Meanwhile, online, readers who had no further novel content to read discovered that game players actually knew more than they did. The Sixth Heaven's follow-up content was already in the game.
Game players had beaten them to it, while they—self-proclaimed die-hard book fans—were falling behind. This was absolutely intolerable.
"That old scoundrel Dugo! You absolutely must not finish Throne! The game clearly has amazing follow-up content—on what grounds are you not continuing the novel?!"
"Hehe, since Throne is finished, can Warhammer start updating like crazy now?"
"Warhammer fan upstairs, fuck you! I don't just want the game's follow-up—I want the novel too!"
"I'm praising Dies Irae to the heavens! Experiencing the Fourth Heaven through the game is just too spectacular and hot-blooded!"
"The game is genuinely good, with Raiden Games' attentive style as always. It's nearly 99% faithful to the novel, with no major changes. Thumbs up!"
"Divine Throne of All Phenomena is my bible! Dugo-sensei, don't end it! I just cleared one route in the game and got this awful news."
"Actually… ending it here isn't bad. Are there any of you who have cleared all worldlines of Dies Irae and unlocked the hidden game package?"
"The game has tons of content—I'm only halfway through. You already unlocked the hidden Sixth Heaven plot?"
"…You all know the old scoundrel's Throne has that era-changing style. I won't reveal too much, but I can tell you this: your beloved Ren-tan, the Twilight Goddess, and that perverted Mercurial Snake are all wiped out."
"?????"
"!?!"
"Damn it!!!!!!"
"Fucking spoilers!!!"
The online buzz surrounding Dies Irae and Dugo-sensei completely exploded. Some fast players had already unlocked the Kajiri Kamui Kagura content Raize had prepared.
Although it was thrilling to see beloved characters transformed into overwhelmingly powerful bosses, it could not offset the grief over the deaths of those cherished characters.
Dies Irae drew Dugo-sensei's book fans into gaming. Meanwhile, players who loved Dies Irae but had never read Divine Throne of All Phenomena were converted into fans and went on to read the novels.
This mutual, cyclical, and seamless attraction—combined with Raize's sudden, shocking maneuver—directly ignited the emotions of both book fans and game players.
"Raiden Games and Dugo-sensei's collaborative work Dies Irae receives a flood of praise."
"Divine Throne of All Phenomena suddenly announced to be complete."
"Dies Irae hidden game content: high-popularity characters wiped out."
"Raiden Games firmly establishes itself in the narrative text game field."
"Will Dugo-sensei…"
With so many ignition points, the popularity of Dies Irae spread at a speed that left Raiden Games employees clicking their tongues in amazement.
Taihei and Kobayashi wiped sweat from their brows as they watched the expressionless Raize sip black tea while checking online data, sighing at how incredibly intense their boss's methods were.
Watching the internet erupt with countless positive and negative opinions—too many to count—their emotions rose and fell with the chaos.
The greatest beneficiary, however, was the calm Raize, sipping black tea and observing it all.
While chatting with Nep on one side and watching Dies Irae and Kajiri Kamui Kagura unlock in the system's game directory, his heart—though suppressed by Eu's power—was filled with immense pleasure.
After a period of buildup, Raize entered a busy phase, and his power still had not been returned to Eu.
As for how to face Eu now that their relationship had changed, he sought out Nep, who had suggested the idea back then.
[—You kissed, so what if you kissed? Seeing her naked isn't a big deal either. Just put in more effort and woo her properly, okay? Or are you still thinking about that Biblical loli God?]
[Raize~, choices are for the weak. Those two aren't like Mashiro, making you hesitate. If you want to focus on becoming stronger, it's not just about clearing games and training]
[Eating the Forbidden Fruit can also make you stronger~]
After sharing his troubles with Nep, she—appearing disdainfully in her petite form—expressed speechlessness and contempt for Raize's worries.
I gave you such a big assist last time. Are you really going to back down now?
Are you really that hesitant, overly gentle type?
Suppressing the irritation in her heart, Nep—under Raize's twitching gaze—gave him an outrageous suggestion that startled him: to enter the adult realm in this life. Then she vanished.
Now, upon returning home every day, Sei and Haruna had already noticed the drastic change in the relationship between Raize and Eu.
Moreover, the duration during which little Eu bore his power had increased. This kind-hearted girl had not once asked for the power to be returned. That was very abnormal.
Eu, dressed in cool summer homewear and shorts, was eating a popsicle in the backyard while an electric fan blew on her. Her feet soaked in a basin of ice water.
Freed from the burden of power, although Eu's expression still showed little fluctuation, there was a sense of relaxation and comfort in her slightly narrowed, beautiful blue eyes.
Her feet occasionally swayed in the basin, and her toes curled and stretched repeatedly from the icy sensation.
The current Eu no longer gave Raize that aloof, cold impression. Instead, she resembled a beautiful girl next door.
Raize did not dislike this Eu with her human warmth—on the contrary, he liked her very much.
This vivid and lively Eu was truly lovely. That endearing aura had not disappeared; instead, it had grown even stronger.
Eu, enjoying her popsicle and the fan, also sensed Raize's gaze and the fluctuations of her own power. She turned her head to look at the young man who had come to sit beside her.
"..."
"..."
The two sat close, gazing at each other. Within seconds, Eu's fair, pink cheeks flushed crimson at a visibly rapid speed. Biting her popsicle, the girl shyly turned her neck and lowered her head.
Having experienced that night's events, neither Raize nor Eu knew how to resume normal conversation. Raize did not know how to interact naturally with her, while Eu was overwhelmed by inner shyness.
When Raize's gaze shifted to Eu's feet in the basin, he saw them moving restlessly, her toes curling inward.
The expressionless young man did not want the girl beside him to remain so shy and awkward. As the male, he had to take the initiative.
He took a black technological artifact from his pocket and lightly pressed the only distinct side of the cube.
The cube immediately dispersed like liquid, splitting and recombining into two chip-like pieces.
Raize took one and handed it to Eu. The girl, who did not dare look at him, froze briefly when she saw it. Taking the piece, she looked at Raize with a puzzled expression.
Raize demonstrated by placing the identical chip on the back of his own neck, then pointed to the back of Eu's neck, signaling her to do the same.
Following the instruction, Eu placed the patch on her neck. Upon contact, it adhered firmly, giving her a slight tingling sensation.
(Eu, can you hear me?)
"Aize?"
Raize's voice suddenly appeared in her mind. Eu blinked and finally spoke aloud.