Although the vampire ninja village suffered no damage under Eriri's deliberate control, the people living there had experienced the feeling of a free-fall ride.
Once things stabilized, the vampire ninjas who had remained in the village quickly spread their wings and flew into the sky, trying to figure out what had just happened.
But when they appeared in the air, they found no trace of anything unusual.
By that time, Eriri had already brought Seraphim and the others back to the living room, while Kyoko had closed the livestream.
What had just happened made Sarasvati realize that Eriri was definitely not someone the vampire ninjas could afford to provoke. Unlike when they had first met, she no longer dared to treat Eriri casually.
"Now we can properly discuss the matter of the price, don't you think~"
Eriri crossed her legs and leaned lazily against the sofa, gazing down imperiously at Sarasvati, who was still kneeling on the floor.
Hearing Eriri's words, Sarasvati's expression immediately became troubled.
She couldn't think of a reward that would satisfy Eriri, but giving up on asking about their leader's whereabouts was impossible. After all, the leader was far too important to the vampire ninja race.
After a moment of thought, she decided to hand the initiative over to Eriri.
Taking a deep breath, Sarasvati spoke firmly:
"Lady Eriri, no matter what your request is, as long as it's something we vampire ninjas are capable of, we will do our best to fulfill it!"
Eriri didn't answer right away, instead pretending to think carefully.
Sarasvati didn't interrupt, waiting quietly for her response.
Within seconds, Eriri's eyes shifted back to her, roaming boldly over Sarasvati's body.
Under the invasive gaze, Sarasvati felt extremely uncomfortable. But she didn't dare to voice any complaint, and could only endure silently.
Fortunately, the discomfort didn't last long, as Eriri's voice soon broke the silence.
"In that case, you can become my servant as well—just like Seraphim."
"This…"
Eriri's request left Sarasvati momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.
Seeing her hesitation, Eriri's lips curved into an amused smile.
"No need to rush. I'll give you ten minutes to think it over. The choice is yours, and I won't force you either way."
"But there's one thing I can tell you—becoming my servant will grant you benefits beyond your imagination~"
After saying this, Eriri lost interest in Sarasvati for the time being and turned to whisper with Eu, who sat beside her.
Sarasvati fell into silence, her expression showing increasing conflict.
On one hand, she wanted to agree in order to secure the leader's location. To her, becoming the servant of someone like Eriri wasn't shameful at all.
On the other hand, she had to think of the village. If she became Eriri's servant like Seraphim, she would no longer be able to serve the village, something hard for her, a conservative commander, to accept.
Two opposing voices clashed in her mind like angel and demon, locked in a fierce struggle.
Ten minutes passed in this mental battle.
In the end, the angel's voice triumphed, and Sarasvati made what she believed was the wisest decision.
"Lady Eriri, I accept your request. From this moment on, I am your loyal servant!"
Sarasvati dropped to one knee before Eriri, bowing her head in submission.
"A wise choice. I assure you, you won't regret it."
Eriri nodded with satisfaction, then reached out her right hand, gently stroking Sarasvati's head.
Without hesitation, she planted an energy seed into her body.
After Eriri explained the energy seed, Sarasvati finally realized the immense opportunity she had just received.
Not only could it drastically boost her strength, but it also freed her from the curse of needing to drink blood regularly to survive. That alone made her ecstatic—she had long since grown sick of blood packs.
Once she calmed down from her excitement, her focus returned to the matter of their leader.
"Lady Eriri, can you tell me where our leader is now?"
Hearing her words, Seraphim also turned her expectant gaze toward Eriri.
Eriri didn't disappoint them. She nodded and said:
"Of course. And regarding this, I can give you two choices."
As she spoke, Eriri raised her right hand and held up two fingers.
"Two choices?" Sarasvati asked curiously.
"That's right. The first choice is that I simply tell you your leader's location and let you search for him yourselves. The second choice is more direct—I'll transfer your leader straight to your village, saving you the time and effort."
"Saras, which do you choose?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Sarasvati made her decision.
"I'll take the second choice!"
Since there was a direct method, why would she choose the more troublesome one?
Eriri nodded at her choice and immediately said:
"Alright, your leader has already been transferred to the vampire ninja village."
"Already?"
Sarasvati stared at her blankly. She hadn't seen Eriri make any sort of movement. Not even their conversation had paused.
"Of course. It wasn't anything difficult," Eriri said casually.
Just moments ago, she had located the vampire ninja leader and instantly transferred him into one of the rooms within the village. The whole process had been completed in the span of a single thought.
Hearing her answer, disbelief filled Sarasvati's face. But then she recalled Eriri's earlier miraculous displays and quickly accepted it.
After all, someone who could casually toy with an entire mountain and create such a mysterious energy seed would hardly be limited by the laws of common sense. Adding the ability to transfer people across space was hardly surprising.
