Simulation room, Seidoukan Academy, Asterisk, Earth…The simulation room lit up with moths of star-like lights around Touya Alden, as prana gathered around him. Facing him was a Hydro Abyss Herald, its form changing as it covered itself with Hydro shield.Earlier, after clearing up the misunderstanding with Buer and sharing the current situation of Noah to his siblings and friends, Buer had tilted her head with a playful smile and suggested, "Would you like to test yourselves against the same foes Noa-san once faced?" The idea was too tempting to refuse, and Touya, Mahiru, Koutaro, and the others agreed instantly. Now, all eyes were on Touya's turn.
The Herald hissed, coating itself fully in Hydro before lunging. Touya's eyes narrowed. "Glacius Maxima," he murmured, his breath misting as an icy field burst outward, freezing the monster mid-step. Without hesitation, he poured prana into the manadyte of Wole-Zain; the blade gleamed brilliantly before unleashing a spatial slash that tore through the frozen Herald, shattering it into glittering fragments.
From the sidelines, Mahiru muttered under her breath, "Show-off…" and Koutaro whistled low, as Touya lowered his weapon.
"Wow! Amazing, Touya-san! You took down the Herald in just a minute and a half!" Buer exclaimed, clapping her hands with genuine excitement.
Touya let out a small breath, rolling his shoulders. "Fuu… well, that took a bit more effort than I expected."
"...Yeah, right," Mahiru deadpanned at her twin, crossing her arms. She was clearly a little sour that he'd beaten her time of one minute and forty seconds.
Beside her, Alya simply folded her arms and kept watching him. "Hmm."
Minami, grinning mischievously, leaned into the camera. "'Kyaa~ Touya is really amazing!!!~' — is what our Alya-chan is actually thinking."
"Mina-nee!!" Alya's face turned bright red as she shouted in protest, making Mahiru smirk.
Koutaro scratched the back of his head, trying to change the subject. "...Buer-san, how strong is that Herald in your world, anyway?" He winced as he remembered it had taken him two minutes and twenty-seven seconds to win his match.
Buer tilted her head in thought. "Hmm… I'd say around captain-class strength. There's still a Lector and a Baptist ranked above it, after all."
That answer made Koutaro groan under his breath, while Minami stifled a laugh at his expression.
Hearing that, Koutaro's shoulders slumped—and he wasn't the only one. Yuuya Toujo, Hayate Ayasaki, and Athena Tennousu all winced, remembering their own match against the Herald. They had managed to win, yes… but it had taken them nearly five full minutes, and they were exhausted by the end of it.
"...And Noah-kun fights these things every single time?" Masha asked in disbelief as she finished healing Touya, Mahiru, and Alya's friends who attempted fighting the Herald earlier.
"Ikkun, you okay? Still breathing?" Chitose Shirakawa leaned over her boyfriend, Itsuki Akazawa, patting his head gently.
"Chii-chan!! These things are insane! Their attack speed is off the charts!" Itsuki groaned, still sprawled out on Chitose's lap.
"There, there," Chitose cooed, brushing a hand through his hair.
"Lucky bastard… getting pampered like that," Eishiro Yabuki muttered enviously from the side, crossing his arms.
Touya, sheathing his weapon, walked back toward Buer, who was busy recording data. Noticing his approach, she looked up from her display with a small smile. "Good work, Touya-san! That was an impressive showing."
"Thank you, Buer," Touya said with a small, genuine smile. The warmth in his tone made Buer's cheeks tint pink, though her own smile stayed in place.
The little exchange made Alya flinch and stiffen, her eyes darting away in sudden panic. Masha, Minami, Kaori, Mahiru, and Sylvie, standing nearby, exchanged knowing glances before offering her soft, teasing smiles.
Before Alya could sputter out a deflection, a familiar, hearty voice cut through the moment. "Ohh!! Looks like you kids are enjoying yourselves, huh?" The doors to the simulation room slid open, revealing Caelus Alden strolling in with a relaxed grin. Beside him was one of his wives, Mitsuki Alden, her presence as elegant as ever.
"Grandpa! Grandma!" Mahiru and Touya lit up at the sight, dashing over without hesitation to throw their arms around them.
"My, even though you two are all grown up, you're still just as clingy, huh?" Mitsuki teased warmly, wrapping her arms around her grandchildren without hesitation.
"...Mahiru, Touya, what about your poor grandpa here? I'm lonely, you know," Caelus complained with a mock-wounded look, watching as both of them clung to Mitsuki instead.
Mahiru glanced back with a cheeky grin. "You'll survive, Grandpa."
"Yeah, Grandma Mitsuki gives warmer hugs," Touya added, making Mitsuki laugh softly and Caelus groan.
