Jin traveled from Hourai Island to Kunlun Island to attend to some minor business.
Moving through the Warp Gate via Shinkai was an nearly instantaneous process, resulting in almost no loss of time. Elsa and Reiko accompanied him on the trip.
〈……＊＊＊＊＊＊＊……〉
(……?)
During the transit, Jin thought he heard something.
But instead of appearing on Kunlun Island as intended, the three of them found themselves standing in a place they did not recognize at all. They were in a narrow alleyway, looking out at a landscape that was entirely unfamiliar to their current lives.
"Father, where are we...?" Reiko asked.
"Jin-nii?" Elsa added, her voice laced with confusion.
"………………"
Jin stood rooted to the spot, seemingly oblivious to their voices. He watched the people passing by.
"……What a strange town," Elsa murmured.
"Free ether is present to some extent, but the air is foul," Reiko observed. "Breathing this for long might harm one's respiratory system."
Automobiles teemed on the roads.
"…………"
Buildings lined the streets in every direction.
"There are so many people with black hair," Elsa noted.
"There are many with brown or blonde hair too, but even so..." Reiko trailed off.
"……"
Jin remained silent.
"……Could it be?" Elsa whispered.
"Father?"
Jin finally spoke, his voice hushed. "……It's Japan."
"Eh?"
"……This is the country where I was born and raised."
"Is that so?" Elsa asked. Since she and Reiko possessed Jin's knowledge, they could understand the Japanese language perfectly.
"……It certainly appears so," Reiko agreed. "This is not Ars. But why are we here?"
"……I heard a voice," Jin muttered.
"A voice?"
"Yeah. I think it said... 'A gift from the Author. It is but for a moment, but enjoy your home'…… or something like that."
"You heard the voice of the Creator?" Elsa asked, her eyes wide.
"As expected of Father!" Reiko beamed.
"……Anyway, I need to figure out exactly where we are. Let's go."
They began to walk. The moment they stepped out of the alley, Jin realized their location.
"……It's Akihabara."
The JR elevated tracks ran overhead, and signs for electronics stores lined the streets. The Central Thoroughfare was teeming with crowds.
"A pedestrian paradise... that means today is Sunday."
In a sense, their arrival was well-timed. Their outfits didn't stand out as much as they might have elsewhere, as Akihabara was accustomed to unusual fashion. Jin, Elsa, and Reiko were dressed in styles quite different from modern Japanese standards.
"Hey, look at that girl. She's cute."
"Blonde hair, huh? Foreigners always pull off the look when they're cosplaying."
"Wait, is that cosplay?"
"Has to be, right? No one wears clothes like that as everyday wear."
"The little one is cute too. Is that a maid outfit? I wonder what the deal is with those three."
"They're not a married couple, right...?"
"No way. The guy is clearly Japanese."
Whispers followed them as they walked. With her superior hearing, Reiko heard every word, and even Jin could catch the gist of the chatter.
"……Let's keep moving."
Jin searched his pockets and found three thousand-yen bills. Wondering if this too was a gift from the Author, he decided to put the money to use. They walked to the nearest station, bought tickets, and boarded a rapid train.
"……I don't feel any mana. But the carriage is moving. Is this 'science'?" Elsa asked in a low, impressed tone.
Jin whispered a quiet warning. "Don't talk about magic or mana loudly. Magic doesn't exist in this world."
"……I understand. I'm sorry."
The three stayed on the train past Shinjuku, Koenji, and Kichijoji. Finally, they disembarked at a small station.
From the moment they left the ticket gate, Jin’s pace quickened until he was almost running. After walking for twenty minutes, they arrived at their destination.
"……It hasn't changed at all."
They stood before an orphanage—a child welfare facility. As Jin stood there in silence, Elsa asked tentatively, "……Is this Jin-nii's home?"
Jin nodded silently, a faint glimmer of moisture in his eyes. Just then, the door opened.
"……Jin?" a voice called out. "Jin…… is it really you!?"
"……Director……"
A petite woman in her late sixties stepped out. Her hair was entirely white, and her back was slightly stooped.
"……I heard you had gone missing in that furnace accident. I thought you were gone. You're safe... thank goodness……" She lunged forward and clung to Jin. "If you were safe, why didn't you come home sooner? This is your home!"
"Director, I'm sorry." Jin hugged her back, tears finally streaming down his face.
Once everyone had calmed down, they were invited inside.
"Jin, please introduce your companions."
"Uh, this is Elsa, and this is Reiko. Elsa is my fiancée, and Reiko is my daughter."
