Less than twenty minutes of lunchtime remained, yet in that short span, Aoyama Nanami's physical enhancement had already advanced her from Level 1, Stage 4 to Level 1, Stage 6—an astonishing pace.
As the afternoon class bell rang, Aoyama finally stopped her strengthening process.
Being a diligent and well-mannered student, she would never skip a class unless something truly exceptional happened.
Likewise, Keika—another model student—had immediately begun using her 1.5 billion points to enhance herself as well.
Fortunately, in her world, it was the weekend, giving her plenty of free time to focus entirely on improvement.
And so, within a cozy, girlish bedroom filled with warm colors and soft decorations, a transcendent being—one who would soon stand above the ordinary rules of mortals—was being born at remarkable speed.
...
Meanwhile, in a forest far removed from civilization, the elegant Elf Sister, wearing a delicate flower crown, stared blankly at the 1.5 billion points she had just received.
She was dressed in a silver gown that accentuated her slender, graceful figure. Her skin was pale and flawless, her limbs slim yet firm, and her chest—pressing gently against the fabric from beneath—stood as a symbol of abundance.
Her beauty lived up to the name of her race. Even without any adornments, her face alone was enough to embody perfection.
Though she could not quite compare to Eriri's overwhelming beauty, she easily ranked just below her in the top tier of all worlds.
For the Elf Sister, this sudden influx of immense wealth brought excitement no less intense than what Aoyama Nanami and Keika felt.
Despite her eight thousand years of life, her strength had never increased accordingly. In fact, she was little different from an ordinary human—save for her exceptional archery skills.
Her current Level 1, Stage 4 strength had only been achieved through daily check-in point enhancements back in the Multiverse Chat Group.
In most fantasy-style worlds, any being that lived for eight thousand years would naturally rank among the strongest of their realm.
But the forest-dwelling elves were a peaceful race, disinterested in battle, and the idea of actively seeking power had never been part of their nature.
As a princess of the Elvenkind, Elf Sister was no exception.
Thus, instead of immediately rushing to strengthen herself like Aoyama or Keika, she simply sat in quiet contemplation, gazing at her balance in silence.
Time was the least valuable thing to her kind. She had all the time in the world to leisurely decide how to spend her fortune.
Just then, a tall elf girl—with long green hair, matching emerald eyes, and an equally striking beauty—leapt down lightly from a nearby tree branch.
"Sis, I'm here!"
The elf girl's tone was lively and bright. Her figure was slender and athletic, though her chest was almost completely flat—something she herself often joked about.
This was none other than the elven archer who had once ventured alongside the male protagonist in her original story.
"Sis, did anything interesting happen in the chat group today? And why do you look so stunned?"
After joining the Multiverse Same-Sex ♀ Friendship Group, Elf Sister hadn't hidden its existence from her younger sister.
As a result, the elven archer had developed a daily habit of visiting her sister just to hear the latest news from that mysterious cross-world group.
To her, that chat group connecting countless universes was a wondrous miracle—one she longed to join even more than she ever dreamed of leaving the forest to become an adventurer.
"You're always so restless," Elf Sister said, her tone exasperated yet fond.
The elf archer's boisterous entrance snapped her out of her daze. Shaking her head, she finally spoke again.
"I've joined a new chat group. The previous one was absorbed by it."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
The elven archer gasped, eyes wide with curiosity.
Elf Sister then patiently explained everything that had just occurred in the group—the absorption of the old Multiverse Chat Group, the emergence of the new one, and the enormous point distribution that followed.
By the time she finished, the elf archer nodded in understanding.
"So that's how it is. I can't believe that guy, Adam, turned out to be such a scumbag. And to think you even praised him before!"
"I must've misjudged him. He hid his true nature well—can't really blame me for that," Elf Sister replied with a helpless smile.
Elf Sister spread her hands with an innocent look. "Alright, alright, let's drop that topic. But seriously, this new chat group you joined sounds amazing. You got fifteen hundred million points the moment you joined—it's like a welcome gift from the heavens."
"And didn't you mention there's an invitation ticket that lets people join? I want to play in the chat group too!"
The elf archer's emerald eyes sparkled as she looked eagerly at her sister. Though she was astonished that her sister had received such an enormous amount of points, what excited her even more was the possibility of that designated invitation ticket.
She had always been fascinated by the chat group, but there had never been a way for her to join. Now that there was a possible method, she didn't want to miss her chance.
"The designated invitation ticket comes with restrictions," Elf Sister explained. "Only one member can buy it per month. But don't worry—if I get the right to purchase it, I'll invite you in first."
"Mm-hmm! Thanks, Sis!"
...
After dividing the points from reclaiming the Multiverse Chat Group, Eriri uploaded the memory projections related to Aoyama Nanami, Keika, and Elf Sister into the new chat group.
As for Kaori Miyazono and Elf Yamada, she didn't upload theirs.
After all, most of the twenty-plus members from the old group had already seen Eriri's uploaded memory of Kaori Miyazono—and given that Kaori's original life had ended at the age of fourteen, there wasn't much else to show.
As for Elf Yamada, she had already known Eriri for about a year, and her fate had long since diverged from her original story. She had no interest in seeing her old future again.
Meanwhile, since Aoyama Nanami and Keika were still busy using their points to enhance their bodies, they hadn't paid attention to what was happening in the chat.
The others who watched the new memory projections, however, immediately began chatting excitedly.