Mitsuki had been Caelus's friend and trusted partner since their younger days, alongside his twin sister and best friend. Even in their late forties, she looked as youthful as ever, her pink hair and blue‑pink eyes carrying the same gentle charm from years past. Born as the young lady of the Evernight family—a powerful Genestella line as old as the Peverell family before its absorption into the Aldens—Mitsuki had rejected her family's pro‑Genestella‑rule stance during the civil war. Instead, she joined Caelus and their allies to promote coexistence. She was Caelus's first partner and his first female friend, always by his side no matter the odds. Caelus often said that with her there, victory was assured.
Although Noah, Mahiru, and Touya weren't related to her directly by blood, being direct descendants of Hotaru. They had grown up under Mitsuki's watchful care. To the siblings, she was still their grandfather's wife, a family. So she was no different from their other grandmothers.
"I saw your match with Noah-chan—both of you have grown so much! Hotaru would be so proud if she were still here," Mitsuki said warmly, ignoring Caelus's exaggerated pout from the side.
Mahiru smiled faintly. "...Thank you, Grandma."
Touya gave a small shrug. "But Nii-chan's still way ahead of us."
Mitsuki chuckled. "Ahaha! Let's not use Noah-chan as the standard for power, shall we? Even Hotaru might not have been able to pull off what he just attempted."
Caelus crossed his arms with mock offense. "Hey, what about your poor grandpa's feats?"
Mahiru smirked. "We'll praise you after you beat Touya's time, Grandpa."
Touya added with a teasing grin, "And then Nii-chan's… good luck with that."
Mitsuki laughed again, the sound lightening the mood.
"Grandma Mitsuki!" Masha and Alya brightened when they spotted Caelus and Mitsuki making their way over.
"My! Masha-chan, Alya-chan, it's been a while! You haven't visited our home lately," Mitsuki said with an exaggerated pout.
Masha offered an apologetic smile while Alya scratched her cheek. "Sorry, Grandma… we've been busy fixing the simulation system that Noah-kun somehow managed to melt."
From the side, Sylvie's voice joined in warmly. "It's been a while, Grandpa Caelus, Granny Mitsuki."
"Sylvie-chan?!" Mitsuki's eyes widened in delight. "Come here, you! I haven't seen you in like three months!"
Sylvie stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "Sorry, Granny, I've been wrapped up in world tour concerts, so I couldn't visit sooner."
Caelus glanced around at the affectionate greetings and sighed dramatically, pretending to wipe a tear. "So no one's coming to me, huh?"
Mahiru, passing by, quipped without missing a beat, "Grandpa, you're too sturdy. Everyone knows Grandma's hugs are the premium package."
Touya smirked, adding, "We'll get to you after the line for Grandma clears."
Mitsuki chuckled while patting Caelus's arm. "See? You'll just have to wait your turn."
—-
"...I see. Such a shame, I really wanted to see Noah-chan," Mitsuki said, her tone carrying a hint of disappointment after hearing from Buer that Noah wasn't available. She let out a soft sigh before turning her gaze toward the simulation field, where Caelus was deep in the Dvalin rescue scenario—facing a Lector in the middle of a swarm of Abyss monsters.
"That boy is just like Caelus," Mitsuki murmured, resting her cheek in her palm. "Always throwing himself right into the middle of a war or fight. Some habits never change."
Masha chuckled at the memory. "Hehehe, that's exactly why Noah-kun was called 'Magnet' back in our high school days. Trouble just can't help finding him."
"Magnet, huh?" Mahiru repeated with an amused smile, earning a nod from Masha.
Their lighthearted talk came to an abrupt halt when a loud cry echoed from the field.
"...Asura!" Caelus's voice rang out as his prana flared, followed by the crash of meteor arts tearing through the enemy ranks. The sheer pressure made even the spectators straighten up instinctively.
"Haa… haa… that kid actually fought these things? Damn, I'm getting old," Caelus puffed, catching his breath as the Lector and the last of Abyss monsters dissolved into motes of pixelated light. He straightened slowly, shaking his head with a mix of awe and fatigue.
"...As expected from a veteran Alden, he still cleared it," Minami remarked, as Koutaro and the rest nodded in reluctant agreement. "Earlier when you guys tried the same thing, and, well… let's just say it didn't end nearly as well."
Koutaro groaned. "Did you have to bring that up?"
Alya glanced at Touya beside her, still feeling the lingering pressure from Caelus's fight. "You sure you want to challenge this next?"
Touya's eyes held steady determination. "Yeah. I want to try it. I want to see what it's like to stand where Nii-chan stood."
Mahiru gave him a sidelong look. "You're crazy."
Touya smirked faintly. "Runs in the family."
"...I see," Alya murmured, shaking her head with a found smile.
"Touya-san, would you like to see how Noah-san handled this particular event?" Buer asked, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Eh? We can?" Mahiru blinked in surprise, her voice tinged with both shock and excitement at the thought of watching her brother in action.
