Rebirth From Ordinary Person To The Strongest Chapter 176 Rebirth of the Stars

The story about the peach that could elevate soone's Rank was imdiately brought to the others, and the conclusion ca quickly.

It was decided that I should give it to the person I wanted to.

"After all, It's sothing you earned, Itsuki," Renji-san said, sitting beside on a lounge chair by the open-air bath.

The lounge chair in question was a special kind, reclining backward when you lean against it—popular among sauna enthusiasts. Or so my father told .

Today was the last day of our trip, and we had co to the hot springs for one last sauna session. When I asked Renji-san who I should give the peach to, his response was imdiate and straightforward.

"You should give it to soone you care about. But if you ask … I think it would be best if you gave it to Nina."

"Not Aya-chan?" I asked, surprised.

"Aya already has her at her side, doesn't she?"

I had assud Renji-san would suggest giving the peach to Aya. Instead, his unexpected proposal made glance at him in surprise. But Renji-san didn't seem to notice or care about my reaction, as he casually raised a curious question.

"In this case, whose Rank would increase?"

"Aya-chan's or the Ice Princess's?"

"Exactly."

The bathhouse was nearly empty, with only the cool breeze brushing past us.

The heat from the sauna was gradually leaving my body, and I felt the temptation to let my mind drift. Still, Renji-san's question lingered—if Aya ate the peach, whose Rank would increase?

That was a good point. But more than that...

"What about you, Renji-san? Don't you want it?"

"No, I don't. I'll be fine without it," he said, laughing as he refused.

"As you get older, you start worrying more about the future of the kids than yourself. I've survived this long, but… who knows what lies ahead for you all?"

"...I guess that's true."

Renji-san leaned forward, adjusting his chair back to an upright position with a clattering sound, and let out a short sigh.

I understood what he ant. No one knows when their ti will co.

"That's why, Itsuki, I think one of you kids should eat it."

" too?"

"Yes, you as well."

Renji-san's response caught off guard—it was entirely different from what the blacksmith had said.

"If you eat it and beco a Seventh Rank, you might beco strong enough to exorcise even more monsters. And that could end up saving more people. It's worth considering."

"...Yeah."

"You don't seem convinced."

"It's just… even if I gain more magic power, I won't be able to use it all."

"Must be nice. I'd like to say that soday too," he replied with a dry chuckle, not sounding particularly envious.

It tied back to what he had said earlier—he cared more about the kids than himself.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is this: the peach is a reward you earned through your own efforts. You get to decide how to use it. No adult is going to criticize your choice."

I nodded silently.

I understood that. Renji-san, my father, even Irena-san wouldn't object if I ate the peach myself. Irena-san might push for Nina to eat it, but she wouldn't force it or try to take it from .

I trusted them to be that kind of people.

"All I want is for you kids to be happy, Itsuki. If the peach can help with that, eat it. If not, you can even throw it away."

"...Throw it away?"

"Sure. The important thing is that you—Aya, you, Nina—find happiness. That's all that matters."

Renji-san shrugged, stood up, and looked in the eyes with a gentle smile.

"So, take care of Aya for , okay?"

"…Yeah," I nodded, unable to do anything but agree to his request.

That said, the question of who to give the Sanctuary Peach to had almost been decided from the beginning. Not just Renji-san, but my father and Irena-san had also suggested it should go to one of the kids. I didn't want it, which narrowed the choices further.

It had to be either Aya, Nina, or Hina.

But Hina was a Second Rank and didn't need to be pushed into the exorcist world. Her magic training was basic, ant only for self-defense. Forcing her into this dangerous world wasn't right. More magic ant more risk of monster attacks.

That left Aya or Nina.

As Renji-san ntioned, Aya had the Ice Princess by her side. Even if Aya's own Rank was only Third, with the Ice Princess, she effectively operated as a Sixth Rank. Most monsters wouldn't be able to kill her.

With those considerations, the answer beca clear.

"...Are you sure I should have it?" Nina asked, staring at the peach I held out to her.

"Yes. I think you should be the one to eat it," I said.

Nina looked at the peach in confusion before glancing at Aya, who stood beside . This was a decision we had discussed together.

If Aya had wanted it, I was ready to split the peach and share it between the two of them. But Aya had shaken her head and said, "I don't need it."

That's why we brought it to Nina.

Even so, Nina hesitated, shifting her gaze between the peach and Aya.

"This peach can increase soone's Rank, right? Are you really okay with not eating it, Aya?"

"Yes. I don't need it. I have more important things to focus on," Aya said with a soft smile.

Her expression reminded of Renji-san's earlier, and I thought to myself how alike they were as father and daughter.

While I was lost in those thoughts, Nina took a deep breath, gently accepted the peach from my hand, and held it to her chest.

"Thank you, Itsuki, Aya," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

"If you're both saying this, I'll take it."

With those words, Nina brought the peach to her lips.

It was small enough to fit in her palm and soft enough that she didn't need to bite—it disappeared in a single swallow. After a few monts of chewing, she gulped it down and then spoke again.

"Thank you. For not giving up on , Itsuki, Aya."

"...You're our friend," I replied simply, and Nina smiled bashfully.

"I'll beco stronger," she declared, clenching her fists tightly as if to embody her resolve.

Her face betrayed no sign of the intense emotions she must have been feeling.

"I'll make sure nothing like that amusent park or the school ever happens again."

It was, without a doubt, the mont she was reborn. Enjoy more content from empire

"I'll get strong enough to live up to your expectations, Itsuki, Aya. Strong enough to defeat any monster."

Truthfully, I hadn't realized it until now.

That people didn't need to die to be reborn.

"I'll get stronger."

Nina smiled, and the girl who had been broken by monsters, who had cried and lost her magic, was no longer there.

In her place stood a budding exorcist—strong and unwavering.

It felt like a mont worth celebrating. Yet, I held back the correction I wanted to make and instead spoke to them both.

"Let's head back. It's ti to return to Tokyo."

Nina had said she would "beco stronger." But I disagreed.

She didn't need to beco stronger—she already was.

Despite her trauma, she had chosen to beco an exorcist.

Even when she felt abandoned by her mother, she never gave up.

From the mont I t her, Nina had always been dazzlingly strong.