After Rin and Sakura recognized each other, the sisters remained seated together and began talking about everything that had happened since they were separated.
Most of the conversation came from Rin.
She told Sakura about the ten years that had passed in her absence, recounting everything she could remember while Sakura listened with complete attention.
From time to time, the little girl would sigh softly or react with genuine emotion when something particularly important came up.
Seeing the two sisters sitting together so peacefully was heartwarming.
Even Yuto could not help smiling as he watched them.
Hestia also wore a look of warm satisfaction, almost like an elder watching a younger member of the family finally find happiness.
At moments like this, she actually displayed some of the maturity one might expect from a goddess.
"What is it?"
Yuto noticed the look on her face and asked softly with a smile.
Hestia took a small breath before sighing.
"When I took Sakura back with me, I worried that separating her from her family like that might have been too cruel." Her eyes drifted toward Sakura, and the corners of her lips curved upward. "Seeing her smile like this now... I feel relieved."
She spoke quietly, her expression filled with genuine warmth and happiness.
Hestia might not always be the most reliable goddess...
But there was no doubt that she truly loved Sakura.
...
Some time later, Hestia and Sakura finally prepared to leave.
Before going, Sakura hugged Rin tightly once more.
Rin was obviously reluctant to let her go after finally finding the little sister she had believed dead for so many years, but she did not try to force Sakura to stay.
She understood that Sakura already had a life of her own now.
Before the two left, Yuto reminded Hestia about the War Game.
The Familia that challenged her had given her one full day to prepare, which meant tomorrow would be their preparation day and the War Game itself would officially begin the day after that.
Yuto told her to come to the restaurant beforehand so everyone planning to help could gather here and head over together.
Hestia was immediately moved all over again.
She grabbed Yuto's sleeve with both hands, tears already pooling dramatically in her eyes.
The sight was so exaggerated that it was almost comical.
After several more words of thanks, Hestia finally left with Sakura.
Rin remained where she was and watched her little sister disappear through the restaurant door.
A quiet sigh escaped her.
There was no frustration or sadness in it.
Only relief.
It was the lightness of someone finally able to put down a burden she had carried for far too many years.
When Rin turned around, she found Yuto looking at her with a faint smile.
Something stirred inside her chest.
"I never imagined Sakura was actually rescued by you back then, Boss. Thank you. Truly."
Rin bowed deeply.
The gratitude in her trembling eyes was completely sincere.
"Running into Sakura back then was just a coincidence. You don't need to make such a big deal out of it."
Yuto smiled gently.
Fate was often strange like that.
When he rescued Sakura all that time ago, how could he possibly have imagined that a single chance encounter would eventually lead to this moment?
Rin slowly straightened after hearing his reassurance and took a deep breath, managing to steady herself.
At least outwardly.
Inside, her emotions were still surging.
"About that War Game..." Rin looked directly at Yuto. "I want to help too."
This time, there was no hesitation in her voice.
Now that she understood Sakura's situation, there was no possibility of simply standing aside and doing nothing.
Even if Rin knew her own strength might not amount to much compared with some of the monsters volunteering to participate, she still wanted to fight.
Ten years ago, she had been powerless to stop Sakura from being given away.
Ten years later...
She refused to stand helplessly by while something happened to her sister again.
Yuto studied the determination in her eyes for a moment before nodding.
"All right."
He knew there was no point trying to stop her.
Some decisions, once made deeply enough, were almost impossible to change.
Rin thanked him, then hurriedly left the restaurant.
She knew the War Game was unlikely to be simple, which meant she needed to begin preparing as soon as possible.
And as the heir to a proper magus family...
Rin had plenty of things at her disposal.
After she left, Yuto turned toward Illya.
"If Heracles doesn't come tonight, are you planning to wait here forever?"
The little girl immediately looked conflicted.
She really wanted to answer yes.
Unfortunately, she had responsibilities of her own and could not remain in the restaurant indefinitely just because she wanted to see Heracles.
"Then I'll wait one more hour! If Heracles still hasn't come by then, I'll leave."
After thinking about it for quite a while, Illya finally spread her hands with a helpless expression.
Yuto chuckled.
It was already past ten, and eleven o'clock was not far away.
Saitama, meanwhile, was sitting at the counter and growing increasingly impatient.
Waiting for someone who might or might not appear was far more frustrating than he expected.
Just as he began wondering whether he would end up going home empty-handed again tonight, fate finally rewarded his patience.
His long wait had not been wasted.
Son Goku finally arrived.
The moment Goku saw Saitama, his face immediately lit up with exactly the same excitement.
The two battle maniacs stared at each other with blazing eyes, both clearly thinking about only one thing.
Anyone who did not know the reason behind those looks might have badly misunderstood their relationship.
Genos, however, instantly became serious when he saw Goku.
He had witnessed Saitama's previous battle with him and knew perfectly well what kind of monster he was dealing with.
Anyone capable of fighting evenly with Saitama was someone Genos could never afford to underestimate.
After exchanging only a few words, Saitama and Goku left together for Goku's world.
Their rematch would take place there.
For that world...
Tonight might not be especially peaceful.
Genos followed them as well.
He intended to record as much of the battle as possible.
Being able to repeatedly watch and analyze footage of Saitama and Goku fighting at full strength would be immensely valuable for his own development.
Once the three left, Illya became the only customer remaining in the restaurant.
Berserker stood silently nearby, his enormous presence restrained so completely that if not for his massive body, an ordinary person might barely have noticed him at all.
He resembled a tiger concealing every trace of killing intent before suddenly striking.
For a warrior, that ability was terrifying.
