Silver Bullet was a massively popular manga series since its debut, created by the mysterious manga artist known as Honjo Soji.
Arriving near Akihabara with Kurumi, Ryuya recalled that during this period, Nia likely hadn't been kidnapped by DEM yet, so she was probably striving to advance further in her career as an author.
Novels and manga were Nia's greatest strengths.
"Ryu, there are so many people here."
Entering the mixed commercial and residential area of Akihabara, the overwhelming otaku aesthetic left Kurumi dazzled.
Anime character standees placed in front of shops, screens everywhere displaying various content, all sorts of merchandise and cosplay, even food vendors dressing up as famous anime characters.
Looking at the vibrant street, Kurumi was visibly excited. Holding Ryuya's arm, she pulled him to look here and there, completely devoid of the terrifying aura of the Worst Spirit from a year ago.
Having found her anchor in Ryuya and trusting him completely, she had regained her kind and pure nature. This Kurumi was the true Tokisaki Kurumi.
Ryuya and Kurumi wandered around Akihabara, playing and buying many things, until late afternoon approached.
"Ryu, Silver Bullet has a new volume out."
Noticing a moderately long line forming in front of a bookstore, Kurumi tugged at Ryuya's hand and said.
"Kurumi, you read manga too?"
Surprised that Kurumi was interested in Honjo Soji's work, Ryuya's reason for coming to Akihabara was that he remembered Nia lived nearby and would sometimes visit Akihabara in disguise during her free time.
Of course, he didn't expect to find Nia on the first try. His main goal was to spend time with Kurumi.
If they happened to run into Nia, great. But if not, he could visit the publishing house that contracted the author Honjo Soji, which is Nia's pen name, and find the relevant editor, who would surely have Nia's contact information.
Ultimately, Ryuya was just spoiling his girl.
"Read manga? Of course! This is the latest hit manga by Honjo Soji-sensei. There's also a novel called The Most Ancient Era: Uruk, which talks about the Phantasmal Species from thousands of years ago."
Excitedly sharing what she knew with Ryuya, Kurumi's enthusiastic expression suddenly froze.
"Wait, I remember you telling me about your past, Ryu. Could it be..."
Recalling the stories Ryuya had told her before, Kurumi's face was full of question marks.
"It's exactly that 'could it be'. Honjo Soji's true identity is Honjo Nia."
Ruffling Kurumi's soft hair, Ryuya suddenly remembered Ereshkigal. That girl's hair texture seemed similar to Kurumi's… both had a unique softness and silkiness, and were easy to... Cough, cough.
"Come on, Kurumi, let's get the book you want first."
Holding Kurumi's hand, Ryuya looked through the long line and singled out three young men.
"Excuse me, I'd like to buy the latest Silver Bullet. Would you be willing to let me take your spot? I can pay three times the price for your position."
Hearing Ryuya's offer of triple the price, the three young men readily agreed.
Taking the large bills Ryuya handed them, they happily gave up their spots and ran to the back of the line to queue up again.
"Eh? How come you can buy a spot so easily, Ryu, but I can't?"
Watching Ryuya secure a spot effortlessly, Kurumi mentioned that she sometimes didn't feel like queuing either, but every time she tried to buy a spot, she was refused and had to send her clones to queue instead.
"Ah? What's so hard about it? You just need to pick the right targets."
Pointing at the long line, Ryuya continued, "Basically, people buying books fall into five categories: First, couples. Second, mixed-gender friends. Third, all-male groups. Fourth, all-female groups. Finally, adults with children."
"Among them, couples are on a date, so they won't give up their spot. Adults with children usually won't either, since they had queued for so long."
"As for mixed-gender groups, the guy will likely refuse to avoid looking frivolous about money in front of the girl."
"For all-female or all-male groups, I recommend targeting all-male groups. Since they're good friends, they might have a great relationship over a cigarette. Groups of male friends like that usually won't refuse triple the price."
Analyzing his reasoning for choosing the three young men methodically, Ryuya didn't mention that it was actually easier to buy spots from all-female groups, as a hug or a photo together would often suffice.
But thinking Kurumi might get jealous, he kept that to himself.
"There are this many tricks to it???"
Blinking, Kurumi had never considered so many factors before. Thinking about it, Ryuya's logic seemed sound. After a short wait in line, they successfully obtained the latest volume of Silver Bullet.
"By the way, Ryu, do you feel that? I keep feeling like someone is watching us."
Feeling a suspicious gaze swept their surroundings, Kurumi felt a prickling sensation.
"Ah? Someone watching us? Well, yes, there is one."
Having noticed the tail long ago, Ryuya sensed it wasn't someone simply following a handsome man and a beautiful woman. He detected a trace of magecraft… the same spell formula he had once placed on Nia and Yoshino.
"Who is it? AST or DEM?"
Looking around nervously, Kurumi's first thought was that the authorities had found them.
"No, don't worry. It's our target."
Pulling Kurumi's hand, Ryuya led her into a small alley, signaling her not to worry.
They waited silently in the alley.
Moments later, a girl with large black-framed glasses walked in. It was...
"Got you, criminal!"
The moment she saw Nia, Kurumi pounced, eager to show off her skills. She caught a completely bewildered Nia, whose eyes were wide open, staring intently at Ryuya.