Eriri pouted, her cheeks flushed as she spoke in a huffy tone.
"Didn't you say Nezuko and Kie were also a mother and daughter pair?"
"And Tatsuki is so incredible—if I'm on my own compared to those two, I'd be at a huge disadvantage! So, Mom, let's team up and outdo them!"
Sayuri was completely dumbfounded.
She couldn't believe those words had come out of her daughter's mouth.
'That's it. My Eriri's totally broken.'
She was crying internally, but at the same time, she felt deeply tempted.
Though she tried hard to deny it, she was truly moved.
Once that wavering began, it was like a dam bursting; there was no stopping it.
In the end, she was defeated by her daughter's big, pleading eyes, shining with tears.
Her face reddened as she nodded softly. "Mm…"
"Hurray! I feel a surge of inspiration—I'm going to draw a new book! Mother-daughter, mother-daughter!"
With Sayuri's answer, Eriri's eyes lit up, and she dashed into her room at once.
"…."
So, her daughter really had gone fully over to the dark side.
She didn't need any coaxing at all.
From start to finish, Eriri was already shaped by Tatsuki!
This so-called guidance ended up dragging her into it as well!
"What on earth is happening here…"
Sayuri smiled wryly.
For a brief moment, an image of Tatsuki popped into her mind again.
She lowered her gaze to look down… and found herself once more reacting.
'Looks like I've become shaped by Tatsuki too!'
…
At the Anime Convention.
Commonly referred to as a manga/anime expo, it's a place where fans from all over gather to make friends.
Tatsuki stood under the shade of a tree outside the expo's entrance, waiting for Marin Kitagawa.
There were tons of people outside—quite crowded—wearing all sorts of outfits.
He deliberately chose a spot with fewer people yet still easy to see.
"Tatsuki-kun!"
A clear, crisp voice rang out from behind him.
It was so distinctive he didn't even need to look to know it was Marin Kitagawa.
Turning around, he was greeted by a version of Marin who was neither blonde nor tanned.
She had donned a dark violet wig, matching colored contacts, and a somewhat sickly style of makeup, all paired with a Gothic Lolita outfit.
She wore sheer mesh stockings with a slight see-through look.
This whole vibe and her makeup felt nothing like the usual blonde Marin.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Tatsuki felt there was a faint attraction in that pretty face, pulling him in.
Still, he complimented her. "You look wonderful in that outfit."
"Hehe, this is my cosplay of Shizuku!"
Marin beamed, striking a cute pose.
"Black Shizuku? Your taste in cosplay is on point," Tatsuki teased.
Marin's eyes lit up.
"You know her, Tatsuki-kun?"
"Of course." Tatsuki nodded without a hint of embarrassment.
"She's from Saint ♡ Slippery's Academy for Girls - The Young Ladies of the Humiliation Club: Debauched Miracle Life 2, right? I've played it. That character really got to me."
It was an adult-oriented game, nicknamed Slippery Girls 2.
"That's great! I never expected you to like Shizuku too!"
Marin exclaimed as though she'd found a kindred spirit.
"Well, I do. Although," Tatsuki said with a raised eyebrow, "don't you find it odd to cosplay a character like this?"
"Not at all! I really like Shizuku!"
Marin proudly showed off her outfit to Tatsuki.
"All right then… Don't tell me you plan on letting random people take pictures? 'Cause if so, I'm not sticking around for that."
Tatsuki had no interest in being surrounded by people with cameras.
"Of course not! I'm not looking to have my photo taken—I'm just here to enjoy myself. If anyone tries to snap pictures without my permission, I'll give them a one-two punch! Taking pictures without permission is against the law, you know!"
As she spoke, Marin playfully waved her little fists.
"Mhm, that's easily solved," Tatsuki said with a small smirk. A subtle glint flashed in his eyes.
He did something—he manipulated their sense of presence.
This was inspiration he got from Megumi.
Even something so intangible could be manipulated, as long as one tested and confirmed it.
For now, his level of control wasn't that high, but if he leveled it up further, it would get much stronger.
Currently, the two of them had greatly diminished presence.
People around them would subconsciously ignore them.
