Meet back up with the others.

Just as he said, both you and Ealdorman make your way to the drawn magic circle, and it's only a moment before the abyss swirls back into a window peering straight up from the street from where you first came. Not only are the girls still there, but others have gathered out of curiosity. The queen is still present with Eva, Amara, and Niki, but now Lynx is there too along with Yin and Peony. They're conversing when they first appear, not noticing your presence immediately. Eva has her foot right at the edge. Another step back, and she'd have fallen straight through open activation. You can see right up her fluttering skirt, though where panties should be, there's nothing at all. You gaze down, and therefore up, at the bunny's bare buns, before you look to Ealdorman once more with a nod--a farewell to someone you wish to see again, but also a hopeful distraction, though he doesn't react in a way to suggest he notices.

"Goodbye for now," you say. And after that, you go your separate ways. The world shifts in a dizzying manner as gravity swaps and you heave your way up from the portal on the other side. Then you look back to see him once more before it all vanishes from view.

"There you are!" Lynx speaks up first. "I'm confused. So where exactly did you go?"

"I told you! Kyle went with that weird old man through a mysterious hole in the ground," Niki explains.

"Yeah. That wasn't very helpful."

You squeeze the battery in your hand. It may be something so simple, yet it's an item straight from your home world. It feels alien. Pinching it between your fingers next, you bring it up near your eyes and peer closely. I wonder if it's even possible to repurpose a piece of modern technology. A rechargeable battery isn't exactly simple, and this is a world that doesn't even have electricity. Not in the same way, anyway. It's all magic here.

"Ealdorman is an important member of the Circle of the Unicorn," you respond after a moment of thought. "But he's far more than that. He's another man from Earth, and he's even got a collection of stuff he's collected from there, all from different people who found them in various places over history. Some from before he came over, others after. That's why he wanted to speak with me personally. I guess I don't hide it well. No need to at this point."

"No way!" Lynx attempts to grab onto the battery in excitement, though you grasp it tight. Her hands squeeze around yours, as if this is going to somehow convince you to let her have it. "Did he have more books? I wanna see them."

"He did, yes. But that's not what this is, so no touchy."

After retreating her hands, she puts them behind her back and tries to look innocent. "Your world just sounds so cool."

"You know, manga isn't exactly a reflection of how my world is. But I'll see if we can get some books from Ealdorman. Maybe he'll be willing to sell, or at least let us borrow them."

Her one eye lights up as a smile appears on her face. "I'd love that!"

"So what is that?" Eva asks as she comes in close to inspect it.

"A battery. Basically, it holds power inside it," you try to explain. "Power that can make other things work. You place this inside something that needs power, and there you go. But this is also one that can be recharged. They can't all do that."

"Like some kind of magic crystal."

"Not exactly. No magic involved. Just chemical reactions and electricity."

"I don't understand any of that."

You give her skirt a playful flick of your finger upwards. "I don't blame you. It isn't something of this world, silly."

Eva lets out a much louder gasp than anyone else would expect from her skirt not even fluttering up enough for anyone to see anything. Her face glows red as she slaps the garment back down against her thighs and scowls at you. "H-Hey!"

"Relax. I'm sure the girls here have all seen your undies." But after saying that, you peer straight in her eyes with a knowing glare and a smirk.

The message clearly gets across. Her face turns even redder, and she tries to speak, though after a moment of struggle, she turns her head away in embarrassment. "Y-Yeah. I know that. And I'm wearing my striped blue ones today anyway, so it's not anything weird."

"Really? You should show us then."

"No!"

A soft hand touches upon your empty palm before a warm embrace slowly tightens around it. "I'm just glad you're okay," says Peony from beside you. "I was worried when Niki said you jumped into a strange hole in the ground."

"Me too," says Yin with a smiling curtsy. "And I understand what you mean, Lynx. Earth sounds so exciting, though it sounds scary too."

Amara's ears perk up and she peers far down the road. "Ah. It is Rose and Mina."

Your eyes turn to follow. They are coming this way, though they're both carrying their packs over their backs.