Kanon Kanase's visit was, at its core, nothing more than a normal courtesy call.
After settling Seitenshi properly and conveying everything Gabriel had instructed her to do, Kanase didn't linger—she simply came straight over.
Seeing the living room filled with girls, she didn't overthink it. Instead, she calmly took a seat and joined the conversation as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
From the sofa, Izumi watched her quietly, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Kanase," he said casually, "you were brought here for training, right?"
"Have you figured out what you want to do now?"
Gabriel had mentioned before that Kanase was meant to undergo practical training.
Unfortunately, Izumi's rather excessive actions in that world had completely derailed those plans.
As things stood now, Kanase was essentially… free.
Hearing his question, Kanase gently shook her head.
"For now, I plan to wait here until Gabriel-sama returns," she answered softly.
"I'll follow whatever arrangements she makes."
Izumi nodded in understanding.
Then—
a strange thought surfaced.
…What if I take her to another world instead?
Once that idea appeared, it refused to leave his mind.
Who knew? Bringing a holy maiden along might lead to unexpected gains.
After all, the World-Traversal Gate he had acquired hadn't been tested yet.
The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he became.
Without much hesitation, Izumi spoke up.
"Hey, Kanase. Want to come with me to another world for a bit?"
"I've got an item that lets us travel between worlds."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone turned to look at him.
…Again?
This guy was planning to hop worlds like it was a weekend trip?
"Izumi-kun," Rias said suspiciously, "you're planning to go to another world again?"
Izumi nodded matter-of-factly.
"Yeah. It's summer vacation. Are you really expecting me to stay here the whole time?"
"You can all train on your own for now—you don't really need me."
No one could immediately refute that logic.
Meanwhile, Kato Megumi stared at Izumi with a subtle frown.
Why is he specifically inviting Kanon Kanase?
Is there something special about her?
She observed Kanase carefully—but no matter how long she looked, nothing stood out.
Kanase herself hesitated after hearing Izumi's invitation.
"Um… Izumi-senpai," she said apologetically.
"I can't decide something like that on my own."
"I'd need permission from Gabriel-sama or Michael-sama first."
Izumi nodded.
"Then go ask them."
"And who knows? We might end up in a pretty good world."
"If we find something useful there, it could help you grow stronger too."
Kanase nodded earnestly.
She understood well—interworld exploration was one of the fastest ways to grow stronger.
The problem was that most people didn't even qualify to attempt it.
Having Izumi offer to take her along was an opportunity she couldn't ignore.
Without delay, she stood up, bowed politely, and took her leave.
Izumi didn't stop her.
After she left, he turned back to the others.
"If nothing unexpected happens, Gabriel or Michael will definitely approve."
"I'll be heading to another world with Kanase for a while."
"You all keep training here."
"If that world has a fast way to grow stronger, I'll come back and take you with me."
He paused, then glanced at Le Fay.
"This time, Le Fay, I won't be taking you."
Le Fay simply smiled.
"That's fine. Izumi-sama already took me once before."
"And I gained more than enough from that trip."
She truly didn't mind.
Her visit to the Type-Moon world alone had boosted her magical capacity to a level she never thought possible.
Izumi smiled inwardly.
Good girl. I didn't spoil you for nothing.
At that moment, Sona Sitri spoke up, curiosity clear in her voice.
"Izumi-kun… why do you want to take Kanase with you specifically?"
"Is she special?"
It was the question everyone wanted answered.
Why her?
Izumi replied casually—far too casually.
"Oh, it's nothing serious."
"I just think Kanase's great. I like her aura."
"So I figured I'd help her out a bit."
There was absolutely no way he'd admit the real reason.
What, tell them I'm a hopeless pervert who got interested the moment I saw her?
Yeah, no.
Naturally, no one believed him.
Especially Tohsaka Rin and Kato Megumi.
Rin, in particular, looked at him with deep suspicion.
This is the same guy who tricked me into agreeing to let him 'play' with me for a year…
Even though he hadn't done anything yet, it irritated her to no end.
Given his track record, Rin automatically assumed the worst.
Izumi didn't bother explaining further.
Instead, he went back to playing with Fuse Midori.
The others, though still puzzled, didn't press the issue.
They had no right to control what Izumi chose to do.
Still, one thing became increasingly clear—
An item that allowed free travel to other worlds…
That meant Izumi could leave anytime he wanted—without relying on unstable dimensional rifts or wandering endlessly through the void.
That alone was terrifying.
Just how many secrets was this guy hiding?
That night, Izumi sat alone in his room, quietly reading a magic grimoire.
The others were scattered throughout the villa, chatting or relaxing.
Just as he was fully immersed, his door suddenly opened.
Kato Megumi stepped inside.
Izumi blinked in surprise.
"Megumi?"
"What's wrong? You came all the way here at this hour."
Megumi's cheeks flushed slightly—but her gaze quickly steadied.
"If I didn't come now," she said softly,
"I don't know when I'd get another chance."
"So… I came."
With that, she walked straight toward him.
Izumi immediately understood.
He hadn't expected her to be the one to make the first move—but he certainly didn't refuse.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, Izumi got out of bed and glanced at Kato Megumi, still sleeping peacefully.
He quietly went downstairs.
There, he found Kanon Kanase already waiting.
When she saw him, she smiled gently.
"Izumi-senpai," she said warmly,
"Gabriel-sama and Michael-sama have both agreed."
"Please take care of me from now on."
"I'll be in your care."