"Now?"
Hayato shook his head.
"Not yet. I want to sort a few things out and think carefully about what I'm going to ask you. You can head back first."
Satoru saw no issue with waiting. He looked toward the hero's companions, who remained a short distance away. They would have matters of their own to deal with after the battle, although there was a more immediate problem.
"How do you intend to return?"
It took Hayato a moment to understand the question.
"Oh, right. You brought us here."
The [Gate] Satoru had used to transport them to Seiryuu had made the trip there trivial. Their usual means of transportation, on the other hand, was very far away.
"Rin already got in touch with the ones who stayed behind," Hayato explained. "They're coming to pick us up with the airship."
"I can take you back sooner."
"I know."
Hayato looked toward his companions. Rusus was arguing with Fifi about something Satoru could not hear, while Maryest seemed to be trying to get both of them to lower their voices. Ringrande, however, had noticed the conversation and was watching Hayato from where she stood.
"But I think I'd rather go back with them this time. It'll probably be our last trip together."
Satoru understood.
The difference between traveling through [Gate] and waiting for the airship was considerable, but Hayato no longer had a threat forcing him to choose the faster option. After spending years together, taking a few extra days with the people who had shared much of that time with him was not difficult to justify.
"Then I will return to Muno."
"Good. I'll come see you when I'm ready."
Satoru nodded.
He had finished everything he needed to do in Seiryuu. Hayato no longer needed his help to return, and the city authorities had enough people to deal with the aftermath of the attack.
He opened a [Gate].
Before stepping through, he looked back at Hayato.
"Until then."
Hayato nodded and raised one hand in farewell.
It was strange to see him so subdued. Hayato usually spoke with firm confidence, sometimes even with a certain boastfulness, like someone perfectly aware of his own greatness. Now, however, he simply looked like a person saying goodbye until the next time they met.
Satoru stepped through the portal and closed it behind him.
* * *
The airship did not arrive immediately, but Hayato did not complain.
For a long time, nearly every journey he had taken had come with a destination, a mission, or some problem waiting for him at the end. Discovering that he could simply wait felt strange, though not unpleasant.
When they were finally able to leave, he felt no need to hurry the trip either.
The journey back was much quieter than Hayato would have expected after a feat like defeating a Demon King. No one talked much about the victory. Instead, they treated the battle like any other mission: they discussed damaged equipment and how much repairs would cost, went over the mistakes they had made, and, of course, some of them exaggerated their own contributions with excessive pride.
Rusus was the main offender in that last category.
Hayato joined the conversations as he always did, and sometimes he went several minutes without remembering that this would be the last journey he made with them.
He saw nothing wrong with that.
Once they reached the capital, the reality of his departure began occupying much of his time again.
Nearly ten years could not be wrapped up with a single farewell.
There were people he needed to tell personally that he was leaving, and responsibilities that could not simply be abandoned from one moment to the next. Some matters were settled quickly. Others required several conversations before Hayato could consider them finished.
He did not try to make every meeting memorable.
With some people, he said goodbye knowing he would never see them again. With others, he simply made it clear who would take over whatever had previously depended on him.
He also discovered there were far more small matters than he had expected: favors he still remembered, promises he had made long ago, and people he had not seen in months but still felt deserved to hear the news directly from him.
The world had not stopped while he waited for the chance to return to Japan.
His life here had left too many connections behind for him to disappear overnight.
Things were different with his companions. They did not need a formal explanation of what would happen. All of them had been there when he made his decision, and none seemed to expect Hayato to plan their futures for them.
They talked about what they intended to do after he left, although not all of them had fully formed plans, and Hayato eventually accepted that they did not need to.
Rusus changed her mind constantly, and Fifi could argue against almost any plan simply to contradict her. Maryest seemed to have a few clearer ideas, while Loreiya and Wiyaryi spoke in terms of possibilities rather than final decisions.
Ringrande was the only one who avoided giving much detail, but Hayato did not press her.
They had spent too many years together for him to need to force an answer out of her before leaving.
The days continued to pass, and little by little the number of unfinished matters shrank until only one remained that he truly wanted to settle in person.
* * *
The airship descended near Muno.
Satoru did not hear about its arrival until Liza knocked on the door of the room where he was working.
"Come in."
Liza entered and gave a small bow.
