All of this?!
It was obvious this had completely exceeded Zero's range of understanding.
"W–wait a second… Rina, you're that kind of Ojou‑sama?! You never mentioned anything like this before!"
"Eh? Well, before now, there was never really any reason to bring it up~"
"…"
Ah.
When she put it that way—it made perfect sense.
Back in the Digital World, your Real World identity was worth absolutely nothing. Ojou‑sama, princess, noble lady—none of that mattered when you were about to die anyway. A human identity couldn't solve a single problem over there.
On the gate by the main entrance, there really was a nameplate. And though it didn't look particularly flashy, Zero clearly saw the characters: "Shinomiya".
So… this was some enormous Area 11 (Japan) ultra-rich family? Judging from this scale, calling it a "small household" would've been an insult.
Of course, Zero had very little understanding of this "Real World." Even if the social structure resembled his original world, these were obviously two completely different universes.
He wasn't even sure whether this Real World shared the same structure as any of the multiple Digimon-world continuities he knew.
There were tons—anime versions, game versions, manga versions, alternate continuities…
While Zero was still reeling in confusion, Rina casually walked straight inside. As she passed through the front courtyard, the servants tending the grounds all stopped their work and bowed.
"Ojou‑sama…"
Rina waved back to them with her usual friendliness. A man who looked like the head butler stepped forward and bowed.
"Ojou‑sama, the second young lady sent a letter for you—along with some gifts. They've been placed in your room."
Hearing this, Rina nodded lightly and smiled.
"Oh, Kaguya, huh? It's been so long. I wonder how she's been doing at her boarding academy~ Haha, I got it, go on ahead, Kyouta-san~"
There was nothing unusual about that sentence by itself. A younger sister studying at a boarding academy sending letters and gifts home—nothing odd.
But the name…
…Kaguya?!
Shinomiya Kaguya… Shinomiya Kaguya?!
Zero's entire body went rigid. His mind screamed a single thought:
Miss… you've wandered into the wrong franchise!!!
What was happening? Was this Real World really not what he imagined it to be?
Having spent all this time in the Digital World, Zero had never realized this Real World might be something completely outside his expectations.
Of course, maybe it was just a coincidence—"Kaguya" wasn't a particularly rare name. And Shinomiya vs. Shinomiya were subtly different spellings.
But then Rina took out her phone, found a photo, and spoke with a nostalgic tone:
"Almost half a year since I last saw her… I wonder how little Kaguya looks now~"
In the photo—a cold, elegant black-haired girl.
…Yeah. Okay. No need to doubt anything anymore.
What the hell?! You're telling me you two are sisters? Your character designs aren't even remotely similar!
Two-dimensional genetics truly were a miraculous thing.
Zero stared, stunned. But since this was merely a romcom's territory, crossing franchises wouldn't shatter the world or anything.
At least it wouldn't interfere with the combat system. (As stated earlier: this is a crossover setting, but combat rules are strictly Digimon—no outside power systems messing things up.)
Which led Zero to another question…
"Meeting the mysterious beautiful girl in the Digital World… Only to discover her true identity is the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family! So—Zero-kun must be wondering what Yuuko's identity is, right?"
Rina started monologuing on her own—but everything she said was exactly what Zero had been thinking.
Apparently she'd completely grasped Zero's thought process by now. Their minds were beginning to synchronize.
That was a good thing; it might even help with Digimon-style fusion digivolution someday (…not that kind).
Since Rina was such a bigshot Ojou‑sama… what about Yuuko?
Rina flipped her phone around, showing him the logo on the back.
Zero didn't recognize the brand—but it felt strangely familiar.
…And then he remembered.
It matched the emblem on the car that picked Rina up earlier.
Wait—you make phones AND cars? That's some wide business scope!
As he was silently bewildered, Rina spoke calmly:
"Kaneshiro Group. A major conglomerate involved in electronics, machinery, digital information, all kinds of fields. But right now… the thing they're most famous for…"
…The Kaneshiro Group was one of the largest network service providers in the world. Their EDEN system held the highest market share among all current network platforms.
Right now, they were pushing a major project—combining VR technology to transform EDEN into a massive online community, allowing users to stay home… yet fulfill 70% of real-world social interaction needs on a global scale.
The system was already in use internally at major corporations and government institutions. With more development, it would soon become accessible to the general public.
In other words, the Kaneshiro Group wasn't just "wealthy."
This was a corporation with a political and technical foundation so deep it was practically an abyss.
"But speaking of that…" Rina's tone dipped slightly. "The first version of the EDEN community system actually started internal testing ten years ago. But something serious happened… something big enough that the entire project basically stalled."
If something could halt such a crucial project for ten whole years… it must've been a catastrophe beyond imagination.
Of course, the public knew nothing—not even most people inside the Kaneshiro Group. This was top-secret information. Rina only knew because she was close to Yuuko and had heard a few things in passing. The details remained unclear.
Ten… years ago?
Ever since he heard the terms "EDEN" and "Kaneshiro Group," Zero had felt a strange sense of unfamiliar familiarity.
And now hearing "ten years ago," it felt like something deep in his consciousness was being tugged at—memories churning, rising—but ultimately, nothing surfaced.
"Anyway, that's how it is~ So now you understand, right? If Zero-kun ever cheats on me with Yuuko-chan… the consequences will be very severe~"
"…"
Not good. Her tone didn't sound like a joke at all.
Zero could feel the threat to his life.
---
T/N: BNIUT HES NOT UR BOUFRIENDDDD
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