Nighttime.
In the guest room prepared by the Ryougi Family for Merry and the others.
"Here?"
Yue had just sat down when a familiar voice sounded from the door.
Holding a can of beer, Merry knocked on the doorframe casually before entering the room: "If you don't mind, can I ask a few more things? Yūe-chan."
"Still something you want to ask?"
Yue was slightly surprised.
Earlier in the day, she should have already answered everything everyone wanted to know. Did Merry still have questions she hadn't gotten around to asking then?
(In a place like this, she has to hide something? No wonder she seems mysterious in the future too, like she's always planning something.)
"Well~~~ rather than questions, I'm more curious about what comes after this—Can I sit next to you?"
"Yes, please, Auntie—"
"I already told you to call me Big Sis~"
While rubbing Yue's cheek firmly, Merry sat beside her: "How long will you stay here?"
"Hmm... I haven't thought about it in detail, but it seems I'll wait until Auntie Ritsuka sends the return order." Yue thought for a moment, "But based on previous experience, I might return in these two days, since I've already been here for ten days."
"Returning soon, huh... That's a relief."
Merry smiled and took a sip of her beer.
"If you keep staying here, we'll be the ones in trouble."
"Ahaha~~~ I'll try to keep a low profile and not trouble the Aunties."
Remembering the commotion she caused when she first arrived in this era, and also her fights with the Aunties, even with her own mother, Yue smiled awkwardly.
However, Merry shook her head.
"No, that's not what I mean. That can still be handled. The problem is the impact you'll bring—not good for the people in this era to know things about the future too early."
The future is not fixed. Depending on the situation in the current era, future developments will also be affected.
The people in this era will decide what kind of future they can aim for.
That is the unknown.
But Yue's arrival made a small portion of people know the future, turning the unknown into known. Although this can provide certainty to a certain extent, in a certain sense, it can also cause negative impacts.
For example, limitations in thinking, restrictions in actions...
"After you leave, the rest of us will seal all memories of meeting you and the things you told us."
"Eh? Seal memories?" Yue frowned, "Why? Isn't knowing the future early beneficial for our actions? Some school friends I knew back then had future sight, and they successfully avoided danger multiple times."
Merry smiled: "Haha, that's indeed good. Limited to this era, future sight is a good thing. But what you told us is the future thirty years later. The time span is too far. The more that's known, it may not all be good."
"Compared to walking toward a certain future, I prefer walking toward an unknown direction. That's far more interesting."
[Yūe, you should know that Merry is an incorrigible hedonist. She'll do anything as long as it feels interesting to her]
Her father's words, spoken years ago when she graduated to high school and was preparing to live in Academy City, echoed in Yue's mind.
(Oh right... Auntie Merry is indeed like that. During school, she often drove me half to death.)
Some past memories made Yue smile slightly.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No, just remembering some things from school days. Big Sis often planned incidents in Academy City and made me resolve them, under the pretext of tests for the child."
Out-of-control Artificial Beasts, malicious magical criminals, mutated artificial lifeforms... It seems there was one time she was made to fight one of the 27 Dead Apostle Ancestors?
Even when she was preparing for her high school graduation exam in her third year, Merry still made her stop a major disaster that could cause the collapse of the magical world order at that time—after she barely completed it, she realized the final exam was half a day away.
That was truly not human work!
If she weren't a vampire, she would have died multiple times. During her three years of high school, she had to handle one incident almost every few days, and sometimes multiple incidents happened simultaneously, forcing her to run around all over Academy City, even the whole world, until exhausted.
"Big Sis Merry, sometimes I really wonder if Papa could like you because he's an M."
"Isn't it because of my number one beauty in the world and my infinite care for him?" Merry puffed out her chest proudly, "Well, that's all I wanted to talk about. I should go back to sleep too. Tonight, I have to think about whose dream to disturb... Ah, right."
When she reached the door, Merry stopped, turned around, and smiled: "If you want to return, remember to let us know. We'll all see you off. And convey my greetings to my future self."
"Yes, I understand, Big Sis Merry."
"Then, bye-bye~~~"
After waving her hand, Merry left Yue's room.
After that—
*DIDI!*
An urgent alarm suddenly sounded.