"……Eh?" Confusion was only natural given the age gaps.
"Well, Reiko isn't exactly human. She's an automata."
"……Excuse me?" The Director looked even more bewildered as Jin fell back into his usual habits of explanation.
Jin spent the next hour explaining his situation in the Director's familiar room.
"……It's hard to believe," she admitted once he finished.
Jin had told her everything—falling into the ladle of the electric furnace, being summoned to another world, becoming the Second Generation Magi Craft Meister, and his adventures since.
"A world with magic? Summons? If anyone else told me this, I’d think they were insane."
"I know... but it's the truth."
"Well, I believe you, Jin." Tired from the long conversation, the Director shifted on her zabuton and rubbed her back.
"Director, is your back bothering you?"
"Yes, it’s been quite painful lately. Just old age, I suppose."
Elsa, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up. "Um, could you lie down there for a moment?"
"Eh?"
"Director, Elsa is a top-tier healing mage in the other world," Jin explained.
"……Is that so?" Still skeptical, the Director lay flat on her stomach across the zabuton.
Elsa began her Diagnose while gently stroking the woman's back. "'Diagnose'…… A slight compression fracture in the lumbar vertebrae.……'Heilung'."
"Eh……?" The Director sat up in shock as the magic took hold. "Oh? The pain is gone!"
"I told you," Jin smiled.
"Ah, please don't get up yet," Elsa insisted. "Your kidneys and liver are also weak. Let me treat those as well."
"What? Wait—"
Elsa placed her hands on the Director's abdomen as she lay on her back. "'Heilverfahren'." A soft light emanated from Elsa’s hands, sinking into the Director’s body. "There. You should be fine now."
"……" Faced with such an impossible feat, the Director had no choice but to believe. "J-Jin, you all really are……"
"Yes.……And I don't know how long we can stay here."
"I see…… To be honest, I always hoped you would take over the orphanage, Jin, but……"
Suddenly, voices whispered from behind the door.
(Hey, can you hear anything?) (I don't know, move over.) (You're useless, let me listen.) (Hey, don't push!)
The door was thin, and their "whispers" were easily audible.
"My, my," the Director chuckled. "It seems the children have realized Jin is back."
"I see……" Jin steeled himself to meet them. "Reiko, open the door."
"Yes, Father."
As soon as Reiko opened the door, four children tumbled into the room.
"Whoa!" "Kyaa!" "Ouch!"
They were children Jin knew well, though they had grown since he last saw them.
"……Jin-nii-chan?" "It really is Jin-onii-chan!" "Jin-nii-chan!" "Welcome back!"
The four children swarmed Jin, and he caught them in a big hug. "Everyone, I'm home."
Jin reunited with all the children at the facility.
"Jin-nii-chan, why didn't you visit for so long?" "Did you go to a foreign country?" "Is she your girlfriend, Onii-chan?" "Who's the little girl?"
Explaining the truth was too complicated, so Jin told them he had been working abroad. Elsa easily passed for a foreigner, but Reiko’s status was a bit different.
"I am Reiko. Father took me in," she explained, having decided to present herself as his adopted daughter.
"Everyone! Jin-nii-chan is back!" "Where did you go, Onii-chan?" "Jin-nii-chan, play with us!" "Onii-chan, don't ever leave again!"
The children were equally fascinated by Elsa. "Elsa-onee-chan, you're so pretty!" "Your hair is so blonde!" "Your skin is so white!" "Your clothes are weird, but they're cool!" "You're a total beauty!" "But you don't have much of a chest."
Elsa took the comments in stride, despite the occasional blunt observation from the kids. Reiko was also popular. "Are you Reiko-chan? Let's play!" "Yes, I would like that," Reiko replied politely.
It was exactly the kind of lively scene the Director had always wished to see again.
As evening approached, the group took a break from playing.
"I'm home!" a voice called from the front.
"Oh, Yoshiyuki is back," the Director said.
Jin stood up. Yoshiyuki Nidou—his "younger brother" and a high school senior. The Director hoped he would be her successor.
"Director, I'm back…… Wait, Brother!?"
"Yoshiyuki, you've grown."
"Brother! You really are alive!" Yoshiyuki tackled Jin with his old enthusiasm, pinning him to the tatami.
"S-Sorry," Yoshiyuki apologized as he got up.
"……You're heavy. Get off," Jin chuckled.
He explained his situation to Yoshiyuki as well.
"Another world? Magic? A knowledge cheat!" Being a fan of light novels, Yoshiyuki believed every word immediately. He looked at Elsa with a daze. "Brother's fiancée? She's so beautiful……" Then he turned to Reiko. "And she's an automaton? She looks totally human…… and so cute!"
