Chapter 274: Kanade Tachibana Joins the Fray!
...
"That's Right! He is Sei, the Number One Player in the God Domain!"
"That's right," Eriri confirmed.
The moment she heard those words, Sayuri Sawamura reached for her phone. The legend of the "Number One Player" was well-known even to her; without a second thought, she intended to call for his aid.
But just then—!
BOOM!
CRASH!
A sudden explosion of dust and debris erupted right where the monster stood! Soil and stone sprayed in every direction, drawing the attention of all three women.
A moment later, the haze cleared.
A silver-haired youth stood there. He looked down at the lifeless monster beneath his feet and offered a breezy smile. "No need. The boss is already dead."
The three women let out a long, collective sigh of relief. Eriri rushed over, her face brightening. "Thank you so much, Seito."
"Don't mention it." Seito waved it off casually. "I'll be heading off now."
He didn't plan on lingering; he still had "business" to attend to.
"Oh... alright then," Eriri murmured. She had wanted to invite him inside for a bit, but since he had already made his exit, she decided to let it rest. I'll just invite him over tomorrow instead, she thought.
Seito nodded, his gaze briefly sweeping over Sayuri Sawamura and Utaha Kasumigaoka. Honestly, aside from her twin-tails, Eriri really is outmatched by these two in certain... departments. With that passing thought, Seito turned and vanished into the night.
As they watched his figure fade into the distance, Sayuri turned to her daughter.
"Eriri, remember to bring Seito over for dinner tomorrow."
"I know, Mom." Eriri nodded. Her mother's thoughts were perfectly in sync with her own.
Utaha, looking as poised as ever, spoke up. "It's late. I'll be taking my leave as well."
"Right. Thanks for today," Eriri replied.
In the face of such a crisis, Utaha had refrained from her usual sharp-tongued barbs, and Eriri had forgotten to be a tsundere. They simply didn't have the energy for their usual antics. After bidding them farewell, Utaha headed home.
Elsewhere...
Walking down the street, Seito rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Who should I have a "match" with tonight?
Mrs. Yukinoshita? Mrs. Yuigahama?
No! Seito shook his head vigorously. Why are "Moms" the first people that come to mind? I'm not some modern-day Cao Cao—this won't do! While inheriting the "Great Hero's Legacy" was thrilling in its own way, he had to keep his priorities straight.
That left the usual suspects: Haruno, Shizuka Hiratsuka, Sae Chabashira, Kirukiru Amou, Yukino, Shiro, and Yui.
"Let's go with Amou~"
After a moment's deliberation, he made up his mind. Going a few rounds with Amou was always the most refreshing. Her offensives were fierce, forcing him to defend constantly. And when he went on the attack, her competitive spirit would flare up, and she'd strike back even harder. No one was a better sparring partner than Kirukiru Amou.
With his target set, Seito used Spatial Movement to return home.
Seito's Residence.
Appearing directly in Amou's room, Seito found her just about to turn in for the night. It was, after all, quite late.
"Eh? You're here to challenge me to a duel?" Amou arched a brow.
"Exactly!" Seito grinned. "After thinking it over, you're the only one who truly hits the spot."
"Heh. Then let's not waste time!"
One hour later...
Standing outside Amou's bedroom door, Kanade Tachibana stood motionless, a faint rosy tint dusting her expressionless face. Having watched Seito's circle of girlfriends grow larger by the day, Kanade had decided she couldn't afford to wait any longer.
Recalling Yukino's bold display earlier that day, she felt she could no longer retreat! Steeling her resolve, Kanade reached out, pushed the door open, and walked in.
"Kanade, you..."
"I... I want to fight, too!"
"..."
The next morning, 7:00 AM.
Inside Amou's room, Seito and Amou looked at the soundly sleeping Kanade.
"I'm going to skip school this morning to look after Kanade," Seito said. He was feeling a bit lazy regarding the academy today anyway. Taking care of Kanade was a good excuse, but he also wanted to check some things in the game.
"Then I'll stay with you," Amou replied after a brief thought. Ever since opening the Path to Godhood, school had felt like a chore; now that she was an actual deity, it felt entirely redundant.
"Alright. I'll drop a message in the group chat." Seito pulled out his phone.
[Class 1-D Group Chat]
Seito: @Shizuka Hiratsuka. I'm skipping school this morning. I'll be there in the afternoon.
Shizuka Hiratsuka: I know you've lost interest in studying, but can you at least give me a reason?
Seito: Kanade is sick. I'm taking care of her.
Shizuka Hiratsuka: ...
At Shizuka Hiratsuka's home.
Reading Seito's message, Shizuka's mouth twitched. Kanade Tachibana is sick? Do I look like a three-year-old? How does someone on the Path to Godhood catch a cold?
More likely than not...
Is this just how it is once you become a god? Shizuka mused before typing back.
Shizuka Hiratsuka: Fine.
Seeing the reply, Seito tucked his phone away and turned to Amou. "Let's head into the God Domain."
Amou nodded. Together, they initiated a True Login.
God Domain, 42nd Floor.
Inside a small wooden cabin in the woods, the siblings "Blank" (Sora and Shiro) and Ako were already gathered.
"Hah~ I'm going to grab a nap in the other room," Sora yawned. Since he was using a True Login, he could simply sleep within the game world.
"I'm logging off to catch some sleep, too," Ako said, rubbing her eyes. She had been grinding all night with the siblings and was thoroughly exhausted.
"Go ahead," Seito nodded.
Sora disappeared into a guest room while Ako logged out. This left only Seito, Amou, and Shiro. Shiro crawled into Seito's lap with a tiny smile, hugging him tight. Seito instinctively gave the little girl a gentle headpat.
"Where are we headed?" Amou asked.
"To the 60th Floor," Seito replied. "It's time for the Boss Dungeon."
.....
Thank you for reading.