On the side, Yamai Yuzuru also liked her own name very much. After all, those two names were the ones she and her sister had originally chosen for themselves in the original story.
Just as she was about to thank Eriri as well, she saw her sister rush into Eriri's arms, which immediately made a look of envy and jealousy flash in her eyes.
However, unlike her sister, she was not as lively by nature—relatively speaking, she was much calmer—so she didn't have the idea of pushing her sister aside to occupy Eriri's embrace.
Perhaps noticing Yamai Yuzuru's thoughts, Eriri smiled softly, then patted Yamai Kaguya's back, signaling her to release her hold, and then opened her arms toward Yamai Yuzuru.
Seeing this, Yamai Yuzuru could no longer hold back. She immediately spread her arms and threw herself into Eriri's embrace. A faint blush climbed onto her delicate face, making her look extremely cute.
"Thank you, Eriri-nee! I really love the name Yuzuru too."
"As long as you like it."
Just like she did with Yamai Kaguya, Eriri also wrapped her arms around Yamai Yuzuru's back, her right hand gently caressing her softly.
"Hey, hey, hey, you two are being too much! Even I haven't hugged Eriri yet!"
Yamai Kazamachi gritted her teeth, glaring furiously at her sisters who had taken turns embracing Eriri. The envy and jealousy inside her were almost overflowing.
Hearing her complaint, Yamai Kaguya immediately turned her head around and laughed smugly, while Yamai Yuzuru remained completely unaffected, still lying quietly in Eriri's arms, though the blush on her face deepened even further.
Both sisters' backs were rather sensitive, and Eriri's gentle touch made Yuzuru feel an unfamiliar sensation spreading through her body—the same feeling Kaguya had experienced moments earlier.
"Alright, alright, don't be jealous of your sisters. Come here, I'll let you have a hug too, so you can't say I'm playing favorites."
Eriri released Yuzuru, then smiled warmly and opened her arms toward Yamai Kazamachi.
"Yay!"
Yamai Kazamachi's expression of resentment instantly disappeared, replaced by pure joy. She threw herself into Eriri's arms with unrestrained delight, her face full of happiness—though it soon turned crimson from embarrassment.
Just like her sisters, her back was also a sensitive spot.
After hugging Yamai Kazamachi, Eriri suddenly realized that the three sisters hadn't yet greeted Mio and Tohka, who were standing just a few steps behind her. In fact, they hadn't even glanced at them once, as if they didn't exist.
So, Eriri reached out, taking Mio and Tohka each by the hand, and led them before the Yamai sisters.
"I forgot to introduce them—these two are Mio and Tohka, my most important family. They're Spirits just like you."
Hearing Eriri's introduction, Mio and Tohka no longer remained silent spectators. They smiled brightly and greeted the Yamai sisters.
"Hello there, I'm Sawamura Mio."
"I'm Tohka Yatogami."
"Ah, h-hello!"
Yamai Kazamachi's face showed surprise, as though she had only just noticed their presence. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly returned the greeting.
As for Kaguya and Yuzuru, they didn't think too much about it—after all, they had only been born a few minutes ago. They naturally began chatting with Mio and Tohka.
Soon enough, Yamai Kazamachi joined in as well, and the five of them quickly became familiar with each other.
During all this, the Date A Live world remained frozen in time.
Eriri and the others didn't stay long in the middle of the road. Once everyone had gotten acquainted, they moved back onto the sidewalk, and Eriri then lifted the time-stop.
The moment time resumed, the car that had nearly hit Yamai Kazamachi sped forward once more.
Fortunately, the driver had already hit the brakes the instant he thought he was about to hit someone. The car screeched ahead nearly a hundred meters before finally stopping, leaving two long black skid marks on the road.
The terrified driver hurriedly got out of the car and looked behind him—but the horrific accident he'd imagined hadn't happened at all.
The driver then checked his car's bumper and chassis, and after finding no trace of blood or damage, he finally sat weakly on the ground, exhaling in relief. He thought for sure that he must have been seeing things.
However, he soon noticed something strange. The air was filled with startled cries and the sound of a child sobbing.
He stood up and looked toward the rear. There, he saw a small child being comforted in the arms of a couple. He clearly remembered that just moments ago, a girl had pushed that child away from the front of his car.
Moreover, many of the bystanders were glancing around the road with uncertainty in their eyes, while others were staring at his car. That confirmed it for him—what had just happened definitely wasn't an illusion.
But if that was the case… where was the girl who had been about to be hit?
...
As for what happened afterward on the sidewalk, Eriri and the others didn't pay it any attention.
The moment time resumed, Eriri had already taken everyone away from that street.
"Eriri, where are we going now?"
Following behind her, Yamai Kazamachi tilted her head curiously as she asked.
"To the bookstore up ahead."
Eriri pointed toward a building a few hundred meters away. Yamai Kazamachi, Yamai Kaguya, and Yamai Yuzuru all turned in the direction she indicated.
If they were still ordinary people, they wouldn't have been able to make out the sign clearly from that distance. But now that they had become powerful Spirits, their eyesight was extraordinary. Even if the distance were several times greater, they could still see it as clear as day.
After glancing briefly at the bookstore sign, they withdrew their gazes.
"Question: Eriri-nee, are you going there to read books?" Yamai Yuzuru asked curiously, tilting her head slightly.
"Not quite. I'm going there to hold a signing event."
