"Just look at you all..."
The girls lit up with joy as Akiyama Ren returned. Dairenji Suzuka quickly stepped forward, her tone calm but a bit apologetic.
"Ren-san, Yurikawa Hana doesn't seem to have any affinity for Onmyōdō... I don't think I can teach her much more."
Ren nodded thoughtfully. "It's alright. She has a unique Innate Technique. Let Kaouhime handle her Jujutsu training."
He called out for Utahime and Miwa Kasumi through Sakura, and the two appeared in the gym moments later.
Utahime raised a brow. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing urgent. I just need you two to handle Jujutsu instruction for Yotsuya Miko and Yurikawa Hana," Ren said bluntly.
Utahime gave a small nod. "Alright. I don't mind."
She wouldn't reject any request from Ren. Especially not when it came to helping him train others.
Ren turned to Suzuka again. "That frees you up. Just focus on teaching Onmyōdō to Miko-chan and Futatsumura Yuria."
"Understood," Dairenji Suzuka said with a small smile. With one less student to manage, her workload would ease up.
But Yotsuya Miko blinked in surprise. "Eh? Why do I have to learn both Jujutsu and Onmyōdō? That seems unfair, Ren-senpai."
Ren gave her a warm smile. "Because you're talented, baka. Don't waste it. Jujutsu in the morning, Onmyōdō in the afternoon. You'll become a powerhouse in no time."
Flustered but flattered, Miko nodded. "R-Right! I'll give it my best!"
Miwa Kasumi, who had been quiet until now, raised her hand hesitantly. "Um... Ren-sensei, what about me?"
Ren grinned. "You're in charge of teaching Maki-san the Shinkage-ryū's Simple Domain. Think you can handle that?"
"Of course! Leave it to me!" Miwa responded with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"Just one more thing," Ren added as he walked toward the door. "If you're going to practice destructive techniques, don't do it here. Go outside to an open field or somewhere uninhabited. Got it?"
Everyone nodded firmly. With that, the training sessions kicked off in earnest.
Outside the gym, Zen'in Mai leaned against the doorframe, watching her sister Maki train with Miwa Kasumi. Her eyes were unreadable—a mix of admiration and unresolved bitterness.
Ren spotted her and chuckled quietly.
Those two sisters... it's never been real hatred. Just pride clashing with insecurity.
Even in the original story, Mai had ultimately sacrificed herself to complete Maki's path toward awakening. Ren had no intention of interfering. Their bond would mend in time—it didn't need his intervention.
Returning to his room, Ren activated the Star Gate and stepped through.
...
Type-Moon World – Germany, Einzbern Castle
Though only a day had passed for him, ten full days had gone by here.
A homunculus maid immediately spotted him and bowed respectfully. "Welcome back, Master."
"Take me to Natalia," Ren ordered casually.
"At once."
She led him through the vast hallways of the Einzbern stronghold to the main library. Natalia was already deep in study, poring over dusty tomes filled with ancient magecraft.
Her eyes lit up when Ren entered. "You're back."
"How are things progressing?" he asked, straight to the point.
"The Lesser Holy Grail vessel is complete. It's currently dormant in the tank. Also, we tracked down Claudia Ortensia in Italy. She's being brought here now."
"Good work. One more task: mobilize the entire Einzbern network to search for Holy Relics. Focus especially on Avalon, the sheath of King Arthur's Excalibur."
Natalia sighed. "You really know how to keep people busy. Fine, I'll handle it."
Ren chuckled and summoned the Star Gate before her. With a stunned look from Natalia, he stepped through and vanished.
"Tch... what kind of magecraft is that? Doesn't follow any formula I know," she muttered. "Is he even from this world...?"
...
Dungeon World – Orario
The moment Ren stepped through the gate, a ripple of divine energy burst forth.
All the Gods residing in Orario felt it.
But Ren was unaffected by the laws of this realm. The Divine Ban that forced Gods to remain passive did not apply to him. He was... something else.
