Using Spirit Arts, Charlie created an illusionary barrier around himself, making him invisible to any kind of man-made sensor. Afterward, he shot into the sky at incredible speed, returning to the place where it all began: Tokai City.
*WHOOSH!*
Less than a minute later, Charlie landed softly in front of the beach house. The cold air swept his face, but his heart began to warm as he saw the figures waiting for him there.
"Welcome back, Charlie."
With her gentle smile, Aishia approached Charlie first. She seemed relieved, although her beautiful eyes still hinted at worry.
Charlie's tense mind began to relax. With a relieved smile, he replied, "I'm home."
The smile hadn't faded yet when the Nakano quintuplets immediately surrounded him, their expressions filled with a mixture of worry and curiosity.
"Charlie-kun! Are you okay?!" Itsuki asked, examining his body carefully. She held his hand, looking for signs of injury.
"You look tired. Are you hurt?!" Nino added, her tone full of concern, even though she tried to sound firm.
"Gosh, Charlie-kun, you're so good at making people worry. Do you know how anxious we were just watching you fight that dragon?" Ichika said, blaming him.
Unlike the world leaders who watched the battle through satellites, the Nakano quintuplets and Uesugi siblings watched through Aishia, who used Spirit Arts to broadcast the battlefield live.
"Wow… That green line on your cheek…" Yotsuba pointed to the strange mark that seemed to extend from Charlie's left cheek and appeared to originate from his chest. "What is that, Charlie-san? It wasn't there before."
"…"
Charlie was silent for a moment; he subtly refused to answer Yotsuba's question. He quickly smiled thinly and said in a calming tone, "Don't worry about that. You're all safe now. There will be no more threats. You… are free."
"…"
Those words instantly changed the quintuplets' mood. Their faces, which were initially full of relief, now began to look complicated with their own thoughts.
Although Charlie's method was very uncivilized by kidnapping them to protect them, he treated them very well. Plus, protecting them was an undeniable fact. Inevitably, Charlie's impression in the Nakano quintuplets' hearts increased significantly.
Knowing that he would leave this world and there might not be a second chance for both parties to meet again forever, their mood was filled with various complex emotions.
On the other hand, Fuutarou was overjoyed to hear the news. In other words, his peaceful and quiet daily life would return. He could focus on studying to enter a prestigious university and find a good job. After all, after his father's death, he was responsible for shouldering the responsibility of the head of the family. He didn't want his younger sister, Raiha, to experience a difficult life due to financial problems.
"By the way, Aishia and I only have 12 hours left to stay in this world before this world expels us." Charlie said calmly.
"…"
Everyone immediately fell silent. Even though they had already guessed this, hearing it directly from Charlie felt like a real blow.
But before the atmosphere became heavier, Charlie continued, "So, I think we can use this time for something fun. I want to have a farewell party. After all…"
He smiled thinly, taking out several large boxes from his Space-Time Cache.
"…I've 'borrowed' some fireworks from the store I passed by earlier."
"Fireworks?!" Yotsuba exclaimed, her eyes immediately sparkling. Even though her mood was gloomy earlier, she now seemed more cheerful. "I love that idea! A farewell party with fireworks will be fun!"
"But that's tonight. It's still daytime, so we still have a few hours before it's time."
Charlie had to admit that Yotsuba's cheerful nature infected others. The gloomy and pessimistic aura around everyone disappeared.
"Well then, I'll cook a feast for tonight's party. I don't want to hear any objections. Ichika, Miku, Itsuki, Yotsuba—you all have to help me in the kitchen!" Nino said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Huh? Why do I have to—" Ichika protested, but Nino's sharp gaze immediately silenced her.
"Okay." Miku said softly, even though her expression showed she was a little nervous imagining having to work in the kitchen with Nino. After all, she couldn't cook; she was worried she would only cause trouble. But it was illogical to let Nino cook for everyone alone.
"I'll make sure the food is amazing!" Yotsuba exclaimed enthusiastically, making the atmosphere a little lighter.
"It seems I have no choice but to escape the kitchen, huh?" Fuutarou sighed deeply.
"Exactly." Nino replied without hesitation.
Everyone agreed, and they began to move towards the kitchen. Charlie could only shake his head and smile, feeling grateful that they were trying to change the mood for the better.
Everyone agreed, and they began to move towards the kitchen. Charlie could only shake his head and smile, feeling grateful that they were trying to change the mood for the better.
❀❀❀
As everyone entered the beach house to start preparing for the party, Charlie and Aishia chose to sit on the back patio, facing the sea. The sound of the calm waves accompanied their light conversation.
'After the battle against Fafnir, I feel my body has undergone many changes; I'm curious how much my strength has grown. How many Excelia and Skills did I get after defeating Fafnir.' Charlie thought to himself.
Without hesitation, he removed his clothes, revealing his battle-scarred body. The abstract and glowing green lines looked impressive on his chest, extending from the middle to his shoulders and part of his face.
Aishia looked at the lines with curiosity. Her hand slowly touched his chest, feeling the texture of his skin, which was now harder but still warm.
"What is this?"
"I don't know either. It appeared after I ate dragon heart. Maybe something related to the dragon's power. We'll know after I update my status."
It wasn't just Aishia who was curious, but Charlie too.
He then took a small vial containing a glowing golden liquid—Hera's divine blood. Dropping one drop of blood onto his forehead, he activated The Chosen Savior Skill at the same time.
*SHUA!*
The Sacred Text on his back began to glow brightly, displaying runes and holy words that intertwined and formed new information. The process only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like eternity.
After the light dimmed, Charlie felt warmth flowing throughout his body.
Aishia, holding a blank parchment in her hand, pressed it against Charlie's back to copy the updated status. In a flash, the Sacred Text transferred to the parchment.
"Let's see the results." Aishia said flatly.
Then, the two of them read the status together.