Just then, someone kicked open the front door.
"Director! You in there?"
A man marched into the living room without taking off his shoes. He had the unmistakable look of an underworld thug.
"Oh, you're all here. So, have you felt like moving out yet?"
"I've told you many times," the Director said firmly. "We aren't leaving."
"Look, the XX Group bought this land. That makes you illegal squatters. We can take this to the authorities if we have to."
Yoshiyuki stood up to confront him. "W-We've lived here for years! We have residency rights! This is a state-subsidized facility. We won't lose in court!"
His voice cracked slightly, but Yoshiyuki stood over six feet tall, and his intensity made the man flinch.
"Hmph. Don't regret this later!" The thug spat a cliché threat and stormed out.
"……Phew……" Yoshiyuki collapsed back down, his energy spent.
"Yoshiyuki, you’ve become strong. That was impressive," Jin praised.
"……I was terrified," Yoshiyuki admitted. "My knees were shaking the whole time."
"Even so, you stood up to him. You did well."
Yoshiyuki gave a bashful smile. "Heh... it's been years since you praised me, Brother."
Jin grabbed a rag and started wiping the dirt from the man’s shoes off the floor. "Director, how long has this been going on?"
"The original landlord grew old this summer," she sighed. "It seems he accidentally sold the rights to those people."
Jin frowned. The paperwork was likely legitimate.
"Jin-nii, what does this mean?" Elsa asked.
"Basically, the land is leased, but the ownership of the ground itself was sold to these bad guys. Since they followed legal procedures, we can't easily complain."
"……So they’re trying to force you to leave?"
"Exactly."
Reiko spoke up. "Father, is it difficult to move?"
"It is, Reiko. There’s almost no vacant land left in Japan. If they’re kicked out, they have nowhere to go."
Reiko’s expression darkened. "Then I shall simply cru—"
"Stop," Jin interrupted, knowing she was about to suggest crushing them. "Violence is strictly forbidden here. It would only make our position worse."
"……I understand," Reiko said reluctantly.
They moved on to dinner. "Whoa! Hamburgers tonight!" the children cheered.
"Yes, because Jin is home," the Director smiled.
Elsa and Reiko had helped with the preparation, and in the process, they had learned exactly how Jin liked his food seasoned.
"Itadakimasu!"
"Elsa-san, you're very good with chopsticks," the Director noted.
"Jin-san taught me," Elsa replied, blushing slightly.
"Onee-chan is blushing!" the kids teased until the Director quieted them down.
Suddenly, a massive crash shook the entire building. The sound of shattering glass and groaning metal echoed through the halls.
"What was that!?"
Jin and Yoshiyuki ran to the entrance. A ten-ton dump truck had slammed into the front of the building. The entrance sashes, pillars, and walls were completely mangled. The truck had no license plate, and the driver was nowhere to be seen. None of the neighbors dared to come out and look.
"Is this the XX Group's doing?"
"……It has to be."
The Director arrived and gasped at the wreckage. "……Oh no…… is it really over now……?"
Jin gently helped her up. "It’s okay, Director. We’re here." He turned to Reiko. "Reiko, get this nuisance out of the way."
"Yes, Father."
Reiko strode up to the dump truck and delivered a single front kick. With a thunderous boom, the truck was sent flying clear across the street, away from the entrance. The Director and Yoshiyuki stared, mouths agape.
"It’s blocking the road. Make it smaller," Jin ordered.
"Understood." Reiko began punching the truck. With every blow, the metal crumpled. Within five minutes, the massive truck had been compressed into a dense cube of scrap metal as if it had been through an industrial press. She even sorted the materials, piling the tires and battery separately.
"Good work, Reiko. Now, to fix this," Jin muttered. He looked at the shattered structure. Since it was night and no one was watching, he decided to use magic.
"'Kurasshi'!"
Jin used the magic to sort the rubble, separating concrete and glass. It was a brute-force application, but it worked.
"'Fusion'……"
He fused the shattered glass back together and extracted the metals. "'Extraction' Aluminum. 'Extraction' Iron." He recovered the rebar and the sashes. To any other magi craftsman, this would have taken days, but for the Magi Craft Meister, it was only a bit of extra work.
He used the intact sashes as a reference and regenerated the entrance. It took an hour, mostly due to the plastic rollers inside the frames.
"Now for the walls." He joined the rebar with 'Fusion' and restored the concrete with 'Joint'. "The colors aren't a perfect match, but this should do."
