"Ahem." Machida Sonoko gave a small cough to cover the awkwardness. She had, of course, noticed the same issue. Still, Eriri's style is technically impeccable and very in tune with the otaku crowd; it can be leveraged well for commercial impact.
"Eriri, I know you're a well-known ecchi yuri dōjin artist, and habits aren't easy to change overnight. But if possible, I'd like you to dial back that ecchi tone," Riku tapped the tabletop and continued. By now, Eriri's face was completely red; her lips parted as she breathed, and that little tiger tooth of hers only added to the moe.
"I-I get it, okay? Please don't say any more, please!" Having her embarrassing background called out in public, and her art's sensuality named so plainly, left Eriri beside herself; mortified to the extreme, she covered her ears. She was one step away from banging her head on the table.
"Other than that tiny flaw, I like everything else." Riku smiled as he spoke.
That finally calmed Eriri a bit. Still flushed but now hopeful and anxious in equal measure, she looked to Riku, waiting for his verdict.
Machida also turned to him.
"Mm, how about this." Riku rubbed his chin, as if pondering, then smiled lightly. "Eriri, there's roughly half a month left. Try making some adjustments. Honestly, I really like your style and don't want to replace you. This gig matters a lot for you, too, right?"
"Mm, thank you, Kuangshao-sensei!" Eriri froze for a beat, then said gratefully.
Once she got back, she'd drop everything else and draw until she had something that satisfied Riku.
Her dream isn't to be a dōjin artist forever, nor merely an illustrator, but a mangaka.
Before that, though, she needs to hone her craft. Doing the illustrations for the legendary Interludes of the Demon would both sharpen her skills and let her ride the wave to win over a huge fanbase.
You could say that illustrating Interludes of the Demon is what every illustrator longs for a massive career break.
And Riku hadn't nitpicked maliciously; he pointed out the issue on its merits and encouraged her to fix it no small kindness.
Eriri took that to heart.
Looking at Riku's confident, striking face, Eriri couldn't help feeling a little flutter. This man really does have what it takes to make any girl like him.
Then, thinking of her emotionally dense, hopelessly nerdy childhood friend, Eriri pouted, thoroughly unimpressed.
"Eriri, just call me Riku. All right then, the illustration work for Interludes of the Demon is yours," Riku said with a mild smile.
"Mm! I'll do my best!" Eriri nodded at once, eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
"That's wonderful news, Ms Kashiwagi Eri." Machida let out a relieved breath and offered congratulations. No big quarrels, exactly the result she'd hoped for.
"And thank you, Ms Machida, for giving me the opportunity," Eriri said politely to Machida. If Machida hadn't arranged a face-to-face, things probably wouldn't have gone this smoothly.
Eriri knew that if this had been handled online, her originals might have been rejected outright and with her temperament, she very likely would've bristled at it.
"Ms Machida, Eriri, let's wrap Interludes of the Demon here. Any questions, we can discuss them later. Next, we should talk about the new book, Between the Box Garden," Riku said calmly after a sip of coffee.
"Mm!" Machida's eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly.
-
"Kuangshao-sensei's new book!?" Eriri's eyes went wide in shock.
Kadokawa Bunko planned to stoke the hype, but the rollout hadn't begun, so there was nothing public yet. No wonder Eriri reacted like that.
"Kuangshao-sensei, do you have the manuscript?" Machida asked, barely able to contain herself. While she could call him "Riku" in private, on proper business she reflexively used the honorific.
On the other side, Eriri watched Riku with bright, expectant eyes. In Japan alone, tens of millions of fans are waiting for Kuangshao-sensei's new release. Plenty of people would love to storm that incorrigible slacker's house with knives and force him to write.
"…You can see the manuscript in a bit. Before that, I want to introduce someone," Riku said, opening his briefcase and taking out a tablet with an easy smile.
Under the curious gazes of Machida and Eriri, Riku connected to the net and started a video call.
Elsewhere, Sagiri, who'd been waiting anxiously, sat primly in front of her camera the instant the call came in and hit accept. In a flash, the image popped onto the tablet, leaving Machida and Eriri momentarily stunned.
Onscreen was a figure wearing an odd, oversized mask and a green hoodie.
"Uh, this is… Eromanga-sensei?" As a famous dōjin artist herself, Eriri naturally knew the other illustrator whose fame rivalled her own, also a yuri dōjin artist.
In fact, many otaku are even more familiar with Eromanga-sensei, since she often livestreams her drawing. So Eriri recognised Sagiri immediately.