"Master, Hero Hayato has arrived in Muno. He asked if he could speak with you."
Satoru looked away from the notes he had been reviewing.
He had expected Hayato to appear eventually, although he had not known how much time the hero would use before considering himself ready to return to Japan.
"Did he come alone?"
"His companions are with him. They are waiting near the airship."
Satoru nodded.
"Lead the way."
"Yes, Master."
Satoru left the documents on the table and followed Liza outside.
He found Hayato near one of the castle fountains. He was not wearing his armor, although Arondight still hung at his side. Without the rest of his equipment, he looked less like the figure Satoru had first encountered in Seiryuu.
Back then, Satoru's attention had immediately gone to the sacred sword, the armor, Hayato's estimated level, and everything that might make the man in front of him a threat.
Now, his first thought was Hayato.
Satoru found the change curious.
Hayato raised a hand when he saw him approach.
"Hey, Satoru."
Then he looked at Liza.
"Thanks, miss. I'm borrowing him for a bit."
Liza gave a small bow before withdrawing.
Hayato smiled.
Satoru stopped in front of him.
"I assume you are ready now."
"Yeah. This time I am."
Hayato looked around for a moment. The courtyard was almost empty at that hour, aside from the occasional soldier passing through the surrounding corridors.
"Took me a little longer than I expected."
"Naturally. You have built a life here, after all."
Hayato let out an amused breath.
"At first I thought I could handle everything in a few days. Then I remembered one thing, then another, then someone else showed up who I needed to tell and… well, turns out disappearing after almost a decade takes a little more preparation."
"That was predictable."
"Thanks. Would've been useful if you'd told me earlier."
"You did not ask."
Hayato laughed.
It reminded Satoru of several conversations they had shared over the past few weeks. Not all of them had begun with anything important, and some had ended quite far from whatever subject had started them.
Hayato seemed to have a talent for producing that result.
This time, however, he took a little longer to continue.
"I'm leaving after this."
Satoru looked at him.
"Today?"
"Yeah. I've finished everything I wanted to do."
The answer did not surprise him. Hayato had never shown any doubt about returning to Japan. The time Goddess Parion had granted him had merely delayed the moment long enough for him to leave in a way he considered appropriate.
Even so, knowing it would happen that same day made this conversation different from the ones before it.
Until now, there had always been the possibility of continuing later.
Hayato slipped one hand into his pocket and looked toward the fountain for a moment.
"I've been thinking about what I wanted to say to you."
"I assumed that was part of the reason for the delay."
"Partly."
Satoru waited.
Hayato did not seem uncomfortable, but for once, he was in no hurry to fill the silence either.
"I think I would've liked to know you better."
The statement was simpler than Satoru had expected after so many days.
Hayato continued before he could respond.
"When we first met, I figured we'd probably end up trying to kill each other. Things got pretty weird after that."
"We did try to kill each other."
"Yeah, that part didn't help."
Satoru accepted the correction.
Hayato smiled slightly before continuing.
"But we talked quite a bit after that. More than I expected. And I think that, if we'd had a little more time, we might've ended up becoming friends."
Satoru remained silent.
"Friends…"
He repeated the word without turning it into a question.
He had thought of Hayato in several different ways since meeting him.
Hero. Potential enemy. Temporary ally. Source of information. Someone whose opinion was useful and, more recently, someone he could spend time with without needing any particular purpose.
He had never used that word.
Hayato watched him, his expression gradually giving way to curiosity.
Satoru arranged his thoughts before speaking.
"To me, a friend would be someone whose judgment I trust, whom I can ask for advice, and whose company I welcome even when there is no obligation behind it."
Hayato blinked.
"In that case, I believe I can call you my friend."
Hayato remained perfectly still for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Satoru waited as the laughter grew enough to make Hayato cover his face with one hand.
"You really never stop surprising me!"
Hayato took a deep breath, still smiling.
"I wasn't expecting you to check afterward whether I met the requirements."
"I was not checking requirements."
"Of course you weren't."
The answer did not sound particularly convincing.
Satoru decided not to argue.
Hayato finally regained his composure, although the smile remained.
"Well, I guess that answers one of the things I wanted to know."
"I was unaware it was a question."
"So was I until a moment ago."
The hero looked back toward the castle, then toward the walls surrounding Muno.
"Then I'm going to ask you for a favor."
