After imparting some valuable "new knowledge" to Eriri Spencer Sawamura, Hozuki Nozomi spent a while longer simply holding her, enjoying the warmth of her presence. When they finally emerged from the room together, Shiina Mahiru and the others greeted Eriri warmly, welcoming her into the fold of their unusual family.
It was a pity Yukino hadn't come today. If she had, perhaps Hozuki Nozomi could have arranged for some quality time between Eriri and his fiancée. The image of them together was certainly appealing—a view, he reflected, that only he would ever be privileged to enjoy.
If Eriri knew what he was thinking, she'd probably look down on him even more. But that was a risk he was willing to take.
After dinner, Yuki Suo eagerly dragged Eriri away to her room, curiosity burning about the secrets of doujinshi creation. Hozuki Nozomi returned to his room and stretched out on the bed, pulling out his phone.
Time to check in with his fiancée.
Hozuki Nozomi: "Yukino, have you eaten dinner yet?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Just finished. Watching TV now. Haruno-nee is here too."
His eyebrow rose. Both Yukinoshita sisters in one place? Interesting.
Hozuki Nozomi: "Yukino, you know you need some exercise after meals to aid digestion. Why don't you and Haruno-nee come over?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Bah! In your dreams!"
She knew him too well. "After-dinner exercise" indeed. He was clearly lusting after both sisters.
Hozuki Nozomi: "Hehe. Coming over?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "No."
Hozuki Nozomi: "Then I'll come over there?"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Also no."
Hozuki Nozomi: "Yukino, that hurts."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Stop it. Next time. My period hasn't ended yet."
Hozuki Nozomi: "Alright then. Take good care of yourself, Yukino."
After a few more intimate exchanges with his fiancée, he also spent some time chatting with Yukinoshita Haruno. After all, Haruno-nee was also his fiancée—he couldn't afford to neglect her.
Haruno mentioned that preparations for the SAO game's open beta were nearly complete. Tomorrow was the official launch day.
Hozuki Nozomi felt a surge of excitement. The open beta meant the Spirit Crystal would finally hatch, granting him a magic template. His strength was about to leap forward by bounds.
After messaging a few other girls to maintain his connections, Hozuki Nozomi headed upstairs to the third floor.
He opened the door to find a familiar scene: a silver-haired elf girl sprawled lazily across a chair, looking thoroughly uninterested in anything resembling effort. Nearby, Fern—the purple-haired girl with the notably more developed figure—was tidying the bed with methodical precision.
"Yo! Frieren, Fern. Good evening."
The moment Fern saw him, her small face flushed. Certain... memories surfaced unbidden.
"Hozuki Nozomi," she said carefully, "is there something you need?"
"What, I can't just visit without a reason?"
Fern blinked at him silently, her stare saying everything words couldn't.
Hozuki Nozomi chuckled and scooped up the half-asleep Frieren, who offered no resistance whatsoever. "It's been a while since I replenished your magic, Fern. Come help out."
His official reasoning: Frieren was an elf and required more magical power. The process, naturally, required Fern's assistance.
He insisted on staying active until 10 PM before finally returning to his own room.
The moment he stepped inside, he found Suigintou standing with arms crossed, her expression radiating pure disdain.
"Hmph~!" The sound was loaded with contempt. "Human males are truly lewd creatures."
Hozuki Nozomi heard her clearly but didn't take offense. If anything, he interpreted her commentary as jealousy—the classic tsundere response.
He approached slowly, deliberately.
Before Suigintou could react, he scooped up her petite form and—
Kissed her.
Predictably, she erupted with indignant fury. Within seconds, his casual wear had been transformed into yet another holy garment, riddled with feather holes.
Suigintou retreated to her box, wiping her lips furiously, her pretty face flushed crimson. That hateful human! Why was he always like this? Was he truly not afraid of her at all?
The answer, of course, was no. Hozuki Nozomi understood that beneath her prickly exterior beat a heart that was tough on the outside but soft within.
Late at night, long after everyone had settled, Hozuki Nozomi's door creaked open.
A petite figure tiptoed inside, moving with exaggerated stealth. She approached the bed and stared down at his sleeping form, cheeks puffing with indignation.
This scoundrel! He'd begged her to stay, then spent the evening with others. So annoying. She was going to confront him right now!