Excitement welled up in her chest. With the leader's return, the conflict between the two factions in the village could finally be resolved.
But soon, she remembered that she was no longer truly part of the village, which left her feeling dejected.
Watching the shift in Sarasvati's expression, Eriri easily guessed her thoughts even without reading her mind.
"Saras, don't worry. I never said you had to sever ties with your village. You can still consider yourself part of it."
"I also won't restrict your freedom. But there's one thing you must remember—from now on, as my servant, you can only obey my commands."
"However…"
At this, Eriri deliberately paused, her lips curving into a mysterious smile.
That little shift instantly lit up Sarasvati's eyes, as though she had seen hope.
"Although you can only obey my orders, that doesn't mean you can't take the initiative to help your village. Do you understand what I mean?"
Hearing this, Sarasvati's face lit up with joy.
Of course she understood. Eriri's words were practically a direct hint.
She might not be able to accept tasks from the village anymore, but she could still proactively help them with the ones they couldn't complete themselves.
"I understand. Thank you, Lady Eriri."
Sarasvati's gratitude was genuine, and her affection toward Eriri soared rapidly to new heights.
Eriri didn't reply, only chuckled as she reached out to pinch Sarasvati's cheek lightly.
Then she withdrew her hand and turned her gaze toward Seraphim, who stood quietly by her side.
Seraphim's face now also showed anticipation. When she saw Eriri's gaze shift toward her, she immediately asked:
"Lady Eriri, can I be like Sarasvati too?"
"Of course. You're no different."
Receiving Eriri's affirmation, Seraphim's face lit up with excitement.
As for their loyalty to the village, Eriri didn't mind. That was only natural. If they had immediately severed all ties with the village after becoming her servants, that would have been a flaw in their character—and Eriri would never accept such people.
Still, she believed that in time, both Seraphim and Sarasvati would shift the balance of their hearts entirely toward her.
...
After resolving Sarasvati's matter, Eriri didn't linger any longer in the Is This a Zombie? world. She brought Eu back to the Saekano world for dinner, with Kyoko tagging along as usual.
Nene didn't follow, as she had arranged to meet an old friend she hadn't seen in months for a night of drinking.
Meanwhile, Seraphim and Sarasvati returned to the vampire ninja village with Eriri's permission. Eriri even used teleportation to send them directly there. Of course, they wanted to be present for the leader's return, such a momentous event.
But Eriri set a condition: both of them had to return by noon the next day and then accompany Nene to the Saekano world for the banquet.
Time quickly moved to the following day. Aside from the newest batch of members, all the other group members arrived at the Saekano world through the World Gate, each bringing friends and relatives along.
Among them were Natsuki Minamiya, Frieren, Victoria, Darkness, and Eris, all of whom crossed through the free group portal with eager anticipation.
Before they arrived, Eriri had already prepared to receive them. The reception room was set up right in the villa's living room.
Because this was to welcome new members, many group members stayed by Eriri's side to greet them. Some non-members, curious about the event, also came to watch the excitement.
Arifureta and Chika Fujiwara sat on either side of Eriri like loyal guardians, while Shinobu was directly nestled in Eriri's arms. The others spread around casually—some chatting in small groups, others absorbed in their phones.
When Natsuki Minamiya and the other four stepped out of the portal, the first thing they saw was Eriri and her companions waiting just two meters in front of them.
"What is this?"
Since there had been no prior notice in the group, they were surprised by the warm welcome.
"Everyone's here to welcome you. So? Surprised? Happy?"
Eriri grinned at them, and right after her words fell, Shinobu chimed in:
"At last, you have come. We have been waiting."
At the same time, the surrounding group members gathered toward them, greeting them one after another. Thankfully, they were restrained enough not to crowd right up to them.
The scene instantly felt like a fan meeting, with the "idols" being Natsuki Minamiya and the others, surrounded by Eriri and the rest acting like enthusiastic "fans."
"I appreciate the welcome, but isn't this a bit too much…?"
Looking at the crowd encircling them in several layers, Natsuki Minamiya sighed helplessly and rubbed her forehead. Then, like a true idol, she raised her right hand and waved sweetly at the group members around her.
"Hello, everyone. I am Natsuki Minamiya."
She was dressed in a black gothic lolita outfit that highlighted her petite figure with irresistible cuteness. And unlike before, this wasn't a magical clone—it was her real body.
With millions of points to her name, Natsuki Minamiya had spent the last few days not only enhancing her strength but also freeing herself from her demon contract.
With the limitless power of points, she had successfully severed ties with the demon.
Of course, even without the contract, she could still control the Prison Barrier. And thanks to the points, the barrier had transformed into a true alternate space, no longer requiring her to keep her body in slumber to maintain it.
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