In under two hours, the mangled entrance was perfectly restored. "And for the finish. 'Hardening'. 'Toughening'."
He reinforced the structure with his full power. It wouldn't budge even if another truck hit it. "If only I had adamantite……" he lamented, even though the building was now stronger than a bunker. "There. Director, it’s fixed."
The Director and Yoshiyuki were frozen in shock.
"Brother, that was insane! A total production-type cheat!" Yoshiyuki cheered.
"Jin, you really can use magic now……" the Director said, half-impressed and half-stunned. "And Reiko-chan... such power."
"That was only five percent of my output," Reiko noted.
The two locals looked visibly shaken by that revelation.
"But you saved us, Jin," the Director said.
"This isn't the end, though, is it?" Yoshiyuki asked.
"No. It’s no coincidence we were sent here. We came back to handle this crisis." Jin took the Director's hand. "I’ll handle this. Don’t worry."
"Thank you, Jin. Just... don't do anything reckless."
"I won't."
Reiko stood guard that night, but nothing else happened.
"So, how much is the land actually worth?" Jin asked the next morning. Elsa and Reiko were busy with the children.
"They said 120 million yen," the Director answered.
"That's way too high," Yoshiyuki added. "It's about 300 tsubo, so that's 400,000 per tsubo. That's absurd for this area."
"120 million, huh……" Jin pondered.
"You're not going to say you can just pull that kind of money out of your pocket, are you?" Yoshiyuki joked nervously.
"No, I can't produce cash." Jin could create diamonds or rubies, but he had no way to sell them without drawing suspicious attention. "Where is the XX Group office?"
"The headquarters is in Ikebukuro, but their local office is about a kilometer from here," Yoshiyuki explained.
"I’m going to go talk to them."
"Brother!?"
"Jin, don't do anything dangerous!"
Jin smiled. "It's fine. They can't touch me." He looked at his hand, specifically the Protect Ring. "Reiko, let's go. Elsa, watch the kids."
"Got it, Jin-nii."
Jin and Reiko stepped out, then Jin immediately stepped back in. "Yoshiyuki, which way is the office again?"
His absentmindedness was as strong as ever.
Jin and Reiko arrived at the XX Group office.
"What should I say to get in?" Jin wondered. Just then, the door opened.
"Who are you?" a man barked.
"I’m with the orphanage. I wanted to ask why you’re pushing for the eviction."
"As if we’d tell you!" The man swung a fist. It hit an invisible barrier and stopped dead. "Ow! What the hell!?"
"I didn't do anything. You swung at me," Jin said calmly.
Another man tried to hit him with a steel pipe. It bounced off the barrier, making his hands go numb. "W-What’s going on?"
"I don't want to fight," Jin said. "I just want to know why you want that land."
"Shut up! It's orders from the top!"
It seemed he needed to go to the headquarters. "Fine, I’ll go to Ikebukuro. Don’t get in my way."
"You aren't going anywhere!" A group of thugs surrounded them with wooden swords and pipes.
"Reiko, just keep the barrier up. Don't attack."
They stood there as the thugs wailed on the invisible wall. "Damn it! Get the guns!"
Someone pulled a handgun. "Reiko, take those."
Reiko moved faster than sight, snatching the guns from their hands. "These toys won't work on me," she said, crushing the metal into scrap in her palm.
"M-Monster!" The thugs scrambled back into their office in a panic.
Jin and Reiko headed for Ikebukuro.
Jin realized he didn't have train fare left.
"Father, let's fly."
"I guess we have to."
Using 'Invisible' to hide themselves and a force generator to fly, Reiko carried Jin through the air. They soared at 300 kilometers per hour, arriving in Ikebukuro in minutes.
They found the XX Group headquarters, a building with a large, intimidating sign.
"Father, I am not of this world, so its laws do not bind me. If I crush them—"
"Rejected," Jin said firmly. "You are my daughter. I am responsible for your actions."
They walked through the front door. "Hello."
"Who are you?" a guard asked. Unlike the local office, the headquarters staff were more professional.
"I have something to discuss. I’d like to speak with someone in charge."
Jin’s experience dealing with kings and emperors gave him a natural air of composure that gave the guards pause.
"I don't know who you are, but you're not a hitman, are you?"
"No, look, I’m unarmed. I’m just here with this girl."
"……This looks interesting," a voice boomed. A well-built man in his sixties walked out. He had an aura of genuine authority. "I’ll hear you out. Come."
Jin followed him into a lavish office.
