[Return and Reunion]

As the train was getting close towards the kingdom, Haru began to wake up from his nap. Rubbing his eyes as he awoke to see Elleth staring blankly outside the window.

Elleth: Ah, you're up already. Did you have a nice nap?

Haru: It's not ideal, I mean my neck hurts a little. But I guess you could say that. What about you? Enjoying the scenery?

Elleth: To be honest, I just got lost in thought and forgot I was looking out the window.

Haru: Thought so, that blank stare you had earlier didn't really scream that you loved the scenery.

Conductor: We are entering the kingdom of Ersune, repeat we are entering the kingdom of Ersune. Our first stop there is the station in the shopping district.

Speaking through the terminals of communication magic within the trains' cabs, as the passengers started to get ready, the train halted abruptly. The impact shook the passengers in the train cab. Haru looks out of the window to see a large block of ice blocking the track that the train ran into, while at the same time noticing that the door leading to the cab behind the one he was in had frozen over.

Suddenly, the doors of the cab he was in were forced open by a group clad in monster hide-like leather armor wielding daggers and small blades.

Bandit Leader: Alright, everyone stay calm. All you have to do is cooperate and no one will get hurt.

This person was clearly an ice magic user, evidenced by the small amounts of frost forming on one of his hands. He leaves the passengers in the care of his subordinates as he heads off to the train's operator.

Haru just now understood the situation, as he observed their leader enter the train's cab. He wonders if he should use this as an excuse to test out his newly acquired skill while laughing at the thought of the poor soul being used as a hostage and how bad their luck must be.

The bandit then grabs on to his shoulder as his freehand holds a knife, pushing Haru towards the rest of them, getting tied up by some rope. It seems like he was the poor soul being used as a hostage.

Bandit: Stay put kid, or else your pretty little face gets scarred.

The same bandit then goes in front of Haru next to another, with the purpose of whispering something to his friend. Haru is sort of left alone, seemingly waiting for something unbeknownst to the pair.

Elleth attempts to get up from her seat and help, but Haru glares at her and causes her to sit back down. Quietly telling her to calm down and to let him handle this on his own much to the dragon girl's worry.

The very moment their conversation ends, Haru suddenly activates {Skeletal Master} and sends out multiple bone tendrils, each binding the arms and legs of the small group of bandits before lifting them off the ground. The entire team of would-be hijackers were apprehended in just under a minute as Elleth frees him from the ropes.

Their leader hears the commotion and storms back into the coach, only to end up bound in the same way. With additional tendrils coiling around to snap his arms and keep his mouth open. This was a hasty precaution against a supposed magic user, but effective for the situation nonetheless.

Meanwhile in the train station a certain pair of sisters could be seen eagerly waiting for someone, although one was getting a little bit impatient.

Airi: Where is he! It's been ten minutes past the time and he's still not here!

She now wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up with a brown vest over it, a dark blue skirt with black lace garter belts and stockings, and black hoodless cloak with gold clamp in the center. Her hair tied into twintails.

Touka: Heard there was a slight delay on one of the trains to here, knowing his luck he most likely got caught up in that. Anyways, go get us some crepes or something, he'll probably arrive when you get back.

Airi: Fine, the usual one right?

Touka: Yep, I think the stand's around left of here if I remember correctly.

Airi then left to head for the park's crepe stand as Touka lazed around on the nearby bench, her armor seemingly being lighter than it should be as she laid down fairly comfortably in it. As that was happening the train finally made it to location, coming to a halt as all the coach doors on its right side opened.

Haru was the first to exit the train, dragging the immobilised bandits behind him. Throwing them over to the nearby guards for the actual arrest. Elleth followed him curiously, wondering who they were going to meet with here as he waved over to Touka to grab her attention.

Touka: Ah, Haru, you're finally here. Though I wasn't really expecting you to bring someone else along too.

Haru: I didn't plan to either, but things happened.

Touka: Yeah, I saw. Were those bandits? Did your train get–

Haru: Hijacked? Sort of. I handled it pretty well myself with a new skill.

The armor clad girl nods at his explanation before turning towards Elleth, looking her up and down. Trying to assess her character based on looks alone, just in case.