"Yes! Thanks to Elysia-san, we were able to retrieve a full memory recording of that battle. It was originally given to us to study the Abyss Lector and other Abyss monsters," Buer explained, her tone bubbling with eagerness. "So, shall we watch it?"
Touya, Mahiru, and the others exchanged quick glances before nodding almost in unison. "Alright, let's see it," Touya said.
The projection began—Noah force-pushed the Lector into a wall, then strode forward alone. With a single, clean slash, an Abyss monster fell like it was nothing. He exhaled, almost in a sigh, before using the Force to hurl a Mitachurl high into the air and slam it into two others, crushing them together. Without missing a beat, he hurled his second sword, slicing down a Breacher, then caught it mid-spin with casual precision. Moments later, the Lector's charged electro sphere missed as Noah apparated right beside it, stabbing the creature with a relaxed, almost cheeky, "Yo."
Silence gripped the room. Even Minami's livestream chat froze, the scrolling comments coming to a dead halt.
"...How should I even put it?" Koutaro finally broke the heavy silence, his cheeks twitching. "That was… yeah, a very Noah-like fight."
"Mm-hmm." Hayate, Yuuya, Athena, Kaori, and Minami all nodded in unison, their faces somewhere between impressed and exasperated.
"Hehehe~" Buer clasped her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels with the satisfied grin of someone who had just pulled off a perfect prank. "You all look like you just saw a magic trick you can't explain."
Before anyone could reply, a soft chime rang as a new connection appeared into view. Nahida materialized, blinking at the room. "Hello, every… one?"
Her big, innocent eyes darted between the silent group and the smiling Buer beside Touya. "...Sister Buer, what happened here?"
Buer tilted her head cutely, rubbing her chin in mock thought. "Hmm… I think they just had their reality broken."
"Huh?" Nahida blinked in confusion as she glanced around.
—
"So, I got a message from big brother and the rest," Nahida announced, comfortably sitting on Mitsuki's lap, as she went on full doting mode. The lingering awe from Noah's recorded battle had only just faded, and now the group was settled in a corner with tea and snacks. With a quick snap of her fingers, Nahida summoned a holo-screen; the image Elysia had sent through the Void Archives, relayed from the Express, came into view. "The caption is, 'Break time in the middle of Warzone~', so he said."
In the selfie, Noah sat casually sipping tea, flashing a peace sign toward the camera. Beside him, Kiana clutched cookies in one hand and struck an exaggerated fighting pose. On his other side, Citlali rested her head in her palm, clearly sighing tiredly. Lumine stood at the far side, carrying a tray of cookies and tea toward Mavuika and the other heroes, while Miss A posed beside Kiana like she belonged there. Down in the bottom right, Elysia winked mischievously at the camera.
Buer blinked at the image, tilting her head. "...Nahida-chan, Captain and the rest are deep in the Night Kingdom right now, aren't they?"
Nahida nodded slowly. "Yes."
"...And the Night Kingdom is currently being invaded by legions of abyss monsters, correct?" Buer pressed, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"That is correct, sister," Nahida confirmed.
Buer pointed at the holo-screen with both hands in disbelief. "Then please explain to me why it looks like Captain and the rest are having a picnic in the middle of all that?!"
Nahida crossed her arms, tilting her head with a thoughtful frown. After a moment, her eyes lit up and she smacked her palm lightly with her other hand, as if a revelation had struck. "Ah! That's because they really are having a picnic in the Night Kingdom!" she declared proudly.
Buer's hand immediately met her face, groaning at the sight of Nahida's bright, innocent smile. "Nahida-chan… you've been infected by the Captain's way of thinking."
"Hm?" Nahida blinked up at her, tilting her head even more, looking adorably confused. "Infected? By tea and cookies?"
A few chuckles broke out around the group. "They look like they're having way too much fun for being in the middle of a mission," Mahiru muttered.
Touya let out a wry smile "Wouldn't put it past him."
—
Mitsuki glanced at the image Nahida had posted, barely minding the chatter around her. Her eyes slowly traced over each figure in the photo — the white‑haired girl seated beside Noah, the blonde next to her, the sighing lavender‑haired beauty, the shorter blonde handing out tea and snacks, and the pink‑haired girl winking playfully at the camera. It reminds her of the past, where she, Caelus, Hotaru and the rest are having their own tea party.
"Nee, Nahida‑chan," Mitsuki called from where the little Archon was comfortably seated on her lap.
Nahida turned, momentarily looking away from Buer's ongoing lecture. "Yes, Granny?"
Mitsuki's lips curved into a fond smile at the title. She leaned in slightly, her tone half‑curious, half‑teasing. "These big sisters around Noah‑chan… are they your Big Brother's girlfriends?"
