After Yuri Kugui and Machi Kugui left the Kiyotaki residence, Eriri and Frieren didn't hurry to return to the Saekano world.
Instead, they continued to explore the city.
Although they had gone out yesterday afternoon, most of that time had been spent inside the Shogi Hall, so they hadn't really had the chance to properly enjoy the local sights.
Still, Eriri didn't plan to visit every place at once—there would be plenty of opportunities to come back and play later.
When it was past five in the afternoon, Eriri finally brought Frieren back to the Saekano world through the World Gate inside the villa.
...
The next day, when Yuri Kugui's daughter, Machi Kugui, returned to the Kiyotaki home carrying large bags of clothing, she didn't see Eriri anywhere.
Although she had already guessed that Eriri wouldn't stay with Keika Kiyotaki forever, the absence still left her feeling disappointed.
Yuri Kugui, who had specially come to drop her daughter off, also felt a touch of disappointment. After all, without Eriri around, there would be no chance to taste that divine cooking again.
The only reason she had come back here was to enjoy that incredible food once more—but with Eriri gone, that dream was over.
Having failed her purpose, Yuri Kugui had no choice but to return to Kyoto in disappointment.
"Sister Keika, do you know where Lady Eriri's home is?"
After Yuri left, Machi eagerly asked Keika Kiyotaki.
"Well, the thing is... Eriri isn't actually from our world. She's already gone back to her own world now."
Since Eriri had told her there was no need to hide the truth, Keika spoke freely about Eriri's otherworldly identity. After all, it was only a matter of time before Machi discovered it herself once she moved into the villa.
"Eh?"
Hearing that, Machi froze completely.
At first, she thought Keika was joking with her, and her face showed a mix of disbelief and playful reproach.
"Sister Keika, don't joke like that. There's no such thing as people from other worlds."
"I'm not joking. Everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, you can ask Ginko Sora—or even my father."
Listening to Keika's earnest tone, Machi's expression gradually grew serious.
If Keika could say it so confidently, it might actually be true. Although it was hard to believe something that only happened in fantasy novels, she couldn't think of any reason they would lie to her.
She doubted that Keika, Ginko, and Kousuke would join forces to trick her—it seemed too absurd.
If Eriri were from this world, Machi could still hope to meet her again someday, even if she went abroad.
But if she really came from another world, then what could she possibly do to meet her again?
The thought left her completely lost.
The main reason she had agreed to become Keika's disciple was to spend more time with Eriri. But if she couldn't even see her again, what meaning did that hold?
At that moment, she didn't even think about why Keika would know someone from another world. If she had considered that, she might have realized that Keika must have some way to contact Eriri.
Seeing Machi's gloomy face, Keika understood exactly what was on her mind. She smiled gently and reached out to pat the little girl's head.
"Why are you making that face? I never said you wouldn't see Eriri again."
Machi's purple eyes widened instantly, shining with renewed hope.
"Really? I can still see Lady Eriri again?"
"Of course. Not only that—if you want, we can go visit her anytime."
"Is that true?"
"Of course. Come with me—I'll take you to see her right now."
Keika Kiyotaki smiled mysteriously at Machi Kugui, then turned and walked toward the front door.
Watching Keika's back, Machi's eyes shone with anticipation, and she quickly followed without hesitation.
Before long, the two of them left the Kiyotaki residence. But just as they were about to walk farther, Keika suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong, Sister Keika?" Machi asked nervously, afraid she would hear that Keika had only been joking.
Fortunately, her fears were unfounded.
Keika turned to her with a gentle smile. "Machi, wait here for a moment. I'll go bring Ginko along too. Let's all go see Eriri together."
"I'll come with you!"
"All right."
Keika nodded without refusing her company, and the two of them turned back toward the house.
When Yuri Kugui had brought Machi earlier, Kousuke Kiyotaki had also come out to greet them. After Yuri left, however, he had taken Ginko Sora back into the shogi room for another round of training.
When Keika and Machi arrived there, Kousuke and Ginko were just beginning their match.
Seeing that, the two didn't interrupt. They quietly sat down beside them, planning to wait until the game was over before taking Ginko away.
Fortunately, both Keika and Machi loved shogi, so waiting wasn't boring at all.
They ended up waiting for over an hour. Just as Machi began to grow restless, the match between Kousuke and Ginko finally ended.
Kousuke didn't immediately start analyzing Ginko's mistakes. Instead, he smiled warmly at Keika and Machi.
"Keika, Machi, are you two here to join Ginko in studying shogi with me?"
"No, we came to get Ginko. I'm taking her to visit Eriri."
"Oh? You mean to another world?"
Kousuke's interest was instantly piqued. Truth be told, he was quite fascinated by the idea of other worlds. He had already asked Keika many questions about them before.
