"Ahhhhh~~~~ How beautiful! How magnificent! How sublime!!!"
In a house not far from Raize's home, an extremely loud and fervent cry suddenly rang out.
Lucoa, who had just finished a beer on the sofa, widened her heterochromatic eyes toward the deeper layers of space in Raize's direction. One hand pressed against her flushed cheek, her gaze burned with intense excitement as she watched the gradually disappearing form of the serpent.
Her heart pounded wildly, and her mismatched eyes revealed a feral, pink-tinged emotion.
Though there were two serpents, Lucoa could tell at a glance that they were, in essence, one being.
Facing that pristine, sublime serpent, Lucoa felt an incomprehensible sense of loftiness for the first time—as though she were nothing more than an insignificant amoeba gazing up at an existence as vast as the multiverse.
This was the first time Lucoa, who stood at the apex of the world, had felt so small. The sensation was novel—and thrilling.
"Haah~ haah~"
"…As expected, staying to observe Him was the right choice. So that enormous causal thread from before was you, Raize-kun~ My interest in you has now risen to the level of love~ You'll have to take responsibility for that, okay~?"
Exaggeratedly pressing a hand to her fair cheek, Lucoa slowly slid her other hand downward. A feverish blush and smile spread across her face as she stared as though trying to pierce the distance and barriers surrounding Raize's home, eager to glimpse the one who made her heart flutter.
How she wanted to lick those pristine scales. How she wanted to entwine her true form with his, rubbing against one another. How she wanted to share an intimately close contact with him.
Even to Lucoa herself, such thoughts felt embarrassingly lewd.
She had fallen in love at first sight with that serpent. She was in heat for that serpent—helpless, overwhelmed, and already wet.
---
On this sweltering summer day, certain groups in Tokyo were bustling with excitement due to a festival that belonged specifically to them.
Not only locals, but many foreigners had gathered, pushing the crowd to its peak.
"Aki, maybe we should pack up."
A tall girl with short, light-purple hair sighed as she looked at the noisy, energetic crowd.
She cast a helpless glance at the bespectacled man ahead, whose eyes still burned with stubborn determination.
Around her stood several beautiful girls, all watching him with differing emotions.
She was Hyodo Michiru—Tomoya's cousin. Her father and Tomoya's mother were siblings. They were born in the same year, month, and day, even in the same hospital—a connection closer than that of a childhood friend.
Now, Eriri, Utaha, Megumi, and Michiru—four beauties with distinct styles—were all watching this stubborn man with complicated expressions.
Four beauties paired with one plain-looking bespectacled guy naturally attracted some attention in the crowded venue.
However, most people here were anime fans. While they appreciated beauty, they had more important business to attend to.
CM—short for Comic Market—is Japan's, and even the world's, largest doujinshi fair, organized by the Comic Market Preparatory Committee.
As its popularity grew, professional manga artists and game companies (especially galgame developers) also began participating.
Official participants were assigned specific halls.
Though doujinshi based on manga and anime remained the core, railway enthusiasts, Gothic Lolita designers, amateur singers, and painters also gathered to sell their works.
Today was one of the summer CM days, and the venue was packed. Countless cosplayers in eccentric outfits filled the area.
Tents set up the night before were still visible, though many had already been cleared away.
Tomoya and his group—game developers—had finished their game and were selling it today, showcasing their hard work.
But the results were dismal.
What Tomoya believed to be his best work was seen by others as merely average.
The stack of games beside him had barely diminished since opening. Even with borrowed laptops for trial play, there were few takers.
Occasionally someone showed interest, and Tomoya enthusiastically explained the game's strengths.
Yet those who tried it rarely bought it. Instead, they purchased the doujinshi artbooks illustrated by Eriri.
Tomoya's romance game was niche and lacked a striking hook—it simply couldn't hold players.
If not for Eriri's excellent artwork attracting buyers who occasionally picked up a game out of goodwill, Tomoya would have already been completely defeated.
"Rinri-kun, haven't you accepted reality since CM opened?"
A tall, voluptuous beauty with long black hair and dark red eyes crossed her legs seductively and sighed as she looked at the stubborn Tomoya.
No matter how lively CM was, their booth might as well not exist. They were already defeated.
"…This is everyone's hard work! I'll hold on until the very end!"
Tomoya stared at the bustling crowd, deep disappointment and sorrow weighing on him. The excitement seemed to exclude him entirely. Hearing his senpai's advice, he clenched his fists and replied bitterly.
Megumi, who was helping sell doujinshi with Eriri, cast an emotionless glance at Tomoya before looking toward an extremely popular booth in the distance.
There, brilliant illustrations from Dies Irae were displayed. Beneath a golden sunset, a goddess extended her hands in compassion, as if gazing upon all passersby.
That was Raiden Games' booth.
Recently, the author Dugo-sensei had risen to immense fame. His two internationally bestselling novels had attracted countless fans.
Combined with Raiden Games' influence, their booth was the complete opposite of Tomoya's.
One was ignored. The other overflowed with visitors.
With Raiden Games and Dugo-sensei present, Tomoya should have understood the situation.
How could he not recognize the gap?
Visitors stayed only two or three minutes at his booth—fewer still made purchases.
The best-selling items were Eriri's relatively mainstream artbooks.
As for Tomoya's game—after trying it, people simply walked away.
"A romance galgame? Titled Sakura's Blessing, Megumi's Cycle? Can I try it?"
Two customers emerged from the crowd.
Takiya, wearing comical spiral glasses, smiled and pointed at the game.
Behind him stood Fafnir in a black butler suit, his handsome face cold and aloof, arms full of items he had purchased.
"Of course! I recommend you try this first—"
Seeing Takiya's otaku-like appearance, Tomoya instinctively felt kinship and eagerly introduced the game.
He even considered recommending it to the butler behind him, but Fafnir's cold crimson eyes made him hesitate.
They were more intimidating than his senpai's glare when angry.
"Takiya, you're interested in this type of game?"
Watching Takiya patiently play the dull-looking game, Fafnir asked coldly.
Holding his purchases, Fafnir walked over to Eriri and Megumi's booth under their nervous gazes, flipped through Eriri's artbook, nodded, and bought it.
"Well~ I'm open to anything. Is this game designed and developed by your team, young man?"
Takiya smiled as he played, casually replying to Fafnir before turning to Tomoya.
What interested him wasn't the girls—it was Tomoya himself. This stubborn dedication reminded Takiya of his own youth.
After finishing the trial, he adjusted his glasses.
"Objectively speaking, for a beginner, this is a decent game. But at CM, it lacks a decisive hook. The writing is solid, and the artwork quality is undeniable."
"However, you should understand—decent is not enough at CM."
His words struck deeply.
Even Eriri and Utaha listened closely.
Takiya could tell who handled the writing and art.
The game was fine—but in a battlefield like CM, fine meant invisible.
Especially since Raiden Games had entered the scene with massive momentum.
Tomoya was simply unlucky.
Takiya understood this—but did not say it aloud.