However, Saeko wasn't fooled in the slightest by Eriri's clumsy act.
Seeing her mother press the matter—and recalling that this entire approach had been her mom's idea in the first place—Eriri had no choice but to blush fiercely and admit the truth.
"I knew it! So come on…tell me everything—did Hikaru-kun 'grow up?'"
Eriri was at a loss.
Why does it feel like my mom's more curious about this than I am?!
"I…I don't remember much."
At that moment, Eriri was still mortified to the extreme, so she failed to notice the expression on her mother's face.
"Seems like Hikaru-kun has plenty of stamina. He didn't look tired at all when he left."
Saeko commented. Hearing that, something suddenly came to Eriri's mind, and she spoke up anxiously:
"Mom…is there a chance I…could be, you know, pregnant?"
"No. This is your safe period—it's not that easy. I already checked."
Saeko shook her head.
"Oh, good."
Eriri breathed a sigh of relief. She was far too young to become a mother right now.
"So, was there anything else?"
Saeko kept asking.
"No. Just…various positions, that's all. I gathered a lot of reference material."
As she said this, Eriri's cheeks turned crimson—merely recalling everything made her want to bury herself under the covers. But Saeko's curiosity wasn't so easily satisfied.
"Hurry and tell me in detail!"
"???"
Noticing her daughter's startled look, Saeko realized she was getting too carried away.
"Ahem. I'm only…worried about your health. If there's nothing else, that puts me at ease. Tonight I'll make some extra-nutritious dishes to help you replenish your energy."
With those parting words, Saeko left, mumbling under her breath. That was close. Good thing my daughter didn't notice anything. As for Eriri, she was feeling hugely relieved—lucky that tomorrow was still the weekend, so she could rest at home. Otherwise, she might have had to take a day off school.
…
When Hikaru arrived home, he found Asia playing with Est.
"Let's have fried noodles for dinner, plus a few cold dishes."
Although he had lived in Japan quite a while, Hikaru still wasn't used to the cuisine's. Asia offered to help, but when it came to cooking, Hikaru was set in his ways.
After they'd eaten their fill, Asia took care of the cleanup. Est went back to watching TV. Hikaru, meanwhile, summoned Ddraig and sank his consciousness into the Sacred Gear's interior, continuing to use the "Myriad Soul Banner" to purge the lingering souls of previous Red Dragon Emperors.
Even if these spirits were his "predecessors," Hikaru had no intention of showing mercy. They stood as obstacles on his path to power—and would attack him on sight, so they weren't exactly innocent. Among them were many that had been assimilated by older, more ancient resentful spirits—like a never-ending "rescue mission," one generation after the next. If Hikaru's mind wasn't resolute, forcibly activating the Tyrant Dragon state too often could drive him insane, or at the very least shatter his psyche.
By late night, Hikaru had already absorbed about one-fifth of the souls.
"Partner, this Sacred Gear of yours is remarkably effective against these grudging souls. At this pace, you might be able to attempt the Tyrant Dragon form in about a week!"
Ddraig sounded excited. Encountering such a monstrous host—capable of unleashing its power at 100%—gave it a real sense of accomplishment.
"Makes sense."
Hikaru said simply.
"Sure, it's impressive—but don't get carried away. I've seen people lose themselves once they gain power,"
Ddraig cautioned.
"If I can be shaken by mere power, I'm not worth much anyway."
In recent weeks, Hikaru's strength had soared. In a wuxia-style world, such rapid growth could lead to "inner devils," but Hikaru didn't care. He was convinced that sort of thing could never happen to him.
"Time for bed."
"Then good night, Partner."
With that, Hikaru turned in for the night. As someone who kept a disciplined schedule, he rarely stayed up late. He slept soundly till morning, never carrying fatigue or stress into the following day.
This evening, Asia wasn't in his room, but Est was already curled under the blankets, dozing off with a little drool at the corner of her mouth. Hikaru affectionately snuggled the sword spirit's small body, using her as a soft, sweet-smelling pillow as he slipped into a deep sleep.
…
The following day was still the weekend.
Because Asia would be living with him for the long term, Hikaru took her out to the city market to buy some feminine necessities. At lunchtime, they stuffed themselves at a buffet, caught a movie in the afternoon, then finished with dinner out before heading home again.
Hikaru glanced at the clock—7:40 PM. While they were shopping, Koneko had texted him that his match with Riser was scheduled for 8:00 PM tonight, but there was no need to go so early.
He waited until about twenty minutes beforehand, then finally rose from the couch.
"Asia, you stay here. I might get home late tonight, so don't wait for me."
After saying that, Hikaru hopped on his motorcycle and roared off into the night.
~~~
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