Ryuji: "??"
Kiri: "??!!!"
Kiri was completely stunned.
Wasn't it already decided? She was supposed to offer herself to Ryuji, mess around a little, and use that chance to test whether his claims about sending people back were true.
And now? The experiment was basically confirmed to work... but then this little girl who had just shown up yesterday wanted to cut in line?!
"Hey, hey, little girl," Kiri rested her M60 on her shoulder, feeling utterly speechless. "Sure, I get that this place sucks and everyone wants to go home — but there's gotta be some order to this, right? I've been away from home for way longer than you. Shouldn't I go first?"
For Kiri, nothing was more reassuring in this crazy world than heavy firepower. After all, repairing guns here was ridiculously simple — a bit of duct tape, some iron ingots, and boom, good as new.
And since items could physically manifest here, spare parts and tools were everywhere. Even that old cement mixer from before? She fixed it using parts scavenged from a repair kit.
So yeah, she didn't bother sticking to her usual revolvers anymore. The M60 was way more convenient.
In fact, she actually appreciated a lot of this world's quirks. Just yesterday, she'd even passed up some gun rewards to get blueprints for a forge and a chemistry station instead.
If it hadn't been for that zombie bird incident, she would have already started blacksmithing projects by now.
They had so much raw ore stockpiled that their storage boxes were practically turning into walls.
But when faced with Kiri's question, Lux's expression twisted with pain. She stood up and bowed deeply toward Kiri.
"I'm sorry… but Miss Kiri, I must return to save my homeland! If I stay here any longer… those people—my people—will have no choice but to turn to Sylas for help!"
"Hah?" Kiri raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like there's a grand story behind that, huh? But I'm gonna have to stop you right there, Miss Lux. See, I've got people waiting for me too — people that I need to save."
Kiri waved her hand dismissively. The only reason she'd let Tsunade go first was because Tsunade's mental state was unstable — and besides, it would still take the enemy some time to prepare their attack.
But waiting any longer? That was no longer an option.
Unlike Tsunade, Kiri knew she wasn't the type to let emotions cloud her judgment or get too attached to someone like Ryuji. Sure, she thought Ryuji was a good guy — maybe even worthy enough to be the first and last man in her life — but that didn't mean she'd abandon her comrades for him.
Even if those comrades once doubted her.
Even if, when she saved them, all she really wanted to do was flip them the middle finger afterward.
Still — a fight was a fight. And Kiri wasn't about to miss hers.
She'd already gained powerful abilities from this world, abilities that could genuinely help her friends and old teammates. Which meant it was time for her to leave.
"I…"
Lux opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
She could tell Kiri was telling the truth. But still — she was desperate. Time wasn't on her side.
Because ever since Sylas, the fugitive persecuted by Demacia's anti-magic laws, had killed the king and sparked a rebellion… everything had fallen apart.
Countless innocent Demacian mages were forced to flee their homeland, lest they be hunted down or even executed by their own kingdom.
And at the root of this entire tragedy... was her.
Her own foolishness.
Her sympathy for Sylas.
She'd pitied him. She'd trusted him. She'd even taught him how to absorb and wield other people's magic — the very power he later turned against everyone.
Worst of all… because she'd sympathized with him, because she'd cared for him, Sylas had drained the magic from her own body. He'd slaughtered countless people. He'd waged a bloody rebellion. He'd even killed her supposed fiancé — Jarvan IV, Crown Prince of Demacia…
Her brother, Garen, had nearly lost his life because of it.
Since then, the entire kingdom of Demacia had fallen into chaos and fear. Even those mages who had carefully hidden their abilities were forced to flee. The once proud and orderly kingdom had turned into a place where everyone was suspicious of each other — a land ruled by fear.
And Lux blamed herself for all of it.
That was why she desperately wanted to restore Demacia to the peaceful place it used to be. She had found other mages — people Sylas had abandoned because they had families or ties he didn't care about — and led them, along with their loved ones, out of Demacia. She hoped to help them rebuild normal lives… and maybe, just maybe, use their strength to one day change Demacia for the better.
But if, at this critical moment, she couldn't protect these people — then there was no doubt in her mind: they would turn to Sylas for safety.
And if that happened… Sylas would lead them straight into a war to slaughter everyone who stood in his way.
If Sylas had been a reasonable man, maybe Lux could've lived with that. Maybe it wouldn't have been the worst ending.