"Even though I think you've already figured it out, I'll introduce her anyway." Riku glanced at Machida Sonoko and Eriri in turn, a smile on his lips.
"This is the illustrator for my new book, Box Garden Interlude, Eromanga-sensei."
"Uh… it really is," Machida and Eriri both froze for a beat. They'd already guessed when Eromanga-sensei appeared, but having it confirmed still came as a small surprise.
After all, the potential of the new book, Between the Box Garden, is even bigger than Interludes of the Demon.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Eromanga-sensei, my real name is Kōsaka Sagiri." Sagiri spoke up. Her voice was clear, with a hint of naiveté; very pleasant.
"A girl…?" That made Eriri and Machida blink again.
Back when Eromanga-sensei streamed, she always covered her face and figure completely and used a voice changer. So no one could be sure of the gender. From both the name and the voice now, she was a girl and a very, very young one at that.
With a bunch of thoughts flitting through their minds, Machida and Eriri introduced themselves politely in turn.
When Eriri stated that she was the illustrator for Interludes of the Demon, Sagiri couldn't help giving her another look and quietly clenched her fist.
As someone in the scene, Sagiri certainly knew the name "Kashiwagi Eri." And now, just like her, Kashiwagi had become the illustrator for one of Riku's novels.
That made Sagiri a little nervous yet fired up. She definitely didn't want to get outdone.
At the same time, Eriri's looks were… very high-level, which made Sagiri a little anxious.
In every sense, a formidable rival.
That was Sagiri's first impression of Eriri.
"Eromanga-sensei, is something the matter?" Noticing the odd look Sagiri was giving her, Eriri asked, puzzled.
"I won't lose to you," Sagiri said directly. At only twelve, she had no concept of holding things back; what was in her heart came out of her mouth.
"Uh… on that point, Eromanga-sensei, same here." Eriri blinked, assuming Sagiri simply saw her as a rival. Since they were both Riku's illustrators now, she too felt her fighting spirit rise.
Faced with another well-known dōjin artist, she naturally felt the itch to compare.
Seeing this, Machida beamed. A little competition is healthy. And since Eromanga-sensei was handling Between the Box Garden, she could finally relax. She'd worried Riku might "give a friend a chance" and, if the quality wasn't there, sales could suffer.
Riku, for his part, just smiled wryly and gave a tiny shake of his head.
"This is the manuscript for Volume 1 of Between the Box Garden. Ms Machida, have a look." Riku took a thick stack of pages from his briefcase and slid it in front of Machida.
"Wonderful, it's really finished!" Machida's face lit up with excitement; the words slipped out of her mouth.
"Ms Machida, that hurts my feelings, you know. Do you distrust me that much?" Riku rolled his eyes, half-teasing.
"Ah, sorry, sorry." Machida gave an awkward laugh. Normally, she wouldn't say that. But Riku was a problem child, an Olympic-level slacker, so seven years of habit is hard to shake.
"I'm in no rush. You can read it here." Riku added.
"In that case, perfect." Machida's eyes brightened, and she nodded with a smile.
She then switched into work mode… and carefully began to read through the hundred-thousand-character draft.
On this first pass, she read it from an editor's perspective.
Eriri couldn't help glancing at the pages in Machida's hands, then remembered herself, looked away, and wore a very conflicted expression.
Clearly, she really wanted to read it. It was Riku's new book, after all. But she couldn't. Rules are rules.
So Eriri could only sit there, restless, staring out the window; her slender legs wrapped in over-knee black stockings began to bounce without her noticing.
Seeing this, Sagiri, watching from home, couldn't help curling her lips in triumph. Other than Riku, the author, she and Mom were earlier than anyone else to read it, okay?
Time ticked by in quiet seconds.
The refined atmosphere of the café made it easy to feel calm. Little by little, Eriri's mood smoothed out as she gazed absent-mindedly at the street outside.
In the hush, Sagiri went back to practising drawing. Riku, unruffled, pulled out his phone, chatting with girls, replying to Sora's grumbling messages as well.
That scene caught by one of Eriri's occasional sidelong glances made her sigh to herself.
Other authors get nervous to death when editors read their drafts; even bestsellers can't help a little tension. Who else sits there this relaxed?
As expected of Kuangshao-sensei, overwhelmingly capable and utterly confident. Maybe that's the only way you create light novels that powerful.
Eriri thought silently. Her mind was full of Riku's figure, impossible to shake.
A confident man always draws a young girl's eyes. Some things never change.
-
An hour and a half later, Machida Sonoko finally exhaled, coming back to herself, her face full of admiration.