"Eh?!!!"
Hearing that, Yamai Kazamachi let out an astonished cry, immediately leaning forward with bright, excited eyes. "Eriri, don't tell me you're a famous author too?!"
"I'm not an author, I'm a manga artist," Eriri replied with a soft laugh, reaching out to ruffle Yamai Kazamachi's fluffy hair.
"Manga artist? That's amazing!!!" Yamai Kazamachi's eyes sparkled with pure admiration.
"What's your pen name, Eriri? Once we get to the bookstore, I'm totally buying all your manga!"
"You'll find out soon enough when we get there," Eriri said with a teasing smile, withdrawing her hand before leading everyone onward toward the bookstore.
The distance wasn't far—barely a few hundred meters—and in less than five minutes, the six of them arrived at the entrance.
As they appeared, the people who were entering and exiting the bookstore froze in their tracks. Eriri and her companions' stunning appearances drew every gaze instantly.
Only one woman, who looked to be in her early thirties and wore a black business suit, regained her composure after a moment's surprise. She immediately walked toward Eriri.
This woman was the person in charge of the signing event—the editor responsible for coordinating it.
"Miss Kashiwagi Eri, you're finally here! The signing is about to start!"
Having met Eriri in person when they first signed the contract, the editor wasn't struck speechless like the surrounding onlookers. It was clear she had been waiting at the door for quite some time, judging from her tone and the relief in her expression.
Still, there was no trace of reproach in her voice—only relief that Eriri had arrived.
"Don't be so anxious, Miss Matsuda. There are still ten minutes left before the signing starts."
Eriri stepped forward, patting Editor Matsuda on the shoulder with a casual smile before walking past her, leading Mio and the others inside the bookstore.
Matsuda could only sigh helplessly, smiling wryly as she followed along.
What else could she do? Faced with someone as beautiful and charming as Eriri, she could only indulge her.
Once Eriri and the others entered the store, the pedestrians outside finally snapped out of their daze. All at once, they began speculating curiously about who Eriri really was.
After all, it was their first time seeing someone so beautiful—so beautiful that it almost seemed unreal.
...
Once they entered the bookstore, Eriri and the others were immediately struck by the sight before them.
The interior was vast, with rows upon rows of neatly arranged bookshelves filling the space. Each section was organized by genre—there was a manga section, a light novel section, areas for miscellaneous books and literary classics, and even a curtained-off corner labeled "18X" in the far back.
Because Eriri was hosting her signing event here, the store was packed. Most people weren't regular readers—they had come specifically for the event. However, since many hadn't won a slot to attend, they could only wander the store, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite manga artist in person.
These weren't like the random pedestrians outside. Everyone here knew who Editor Matsuda was—they recognized her as the editor responsible for the famous "Kashiwagi Eri."
So when they saw her enter the store with six beautiful girls in tow, it wasn't hard to guess that one of them had to be the legendary manga artist herself.
However, Eriri's overwhelming beauty and aura left such a powerful impression that no one dared to approach or even ask. They could only watch in awe as she and her companions made their way deeper into the store.
The signing event was being held on the second floor. On the staircase leading up, a long line of people was already waiting—so long it extended down to the first floor.
The majority of those in line were women; only a few men stood among them.
Of course, all 500 official tickets had been given exclusively to female attendees. The few men in line were clearly trying to sneak in, hoping to blend with the crowd.
What they didn't realize was that two staff members were stationed at the entrance to the second floor, strictly checking every participant. Without a confirmed entry pass, no one was allowed to proceed.
So those men's plans to sneak into the event were doomed from the start.
...
Unlike the fans, Eriri didn't take the stairs to the second floor. Under Editor Matsuda's guidance, she and her group used a private elevator instead.
The layout of the second floor was completely different from the first. Only three rows of bookshelves stood on either side, leaving a large open space in the center.
Normally, this area would be filled with tables and chairs for reading, but today, everything had been cleared away.
At the back of the room, a long table had been assembled from two desks, draped neatly in red cloth.
This was where Eriri would be sitting to sign. Behind it, a massive poster hung on the wall, displaying the title of the signing event and an introduction to Eriri's works.
On either side of the long table stood several life-sized standees of female manga characters—the heroines from Eriri's published series.
At this moment, nearly three hundred women of varying ages were lined up across the room, forming a long, winding queue.
Of course, three hundred was already an impressive turnout, but not everyone could fit into one straight line. The organizers had arranged barriers so the line zigzagged back and forth, reaching all the way to the staircase that led down to the first floor.
Those waiting on the stairs were attendees who hadn't yet made it into the event area.
Each person in line carried at least a few manga volumes—some even had entire tote bags filled with Eriri's works. The weight of those books was no joke, but that didn't stop the fans from bringing everything they owned.
At the very end of the line, right by the entrance, stood Nia Honjou. Dressed in a stylish and youthful outfit, she held a manga volume tightly against her chest, her face glowing with excitement as she glanced around eagerly.
From time to time, she lifted her left wrist to check her watch.
As the clock's hands crept closer to noon, her expression grew more and more animated.
In addition to the manga she held, her backpack was filled with several more volumes.
Had it been possible, she would've loved to copy the older woman ahead of her who had brought an entire bag of books. But she didn't have the strength for that—and she didn't want to trouble her idol by overdoing it.
So, she had carefully chosen a few of Eriri's most representative works to bring along.
—
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