Eriri's answer was extremely concise—so concise that it left Eu a bit doubtful whether what she said was really true.
After a brief silence, Eu lowered her head again and began writing in her notebook.
During this time, she didn't forcefully brush away Eriri's hand that was resting on her head.
Although the sudden intimate contact made her feel a little uneasy, the feeling of being patted on the head by Eriri was unexpectedly pleasant.
Soon, in just a few seconds, Eu finished writing what she wanted to say and lifted her head again to show it to Eriri.
"What you said has no basis, so I don't believe it."
Looking at the words Eu showed her, Eriri wasn't surprised—this was the normal reaction.
Only ordinary people, deceived by her appearance and aura, would easily believe her words. Just like that Taeko Hiramatsu she had met before.
"You're right. Actually, there are many ways to prove what I said is true."
"Then prove it to me."
Though she still harbored doubts about Eriri's words, Eu took the matter seriously. In her eyes, this wasn't a trivial issue.
If what Eriri said turned out to be true, she couldn't be sure whether Eriri would bring harm to this world—such as an invasion from another world.
After all, there had been precedent. The otherworld named Villiers once invaded other worlds due to a population explosion, including her own Underworld. Even now, the war between Villiers and the Underworld had yet to truly end.
Because Eu's face showed no emotion and Eriri hadn't used her mind-reading ability, she had no idea what Eu was thinking.
But that didn't affect what she planned to do next.
"Hmm, how about this—why don't you stay by my side for a while? I'll take you to my world, and maybe even to many other worlds. Then you'll know whether I'm telling the truth~"
Stopping her hand from stroking Eu's little head, Eriri spoke seriously about her idea.
Though she had countless ways to instantly prove the truth of her words, she deliberately chose this roundabout method, clearly harboring a little selfish motive.
She had indeed come here just to meet Eu. But as she had just said, if possible, she wanted to bring Eu with her.
After explaining her plan, Eriri looked at Eu with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
"Eu-chan, what do you think of my proposal?"
Eu didn't immediately agree or refuse.
Undeniably, her first impression of Eriri was very good. Otherwise, she wouldn't have held a long gaze with her.
She might've already stood up and left, instead of chatting so amicably now—and even allowing Eriri's small hand to move around on her head.
But that alone wasn't enough to convince her to follow Eriri.
In her view, her existence easily brought misfortune to others.
So, after a moment of thought, she still shook her head and refused Eriri's proposal.
"If I stay by your side, it will bring you misfortune. So you'd better find another way to prove it."
Reading the words in the notebook, Eriri waved her hand casually, completely unconcerned.
"Eu-chan, you're worried about your magical power, aren't you?"
Before Eu could answer, Eriri continued, "You really don't need to worry about that at all. You see, I'm super strong! No matter what kind of unfortunate fate it is, it has absolutely no effect on me~"
Eu's eyes lit up slightly at her words, but what truly shook her inner resolve was the next thing Eriri said.
"Besides, for me, solving your magical power issue is the easiest thing ever~"
Eriri looked at Eu with a bright smile. She was already prepared to resolve Eu's physical issues.
Of course, whether she would actually do so depended on Eu's own decision.
After hearing Eriri's words, Eu quickly lowered her head and began writing in her notebook.
"Are you serious? You can really solve the problems with my body?"
"But I haven't detected any flow of magic in you."
Although she felt a bit anxious, her expression remained unchanged.
"Of course! I never lie."
Upon receiving Eriri's firm reply, Eu didn't hesitate to make her request.
"Then, could you help me?"
Seeing the words filled with anticipation in the notebook, Eriri nodded in satisfaction—Eu had made the right choice.
"Alright then. Since your ability is kotodama, I'll solve your issue using kotodama as well."
Without a hint of hesitation, Eriri immediately spoke the words she intended to bestow upon Eu.
"From now on, the magical power within you will be completely under your own willful control and will not cause any negative effects to your body."
With just this simple incantation, Eriri completely resolved all of Eu's problems.
Whether it was the issue of 'fate distortion' caused by emotional changes, the severe headaches after using kotodama, or any other existing or potential negative effects—they were all wiped away clean.
What remained was purely controllable magic power, and a powerful kotodama ability capable of altering reality.
Eriri was already half a step into Level 9. The kotodama she invoked could not be shaken by anyone—not even those quasi-Level 9 beings at the peak of all realms across the multiverse.
So from now on, Eu no longer had to worry about losing control of her magic.
"Alright, Eu-chan, you should feel it now, right? The issues with your body are completely resolved. From now on, you can talk to me directly, no longer needing to hide behind that Western armor. You can smile or cry freely."
Eriri gently stroked the silver hair on Eu's head again, her face soft with a tender smile.
"Of course, I'd prefer it if your face always wore a smile."
Listening to Eriri's words, which sounded like a blessing, and feeling her warmth, Eu remained speechless for a long time.
The changes inside her body were obvious. The once uncontrollable magic now obediently stayed in her body, awaiting her command like a well-behaved child.