But unfortunately, Sylas had simply gone from one extreme to another.
Now, he wanted mages to rule over ordinary people — to enslave them without mercy or regard for their lives.
Lux couldn't accept that. She refused to accept that.
Which meant she had to go back. As soon as possible.
"Uh…"
Ryuji scratched his head awkwardly, struggling to respond under Lux's intense, pleading gaze. In the end, he could only raise his hand helplessly.
"Well… as you can probably tell, Lux… my stamina — and my body — do have limits," he said honestly. "And more importantly, the energy I use to send people back to their world… it doesn't come for free."
He sighed.
"So far, the only way I've been able to generate that kind of energy… is by doing what married couples do." His words hung heavily in the air. "And the amount I get each time? It fluctuates depending on things like… emotional connection. Feelings."
"In other words… even if you did join in right now, there's no guarantee I'd be able to gather enough energy quickly to send you back."
He spread his hands helplessly, trying once again to explain the situation.
Off to the side, Rias couldn't help but shake her head, her voice soft as she spoke — the motion causing her almost absurdly large chest to shift slightly.
"As expected… for you, this really is quite a tragic ability, isn't it?"
Rias didn't say everything she was thinking — but if what Ryuji said was true, then this ability was honestly pretty pitiful.
No emotions? Then he'd have to keep doing it endlessly.But with emotions? The moment feelings grew deep, those people would leave.
That kind of life… honestly, it sounded like its own kind of torment.
But what none of them expected… was that Kiri had completely underestimated Lux's determination.
"I'm willing to do anything, Miss Kiri!" Lux suddenly declared, her voice firm. "I'm not trying to take your place — I understand that feelings matter in this. But if I join as well… wouldn't that help you return faster? If the energy gathered from me happens to be greater… then, if Mr. Ryuji keeps using me to gather energy… wouldn't that help you return quickly too?"
Her words left Kiri utterly speechless.
She stared at Lux, wide-eyed, completely unable to believe what she was hearing.
That determined expression… the faint blush coloring her cheeks… and the tears glimmering at the corners of her eyes…
It all said one thing very, very clearly.
This girl… was dead serious.
"I…"
Kiri opened her mouth, glancing at Ryuji.
He, too, stared back at her — mouth slightly agape.
Kiri could understand it.Ryuji could understand it.
But still…
This was just way too crazy.
"Uh… how should I put this… Is this what they mean when they say 'as expected of a noble lady'...?"
Kiri couldn't help but complain with a bit of exasperation — but very quickly, she found a way to strike back at Lux's overly earnest resolve.
"If it's about saving your country, Miss Lux, then all the more reason for you to stay here and properly study this world," Kiri said, crossing her arms. "This world has all kinds of things — stuff that can help you get tens of thousands of tons of steel in a single day, and even teach you how to make the weapons we use here. Wouldn't that make saving a country a hell of a lot easier? So why don't you spend some time here learning how things work first?"
As she spoke, she dug around in her pockets, looking visibly irritated.
—She couldn't find her cigarettes.
Ryuji nodded in agreement beside her, though honestly… he had his own ideas about all this.
He wouldn't mind mornings with Kiri, nights with Lux at all.
After all, there was one thing he knew for sure — Kiri's stamina and endurance absolutely wouldn't be able to match someone like Tsunade.
And him?
He was someone who could spar with Tsunade when she had her Byakugou Seal fully activated.
Granted, that had a lot to do with how overly sensitive Tsunade's body tended to get — most of the time, she'd tap out and surrender after just a few rounds — but still, unless Kiri had some freakishly low sensitivity, there was no way she could match Tsunade in that regard.
Which meant, in every sense of the word…
Kelly was bound to get completely wrecked by him.
That said — Kiri wasn't wrong either.
If Lux could properly master this world's systems, tools, and technology — then things like arming every soldier with iron-pipe machine guns, having an endless supply of steel, and stockpiling absurd amounts of gunpowder…
Forget saving Demacia — Lux could straight up establish her own kingdom if she wanted.
Of course, that depended on whether abilities gained here could be taken back to her world.
But regardless, learning this world's knowledge could only help her.
"And more importantly…"
Kiri casually walked over to Ryuji's side, resting her elbow on his shoulder like they were old drinking buddies.
"…it's about this bastard's safety."
Ryuji: "..."