In Ryuya's study, late at night, the swaying lamplight faintly illuminated the room. The antique-style decoration was filled with various rosewood bookshelves.
The spacious study was simply furnished. Apart from the bookshelves covering all four walls, the centerpiece was Ryuya's desk.
Additionally, the study had an independent bathroom, and in the northeast corner, there was a double bed where Ryuya occasionally took afternoon naps.
Click-clack...
Accompanied by the sound of keyboard typing, the study door was gently pushed open by a slender, pale wrist.
Creak...
Treading with silent steps, the girl suddenly rushed behind Ryuya and covered the man's eyes.
"Guess who I am?"
The light, innocent voice sounded familiar. Smiling at the girl's sudden appearance, Ryuya said, "It's Asuna, right?"
"Wrong!"
This sounded a bit angry.
"Then it's Tifa?"
"And who is Tifa?!"
"Hmm... Tomoyo?"
"Completely wrong!"
"Alright, alright, let me think... Got it, it's Fubuki, right!"
"All these are unfamiliar names! How annoying!"
"Fine, fine, I'll stop teasing you. It's Crimson Moon."
"It's not Mom!"
Finally made angry by Ryuya, she simply let go of her hands. Arcueid, wearing a white nightgown, turned her head away, ignoring Ryuya.
"Oh dear, is my little princess angry?"
Knowing Arcueid just wanted to act spoiled, Ryuya indulgently pulled his daughter into his arms.
Arcueid, offering no resistance, obediently settled into Ryuya's embrace.
"Hmph hmph..."
Although her body was being utterly honest, the tsundere Arcueid remained silent, just staring at Ryuya angrily, as if trying to kill her father with her gaze.
"Alright, alright, don't be angry, my little princess."
"Why aren't you sleeping properly in the middle of the night? What are you doing here?"
Even though he had already coaxed Arcueid and Altrouge to sleep, these two little ones still came to his study in the middle of the night.
As he spoke, Ryuya waved his hand and pulled another True Ancestor Princess directly from the void beside him.
It was none other than the black-haired, red-eyed Altrouge.
Altrouge; "..."
The air seemed to freeze.
"Nee-san, how did you...?"
Thinking her late-night operation was perfectly successful, only to realize she was at the bottom level while her sister was operating at the stratosphere, left Arcueid stunned.
The smile on her face became somewhat heavy. Her crimson eyes narrowed into slits like a cat's, as traces of killing intent emanated from Arcueid.
"My dear little sister, are you allowed to come find Papa, but I'm not?"
Also smiling as she looked at Arcueid, Altrouge demonstratively snuggled closer into Ryuya's embrace. Although both she and Arcueid were now grown women, no longer the little girls they once were, squeezing into Ryuya's arms like this was clearly pushing the limits.
A subtle, tense, shuraba-like atmosphere began to spread… it was a struggle between the two daughters using their own methods.
"Arcueid, I alone am enough to take care of Papa. You can go to sleep first."
"Nee-san is trying to sneak ahead! I won't believe Nee-san!"
Burrowing deeper into Ryuya's arms, trying to squeeze Altrouge out, Arcueid spoke with an innocent smile on her face.
"Hmph, when it comes to taking care of Papa, it still has to be me."
Standing up, somewhat forcefully turning off Ryuya's computer, Altrouge took Ryuya's hand and led him towards the bed where Ryuya usually took his afternoon naps. "It's very late already, Papa must not work anymore. You need to rest properly."
Sticking tightly to Ryuya, Altrouge crawled onto the bed and slipped into Ryuya's bedding like a cat.
"Altrouge, you..."
The golden hair on Arcueid's head seemed about to sprout an ahoge. Arcueid was ultimately no match for Altrouge.
"Hehe, foolish little sister, as expected, you know nothing."
'What was with that expression full of pleasure, like a certain Gilgamesh?'
Just lying quietly in Ryuya's embrace, then restlessly rubbing against him, Altrouge continued, "The nights have been a bit chilly lately, we need to maintain warmth. I'll warm Papa's bed."
"I... I can do that too!"
Blushing, Arcueit also climbed onto the other side of Ryuya, not wanting to be outdone.
Looking at his two restless daughters, Ryuya tapped each of their heads in exasperation.
"You two, haven't you forgotten your race? When have True Ancestor's bodies ever been warm?"
"Really now, go to sleep properly."
Letting out a helpless sigh, knowing the reason his daughters were acting so spoiled was because it had been a long time since they last slept together with him, remembering what Arcueid and Altrouge were like as children, Ryuya ultimately couldn't bring himself to kick his two daughters off the bed.
"Hehe, I love Papa the most, the very most!"
Seeing their plan finally succeed, expressions of satisfaction appeared on Arcueid and Altrouge's faces.
…
Early the next morning, as the glorious sun rose from the horizon's edge, like magnificent, brilliant clouds enveloping the sky above the entire world...
At a crowded book signing event, Eriri was staring blankly at the people around her, trying to digest what had happened to her today.
"Sawamura, do me a favor."
Coming to school early in the morning, she saw Ryuya, who hadn't attended class for several days.
After the incident with those Cursed Spirits on the shopping street last time, Eriri, who had seen a brand new world, no longer knew what was happening around her.
Unable to look at Ryuya with her previous perspective, she realized for the first time that this guy, who had brought her countless surprises, actually possessed such powerful strength and status.
She subconsciously nodded and agreed to Ryuya's request. By the time she came back to her senses, she was already here.
"Ryuya, you said... helping you meant bringing you here?"
At the new book release event hosted by Shinsegawa Publishing, this was the launch site for the famous author Takatsuki Sen's new book, 'The Black Goat's Egg'.
She never expected that Ryuya calling her here was just for a new book release. Eriri now had some understanding of the identities of the people around Ryuya.
She didn't understand why, with Ryuya's power, he needed her to bring him here. Not to mention this event was open to the public, and anyone could come by buying a ticket, just Souji or Kaguya alone, whether through the Shinsengumi or the Shinomiya Conglomerate, if either said a word, wouldn't this event be begging Ryuya to attend?
Tilting her head as she looked at Ryuya, Eriri was confused.
"Yeah, I just wanted you to bring me here. You know some of the authors here, right?"
At the event, besides Takatsuki Sen herself, there were naturally other authors releasing new books.
As a former master illustrator, Eriri had collaborated with quite a few of them.
Although they hadn't met in person, online communication was inevitable, so getting an admission ticket was naturally simple.
Looking at Ryuya, Eriri nodded, "I do know a few authors. Ryuya, are you interested in this too?"
"It's not a matter of interest. I just think, Sawamura, your illustrations are completely mismatched with these authors."
Having spent so many years in the Date A Live World, and under the influence of Nia, Ryuya had passively acquired her drawing skills.
Returning to the real world, he could look at Eriri's works with a completely different perspective than before. This time, Ryuya could finally voice his opinion.