◇ The scene goes back in time, right after Kai finished clearing an A-Rank dungeon.

 

Kai: “I’m done, Hao-san!”

 

I immediately used the skill ‘Lightning’ to move to Hao-san’s side.

 

Hao: “Kai-san! Good. I just received an urgent request from Tanaka Issei-san of the Avalon Guild in Japan! He says there’s an emergency and wants you to come at once using Lightning! It’s urgent! Probably… No, just hurry. We’ll handle the reporting on this end.”

 

Kai: “Eh? Understood!”

 

Seeing Hao-san’s expression, I realized something serious had happened. I activated my Lightning skill and moved to where Tanaka-san was.

 

Kai: “Tanaka-san! …Huh? What’s this?”

 

The moment I arrived, Tanaka-san turned around upon hearing the sound of my teleportation.

 

Tanaka: “Kai-kun! Thank goodness!”

Kai: “Tanaka-san, what exactly is…”

 

My gaze shifted to a Cube beside him. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. A black liquid with white droplets that seemed to repel rather than mix. It emitted a malevolent aura, repelling any intrusion.

Curious, I tried touching it but was repelled with a sharp ‘snap’.

 

Kai: “What is this…”

 

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

 

Attribute: Sealed Box

Name: Temple of Eternity

Acquisition Difficulty: –

Effect: –

Description: Currently challenging the Temple of Eternity, 『Stage 2 (1/2) cleared』.

・Due to not being the standard route, Stage 2-2 has been generated from the total magic power.

 

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

 

I checked the Cube’s status. Displayed there was a status I had never seen before. The ‘Temple of Eternity’ – a term I had never heard.

 

Kai: “…What’s this Cube… Wait, is this place…?”

 

I looked around. I had been so focused on the Cube when I teleported to Tanaka-san’s shadow that I hadn’t noticed the surroundings.

 

Kai: “Nagi!? Tanaka-san, is this…!?”

Tanaka: “Yes, that’s right. Including Nagi-chan, it’s the field training site for the Japan National Dungeon Clearer School. There should be 50 students inside. We don’t know what caused this, but we can’t even get inside.”

 

Kai: “…I’ll go in. I will!”

Tanaka: “Kai-kun… This is a Cube under Japan’s jurisdiction. You’ve been stripped of your qualifications and belong to a Chinese guild. This could become an international issue.”

Kai: “I understand. I’m going to break the rules again. For the people I want to save. But even still!!”

 

I was set on breaking the rules again. The situation was similar to when I confronted Arnold. I wanted to invade another country’s Cube just to save the people I care about.

 

Tanaka: “I understand. So… I’ll take responsibility. Go ahead, Kai-kun. Save what’s most precious to you.”

 

Tanaka-san explained the situation. He probably said that to reassure me.

I’m grateful, but even without his words, I’d still proceed.

 

Kai: “Tanaka-san, I’m not a child anymore. So I can take responsibility…”

 

I’ve always done it that way. I cleared dungeons alone to save Nagi. I punched the strongest being to save Reina’s mother.

Above all, I prioritize…

 

Kai: “Myself.”

 

…protecting my loved ones with my own hands.

 

Kai: “Lightning.”

 

◇

 

Kai’s pristine white sword stopped the massive sword of the black demon with just one hand. He immediately repelled it, sending the demon flying.

 

Kai: “Thank you for trying to protect my most precious thing. You did great.”

 

Kai gently caressed the heads of a sobbing Nagi and Yuuya. The students couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

But they recognized the man who suddenly appeared.

He was the S-Rank clearer who broke the rules and was expelled from Japan. A legendary figure who even stood up to the world’s strongest.

 

Kai: “Nagi did well. Leave the rest to your big brother.”

Nagi: “Waaaah! Big brother, you’re so late! Idiot! Idiot! I thought I was going to die!”

Kai: “I’m sorry…”

 

He hugged Nagi tightly.

 

Nagi: “When we get back, I’ll forgive you if we go on a day-long date… so defeat them quickly.”

Kai: “I’ll take you anywhere you want. Just wait a little longer.”

 

Kai turned to the sobbing Nagi and hugged her again. She must’ve been terrified, given the hellish situation she had just been through.

Releasing Nagi, Kai’s gaze turned to the demons in front of him. They were different from the monsters he had faced before, much stronger.

 

Kai: “You dared touch my sister. That’s something I’ll never forgive, no matter what. Nagi is my reason for living, my life. Whether it’s a god or whatever!!”

 

His eyes glowing a brilliant gold, Kai gripped his white sword, powered by over 900,000 units of magic power.

 

Demon: “Gaah!?”

Kai: “Unforgivable!!”

 

He sliced the demon.

