The sun was high, but the light in the forest clearing seemed muted, as if nature itself was holding its breath. Inside the small shelter they had built just beyond the outskirts of town, Kairyuuha lay in a state of magical exhaustion. His body, though unharmed, was still as stone. The glowing sigils he had summoned had long since faded, but their imprint still echoed in the air.

  Lumina sat at his side, a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her golden eyes were locked onto her father’s still face, concern etched deep into her youthful expression. She looked fifteen now—taller, stronger—but at that moment, she seemed like a small child again. She reached out, brushing a strand of blue hair from Kairyuuha’s forehead.

  “Papa…” she whispered. “Don’t sleep forever, okay?”

  Kazuki watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame with arms folded. His brows were furrowed, his usually relaxed posture tense. He hadn’t said much in the past two days—not since the moment Kairyuuha collapsed with a smile on his face.

  Yuno sat cross-legged nearby, a spellbook on his lap, though he hadn’t turned a page. “That spell… that scan technique he developed—it wasn’t just for him,” he muttered aloud. “He wanted to find the truth. For her.”

  They all knew it. Kairyuuha’s obsession with confirming the immortality wasn’t born of selfishness—it was desperation. Desperation to save Lumina. To beat time before it could steal her away.

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  Suddenly, the air shifted.

  Kairyuuha’s fingers twitched.

  Lumina straightened instantly. “Papa?!”

  The blue-haired boy’s breathing deepened. His eyelids fluttered. And then, slowly, he opened his eyes.

  “…Water,” he muttered hoarsely.

  Lumina sprang up, grabbed the flask by the bedside, and gently helped him drink. Kazuki stepped forward with visible relief, his expression softening.

  “You idiot,” Kazuki said, crouching beside him. “You pushed yourself to the edge again.”

  “I had to…” Kairyuuha rasped, then exhaled deeply. “It worked.”

  Yuno blinked. “What do you mean?”

  Kairyuuha slowly sat up, ignoring the aching in his limbs. “My DNA… it’s stable now. There’s no degradation. No replication errors. My aging has stopped.”

  The room fell into silence.

  Kazuki’s eyes widened. “You’re sure?”

  “I confirmed it through a scan system I forged directly from mana—we’re talking subatomic-level feedback. It wasn’t easy, but the reading was… clear.” Kairyuuha’s voice was faint, but the determination in his heterochromatic eyes was unmistakable.

  Lumina grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. “Then… it means…?”

  Kairyuuha met her gaze. “It means… if the effect extends to you, your aging has stopped too.”

  She gasped. Her lip trembled, but she forced herself to smile. “Thank you, Papa…”

  Kazuki turned away, arms crossed to hide the wave of emotion rushing through him. Yuno rubbed his face with both hands.

  “Well,” Yuno muttered, voice soft, “looks like the crazy genius did it again.”

  Kairyuuha allowed himself a tired grin. “I’m not celebrating yet. I still need to run the same scan on Lumina.”

  “You can do that tomorrow,” Kazuki said firmly. “Tonight, you rest. That’s an order—from your brother.”

  The others chuckled, even Lumina. For a moment, the world felt light again.

  But beneath it all, they knew this was just one battle in a much longer war.

  And Kairyuuha… had just bought them more time.