"People of the Underworld naturally have very long lifespans. Whether it's you or the former members of the 'Seventh Abyss,' you're all still alive and well even now. So why is it that others don't want to die, but he does? This is entirely his own choice and has nothing to do with anyone else."
"So you don't need to feel any guilt toward him."
After hearing Eriri's comforting words, Eu still hadn't completely come to terms with it, but she did feel much better.
Standing to the side, Kyoko couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled after hearing Eriri's words.
She knew that the King of the Night wanted to die because he had protected the Underworld for too long and was weary of life.
This made her think of the King of the Night as a great figure, and she admired him because of it, wanting to help fulfill his wish. She had never really considered other aspects of the situation.
But now that she thought about it—he wasn't the only one who had defended the Underworld for such a long time. Why was he the only one who wanted to die?
Could there be some other unknown reason behind it…?
She didn't know what that reason might be, but this realization did make her start to question her admiration for the King of the Night.
Eriri didn't continue discussing the topic. After comforting Eu, she deliberately changed the subject.
Though Kyoko wanted to ask more about why the King of the Night desired death, seeing Eriri's current demeanor, she ultimately chose not to voice her questions.
...
"Hmm, it's getting late now. Eriri, how about I prepare dinner for everyone? There are plenty of ingredients in the fridge."
After the group's idle chat wound down, Kyoko took the initiative and offered to cook dinner for everyone.
Hearing Kyoko's words, Eriri looked visibly surprised.
"Ara, I didn't expect you to be able to cook."
You couldn't blame Eriri for thinking that way. In the original work, Kyoko's image was either that of a crazed killer or a weirdo with intermittent episodes. She never seemed like someone who could handle cooking.
Of course, Haruka, who was perched on Eriri's shoulder, and Eu standing beside her, didn't share the same thoughts.
They had never seen the memory playback, so Kyoko's current image was all they knew.
And at the moment, Kyoko was acting like a proper lady in front of Eriri, so Haruka and Eu had no reason to doubt her culinary skills.
Hearing Eriri's comment, Kyoko puffed out her chest proudly and said with a smug face:
"Of course! Don't think the kitchen in my place is just for decoration!"
"Is that so? Then I look forward to seeing what kind of dinner you can make."
Looking at the confident Kyoko, Eriri couldn't help but get excited about the upcoming meal.
"Hehe, let me show you my skills now. I guarantee you'll be shocked."
With those words, Kyoko turned around and strode confidently toward the kitchen.
It was already past six in the evening. Eriri had no plans to return with Eu and Haruka to the Saekano world today. Instead, she intended to spend a few more days here.
During these days, she also planned to prepare a house to place the World Gate—after all, that was one of the main reasons she had come to this world.
As for tonight, Eriri planned to make do by staying at Kyoko's apartment.
Though the apartment was just a rental, it had a nice environment and was a standard two-bedroom layout.
Kyoko lived alone and only used one of the rooms, while the other had remained unoccupied.
Whatever her reasons were for renting a place with two rooms, it happened to be quite convenient for Eriri.
However, once the house connected to the Saekano world was completed, Eriri planned to invite Kyoko to move over there. After all, it made sense for a group member like Kyoko to settle there too.
Soon, more than half an hour had passed.
"Dinner's ready!"
With a crisp call, Kyoko finally emerged from the kitchen after a long stretch of bustling about, carrying two bowls of food in her hands.
Hearing her call, Eriri and Eu, who had been watching TV, immediately turned their attention toward her.
When they saw Kyoko place the dishes on the dining table next to the living room and then turn around to return to the kitchen, Eriri and Eu stood up and walked over to the table.
"Looks pretty good. Now let's see how it tastes."
Looking at the potato stew and fried chicken on the table, Eriri nodded in satisfaction.
Regardless of the taste, the presentation alone had already earned her approval.
This showed that Kyoko really could cook, unlike a certain vampire ninja who loved making food despite not knowing how.
Sitting beside Eriri, Eu also said with satisfaction, "Yeah, it smells really nice too."
They didn't lower their voices, so Kyoko, still in the kitchen, could hear them clearly and responded right away.
"Of course! Not only does it look good, the taste is absolutely top-tier."
As she said that, Kyoko once again walked out of the kitchen, this time carrying another dish and a bowl of soup.
Compared to the previous bowls, the soup bowl was significantly larger—most people would need both hands to carry it, but Kyoko managed just fine.
After placing the dish and soup on the table, Kyoko went back into the kitchen and brought out four sets of utensils and a rice cooker full of steaming rice.
Since Eriri had already explained Haruka's situation to both Eu and Kyoko earlier, Kyoko didn't treat her as just a normal kitten—she even prepared a set of utensils for her.
Once everything was set, Kyoko sat down across from Eriri.
Since it was just three people and one cat, she had prepared three dishes and one soup.
In addition to the previously served potato stew and fried chicken, the last dish and soup were rolled omelets and vegetable soup.
Although Kyoko came from the otherworld Verier, all the dishes she made were traditional Japanese home-cooked meals—whether that meant Verier shared similar cuisine was unclear.