Touka: And you are...?

Elleth: I'm Elleth, the Virus Dragon. Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Touka.

Touka: A dragon, huh? Well it's nice to meet you too. My older sister should be coming back with some food.

Crepes arrived in each of their hands, sans Haru's, as a speedy figure flung herself into the boy's arms with enough power to wind him briefly.

The younger sister laughed at Airi's antics, but as Touka was about to place the crepe near her mouth, she'd noticed Haru staring at her. Looking from top to bottom confusedly, could he be eying her dark purple and silver armor?

Haru: Where'd your right eye go, Touka?

Touka: Eh? What were you looking up and down for if you were just going to comment on my eye!

Haru: Answer the question, Touka.

She scarfs down the crepe on the bench, Haru continues to fiddle with her sister's tail, only noticing it after looking at Airi's face. Her face full of pleasure and lust as he plays with her tail in revenge for the sudden hug.

Elleth: Um, Haru, It looks like she's about to explode. I think it may be time for you to stop that.

Touka: As for my missing eye. I got it gouged out whilst fighting a horde of skeletons in some ruins hidden deep within a forest. I got a nice pair of swords and a new skill out of it so it's not that bad.

An awkward silence was left after she'd finished telling her story, the three who were originally listening attentively were now just left with unsatisfied looks on their faces as Airi finally separated from Haru.

Haru: That's it!?

Elleth: A bit anticlimactic, isn't it?

Touka: I never said it'd be entertaining or something along those lines, c'mon back me up here sis.

Airi: Dear sister, you must be kidding right?

Haru: That disappointment aside, what about little miss demon over here? Surely it'll be better than that right?

Airi: I-it's kind of t-the same, though I just fought a single demonic skeleton instead unlike my younger sister.

Her sister then cracked up a bit as Haru looked like he was about to choke her, which would've been a pleasure for her now that he'd thought about it and stopped himself.

Elleth: Though that must mean Haru has something extravagant to tell, right?

Haru: Got stabbed by a giant skeleton monster and stabbed it back in its exposed heart.

The three of them just laughed at him as he regretted making a big deal out of the other two's stories being disappointing.

Haru: Alright, alright I got it. Can we just go somewhere now? I'm sure you guys would want to head somewhere else already.

Touka: Right, right. We planned to do a quest with all three of us when you returned to Ersune... or I guess all four of us now.

The armored girl motioned for them to follow her to a small guild hall close by the station. Each member of the sudden party looks through the job boards filled flyer upon flyer of quests to pick from with varying difficulty level and reward amount.

Touka: This one is to defend a village from boars, and this is to train young knights.

Airi: But for the amount of labor we're expected of, the rewards seem lackluster...

Touka: We're supposed to help people, we're adventurers.

Haru: Hey, what about this one? We don't have to fight anything, and there's a large reward.

Elleth: We'll take that one. I don't think I'm ready for anything battle-related.

Airi: Mn, I agree. Thoughts, dear sister?

Touka: It can't be helped, even if I said anything against it. You three seem set on it already.

The quest in question was simply to explore the supposedly dangerous ruins of several shipwrecks found in a large cavern close by with the goal of bringing back possible artifacts and relics for study. A quest organised by a private institution in Ersune.

Setting foot in what was formerly a mine, they found it more creepy than outright deadly. Directions to the cavern were either marked by chalk or by signs hammered into the rock via nails.

Upon entering it, they saw that it was flooded by a freshwater lake deep enough to obscure the bottom and illuminated by outside sunlight from small holes in the cavern's roof.

Almost all of the century-old rotting shipwrecks were military vessels from each of the seven kingdoms. There was one ship buried under collapsed rock at what was once an entrance.

Touka: This should be it. Hop onto one of those ships, grab something that looks like an artifact, bring it out of here, and we'll get rewarded handsomely.

Haru: Let's split up then. We'll board one ship each and get searching. Elleth, Airi, mind getting your wings out and flying us over?

The two girls would do as he asked. Manifesting their respective wing-types before grabbing the Knight and Executioner by the arms. Lifting off and heading toward the shipwrecks.

Airi begins her exploration. Walking around the bisected wooden vessel looking for any item that's important enough to be historically significant.