Yue raised her wrist and pressed the bracelet there, projecting a light screen in front of her. What appeared inside was the figure of Ritsuka, looking much more mature.
"Auntie Ritsuka?"
[Yo, long time no see, Yūe. How's life in the past?]
"It's fine. I've met the Aunties in this era, and I was just talking with Auntie Merry. Everyone is much younger than I remember, but not much has changed." Yue laughed, "So, Auntie contacting me now, is there work again?"
Ritsuka in the video nodded.
[You could say that. There are big and small jobs. I'm contacting you now to tell you that your vacation time is left with twelve hours. Tomorrow afternoon, we'll transfer you back. Let us know there before then.]
"Yes, I understand."
[Then, see you again after you return—You'll be busy again then, so don't lose focus from being too relaxed in the past.]
"I know, Auntie Ritsuka. You can rest assured one hundred percent."
Yue smiled and turned off the communication.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"Eh? Leaving today?"
Noon on the second day after everyone gathered at the Ryougi Family.
While everyone was having lunch together in the dining room.
Hearing what Yue suddenly said, everyone showed slightly surprised expressions.
"Although you said yesterday you'd leave in these two days, this is truly sudden." Merry was also slightly surprised, "What's happening in the future?"
"Well~~~~ actually, I came for work. The workforce in the future is always short. After vacationing for about ten days, it's indeed time for me to return to my post. Otherwise, work will pile up, and the magical society order will be in chaos."
Yue said with a smile.
"In about a dozen minutes, Auntie Ritsuka in the future will transfer me back with Reverse Rayshift, so I'm telling you all now. Additionally, it seems I've caused a lot of trouble for the Aunties and Mama during this time. I truly apologize. I'll reflect on it after this."
Seeing Yue bow her head in apology, everyone was silent for a moment. Then, Arcueid was the first to stand and hit her future biological daughter hard.
*DUAANG!*
"Ouch!"
Yue immediately held her head and crouched down: "Mama! It hurts, you know!"
"That's a lesson. Who told you to attack me without telling me beforehand. Show respect and care for your mother, you know?" Arcueid stared at Yue, then her gaze softened, and she patted her head.
"Well, that's how it is. After returning, remember to work well, don't make my future self worry about you—Don't forget to convey greetings to my future self."
⊰END⊱
"Us too."
Aoko laughed.
"Additionally, if possible, convey our greetings to Naoki in the future as well."
"That's a bit troublesome." Yue smiled bitterly, "Because Papa only returned once half a year ago. The next return is only at New Year's—But I'll remember."
"Good—Oh right, want to bring souvenirs?" Ritsuka suddenly suggested, "Considering the time, no time to go out and buy. In that case, like this."
Removing the flower petal-shaped hair clip she was wearing, Ritsuka gave it to Yue: "This as a souvenir and meeting gift. Although our first meeting was a bit strange, after all, I am your Auntie."
"Ah... yes, thank you Auntie Ritsuka."
"In that case, I'll give this."
"Me too."
"If it's only a dozen minutes, maybe I can still make a simple doll."
After being led by Ritsuka, the others also followed by giving items they were wearing as gifts from this era to Yue.
Most were small jewelry they wore, or simple Mystic Codes made on the spot. The most special was Shiki, who directly gave the short knife she always carried as a gift.
Truly her style.
Seeing the sudden pile of items in her hands, Yue was stunned for a moment, then couldn't hold back her laughter: "Hehe, thank you Aunties. I'm sure your future selves will be very happy to see this."
Gifts sent from the past thirty years ago to the distant future.
If it were her future self, she would surely understand the meaning behind the intention to convey a message from the past.
*WHOOSH!*
Right at that moment, light suddenly lit up under Yue's feet, then spread and solidified visibly, forming a strange and intricate magical formation that enveloped her entire body.
Although there were slight differences from this era, most people there understood.
"Future Rayshift?"
"Yes, it seems the time has come."
Hugging the pile of items given by the Aunties, Yue stood up, bowing one by one to the Aunties in this era: "In that case, I'll return to the future first. See you again in the future, Aunties, Mama."
(A bit regrettable not being able to meet Papa in this era.)
That final thought flashed through her mind. Under everyone's gazes and the increasingly strong Rayshift light, Yue's body slowly disappeared into space. After that—
*WHOOSH!*
The Rayshift light merged into one line, finally flickering, then completely went out.
