Humming the Phantom Thief's heart-stealing tune, Miyauchi Hikage pulled himself and Matsushita Ayami into the Metaverse of Tokyo.
Normally, going to Shibuya Station to enter the Metaverse entrance was the standard route. After all, the environment inside the Metaverse could change at any time. If you didn't know the location of the exit, trying to leave would be a very troublesome matter.
But after using the Otherworld APP to visit the Metaverse a few times, Miyauchi Hikage realized that the APP in his hand was much more useful than the one the protagonist team had in the game.
No matter where he was, he could enter the Metaverse with one click. If he wanted to leave, he could also do so with one click as long as there were no other Shadows around. Furthermore, it would automatically record the current map and some "save points" that wouldn't easily change.
According to the heart-stealing process, the first step was to confirm whether the person needing a change of heart existed in the Metaverse. Then, send them a Calling Card to expose the desires in their heart. Finally, beat them up in the Metaverse to correct their twisted desires.
In fact, Miyauchi Hikage had already found an opportunity to attempt a change of heart before this, and had found Shiina Mahiru's irresponsible mother, but he stopped in the end.
After all, that was Shiina Mahiru's mother. Even if a change of heart was needed, Shiina Mahiru had to know about it. Otherwise, the mother's sudden transformation would probably only make this girl, who pretended to be strong, even more confused.
But there shouldn't be any problems with the overall process of changing hearts, which was why he could rest assured bringing Matsushita Ayami here.
While using the mobile APP to search for the names and locations of Matsushita Ayami's parents, Matsushita Kousuke and Matsushita Masumi, Miyauchi Hikage asked Matsushita Ayami a question.
"So, since you chose to join that chat group, why didn't you seek their help in the group?"
Facing this question, Matsushita Ayami fell silent for a good while before responding in a low voice: "I don't have such a habit, and you never mentioned anything about me either."
Miyauchi Hikage thought about it and quickly understood what Matsushita Ayami meant.
The people who really talked a lot in the group were the batch of girls he mentioned frequently. Just like Hoshino Ai and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who were exposed right at the start, they had no burdens in the group anymore and simply communicated with others in their true colors.
Girls who weren't mentioned could still blend in if they were more extroverted. But for girls with special family situations like Ayase Saki and Matsushita Ayami, since he didn't tell their stories, they wouldn't be willing to explain it themselves in the group, nor would they be willing to actively seek help from others.
Even if they were occasionally selected to comment on the diary, they wouldn't actively ask about their future.
It was only because he sensed the reward Matsushita Ayami received today and appeared in front of her; otherwise, this girl would probably continue to be a quiet bystander in the group like before.
"Ha, even in my previous life, I wasn't the kind of otaku who held a phone and watched anime all day. To be honest, besides you, there are three or four other girls in the group that I don't have much impression of. They should be works that were adapted into anime after I transmigrated. If I win your work in a lottery in the future, I'll definitely remember to send you a copy."
Miyauchi Hikage waved his hand, indicating that he was not an omniscient god.
"So, is it actually possible that I'm a character in some unpopular work that almost no one has seen?" Matsushita Ayami thought pessimistically, feeling that this indeed seemed like the life she should have.
"Unpopular works have their benefits too. At least you don't have to worry about having a bunch of doujinshi works in another world. Besides, a personality like yours, planning to attack your stepfather as soon as you get the Death Note, would probably be quite popular in a work."
Matsushita Ayami sized up Miyauchi Hikage, whose face couldn't be seen; the other party's tone clearly revealed an aura of amusement.
"I think it would be controversial. After all, there probably isn't a more twisted girl in the group than me, right?"
Miyauchi Hikage waved his hand: "There are, it's just that under normal circumstances, you can't tell."
"?"
Facing Matsushita Ayami's curious gaze, Miyauchi Hikage casually explained a few sentences: "You know Katsura Kotonoha, right? She's actually quite yandere inside. In many endings, her will is completely twisted. In the anime, she even fought the mistress head-on with a blade to complete a solo kill, and after killing her, cut open her stomach to check if she was pregnant."
Matsushita Ayami instantly gasped; she really hadn't reached that step.
She certainly knew Katsura Kotonoha, a girl who was gentle and weak in the group, a standard Yamato Nadeshiko type.
Because the Mysterious Person complained before that she would be cheated on by a scumbag in the future, many people in the group had given her ideas. Finally, with Shinomiya Kaguya's help, she transferred to Tokyo.
Then this morning, she successfully became Miyauchi Hikage's apprentice and posted the video of her practicing Breathing Sword Techniques with Miyauchi Hikage in the group.
Unexpectedly, did that girl have so much drama inside her?
However, Matsushita Ayami quickly noticed that the Mysterious Person in front of her seemed to know their group chat quite well.
But as long as the Mysterious Person joined the group, a prompt would automatically appear in the group, right? Where did the Mysterious Person know the content of their chat in the group?
Matsushita Ayami had a rather bold idea.
Could it be that the Mysterious Person had already reached a cooperation agreement with a certain girl?
She was embarrassed to ask, but she had basically confirmed this in her heart.
She just didn't know which girl the other party had reached a cooperation with.
Was it also like her, where for some reason, the Mysterious Person actively appeared in front of the other party and helped her, and then reached a cooperation agreement?
Then, appearing in front of her now, could the Mysterious Person also want to recruit her?
After realizing this, Matsushita Ayami actually felt a little tempted in her heart.
Anyway, she had been in an invisible state in the group for a long time, and few people had noticed her. If she could really reach a deal with the Mysterious Person, there would be no loss for her at all.
Miyauchi Hikage, who had the Eye of Destiny open covertly the whole time, could clearly see the changes in Matsushita Ayami's heart.
It seemed that without him saying anything, this woman could conquer herself.
However, he also knew that this was the feeling of wanting to rely on someone that she subconsciously produced when she encountered such a powerful backer like him, under the circumstance of having no reliance and no sense of security for a long time.
"Unfortunately, I'm not that kind of scumbag who takes advantage of people's precarious state," Miyauchi Hikage shrugged.
There were already many beautiful girls around him, and he had no intention of provoking more romantic debts for the time being.
"Alright, the locations of your parents' Shadows have been confirmed. Next is the most critical heart-changing step. Are you ready?"