"Kuangshao-sensei, this is truly incredible," Machida said dazedly. "Under the sun that never sets, the tens of millions of gods are but ants."
Plenty of novels have lines that try to sound domineering, but in most cases, they just read as chūnibyō. Here it's different: Riku's prose makes those moments land perfectly.
It's as if the grand spectacle of gods and demons shaking the heavens is right before your eyes, an epic carved in words.
Is this writing technique really something humans can attain? This can be called "craft approaching the divine."
In truth, Machida didn't know Riku was still holding back.
Starlight beyond human reach.
Wisdom beyond human reach.
For Riku, these are within arm's reach.
If he wished, rendering a complete scene directly into a human reader's mind with words would be as effortless as breathing.
But that would be far too terrifying. There'd be no work left for illustrators, manga artists, or an anime adaptation because just reading would already project a true god-and-demon tableau in the mind's eye.
"Between the Box Garden will absolutely set the entire world on fire," Machida declared, resolute, completely won over. There wasn't even a need for a second pass; it was excessively perfect.
Even if this first volume is essentially a kind of prologue, it's more than enough to explode in popularity.
Eriri, hearing that, looked over curiously, her heart itching more and more. I really want to read it. I really, really want to. And Sagiri, for her part, smiled to herself. Nii-san's excellence is absolute. No one can match him.
"Ms Machida, here are the Between the Box Garden illustrations. Have a look." Riku smiled, taking Sagiri's illustrations from his briefcase.
Machida's eyes lit up; she hurried to take them and began to read.
Eriri, meanwhile, was once again torn over whether she should look.
"Eriri, you'd better take a look at this will help you make adjustments," Riku said, tilting his head slightly toward her.
Eriri's cheeks flushed; she nodded gratefully and leaned in to look.
At once, she noticed how Sagiri's style differed from hers.
Both are top-tier styles beloved by the otaku crowd. But even though Sagiri, like her, is a famous ecchi dōjin artist, these illustrations carried no lewd heat at all; instead, every character felt cool, borderline awe-inspiring. Men and women alike.
This time, Eriri had to admit that in this respect, her style fell short of Sagiri's. She felt a little deflated.
Then her fighting spirit flared again.
On the other side of the table, after finishing the packet, Machida knit her brows slightly, falling into thought.
"Ms Machida, um… how are my illustrations?" Sagiri asked, a little nervous.
"Well…" Machida glanced at Riku, hesitating.
"Just say what you really think," Riku said with a shrug.
"Eromanga-sensei's illustration quality is absolutely top tier," Machida sighed. "Truly industry-leading. But I still feel like something's missing, like it doesn't quite measure up to this light novel."
"Eh!" Eriri's eyes widened. If even illustrations at this level don't match it… Isn't that going too far?
"Mmm… so that's how it is," Sagiri murmured, a bit downcast. But she herself had felt the same, so she didn't sulk.
"How to put it… When I read, a hazy image appears in my mind. In my senses, the Lord of White Night should feel even more overwhelming. He bears the doctrine of the End, presses down fully upon gods and buddhas, and seals off a myriad divine hosts," Machida said, face fervent on the verge of turning into a zealot.
"Ms Machida, you're asking too much. Humans can't draw that kind of presence. Sagiri's already done wonderfully," Riku said evenly.
It sounded narcissistic, but it was true. To capture that presence fully in still images is beyond human capability.
How could a human possibly depict the aura of a double-digit-class Demon Lord?
"Uh… that's true," Machida said, snapping out of that odd state and sheepishly touching her cheeks.
"Sorry, Eromanga-sensei, that was me running my mouth," she apologised to Sagiri.
"It's okay. Ms Machida's just telling the truth. Nii-san really is that amazing," Sagiri said, shaking her head.
Nii-san?
Hearing that, Machida and Eriri couldn't help sneaking a look at Riku. Different family names or not, calling him "Nii-san" clearly meant they weren't ordinary acquaintances. No wonder Riku hand-picked Eromanga-sensei for Between the Box Garden.
Of course, Eromanga-sensei had also proven her skill.
"Ms Machida, if there's no problem, I'll leave the rest to your team to roll out," Riku said.
"No problem at all. I can already picture the blow-up we'll see in May," Machida replied with a cheerful smile.
With Riku's Between the Box Garden in play, the other light novels don't stand a chance. After a two-year absence, Kuangshao-sensei is back, truly a king's return.
After chatting a little longer and settling all sorts of details, Riku ended the video call—since it was mealtime on Sagiri's end.
"It's already noon. Ms Machida, Eriri, want to grab lunch together?" Riku stood up, a faint smile on his lips.
