude's role was critical.
He had to find the Principal and confirm the terms of the future contract with the Demon God.
—— "My consciousness can ignore time, but just in case, you should check whether he still remembers our deal. After all, the deal between you and me happens in the future." (Loki)
The Principal always carried the lamp that sealed the Demon God.
…Why anyone would carry something that dangerous was beyond me.
"But…where is the Principal right now?" (Sumire)
"That's the problem…" (Eugene)
I crossed my arms at Sumire's words.
He appeared unpredictably.
Sometimes he locked himself in his lab for days.
Sometimes he traveled the world due to requests from nations.
Sometimes he actually did his job in the Principal's office.
He was the highest authority in the Dungeon City, so he was always busy.
Though rumors had it Claire-sama, the First Knight, handled most of that…
"If any of you see the Principal, tell him Claude is looking for him." (Claude)
We all nodded at Claude's request.
"Next, Sumire…" (Eugene)
"I'll go see Demon Lord Eri-san!" (Sumire)
"Yeah, I'm counting on you." (Eugene)
"But…are you sure it shouldn't be you, Eugy-kun?" (Sumire)
Only Sumire and I could enter the 7th Sealed Prison where Eri is.
Normally, as her contractor, I should go myself, but…
"I have something I need to take care of. Once that's done, I'll come too." (Eugene)
"Okay! Be careful. I'll talk to Eri-san… Though at this point, I'm not sure how close we were yet." (Sumire)
"It's fine. You learned magic from Eri and got along with her. She'll listen." (Eugene)
"…But I shouldn't explain the real situation, right?" (Sumire)
"Yeah." (Eugene)
Sumire and I continued using vague phrasing.
We couldn't say we returned from the future.
We have no idea who might be listening.
But Eri is smart.
She'd pick up on things after talking to Sumire.
And as for the one other thing…
"And lastly, I'm…going to meet the Dungeon Master, Anemoi." (Eugene)
That was my first task.
"Eugy…will you be okay alone? The Dungeon Master now is…" (Airi)
"She's not our ally. She'll be hostile." (Eugene)
"But you're going to negotiate, right?" (Airi)
"Yeah. We need her power." (Eugene)
We were only able to surpass Angel Eri on the 500th floor because of Anemoi's power.
With our current strength alone, we have no chance of defeating the Red Dragon, who is even stronger.
"Be careful, Eugene." (Sumire)
"I know. I've fought her enough times. I'll go and 'negotiate.'" (Eugene)
"That 'negotiate' definitely means violence…" (Sumire)
I heard Sumire mutter.
Couldn't be helped.
The pre-rampage Anemoi was a troublemaker.
"All right, everyone. Complete your tasks. We'll meet tonight. Location…" (Eugene)
"Let's use the Student Council Room. Airi and I are part of the Council, and the President's Office is large enough for all of us." (Sara)
No one had objections to Sara's suggestion.
The Red Dragon would appear early tomorrow morning.
Less than twenty-four hours remained.
We all set off toward our objectives.
◇◇
My destination was the Zenith Tower rising into the sky.
My goal: meet the Dungeon Master Anemoi.
I need to figure out even how to meet her since we are not close in this timeline.
(What's the best approach…?) (Eugene)
I kept walking while thinking.
Right now, acting quickly mattered most.
"You're in quite a hurry, Eugene. Something amusing happened?"
A voice called out.
I froze.
A low, clear voice.
Calm, yet sounding faintly amused.
A voice I knew extremely well.
The last time I spoke to this person was…
"…Principal Uther." (Eugene)
The voice belonged to the Principal who, three years later, was devoured by the Demon God due to their contract.
His face and expression were exactly as I remembered. He smirked.
"What's wrong, Eugene? Not like you to lose composure. You look as if you've met someone who died." (Uther)
"N-No, you just startled me. Are you observing the Zenith Tower today?" (Eugene)
I hid my agitation and kept my tone natural.
It was nostalgic.
He has helped me a lot since enrollment.
When no one could stop the Red Dragon and we fell into despair at our helplessness, the Principal's sacrifice saved everyone.
If I could meet him again someday, I wanted to apologize for my uselessness back then.
I feel like I would end up crying if I am not careful.
I endure that.
"Hm. Strange phenomena have been occurring in the Zenith Tower lately. I've been using Clairvoyance regularly, but results have been vague. If you notice anything, let me know. Well then, farewell." (Uther)
"Principal! Please wait!" (Eugene)
I sensed he was about to leave and hurried to stop him.
With him, everything was teleportation… Hesitating meant losing him.
"What is it, Eugene?" (Uther)
"Claude said he needs to speak with you. If you see him, please talk to him." (Eugene)
"Claude? Hmm… He is currently in the Legendary Hero Department classroom. Very well, I'll go hear his request." (Uther)
Shuon… Principal Uther vanished with a sound like slicing air.
A golden magic circle hovered in the air before dissolving like glittering sand.
(He really went out of his way to look for him…) (Eugene)
I was grateful.
And to detect mana and then teleport in only a few seconds…
It has been a while since I have seen it, but the Principal's magic was still monstrous.
(All right! I'll accomplish my task too.) (Eugene)
I need to meet the Dungeon Master.
I hurried into the Zenith Tower.
Then headed straight for the dungeon elevator.
Fortunately, there weren't many people.
And I was headed to the high-floor elevator that skipped to the 100 floors.
It was always empty.
I stepped inside and pressed the button for the 300th floor.
After a short ascent, the doors opened.
A green meadow stretched out before me.
The 300th floor of the Zenith Tower.
The place to undergo the Trial of the Gods.
A place I already conquered once.
But that record no longer existed since I returned to the past.
I stepped into the meadow.
(I'll clear this place again.) (Eugene)
Currently, no active explorer has ever cleared the 300th floor.
Which meant the curious Dungeon Master would almost certainly appear.
And when she did…I'd "persuade" her.
—— "Will you begin the Trial of the Gods?"
A voice from an angel echoed from above.
"Eugene Santafield challenges the Trial of the Gods." (Eugene)
The moment I said it, a massive golden magic circle formed.
(What will appear…?) (Eugene)
I readied my White Sword and waited for the Divine Beast to manifest.