The dazzling white light slowly faded, leaving a pounding dizziness in Hachiman's head. It felt like he had just been thrown into a washing machine spinning at maximum speed.
Hachiman blinked repeatedly, trying to chase away the black spots dancing in his vision. The world around him was still blurry and distorted, but he could make out the silhouettes of five unfamiliar figures standing upright not far in front of him.
Before his brain could process who they were, a familiar voice pierced his ears.
"Hm? Wait a second… Why did three people show up instead?"
It was the same woman's voice. Melodious yet filled with authority—the one who had just scolded him over the phone.
"You were supposed to click for a single target only. Why did you bring your entire circus troupe here?"
Hachiman's vision gradually returned to focus. He was about to open his mouth to ask something, but a sudden, strong tug on his uniform sleeve made him jolt in shock.
"Hikki…?"
The voice trembled with fear.
"W-Where… are we?"
Hachiman quickly turned around. Yui Yuigahama was gripping his sleeve tightly, her face pale as a sheet.
Even more shocking, Yukino Yukinoshita—who he distinctly remembered standing across the table in the clubroom—was now pressed close right behind his left shoulder. The three of them were practically huddled together.
Before Hachiman could process where they were, a heavy old man's voice shattered the silence, bringing with it a suffocating wave of pressure.
"Oho… Interesting. Truly fascinating."
Hachiman reflexively looked up. In front of him stood an old man with glowing red eyes, staring at the three of them like a collector who had just discovered a rare antique in a pile of trash.
The old man slowly stroked his chin, his gaze piercing through skin and bone, looking directly into their souls.
"Unrefined circuit structures… yet the 'vessels' possess exceptional quality," the old man muttered analytically. "Their potential as Magi… hmm… perhaps comparable to the Tohsaka bloodline? Or perhaps… something far more aberrant?"
At that very moment, Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui froze.
They stood stiff and upright, heels together, breaths held. Not because they wanted to stand in formation—but because a primal instinct in their reptilian brains screamed: DON'T MOVE OR YOU WILL BE EATEN.
'W-Who is this old geezer?!' Hachiman screamed internally. His eyes darted wildly, but his feet felt nailed to the ground.
'Why is my body suddenly locked like this?! It feels like I'm being stripped naked by his gaze! This isn't just some school counselor's stare!'
Seeing this, Kuroneko, hiding behind Belfast, whispered anxiously.
"Lady Avalon… isn't this extremely dangerous for them? If Mr. Zelretch has already shown that much interest…"
Lady Avalon clicked her tongue, frustration evident on her face.
"Tch. Damn it," muttered the Magus of Flowers. "Their bad luck truly defies logic. They just arrived and already caught the attention of the one being they absolutely shouldn't have."
She looked at Hachiman and the two girls with sympathy.
"Now that the rice has turned into porridge, they only have two choices: accept becoming new toys for that Troll Grandpa, or prepare for whatever hellish scenario he decides to create on a whim."
"Darling… You should step in immediately," Belfast whispered softly, her eyes filled with concern as she watched the three teenagers. "They look like they're about to faint. Lord Zelretch's spiritual pressure is too heavy for ordinary human souls."
Yuuto nodded. He raised both hands and clapped firmly once.
CLAP!
The sound rang sharp and clear, instantly slicing through the suffocating atmosphere like a blade cutting through cloth.
"Zelretch, that's enough," Yuuto said calmly yet firmly. "Don't make our new guests faint before they even introduce themselves."
Immediately, the crushing pressure vanished.
For Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui, it felt like someone had just lifted a one-ton weight off their shoulders. Their lungs, which had felt like they were burning, were now filled with cool, refreshing air—tinged with ozone and the scent of a forest after rain. Nature itself seemed to embrace them, calming their frantic heartbeats.
"Ah… My apologies," Zelretch chuckled as he turned away, breaking eye contact. "I got a little too excited by their potential and forgot to control my aura."
But the relief lasted only a moment.
When Hachiman looked up to find the source of the voice that saved them, his eyes locked onto the white-robed, masked figure.
And at that moment, a different kind of fear—far more primal—struck the three of them.
If Zelretch's aura felt like a rabbit facing a wolf, Yuuto's presence felt like a human standing before a colossal typhoon—or the endless void of outer space.
It was not killing intent. It was a difference in existential dimension.
That figure felt wrong. Too pure. Too vast. Too majestic. Their human brains screamed in overload, unable to process the existence of a Genuine Fae that transcended biological logic. The cold piercing their bones did not come from the air—it came from overwhelming insignificance before the universe.
"Ugh…"
Yukino and Yui trembled violently. Instinctively, they clung to the only pillar still standing—Hachiman—gripping his shoulders and arms desperately, their faces pale as if the blood had drained from them.
Hachiman felt his knees wobble. His vision spun.
'What… is this thing? This isn't human… This is… a natural disaster shaped like a human?'
Even though his legs wanted to give out and his brain screamed at him to kneel or faint, Hachiman gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain standing.
Zelretch watched them with concern.
"This is what happens when 'Modern Ordinary Humans' witness a 'Genuine Fae' without a filter. Their brains overload trying to comprehend something beyond the concept of humanity."
He stepped forward, but Yuuto stopped him.
Seeing the three teenagers struggling to breathe from existential shock, Yuuto quickly turned to the side.
"Sensei, now! Before their minds collapse."
"Alright, Honey~ Just a second!"
Lady Avalon stepped forward gracefully.
TOK.
The tip of her staff struck the ground with a clear sound. Instantly, a pink magic circle—colored like cherry blossom petals—bloomed beneath the three teenagers' feet.
Soft light enveloped their bodies, severing the suffocating spiritual pressure. Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui, who had been frozen in terror, immediately went limp. They collapsed to the ground, sitting weakly while gasping for air.
Zelretch raised his eyebrows high.
"Hah? You're serious?" the old vampire muttered skeptically. "The famously selfish Flower Magus saving ordinary humans without hidden motives? Is the apocalypse near? Or will the sun rise from the west tomorrow?"
Meanwhile, Kuroneko approached Yuuto anxiously.
"Yuuto… Without Merlin's seal, you've become increasingly dangerous to normal humans," she whispered seriously. "Arthur Proto's physical body acts as an amplifier. Your Genuine Fae blood reacts too strongly with that vessel. You must be more careful, or you might shatter an ordinary human's mind just by standing near them."
Yuuto nodded, aware of the danger he posed. He quickly glanced at Lady Avalon, who was still maintaining the protective spell.
"Sensei," Yuuto called. "Add Mental Fortitude and High-Level Charm Resistance to them as well. I'm going to remove my mask, and I don't want them affected by accidental 'Charm' or unintentional brainwashing when they see my real face."
Lady Avalon winked. "Roger that, Honey~ Anti-falling-in-love spell added!"
Once the three teenagers' breathing stabilized, Yuuto stepped forward. He stood at the outer edge of the magic circle, then slowly lowered his hood and removed his mask.
His true face—the face of the legendary King of Knights—was revealed.
Handsome. Dignified. Yet radiating an unusual gentleness.
"Welcome, new members," he said with a faint smile.
BOOM!
Yuuto stomped the ground. His fae power activated.
The earth rumbled softly. Roots and stones moved on their own, forming an elegant Round Table with eight moss-cushioned stone seats arranged around it.
"Please, have a seat, my new friends," Yuuto continued, spreading his arms in welcome.
"My name is Kido Yuuto. And welcome to Camelot… or at least, its miniature replica. I will explain all this madness to you."
Yui and Yukino stared, mouths slightly open. Their eyes were locked onto Yuuto's face, captivated by the supernatural charisma radiating from him. They couldn't speak.
But in the midst of that magical silence, Hachiman's mouth moved on its own.
His overloaded brain chose to prioritize the one thing that could bring him comfort in this insane situation.
With dead-fish eyes as blank as ever—
"Do you… have MAX Coffee?"
---
ROOOOOOAAAAARRRR!!!
A primordial roar shattered the air. The ground shook violently. Leaves from the giant trees at the forest's edge were torn apart and scattered.
From the darkness of the dense forest emerged a massive scaled head, jaws lined with knife-sharp teeth. Yellow reptilian eyes locked onto the Round Table now occupied by eight people.
It was a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui instantly lost all color in their faces. Cold sweat poured down their temples.
"H-Hikki…!"
Yui whimpered in fear, gripping Hachiman's arm tightly. Yukino froze completely, her rational logic collapsing at the biological anomaly before her.