There, she manages to find an in-tact ceremonial sword and a couple journals after looking everywhere, but that unfortunately seems to be it. Airi returns to her sister with what she found, intent on helping Touka as well with finding more.

At the same time, Haru found himself struggling to open the sole door leading to the cabin. Frustrated, he steps back and stabs into it using a large bone tendril just to get it opened.

Airi, Touka, and Elleth are alerted a couple seconds later when the water begins to become violent. Soaking them as they all tried to keep their balance, grabbing onto whatever they could to do so.

Large waves crashed into the ceiling of the cavern, with each being powerful enough to knock down several stalactites in the process as nearly all the shipwrecks were thrown into the air as well before crashing back into the water.

It would have been the same for the three girls had they not been caught by a trio of bone tendrils that stuck them to the roof of the cavern, tendrils coming from the only ship that was seemingly unaffected by the waves.

Collectively, their eyes widened when they saw why that was.

The wooden panels of the hull begin to move, revealing small bits of muscle underneath, skeletons spill out from what is presumably a stomach as the ship itself continues to thrash around in the water, its mouth opening to reveal ivory teeth.

Elleth: Is that a mimic...?

Airi: I've never seen one that big, or in that form, at all before.

Haru manages to hold onto the creature in spite of all the movement, explosions rung out as the beast's cannons fired. He waited for the right moment, activating {Swift Demise} and leaping forward in sync with the thrashing.

Touka: That idiot, he's going to do that, isn't he?

The armored girl tried to get out of the bone tendrils holding her to the roof of the cavern, wanting to get to Haru but failing to do so.

Elleth: Do what exactly, Touka?

Touka points towards the thick cloud of smoke caused by the mimic's organic cannonballs, being cut through by Haru.

The black haired boy was now brandishing a bone wrapped around his lower arm right in front of the ship mimic's face. A bone that went into his palm before extending into a thick and long spike aimed at the giant sea monster's eyeball.

Haru: Behold! My secret technique, Key to Hell!

He yelled, about to land the hit when suddenly the sheer power of the mimic's roar knocked him into the mast of one of the shipwrecks and fall onto its upper deck. Thinking quickly, he fires a bone tendril from his left palm.

The tendril quickly undoes the bone bands around Airi and Elleth while reeling Touka toward him. The Dragon and Demon girls immediately went airborne and fought the mimic, avoiding its cannonballs with ease in contrast to Haru's failure.

Touka: Did you have fun? Shouting a super cool move?

Haru: Now's not the time. The wood – or likely its skin is super tough. My tendril couldn't pierce through it, when I accidentally woke it up.

Touka: Skin? It looks like the wood's like a shell, I saw muscle moving the panels while it breathed.

Haru: So we'll have to time it right, I guess.

Airi's low level blood arrow spell takes out almost all of the mimic ship's cannons while Elleth succeeds at what Haru attempted to do earlier. Disabling the monster's eyesight, taking out its eyeballs with well placed punches and leaving it blind.

It roars, this time in pain. The waves became extremely violent again as the two regrouped with Touka and Haru.

Haru: From the inside, if we can get it to open its mouth then we have a chance at killing it.

Elleth: So who's going to go inside? And what will the rest of us do?

Haru: Me. I'll try again, and I sure as hell won't fail this time. Just keep it distracted and from getting away.

Touka: Going after glory, huh? And I thought that was too much effort for you.

Airi: Please don't die then, dear. We'll be counting on you.

Haru: Alright then! Let's go!

The three girls rushed at the mimic as Haru reeled his left arm back with an excited grin on his face. Airi created platforms using blood magic for her sister to jump from whilst attacking at the same time. Elleth meanwhile prioritised keeping the mimic within Haru's line of sight and reach, not allowing it to escape even into the depths of the cavern's waters.

A singular bone tendrils permeated out of Haru's arm, slowly coiling around his arm like a serpent and extending far beyond the arm itself.

Haru: Here goes nothing!

With all of his might, he throws his arm forward and launches the line of bone tendril at the exact moment that the mimic's mouth opens.