Suddenly—
Arms wrapped around her slender waist, pulling her into the bed.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura barely stifled a yelp as a hand covered her mouth.
"Eriri Spencer Sawamura," a sleepy voice murmured, "be good."
He'd been waiting. Wondering if she'd come to him on her own.
She had.
His position in her heart, it seemed, was more significant than even he'd imagined.
Eriri struggled symbolically twice, then her body softened. She closed her eyes nervously, a flutter of anticipation in her chest.
Hozuki Nozomi looked down at her delicate, cute face and raised a hand to stroke her golden twin-tails.
"Eriri Spencer Sawamura," he whispered, "would you like to learn some new knowledge? I think Kashiwagi Eri's painting skills could always improve."
"Idiot..." Her voice was barely audible, thick with embarrassment. "Don't ask me questions like that."
She knew perfectly well what kind of "knowledge" he meant. If she wanted to improve her art, she could learn from Shiina Mashiro—an internationally renowned master. But that wasn't the point.
The point was that she was here, in his room, in his arms.
She closed her eyes and offered no further resistance.
The night passed in warmth and discovery.
The next morning, Hozuki Nozomi opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
Mitsuha's ceiling. He was back in Itomori.
And judging by the soft weight in his arms... yes, he'd swapped bodies again.
Across time and space, Miyamizu Mitsuha woke in Hozuki Nozomi's body, staring in horror at the sleeping form beside her.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura. Naked. In his arms.
That scumbag! First Yukino and Mahiru, now this beautiful blonde too? What kind of harem king lifestyle was this?!
"FWUMP!"
Miyamizu Yotsuha slammed the door open with her usual violence. "Sister! Breakfast is ready!"
She stopped.
Her sister sat on the futon, one hand pressed to her chest in a very familiar massage motion.
Yotsuha's mouth twitched. "How much do you even like your own chest?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha—or rather, Hozuki Nozomi inhabiting her body—smiled mysteriously. "You'll understand when you're older, Yotsuha."
"Then I'd rather never grow up!" The little loli slammed the door shut. "Breakfast is ready! Hurry up! We have a lot to do today!"
After breakfast, Hozuki Nozomi learned what "a lot to do" entailed.
Glutinous rice. They needed to buy glutinous rice.
The ingredient for kuchikamizake—the sacred mouth-chewed sake.
Creating kuchikamizake wasn't simply a matter of selecting ingredients. There were ritual steps, precise measurements, ceremonial procedures that had to be followed exactly. Before production could begin, the Kagura dance had to be performed.
The sake, once completed, would be offered to the gods.
Natori Sayaka, who'd been recruited to help with shopping, couldn't help but voice her skepticism. "Will the gods really like this kind of offering?"
Teshigawara Katsuhiko's response was immediate and emphatic. "They'll definitely love it!" His face had gone slightly red.
The logic was simple: kuchikamizake was fermented using a shrine maiden's saliva. Drinking it meant an indirect kiss. How could any god refuse that?
Hozuki Nozomi smiled at their exchange. "Yes, the gods will definitely appreciate sake made by a pure shrine maiden."
"See!" Teshigawara pointed triumphantly at Sayaka. "Even the divine envoy agrees!"
Sayaka rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. Then a mischievous thought struck her. "If I made kuchikamizake, would you drink it?"
Teshigawara's expression curdled instantly. "You're not a pure shrine maiden! Whatever you made wouldn't be proper—the gods definitely wouldn't want it!"
Sayaka glared at him resentfully. She hadn't been planning to offer it to the gods.
Hozuki Nozomi watched their familiar bickering with amusement, then clapped his hands. "Enough chatting. We have a lot to buy today—let's move."
Teshigawara's electric scooter made him the obvious choice for hauling supplies. The construction company owner's son had resources, and Hozuki Nozomi wasn't above exploiting them for Mitsuha's benefit.
As they loaded supplies, Hozuki Nozomi's gaze caught on a familiar figure lurking nearby.
Tano Ichiro. Hovering at the edge of visibility, watching with an expression that made Hozuki Nozomi's spiritual senses prickle.
He'd let Tano live, curious to see if the boy would fall to the evil god's corruption again.
It seemed that curiosity would be rewarded.
Tano Ichiro was being corrupted anew.