CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103: THE CHAKRA FRUIT AND NINE-TAILS CHAKRA—PHASE FOUR?!

After the system notification ended, a moment of silence followed.

Ryota stood still, his eyes flickering slightly, though mentally he was in complete upheaval.

He waited.

Waited to see if the system would spit out a fourth, maybe even a fifth reward.

But no—it stayed quiet.

The rewards for the third phase of the main quest ended with just those three.

Which meant—

Aside from the two clearly "standard" rewards of Dōjutsu enhancement and Chakra capacity...

The Chakra Fruit was the real boss drop.

Ryota blinked, stunned.

"Chakra Fruit?"

For once, a rare emotion surged within him—hesitation.

Since arriving in the world of DanMachi, the fast-paced quests and constant battles had long conditioned him to accept reward screens like clockwork.

And while each round had its surprises, this one hit differently.

That final line in the rewards list landed like a meteor, smashing into the deepest part of his psyche.

[Chakra Fruit]

Those words carried immense weight.

It wasn’t just a cool item name. It represented the origin of all Chakra.

"No way... it really is... that fruit?"

Frowning, he was just about to open up the system description for details when he suddenly felt a light poke from Ais, still in his arms.

"...Hmm?"

Ryota blinked and looked down.

Ais didn’t speak, but her clear golden eyes stared quietly up at him, filled with visible concern.

And that was when Ryota finally noticed—Finn, Riveria, Gareth, the Hiryute sisters, Bete... they had all gathered around him, each wearing a complicated expression.

Though their faces differed, the same underlying tension and unease was clear.

"Ryota... you looked awful just now."

The Pallum captain took a step forward.

"Is it the back-to-back battles? Or using that giant skeletal to teleport all of us—did it exhaust your mind?"

Finn waved a finger in front of Ryota’s face.

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Ryota: "..."

"Oh crap, he’s not responding!"

"It’s definitely mental fatigue! Riveria!"

Riveria rushed over, raising her staff.

The elven royal’s voice turned uncharacteristically gentle:

"Don’t push yourself, Ryota."

"I’ll cast a recovery spell."

But just as she began chanting, Ryota smiled and waved her off.

"I’m fine."

"I just... spaced out a little."

Yeah, no one was buying that.

Ais held him tighter and murmured softly:

"...It’s okay."

"You don’t have to force yourself. We... we’ll take you back to Orario."

Her voice was light, almost dreamily slow.

But only Ryota could feel the firmness in her arms. The sincerity was undeniable.

He sighed.

He really was fine. Heck, he could do another lap around Floor 58 if needed.

But—

He couldn’t exactly tell them, "Sorry, I just mentally crashed for a second because I got handed a literal world-breaking Chakra Fruit."

That’d definitely make them think he was mentally fried.

Looking around at Ais in his arms, Riveria reluctantly pulling back her magic, Lefiya inching over anxiously...

And Finn giving him that "If you collapse, I have no idea how to explain this to the gods" kind of look...

He even vaguely heard someone whisper a line of comfort:

"You’ve done more than enough... now let us protect you for once."

A quiet warmth spread in Ryota’s chest.

What he’d built wasn’t just respect.

It was something rarer—trust and belonging.

Wasn’t that what he’d come to Orario searching for in the first place? A Familia he could call home?

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ryota let out a chuckle and finally spoke:

"Alright, alright, quit looking at me like I’m about to drop dead."

He lifted a hand and beckoned.

"Gather in. Let’s go home."

They exchanged looks. After several long seconds of scrutinizing him from head to toe and confirming he really didn’t seem out of sorts, they gradually stepped in.

"Well, if you do faint, I’ll carry you back."

"I can help too."

"Healing magic’s not a problem for me."

"..."

Ryota looked at the group closing in around him. They were all top-tier Adventurers—people who could easily handle a floor boss alone.

Yet now they crowded around like they were worried they’d lose their favorite plushie.

Seriously... these guys.

He muttered under his breath, though the grin tugging at his lips was impossible to hide.

Chakra surged.

With a stomp, Ryota shouted:

"Flying Raijin Jutsu!"

SWOOSH!!——

Space twisted violently.

In an instant, a golden flash drew a line across reality, splitting the air as everyone vanished together.

Even the atmosphere gave off a faint slicing crack.

And where they had stood—

Only the base of a tree remained, empty now, with a kunai embedded in the earth still trembling faintly.

...

Twilight Manor.

The usually rowdy base of the Loki Familia was oddly quiet today.

Loki herself sat sprawled across a couch in the main hall, legs kicked up. She’d just raised a massive foam-topped beer barrel to her lips—about to sip, or to be more precise, gulp down a celebratory gallon.

"Wonder how my kids are doing down in the Dungeon..."

"Every time I start thinking about ’em, I get the urge to drink."

She sighed "sadly," lifting her drink for a long swig.

And then—

SWOOSH!

A flash of golden light erupted in the center of the hall with zero warning.

"Ugh—eh?!"

Loki’s vision whited out. It was like getting punched in the eyes by a high-powered light filter.

"The hell is—?!"

As the light faded and her vision slowly focused...

She saw a crowd of familiar figures calmly standing in the middle of the room. Not a single one missing.

The Three Executives. Bete. Lefiya...

And standing front and center, with a faint smile on his lips...

Wait a damn minute!

Loki’s eye twitched, gaze snapping to one specific spot.

And there she saw Ais—golden-haired and cool-eyed—nestled naturally, almost effortlessly, into Ryota’s chest.

No wait—it was more than that. She was half-leaning, half-melting into him. Practically embedded!

My Ais... is clinging again?!

