Anime Multiverse: Building a Pantheon from Scratch

"Unbelievable... The rumors right after first period were actually true. There really is a loli teacher?"

On the rooftop, Eriri held up a luxurious three-tiered bento box prepared by her mother, looking utterly baffled as she exclaimed. "I thought that kind of character only appeared in doujinshi—cough, cough!"

Realizing what she'd just let slip, and catching the stares from Luo Shu and Kasumigaoka Utaha, Eriri immediately shut her mouth. Shovelling a mouthful of rice into her mouth, she quickly followed it up by grabbing a piece of cod tempura, chewing as she turned to Luo Shu and asked, "So, that Natsuki-sensei is the instructor assigned to guide you? But didn't you say this morning it was supposed to be a transfer student?"

"Maybe there was a change of plans," Luo Shu replied, holding a chicken sandwich he'd picked up from a convenience store on his way to the park earlier that morning.

Kasumigaoka glanced at the sandwich in his hand without saying anything, calmly placing her bento box down as she asked, "Is there a chance she's just a normal teacher?"

"Highly unlikely," Luo Shu said after a pause, his expression turning complicated. "I actually know her… I can't say from where, but I do."

Before he could continue, his eyes suddenly sharpened, gaze shifting toward the rooftop door. Standing silently by the stairway was the petite girl in a black gothic dress—the one who looked no older than a middle schooler.

"Oh? You recognize me?" she said, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Now that's interesting."

Beside him, Eriri choked mid-bite, thumping her chest with both hands as she frantically searched around. Luo Shu, unbothered, picked up the bottle of oolong tea next to him and handed it over. Eriri unscrewed the cap and downed a long gulp before exhaling loudly, "I'm alive again!!"

Then she shot Natsuki Minamiya a glare and snapped, "What's the big idea, eavesdropping like that?!"

"You there, student—use respectful language when addressing your teacher," Natsuki replied calmly. "And I wasn't eavesdropping. I just happened to arrive and overheard a little."

She stepped onto the rooftop and stopped three meters away, her gaze slowly sweeping across the three seated students—Eriri, Luo Shu, and Utaha. The three of them were sitting quite close on a long bench—one boy, two girls—a setup that could easily be misinterpreted.

"A boy flanked by two girls, on the rooftop no less. Luo Shu-kun, you're surprisingly popular, huh?"

Without missing a beat, Luo Shu stuffed the last of his sandwich into his mouth, wiped his hands and lips with a tissue, and stood up. "Do you have time to talk somewhere more private?"

Natsuki gave him a brief look, then nodded. "There's a turn at the stairwell that leads up here. Follow me."

"Got it." Luo Shu nodded at Utaha and Eriri, then quickly followed her.

"What's with her...?" Eriri muttered, nervously shrinking back. She couldn't shake the feeling that the teacher might've overheard her earlier comment—especially the part where she mentioned that Luo Shu was being assigned a mentor. If so, that meant she'd just leaked classified info. Not good.

She glanced over at Utaha, hoping for reassurance, only to find the latter wearing a grim expression.

"Hey, Kasumigaoka… huh? What's with that face?"

Utaha's tone was low and serious. "I didn't hear her footsteps at all when she came up."

Eriri froze.

———

The turn in the staircase that led to the rooftop was located on the fifth floor. Since the rooftop wasn't directly connected to the stairwell, this space was often used as storage. It was here that Luo Shu and Natsuki now stood, facing off.

For a long half-minute, neither of them spoke.

Then Natsuki curled her lips into a smile. "Not bad. You noticed me the moment I arrived on the rooftop."

"You let that happen on purpose, didn't you?" Luo Shu replied evenly.

"Maybe. But being able to notice me still isn't something just anyone can do," she said with a light laugh, one hand on her hip. "I can see why that woman—Kirika Tachibana—suspects you're a mental-type esper."

She paused, then gave him a cryptic look. "Though, according to Chisato Nishikigi, you're a wind Warlock, right?"

Luo Shu smirked. "How much do you actually know?"

Natsuki wasn't fazed by the question. She answered directly, "Other than the basics, not much. Just that you recently started a club at school… Hmm, are you here in the flesh or is this a soul descent?"

"...?" Luo Shu blinked, surprised. "There's a difference between physical descent and spiritual possession for people coming from the Abyss?"

"There's also the reincarnation type," Natsuki added offhandedly, carefully watching his reaction. "But only 'big shots' can pull those off."

Now Luo Shu finally understood the misunderstanding and let out a soft laugh. "You think I'm one of those big shots?"

"Yep. I actually do," she said without hesitation.

Luo Shu's expression stiffened. But before he could reply, Natsuki continued, "Still, whatever secrets you're hiding, that's SDS's problem. I'm just a temporary instructor, so it's none of my concern."

"As ordered by that woman, I'll be teaching you the basic foundations of mysticism in this world."

"Mysticism basics, huh?" Luo Shu's tone hinted at skepticism.

He knew that Natsuki Minamiya was likely a specialist in spatial sorcery and based on what he knew about the world she came from, their magic system was relatively well-developed. But it didn't seem like she had any intention of teaching him advanced skills.

"You're a half-baked rookie. Don't get ahead of yourself. Learn the basics properly first," she scoffed. Then she walked past him, ready to leave. After a few steps, she paused and added, "Oh, and I plan to take over as your club advisor. Barring any changes, I'll be in the clubroom from 4 to 6 p.m. on school days to tutor you."

"And your two little girlfriends can sit in if they want, but I'm not acknowledging them as my students."

"Of course, if you'd rather not involve them, you'd better make that decision soon."

"Because sometimes... knowing the truth is far worse than staying ignorant."

Leaving behind that cryptic message, Natsuki Minamiya walked away without looking back.

Luo Shu remained where he stood, lips gradually curling into a smile—a smile not unlike Light Yagami's, the kind that screamed, "Everything is going according to plan."