As a foodie who had already been eyeing the food on the table, Eu wasted no time digging in once she got her utensils.
Seeing this, Kyoko looked at her with eager anticipation and asked, "Well? How is it?"
Eu didn't answer right away. Instead, she took her time savoring the food elegantly and thoroughly.
Only after she swallowed did she slowly say, "Mmm, the potato stew tastes really good."
"Told you so!"
Kyoko beamed happily at the praise, then looked at Eriri with an eager expression.
"Eriri, you should try some too."
Eriri found Kyoko's behavior a little strange—this completely overturned her perception of the girl.
Right now, Kyoko looked like a perfectly normal fourteen-year-old girl, nothing like the deranged killer from the original story.
Still, Eriri didn't dwell on it and picked up a rolled omelet, popping it into her mouth under Kyoko's hopeful gaze.
"Well? Is it good?"
Kyoko watched her intently, clearly wanting to hear her verdict.
After swallowing the food, Eriri pondered for a moment before giving an honest assessment. "Yeah, it's pretty good. I'd give it an eight out of ten."
Kyoko's face instantly fell with disappointment.
"Eh? Only eight?"
Eight was already a high score, but Kyoko still wasn't satisfied—she had been aiming for a perfect ten.
"Actually, eight is quite impressive. Very few people reach your level. But compared to a true ten-point dish, there's still a noticeable gap."
The "ten-point" dish Eriri referred to was, of course, the cooking made by Aoi Kujou.
As a newcomer who had only just joined the chat group, Kyoko had never tasted Aoi Kujou's cooking, so she had no idea what true culinary mastery was.
In the realm of cuisine, Aoi Kujou was undoubtedly top-tier.
Eriri had originally planned to take her to the world of Food Wars! to compete with the chefs there, but now she felt there was no need—Kyoko would simply be overwhelming the competition.
Before Kyoko could respond, Eriri added, "Next time, I'll let you taste what real gourmet cooking is."
Hearing this, Kyoko swallowed her retort.
Meanwhile, Eu, who had been eating and listening to their conversation, chimed in eagerly, "Eriri, I want to try that 'ten-point' cooking too."
"Of course, no problem. Once you come to my world, you'll get to eat it every day," Eriri said, patting Eu's little head with a smile.
Satisfied with the answer, Eu nodded and returned to her meal.
At that moment, Haruka, who had been perched on Eriri's shoulder, suddenly raised her tiny paw and let out a series of meows.
Meow meow meow (Master, I want food too!)
"Alright, alright, I'll get you some~"
Rubbing Haruka's petite form, Eriri picked up the remaining rice bowl and added a bit of food into it.
With a signal from Eriri, Haruka leapt from her shoulder onto the dining table and eagerly dug into the food.
Since it was just a simple dinner, it didn't take long. By the time they finished, it was only a little past 7 PM—less than twenty minutes had passed.
Afterward, they lounged in the living room watching some TV before heading off to wash up and go to bed.
Kyoko stayed in her own room, while Eriri and Eu shared the vacant one.
Naturally, Haruka stayed with Eriri as well.
After washing up, Eriri and Eu lay side by side on the bed, with Haruka curled up beside Eriri's head, already drifting off to sleep.
Earlier, Kyoko had tried to join them in bed, but Eriri had firmly refused.
Sure, Kyoko was cute and had a great figure—cuddling with her would no doubt be comfortable—but Eriri didn't hesitate to choose some alone time with Eu instead.
Though they were alone, nothing overly intimate happened—just some whispered chats for over an hour and then a simple cuddle as they drifted off to sleep.
...
The next morning, after eating the breakfast Kyoko had prepared, Eriri left the apartment with Eu and Haruka, with Kyoko following behind.
The first thing Eriri did after leaving was go purchase a house—she had already prepared the funds the day before.
The house she had in mind was a three-story detached home in Tokyo's Koto Ward, not far from the apartment Kyoko rented.
They reached the place in under twenty minutes on foot.
Eriri had only finalized the choice earlier that morning. She picked this house mainly because no one lived in it yet.
Another reason was that nearby, there was a two-story apartment building.
And in one of the rooms in that building lived someone who had slightly piqued Eriri's interest.
Standing at the front door of the house, Eriri quickly located the owner and contacted them directly.
At first, the owner flatly refused when Eriri said she wanted to buy the house.
But the moment she heard Eriri quote her offer, the owner changed her tune completely and rushed over at top speed—afraid Eriri might change her mind and back out of the deal.
Not long after, Eriri received the deed and all the keys from a middle-aged woman.
That woman then happily drove off—clearly, the sale had made her a tidy profit.
"So this will be our base in this world?" Kyoko said excitedly, looking at the spacious house.
Eriri nodded. "That's right. Once I finish setting it up, you can move in. You can go ahead and cancel your lease on that apartment."
"Mm-hmm, I will!"
Kyoko didn't hesitate. She had already learned from the chat group that each world had its own base, and from Yoshino Himekawa, she'd heard how Eriri had turned their old home into a luxurious mansion and made it the group's base.
So Kyoko knew that these so-called bases were essentially Eriri's way of giving benefits to her fellow group members.
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