Mooai stared at the summoning stone in her palm, its gentle glow a stark contrast to the stern set of her jaw. She hesitated for a final moment, a silent war between her pride and the gnawing worry in her gut. Finally, with a sharp, decisive motion, she closed her fingers around it, tucking it away.
"Fine, boy," she said, her voice softer than usual. "Now, make sure you take your leave from here."
Without another word, she and Mani turned, their forms dissolving into shimmering motes of light as they teleported back to the heart of Anandvana.
Meanwhile, Nero clapped his hands together. "Alright! Home sweet home! Punch it, Eri!"
Eri focused, weaving the complex teleportation spell. The world twisted around them, colors and sounds blurring into a nauseating vortex. When their feet hit solid ground again, the air was filled with the smell of exhaust and the distant wail of sirens. They were standing on a busy city sidewalk, surrounded by skyscrapers and honking cars.
Nero blinked, looking at a neon billboard advertising a cell phone. "What the hell, Eri? Aren't you supposed to teleport us back to Aryavarta? Why are we in Sugeto's world?"
Eri frowned, checking the metaphysical coordinates. "Give me a sec... let me reset the spell. How did it go wrong? I remember the runes perfectly..." She shook her head. "Anyway, minor miscalculation. Stand by."
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the city noise. "Nero?! Is that you?!"
They turned to see Sugeto and Toki standing outside a convenience store, holding bags of snacks, their eyes wide with disbelief and joy.
"Yoooo, brother Nero!" Sugeto yelled, dropping his bags and sprinting over to pull Nero into a bone-crushing hug. "You're back!"
---
Reunion on a New Earth
They found a quiet park, and the group settled in, the happy chaos of their reunion drawing a few curious looks from passersby.
Nero leaned back on a bench, finally relaxing. "So, how are things going here? Everything back to normal?"
Toki nodded, a genuine, peaceful smile on his face—a rare sight. "Yeah. After that battle, the world just... started healing. The monsters are gone, the portals are closed. People are rebuilding. It's like a bad dream that's finally over."
"Great, glad to hear that," Nero said, meaning it. "By the way, where's Seino? Our resident weapon master?"
The question sparked a flood of memories. Toki started chuckling, then full-on laughing.
"Man," Toki gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. "I just remembered your first meeting. You looked him dead in the eye and said, 'Go kid, touch some grass.' I mean, what the hell! XDDD, I can't stop laughing!"
Eri swatted Nero's arm playfully. "You guys, stop it! He was trying to be serious!"
Sugeto snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah! Now I remember! He said he was heading to some galaxy called... uh... Cosmo Paradise! Said he had to check on something."
Nero's expression turned thoughtful. "Yeah, he did. Told me to visit him there once I wrapped things up."
After a little more chatting and catching up, Eri stood up, her fingers tracing new patterns in the air. "Okay! Teleportation is ready! Tadaaa!" she announced, striking a cute, triumphant pose.
This time, the world dissolved smoothly, and they landed with a soft thud in the familiar, fragrant air of Aryavarta, right outside Eri's grandfather's rustic home.
Nero spread his arms wide and shouted, "We are hooooome!"
THWACK!
A familiar wooden walking stick connected sharply with the back of his head.
"You lousy kid! Disturbing my nap!" grumbled Eri's grandpa from the porch, though his eyes twinkled with affection.
Nero clutched his head, spinning around. "You old fart! My head is not a drum that you need to play it this loudly!"
What followed was a comical, one-sided "fight" where the old man, with surprising speed, landed thirteen more precise taps on various parts of Nero's body until the young man finally surrendered, lying flat on the ground in exaggerated defeat.
Eri laughed so hard she had to lean against the wall for support. "Grandpa, I can't believe he's still the same!"
---
A Grandfather's Worry
That evening, as Nero slept off his "beating," Eri and her grandfather sat on the porch, watching the stars emerge.
"Yeah, it's been a long time since all that business," her grandpa said, his voice losing its teasing edge. He grew quiet, his gaze distant. "Eri, my beloved granddaughter... I don't know why, but these past few days, my old bones have been aching with a cold feeling. Like both your lives are dangling over a great danger."
Eri looked at him, concerned. "Danger?"
"Hmmm," he nodded, his face grave. "I don't know the source, but the feeling is strong. Promise me you won't leave your old grandpa. That you'll stay safe."
Eri placed a gentle hand over his wrinkled one. "Grandpa," she said calmly. "Whatever happens, it's up to fate. And as for a promise... I will forever be here," she tapped his chest, right over his heart. "In here."
The old man's eyes grew misty, a mixture of love and frustration. "Haha... now you sound just like your mother. She used to say the same thing to me whenever I worried." He sighed, a sound full of decades of memory.
They talked like that through the whole night, sharing stories and silent understandings, while their hero, utterly exhausted, slept the deep, dreamless sleep of someone finally, truly, home.
---
A Well-Earned Rest
The new day dawned bright and clear. Nero, now fully recovered, was swarmed by his friends and family from Aryavarta. There were feasts, laughter, and long stories told under the sun.
For the next few days, Nero allowed himself to simply be. He ate his mother's cooking, trained lazily with Keisuke and Yoshito, and walked with Eri through the vibrant, peaceful streets of his homeland. There were no portals, no fragments, no world-ending threats.
It was a perfect, well-earned vacation. A moment of peace to recharge before the next, inevitable storm gathered on the horizon.