Akihabara wasn't far from where Elf Yamada lived. Taking a taxi, it took them less than half an hour to arrive.
That was even with a bit of time lost to traffic; otherwise, it would've been even faster.
As expected of the holy land of the otaku world, Akihabara's streets were filled to the brim with anime culture. Vibrant neon lights illuminated towering buildings, whose walls were plastered with popular anime characters.
Shops selling ACG merchandise and maid cafés lined both sides of the street, and girls dressed in maid outfits handed out flyers energetically in front of their stores.
Even though it was only ten in the morning, since it was the weekend, the streets were already packed with people.
When Eriri and Elf Yamada stepped out of the taxi, they immediately drew the attention of a large number of passersby.
Ignoring the curious gazes, Elf Yamada quickly grabbed Eriri's left hand.
"Eriri-nee, I heard there's a gaming competition being held nearby today! Let's go take a look!"
As she spoke, Elf Yamada unconsciously swung her hand—still clasped with Eriri's—back and forth, almost like they were strolling hand in hand on a date.
"Looks like you've already made some plans, huh? Alright then, we'll go with your idea~"
Eriri smiled softly, letting her hand sway naturally with Elf Yamada's movements.
Just like that, Elf Yamada proudly led Eriri toward the destination she had researched in advance.
A few minutes later, the two arrived in front of a tall building whose exterior wall featured two large anime characters.
At that moment, Elf Yamada suddenly pointed at the wall, her face lighting up with excitement.
"Eriri-nee, look! Aren't those the two heroines from your manga!?"
"Mm, looks like FULLDRIVE Publishing's doing a good job with promotion~"
Eriri nodded in satisfaction, gazing up at the characters she herself had created.
It had been over a year since she signed her contract with FULLDRIVE Publishing.
In that time, she had updated both of her yuri manga—originally sold at doujin conventions—up to Volume 4.
Although both series had long been fully completed, she didn't submit them all at once to her editor, Ayako Iida. Instead, she delivered them gradually, one chapter every two weeks.
Since both series updated simultaneously, that essentially meant one new chapter per week.
For the manga industry, that pace was remarkably fast, so editor Ayako Iida had no complaints whatsoever.
When the two series reached Volume 3, Ayako directly discussed anime adaptation plans with Eriri.
After receiving Eriri's approval, the adaptation projects officially began—and both series were animated at the same time.
Now, the anime adaptations of her two yuri manga had reached Episode 11.
That very poster had been displayed on Akihabara's building wall for several months.
Thanks to their impeccable quality and faithful adaptation of the source material, both series quickly became the top hits of the season—earning overwhelming praise from viewers.
"Well, that's only because it's you, Eriri-nee! When my novel got adapted before, FULLDRIVE Publishing didn't promote it nearly as much! My stories are amazing too, you know~"
Elf Yamada pouted slightly, clearly harboring some resentment toward FULLDRIVE Publishing.
"Then you'll just have to work even harder next time. Maybe your next anime will get the same treatment~"
"Hmph! Obviously! I am the savior of the light novel industry, after all!"
Elf Yamada placed a hand on her hip and grinned confidently.
Seeing that smug look, Eriri couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek a few times.
"Alright, enough bragging. Weren't we here for the gaming competition? Let's head in."
"Mm-hmm!"
...
The gaming competition venue was located on the third floor of the building.
By the time Eriri and Elf Yamada arrived at the scene, the tournament had already been underway for over ten minutes.
By now, the venue was already packed with hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the gaming competition.
This wasn't some official large-scale event—it was just a small, privately organized tournament within the gaming community.
The prizes weren't particularly grand either, just 100,000 yen and a few newly released games.
Since Elf Yamada loved playing games and often browsed gaming forums, she had learned about this event in advance.
On the stage, two arcade machines stood side by side, where two competitors were fully focused, controlling their characters in fierce combat.
When Eriri and Elf Yamada saw one of the players, both of their faces showed surprise.
"Didn't expect Kuroneko to be here…" Elf Yamada said, a bit astonished.
That's right—the girl currently battling was none other than Ruri Gokou.
She wasn't using her Level 7, Stage 2 reflexes in this match, but even so, she held an overwhelming advantage.
After all, she was already an expert gamer—her dynamic vision and reaction speed were top-tier. Even among hardcore gamers, she was considered a god-tier player.
Since Ruri Gokou was here, it was very likely that her close friend Saori Makishima would be here as well.
Sure enough, when Eriri scanned the crowd, she quickly spotted Saori wearing a plaid-sleeved shirt and jeans, with her signature round glasses and a backpack hanging from her shoulders.
Standing beside her was another familiar face—Kousaka Kirino, dressed stylishly as always.
Because Eriri and Elf Yamada were standing at the very back of the crowd—and everyone's attention was fixed on the stage—no one noticed their arrival.
Otherwise, Eriri's stunning looks would have caused quite a stir in the hall.
