Ryuji had always harbored caution toward everything Rias said—perhaps because she was the only one capable of communicating with the will of this world.
That in itself was enough reason to be wary.
While Rias hadn't shown any signs of betrayal or deceit, the fact remained: she was the sole source of information regarding this world's will. With no one to corroborate her words, he couldn't be sure if she was telling the truth.
Still, there was one thing he believed without doubt—this world was dying.
Ryuji could feel it in his bones. The tempo of the world was accelerating.
When he and Erina first arrived here, the zombies weren't this terrifying. Had they come in with their current power—or if either of them had been skilled in martial arts and firearms from the beginning—seven days would've been more than enough to understand the post–Blood Moon landscape and establish a proper base, allowing for safe exploration.
If Tsunade hadn't been someone they needed to protect during the second wave, they could've crushed that Blood Moon easily and leveled up swiftly.
They might have even looted some high-tier skill books and powered up significantly.
Just investing in two attributes had turned him into something like a superhuman.
So what would happen if Tsunade had all her attributes maxed?
At the very least, he believed that the initial version of Tsunade could defeat the base version of Rias without much trouble.
And if she ever acquired skills like Wood Release or the Rinnegan from the Naruto world, even the largest zombie swarms wouldn't matter anymore.
Yet the horde Tsunade had faced was clearly stronger than what Ryuji had encountered during his first wave.
And now?
Now the zombie swarms had developed clear patterns—and even stronger types were beginning to appear.
The experience points gained from these evolved zombies were massive, and their numbers had multiplied. At first glance, it seemed like the system was trying to get them all killed. But if you considered the larger context—how this world was supposedly in search of a new master—it made more sense.
The increasingly powerful zombie tides weren't simply an obstacle. They were a mechanism. A desperate attempt by the world to push challengers to kill, level up, and grow stronger—fast.
Even the higher and more consistent drop rate of skill books could be explained by this urgency.
Unfortunately, the so-called "invincibility shelter" and Rias' lack of cooperation had made those zombie waves utterly meaningless.
If the world was truly accelerating this quickly, then its collapse wasn't far off.
Ryuji had assumed the end would come slowly—gradually.
He never imagined it would be a matter of days.
How long had he even been here?
Without him, what would've happened to the others brought into this collapsing realm? Would they all just perish alongside the world?
He didn't know whether people would be ejected if the world were to collapse. But if any other option existed, no one would be foolish enough to gamble on that.
"Just how much longer can this world hold on?"
Ryuji couldn't hide the concern in his voice.
Thanks to the skill books he had acquired, even if the system disappeared tomorrow, the knowledge alone would allow him to continue growing stronger. In that sense, this crumbling world still held plenty of value for him.
While he was deep in thought, Rias stepped out from the shadows, her expression unusually serious.
"It looks like you've sensed it too—the disturbance in the world," she said calmly. "I just felt it. The already fragile structure of this world is starting to collapse again. Its destruction… it's only a matter of time now."
Rias had felt the shift most clearly, because the will of the world itself was calling out to her—urging her to attack the zombies, to seize control and claim the power of dominion.
But her reason warned her: if she accepted that call, there would be no going back.
"Do you want me to send you back now?" Ryuji asked.
"..." Rias sighed.
This place had been perfect for training, and she truly didn't want to leave it. But the current state of things left them no choice. The world couldn't even maintain its own selection mechanisms anymore. Collapse was imminent. The only wise option now was to get out while they still could.
"I'll gather everyone and explain," Rias said. "As for leaving… let's wait until the new arrivals show up tomorrow. Then we prepare to evacuate. Get ready, Ryuji."
"No problem. I'll send back as many as I can," he replied with a sigh.
With their plan set, the two gathered everyone to deliver the harsh truth.
Reactions were mixed.
Rin nodded thoughtfully, her fingers resting under her chin. "The end of the world, huh? I've always wanted to witness such a thing."
She let out a soft sigh. As a magus, witnessing a world's destruction might be her best chance to reach the Root. Even if that didn't happen, the collapse itself would expose truths and phenomena that most could only dream of. The very fabric of reality could be peeled back.
"You still have the nerve to be curious about the world ending?" Song Hana gave her a pointed look. "Shouldn't we be focusing on something a bit more urgent?"
She glanced between Ryuji and Hermione.
She had already accepted the reality of this world's decay. After all, magic clearly existed, and Ryuji's power surpassed hers by a wide margin. If he wanted to force something, he had no need for tricks.
"As for Hermione…" Rin stepped in, "Rias and I did our best to prepare a safe spell for her. But because of time constraints, we can't guarantee there won't be side effects. Her magical energy is different from ours... still, we've tested it. The worst she'll experience is temporary drowsiness—she'll probably sleep for a couple of days."
Rin shook her head slightly. Honestly, if Ryuji had just stuffed it in her mouth, the problem would've been solved.
But that would've been far too intense for a little girl.
Instead, she and Rias had studied Hermione's books and helped her test several spells. Eventually, they found a hypnotic incantation that allowed Hermione to safely cast it on herself.
Rin truly envied her—Hermione's magical capacity seemed limitless. Her only constraint was the endurance of her arms when casting. Her spells were on par with fully developed magic from other worlds. The only reason they weren't classified as such was that their effects weren't permanent—at least, not yet.
"I see. That's a relief, then," Song Hana said. "So Ryuji, why don't you send Hermione back now?"
"Of course," Ryuji replied. Then he turned toward Rin and Rias. "Are you absolutely sure the spell is safe?"
If there was any chance of permanent harm, he didn't care how bad he looked—he wouldn't do it.
"It's fine," Rin assured him. "We tested it last night. It causes mental fatigue and drowsiness, but that's all. We could've fine-tuned it more, but… we've run out of time."
"Alright then. Hermione, you're up."
Ryuji looked at the girl.
He hadn't interacted much with Hermione, partly because she seemed afraid of him. He suspected it was due to the nature of the return process. Mature individuals like Song Hana didn't think twice about it, but for a young girl, the experience might've been frightening.
"Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Sister Rin, Sister Rias, and Sister Hana," Hermione said politely, stepping forward. She took a deep breath, steeling herself to cast the spell.
But just then, Rin offered one last piece of advice that caught Ryuji off guard.
"Clear your mind, Hermione. Don't let fear of Ryuji influence the spell."
Fear of me?
Ryuji, whose body was often covered in blood thanks to intense training, didn't understand what Hermione had to be afraid of. There was probably something going on he didn't know about—but it didn't matter to him now.
Hermione nodded. Then, raising her wand, she spoke the incantation.
"Heart of Sleep, activate!"
A gentle light engulfed her as she pointed her wand at her own chest. The next moment, her eyes softened, and the fear in her expression was replaced by something... warmer.
Without hesitation, Ryuji reached out and touched her. Hermione flinched slightly, a flicker of confusion flashing through her gaze—but then, a prompt appeared in front of Ryuji.
[Return: 2,000 Points]
"…Two thousand?" Ryuji frowned, glancing over at Gardevoir nearby—her return cost had also risen to 2,000.
Clearly, the world was in a state of emergency. The system had hiked the price.
Ryuji chose not to mention it. But both Rias and Mikoto seemed to have picked up on the change.
He checked his point balance, then pressed the return button.
In the blink of an eye, Hermione vanished from the room and reappeared in what looked like a warm, inviting home. A crying woman rushed forward and wrapped her arms around her—her mother, no doubt.
But Hermione's dazed expression clearly startled the woman.
The vision faded, and Ryuji turned back to the group.
"Any other concerns?" he asked. "Gardevoir's test proved it—hands work just fine. So you can all stop worrying."
At that moment, Ryuji couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Mai Shiranui.
She had volunteered to be a test subject to avoid sleeping with any other men, and ended up bent over in front of Andy. Yet in the end, hands would've sufficed...
"I'm fine with it either way…" Song Hana yawned. She really didn't care. But using hands was certainly preferable to more… intimate methods.
That was when Mikoto finally spoke up.
"I want to believe you," she said, crossing her arms, "but this all still feels too crazy to accept."
Although her power had clearly grown through the skill point system, she couldn't shake the suspicion that it was all some form of advanced esper manipulation. With the level of technology in Academy City, it wasn't impossible.
Before anyone could respond, however, a strange ripple passed through the air.
Sunlight suddenly poured through the slits of their fortified bunker—and in the same instant, all the zombies outside vanished.
While everyone stood frozen in shock, Ryuji quickly pulled out his phone.
To his disbelief, the time had jumped—it was now 8:00 AM the next day.
The world's time had just... skipped forward.
~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 PS.