Gulp.
Hachiman swallowed hard, staring blankly at the massive jaws.
'Ah… So this is how my miserable youth ends? Eaten by a living fossil in a fantasy world? What a ridiculous death…'
Yet amid the panic, Yuuto's voice sounded calm—almost amused.
"Well? Is the presence of this 'little lizard' enough physical proof for you to believe my explanation about the Multiverse?"
Yuuto smiled casually, completely unbothered by the monster's blood-scented breath. He simply turned his chair slightly and extended his right hand backward without looking.
"Relax, my friends. He won't eat you. He's already full," Yuuto said casually. "This cute creature is a gift from one of our group members in another world. They sent this pet to liven up the island. Unfortunately, the sender couldn't welcome you personally because they're busy managing their territory."
As if understanding his master's words, the once-ferocious T-Rex drastically changed its demeanor.
The two-story-tall monster slowly lowered its body. It carefully brought its massive head down until its rough chin rested against Yuuto's palm.
Its reptilian eyes narrowed in pleasure as Yuuto scratched beneath its chin.
"Good boy… Good boy…" Yuuto praised softly, stroking the hard scales as if pampering a house cat.
The absurd sight—a King of Knights petting a T-Rex like a dog—made Hachiman momentarily forget his fear, replaced by confused amazement.
Even so, Yukino Yukinoshita struggled to maintain her crumbling logic.
"This still… makes no sense! Another world? Magic? Vampires? Fairies? All these variables… they violate every law of physics I've learned!" she protested, trying to rationalize the situation. "How could I possibly believe something fundamentally impossible like a child's fairy tale?"
Zelretch smirked like a professor amused by an overconfident freshman.
"Listen, Little Girl. The universe is far wider than the coconut shell you call 'Logic,'" Zelretch lectured. "Your world may be governed by normal science and physics. But beyond it? There are billions of worlds running on mystery, ether, and dreams. To assume your world's standards are the only absolute truth… that is naive arrogance."
Yukino tried to retort—but when her eyes met Zelretch's blood-red gaze, her words died in her throat. The memory of suffocating spiritual pressure returned. Her survival instincts screamed at her to stay silent.
She lowered her head, utterly defeated.
"Well, honestly… it doesn't really matter to us whether you two believe it or not," Yuuto interjected casually.
He stopped petting the predator and flicked his hand lightly in a "go" gesture. The T-Rex snorted obediently and lumbered back into the forest.
"You two are merely accidental stowaways. This explanation was meant for one person from the start."
Yuuto turned and looked directly at the dead-fish-eyed boy sitting across from him.
"So, Hikigaya Hachiman? After seeing all this… do you believe now?"
Silence fell instantly.
Seven pairs of eyes focused on him alone.
Hachiman straightened reflexively, feeling like he was being judged by a cosmic jury.
'Oi, oi… Don't all stare at me like that! The pressure's insane! This is worse than presenting in class!' he screamed internally.
He sighed.
"Well… with everything you've shown, denying it would mean I've gone insane," he muttered flatly. "But the real question is: What's the purpose of this group? Is it some kind of interdimensional crime syndicate? And more importantly… how do I resign?"
Lady Avalon leaned back lazily in her stone chair, twirling her flip phone.
"Purpose? Hmm, nothing grand like 'Saving the World,' unless a Special Mission randomly appears from the system," she replied lightly. "As for your second question… unfortunately, no exit has been found. Once you're in, you're trapped with us forever~"
Hachiman's face twisted sourly.
'Great. A life sentence without parole. My youth is officially over.'
...
"And as for you three," Zelretch suddenly declared theatrically, stepping forward with wide arms, "I, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, hereby make a unilateral decision!"
He pointed at them one by one.
"You, the stiff rational girl. You, the sensitive innocent girl. And you, the interesting boy with dead-fish eyes… From this moment onward, the three of you will become my disciples!"
Silence.
Zelretch grinned, baring his fangs.
"And for the record: I do not accept refusals. Your right to say 'No' has officially been revoked by the universe!"
The brains of Hachiman, Yukino, and Yui instantly went blue-screen.
On the other side of the table, Kuroneko facepalmed hard.
"Ah… It's over," she muttered in mourning. "Becoming Zelretch's disciple… that fate is more terrifying than death."