In the rear courtyard of the Loki Familia manor, a gentle night breeze drifted through the air.
Ais, Lefiya, Tiona, Tione, Bete, Finn, Riveria—nearly all the key members of the Familia—had gathered in a circle, their eyes locked onto the kunai in Ryota's hand, which gleamed faintly with a golden light.
Tiona tilted her head and couldn't help asking,
"So... what's so special about it? Looks like an ordinary weapon to me."
"Did you enchant it with some kind of magic, Ryota?"
Lefiya blinked her beautiful eyes, trying to use her unique magic-sensing abilities to analyze it—
But... completely useless.
"If it's just a regular weapon, don't keep us guessing, Ryota."
Bete stood with his arms crossed, wolf ears twitching nonstop.
If it were anyone else standing in front of him, he would've walked away already.
Loki narrowed her eyes in amusement, resting her chin in her hands as she smiled playfully.
"I'm really curious. What are you up to now? Don't tell me... it's another one of those tricks that'll shake all of Orario?"
Ryota didn't answer. He simply smiled and casually tossed the kunai forward.
It arced through the air before thunking into a tree at the far corner of the courtyard.
"That's it...?"
Finn hadn't even finished speaking—
When suddenly—
Ryota's figure flickered and vanished on the spot!
"?!"
Before anyone could even react, a sharp whistle cut through the air from the direction of the kunai—
And in the next instant, Ryota was already standing precisely where the kunai had landed.
"...What just happened?"
Finn was the first to speak, his voice soft but loud enough for everyone to hear.
And that one sentence perfectly captured the thoughts running through everyone's mind.
The courtyard fell utterly silent.
The Hiryute sisters stood frozen in place, mouths slightly agape.
Bete's brow twitched. He glanced at the tree where the kunai was embedded, then back at Ryota standing there, his face a mix of shock and confusion.
"That was... movement? No, it didn't look like movement at all!"
"But he definitely disappeared, and then reappeared by the kunai...!"
Lefiya's voice trembled, rising in pitch with growing disbelief.
"Miss Ais, did you catch anything?"
"No..."
Ais shook her head, her golden eyes narrowing with rare uncertainty.
Keep in mind, some of those present were Level 6 Adventurers.
Finn, Gareth, Riveria—even Ais herself—possessed speed and perception far beyond the norm.
And yet—
At that moment, even though everyone had been staring directly at Ryota, not a single person had seen how he vanished!
There was no windup, no chant, no leap, no turn, no running start.
He had simply—disappeared.
And then reappeared several dozen meters away.
That kind of distance... even a full-speed dash from a Level 6 wouldn't be instantaneous, much less leave no trace behind.
Not a single footprint. Not even a single blade of grass disturbed.
Ryota bent down, pulled the kunai from the tree, and gave it a casual shake.
The golden glow at the handle still shimmered faintly in the dark, almost dazzling in its brilliance.
He stood up, smiling as he looked at the group.
"That was the result of my testing today."
"And also... my new magical invention."
He paused, lips curving into a playful grin.
"I call it—Flying Raijin Jutsu."
"Flying Raijin...?"
Finn repeated the name instinctively, rolling the words on his tongue.
"Doesn't really sound like something you'd name," Lefiya muttered under her breath, though her eyes remained glued to the kunai in Ryota's hand.
"I thought you were going to explain the theory behind it..." Riveria finally spoke up. Her elven eyes shimmered with a fervor even stronger than when she'd witnessed that skeletal giant Ryota had summoned before.
"The theory? Oh, that's easy," Ryota said breezily. "You just mark one spot here, mark another spot there... and you can travel between them!"
It sounded light and casual, but Finn suddenly jerked his head up.
"From here... to there?"
He began gnawing on his thumb again, eyes gleaming with intensity.
The Pallum had instantly picked up on the crucial phrasing in Ryota's explanation.
"Ryota... if I'm not wrong, you mean—"
He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew what he was asking.
Silence returned.
And once again, all eyes were on Ryota, as though studying some unknown creature.
Ryota only chuckled, said nothing more.
He casually stabbed the kunai into the ground—
And with a sharp "whoosh!"
He vanished again, without a trace, like a drop of water melting into a lake.
Everyone instinctively glanced around—but as before, saw nothing, no signs, no trails.
Seconds ticked by.
Then, about thirty seconds later, a faint rush of air sounded, and Ryota reappeared, this time holding a still-steaming, jet-black bone blade in his hand.
He tossed it, and the blade rolled a few times before coming to a stop right at Finn's feet.
"A War Shadow's Finger Blade," Ryota said calmly.
Finn instinctively bent down to pick it up.
At a glance, his expression changed.
"This... this is a drop material from a War Shadow—and those only appear in the Dungeon!"
He looked up sharply, eyes wide with disbelief.
"You disappeared just moments ago... and it hasn't even been a full minute!"
"You went to the Dungeon?"
"And killed a War Shadow?!"
Ryota nodded.
"That's the result of my entire day's testing."
"Something that could... completely change how the Loki Familia does Expeditions."
His voice was calm—like he was describing something as mundane as eating breakfast.
But to everyone else, it hit like a thunderclap.
—Leaving from Twilight Manor, slaying a War Shadow in the Dungeon, and returning... in under thirty seconds.
Calling it a "miracle" didn't do it justice.
It was structural upheaval.
Like when humanity first learned to use fire. Like the day horse-drawn carriages gave way to steam engines.
It was a paradigm shift that shattered the very foundation of dungeon strategy.
