After calming Yui down, Yusei quietly opened the door to his room.
He had expected to find two beautiful girls of different styles playing, chatting, or messing around, but instead, it was completely empty.
Yusei was taken aback. Looking at the neatly made bed, he was puzzled.
'Where... where is everyone?'
His gaze shifted and landed on a note on the bedside table. He walked over, picked it up, and saw it was in Kaguya's handwriting.
[You must be very disappointed right now, huh? Looks like no one's home. Hmph, don't think I don't know what you were planning for tonight. Too bad, I've already taken both Athena and Asuna to the Shinomiya Residence.
The three of us sisters have a lot to talk about tonight. You can sleep alone.
-Shinomiya Kaguya]
Reading the note, Yusei felt a strong urge to 'deal with' Kaguya right then and there.
But Kaguya's move was indeed clever, perfectly cutting off Yusei's path. She didn't just send Asuna home or take only Asuna.
She took both Asuna and Athena to the Shinomiya Residence as guests. That meant Yusei definitely wouldn't go chasing after them.
Not for any other reason, but because showing up there would just be too awkward.
Just for a night of passion? He could already imagine Hayasaka's disdainful look.
The heat in Yusei's heart cooled. He lay down directly on the bed. The pillow still carried the faint, pleasant scent of Asuna's hair, calming his mind.
"Fine. I'll just sleep alone tonight."
It was still early.
Yusei certainly wasn't going to sleep immediately and instead practiced controlling the power of his Rinnegan.
He had actually realized that the true power of the Rinnegan wasn't limited to its level in the original Naruto… it was potentially even stronger.
On his path to godhood, Yusei discovered that he could use the Rinnegan to master Authorities like [Gravitational Attraction] and [Repulsive Force].
Moreover, the Preta Path of the Rinnegan, which absorbed other energies for his own use, wasn't limited to just Chakra.
It was truly a case of 'system-guaranteed premium'. The Preta Path absorbed pure energy. As long as his own strength was sufficient, he could absorb any form of energy.
Therefore, Yusei believed the Rinnegan would remain a powerful asset even after he became a god, helping him solidify his offensive methods and overall strength.
For now, a good way to practice the Rinnegan's gravitational control was to work on precision.
Using gravitational force to control a silver needle to thread itself… this kind of minute operation could greatly help Yusei master control over his power.
He practiced this all night. Fortunately, Yusei's mental strength was powerful, and his concentration was high. The success rate of threading a needle with gravitational control reached eight out of ten attempts.
This level indicated a very high degree of precision in gravitational control.
Considering Yusei had been practicing this ever since returning from the Campione! World, achieving an 80% success rate only now showed just how difficult it was to manipulate.
After a shower, Yusei fell asleep. Who knew how late the little girls outside would be watching horror movies.
In the middle of the night...
Yusei, in his sleep, suddenly felt something slip under the covers. He opened his eyes groggily and found it was Tohru.
Yusei jolted awake, about to ask something, when he saw Tohru burrow deeper under the covers, a mischievous, impish smile on her face.
…
The next day, Yusei got up yawning, folded the blankets, and left the room feeling somewhat weary.
Waking up early was his habit, but it was already 9 a.m., which was really unlike his usual self.
In the living room, Tohru, dressed in a maid outfit with a rosy complexion, was eagerly waiting.
Seeing Yusei come out, she immediately stood up and happily threw herself into his arms.
"Yusei! What would you like for breakfast?"
Yusei gave Tohru a weak, sidelong glance and said feebly, "Something nourishing... and energizing."
He hadn't gotten to sleep until 5 a.m. Even with Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu training and the Rinnegan, that was hard to handle.
Meanwhile, Tohru the dragon, with her moist, cherry-red lips, was full of energy.
It just showed the difference in species. Dragons had robust physiques, making Yusei quite envious.
'My own frail body really needed strengthening.'
A hearty meal of nourishing dragon tail meat, supplemented by Tohru's somewhat guilty healing spell, finally restored Yusei to normal.
He pinched Tohru's cheek, venting his frustration a bit, and then left the house.
Today, he had an appointment with Nishimura, Kaori's teacher, whom Yusei had promised to cure Kaori in exchange for her composing music for his game.
He was going to Nishimura's studio because she had come up with a few plans and invited him over to choose the best one and discuss any needed refinements.
When Yusei arrived at the location Nishimura specified, he found an expected person there.
Kaori, wearing a dress, was practicing her violin, completely absorbed in her performance.
When Yusei arrived, she seemed to sense it, stopped playing, and came to greet him.
Unlike her previous sickly pallor, Kaori now had a rosy complexion and a light, lively air about her, like a cheerful little spirit.
"Go-od-mor-ning! My lifesaver!" Kaori used an exaggerated tone and winked at Yusei.
It seemed she was always in such high spirits. Perhaps her brush with death had made her understand what true happiness was.
Yusei looked at this lively spirit, and found she was indeed much better than before. Her golden hair seemed brighter too. Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
However, Yusei hesitated for a moment before speaking the truth, "You seem to have gained a bit more weight than before."
That's right. While everything else about her was the opposite of her bedridden state, her face was indeed starting to look rounder.
Kaori's bright smile instantly froze on her face, and her eyes turned dangerous.
"Y-o-u-n-g-M-a-s-t-e-r! Don't you know that telling a girl she's fat will bring divine retribution?!"
"Divine retribution? It wouldn't dare strike me," Yusei said mysteriously.
Seeing Yusei 'defy' her, Kaori hmphed, crossed her arms, and muttered.
"Even if you saved me, I won't allow you to call me fat. That's a matter of principle!"