"If Kuangshao-sensei is treating, then it would be rude to refuse," Machida Sonoko said with a laugh.
"If Riku's saying so… then I'll come too," Eriri said, cheeks tinged pink.
At once, Machida shot her a teasing look.
"D-don't get the wrong idea. I didn't say yes because I wanted to eat with you, I just happened to be hungry," Eriri blurted, demonstrating textbook tsundere.
"I understand, I understand," Machida said, eyes crinkling. "But, speaking as your senior, Ms Kashiwagi Eri tsundere has very little market value here in three-dimensional reality, you know."
Pfft, what exactly do you "understand"!?
Eriri glared, mortified, at Machida's mischievous grin.
"Ahem. Since everyone's agreed, follow me. I happen to know a pretty good restaurant," Riku cleared his throat, rescuing Eriri from the moment.
Eriri threw him a grateful glance, though her expression grew complicated again; her eyes wavered, not quite daring to meet his.
Suddenly, Eriri's phone began to ring. She blinked, then shot Riku and Machida an apologetic look and stepped aside to answer.
In an instant, her expression shifted again and again. She murmured something in a low voice, then lowered her head.
"Sorry, Riku, Ms Machida, I've got an urgent matter and need to head back," Eriri said anxiously.
"It's okay, Eriri. There's plenty of time later anyway. Be careful on your way," Riku nodded, speaking softly.
He moved aside to give her room to pass.
Eriri nodded, clutching her bag, and hurried out of her seat, running for the exit.
"Eriri's dad suddenly collapsed. The situation sounds bad. They're doing emergency treatment," Riku murmured as he watched her retreating figure. Even though the call had been almost a whisper, he'd heard it clearly.
In the original timeline, he didn't recall Eriri's father ever suffering a serious illness. He's a British diplomat; if something happened to him, it wouldn't be a small matter.
And a few years ago, at an upper-crust reception, Riku had seen Eriri's father perfectly healthy, no ailments whatsoever.
But this is a bizarre, interwoven world where monsters and spirits exist; butterfly effects are only normal.
So Riku briefly consulted the Star of Omniscience and Omnipotence.
Sure enough. Looks like I should find a chance to help and bank a wave of goodwill while I'm at it.
Riku's eyes flickered as he mused inwardly.
"Riku, are we still going to eat?" Machida couldn't help asking.
"It's noon, so of course we should eat," Riku replied casually.
He then took Machida to lunch.
After eating, Riku drove home. On the way, he picked up a pile of snacks for the shut-ins at home. Meanwhile, Eriri arrived at the largest hospital in Nerima Ward.
In a VIP ward, a blond middle-aged man's already fair face had gone bloodless, chalk-white.
Standing nearby was a woman with elegant black hair tied into twin tails, refined features, and striking red eyes, softened by mature allure. Time had only deepened her charm. Though in her thirties, she was so well-kept she could pass for around twenty-five.
She was peeling an apple with gentle composure.
The door swung open; a slightly winded Eriri rushed in, visibly flustered.
Seeing her father lying there safe and sound, and her mother at his side, she finally let out a breath.
"Eriri, you're back. So what does Kuangshao-sensei look like? Oh, oh, did you get me his autograph?" Before Eriri could speak, her father grinned.
He forced a weak smile to divert the topic, clearly not wanting Eriri to worry.
"Idiot Dad, how can you still be asking that!" Eriri hurried to his bedside. "Dad, what happened? How are you feeling?"
"Don't worry, Eriri. It's just overwork. The doctor says there's no illness," her mother, Sawamura Sayuri, said with a shake of her head.
As a diplomat, he'd been rushed past everyone else for a full examination.
"Overwork?" Eriri relaxed a little, then frowned. Her dad never throws himself into paperwork. If anything, he's super free. He's the last person who'd suffer from overwork.
"They say 'overwork,' but I don't really get it. I opened a can in the warehouse and suddenly felt dizzy, then blacked out," her father said with a hearty chuckle, scratching his head.
"…" Eriri's forehead sprouted metaphorical black lines. That's all? So I raced back for nothing, stood up Riku's invitation, and didn't even get the autograph.
None of the three Sawamuras noticed that perhaps "could not" is more accurate than a wisp of black miasma coiled above her father's crown, slowly gnawing away at his vital essence and good fortune.
And not only his: that blackness, almost human in its avarice, cast a hungry eye toward Eriri and Sawamura Sayuri as well.
