Inside the aerial warship, Fraxinus.
This warship was created using the most cutting-edge technology gathered from across the planet. Here, one could easily witness the pinnacle of military science.
Top-tier facilities, rare even in other nations, were found everywhere throughout the vessel.
"Ryuya-san, what do you think? This is our Fraxinus now. You could say it's the finest warship on Earth."
Acting as Ryuya's guide, Kotori had felt her breath catch the moment she saw Ryuya at the high school campus that morning, brought there by Shiori.
In an instant, it was as if she had returned to that world wrapped in flames, where the man's figure had saved her from crying despair. Touching the black ribbon in her hair, she never expected to see Ryuya here.
After four years, she had actually... seen the person she missed the most.
"Long time no see, Kotori."
"You've truly... become a strong young woman."
Smiling at Kotori, Ryuya knew her current identity was a member of the Round Table and the commander of the aerial warship, Fraxinus.
Not wanting to put Kotori in a difficult position, he had taken the initiative to request a visit to the warship.
"Ryuya-nii, although Ratatoskr's policy is to use peaceful measures with Spirits, no one knows what might really happen if we encounter one. You really shouldn't go."
Swallowing hard, Kotori couldn't agree with Ryuya's choice and didn't want him to take the risk.
"It's fine, it's fine. There won't be any problems. Where I am is very safe."
Ruffling Kotori's hair to give the girl more confidence, Ryuya and Kotori proceeded to the aerial warship Fraxinus.
Once aboard the Fraxinus, Kotori took the lead in explaining Ryuya's identity to the crew. Everyone looked at the man in astonishment, as no one had expected the Spirit known as the Emperor to be such a charismatic male.
For a moment, no one dared to speak, all silently watching Ryuya.
"Kotori."
"Yes? Ryuya-san."
Since they were on the Fraxinus, Kotori didn't use the overly intimate term 'Ryuya-nii'.
"Murasame Reine? Do you have someone by that name here?"
Although he didn't really think Mio would appear as Murasame Reine, Ryuya asked anyway.
"Reine? She's our analyst. Is something the matter?"
As she spoke, Kotori glanced towards Reine's usual spot but couldn't find her.
"Huh? Where's Reine?"
"??? Yeah, where is Reine-san?"
"Murasame-san, where are you?"
Murasame Reine, a mature beauty with a perfectly attractive face and characteristic dark circles under her eyes, usually kept a small bear in her pocket and a notebook at her waist.
Though usually quiet, she got along well with everyone on the Fraxinus.
Finding that this always semi-awake, somewhat scatterbrained older sister figure was missing left many of the Fraxinus crew puzzled.
"It's alright. She'll be fine."
Sighing, the more Spirit power he absorbed, the more he felt the immense power of the Star God. Ryuya realized the vast difference between wielding the power of rules and not, and the extent to which one wielded them. (T/N: Changing the power level to Star God.)
With all his panel attributes now at SSS+, he was beginning to understand the essence of power itself, rather than just pursuing numerical increases.
Having anticipated that Mio would avoid him early on, he didn't elaborate further on Reine's matter.
"Speaking of... Kannazuki, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Two years earlier, while traveling with Kurumi and Nia, Ryuya had met Kannazuki Kyouhei.
At that time, Kannazuki was AST's super ace, who had even managed to investigate a small clue Ryuya's group left behind and track them down.
However, supremely confident in his own abilities, Kannazuki hadn't brought any teammates and confronted Ryuya alone.
There's no surprise about outcome of their fight: Kannazuki was beaten into questioning his life choices.
"Tell me, is everything in AST really as you see it? Are Spirits truly evil?"
"I sense confusion and hesitation in your sword. I think you should try looking at this world from a different perspective, a different angle."
Leaving those words behind, and thinking Kannazuki had potential, Ryuya departed.
Now, seeing Kannazuki again aboard the Fraxinus, Ryuya wondered if the young man had changed over the past two years.
"Your Majesty the Emperor, thanks to your guidance, I have seen a completely different world these past two years here."
Unlike his usual unreliable, boisterous, and joking self, when answering Ryuya, Kannazuki performed a standard knight's salute. His serious, devout demeanor made it seem as if he were on a pilgrimage.
". . . It's good that you've seen it."
Continuing to observe the facilities on the warship, Ryuya had only two purposes for coming here. First, to find Mio's incarnation, Murasame Reine. The second was to see Elliot, his disciple whom he hadn't seen for so long.
As for Kannazuki, that was just a casual inquiry.
Asking Kotori to take him to the video communication device to contact Elliot, and under Kotori's bewildered gaze, Ryuya initiated a call to Elliot Baldwin Woodman.
"Ryuya-san, Chairman Elliot isn't as easy-going as I am. He's incredibly powerful and mysterious. I really think you'd better not try to..."
Until the very second the video connected, Kotori was still worried about Ryuya's safety. In her mind, Elliot's status was far too formidable… he was on the same level as DEM's CEO, Westcott, a super-tycoon capable of easily influencing national presidents and altering continental economies.
Watching Ryuya stubbornly connect the call to Elliot, she stood aside, pouting, indicating she wanted no part of it.
But at the last moment, she couldn't help but look at Ryuya with concern, fearing something might go wrong.
But...
"Hey, Elliot, what happened to you? You've gotten so old."
As Elliot appeared on the video screen, looking to be in his fifties with clear signs of aging, Ryuya remembered teaching him magecraft to use magical energy to maintain bodily vitality.
'This kid, really...'
"Sensei? Is it really you, Sensei?"
On the other end of the call, having assumed the caller was Kotori, a somewhat lazy-looking Elliot was just about to speak when he saw Ryuya's face.
His eyes widening, he suddenly acted completely unlike his usual status, staring intently at the screen as if he wanted to crawl through it.