After about half an hour, Hikaru finally withdrew from the inner world of his consciousness.
Just as he had suspected, the banner he got from Kishimojin could indeed counter the lingering souls sealed within the Sacred Gear. However, due to how deep their grudges ran and the extreme length of time they had been confined, fully purifying them was obviously not going to happen in just half an hour.
By Hikaru's rough calculation, he'd need at least about a week to absorb every last residual soul. Only after that could he attempt his first "Tyrant Dragon" transformation. If achieving Balance Breaker could already boost Hikaru's confidence in his god-slaying aspirations, then fully mastering the Tyrant Dragon form would push his chances of slaying a deity to a thousand percent!
Thinking this over, Hikaru took a moment to check the energy level of his Dimensional Gate. To his surprise, it had reached 20%. He couldn't say for sure why, but the most likely explanation was his recent involvement in various incidents.
"That's enough for today. You can go back to sleep, Ddraig."
Without giving Ddraig a chance to respond, he promptly consigned it into the spirit realm for some rest.
…
Saturday.
Hikaru arrived at the Sawamura residence right on schedule to accept their invitation. Following his own custom, he didn't come empty-handed but brought along a small gift. He pulled off a stylish swerve on his motorcycle as he parked. After removing his sunglasses in one smooth motion, he dismounted—his moves so neat and efficient that a few passing girls froze in awe.
Ding-dong…
The doorbell's soft chime rang out.
Moments later, the door opened from inside.
"Hikaru! I just knew it was you!"
The one who answered was Eriri, her eyes curving into crescents. But unlike the sprightly aura she had at school, the Eriri at home looked much more "otaku." She wore a green tracksuit, her once iconic twin-tails now hanging straight down her back, and on her face was a pair of half-rim glasses. Eriri did have slight myopia, yet for the sake of appearances, she never wore glasses at school.
"Come on in! Mom's in the kitchen making lunch—everything you like!"
Compared to her school demeanor, her current vibrant personality was practically another person altogether. She grabbed Hikaru by the arm, pulled him into the house, then shut the door behind him.
After switching into indoor slippers, a young, elegant woman poked her head out from the kitchen. By appearance, one might guess she was Eriri's older sister rather than her mother. Of course, in the "two-dimensional" world, looks alone mean little. Still, it was rather curious: Hikaru had known Eriri for a number of years—since they were kids—and all that time, it had just been her and her mother living together. As for the so-called diplomat father from the original story, Hikaru had never seen him. Not even a photograph. He'd asked about it once, but mother and daughter both dodged the subject, merely saying that man vanished long ago.
Hikaru hadn't questioned it much back then, but now he couldn't help speculating: was there really a father, or did Saeko truly have a husband? In a supernatural world, all sorts of possibilities exist. Even Journey to the West featured the River of Mother and Child where men could get pregnant by drinking its waters.
"You've come, Hikaru! We haven't seen you in months, right?"
"Yes, it's been some months, Saeko-nee."
Hikaru offered her his gift. Hearing that, Saeko beamed from ear to ear. No woman dislikes being told she looks young—especially not by someone like Hikaru.
"Hikaru, you and Eriri can wait in the living room. Lunch will be ready soon!"
"Let's watch TV, Hikaru."
Eriri invited him to the sofa. Not long afterward:
"Chicken soup's ready~~~!"
Had it not been Saeko's voice, Hikaru might have thought he'd walked onto some drama set. The atmosphere was tranquil and heartwarming—like a normal, cozy family lunch scene. Saeko fussed over Hikaru, stopping just short of outright asking him to "move in and live with us." Hikaru tactfully declined, but he did agree to visit more often, which delighted both mother and daughter.
Apparently in high spirits, Saeko even opened a bottle of red wine.
"Huh? Students aren't allowed to drink—it's illegal…"
Eriri muttered in protest. Hikaru, however, wasn't bothered. In some parts of his home country, after all, kids learn to drink beer from a young age. Urged on by her mother, Eriri found it hard to refuse, so she reluctantly sipped a little wine.
After the meal, though Saeko's culinary skills weren't on Hikaru's level, it was certainly fine for home cooking.
"I'll do the dishes. You two must be tired. Why don't you go rest in Eriri's room?"
Saeko said, covering her mouth with a soft laugh. Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she added,
"By the way, after I finish the dishes, I'm meeting a coworker for some shopping in the afternoon. Might not be back until tonight. You kids have fun in the meantime, okay~~~?"
~~~
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