Even though the Berserker class had robbed him of rational thought, the countless battle experiences engraved into Heracles's soul had already become instinct.
Sitting behind the counter, Yuto suddenly remembered the potions he had asked Tohru to retrieve the previous night.
They were meant for Erina and Hisako.
The two girls were only ordinary humans, yet ever since they began helping at the restaurant, they had been completely overturning their sleeping schedules and working through the night again and again.
If that continued for too long, it would inevitably damage their health.
Yuto was not some heartless exploitative capitalist.
He still possessed a conscience.
The potions were supposed to help protect their bodies from the strain.
He had originally planned to give them to Erina and Hisako today, but when Hisako called earlier to request leave because of the Moon Banquet Festival, he had completely forgotten about it.
Remembering now made him feel slightly embarrassed.
He would have to give them the potions tomorrow instead.
The restaurant door slid open.
Illya immediately turned toward the entrance with obvious anticipation.
Unfortunately...
It still was not Heracles.
The little girl's expression immediately fell.
Yuto, on the other hand, brightened considerably.
"Chii! Yuu!"
Two familiar girls stood at the entrance.
Chito and Yuuri were still wearing their usual gray-green, self-modified military coats, with steel helmets resting on their heads.
The old rifle strapped across Yuuri's back looked surprisingly well maintained despite everything it had endured.
Clearly, she took care of it regularly.
"Yo, Boss! We're back!"
Yuuri waved enthusiastically at Yuto, grinning with her usual endless energy.
Chito remained much quieter.
She gave him a small bow.
"Hello, Boss."
Seeing both girls standing there safely made Yuto breathe out in relief.
Simply knowing that they were still alive and well in that desolate world was reassuring.
After greeting him, Chito and Yuuri sat down at the counter, with Yuuri placing her rifle carefully beside her.
Illya immediately looked from the two girls to the weathered weapon.
Yuuri noticed.
She grabbed the rifle protectively and held it closer.
"It's dangerous. You can't touch it."
Her warning was completely serious.
Illya only smiled.
For some reason, Yuuri's reaction amused her.
"Have some hot water first. I'll make you something to eat in a bit."
Yuto poured a cup of hot water for each girl.
Chito immediately wrapped both hands around hers, and a deeply comfortable expression appeared on her face as the warmth seeped into her fingers.
For someone living in her world...
Even something as simple as sitting somewhere safe and holding a warm cup was a rare luxury.
"I want something delicious!"
Yuuri cheered excitedly, looking like an energetic little kitten.
Yuto laughed.
After chatting with them briefly, he headed into the kitchen to prepare their food.
Meanwhile, Illya started talking with Chito and Yuuri at the counter.
Surprisingly...
The three girls got along quite well.
By the time Yuto brought their food out, the atmosphere between them had already become cheerful and relaxed.
"Whew~~~ Boss's food really is better. Chii still has a long way to go!"
Yuuri had barely finished saying that around a mouthful of meat when—
Thump.
Chito lightly punched her on the head.
"I'm not cooking for Yuu anymore. Yuu can make her own food from now on."
Her voice carried a faint sulk.
Yuuri immediately panicked.
"Eh?!!! No! If Chii stops cooking for me, I'll starve to death!!!"
She began flailing both arms wildly, looking like a crab waving its claws in every direction.
The sight was ridiculously funny.
Chito merely gave a small huff.
She did not answer.
Instead, she lowered her head and calmly continued eating.
That only made Yuuri panic even more.
...
Once the little commotion finally ended, Chito and Yuuri finished their meals and leaned back with deeply satisfied expressions.
Only someone dying of thirst could truly understand the value of water.
And in their desolate world at the end of civilization...
Where could they possibly find food like this?
"Are you still traveling?" Yuto asked.
Chito nodded.
"Have you met anyone else?"
"Yes, yes!" Yuuri immediately jumped into the conversation. "We met a woman who was repairing an airplane."
Yuto paused in surprise.
Repairing an airplane in a post-apocalyptic world...
That sounded almost unbelievable.
"Really? What happened afterward?"
He could not help asking.
"Later, Chii and I helped her finish fixing it..." Yuuri began enthusiastically. "And then... the plane took off..."
As she continued, however, the excitement gradually faded from her voice.
She became quiet.
Yuto looked between the two girls.
His mind instinctively began filling in the possibilities of what might have happened after that plane left the ground.
For some reason...
He had a feeling the story had not ended well.
But since neither Chito nor Yuuri volunteered any more details, he did not press them.
Some things were better left alone until people chose to speak about them themselves.
So they simply continued chatting about other things until it was almost midnight.
Eventually, Yuuri propped her head up with one hand and released a long yawn.
"I'm sleepy."
"Eating too much makes Yuu sleepy. Yuu really is just like the pigs described in books."
Chito looked helplessly at her companion.
She had never actually seen a pig before.
Everything she knew about them came from old books.
Animals that ate until they were full and then slept.
That sounded remarkably similar to Yuu.
"If being a pig means getting to eat until I'm full every day and then sleep without worrying about anything, that sounds amazing."
Yuuri sighed with complete sincerity.
Chito glanced at her.
"But pigs eventually get killed and eaten."
"Eh?! They get eaten too?! Never mind, never mind!"
Yuuri instantly sat upright in alarm, her face full of genuine panic.
Her reaction made Yuto laugh.
Then Yuuri added another sentence.
"If I didn't have to get eaten, I think I'd still be okay with it~"
She smiled innocently.
Yuto's laughter faded.
Only then did he realize he had misunderstood her reaction.
Yuuri had not been afraid of dying.
She had simply been afraid of being eaten.
When it came to death itself...
Yuuri was frighteningly simple and accepting.