Without wasting time, Ren activated his Witch's Eye.
A colossal eye appeared above the city.
Adventurers paused in awe and fear, staring at the unearthly sight. It was as if the sky itself had started watching them.
From his "God's Eye View," Ren scanned every corner of Orario, quickly confirming the timeline.
The Goddess of the Sacred Flame, Hestia, had already descended and was currently living in the home of the God of the Forge, Hephaestus.
The male protagonist, Bell Cranel, had yet to arrive in Orario, which meant the main story hadn't begun—but it was close.
Akiyama Ren tucked away his Witch's Eye, the glowing construct dissipating into motes of light above the city. With the timing just right, he decided to seek out a god who could teach him the secret behind this world's unique power system: Falna, or what was commonly known as "God's Grace."
Just as he was preparing to move, an ancient and resonant voice echoed in his mind.
"Young one, are you a god from another world?"
Ren raised an eyebrow. That voice—deep, commanding, yet calm—belonged to none other than the Sky God, Ouranos, the unseen ruler of Orario.
With a single teleport, Ren vanished from the alley he was standing in and reappeared in the depths of the Guild headquarters—in the hidden chamber where Ouranos presided over the Dungeon's movements.
Sitting atop a stone throne, Ouranos looked upon Ren without surprise. As another being of divine power, Ren's sudden appearance was well within expectations.
"I am indeed from another world," Ren said with a relaxed smile as he conjured a sleek black chair from nothing and sat across from Ouranos, crossing one leg over the other. "But I mean no harm. I merely wish to learn the truth behind Falna."
Ouranos stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. I only ask that you do not disturb the balance of this world."
"Heh, no problem. I'm not here to play villain, after all."
With a silent gesture, Ouranos pointed at Ren. A stream of divine energy surged forth, not as an attack but as a transfer of knowledge. Ren let it flow directly into his mind.
In an instant, his consciousness was filled with data—everything from how the gods bestow Falna, to its effects on mortals, to the mechanisms by which adventurers level up.
"Got it. Thanks for the help, Ouranos-sama."
With a casual wave, Ren stood up and vanished once again, leaving behind only the black chair as evidence of his presence.
As soon as he disappeared, a cloaked skeletal figure emerged from the shadows. Fels, the ancient sorcerer who served Ouranos, stepped forward.
"Is he trustworthy?" Fels asked, his tone laced with concern.
Ouranos slowly shook his head. "I do not know. But in him... I sense the potential to help the Xenos."
Fels's eye sockets seemed to glow faintly in response. "The Xenos...? That's... a bold hope."
The Xenos were intelligent monsters born within the Dungeon—neither accepted by humans nor understood by the other monsters. They were beings trapped in the in-between, hunted by both sides, forced to live in secret.
Perhaps in Ren, who could traverse worlds, there was a chance for them to find a true home. Not in Orario. But somewhere.
"But he doesn't act like a proper god... He might demand a steep price," Fels murmured.
"Even a steep price is better than no future at all," Ouranos replied, closing his eyes as the discussion ended.
Meanwhile, Ren had reappeared on the bustling streets of Orario.
Despite its medieval fantasy setting, Orario was a city rich in culture and practical technology. Thanks to the influence of various deities, innovations had flourished. Brewing methods passed down by Dionysus resulted in divine-quality alcohol. Development skills in cooking led to food so good it could quite literally knock one's socks—or clothes—off. Magic Stone technology, derived from monster cores, powered everything from lamps to elevators in the Tower of Babel.
As he strolled past market stalls, Ren passed by a shop brimming with fruits harvested from the upper levels of the Dungeon. Exotic colors, shapes, and scents filled the air.
Curious, he picked out a few glowing fruits and walked up to the vendor. "How much for these?"
Thanks to his multilingual ability, "Thousand Tongues," he could speak any language fluently.
"Twelve thousand valis," the vendor said after weighing them.
Ren, who had no local currency, scanned the coins in the vendor's jar, then discreetly used his Construction Technique to forge identical valis. He handed the correct amount over.