"I am the Group Leader of the XX Group. So? What do you want?"
Jin explained the situation at the orphanage. The Group Leader turned to his Secretary. "Is there such a deal?"
"Yes," the Secretary replied, checking a notebook. "The local office bought it three months ago for 120 million. But there’s no clear purpose for it. It's not a prime location."
"Hmph. Then it’s obvious." The Group Leader looked at Jin. "Someone at that office is embezzling. They likely bought the land for 30 million, wrote a fake deed for 120 million, and pocketed the difference from the group funds."
"Wait, they're stealing from you?"
"People blinded by greed are often that foolish. I should thank you for bringing this to my attention." The Group Leader leaned back. "I’ll give you the deed for the orphanage as a reward."
"Really? Thank you!"
"On one condition. Join my organization. You have guts."
"I’m honored, but I can't," Jin said. "I don't belong to this world."
"I can fix your records."
"No, that's not what I mean." Jin picked up a crystal ashlar tray from the table. "'Forming'."
The tray changed shape in his hands, turning into a perfect bust of the Group Leader.
"I’m a magic-user from another world."
"……Hard to believe, but... it's real," the Group Leader muttered, touching the bust. "Show me one more thing."
"Reiko."
"Yes, Father."
"This child isn't human. Do you have any scrap metal?"
The Group Leader handed over a bent golf club. Reiko took it and rolled it into a ball of metal as if it were soft clay.
The Group Leader turned slightly pale. "……I see. Fine. I won't touch that orphanage again. I’ll return the deed."
"Thank you."
"One request, then. Not an order. Make a statue of Reiko for me."
"I can do that." Jin looked at a bronze nude in the corner. "May I use this?"
"Go ahead."
"'Forming'."
The bronze flowed and reshaped itself into a life-sized statue of Reiko. "What pose would you like?"
"Make it... like she’s smiling and reaching out her hand."
"'Forming'."
The statue took the pose perfectly. The Group Leader realized that if they wanted to, these two could physically dismantle his entire organization.
"We’ll be going then."
"Yeah. Take care."
"……And that's what happened."
"Jin, you reckless boy!" The Director wept with relief when he returned with the news. "Thank you... but please, no more dangerous things."
"Yes, Director," Jin said obediently.
The next day, the Secretary delivered the deed. The local XX Group office was shut down shortly after.
A week passed. Jin and his companions spent almost every moment at the facility. Elsa and Reiko had become beloved by the children.
Then, a voice echoed in Jin’s mind.
〈It is time. Return.〉
Elsa and Reiko heard it too.
"Jin? What's wrong?" the Director asked.
"Director... it’s time to go."
"Jin!?"
"The Author is calling us back. We have to return to our world."
"Brother!" Yoshiyuki tried to grab Jin, but his hand passed right through. A faint light began to surround the trio.
"Yoshiyuki, take care of the Director and the kids."
"Brother……"
"Director, I’m sorry. But I’m already dead in this world. My life is on the other side now." Jin pulled Elsa and Reiko close. "I’m happy over there. Don’t worry about me."
"Jin... I understand. Elsa-san, please take care of him."
"I will, Director."
"Reiko-chan, protect him."
"With my life."
"Brother, stay well!"
Their forms began to fade.
"It was only a week, but I’m so glad we saw you again," Jin smiled. "I’m glad the kids aren't here for this... Director, please tell them I said goodbye."
"I will, Jin. I was so happy to see you one last time. Elsa-san, thank you for everything."
The light intensified.
"I’ll always pray for your happiness!" the Director cried out.
In the next instant, they were gone.
"……Huh?" Yoshiyuki blinked. "I feel like... someone was just here."
Three zabuton sat empty on the floor.
"You're right," the Director whispered. "But I can't remember who."
"It feels like we both had the same dream."
A tear ran down the Director's cheek. "Strange. My heart hurts... but it feels so warm."
"Yeah... I feel the same way."
Jin, Elsa, and Reiko appeared at the Kunlun Island Warp Gate.
《Welcome back, My Lord. We have been expecting you.》
Taihaku, the magi-brain, greeted them.
"……? Jin-nii, are you crying?" Elsa asked, looking at his face in shock.
"Eh? Oh.……I can't seem to stop. You're crying too, Elsa."
"……Yeah. I'm not sad, though. It’s lonely, but I’m happy…… I can't put it into words."
Jin gently hugged her. "……Thank you."
"Jin-nii?"
"I don't know why. I just wanted to do this."
Reiko didn't say a word. Whether she remembered or not, she simply leaned against Jin, staying close to his side.