Koken's words left Kazami Yusei puzzled.
"Haven't the Three Sacred Treasures always existed?"
The Yata no Kagami, the Yasakani no Magatama, and the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi… Japan's Three Sacred Treasures were housed in shrines, or like the Yata no Kagami, kept by the Imperial Family.
If 'emerging into the world' was the point, they had long since emerged. For example, the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi and the Yasakani no Magatama were always kept in their respective major shrines.
"Well, that's true in a sense, but the 'emerging into the world' I'm referring to means the artifact has ended up on the market."
"..."
Yusei looked at Koken with a completely baffled expression, 'How could one of Japan's Sacred Treasures end up on the market?'
Seemingly understanding Yusei's strange look, Koken also sighed helplessly.
"According to reports, the priest guarding the Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto Shrine got into debt over some matter and ended up selling the... antique."
"So, Grandfather, are you telling me this because you want me to retrieve the item? Wouldn't the family's influence be more suitable for something like this?" Yusei asked, looking curiously at Koken.
"Of course not asking you to retrieve it. I'm just mentioning it to you. The real reason I called you here is for the inter-family martial arts tournament in a few days. You will go with me, which also helps pave the way for your future status," Koken said with a smile.
"Alright," Yusei agreed directly, then bowed respectfully to Koken and Kaguya's parents.
The elders were extremely satisfied with Yusei's courtesy.
After discussing the matter, Kaguya's mother teased Yusei, suggesting he stay and 'consummate the marriage' with Kaguya.
Before Yusei could say anything, Kaguya's face turned bright red, and she shook her head vehemently.
Yusei just smiled and naturally did not stay. This was definitely not the optimal time, not to mention he had a few little girls at home he was worried about.
Previously, Yusei's parents had stayed at the house in Bunkyo Ward with Shiro, and later Yui and Asuna joined them.
Since Yusei had returned, Asuna also had to go back to her own home.
Now, only Shiro, Yui, and Hong Hong were at home.
Although Hong Hong was his summoned creature, he didn't expect a little fox whose milk teeth hadn't even fallen out yet to be able to protect Shiro and Yui.
Considering it was late, Yusei didn't trouble Hayasaka further and directly used the power of the Rinnegan to fly back home.
…
Time passed swiftly, several days blinking by, and soon it was the weekend.
Today, Yusei wasn't at home familiarizing himself with the power of the Rinnegan. Instead, dressed in casual clothes, he arrived at the agreed-upon café.
His meeting with the Eromanga Artist was scheduled for 9 a.m.
At this hour, the café was sparsely populated.
Breakfast time had just ended, the workday was beginning, it was a time of high energy, and it wasn't yet afternoon tea time.
Generally, cafés wouldn't even be open at this time, unless they operated all day.
When Yusei arrived at the café, he directly found a seat that looked comfortable and waited for 9 o'clock.
Roughly ten minutes later, the bell at the door chimed, signaling a customer's entrance.
Yusei looked over. A cute girl with golden hair walked in. She wore a popular T-shirt and long pants, her long hair falling down her back. A baseball cap sat on her head, and a pair of glasses framed her face.
She looked like she really didn't want anyone who knew her to recognize her. Yusei sighed inwardly, watching Eriri look around, and raised his hand to signal her over.
Seeing this, Eriri came straight over.
"You must be Kuhaku, right? Sorry, am I late?"
"It's fine, have a seat first. What would you like to drink?" Yusei asked with a smile.
"Blue Mountain, please," Eriri said offhandedly.
Signaling to a waiter not far away, Yusei ordered two cups of Blue Mountain coffee and two slices of cake/pastries.
Soon, the order arrived. After taking a sip of his coffee, Yusei got down to business.
First was the script. Yusei placed the laptop he had prepared earlier in front of Eriri.
"Eriri, please take a look at the script first."
"Okay... Huh?"
Eriri subconsciously prepared to look at the script but then reacted as if something was off.
Yusei also realized it at that moment. He had seen Eriri, and while talking to her, he had also subconsciously used her given name.
Sure enough, the next moment, Eriri looked at Yusei with confusion.
"How do you know my name is Eriri?"
"We're from the same school, you know. I'm not sure about now, but in high school, we both attended Toyogasaki Academy," Yusei explained.
Eriri looked at Yusei strangely, staring intently as if trying to recall something.
Suddenly, she let out a sharp exclamation.
"Ah! I remember now! You're Kazami-kun, right?"
With hundreds or even a thousand students in a school, it stands to reason shouldn't be easy to remember everyone.
But Yusei was simply too famous.
Whether it was his status as the 'SAO's survivor', or his reputation as a 'Playboy' and 'Kendo Champion', he was like a campus legend.
Eriri's impression of Yusei was limited to 'proficient in Kendo' and 'has many beautiful girlfriends'.
If she remembered correctly, initially, there were rumors about Yusei and Utaha, later with a transfer student...
She didn't know about the events after that, as he seemed to have taken leave, even missing the university entrance exams. Her impression of him gradually faded after that.
Eriri never expected to meet Yusei here, 'Did this guy drop out of school and switch to making games?'
"Looks like you remember. Long time no see, Sawamura-san."
"Mhmm. Can you tell me in advance what it's like in society? Is it tiring?" Eriri looked at Yusei curiously.
"Ha?" Yusei was confused, "I don't work in society. If you ask me, I wouldn't know either."
"Eh? Didn't you drop out to switch to making games?"
Yusei gave her a sidelong glance, "I'm a Tokyo University's student. Winning the National Youth Kendo Championship got me direct admission to Tokyo University. It's just that due to some circumstances, I haven't attended classes yet."
"Is that so? It seems we're schoolmates then. I'm in the Tokyo University's Fine Arts department."
"Then please take care of me from now on."
The two chatted about the Tsukihime storyline. For an illustrator, understanding the characters' personalities and the plot is fundamental.
Ding
The bell at the door chimed again.
A figure with long, straight black hair and a tall stature walked in. After scanning the café, her gaze suddenly stopped in one spot.
She had spotted a certain someone she hadn't seen for half a year.