"AIS WHEN DID YOU—YOU—YOU GET IN HIS ARMS AGAIN!!!"

Her brain momentarily short-circuited before she exploded:

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!!! YOU GUYS JUST WENT DOWN YESTERDAY!!!"

"From departure to return... it’s not even been TWO DAMN DAYS!!"

Everyone exchanged glances.

Finn cleared his throat, looking more than a little conflicted.

"I’ll explain later. Honestly, I... don’t even know where to start. Need to organize my thoughts."

Ais completely ignored Loki’s howls of emotional devastation.

She simply stepped away from Ryota—smooth and efficient, but with the tiniest hint of reluctance.

Then she looked up and said gently:

"Go get some rest."

"...Alright."

Ryota nodded softly.

—Yeah, it was about time to dig into the whole Chakra Fruit situation.

He nodded at the group, then turned to Loki and casually waved a hand.

"Lady Loki, I’ll be heading to my room."

A simple, everyday gesture to most.

But to Loki, that wave was pure provocation.

Especially since, right after he did it, Ais stayed put—watching him go with a look in her eyes so soft it was almost imperceptible.

At that moment, Loki felt something inside her snap with an audible "crack."

"WAS THAT A FAREWELL WAVE OR A DECLARATION OF WAR?!"

"YOU DID NOT JUST—ON MY TURF—WAVE LIKE YOU’RE CLAIMING AIS AS YOUR CO-CAPTAIN?!"

"YOU—YOU PLAN TO STEAL HER AWAY AND START YOUR OWN FAMILIA DON’T YOU?! AAAARGHHH!!!"

Loki was practically rolling on the floor in the hall.

Still, tantrum or not, as she grumbled about "traitors," "abductions," and "Ais being stolen," she eventually settled back on the couch.

The self-proclaimed Trickster who had been wound up tight... finally exhaled.

Her eyes swept over her Familia—all present, all upright, though showing signs of fatigue.

Not a scratch on them. Everyone accounted for.

No matter how absurd, chaotic, or wildly unexpected the expedition had gone...

The ending was the same: they came home.

"Damn brats..."

She set down her half-empty beer.

The fiery chaos in her chest began to calm, replaced by the composed stillness a god ought to have.

"Finn. Start talking. What the hell happened down there?"

...

At the same time, Ryota had returned to his room.

He’d barely shut the door and come to a stop when the familiar system voice rang out in his mind:

[Ding! Main Branch Quest: Participate in an Expedition and Return Safely—Completed!]

[Calculating rewards—]

[Reward: Special Kurama’s Chakra +10%!]

Ryota’s eyes narrowed.

...Nine-Tails Chakra?!

No. No, no, this didn’t feel right.

He’d expected standard rewards: more Dōryoku, Chakra capacity, maybe a boost to Hashirama Cells or Sage Chakra.

But none of those appeared.

Instead... Kurama’s Chakra?

"This makes no sense!"

By now, he’d already awakened his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Logically, the next progression should’ve been toward the most powerful Dōjutsu—the Rinnegan.

Sharingan... Mangekyō... Eternal Mangekyō...

Every evolution had marked a leap in both his strength and spirit.

And now—

That long-awaited next step... didn’t come?!

An unacceptable thought flashed through his mind like lightning:

"Has my Sharingan path... already hit its limit?"

Ryota’s brows furrowed, his disbelief clear.

He didn’t want to believe it. He couldn’t.

"Calm down."

He muttered to himself and shook his head, forcing away the wave of intrusive thoughts.

Then, taking a deep breath, he focused on the object floating within his mental space—

The Chakra Fruit.

Its dark purple surface swirled with patterns like ancient vortexes containing endless knowledge.

Its strange, glowing veins pulsed faintly, as if echoing the remnants of a lost age.

With a single thought—

[Analyze Target: Chakra Fruit]

The system responded instantly.

Golden text floated into view:

[Chakra Fruit]

A fruit born of the God Tree.

It possesses the ability to override natural laws and forcibly evolve the essence of power itself.

[Usage]

Once consumed, the user undergoes a cross-dimensional evolution.

Upon completion, the user will gain access to the highest form of the Sharingan—the Rinnegan.

[Note]

The fusion process is irreversible. Choose wisely.

Just as he suspected.

The Chakra Fruit and the Rinnegan were deeply connected.

You could even say... this was the only shortcut.

The logic here was the same.

No elaborate rituals or external factors needed.

Eat it. Ascend. Simple.

"But... 3.1..."

Ryota’s gaze slid toward that line: [Fusion is irreversible].

His eyes darkened.

The system hadn’t said what would happen if the fusion failed...

And more importantly, he had no idea—

Whether this was a guaranteed miracle, or a divine punishment determined by sheer luck.

"Damn system... it’s playing into my overly cautious nature."

Clicking his tongue, Ryota glanced once more at the fruit, still silently rotating deep within his mindscape.

After a few seconds of staring, a slow smirk curled his lips.

"But still..."

"Fortune favors the bold. I refuse to believe eating this thing’ll just kill me on the spot."

With that, Ryota flipped his wrist.

The Chakra Fruit appeared in his palm.

No hesitation. No deep breath. No ceremonial prep.

He just lifted his hand, tilted his head back, and—

Gulped.

GULP—!

The fruit slid down smoothly, with no texture, no chewing.

Then...

...Nothing.

No pain, no dizziness, not even a twinge of discomfort.

"Bro, don’t tell me it bugged out?"

Just then, the mechanical voice returned:

[Ding—Wheel of Fate begins to spin—]

[Main Quest Phase Four Activated]