Reinhard van Astrea, the sword saint, was deep in thought. He glared at the starry skies; he hadn't seen the night sky in a long time and only now appreciated the vista. He had missed the quiet nights when his knightly duties were the only thing on his mind.
He was sitting on the flat roof of the Astrea manor, taking a lonely meditation. A place where he would frequently spend time to gather his thoughts and de-stress himself. He was finished with his unique meditations, begging for a blessing, and was just now staring at the sky.
He was supposed to look for an exit, wish for another divine protection or blessing that could travel between worlds. His intuition was screaming at him, that such protection could not exist, and his patron, generous as they were, could only grant so much.
However, that didn't mean he would not stop.
His group had escaped the thresholds through his divine protection; there was surely another way. All he had to do was turn another stone or say the right words. He wouldn't stop, not now; he had a duty as a knight.
A presence from behind alerted Reinhard.
He already knew who it was by judging the weight of each step, the space between them, and the general pressure emanating from behind. It was Jin Woo Sung. The shadow necromancer was back for another update.
"Nothing yet?"
Sung inquired, also glaring at the starry sky. He whistled at the sight; the night sky was in full view since the light pollution was minimal, and there was no automotive smog present. It was the first time he had seen the sky so bright.
Reinhard remained quiet for a second, then turned to Sung. "I apologize for the disappointment."
A small pause. "Did you get any clues or anything substantial at least?"
Reinhard hummed, placing his hand on his chin, showing a deep contemplative look. Sung was unusually polite and restrained.
"Well, just this day alone, I got four new tricks," Reinhard said with a sigh, looking at Sung. "But nothing that would interest you or help you leave." He sighed again.
"Well, you said you'll find a way to return us to our worlds. I will hold you to that." Sung sighed with a reminder.
"How are you faring in this new world? It must be quite overwhelming."
"It is, but I have no time to sightsee. The rest, however, are quite stoked about the idea of arriving in a new world. That weird Ayanokoji kid is already gathering things he deemed useful and was quite adamant about learning magic."
Reinhard chuckled. "All four of them have no magical talent or capability. I had checked earlier to see if their bodies would adapt to this world, but nothing so far."
"So, that Subaru, he's from the modern world. We can tell that much."
Sung asked, noting the strange young man (Subaru) who greeted them with loud tidings. Sung noticed that a group of young women had flocked around the young man, acting as his personal entourage.
"So he claimed. I thought he was confused when I first met him, but after seeing you all. He wasn't quite crazy after all." Reinhard replied with a soft chuckle.
"If a force could bring Subaru here, and you are arguably one of the most powerful entities in this world, surely you can tap into that same force. Besides, you already managed to transport us to your world." Sung changed the topic.
"Your assuring words fill me with glee. I will try my best, I can promise you that. I will not rest until I have fulfilled my promise."
Reinhard answered before turning back to the starry skies. It didn't change, but it was still beautiful. Sung and Reinhard then gazed into each other's eyes, both of them now recognizing and respecting each other's strengths.
However, there was something between them. Something that both of them didn't address.
Their love for each other.
Then they kissed, finally venting their unrequited forbidden love.
Reinhard and Sung turned towards the loud narration, finding Kiyotaka Ayanokoji leaning against the large window. Izuku Midoriya was behind him, barely holding his chuckles. Kiyotaka and Midoriya merely chanced upon the two.
"It's a joke, get it?"
Ayanakoji spoke with his usual deadpan expression, attempting a touch of humor, using his supposedly normal high-schooler persona. Reinhard chuckled while Sung just rolled his eyes and leaped away from the roof, landing on the trimmed grass beneath, then walked away.
Reinhard smiled and looked at Ayanokoji. "How was the steak that I had made earlier?"
...
...
...
The days blurred as they flew by. Nearly a month had passed since the group returned from the thresholds. The Reinhard camp that supported Felt's candidacy for the royal selection suddenly swelled in numbers.
The new arrivals supported Felt's candidacy out of gratitude for Reinhard. They had no political capital or connections, but their proximity to Reinhard and their strange abilities gave them some legitimacy.
Felt was especially heart-struck by Megumi Fushiguro; the young royal candidate had found him dreamy and quite attractively mysterious. Fushiguro summoned his merged beast chimera, and Felt rode on it like a new horse despite the horrendous form.
Izuku Midoriya often hangs out with Subaru. Subaru was quite taken with the idea of a Japan endowed with superpowers and superheroes. They were both loud and energetic, but Midorya's mood would often shift.
The young hero was transported to the thresholds during a battle that would decide the fate of Japan and even the whole world. His disappearance affected the Hero roster, and he would often stare in the distance, thinking about the state of his friends and allies.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and Ryuen Kakeru still didn't see eye to eye. Both of them tried to learn magic and spells, but when that didn't work out. They tried cursed energy manipulation; their focus showed some results, but nothing notable.
Reinhard van Astrea was at the center of the group. He had met with his grandfather, who was worried that Reinhard had gone missing, but when they met, his grandfather had already returned to his cold, distant expression.
Reinhard had cut the former sword saint and regarded it as just doing his duty, straining his relationship with his grandfather even further. Reinhard had nothing to say for now; he had a duty and promise to fulfill, and the rest could wait.
"Time heals all wounds, right?" Reinhard asked himself.
(The next chapter is the Shield Hero camp.)