 

Student: “No way…”

 

One of the students uttered in disbelief. The demon, which they had struggled against, was decapitated with a single blow.

 

Student 1: “Is that Kai Amachi?”

Student 2: “Why… but… he’s so strong.”

Student 3: “Go… go!!”

 

The students’ eyes shone with admiration. Even if there had been debates about justice and evil, the hope that appeared in their moment of despair was undoubtedly on the side of justice.

He was different, on a whole other level.

 

Kai: “Haaaa!!!”

 

He decapitated another demon.

 

Students: ““”Go!!!”””

 

The moment the cheers of the students reached their peak, the third demon fell to the ground with its head severed. At this moment, victory was assured.

 

Student 1: “He did it… he did it!!!”

Student 2: “We’re saved!!”

Student 3: “So glad, so glad!!”

Student 4: “Waaah! We can go home!!”

 

The students hugged each other, celebrating their survival.

 

Kai: “That was a demon with 100,000 magic power… but it can’t even be considered an enemy anymore…”

 

Kai stared at the white sword he was gripping, reaffirming his own strength. He felt the power that seemed to reach the pinnacle of the world, and looked at what he was able to protect.

Amidst the students’ joyful cheers, an emotionless voice announced the end.

 

System Voice: 『Temple of Eternity Stage 2-2 Clear… All generated stages cleared, ending now.』

 

Along with that voice, enveloped in particles of light, the students left the temple, much like after clearing a boss. Kai hurriedly collected the magic stones from the black demons in an instant, putting them in his pocket. He couldn’t collect them all, but he secured one.

 

Kai: “Seems like… I will have to come here again… What exactly is this place…”

 

Kai, too, left the temple enveloped in light. A broken temple standing silently in eternity, forgotten by the long passage of time.

What exactly is this place?

Then it happened.

 

Kai: “!?”

 

Kai spotted something at the center of the temple he was gazing at.

 

Kai: “Hey, you!!”

 

He hastily called out. It looked like a person. A woman with wings? The light made it hard to see clearly.

And then, the woman uttered something in a language that wasn’t Japanese.

The voice that directly resonated in the brain said:

 

System Voice: 『We’ll be waiting, come by the standard route next time… Knight of this era, Kai Amachi-san.』

Kai: “Eh!? Wait a—”

 

Although it was the usual emotionless voice, there was definitely emotion in it.

 

◇ Kai’s Perspective

 

Kai: “Wait…”

 

I stretched out my hand, but at the same time, I was transported inside the Cube. The walls that were black and white, looking like coffee with milk poured into it, slowly collapsed and turned green.

 

Kai: (What was that… a person? But those wings…)

 

Student: “Mama!!”

Student: “Papa!!”

Parent: “Ahh, thank goodness!!”

 

Contrasting with my astonishment, the surroundings grew noisy. Families, probably the parents of the students, gathered, hugging their children in relief. Even in a world where the way of life has changed, the bonds between parents and children remains unaltered.

Injured people were quickly taken to the hospital, but miraculously, there were no fatalities.

 

Kai: “Kai-san!!”

 

Aya: “Aya! You came?”

 

Aya ran towards me. Probably worried, I opened my arms waiting for her to hug me.

But the one Aya hugged was Nagi.

 

Aya: “Nagi-chan, I was so worried!!”

 

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my head. Well, it’s okay if I’m not the one worried about, right? In reality, Nagi had a tougher time.

 

Reina: “Then I will… hug…”

 

Kai: “Ah, thank you. Reina came too, huh?”

Reina: “Are you happy?”

Kai: “…Yeah, happy.”

 

While hugging me, Reina curled up and looked into my eyes. When our eyes met, Reina smiled warmly. Damn, she’s as cute as ever. After that, Reina hugged both Aya and Nagi, who had finished their hug. It seemed like Reina also thought of Nagi as a sister, which made me happy.

 

Aya: “Kai-san, it’s not that I wasn’t worried about you, okay? But Nagi-chan is…”

Kai: “No, no, I don’t mind. Thank you for hugging Nagi. That makes me happier. Right, Nagi?”

Nagi: “I was so scared. I won’t be able to sleep tonight unless you hug me tightly.”

Kai: “I always do, right?”

Aya: “Eh? Nagi-chan always sleeps with Kai-san!? …I’m jealous.”

 

As we were doing our usual comedic routine, Tanaka-san walked up.

 

Tanaka: “Good job, Kai-kun, everyone is safe. So… may I ask if something happened inside?”

Kai: “Ah, of course. And that person with you too, right?”

 

I looked at the person with Tanaka-san, a man who looked like a plump politician.

The man who expelled me, painted me as a villain.

 

Kai: “Nice to meet you, Chairman Akuzawa.”

 

In a suit, that man looked at me.