The scene before them left the members of the Hakuo Student Council speechless for quite some time.
Especially when they saw Nagi sitting on a boy's lap, a gift box seemingly conjured from thin air, and Aizawa Sakuya beaming as she received a watch—like it was the most precious treasure.
Their earlier suspicions were confirmed on the spot.
It was because of that man.
Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could tell. It was obvious.
Kasumi Aika's gaze landed on the new watch now adorning Aizawa Sakuya's wrist.
Sakuya wouldn't be this happy just because of a simple gift, right?
The memory of last year's birthday party was still fresh in her mind.
Back then, many guests had offered expensive, luxurious gifts. Yet Sakuya had merely thanked them politely and didn't bother wearing any of them.
But this year?
While the Hakuo members stood silently by the door, Aizawa Sakuya wore that modest watch with a delighted smile.
Even Sanzenin Nagi couldn't help but feel curious.
"So? What Sequence is that watch related to?"
"Oh, right. What is it?"
Prompted by Nagi's question, Aizawa Sakuya also looked curious.
"Sailor, Sequence 9 of the Tyrant Pathway," Ren answered calmly. "It's a prop I created using the gifting ability."
In truth, Ren had been pondering this for a while—if he could grant abilities to others through gifts, could he also use that same ability to craft an extraordinary item?
That idea had led to this experiment, resulting in the watch now in Sakuya's possession—he called it the Water Meter.
"Wearing this watch grants the user traits of a Sailor: the ability to maintain perfect balance even on a stormy deck, the ability to glide and slip through tight spaces, increased resistance to damage and minor injuries, immunity to mosquito bites, and underwater breathing for up to ten minutes. You'll also be able to move underwater as fluidly as a fish and dive up to fifteen meters freely."
"But I think the most practical uses are its balance enhancement and phantom movement."
"Underwater breathing and swimming agility are great, but for someone who doesn't often go to sea, those might not be essential."
The Sailor Sequence also had strong land-based survivability. Its damage resistance was a very practical trait.
Balance had its uses on land as well, though not as impactful.
Honestly, the most useful trait was phantom movement—that slipperiness that made you nearly impossible to catch or restrain.
Ideally, props should have personalized ability sets.
But since this was Ren's first time attempting to create a mystical item via gifting, he hadn't yet mastered the art of selectively binding abilities. He would need further experiments.
For now, he simply transferred the entire ability set of the Sailor Sequence into the item.
As she listened to Ren's explanation, Aizawa Sakuya showed no sign of disappointment. In fact, her eyes lit up even more.
"That's already amazing."
Underwater breathing, seamless movement, damage resistance—this was practically a dream item, both in concept and execution.
The powers of the Sailor Sequence matched its name perfectly. This watch fully satisfied her craving for the mystical.
"My family has a deep pool meant for diving training. I've always wanted to try it out... and now I finally can."
Until now, Sakuya didn't have the physical ability or the courage to attempt it.
But with this new gift, this extraordinary tool, there was no excuse not to give it a shot.
You're really that happy? Nagi glanced at Sakuya's glowing expression and muttered inwardly.
A sudden breeze swept through, and she turned to find a group of people standing at the entrance, completely stunned.
Nagi quickly climbed down from Ren's lap.
Ren, of course, had already noticed their arrival.
His eyes immediately focused on the student council president.
Katsura Hinagiku... the most popular heroine in Hayate no Gotoku. Unfortunately, she lost not only to Tennos Athena but also to Konagi...
His gaze swept across the members of Hakuo's student council before settling on Kasumi Aika.
Ren lightly tapped his fingers against his leg. Activating his clairvoyant vision, he peered into her internal state.
He detected a murky black aura deep in her organs. It wasn't intense, but it was persistent.
Her body wasn't in good condition. A chronic illness. The etheric body was slightly disturbed. Within a few days, a minor illness would likely manifest.
"Miss Aizawa."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Do you know the identity of that young lady?"
"Hm?"
Following Ren's line of sight, Sakuya quickly spotted who he was referring to.
"That's Kasumi Aika. I have a pretty good relationship with her. Our family owes hers a favor. In fact, my name, Aika, includes a character from the Aizawa name."
"What about her?"
Ren shook his head lightly.
"She's been suffering from chronic illness for years. Her physical condition is not much better than Nagi's used to be. I noticed the black aura around her body growing slightly. She'll probably fall ill again soon. After the party, you might want to check on her."
Aizawa Sakuya glanced at Kasumi Aika, then turned back to Ren in disbelief.
"You can see something like that?"
"That's how the Extraordinary Path works. Certain Sequences that grant clairvoyance also allow you to evaluate a person's physical condition. In some ways, Extraordinary individuals can make the best doctors."
Sakuya nodded slightly, committing the information to memory.
"Can you cure her illness?"
"Yes, I can. But have you thought about how you'd explain it?"
Curing the illness wasn't hard. Ren, with his multiple Source-level powers, had plenty of ways to completely eliminate Aika's condition. The problem was the aftermath.
How do you explain it? How do you justify it? Those were not questions an outsider like him could answer.
"No worries. She and I are close. I'll talk to her after the party and let the facts speak for themselves."
Aizawa Sakuya turned the watch on her wrist, her smile glowing with confidence.
So, she's going to reveal it... Ren silently noted it but didn't object.
It would be foolish to apply ordinary logic to girls like her. These were not average people. They'd stood above others since the beginning. They saw farther and clearer than most adults.
Ren believed that Aizawa Sakuya would handle this much better than an outsider ever could.
"Alright then. You can handle it. Contact me once it's settled. You can reach out through Hayasaka too."
Aizawa Sakuya understood immediately and flashed an "OK" gesture with her hand.
(To be continued.)