The Moment Rei and the Others Arrive at Golonzo Island the group realized immediately upon arriving that they couldn't simply get closer casually.
With their current group being so conspicuous—multiple people with wings—it was certain that they'd attract attention, and people would come swarming toward them out of curiosity.
"So, what's the plan?" Rei asked, glancing at the others.
"Can anyone use magic to hide us?" Djeeta still in Rei's arms asked.
"We can handle that," Halluel and Malluel replied in unison.
With that, the two Archangels cast a spell to conceal the entire group, making it easy for them to land on the Grandcypher without drawing attention.
Inside the Grandcypher, Sandalphon gazed around at the ship's interior.
"It's almost the same as the one in our world, huh?" she remarked.
"Yeah, because our Grandcypher hasn't gone through the same modifications as Gran's," Djeeta explained.
Since the inside of Grandcypher is really wide, the group had some trouble finding the rest of the crew. Eventually, they reached the living room, where everyone was gathered, chatting and enjoying drinks together.
"We're back!" Lyria shouted excitedly as she ran into the room.
"Bwah! Lyria?!" Katalina exclaimed, spitting out her drink in shock.
"I'm back too!" Djeeta chimed in.
"Finally, you're all back!" Rackam said with relief. "So, did you find the primal beast Rei was looking for? …Wait." His expression changed as he noticed the additional people in their group.
It didn't take long for everyone to notice something else—Lyria and Orchid looked taller and more mature than they had just a few days ago.
"What… happened?"
---
After a long explanation, the room fell silent. Everyone's jaws were practically on the floor, their eyes wide in disbelief.
"Are you serious…?" Katalina finally managed to ask.
"Yes, we're serious," Rei replied, meeting her gaze with calm certainty.
The group's attention shifted to Sandalphon, Halluel, and Malluel, each of them trying to process the information.
"Pfft… hahaha! Your expressions is so funny right now!" Lyria suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha," Orchid joined in, laughing alongside her.
"Well, it's no surprise they're overwhelmed," Ferry said, chuckling softly. "Imagine being told we spent a whole year in another timeline, while only a few days passed here."
"That's too much for my brain to handle! My head hurts just thinking about it!" Vyrn groaned, holding his head dramatically.
At that moment, Sandalphon returned with tea for everyone. "Here," she said, setting the cups down.
Rosetta accepted her cup graciously. "Thank you. Your name is Sandalphon, right? You have wings like Rei's?"
"Yes, I do," Sandalphon replied. "Malluel and Halluel also have wings like mine, though the colors are different."
"Can I see them?" Io asked eagerly.
"Sure, we don't mind showing our wings," Halluel answered.
"Right," Sandalphon agreed.
The three of them making their wings appeared. Sandalphon revealed her twelve magnificent multicolored wings, while Halluel displayed two golden wings on the right side of her back and Malluel showed two blue wings on the left.
"Whoa, twelve wings?! This is the first time I've seen anyone with twelve wings! Even Rei only has four, sometimes six," Vyrn said, amazed.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Vyrn, but I've got twelve wings now too—just not like a year ago," Rei said, grinning as he flashed a peace sign.
"Archangels, huh? That's fascinating. Could you tell us more about your kind?" Rosetta asked curiously.
The group settled into conversation, with Sandalphon, Halluel, and Malluel answering everyone's questions. Watching them all get along so quickly brought a smile to Rei's face. He felt relieved that there was no tension among his friends.
As the room buzzed with chatter, Rei noticed Narmaya's absence. Silently, he slipped away without anyone noticing.
He wondered if Narmaya had finished absorbing his power. Though it had only been a few days in this timeline, he had spent a year away and found himself missing her.
As he walked, his six dark wings appeared behind him. Almost immediately, Belle's teasing voice echoed in his mind.
"Where are you going, Rei? You're missing out on the bonding time with your friends~"
"I'm going to check on another friend," Rei replied nonchalantly.
"A friend? Is it a woman or a man? If it's a woman, I'm sure she's not just a *friend*~" Belle teased again, her tone playful.
"She's a friend—or more like a teacher who's been teaching me katana techniques."
"Hmm, no fun then. I'll wait for my time~" Belle's voice faded, and his wings disappeared once more.
It didn't take long before Rei finally arrived in front of Narmaya's room.
He knocked on the door a few times and waited patiently for a response.
However, even after a few moments, there was still no answer from inside.
Deciding not to wait any longer, Rei opened the door and stepped inside to check on her.
Narmaya's room was simple and barely decorated. Apart from her katana and a few scattered pieces of clothing, there wasn't much else in the room. None of them had taken the time to personalize their rooms due to their constant traveling. But now that the issue with the Erste Empire was resolved, they would finally have time to relax, explore islands, and enjoy themselves.