"That's right."
"In that case, could you take me along? I'd love to see another world myself."
Kousuke looked at his daughter with eager eyes, but his anticipation was quickly shattered by Keika's next words.
"That's impossible, Dad." Keika spread her hands helplessly. "Eriri has a strict rule—only girls can pass through the World Gate to her side. Even you aren't allowed."
Keika herself had once wanted to bring her father along to another world, but the Cross-Realm Teleportation symbol in the chat group couldn't carry others with it. Moreover, the World Gate only allowed women who had Eriri's approval to pass through.
So in this case, she truly couldn't help him.
"I see. What a shame."
Kousuke sighed regretfully but didn't complain. He had only been half serious about the request. Of course, he would've loved to see another world—but he wasn't the kind to force it.
"Don't worry, Dad. If I ever gain the ability to freely cross between worlds, I'll definitely take you for a visit."
"Haha, then I'll look forward to that day."
"All right, I'm taking Ginko with me now. We'll be back after dinner. You can handle lunch yourself—I'll bring dinner home later."
"Sure, go have fun."
...
After leaving the Kiyotaki residence, Keika led Ginko Sora and Machi Kugui straight toward the villa.
About two minutes later, the three of them stopped in front of the villa's yard.
"Sister Keika, I thought we were going to see Lady Eriri? Why are we here?"
Looking at the ordinary-looking house before them, Machi tilted her head in confusion.
Meanwhile, Ginko Sora, who was standing quietly beside them, didn't show any sign of curiosity. After all, she had already been here yesterday and had personally seen Eriri and Frieren pass through the gate to leave this world.
"There's a door here that leads directly to where Eriri lives," Keika explained to Machi Kugui as she led both her and Ginko through the yard. "And this will also be the place where the three of us will live from now on."
Because Keika was guiding them, the barrier surrounding the villa didn't stop Machi, allowing her to enter without issue.
When Machi saw the supposedly ordinary house suddenly transform before her eyes into a stunningly luxurious villa with unique architecture, she froze on the spot, her face filled with disbelief.
In that moment, she finally accepted that supernatural powers truly existed in this world.
"Don't just stand there in a daze. Didn't you say you wanted to see Eriri? Let's go right now."
Keika patted Machi's shoulder and, together with Ginko, walked toward the villa's front door.
"Sister Keika, Ginko, wait for me!"
Snapping out of her shock, Machi quickly ran after them.
When they arrived at the front entrance, Keika didn't open the door to the villa's interior. Instead, she activated the World Gate that connected to the Saekano world.
Through the portal, they could clearly see the scenery on the other side.
"Wait, look—someone just came out from that other gate, didn't they?"
Machi pointed toward a direction inside the World Gate, her voice filled with surprise.
Sure enough, in the direction she indicated, a figure emerged from a diagonal portal and vanished the next instant.
"Yeah, looks like someone from another world went to visit Eriri. Let's go too."
Even Keika was a bit curious. Although she had seen the World Gate for the first time only yesterday, just like Ginko, she already knew a bit more about how it worked.
Without lingering, Keika stepped forward and entered the World Gate first. Ginko and Machi followed closely behind, disappearing from sight together.
When they appeared on the other side, they were greeted by rows of neatly aligned portals—each one bearing the name of a corresponding world floating above it.
Although Keika had heard about this scene from the chat group before, seeing it with her own eyes was still breathtaking.
As for Ginko and Machi, their astonishment was beyond words.
Before they could recover from the shock, a nearby World Gate suddenly opened, and three figures stepped through.
Leading them was a beautiful girl with long black hair and a slender figure.
Standing beside her were an orange-haired girl with a curvy figure and cute features, and a petite twin-tailed loli.
"Keika? Ginko? You came to visit Eriri too?"
The black-haired girl—Miko Yotsuya—smiled brightly as she approached. Though it was their first time meeting in person, she recognized Keika and Ginko immediately from the memory projections shared within the chat group.
Beside her, Hana Yurikawa also smiled cheerfully and waved.
"Hello, Keika, Ginko! I'm Hana Yurikawa."
As for Yuria Niguredou, who hadn't yet joined the chat group, she simply introduced herself politely without saying much else.
"Nice to finally meet you all in person!"
Keika grinned, looking genuinely happy to see them.
"Ehehe, then let's go see Eriri together," Hana said with a playful laugh.
"Yeah!" Keika and Machi both nodded eagerly.
...
It had been over a week since Keika first brought Ginko and Machi to visit. Time had flown by, and now it was the end of November—just over a month before the New Year.
But before that, in the Strike the Blood world, the critical 'Itogami Island Incident' was about to unfold.
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