At the same time, he also manipulated his aura so that those nearby would instinctively avoid them, ensuring no one accidentally bumped into them—even if they were ignoring them.
"So amazing!"
Marin's eyes sparkled.
Once inside the expo hall, the two of them browsed the booths normally, wandering from one to the next.
They looked around, occasionally buying small merchandise.
Marin had a small crossbody bag where she could store these trinkets.
Tatsuki, not stingy in the least, would just go ahead and pay whenever he sensed she liked something.
Marin teased him in a playful tone.
"Tatsuki-kun is being so sweet to me. Are you trying to romance me like in a game?"
Tatsuki spread his hands nonchalantly.
"I think that's totally possible."
Marin Kitagawa was young, fashionable, outgoing, and cheerful. She was open-minded, and both her figure and personality matched his preferences.
If he saw someone he liked, he wouldn't shy away from the idea of dating them. That was simply his nature.
Marin giggled and patted his hand.
"Don't joke around. Isn't Megumi your girlfriend?"
Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, amused.
"You already know—I'm not with just one person."
"...Ah! Look, that place seems fun. Let's go over there!"
Marin made a quick getaway.
Naturally so. Aside from their shared nightmare in the apocalyptic game, they didn't know each other too deeply.
Bringing up that tricky subject was awkward, so they let it drop and continued to enjoy the expo.
Tatsuki was perfectly comfortable, but Marin had it harder.
Her outfit was made from heavier material for authenticity, so while it looked beautiful and accurate, it was hot.
The venue was packed with people.
She was already starting to sweat, fanning herself with her hand repeatedly.
"Are you hot?" Tatsuki asked.
"Of course I am. This outfit is super thick!"
Marin moaned about her discomfort, her expression pitiful.
"It'd be nice if the fabric were thinner but still accurate to the design."
"Want me to help?"
Marin blinked at him.
She then noticed that in this crowded place, wearing long sleeves and pants, Tatsuki wasn't sweating at all.
"How come you're not hot?"
Tatsuki offered his right hand. "Take my hand."
"Eh?"
She hesitated, but then lightly placed her hand in his.
"Whoa! That's so refreshing!"
The moment Marin touched his hand, a cooling sensation coursed through her body. Gripping him more firmly, she felt the stifling heat vanish in an instant.
Tatsuki's lips curved gently.
He personally never felt overheated; his Reflective Layer ability simply sent excess heat away.
Giving Marin the same cooling effect was easy—he just infused a bit of temperature-manipulating energy around her.
All it took was guiding that energy flow in her direction.
As for why he offered his hand rather than doing it discreetly, well… that was on purpose.
He wasn't kidding earlier about wanting to romance Marin.
He wasn't some passive main character waiting to be pursued; nor was he a pure, naive gentleman.
If someone he liked happened to throw themselves at him, he'd happily accept.
If she didn't throw herself at him, he'd take the initiative.
If no chance arose, he'd create one.
He wasn't the type to give up without trying.
And after all, since he'd already decided on having a harem, there was no reason to be afraid.
His only concern would be whether his body could keep up.
Marin felt so much cooler that she didn't let go of his hand.
She marveled at Tatsuki's unusual abilities. "That's really impressive, Tatsuki-kun."
Not just this cooling power. In the apocalyptic game, she'd seen him control people's bodies at will, exhibit superhuman strength to tear through thick steel walls, and now at the expo, it seemed like no one could see them, as though some special aura made others steer clear.
Every one of those abilities amazed her.
Tatsuki just smiled. "Didn't you gain something in the apocalyptic game as well? You must've gotten some survival points."
"Well… about that… I, um, I can't really explain," Marin answered, her cheeks turning a bit pink. A mischievous smile followed. "I'll show you later!"
…
Midday.
They found a casual restaurant to grab lunch, then continued browsing in the afternoon.
With Tatsuki's cooling assistance, Marin felt wonderfully comfortable for the rest of the day.
She clung to his hand the entire afternoon, looking around from booth to booth.
All the while, they chatted, quickly becoming more familiar with each other.
Considering their life-or-death experience together, their form of address naturally grew more intimate.
…
Late afternoon.
At last, the day at the anime convention came to an end.