"When I leave, this world is still going to need heroes. The Empire might summon another one when the time comes, but even if they arrive strong, they'll need time. It took me years to get where I am."
Hayato raised one hand and held out his fist.
"So if something shows up someday that the new hero can't handle, or something happens and there simply isn't anyone else available, lend them your strength."
Satoru looked at the extended fist.
Hayato did not add conditions or try to define what situations should count. Nor did he appear to be asking Satoru to take his place.
"Can I count on you, Satoru?"
Satoru looked at the gesture again.
He had seen other people do something similar, although he could not remember ever using it himself. He had no difficulty understanding what Hayato expected of him, yet he still took a moment before raising his own hand.
Their fists met.
"Very well. I will help from time to time."
Hayato gave a short laugh.
"Works for me."
Satoru lowered his hand.
They had established no exact limits, nor had Hayato tried to obtain any. If a similar situation arose in the future, Satoru would have to decide for himself what that promise meant under those circumstances.
Hayato remained there a little longer.
Their conversation continued without returning to the same level of seriousness. They briefly discussed Seiryuu, how long the airship had taken to collect the group, and several things Hayato still found ridiculous about his final days in the Empire.
Eventually, Hayato looked toward the position of the sun.
"I should get back. The others are waiting for me."
"I will accompany you."
Hayato looked surprised for a moment but made no comment.
They walked together toward the outskirts of the city.
* * *
The airship waited in an open area outside Muno.
Ringrande and the others were gathered nearby, along with several companions who had not participated in the battle against the Demon King. They had accompanied Hayato on the final leg of his journey, and together they looked much more like the group that had traveled the world for years than the smaller team of fighters Satoru had transported to Seiryuu through [Gate].
No one seemed to be in a hurry.
Hayato joined them while Satoru remained off to one side for a while.
He did not hear every conversation.
Nor did he try to.
They had already had time to talk over the previous days, so the farewell did not become a series of speeches. Rusus eventually punched Hayato in the shoulder hard enough to make him complain, and Fifi immediately took the opportunity to make fun of both of them. Maryest spoke with him for a few moments in a much calmer manner, while Loreiya and Wiyaryi said their goodbyes shortly afterward.
Jokes alternated with occasional silences, and no one tried to stretch them out longer than necessary.
Ringrande waited until the end.
Hayato stood in front of her with a different expression from the one he had worn with the others.
Satoru knew they had spent many years together. He did not know every detail of their relationship, nor did he need to know them to understand that this farewell was different.
Ringrande watched Hayato for several seconds.
"Is that it?"
Hayato raised his hands slightly.
"I thought we'd talked plenty these past few days."
"I mean now."
"Oh."
Ringrande shook her head and stepped toward him.
She hugged him.
Hayato hesitated for only a moment before returning the embrace.
When Ringrande pulled away, her eyes were wet, but her expression remained firm.
"Don't forget us."
Hayato smiled.
"Couldn't if I tried."
"You'd better not."
The response made him laugh again.
Then Hayato looked at the others.
For the first time since Satoru had arrived, no one made a joke or tried to continue a conversation.
Hayato took a slow breath before looking for Satoru.
Satoru approached.
They did not need to discuss what they had agreed on in the courtyard again.
Hayato smiled when he saw him and raised his fist slightly.
Satoru recognized the gesture this time.
He returned it.
Hayato then stepped back until he stood beside his companions once more.
He looked at each of them for a few moments, as though trying to make sure he preserved the image, then finally raised his head.
"Parion."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the presence Satoru had learned to recognize disappeared.
Hayato was no longer there.
Those left behind kept staring at the empty space. Ringrande took the longest to look away, while Rusus slowly lowered the hand she had raised almost at the same moment Hayato vanished.
Satoru did not move immediately either.
They had spoken about Japan several times. Hayato had told him about his home, his family, and the life that had been interrupted when he was summoned to this world.
Only then did Satoru remember that he had never asked what Hayato intended to do first when he returned.
It was a simple question.
Probably much simpler than most of the questions he had actually asked him.
He had thought of it too late.
The omission bothered him more than he expected.
* * * * *
Author's Note
Thank you very much for reading.
I do not have much to add this time. For now, I would only ask that you please wait and see how the next few chapters develop before drawing too many conclusions about where things are going.
That is all for now.
Thank you again for your support, and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come.