The moment the countdown reached zero, white light swallowed everything.
Makoto opened his eyes.
The scene before him changed from the other world's palace to a school square packed with people.
Sunlight shone down from above. Examinees headed to the various teaching buildings in small groups, while anxious parents waited outside.
It looked just like the college entrance exam scene from his previous life.
Several blue temporary tents stood on the sports field. Under the tents were tables and chairs, on which sat registration forms, direction signs, and bottled water.
The flag of the Nishikawa Nation fluttered from the flagpole in the center of the sports field.
They were back.
Yu stood behind him, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding crowd.
Before being chosen by the Reincarnation Game, they had been preparing the entrance exam for this superpower school.
Having spent several years in another world, only an instant had passed in the real world.
No matter how many times he experienced it, this feeling was still very strange.
Itsuki walked out from the crowd. Now dressed in professional attire, her hair was tied in a low ponytail, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose.
At twenty, she was much more mature than two years ago, truly having the feel of a teacher.
Itsuki noticed the trace of strangeness in her boyfriend's expression and took his arm. "What's wrong?"
"I was just chosen by the game again and spent a few years over there."
Itsuki's expression changed.
Ever since being chosen as a player, every transmigration had been with Makoto.
This was the first time she had been left in the real world while he went alone.
Although Itsuki knew that with her man's strength, no accident would happen no matter what world he was in,
If she herself had been chosen, or sisters like Ichika who weren't good at fighting, thrown into a game world without Makoto's company... she didn't dare to think what would happen.
"Which world was it this time?" Itsuki asked.
Makoto smiled. "Have you seen Overlord?"
Itsuki blinked and shook her head blankly.
"Go ask Miku and Yotsuba when you get back. They should know."
Miku and Yotsuba had the habit of reading light novels. They should know.
But they didn't know that Makoto had written that book.
During a previous casual chat, Miku had even complained to him about how irresponsible that Author was, stopping in the middle with no news.
Makoto hadn't had the nerve to say anything at the time, afraid of being nagged by his own wife to continue writing.
Itsuki rolled her eyes. "You've brought back quite a few new sisters for us again, haven't you?"
Every time this dog of a man came back from another world, he brought several new girls.
Eating and taking, as it were.
Makoto shrugged. "The number of monsters worldwide is increasing day by day. Having more combat power is always a good thing."
Itsuki's eye-roll nearly reached the back of her head.
'A womanizer is a womanizer. Why are you pretending?'
'It's not like I didn't know your true nature.'
"Old man, is this your world?"
A little red-eyed girl poked her head out from behind the crowd. She wore a black magic robe with all kinds of patches at the corners.
The little girl held a staff taller than herself. An eye patch covered her left eye. Her exposed right eye sparkled.
Itsuki's eyes lit up. "What a cute child—!"
She crouched down, braced her hands on her knees, and brought her gaze level with the little girl. "What's your name?"
"Komeko." Komeko tilted her head, examining Itsuki. "Are you also one of old man's wives?"
Itsuki's face reddened.
Yunyun, Megumin, Nerimaki, Arue, Dodonko, Funifura... the girls of the Crimson Demon Clan walked out of the crowd one after another.
They looked around curiously... the unfamiliar buildings, the strangely dressed people, the cars by the roadside. Everything was new to them.
Yunyun walked to Makoto's side. "Makoto, this is..."
"The school I run."
Makoto's gaze swept over Yunyun and landed on the Crimson Demon girls behind her. "You can stay here for two years."
With their strength, they didn't actually need to go to school.
But school would help them adapt faster to the lifestyle of this world, understand its social structure and cultural background, and give them something to do.
It would save these Chuunibyo girls from bothering him all the time.
"Will all examinees please enter the exam venue as soon as possible. It's almost time for the test."
Kaguya rushed over from the teaching building.
Then Kaguya noticed Yunyun, who was holding Makoto's arm.
Kaguya's gaze dropped an inch, 'At least an H cup.'
A height she would never reach in her lifetime.
She then looked at the Crimson Demon girls behind Makoto.
Each one was silently confronting her with those two heavy objects on their chests.
Kaguya felt like she couldn't breathe.
Makoto walked up, took her hand, then turned and called out to the Crimson Demon girls, "This is our school's principal, Kaguya-chan. You can ask her anything you don't know."
Kaguya glared at him fiercely.
'Where the hell did you find all these big-breasted girls?!'
"Why won't you let me take the exam—!"
A piercing roar came from the school gate.
Everyone turned to look at once.
The Teddy Devil and the others grinned, 'Oh, someone dared to cause trouble on the Boss's turf?'
Filled with curiosity, the group headed toward the school gate to watch the excitement.
Soon, they saw a little blond with a durian-like hairstyle standing at the school gate, yelling at Kuroko Tetsuya, Kagami Taiga, and the others who were handling examinee registration.
Although Kuroko and his group hadn't gained any great power in the game worlds, they had at least seen big scenes and weren't about to be intimidated by this kid.
Beside the durian-haired stood a green-haired boy.
The boy's temperament was the complete opposite... timid, head lowered, shoulders hunched, like a chick ready to be pecked at any moment.
There were a few freckles on his face. The standard bullied kid from school novels.
"Kacchan, d-don't be like this..."
The green-haired boy's voice was so soft it was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise. "This is that Commander's territory..."
Before he could finish, the durian-haired punched him in the face. "Shut up, you damn nerd!"
The green-haired boy was knocked to the ground, holding his swollen cheek, looking tearfully at the durian-haired like a battered housewife.
"Wow... what an explosive personality."
Ryo poked her head out from behind Makoto, her tone deliberately exaggerated. "Reminds me of a certain Pokémon I encountered while adventuring in the Pokémon World."
Makoto glanced at her. "Primeape, right?"
Ryo's eyes lit up.
This feeling of someone catching her reference... so satisfying.