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 2): No wonder Nanami's nickname in the Multiverse Chat Group was "Part-Time Warrior." I finally get it after watching her memory!]
[Kaguya Shinomiya (Level 7, Stage 2): If you ever need money, just ask me—I can send you some gold! @Aoyama Nanami (Level 1, Stage 5)]
[Hana Yurikawa (Level 7, Stage 1): Frelia, when are you getting married? Curious.jpg]
[Frelia (Level 1, Stage 4): I'm not planning on it right now... But I guess the future really does show me marrying my cousin...]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): Why do you sound so reluctant about it?]
[Frelia (Level 1, Stage 4): I don't have a choice. It's a necessary step to become queen.]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 2): Eh? Really?]
[Asuna Yuuki (Level 7, Stage 2): That's strange—your memories didn't seem reluctant at all. You looked pretty happy to me.]
[Frelia (Level 1, Stage 4): Well, among the entire elvenkind, the only one who truly matches me is my cousin, the next clan leader. I don't dislike him, so it's natural we'd marry someday.]
Seeing Frelia's message, the group members couldn't help but be surprised—especially Arifureta, who had read the original story.
In that version, it was clearly shown that Frelia and her cousin genuinely loved each other, yet the reality before them was clearly different.
Until the scene of their wedding in the memory, Arifureta hadn't seen a single moment where the two had expressed affection toward one another.
It seemed that the previous Multiverse Chat Group's leader, Adam, had only assumed they were engaged because of that wedding scene in the story, never realizing that reality had diverged.
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): If you don't want to get married, then don't. Becoming queen doesn't mean you have to. Rules are made to be broken.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): With the 1.5 billion points in your hands, it won't take long before you surpass even the gods of your world.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): But if you do want to get married, of course we'll support your choice. And when that time comes, we'll send you wedding gifts too~]
Eriri was not a tyrant—she never forced any member to remain single.
Of course, that rule didn't apply to those who had already developed romantic or ambiguous relationships with her.
These members had already devoted their lives to Eriri—no matter what, none of them could ever love another, even without her asking it of them.
As for Elf Sister, Eriri didn't have any particular attachment to her; inviting her into the group had simply been a convenient decision.
In truth, she found herself far more intrigued by Elf Sister's younger sister—the elf archer.
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 3 / Group Leader): I agree with Eriri.]
[Frelia (Level 1, Stage 4): Hehe, it's still far too early to talk about such things. According to my memory projection, my wedding is still hundreds of years away.]
[Frelia (Level 1, Stage 4): Whether the future will turn out the same as before... that's still uncertain.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): That's fine. You can decide for yourself.]
After sending that final message, Eriri stopped paying attention to the group chat and focused instead on her "date" with Kaori Miyazono.
By now, nearly half an hour had passed since the two of them had arrived at the café. They had come mainly for lunch, while the coffee was just a pleasant addition.
Their meal was simple—pasta, steak, and a small serving of fruit cake for dessert.
The main course was finished, and even the cake was down to its final few bites.
Just then, the café was filled with the sound of a beautiful piano melody.
Hearing the graceful notes, Kaori immediately turned toward the source of the music.
There, seated at the piano near the bar—a spot that had been vacant earlier—was a black-haired girl about the same age as Kaori.
Her eyes were closed, her delicate face calm and focused. Her slender, elegant fingers danced across the keys like ethereal spirits.
"Is that... Emi Igawa?"
Kaori instantly recognized her—she was a famous prodigy in the world of music, one Kaori had admired even before. Not to mention, she had seen her in the anime.
"She's incredible... As expected of Igawa-san. Her skill is amazing."
After listening for a while, Kaori couldn't help but feel genuine admiration for Emi Igawa's piano playing. It even made her want to pick up her violin and join in.
As she was lost in thought, she heard Eriri's voice beside her.
"For her age, she's... not bad~"
"Eriri-nee, you can play the piano too?" Kaori turned toward her, her expression full of anticipation.
"Of course I can~" Eriri replied casually.
Kaori's blue eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
"Eriri-nee, can you play something for me?"
Seeing Kaori's expectant gaze, Eriri chuckled and reached out to pinch her cheeks gently.
"I'll go play a song in a bit."
"Yay!"
Learning from her past experience, Kaori kept her cheer quiet this time, careful not to draw attention from nearby patrons.
Soon, Emi Igawa's performance came to an end. As the final note faded, the piano's gentle resonance filled the café one last time before silence returned.
Finishing her piece, Emi rose from the piano bench and bowed gracefully to the guests. The café erupted in polite applause.
Watching her leave the stage, Kaori immediately turned to Eriri, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
"Eriri-nee..."
"Don't be impatient. I'll go now," Eriri said softly, patting Kaori's head before standing up and heading toward the piano platform.
Halfway there, she happened to cross paths with Emi Igawa.
Up close, Emi found herself completely stunned by Eriri's breathtaking beauty. She froze instinctively, stepping aside to make room—even though there was already plenty of space.
Eriri gave her a polite smile and a slight nod. That single smile left Emi utterly dazed, her mind spinning.
By the time she regained her senses, Eriri was already seated at the piano.
Fascinated, Emi decided not to return to her seat. Instead, she sat down at the nearest empty table, her eyes fixed intently on Eriri's poised hands resting over the keys.
She had never seen Eriri perform before, and now, she couldn't resist the urge to see just how skilled this mysterious beauty truly was.
—
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