No one spoke. Their thoughts swirled with more than just "he's strong"—it was a tangled knot of shock, awe, and the inability to even process what had just happened.
Then Loki stepped forward, eyes wide.
"Wait... can it carry other people?!"
But even before anyone could answer, she shook her head and muttered,
"No, wait... even if it can't, it doesn't matter."
"Even if it's just used to transport supplies... that alone makes you the cornerstone of every Expedition from now on, Ryota."
"Wait, wait—Ryota, does this Jutsu have a range limit?"
"Does it require line of sight? Landmarks? A mana stream connection?"
"Or maybe—"
She suddenly stopped.
Because she realized even she didn't know what to ask anymore.
She wasn't tongue-tied. She just genuinely didn't know where to begin.
But deep down, Loki understood something with perfect clarity.
From this moment on—
Ryota was no longer just a member of their Familia.
He was the axis around which the entire Familia's rhythm, strategy, and even victory or defeat could pivot.
Finn gave a soft chuckle, as though finally recovering from the shock.
He looked at Ryota and asked,
"Then I'll ask on Loki's behalf—"
"Can you bring others with you?"
The room fell silent again.
Every gaze locked onto Ryota.
Ryota smiled and retrieved the kunai.
"That's what I'll be testing tomorrow."
"I plan to take Ais and Lefiya into the Dungeon and do a full multi-point marking and group transport test."
He paused, eyes brimming with confidence.
"But I have a feeling—"
"It's going to work."
Ais and Lefiya both looked up at the same time.
Though Ryota had already told them he'd be bringing them into the Dungeon, they hadn't realized... they'd be test pilots for this?
Questions filled their heads—but beyond the confusion, their eyes sparkled with something else entirely: anticipation.
After all, who wouldn't want to personally experience the thrill of descending into the Dungeon—not by walking, not by trudging through labyrinthine corridors—but with a single breath, from surface to depth?
It was a dream, an impossible fantasy for any Adventurer.
Night slowly settled over Orario.
And that night, Twilight Manor was quieter than usual.
No training noise. No drinking. Even Gareth, who usually snored the loudest, seemed to sleep soundly.
Everyone drifted off with a strange, indescribable sense of satisfaction and awe.
And at the center of it all—Ryota—slept the soundest of them all.
No worries. No burdens.
Just a clear and simple preparation for "tomorrow."
—Then the sun rose.
From behind the southeastern towers of Orario, golden light spilled onto the streets and windowsills. The city stirred once more.
Inside the Loki Familia's lounge, Lefiya sat clutching her staff, perched on the sofa, eyes filled with nervous excitement.
She'd gotten up early, washed up, even tied her hair extra neatly to avoid being late.
"Today... I mustn't screw up... I have to stay calm, poised, and act like a proper, mature mage...!"
She whispered affirmations to herself while constantly glancing toward the staircase.
Then she sensed something, turned her head—
And found Ais already sitting not far away.
Hugging her knees, eyes quietly watching the sunrise through the window.
Leaning beside her was the Feather's Echo Ryota had given her.
Lefiya froze.
"Eh... Miss Ais, when did you get here?!"
Ais turned her head, voice calm.
"Before dawn."
"Hah?!"
"I wanted... to try it early."
She murmured, but her eyes blazed with fervor.
Lefiya's jaw dropped open.
Suddenly, today's competition felt ten times—no, a hundred times more intense than before.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs above.
"Ryota Ryota, when are we leaving? Is it time yet?"
The moment she spotted him, Lefiya leapt up like a staff surging with mana overload.
Her eyes practically sparkled, her words coming out faster than a spell chant.
Ryota yawned, slowly walking down the stairs. Then he stopped.
Looking at the two girls already fully prepared, he rubbed his temple.
"You two... what time did you even wake up?"
Ais tilted her head, gave him a simple glance, and replied,
"Very early."
"I just got here! But Miss Ais was even earlier!"
Ryota glanced out the window—it was barely light out.
Then he looked at the two overly eager, ultra-motivated girls and realized something.
The Loki Familia's culture of "intense internal competition"... might've started spreading from him.
"Alright then."
He raised a hand, beckoning to them.
"You two, come here."
Ais and Lefiya exchanged a glance. Confused, but obedient, they stepped forward.
"Hug me."
"...Eh?"
A huge question mark practically popped out of Lefiya's head. Her elven ears twitched uncontrollably.
"H-Hug you?!"
She stammered, face frozen like she'd been struck by lightning.
But Ais didn't hesitate. She stepped forward like she'd been waiting for this moment, slipping into Ryota's arms—
And even snuggled closer to his chest.
"...!!!"
Lefiya panicked.
She stared wide-eyed as Ais nestled quietly into Ryota's arms.
Her mind blanked, cheeks burning crimson.
This was morning!
Early morning!
In the main hall of Twilight Manor!
People could come down those side stairs at any moment!
If someone saw her and Miss Ais both hugging Ryota—
This this this!!!
But... if Ais was hugging him and she wasn't...
Wouldn't that mean she was falling behind!?
Biting her lip, Lefiya blushed harder and cautiously wrapped her arms around Ryota's other arm.
"J-Just this once... It's nothing! Just for the experiment!"
She mumbled like a mosquito and avoided looking anywhere.
Ryota looked at the two girls clinging to him—one naturally cuddled up, the other radiating like an overheated magic core—and let out a soft laugh.
"Hold on tight."
With those words, he whispered:
"Flying Raijin."
In a flash of light, the three of them vanished from the spot.