The tip of the tendril enters and explodes into several more tendrils, expanding from the white central mass like tree branches. Each of the tendrils varied in size but all did the same to the mimic, forcing the monster's mouth to remain open against its will as it attempted to free itself.

Haru uses {Swift Demise} again, running to build up momentum before leaping into the mimic's mouth and landing in its squishy innards. He uses a little bit of fire magic as a torch, lighting his way as he tries to find where its vital organs were, giving up after a seemingly fruitless search.

Once more, he reels his arm back causing bone tendrils to permeate through it. His teeth clench against each other as he forces more of them to come out, more than he's ever done.

This was the first time that he was pushing himself with this new skill that he got from the giant skeleton.

Swinging his arm, hundreds of sharp bone tendrils shoot out from it. The force of which nearly caused Haru to trip and fall.

These tendrils quickly spread out and pierce multiple parts of the mimic's internals. Causing it to scream aloud. With each tendril being supported by another one, as if they were the roots of a plant, burrowing through to reach the surface.

From the outside, the wooden planks of its warship form shift in and out between it and it's true, amorphous form. Struggling to keep the disguise up as bone tendrils emerged from almost everywhere in its body.

More and more were coming out. With the tendrils prying the wounds open to further the damage that they were already causing, tearing the beast from both the inside and out in a brutal display.

The monster let out its last cry of pain as it died. Sinking into the cavern's deep waters, shifting back into its amorphous form as the underground lake consumed it whole. Elleth jumped into the water after it, going in to rescue the damsel in distress from the fallen beast's insides.

Wet and tired, the party of four retreated with the artifacts that they had gathered following this. Touka hands the items off to the guild hall's receptionist, who rewards the party with a large amount of gold coins inside a small canvas sack tied shut.

Touka: Great job everyone, let's all head home now.

As the sun was beginning to set, the four headed toward the sisters' home. Getting far from the city and towards a more residential area. Beautiful wooden homes line small hills, connected by gravel paths to a central road walked by people and carts.

Elleth: I've been meaning to ask this...

Touka: Hm? What is it?

Elleth: Were those two always that close? Haru and your sister, I mean.

She pointed towards the pair walking right behind them with her thumb, Airi clinging onto his arm as Haru seemed to be disappointed in himself for almost getting himself killed alongside the mimic when it sank. After opening up his status screen, eyes widening in light surprise at what he found.

Touka: They are, since we were kids. Although she did become very clingy in middle school. Eventually she snapped and ended up kidnapping him during first year, luckily I found him after heading to our house's storeroom to find something.

Elleth: Eh!? Shouldn't you be more worried about those two right now?!

Touka: Don't worry, she's a demon. All I'd need to do is use holy water to keep her in check, like spraying a cat with water. But since coming to this world she's lightened up quite a lot, especially towards me. It's not like I need to.

Elleth: I take it you two were on the wrong foot back then?

Touka: Put simply, she was extremely competitive and confrontational with me and most girls who even so much as approached Haru. She still is, but it's more of a friendly rivalry than anything. Like normal siblings.

Elleth: Really? I never would've flagged him as someone who'd be popular, knowing a bit of his personality after all.

Touka: There were quite a few girls interested but he didn't wanna bother so he just pretended not to pay attention.

Elleth: That's a bit harsh. Though I can understand why, it does sound like it would get annoying quickly.

Touka: I get what you mean but— Ah, here it is, just gotta get the key.

The lock opens as they all went into the nice two-storey home, as Elleth sighed in relief after that walk and went on to call the other two to head inside already before it became dark. Haru immediately went for the couch and jumped into it as if it were a bed, hugging a nearby pillow.

Elleth: I'm guessing this is your guys' place, right?

Touka: Yep, it was surprisingly cheap too. Though I can't exactly remember why. In any case please make yourself at home, there's a third room near the stairs on the second floor you can use.

Airi: Apparently it was because the original person who commissioned this place ended up moving to a different country for some reason the same day the workers finished this place.

The demon girl replied while poking the currently sleeping Haru's cheek as they were completely dumbfounded by the reason. Both thought it was such a stupid coincidence as Airi kept on what she was doing.

Elleth: Really? That's terrible of them!

Touka: Did they at least get paid for their work?

