"Maou-sama! Please reward my efforts too!" Elsa suddenly pleaded, clinging to Haruno's leg, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Haruno, silently petting Elsa like a puppy, turned to Hachiman. "I've noticed more people calling me 'Maou' lately. Whose fault is that?"
"Uh… it's, like, an expression of affection? My admiration for you just… spilled out?" Hachiman stammered.
"Quite the honest confession," Haruno teased.
"Guh…" Hachiman faltered but pressed on. "In modern Japan, 'Maou' isn't always negative. You've got Maou on TV, ruling wisely, spanning all sorts of roles. Like Oda Nobunaga, it signifies greatness. That's why you named your girls' gathering the 'Maou Girls' Party,' right?"
"That was just to mess with you. Also, your Japanese is weird."
"Guh…" Hachiman froze, then bowed deeply. "I'm really sorry!"
Haruno smirked, unbothered. "No need to apologize. I play along with it too. But here's a thought: everyone, man or woman, gets called 'Maou.' Isn't that odd? Queen Elizabeth was a queen, not a king. Shouldn't I be 'Maou-jo'—Demon Queen?"
"You've been pressuring me with all this cryptic attitude, and that's what you're thinking about?!" Hachiman clutched his head.
Haruno laughed, clearly just teasing him. "So, about this girl. What do you think?"
"She's worked hard. I'd like to reward her somehow," Hachiman said.
"But I don't really know her," Haruno admitted.
Hachiman nodded gravely. "She's definitely a pervert."
"Too much praise!" Elsa chirped.
"That's her in a nutshell," Hachiman said.
"I see…" Haruno mused, arms crossed under her chest.
Elsa, eyeing Haruno's figure, blurted, "Maou-sama! I want a Maou-class chest too!"
"Drink milk," Hachiman shot back.
Haruno glanced at herself, then said, "It's genetics. Not much I can do."
Elsa, petite like Yukino, seemed unlikely to change much. "Aww…" she pouted.
Hachiman prodded, "Anything else?"
Elsa's face lit up. "I wanna be your subordinate, Hachiman!"
"You're a famous singer! And aren't you already my self-proclaimed minion?"
"From minion to subordinate? That's a demotion…" Elsa sulked.
"Your logic is beyond me," Hachiman sighed.
"How about getting better at singing?" Haruno suggested.
"You're already amazing, Elsa-san. Your popularity's soaring," Asuna added.
"If you're still unsatisfied, practice more," Hachiman said.
"Ugh…" Elsa groaned.
Suddenly, Minami exclaimed, "Oh! Elsa-san, can I… shake your hand?"
"Sure!" Elsa beamed, and Minami gripped her hand excitedly, warming the group's mood.
Hachiman, sensing a pause, asked Elsa, "Forget personal wishes for a sec. Any vague hopes or troubles?"
Elsa pondered. "Well, I've been clashing with my agency lately. I kinda want to go independent, but that's impossible, right?"
Hachiman and Haruno exchanged glances.
"Which agency?" Hachiman asked.
"Kura Agency. The current president's nice, but his successor's an idiot who's obsessed with me. Keeps pestering to meet. So annoying."
"Really? Nee-san, heard anything?" Hachiman asked.
Haruno thought. "They're a solid mid-tier agency, but I've heard bad rumors lately about their treatment of female artists."
"Probably that guy's fault! My friends say so too!" Elsa added.
"No issues with the current president?" Hachiman clarified.
"Nope, he's great!" Elsa said.
"Hmm…" Hachiman pondered solutions.
Asuna chimed in, "Hachiman, I think I've met that president. My dad introduced us at a party long ago. He seemed kind. Oh, and—"
She paused, then gasped. "At today's dinner, Dad mentioned their son's an SAO survivor too. Kura, from Kura Agency. He said Kura wants to thank us personally. I think Dad might bring it up later."
The group was stunned.
"So, if Shozo introduces us to Kura, we could make a request?" Hachiman mused.
"Might need a sweetener to seal it," Haruno noted.
They brainstormed. "Maybe LECT or our company could partner with Kura Agency for a game theme song?" Hachiman suggested.
"Safe bet. The return outweighs losing Elsa," Haruno agreed.
"The son's the issue. He'll likely object," Hachiman said.
"If he's from the strategy group, we might reason with him," Asuna added.
Hachiman turned to Elsa. "Got a picture of him?"
"Ugh, no way I'd keep that creep's photo… wait!" Elsa scrolled through her phone, then showed Hachiman. "This is from a company party. He's in the background. Recognize him?"
Hachiman stared, froze, then sighed deeply. Elsa, nervous, asked, "Uh… you know him?"
Hachiman passed the phone to Asuna and Godfrey. Asuna grimaced in disgust; Godfrey's face darkened with anger.
Haruno, shocked by Asuna's reaction, asked, "What's going on? Who is he to you three?"
Silence fell. Elsa, hesitant, prodded, "H-Hachiman?"
Hachiman smiled at her. "Elsa, we'll definitely get you independent. You can't stay under that guy."
Asuna nodded. "No way. Him as president? Unacceptable. Let's crush him. There's a capable younger brother, right? Make him president."
"I haven't felt this sick in ages. Of all people…" Godfrey growled.
Hachiman explained to the confused Haruno, Minami, and Elsa. "He's a former strategy group traitor who tried to kill me and Godfrey. Obsessed with Asuna, he thought killing me would win her over. A delusional creep."
"Asuna and I trapped him, sent him to prison," Hachiman added.
"Minami, this is the guy who tried to kill your dad. The idiot we outsmarted," Godfrey said.
"Sorry, Godfrey got caught in the crossfire," Hachiman added.
Godfrey waved it off. "No worries, Strategist. You ensured my safety. That risk was nothing."
Minami murmured, "So he's the one who tried to kill Dad…"
Hachiman patted her shoulder, then turned to Elsa. "I thought I'd never see him again, but if he's still pulling this crap, he's done. Nee-san, can we proceed with that stance?"
"I need more details," Haruno said.
"It'll take a while, so we might not make it back to the reunion. Should we let Hayama know?" Hachiman suggested.
"Good idea," Haruno agreed.
Thus, the SAO survivors—Hachiman, Asuna, and Godfrey—began recounting the past.
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