Just then, the match on stage reached its conclusion.
With one final, dazzling combo, Ruri's opponent was utterly crushed—unable to even retaliate before being knocked out of the tournament.
"Winner—Matsudo Black Cat!"
As the host's excited announcement echoed through the hall, a wave of applause broke out from the audience.
As Ruri prepared to leave the stage and wait for her next match, her eyes suddenly caught sight of Eriri at the back of the crowd.
Neither Eriri nor Elf Yamada had mentioned their private outing in the Multiverse Chat & Friendship Group, so Ruri had no idea Eriri was even in this world today.
Seeing her here so suddenly, in the middle of a gaming event, left Ruri momentarily stunned.
Once she stepped off the stage, she didn't return to where Saori and Kirino were standing. Instead, she made her way straight through the crowd toward Eriri.
Because of Ruri's impressive gaming display—and her adorable face—many of the audience members already had their eyes on her.
As she walked toward Eriri, those same spectators finally noticed the two girls standing a few meters away at the back: Eriri and Elf Yamada.
When they laid eyes on Eriri, the entire crowd seemed to hold its breath. Many wore expressions of sheer astonishment.
Their sudden shift in attention quickly drew curiosity from others, who turned around to see what was going on—and soon followed suit, equally mesmerized by what they saw.
However, most of them quickly looked away, not daring to stare openly.
"Wait… is that Eriri Spencer Sawamura?!"
Saori Makishima, who had also noticed Ruri's movement and followed her line of sight, froze in disbelief.
A wave of excitement surged up within her chest.
Meanwhile, standing beside her, Kirino's eyes sparkled as she looked at Eriri.
"Wow, that girl's so beautiful!"
She was so stunned that she didn't even hear Saori's words.
But when she saw Ruri walk up to Eriri and hug her casually and affectionately, it didn't take her long to realize that this incredibly beautiful girl wasn't just an acquaintance of her otaku friend—she was someone very close to her.
Excited, Kirino nudged Saori's arm with her elbow.
"Saori, looks like Kuroneko's really close with that gorgeous girl! Let's go over and say hi!"
"Mm, let's go."
Saori nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness as she began walking toward Eriri.
Kirino quickly followed, already imagining how she should greet Eriri once they got there.
They weren't far from where Eriri stood, so within moments, the two arrived in front of her.
Seeing the face etched deeply in her memory, Saori could barely contain her expression.
She reached up and removed the large round glasses that concealed her appearance, revealing her delicate, beautiful face—now glowing with joy.
"It's been a long time, Eriri Spencer Sawamura."
Although the two had messaged each other on LINE just a few days ago, it had indeed been a long time since they last met in person.
It had been over a year since Saori last saw Eriri.
After their first meeting more than a year ago—and their day out together with Ruri Gokou—Saori had never been able to forget Eriri.
However, she had forgotten to ask for Eriri's contact information at the time.
Rather than immediately asking Ruri for it, she decided to wait until the next time they met to request it directly.
But half a year passed without her ever seeing Eriri around Ruri again.
Eventually, she couldn't stand it any longer and asked Ruri for Eriri's LINE account.
Since then, Saori often chatted with Eriri online.
Because she was shy and somewhat timid, for a long time she only talked with Eriri through messages and never invited her to hang out in person.
It wasn't until two months later, after they had grown more familiar, that Saori finally worked up the courage to invite Eriri out shopping.
However, at that time, Eriri was in the So I'm a Spider, So What? world, bonding with D, and politely declined.
That rejection, though gentle, crushed Saori's hard-earned courage. Since then, she hadn't dared to invite Eriri out again.
Now, after more than a year, finally seeing Eriri in person again—it was impossible for her not to feel thrilled and overjoyed.
"Saori, it really has been a long time. You've become even prettier—and your figure's gotten even better too."
Eriri stepped forward, her eyes carefully tracing Saori's tall frame.
Standing at 180 centimeters, Saori towered over Eriri by a full head. If they hugged face-to-face, Eriri's cheek would rest perfectly against Saori's chest.
Hearing Eriri's compliment—and feeling her gaze sweep across her body—Saori's face turned a deep shade of red.
Still, despite her shyness, she obediently responded, "Th-thank you for the compliment."
Watching the two interact, Kirino—who had spent the last several moments mentally rehearsing various greeting scenarios—froze completely.
"Wait… you two already know each other?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, suddenly feeling like the odd one out.
Eriri grinned mischievously and reached out, wrapping her arm around Saori in a bold embrace.
"Of course. Saori and I are very close friends."
Since Saori was too tall for Eriri to reach her shoulders, she simply wrapped her arm around her waist instead.
The sudden contact left Saori's mind blank with a soft buzz.
Her blush spread rapidly, coloring her entire face and even tinting her ears.
Her heart began racing, and a rush of dopamine filled her body.
For a moment, she was completely lost in the warmth of Eriri's embrace.
—
—
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven