Tokyo Jujutsu High.
On the way back to the dorms from the West Area training grounds, Lynn ran into two Shikigami dogs.
The aura of the Shikigami Dogs wasn't particularly strong; they were paving the road as if searching for something.
Noticing Lynn, the black one ran up to him and stuck out its tongue, while the white one immediately turned and fled.
After a while, Itadori and the other two appeared before Lynn, trotting along, led by the White Jade Dog.
"Lynn! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. Why are you guys here?"
"We came looking for you."
Itadori let out a sigh of relief and answered truthfully.
Just like Principal Yaga, they had also noticed the commotion in the West Area.
Because Lynn had gone to the West Area earlier, Itadori immediately suggested they go find him there.
But clearly, doing so was very dangerous.
Even from half a campus away, Megumi could feel an extremely dangerous aura from the residual shockwaves.
To ensure safety, Megumi stopped Itadori and used the Jade Dogs to search the periphery of the West Area for Lynn.
As for Lynn's situation deep within the West Area... Megumi stated he trusted Gojo, and it would be useless for them to go.
"It's a good thing you weren't in the center of the battlefield, Lynn. Otherwise, even with Gojo-Sensei present, it would have been very dangerous."
Megumi recalled his Jade Dogs and gazed into the distance: "I wonder who trespassed into the school and caused such a huge disturbance."
"It was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit," Lynn replied casually.
"Huh? How did you know?" Kugisaki was stunned: "You didn't happen to run into the enemy, did you?"
"It wasn't me who ran into the enemy; that Special Grade Cursed Spirit that invaded the school came looking for me."
Not long ago, when Jogo fell from the sky, he said a question-provoking sentence.
["Found you! You must be Lynn!"]
Clearly, Jogo had come specifically for him.
As for the reason... it was likely related to a Sukuna's Finger.
As the Cursed Spirit' trump card to defeat Gojo, Sukuna's Finger had always been under intense scrutiny.
A person suddenly appearing who had eaten a Sukuna's Finger and was unharmed would certainly warrant sending someone to test them out.
However, in Lynn's anticipation, the enemy sent to test him should have been a Grade One Cursed Spirit or a regular Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Sending Jogo directly was truly unexpected.
If he hadn't broken through on the spot and comprehended Black Flash, he would have had to surrender halfway through and cry out, 'Gojo, save me.'
"For the specific details, go ask Gojo-Sensei."
Seeing Megumi and the others looking like they wanted to say something but held back, Lynn pointed behind him.
"He was there the entire time. He knows just as much as I do. I'm a bit tired, so I'm going back to sleep."
"Alright, see you tomorrow then."
Itadori watched Lynn leave before looking at his two companions beside him.
"Should we go find Gojo-Sensei?"
"Let's go take a look. Since Lynn is back, it means Gojo-Sensei has already dealt with the enemy."
"+1, let's go together."
Gossip is human instinct.
After confirming the crisis was over, both Megumi and Nobara felt a surge of intense curiosity.
The three hit it off immediately and headed towards the direction of the West Area.
Meanwhile, after returning to his dorm, Lynn found a set of pajamas from the closet and changed.
In the fight against Jogo, he was either burned to ashes or beaten into mincemeat; his clothes naturally wouldn't remain intact.
The reason Itadori and the others hadn't noticed just now was because he had created a set of clothes using Flesh and Blood Mimicry.
Although it looked no different from actual clothes on the surface, he was actually constantly releasing his true nature.
If someone discovered it, his career as a Jujutsu Sorcerer would probably end.
"Hah~ This is much more comfortable."
After changing into his pajamas and lying on the bed, Lynn lazily let out a yawn as his Cursed Energy slowly recovered within him.
With teary eyes from drowsiness, he closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the empty Mist Plaza.
...
At the same time, in the DanMachi World.
After more than a month, the gods of Orario once again gathered on the thirtieth floor of The Babel to hold the Denatus.
"Good noon, everyone!"
The goddess with vermilion hair tied at the back of her head, who stood at the apex of Orario, waved her hand to greet everyone.
"The host for this Denatus is me, Loki! Please take care of me!"
"Yay—!"
Cheers erupted from the gods in the hall, applause merging into one continuous sound, showing great respect.
However, amidst this joyous atmosphere, Hestia, seated by the round table, raised an eyebrow.
"I remember you were the host last time, Loki. Why is it you again this time?"
"Can't be helped, who told you I'm very idle?"
Hearing Hestia's question, Loki shrugged her shoulders.
All the members of her Familia had gone on an expedition into the Dungeon, leaving her, the main god of the Familia, with nothing to do.
Since the Denatus was being held, she proactively volunteered to come to The Babel to serve as the host.
"If you, Shorty, are dissatisfied with anything, you can apply to be the host next time."
Answering Hestia's question very dutifully, Loki looked towards the other deities present.
"Alright, let's start the first segment: Information Exchange. Everyone, share any interesting gossip you have."
"Me, me, me! I heard that Ishtar was assassinated and sent back to Heaven because she toyed with a certain male god's feelings!"
"Huh? Is that true?!"
"Must be fake. The version I heard is that Ishtar offended Freya."
"That matter has nothing to do with me."
Freya, sitting in the corner, refuted the rumor.
"Huh? Even Freya says so. Could it be that Ishtar really died because of romance?"
"Oh my, it's quite normal. A Goddess of Beauty having a setback in romance is a phase all Goddesses of Beauty go through."
"Makes sense."
"Right, right! I received news that the Kingdom of Rakia is going to attack Orario again!"
The topic shifted instantly from playful laughter to serious matters, never allowing a moment of silence at the round table.
Watching the chaotic scene before her, Hestia let out a lazy yawn and started chatting with Hephaestus beside her.
"Hephy, do you know much about the God Repatriation mechanism?"
"I know a little. What's up?"
"I encountered a rather obscure question and didn't know who to ask, so I thought I'd inquire with you."
Hestia leaned closer to Hephaestus and whispered: "Hephy, do you think if a virgin goddess loses her single status, it would be counted as an injury and trigger the God Repatriation mechanism?"
Hephaestus: "?"
Are you sure this is obscure, and not just bizarre?
Hephaestus's eye twitched, and she rubbed her forehead.
This question was truly too bizarre; even a god renowned for omniscience would hesitate at this moment.
After thinking it over carefully, Hephaestus sorted out the thoughts in her mind and replied quietly.
"Hestia, the essence of a god returning to Heaven is suffering a fatal injury that requires divine power to repair their physical body."
"Something minor like losing one's single status shouldn't trigger the God Repatriation mechanism... provided the scale is managed."
Although the probability was low, it wasn't impossible that Lynn and Hestia might impulsively take out whips, candles, and the like.
To prevent her good friend from being disgraced, Hephaestus specifically listed some precautions.
"Oh, I understand."
Hestia nodded thoughtfully.
In truth, she already understood what Hephaestus had said; she just hadn't been certain before.
Now that she had received confirmation from Hephaestus, Hestia felt as if the shackles binding her had been broken, and her mood greatly improved.
The truth of the world, I have deciphered it!
Raising her hand and clenching her fist, Hestia's face was full of confidence, wishing she could immediately return to her Familia and slay Lili and Haruhime.
"Alright, everyone, please settle down!"
Just then, Loki tapped the table with a small hammer, temporarily interrupting the gods' conversation.
"I'll organize the intelligence first. The dynamics of the Kingdom are what needs the most attention right now."
"I will report this matter to the Guild later, but they have most likely received the news already."
"If nothing unexpected happens, they will summon the attending Familias to battle then. Is everyone okay with that?"
"No problem!"
"That's good."
Loki organized the intelligence provided by the gods and continued to preside over the meeting.
After a while, when she determined the topics had been sufficiently discussed, she raised the hammer and tapped the table again.
"Let's move on to the next segment: The Naming Ceremony."
"Ooooh—!!!"
The gods let out celebratory cheers.
The first dividing line for Adventurers is LV2.
Starting from LV2, Adventurers shed their status as novice Adventurers and become Third Class Adventurers.
Roughly every one to two months, the gods would assign titles to these Adventurers during the gathering.
For the gods, this was also a rare opportunity to enjoy the misfortunes of other Familias. Whenever this happened, the gods would transform into entertainers, putting in full effort to derive pleasure from other deities.
And as the host of this Denatus, Loki, also an entertainer, had a target in mind.
"Hestia, aren't you going to explain anything?"
"Explain what?"
"Of course, the matter of Lynn leveling up!"