Airi: I think so. They paid them first based on what the salesperson said, though the story could just be a weird marketing tactic.

Touka then went on to the kitchenette to make dinner, putting on a cute pale pink apron as Elleth went over and helped her out. Casually chatting as if they were already old friends despite only having just met today.

Elleth: So, what about you, Touka? Do you love Haru?

Touka: Huh!?! N-no it's not like that at all, I'm just his best friend that's all! Where'd this come from anyway!?

Airi: You're just incriminating yourself more, dear sister. I've already accepted you as my rival, just accept your fate already.

Elleth: See? Even your little sister thinks so.

As she finishes her sentence Airi slams her fist onto the nearby table, obviously angry that she was mistaken, once more, as the little sister.

Airi: But I'm the older sister though!

Elleth: Eh!?

Touka: It's fine, most people mistake her for being the younger sister cause of her height, you're not the first one to do so. Oh and here, chop these up for me, I'll work on the broth.

She then hands her the ingredients, as Elleth grabs a knife and begins chopping them up on a wooden cutting board, as they do, Airi goes on ahead and drags the still sleeping Haru to her bedroom.

By the time they finished making dinner and had already set up the table, Airi already went ahead and took a bath. Coming out fresh out of the bath, drying herself off with a towel already wearing her pajamas.

Airi: Is it done already?

Touka: Yep, luckily we made enough for us three.

Elleth: Three? Weren't we going to wake-eh!?

As she intended to point towards Haru, whom she thought was still fast asleep on the couch, she instead only saw his sword still in its sheath lying there.

With him nowhere to be found, Elleth begins to panic a little as Touka stares at her older sister with a look that makes it seem she had already seen this coming.

Touka: So you actually did that? He's in your room, still asleep, right?

Airi: Oh whatever could you be talking about.

Casually sipping from her cup of tea acting as if she didn't do exactly what her younger sister was implying she did.

Elleth: There's no way she did, right?

Airi: As Miss Elleth said, there is no way I did what you were thinking. Were you perhaps planning to do that yourself and had your plans foiled?

Touka: H-huh!? Absolutely not, there's no way I'm going as low as you!

Her fist slammed on the dining table, the sounds of clinks coming from the plates and cups echoed as Elleth was panicking even more since she didn't know how to deal with this.

Airi: My, my, it's already quite obvious you like him a lot, my dear sister. Your response is evident.

Touka: W-what!?! No way I'd like someone like him, especially thanks to that personality of his! I swear if he comes out of your room tomorrow!

Elleth remembers Haru's sleeptalk from that morning, as she desperately tries to get Touka to calm down despite her sister currently provoking her.

Airi: Still accusing me, I see.

Touka: Oh shut up, I know for a fact that you already took him to your room while he was asleep!

It was also at that time that Touka had also asked Elleth if she also had some feelings for Haru, to which she stated that they'd only just met the other day and it'd be a bit too soon. This exchange went on for a good while, the three did thankfully end up finishing their dinner.

While all of that was happening, something quite strange was occurring in Airi's room where Haru had been taken by her a few minutes earlier. The boy couldn't sleep, tossing and turning into different sleeping positions.

He was hearing an unfamiliar yet angelic feminine voice speaking to him in his sleeping state, although there really were only a few things that he could actually clearly hear.

King will awaken...

Your imminent demise...

Blackened bones...

Lord's downfall...

He didn't really know what all these meant or what to make of it. Did it mean that he was going to die using his skill? What's this about black bones? The four phrases repeated over and over while he dreamt. A struggle that was left unnoticed as Airi went in the room and tucked herself into bed with him, clinging onto him.

A nice heartwarming smile crept on her face, as having him all to herself, at least for that night, reminded her of when they first came to this world.

At the same time, Touka layed on her bed, embarrassed at the fact that her sister was completely right, she was in love with him. Although after seeing the way he acted and all for years alongside her sister as their childhood friend made her fearful that he'd just reject her.

This ended up making her remember something, a stupid question she asked him before they were called off to another world. Though eventually she ended up falling asleep after remembering and getting embarrassed by it.

And soon, all lights were off, the four sound asleep in a mostly comfy household.