"Where are we going, Marin?"
Tatsuki let himself be dragged along, having no clue where she was taking him.
"Obviously to do what I promised," Marin replied.
She then led him to a place called Hotel.
"Whoosh—"
Sitting in the hotel room, Tatsuki was staring at the bathroom's translucent glass door.
He was feeling a bit confused.
Yes, he was trying to make a move on Marin, but wasn't this all happening a little too fast?
And it was Marin who pulled him here.
Thinking more carefully, though, he concluded he was probably overthinking it.
The promise Marin spoke of must be the cosplay fanservice she'd offered and also her plan to show off her new ability.
She probably didn't have anything weird in mind.
Speculating further was pointless.
So, Tatsuki simply decided to check the chat group on his phone.
…
Saeko Busujima: "Sigh, there are so many undead. It feels like I can never kill them all."
Shinobu Kocho: "At least taking out zombies gets you apocalypse points. You can keep getting stronger and eventually solve everything."
Nami: "That's right. Here in my world, there's no way to earn points. Every day, I just keep working on my Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities, but the progress is slow."
Saeko Busujima: "You want to catch up to Tatsuki?"
Nami: "Not really. I just want to be more useful."
Tatsuki: "Who says you're not useful? You're plenty helpful, so don't worry so much."
Nami: "Hehe, got it. But I'll still do my best to grow stronger!"
Reinhard van Astrea: "Tatsuki—Admin."
Tatsuki: "No need to be so formal. Everyone in the group is equal, so just call me by name."
Aqua: "Equal? You still have admin privileges, you privileged jerk!"
"…"
Tatsuki frowned. That Aqua really needs to be taught a lesson…
[Ding! Aqua has been muted by Admin Tatsuki for 10 minutes!]
March 7: "Haha, I'm not sure why Aqua loves poking at Tatsuki so much."
Ainz Ooal Gown: "Many boys act like that around girls they like."
March 7: "Uh, I don't get it…"
Reinhard: "Tatsuki, remember that person you asked me about earlier—Natsuki Subaru?"
Tatsuki: "I do. What's up?"
Reinhard: "Not long ago, I found the lost royal descendant of Lugunica's former king—Lady Felt. At that time, someone attacked her. I arrived by chance and the attacker fled.
Reinhard: She told me the man who tried to kill her was named Natsuki Subaru, and her guardian, Old Man Rom, was murdered.
Reinhard: Lady Felt is now one of the candidates for the throne, and I've sworn allegiance to her. We are currently hunting this Natsuki Subaru.
Reinhard: I recalled your earlier question about him, so I wondered if you had any info you could share with me."
"?"
Tatsuki was a bit stunned. 'Natsuki Subaru trying to kill Felt? What's going on here?'
He had expected the infamous Bowel Hunter to be the one who first appeared. This was another glaring difference from his knowledge of that world.
Tatsuki: "Sorry. The Subaru I mentioned isn't the same Subaru you're dealing with.
He might be part of an anomalous apocalypse factor. Maybe you can try tracking him down and talking to him."
Reinhard: "I understand. Thank you."
Emilia: "I'll try looking for that person, too."
Reinhard: "Thank you, Lady Emilia. Even though you're also a candidate for the throne, you're still willing to help. I extend my highest respect."
Emilia: "It's… it's not that big of a deal. I just think that since it concerns our world, and I'm a part of it, I should do what I can."
Esdeath: "An anomaly, huh…"
Tatsuki: "Oh? You show up now—did you notice something?"
Esdeath: "…I can't hide anything from you, can I?"
Esdeath: "Heh. It's sort of funny. I've returned to the Imperial Capital, and somehow the Prime Minister has been replaced without anyone noticing."
Tatsuki: "Huh? That pig of a minister?"
Esdeath: "Yes, a perfect description. He's disappeared. The new minister has never shown their face. Could that be an anomaly?"
March 7: "Ehhh, it sounds like major events are unfolding in both your worlds."
Tushan Honghong: "I'm cultivating in Tushan, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened."
Tatsuki: "Keep an eye on that new minister. I suspect something is off."
Esdeath: "That's what I plan to do."
***
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