Rei's eyes fell on Narmaya, who was still sleeping peacefully on her bed.
Her long, beautiful purple hair cascaded across the pillow, and her prominent Draph horns added to her distinct charm.
…And then there was her ample chest, partially hidden beneath the blanket. However, even though they were covered by a blanket, their outlines were clearly visible due to their size.
Rei stepped closer, unable to resist the gentle urge to reach out. He carefully caressed her soft hair and lightly touched her cheek.
"She's so soft…" he murmured, brushing her skin gently.
He ran his fingers through her smooth hair, marveling at its silky texture. But as he reached the ends of her hair, something caught his attention—it wasn't entirely purple anymore. The tips had turned a shade of blue.
"Huh?"
Rei leaned in to observe more closely, his brows furrowed in curiosity. Why had her hair changed color? Was this an effect of absorbing his power? But Vira's hair hadn't changed at all after undergoing the same process as Narmaya.
As Rei pondered deeply, he didn't notice Narmaya beginning to stir. When she felt someone tugging on her hair, she instinctively grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her.
"Eh!?"
Before he could react, Rei found himself lying beside Narmaya on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
He immediately noticed how soft and warm she felt. Her large, plush chest was pressed against him, and her embrace was comforting and cozy.
Turning his head slightly, Rei looked at Narmaya's face. She appeared blissful and peaceful, still sound asleep despite her actions.
Rei hesitated for a moment but then smiled softly. He also missed her. Deciding to let himself relax, he shifted to face her and hugged her back gently.
Because Narmaya was a Draph, her petite stature made it easy for him to hold her comfortably. Her softness, warmth, and the faint, fragrant aroma she carried soothed him.
Gradually, Rei felt himself growing drowsy, lulled by the cozy atmosphere. Before long, he drifted off to sleep, still holding Narmaya in his arms.
The two of them slept soundly, wrapped in each other's embrace, peaceful and content.
------
In the morning, Rei woke up and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the ceiling of the room on the Grandcypher.
It didn't take him long to remember that he had fallen asleep in Narmaya's room. He turned his head to the left, trying to see if he could slip out without waking her up.
"You're finally awake~"
To his surprise, Narmaya was already awake, staring at him with a warm smile while gently touching his cheek.
Her mesmerizing sky-blue eyes, tinged with a faint purplish hue, radiated affection as they locked onto his.
"Narmaya!? You're awake!" Rei quickly sat up, startled and relieved.
"Hehe, yes, I've been awake since last night," Narmaya giggled softly.
"But when I realized someone was sleeping beside me, I decided to stay still and play along instead of getting up~"
"Well, technically, you're the one who pulled me into bed," Rei replied as he adjusted himself to sit across in front of her.
"You know, a lot has happened while you were asleep."
"A lot has happened? How long was I sleeping?"
"You've only been asleep for about a week... but for me, I've been gone for a year."
Hearing those words, Narmaya's expression changed instantly. The soft and playful look on her face vanished, replaced by a serious and concerned demeanor.
"A year? What do you mean!? Tell your onee-chan everything right now!" she demanded firmly.
After Rei recounted the entire story of what had happened during his journey, Narmaya was left stunned.
"I can't believe all of that happened while I was asleep," she murmured in disbelief.
"Yeah, but it's fine. We managed to come back home safely, and I gained a lot from the journey," Rei reassured her.
Without warning, Narmaya pulled him into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Rei... Your onee-chan couldn't help you at all. While you were out there fighting for your life in another timeline, I was just here, sleeping comfortably in this room," she said, her voice heavy with guilt.
"No, no, don't worry about it, Narmaya. None of us got hurt, and now we're back home," Rei replied, gently returning her embrace.
"Still... I feel so bad. I couldn't do anything for you while you were struggling," she said, finally pulling back from the hug. Even so, she kept her hands on his shoulders, her stare sharp and assessing.
She scanned him from head to toe, as if evaluating something.
"Now that I'm taking a closer look... I can see your aura is much stronger than before. I wonder just how powerful you've become," she remarked.
"My strength has definitely grown dramatically, but my swordsmanship hasn't improved at all. I've been too focused on controlling my powers," Rei admitted, turning his head slightly in embarrassment.
"Rei..." Narmaya's voice softened, but her smile took on a slightly menacing edge. "Did you forget how I told you to keep practicing your katana skills?"
"I'm really sorry! I just got too busy with other things," Rei said quickly, bowing his head in apology.
"Hmm..." Narmaya's expression shifted into a mischievous smile.
"In that case, I'm going to have to punish you for neglecting your training for an entire year," she said, inching closer to him.
"Huh?" Rei blinked can't believe to heard what she said as she moved closer and closer.