The comedic atmosphere of the ring exchange ceremony gradually subsided, finally dispelling the last lingering cloud in the hearts of the people at New Chaldea. Steve clapped his hands in satisfaction, gathering everyone's attention.
"Well then, with all future issues resolved, let's sort out the present problems." He pointed behind him at the Shadow Border. "Our destination: the Animusphere estate in London."
"Would Director Olga Marie refuse to offer her subordinates temporary accommodation?"
"Of course not!" Olga Marie straightened up immediately, as though this was precisely what she wished to say. "As your director, it is my responsibility to provide logistical support!"
"Everyone, please get on. I'll show you the grandeur of the Lord of Astromancy's house!"
Thus, this wonderful team once again boarded the Shadow Border. When Steve activated the vehicle's virtual submersible mode, the surrounding scenery instantly distorted, warping into a dazzling tunnel.
For most people, the journey from Japan to London would seem insurmountable, but by the Shadow Border, it took only a few minutes.
Inside the vehicle, after a night of intense battles, everyone could finally relax. Ritsuka and Mash sank deep into their seats, gazing at the fantastical scenery outside with fascination. Meanwhile, Romani nervously fiddled with the ring on his finger, and Goetia kept his eyes closed, aloof as ever. Olga Marie, doing her best to maintain a dignified poise, tried to emulate the grace of a noblewoman-magus.
Before long, the vehicle smoothly emerged from the imaginary realm, stopping in front of a magnificent mansion atop a hill on the outskirts of London.
It was a quintessential Victorian structure: ancient and grand, surrounded by an immense, meticulously kept courtyard, looking like a fairy-tale castle in the morning mist.
This was the ancestral home of one of the Twelve Lords of the Mage's Association, Lord of the Astromancy Department—Animusphere.
For Fujimaru Ritsuka, this was the first time in his life he had set foot upon true magus aristocracy's domain.
With the ornate iron gates automatically opening and rows of lifeless automaton maids lining up at the entrance to greet him, it felt like stepping into a fantasy movie set completely isolated from the real world.
Even more so for Mash, who had grown up in a sterile room—everything here was astonishingly novel. She followed Ritsuka closely, carefully observing the portraits of successive lords that hung on the walls and the massive mural of celestial trajectories upon the ceiling.
Seeing the two appear as country bumpkins in the city, Olga Marie was filled with pride. She cleared her throat and, with hostess-like elegance, introduced the estate's history, instructing the doll maids to prepare rooms and hot tea. Here, surrounded by her family's legacy, she finally regained her confidence and composure, befitting the heir to a Lord.
But this harmonious atmosphere did not last long.
Upon entering the manor, Lev silently finished his cup of tea and stood up.
"My farce is over."
He glanced at Steve, then swept his gaze over them who had once been both his enemies and his comrades-in-arms, sighing complexly. "This isn't my place."
"I should return to my own and continue my research."
With those words, he turned and walked towards the door. At that moment, the vast consciousness of the seventy-two demon gods within him seemed to sense their task's completion. Like countless fireflies burning out, they faded one by one into quiet nothingness, leaving only the soul of the sorcerer named Lev Lainur—a soul weighed down by twisted emotions.
He didn't look back, disappearing into the thick London morning mist.
Meanwhile, another problem child—Dr. Romani—was forcibly detained by the absolute authority of Olga Marie.
"…You have neither identity nor money now."
"More importantly, Mash needs a dedicated physician to constantly monitor her health!"
Hands on her hips, the director declared confidently. "Therefore, until you find a new job, you will stay here temporarily as Chaldea's medical advisor!"
Poor Romani could only accept his new role as a nanny and family doctor with a wry smile.
Thus, the group took up temporary residence at the Animusphere manor.
Warm sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, filling the living room as the clock hands ticked past noon.
Poof!
Suddenly, a muffled, balloon-popping noise echoed through the room.
Olga Marie was demonstrating the most standard noble etiquette for serving tea to Ritsuka, when—without warning—she and her chair were instantly swallowed up by a dress far too large for an eleven-year-old girl, with only her furious, bright red head poking out of the neckline.
At that same moment, Ritsuka and Mash, sitting opposite her, underwent the same transformation. In a flash of white light, they shrank rapidly—becoming a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl once again.
"Aaaaaaaahhh…!"
Thus, an unmistakably eleven-year-old, yet indignant, Olga Marie's scream rang out through the manor.
…
Despite this embarrassing mishap, Olga Marie, out of noble pride, insisted on hosting a grand British-style afternoon tea.
A truly bizarre sight unfolded: An eleven-year-old white-haired girl, sitting atop a stack of books, sternly ordering the flustered Dr. Romani to fetch scones out of her reach, all while desperately trying to maintain her composure. A six-year-old black-haired boy, seriously slicing a sandwich on his plate. And a four-year-old pink-haired girl whose eyes shone with happiness as Dr. Romani carefully fed her tiny strawberry cakes.
Such happy moments, however, are always fleeting. After finishing afternoon tea, Fujimaru Ritsuka realized it was time to leave.
Before departing, he walked over to Mash—now a four-year-old again—squatted down so their eyes were level, and looked into her pure violet eyes, extending his pinky with great seriousness.
"Mash,"
He looked into her eyes and spoke earnestly, "Let's promise."
"Eleven years from now, we'll meet again—no matter what."
"Then, let's go stargazing together, even more than before."
"…Um!"
Though four-year-old Mash could not fully grasp the meaning of eleven years, she sensed the weight of his words. With her little, soft fingers, she hooked his pinky and replied in a clear, earnest voice, "I promise, Senpai."
Standing to the side, Olga Marie quietly looked away, delicately wiping her eyes with a handkerchief.
She had heard from Steve that the Animusphere family's techniques were sufficient to solve Mash's lifespan problem. This child had a bright future ahead of her.
After their farewells, the six-year-old Ritsuka once again boarded the Shadow Border under Steve's guidance.
With the familiar roar of the engine, the vehicle shot off into the imaginary realm. When the door opened again, they had returned to the entrance of Ritsuka's house in a neighborhood near Tokyo.
Steve watched as the little boy, now with the perfectly suited school backpack for his size, waved his hand as if he were any ordinary child coming home from school—and then, turning on his heels, walked into an ordinary home.
Their grand adventure—spanning time, overturning causality, and saving the future—thus reached its perfect conclusion in this most peaceful and mundane scene.
…