Izumi didn't stop at restoring Asagi Aiba to seventeen years old.
No—
he went completely overboard and restored everyone else as well.
After reaching the realm of a One-Digit existence, Izumi genuinely felt as though there was nothing he couldn't accomplish anymore.
What others considered impossible had become effortless to him.
Rias and the others stared at their reverted bodies in astonishment.
Their appearances, physiques, even the subtle vitality in their skin—
everything had returned to the absolute peak of youth.
Rias touched her face in disbelief.
"Your power really has become terrifying…"
"To think you could casually turn us back into this state."
Izumi shook his head.
"No, actually, I could've done this a long time ago."
"It's just much easier now."
Then he added calmly,
"And this isn't limited to this world either."
"Even if you travel to another world, your bodies will remain like this."
"I've completely fixed your existence."
"No matter what kind of damage you suffer, you'll always recover back to this state."
At that point, a mischievous grin spread across his face.
It was essentially comparable to the Hourai Elixir.
An eternal buff.
Immortality.
Agelessness.
Absolute regeneration.
As long as Izumi existed, the people connected to him would never truly be harmed.
This was the power of eternity itself.
Looking at his handiwork, Izumi felt thoroughly satisfied.
And he didn't stop there.
Not only did he apply the enhancement to the women around him—
he also granted it to all the little girls under his protection.
That way, even if they traveled across countless worlds, they would never need to fear injury again.
At this point, Izumi's people were practically immune to both physical and magical attacks.
In fact, if he truly wished, he could even share portions of his omnipotent authority with them.
But he chose not to.
After all, none of them currently needed to fight.
Still—
if the day ever came, Izumi would not hesitate.
...
After finishing with everyone, Izumi headed toward Dimension City.
Eventually, he arrived in front of Erina Nakiri's restaurant.
Seeing the bustling business there made him click his tongue in admiration.
Dimension City had expanded enormously during the year he'd been away.
And with all that time, Erina and the others had naturally improved tremendously.
Combined with the countless special ingredients imported from other worlds, the culinary standards of nearly every restaurant had risen to absurd heights.
As a result, most restaurants had reached roughly the same level.
Customers simply entered whichever place had the shortest line.
Because honestly—
the food everywhere was incredible.
And Erina herself had long since paid off the massive debt she owed Izumi.
Not only that, she had even upgraded her esper powers to Level 5.
Her current life could only be described as luxurious.
When Izumi saw her again, she had already matured considerably.
Elegant and composed, Erina sat leisurely sipping black tea, clearly enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Then—
Izumi walked through the door.
The instant she saw him, Erina's expression stiffened.
It had been nearly a year since she last saw this man.
And now that he suddenly reappeared…
Her hand trembled slightly.
At that moment, Erina vividly recalled the fear of being dominated by Izumi.
It was traumatic.
Seriously traumatic.
Thinking back to the endless debt repayment hell he forced her into, Erina felt her scalp tingle.
As Izumi approached, she instinctively shrank backward.
"What are you trying to do?!"
"I'm not borrowing any more points!"
The now-matured Erina immediately declared her stance.
Izumi burst out laughing.
"I'm not here to force you into debt."
"Though honestly…"
He glanced around the thriving restaurant.
"You're living pretty comfortably these days."
Hearing that, Erina's forehead twitched.
"Thanks to you, my life is pretty good now."
"I've already achieved financial freedom."
"So if you're thinking about tricking me into another loan…"
"Forget it."
"I'm rich now."
The moment the topic came up, her mood instantly worsened.
Back then, Izumi had dumped all sorts of absurd problems onto her.
Sure, she ended up benefiting from it in the long run—
but remembering the days she nearly worked herself to death repaying debt still irritated her tremendously.
Izumi merely smiled.
"I just came to check on you."
"I never said anything about making you borrow points."
"You're way too tense."
Erina snorted coldly.
She showed absolutely no respect toward the so-called Lord of the World.
After all, Izumi genuinely had tormented her back then.
By now, she had already figured out the truth.
The arrivals of Liu Maoxing and Komatsu…
Those were definitely orchestrated by Izumi.
There was no way she could greet him kindly after realizing that.
Ignoring her resentment completely, Izumi casually sat down across from her.
After observing her for a moment, he smiled.
"Not bad."
"You've matured a lot."
"Looks like you've changed quite a bit too."
Erina clicked her tongue without replying.
Over the years, under the guidance of people like Liu Maoxing and Komatsu, she had finally come to truly understand herself.
As a result, her culinary skills skyrocketed.
She was no longer the arrogant girl she used to be.
In fact, she had even gained the recognition of the Legendary Cooking Utensils.
People couldn't remain unchanged forever.
Even her attitude toward others had softened greatly.
Still…
What truly interested her was Izumi himself.
Where exactly had this guy disappeared to all this time?
After hesitating briefly, she finally asked:
"Where have you been lately?"
"You vanished for so long without any news."
Izumi grinned teasingly.
"Oh?"
"So you actually care about me that much?"
"Unfortunately, that's a secret."
Erina's face instantly turned bright red.
"W-W-W-Who cares about you?!"
"Don't say weird things!"
This guy seriously never spoke properly.
It was infuriating.
Glaring at him fiercely, Erina huffed and turned away, clearly refusing to continue the conversation.
Izumi, meanwhile, remained completely unfazed.
Then suddenly—
a cheerful voice rang out behind him.
"Little Izumi~!"
The next moment, a soft body threw itself onto him from behind.
Feeling the familiar chilly aura, Izumi smiled.
"Long time no see, Yuyuko."
The newcomers were Yuyuko Saigyouji and Youmu Konpaku.
The moment Yuyuko saw Izumi, she practically lit up with excitement.
"Geez, where did you disappear to for so long?"
"I missed you so much~"
"Without you around, I couldn't even enjoy my meals properly."
She pouted pitifully as she spoke.
Behind her, Youmu immediately broke into a cold sweat.
Yuyuko-sama is lying again…
During the entire period Izumi was gone, Yuyuko had been eating happily every single day.
Not only had she eaten well—
she had eaten extremely well.
There wasn't even the slightest sign of someone who "couldn't enjoy food properly."
If anything, she had been living her best life.