Loki slammed the documents onto the table with a bang.
"He only took a little over forty days to break through from LV1 to LV3. Are you joking with me?!"
Originally, she already held some resentment toward Lynn for taking Aiz away, and upon learning that he had broken through to LV3, she was utterly shocked.
A blessing, in essence, only provides an opportunity, helping to activate the potential of a child from the lower world so they have a chance to grow.
In other words, a blessing is not an omnipotent power for infinite growth, but the ultimate golden key to self-realization.
Breaking through from LV1 to LV3 in just over forty days—this was equivalent to someone undergoing two metamorphoses in forty days, constantly reshaping their limits like a phoenix undergoing nirvana.
This could no longer be called growth; it was outright cheating, shattering the laws summarized by the Gods.
"Shorty, just to be safe, I have to ask: you didn't happen to use divine power, did you?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If I had the means to bypass the repatriation mechanism, I would be the first to send you back to the heavens."
"Tsk, then explain the reason."
"Why should I tell you?"
Hestia crossed her arms, showing absolutely no deference.
"Using your status as the officiant of the Denatus to forcibly interfere with other Familias, even trying to learn about the abilities of the Familia members."
"Loki, you have already violated the rules. If you continue to be so unreasonable, I will apply for Guild arbitration."
"Hestia has a point."
A voice carrying a faint smile rang out.
"Loki, you've crossed the line."
"...?"
Loki, who was about to say something, froze, looking towards Freya, who had suddenly sided with Hestia in the corner.
"Breaking through from LV1 to LV3 in over forty days—do you even comprehend the meaning of that number, you infatuated Goddess?"
"So what? There's no need to be so stubborn, is there?"
Freya tossed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Or perhaps, Loki, you're just jealous? Jealous that the children of the Hestia Familia have surpassed your prized darling, throwing your mindset out of balance."
Hestia seized the moment and let out a cold sneer. "Truly petty, Loki. Can't you be more broad-minded like me?"
"Huh?"
A snapping sound audible only to Loki echoed; the strings maintaining her composure broke at that moment.
"You little Shorty, shut up! You just grew two lumps of fat, what's there to be so smug about!"
"Better than someone who has none."
"Say that again!"
"Better than someone who has none! I'm talking about you, the flat-chested, petty Goddess!"
"Go die!"
"Bring it on! Who's afraid of whom!"
...
"So, you ended up fighting Loki at the Denatus?"
"Yeah, who told her to target me so much."
"Actually, she was targeting me."
Lynn placed the freshly cooked stir-fry on the table.
After hearing about Hestia's experience at the Denatus, even he couldn't help but feel a mix of laughter and tears.
No wonder her hair looked like a bird's nest when she got back; turns out she had just finished a fight.
"By the way, who won between you and Loki?"
"It wasn't decided. Take-Mikazuchi and Hermes came to mediate halfway through."
Hermes, who traveled frequently, had mastered some fighting techniques, and Take-Mikazuchi, as the God of War, needed no further mention.
With two Gods stepping in to mediate, and gentle Gods like Demeter helping on the sidelines, Loki and Hestia were pulled apart in less than a minute after starting to fight.
"Lynn! Can you teach me a few moves? I absolutely must win next time I fight Loki!"
"Aren't you a Goddess, aren't you omniscient?"
"There's a difference between being omniscient and understanding how to use something. If you teach me, I can learn a bit faster."
Hestia replied with utmost seriousness.
In reality, this was just an excuse. The Soma Familia had plenty of Amazons, so she didn't need to ask Lynn to learn. The only reason she specifically asked Lynn for help was to spend more time together, using learning martial arts as an excuse to monopolize him.
And Lynn could naturally see through this.
However, he currently had nothing urgent to do, and the rest of his affairs were gradually getting on track. Facing Hestia's request, he readily agreed without refusal.
"Goddess Hestia, I have a question."
On the left side of the dining table, Lili, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, raised her right hand. "After you and Goddess Loki were separated, did the Denatus end immediately?"
Hestia: "Of course not. It just meant Freya took over as the officiant."
Seemingly guessing what Lili wanted to ask, Hestia paused and looked to the side.
"Lynn, your epithet has been decided."
"Go ahead. Our Familia is flourishing; you must have secured a good title for me, right?"
"Sword Saint."
"...?"