Mitsuki's simple question froze the room instantly. Conversations halted, and even the faintest chuckle died out. Buer stop mid lecture, Masha and Sylvie both turned their full attention to Nahida, eyes narrowing with curiosity as they waited for her answer. Koutaro let out a short, amused laugh, joined by a few others, while Mahiru, Touya, and Alya shook their heads slowly. Caelus, on the other hand, was grinning like he was watching a show unfold.
Nahida tilted her head thoughtfully, taking a moment before answering. "No, they are not Big Brother's girlfriends."
"Eh?! Really?! Did I make a mistake?" Mitsuki blinked in shock at Nahida's reply. Even Caelus's eyes widened—judging by what he'd seen, Noah and those girls looked pretty close. Mahiru, Touya, and Alya exchanged puzzled glances; they'd been thinking the same thing themselves.
Masha and Sylvie both exhaled, a shared sigh of relief escaping them.
"Yes! As per Sister Alice—" Nahida began cheerfully, her little legs swinging as she sat on Mitsuki's lap.
Buer, sensing the incoming disaster in her innocent tone, leaned forward urgently. "Wait, Nahi—"
"—They're Big Brother's wives!" Nahida finished proudly, her bright smile practically glowing.
"Eh?!" The entire room froze, the air thick with stunned silence.
"Oh, and she also told me how they stayed at a resort with a private pool and went swimming there," Nahida continued without missing a beat. "She called it… Honeymoon?"
"Ehh?!" Mitsuki's voice shot up an octave, her eyes wide as Caelus's jaw practically hit the floor. Mahiru, Touya, and Alya all stared in disbelief, while Koutaro and the rest were too stunned to react.
"Na–Nahida-chan, maybe stop for a bit—" Buer tried to intervene, waving her hands, but the little Archon had already pulled the pin on the next verbal grenade.
"But Sister Alice said Big Brother wasn't gentle enough… that their bodies got sore… or that maybe Big Brother's actually a beast?" Nahida tilted her head innocently. "Hmm… Nahida didn't really understand most of it. But Sister Lumi got so red while Sister Alice was telling me, So she stopped sister Alice and scolded her, saying something like 'What are you telling a child?'"
"I–I see…" Mitsuki blinked rapidly, her cheeks heating up as she pressed a hand against them.
Buer groaned and facepalmed, glancing toward Masha and Sylvie—both now shrouded in a dark, ominous aura. Nahida! You just threw your brother under the line of fire!
Caelus eyed the image still up on the screen. "...I guess… good job, grandson."
Mahiru buried her face in both hands, her ears bright red. Touya averted his gaze, his own cheeks warm, while Alya stood frozen, looking as though her soul had just fled her body.
"Oh! I remember now! Sister Alice also said that she and the other sisters wished Sister Masha and Sister Sylvie were there with them to fight the Big Bad Wolf!" Nahida announced brightly, her innocent smile practically glowing. "But then Sister Lumi said what they actually meant was… Brother Noah wants to come back in that spring with everyone — including Sister Masha and Sister Sylvie!"
"EH?!" Both Masha and Sylvie snapped out of their dark thoughts, faces heating up. The idea that Noah himself wanted to return with them made their hearts skip, but the thought that Alice and the others wanted their help to 'fight the Big Bad Wolf' made them wonder just how intense Noah had been.
"My, my… it seems my grandson was a bit too intense for them, if they still think they'll need backup," Mitsuki remarked awkwardly, glancing between the two with a half‑smile.
Nahida, blissfully unaware of the verbal grenades she had just tossed into the room, tilted her head in innocent confusion. Then her eyes widened as she noticed a communication request pop up. "Ahh! It's a call from Big Brother! He must have set up the Seed!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"That fast?!" Buer blinked in surprise, watching as Nahida eagerly accepted the call without a moment's hesitation.
A holo-screen appeared into view, revealing Noah in the center, a relaxed smile on his face. To one side was Kiana—her mismatched eyes practically sparkling—and on the other sat Citlali, looking as if she'd just been dragged into the frame. "Yo! Can you see and hear me, Nahida?" Noah greeted casually.
"Big Brother!!! Yes, we can see you and hear you clearly!" Nahida replied, her small hands gripping the edge of the screen like she might somehow hug him through it.
Noah's smile softened at Nahida's excitement—until he spotted a familiar figure just behind her. "Grandma??!!" he blurted out.
"Hello, Noah-chan," Mitsuki greeted, her voice polite but carrying an odd edge.
Before he could get another word out, Mitsuki's eyes narrowed and she gave him a pointed, almost maternal glare that sent a shiver down his spine. He felt a bead of cold sweat trail down his temple.
"Noah-chan," she began in a firm, scolding tone, "no matter how passionate you are with your wives, you must never forget to be gentle with them. Understood?"
"Ha?! W–Wait, what?!" Noah's eyes widened in alarm, glancing between her and the others, utterly thrown off by the sudden ambush.