"Thank you kindly!" the vendor grinned.
Ren nodded, casually tossing one of the fruits into his mouth as he moved on.
Before long, he found himself in front of a weapon shop. Inside the window display was an enormous blade—more accurately, a massive greatsword styled like the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII. It shimmered with the rune for "indestructible."
Although it was called a greatsword, it was actually more akin to a massive saber—its appearance strikingly similar to the iconic Buster Sword from "Final Fantasy VII." The sheer presence it radiated was awe-inspiring.
Akiyama Ren didn't waste time. With a simple motion, he materialized 170 million valis using his Construction Technique and purchased the greatsword on the spot. He named it the Destruction Sword—a weapon worthy of its overwhelming design.
Afterward, he went on a spree, buying fine wine brewed by the Dionysus Familia, exquisite dishes made by the Demeter Familia, and a diverse assortment of rare ingredients he'd never encountered before. The quality of the food in the Dungeon World was truly otherworldly.
Not stopping there, Ren also secured a house in Orario. It was a modest yet well-located property—a perfect base for his future visits to this world. It just made things more convenient.
He didn't bother calculating the total cost. When one could generate currency at will, such trivial matters no longer held meaning.
After storing everything in his System Space, Akiyama Ren activated the Star Gate and returned to the Main World.
By the time he stepped out of his room, night had already fallen.
Because he had calibrated the time ratio between the Main World and the Dungeon World to be 1:1, the passage of time between the two remained synchronized. The same time ratio also applied to the Godslayer and Noragami Worlds. However, the Type-Moon World ran at a 1:10 ratio, meaning one day in the Main World equaled ten days there. As for the Mushoku Tensei world, he hadn't visited yet, so its time parameters remained inactive.
Stepping into the living room, Ren spotted all the girls lounging around the large sofa, laughing, chatting, and watching TV. The coffee table was filled with an assortment of snacks—a true anime-style casual evening.
He made his way to the kitchen and saw Sakura diligently preparing dinner. Her back was straight, her expression focused.
"You've worked hard, Sakura," Ren said gently.
Cooking for sixteen people daily, three meals a day, was undeniably taxing. Ren couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"It's alright, Master," she replied, glancing back with a calm smile. "I don't mind. Cooking is something I enjoy. Besides, I don't have much else to do."
Despite her composed words, Ren could see the satisfaction in her eyes. She genuinely took pride in her role.
Ren let out a quiet sigh and smiled wryly. "Baka..."
He turned away and retrieved a basket of exotic fruits from his System Space—the ones he had purchased from Orario's marketplace. After washing them, he arranged them neatly on a fruit platter.
Sakura, spotting the unfamiliar fruit, raised an eyebrow. "Master, what are these? I've never seen them before."
"They're fruits, just not from Earth," Ren replied, offering her the tray. "Give them a taste."
The moment she heard that, Sakura immediately understood. She, too, hailed from a different world—the Noragami World. She knew better than most that her Master could traverse dimensions. This was one of the many secrets she quietly safeguarded.
She picked up a golden-orange fruit shaped like a loquat and bit into it.
The effect was instant. Her eyes widened in shock and glee.
"S-So sweet! It's even sweeter than honey... it's almost criminal, Master!" she said, her cheeks puffing slightly as she took another bite.
She adored sweet things, and this was clearly a heavenly treat to her.
Ren glanced at the fruit she had chosen. It was one of the giant fruits harvested on the eighteenth floor of the Dungeon. Visually similar to a loquat, it was bursting with juice. The fructose content? A staggering eighty percent.
For comparison, honey only sat at around forty-five percent, and even the sweetest Earth fruits like lychees maxed out at thirteen percent. This fruit put them all to shame.
"If you like it, take a few more," Ren said with a warm smile.
"Really? Thank you, Master!"Sakura chirped happily, quickly selecting a few more.
Once she was done, Ren picked up the fruit platter and strolled into the living room, ready to share the sweetness of another world with the rest of the household.