After watching Kaguya leave, Hayasaka returned to her room to tidy herself up.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
Back inside, taking advantage of the room's excellent soundproofing, Hayasaka couldn't help but cover her blushing face.
Just thirty seconds before Kaguya had knocked, she was still in Ren's room, even clinging to his arm.
She had stayed over at Ren's place every night during the past week, even sharing the same bed, and her growing attachment made her greedy.
And because of that greed, she had nearly been caught by Kaguya.
I have to be more careful next time. I absolutely cannot let Kaguya find out.
Hayasaka made a firm decision in her heart, she wouldn't indulge in that kind of greed again.
At least not while they were all away together on a weekend vacation.
Not just Kaguya. If anyone else had gone to Ren's room that early, her "greed" would've been exposed to Kaguya for sure.
Even though Kaguya already knew what had happened the past week, if she learned that Hayasaka had cuddled up to Ren and stayed the night again during the vacation, she'd definitely shoot her a resentful glare.
After calming herself and making sure she looked presentable, Hayasaka stepped out to gather the others.
Everyone eventually gathered at the dining area just in time for breakfast.
"Eh?!"
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Ren as he explained.
"Ren, are you saying that yesterday, through something called Sefirah Castle, you encountered a character from Lord of Mysteries?"
Sonoko asked in disbelief.
"That's right."
"Isn't that story set in another world?"
After Ren confirmed it, Sonoko was even more shocked.
She already knew Ren had the ability to leave this world, and he had hinted at it before. It was plausible that he'd someday travel to other worlds—but she didn't expect that day to come so soon.
All eyes turned to Ren, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head slightly.
"You could call it another world, but it's only possible through the special nature of Sefirah Castle, which I maintain. I can't enter it freely. At most, I can attend gatherings there via Sefirah Castle's resonance."
"If I want to enter with my own power, I'd need to reach at least Sequence 4. But becoming a demigod is still a long way off for me."
"Besides, even if I reach Sequence 4, I wouldn't rush in. That place is too dangerous—even for Sequence 4s. Especially since I seem to carry secrets of my own. Unless I'm Sequence 0, I won't be going there just to die."
The world of Lord of Mysteries is unimaginably dangerous.
In a way, the true gods of Sequence 0 in that world are truly terrifying.
Not to mention, many foreign deities in that world are eyeing the sealed Source on the planet. If he lacked the strength to defend himself, he'd be nothing more than a fat lamb to them.
The girls all breathed a sigh of relief.
This development had been so sudden that they couldn't accept it right away.
But things weren't as bad as they imagined.
At least, Ren didn't have the power to go there yet, and more importantly, he had the self-awareness to know that his current strength wasn't enough and wouldn't recklessly set foot in that world.
Seeing their reactions, Ren touched his face with a helpless expression.
"Do I look like the reckless type?"
He was cautious, thank you very much.
"I know better than anyone how dangerous that world is. There are no friendly forces, only enemies. If I want to fulfill my wish, I need sufficient guarantees first."
"I want to meet the people in that story with my own eyes, not get myself killed in the process."
Ren was very clear on that.
To chase a dream by recklessly exposing yourself? Only a fool would do that.
Only by ensuring his own safety could he observe the story from a higher perspective, and gain the ability to change some things if necessary.
"Yeah, Ren! If you go, take me with you!"
Chika stared at Ren with shining eyes, putting him under pressure.
If he wanted to bring Fujiwara along, he'd need more than Sequence 0. He'd need to become something beyond even the True Gods—something on par with the Old Days.
At that moment, Ren's face twitched slightly, his throat moved.
"W-Well, we can talk about that later."
The girls who noticed his reaction nearly burst into laughter.
"Amamiya."
After their laughter, Sanzenin Nagi raised her hand.
"Can you explain Sequence 0 and the Source Castle? You didn't mention them earlier."
"The Sequence path is actually kind of complex."
Ren thought for a moment, then decided to explain it.
"The Source Castle is actually a form of Source essence. Each type of Source essence corresponds to a different pathway. When a Beyonder on a certain path reaches the top of the Sequence but still wants to ascend further, they need Source essence to move forward."
"Most Beyonders can't control Source essence. Only those with special characteristics can. But even then, most of those so-called 'special' Beyonders are actually just placeholders for former Sequence users who used them as vessels for resurrection."
"So, those who gain control over Source essence are basically consumables. Even if they manage to master it, once they try to transcend the Sequence, they're fated to be assimilated by those immortal wills. In the worst case, they get devoured completely."
Ren paused to emphasize his point.
"Of course, I'm not referring to myself here. I obtained the Source essence through the diary. Judging by Sefirah Castle's current state, it had already split and reformed. If that wasn't caused by the diary, then it means the split happened before those immortal wills appeared. That way, it wouldn't be under their control."
"What if it was the diary?"
Fujiwara Chika asked curiously.
"Idiot."
Sanzenin Nagi rolled her eyes.
"If it was the diary, then it's even less of a concern. A being that can fragment a Source Castle—something necessary for becoming a True God—is on a completely different level. You think just anyone can do that?"
"Right?"
Ren smiled and nodded.
"Exactly. If it was the diary, then there's no need to worry. If even the Source can be split, then those guys beyond the Sequence can't hope to manipulate the diary either."
(To be continued.)
***
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