The black miasma was a powerful evil spirit that an onmyōji had once sealed inside a treasure jar. That onmyōji could defeat it, but lacked the power to destroy it, so he took a stopgap measure, hoping the long passage of time would wear the spirit away.
As years passed, the jar was, by chance, purchased as a collectable by Eriri's father.
Ordinarily, the outcome wouldn't have changed. Unfortunately, with time, the seal had weakened. Even an ordinary person could lift the lid now, which forced the seal open.
The evil spirit slipped out; its power greatly depleted, it immediately possessed Eriri's father and greedily drank his vital essence to recover.
Because it took in too much at once, he fainted on the spot.
The spirit itself was too weak; forcibly draining so much from a robust adult overflowing with yang energy nearly backfired, so it could only proceed slowly.
Still, the spirit wasn't anxious because it hadn't expected this family's fortune to be so high!
Especially the girl who had just rushed into her fortune was extraordinarily, impossibly high.
If it could absorb that, it would absolutely return to its peak and perhaps go even further.
But it didn't dare possess Eriri now. Her fortune was too strong, and in its current weakness, forcing a possession and leeching that fortune would only cause a backlash. It would have to lurk first, devour the couple in turn, and only then make a move on Eriri.
"Hey, Eriri, did you become Kuangshao-sensei's illustrator?" Sawamura Sayuri looked at her daughter with a bright smile. For a mother in society, she still had the heart of a young girl.
"Hmph. When I take the field, of course, Kuangshao-sensei recognises me," Eriri huffed, satisfied with herself.
"Hee-hee, that's my daughter," Sayuri said proudly, pulling her close with affectionate delight, prompting Eriri to roll her eyes.
"Eriri, did you get my autograph?"
"And mine," Sayuri chimed in; the two of them asked in quick succession.
It's fair to say Eriri became an otaku entirely under the influence of her two otaku parents.
"No. I was just about to have a meal with Kuangshao-sensei and ask for autographs when Mom called, so I rushed back," Eriri said, aggrieved.
"Uh." Her father rubbed his face, embarrassed.
"Ooh? From the sound of it, you're pretty salty about missing that meal with Kuangshao-sensei. Is he a total dreamboat?" Sayuri asked, eyes smiling.
"He is. Kuangshao-sensei Riku is super handsome, and he's a silver-haired, golden-eyed foreigner. I honestly can't find a single flaw. Way better than him, too," Eriri said, cheeks flushing. Thinking of her childhood friend Aki Tomoya made her face darken with rage bubbling up.
The last time she asked him to buy a game, he gave the copy meant for her away and called it "spreading the gospel." It was infuriating.
"Silver hair, golden eyes… Riku, could his name be Riku Dola?" Hearing Eriri's description, both her father and Sayuri went slightly pale and asked at once.
"Huh? Dad, Mom, how do you know Riku's name?" Eriri asked, puzzled.
"It's actually him? He's Kuangshao-sensei!?" Sayuri and her husband traded looks, full of shock, recalling a certain high-society reception four years ago.
Even as a British diplomat, he'd been a small fry at that event. Riku, on the other hand, had been the undisputed centre of gravity. Even the Emperor and the Prime Minister nodded and bowed to him. Every move Riku made had burned itself into the couple's memory.
"Dad? Mom? What's wrong?" Eriri asked, confused by their sudden astonishment.
"It's nothing," Sayuri said, shaking her head and smoothing her expression.
Eriri had no interest in upper-circle affairs, and they had no interest in letting her get mixed up in them.
For now, it seemed Eriri had only met Riku by coincidence; no need to overthink it.
Still, did Riku's inviting Eriri to eat hint at something… special? Like, maybe he'd taken a liking to her? The two of them were confident about their daughter's looks. She might be a bit tsundere, but she was absolutely beautiful.
They didn't have long to dwell on it. They'd seen this sort of thing many times in their circle.
In the end, Sayuri and her husband exchanged glances and shook their heads.
Speculation was useless. If Riku did like Eriri, that would be a good thing. A boy that exceptional, there wasn't a second like him in the world. Much as a daughter is her parents' treasure, in terms of power and position, Eriri might actually be the one who didn't measure up.
Their bigger worry was that Riku might just want to toy with Eriri. That sort of thing was all too common in the upper echelons.
Especially when they would be absolutely powerless to oppose him. Even the Prime Minister and Emperor bowed to Riku, after all.
The thought left them both uneasy while Eriri looked thoroughly baffled, with no idea why the mood had suddenly shifted.
In the end, Sayuri and her husband decided to find a way to contact Riku and invite him over to sound him out. For their daughter's sake, if need be, they could always go back to the UK.