This feeling was nostalgic. Her magic hadn't always been uncontrollable. Long ago, she could manage her powers, and back then, she felt just like she did now.
No—there was a difference. Now, her control far surpassed what she had before the King of the Night tampered with her power, leading to its loss of control.
Eriri didn't speak. She just quietly watched Eu with a gentle gaze.
Several minutes passed like that before Eu, having composed herself, finally emerged from her silence.
"Eriri, thank you!"
Without any extra words, Eu's first action was to express heartfelt gratitude to Eriri.
Hearing Eu's adorable voice, Eriri's smile grew even brighter.
"So, what's your decision now? Will you come with me?"
Eu immediately nodded without hesitation. "Yes, I'd love to!"
At this moment, Eu's mindset was completely different from before.
Previously, she had considered following Eriri simply to verify the truth of her claims.
Now, she genuinely wanted to stay by Eriri's side, of her own free will.
She wanted to learn more about Eriri—not to determine whether she posed a threat to this world, but simply out of a desire to understand her as a person.
What's more, she was no longer worried about whether Eriri might invade this world. Based on the power Eriri had shown, conquering this world would be as simple as uttering a single kotodama.
"Well then..."
Hearing Eu's response, Eriri didn't hesitate. She withdrew her left hand from Eu's head and stood up from the ground.
Then, under Eu's slightly puzzled gaze, she extended her right hand toward her.
"Eu-chan, welcome to our big family!"
Looking at the small, fair hand Eriri offered, Eu's face lit up with a gentle smile. She reached out her right hand and firmly clasped the soft, powerful little hand in return.
...
Time quickly passed to around 5 p.m. It had been more than half a day since Eriri and Eu had left that convenience store.
During that time, Eriri took Eu wandering casually through the city, tasting all kinds of local delicacies.
For Eu, who had sealed away her emotions and never properly enjoyed herself before, this half-day of fun was an entirely new and joyful experience.
Eriri also introduced Haruka to Eu. Even without Eriri's help, Eu could communicate fluently with Haruka using her own abilities.
After their outing, Eriri brought both Haruka and Eu back to the apartment where Kyoko lived.
"So, the reason you came here was for this necromancer?"
Looking at Eu, whom Eriri had brought back, Kyoko immediately understood what the "other matter" Eriri had mentioned earlier was.
"And the way she is now, that's also your doing, right?"
At the moment, Eu was no longer wearing her Western armor, but instead a white dress. Her long silver hair was tied into two large braids draped over her shoulders.
Kyoko, who had some understanding of Eu, naturally recognized what this transformation meant.
"That's right!"
Eriri didn't deny it and nodded directly.
Eu, meanwhile, looked curiously at Kyoko and asked, "You know that Eriri is from another world too?"
Actually, the moment Eu saw Kyoko, she recognized her identity as a magical girl. However, she didn't show any hostility toward her.
After all, the full-scale war between the Underworld and Villiers had ended long ago. Besides, Eu had already left the Underworld; those matters no longer concerned her.
Hearing this, Kyoko proudly said, "Of course! I'm the one who invited Eriri here, after all."
Her words only made Eu more curious, and she pressed further.
"You invited her? Don't tell me Villiers has developed technology to explore other universes?"
She paused for a moment, then quickly rejected her own theory.
"No, if such technology really existed, the queen of Villiers would never allow it to be leaked."
At that moment, Eriri reached out and placed her hand on Eu's head, cutting off her line of thought.
"Alright, stop speculating. While Kyoko isn't wrong, there are still major gaps in her explanation."
Eriri then openly explained the matter of the chat group to Eu.
After listening, Eu finally understood the reason behind everything.
She was amazed by the chat group's abilities and finally grasped just how powerful Eriri truly was.
Just as Eu was reeling from Eriri's overwhelming strength, Eriri's voice sounded beside her again.
"Oh right, Eu, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you."
Eu didn't say anything—she just looked at Eriri with a questioning expression.
"That old friend of yours from the 'Seventh Abyss'... the King of the Night has been granted true death by me."
With that single sentence, Eu fell silent. A trace of sorrow appeared on her face.
During the full-scale war between the Underworld and Villiers, Eu, the King of the Night, and a few others had been close comrades and friends.
But later, in an effort to provoke Eu into killing him, the King of the Night murdered the Underworld King—a figure Eu deeply respected. Their friendship was shattered.
The death of the 'Seventh Abyss' leader caused the entire organization to collapse, which was why Eu left the Underworld and ended up on Earth.
Even so, she couldn't help but feel sorrow over the death of her former friend.
That said, it was just sorrow. She held no resentment toward Eriri for it.
"This is all my fault. If I hadn't turned him into a zombie, he wouldn't have ended up like this. Maybe this really was the best ending for him..." Eu murmured, her tone tinged with guilt.
Seeing Eu like this, Eriri pulled her closer so they were face-to-face, then gently cupped her delicate cheeks with both hands.
"It's alright, Eu. This isn't your fault at all," Eriri said softly, comforting her.
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