Seeing the now empty spot, Merry smiled faintly: "She's gone—In that case, let's start implementing what I said yesterday."
"Sealing, even erasing, all our memories related to Yūe. This is the best choice for us right now. It's too early to know the future thirty years later."
"That's right." Gray nodded, "Please help, Big Sis Merry, Big Sis Rei."
"In that case, please everyone close your eyes. Next, Succubus and I will connect to all of your spiritual domains to perform memory manipulation."
Rei said that.
However, before everyone could close their eyes—
*📲📲📲!*
A very urgent phone ringtone suddenly rang from Merry's pocket. Then, other communication devices also rang one after another, as if receiving a mass message.
Taking the communication device from her pocket, Merry turned off the ringtone and glanced: "Oh, this is from Chaldea. Emergency contact from Romani. Let me see... Eh?"
After seeing the content of that emergency contact, Merry was silent for a moment and blinked, raising her head to look at the others, but found that the others showed the same reaction.
"You all received it too?"
"Yes, sent by Roman."
"So... this is real?"
"In that case, we..."
After a brief silence, everyone's gazes immediately focused on Angelica!
"Angelica! Immediately take us all to Chaldea! Whether it's Vimana or Magecraft Displacement! Anyway, quickly take us all there!"
"Understood."
On everyone's communication devices, the emergency contact sent by Roman contained only one sentence.
[Naoki has returned!]
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
The future.
Year 2052.
*WHOOSH!*
Accompanied by a flash of light, in a room resembling a company laboratory, Yue's figure appeared inside a machine in the center of the room.
Along with her, various gifts given by Ritsuka and the others appeared simultaneously.
"Seems like a smooth return?"
Right at that moment, a familiar voice sounded from the side. Yue looked toward the source of the voice: "Huh? Big Sis Mina? Why are you the one waiting for me? Where's Auntie Ritsuka?"
Standing not far away was a woman with black hair, elegant facial features, and beautiful hairstyle. Her age appeared two or three years older than Yue, and she wore a white lab coat over a certain department uniform.
Mina—Ryougi Mina.
The eldest sister of the Natsukawa Family children, twenty-three years old this year, daughter of Naoki and Shiki.
"Mama Ritsuka left in the morning, said the President of the Atlas Institute is making destructive weapons again, so she hurried off to stop him."
"Ah~~~ Auntie Sion really never gets tired of that."
"More than that, what's in your hands?"
"Gifts from the Aunties in the past. After this, I plan to give them one by one to the Aunties." Yue said while neatly arranging the gifts on the side table, "In that case, where's my work?"
"I've already made a list. Here. Prepare to sleep only ten hours a week."
"Why does it have to be like this!"
Yue's face immediately wilted. As soon as she returned, her work was already this much. The good mood from returning to the past was completely shattered with just one sentence from Mina!
Stuffing the list in her hand into Yue's hand, Mina smiled like a demon: "Cheer up, Little Sis—After work, remember to tell me what the past world was like. I'm going for afternoon tea first."
"Ngggh~~~~ Damn it!!!"
Screaming in despair, Yue grabbed her uniform jacket placed beside her and put it on, jumping strongly until she crashed through the ceiling, flying straight through the hole!
At that moment, what appeared in her view was an endless expanse of towering buildings—the place where she had spent twenty years of her life.
A super-large artificial island consisting of four zones: east, west, south, and north. A maritime city as vast as two-thirds of Japan. The core of the current magical world, an Empire granted independent autonomy.
Flying in the air while looking down at the island, Yue pursed her lips, then shouted while laughing.
"I'm back!"
"Our Chaldea Empire..."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
[Personality data reading begins]
[Subject: Personality from Fourteen Thousand Years Ago]
[Beginning to overwrite existing personality, converting existing personality to retained data, and storing it in the personality management area]
[Overwrite complete]
[Welcome back, Natsukawa Naoki]
*WHOOSH!*
In the Chaldea control room.
From the cross-shaped dimensional rift that suddenly appeared, Naoki slowly emerged from it.
Seeing one by one the people he knew standing in the control room, after taking a soft breath, he showed an expression already familiar to them all.
"Long time no see, everyone."
"I'm back."