"It's really something, Eriri. You didn't answer your phone, and I almost thought something had happened. I was ready to call the police," Sawamura Sayuri sighed as she stood at the door of her home, gazing helplessly at the just-arrived Eriri.
Feeling that it was getting late, Sayuri, worried about her daughter, had called Eriri three times, but none of her calls were answered.
Thankfully, just as Sayuri began to fear the worst, Eriri returned her call, finally allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
"It must have been quite troublesome for you, Ogiwara-san," Sayuri said, turning her gaze toward Sayu Ogiwara, who had accompanied Eriri home, and expressed her gratitude.
"No trouble at all. Eriri is my friend, after all," Sayu Ogiwara replied with a smile, waving her hand dismissively. Her presence had, indeed, eased Sayuri's doubts.
When Sayuri received Eriri's call earlier, her sharp intuition picked up on something unusual in Eriri's tone, making her suspect that Eriri might have gone to a boy's house.
At the time, Shin even offered to escort Eriri home, but she firmly refused. After all, if Shin really brought her back, there would be no way to explain it, no matter how many excuses she had.
In the end, it was Sayu Ogiwara who stepped in to accompany Eriri home, which finally convinced Sayuri that Eriri had merely gone out with a female friend.
Seeing Sayuri drop her suspicions and head back inside, Eriri heaved a long sigh of relief—at least today's thrilling escapades were successfully kept under wraps.
However, before following Sayuri into the house, Eriri curiously glanced at Sayu Ogiwara and lowered her voice, asking, "By the way, Ogiwara-san and Shin… could it be that you two are also…"
"Well…" Sayu Ogiwara gave an awkward smile. Although she didn't answer directly, her expression said it all, leaving Eriri speechless.
Previously, when she saw Shin unapologetically engaging in intimate acts with Irisviel even with others present, she had already guessed that Sayu Ogiwara likely had a similar relationship with him.
Still, seeing Sayu Ogiwara's tacit admission, Eriri couldn't help feeling a bit strange.
Thinking back to her own impulsive decision to visit a boy she had just met to observe such an event… Eriri wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Even more embarrassing was that, as she left Shin's house, she actually asked him to invite her again if another such opportunity arose.
There was no helping it. Irisviel's vivid expressions had genuinely inspired Eriri's creativity, prompting her to blurt out such a suggestion.
Fortunately, Shin didn't get aggressive with her. Otherwise, considering the strength he displayed in subduing Irisviel with one hand…
She likely wouldn't have been able to resist him.
While Sayu Ogiwara was busy escorting Eriri home and calming Sayuri, Shin had already showered, sat down, and started playing games.
He had also helped Irisviel clean up, sparing her the discomfort of resting in a messy state.
As soon as Shin logged into his game, he received a private message from Gabriel, who seemed to have been waiting for him for a while.
Healing Angel: "Zuke! How exactly did you sneak into my house yesterday? I checked the locks and windows when I got home today, and there's no sign of them being opened."
Although she now knew Shin's real name, Gabriel still preferred to call him by his in-game username when chatting online.
Of course, offline, Gabriel wouldn't call him "Zuke." That would sound way too odd in person.
For many internet users, being called by their online name in real life is the ultimate cringe moment.
Zuke: "I used that 'shadow' thing you saw faintly today."
Shin already knew that Gabriel and Vignette could perceive the shadow of his Stand, though only faintly.
It was similar to Trish from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5, who, despite having Stand potential, could only faintly sense its presence before fully awakening it.
Without the right trigger, they could only see the Stand's shadow and never the Stand itself.
Healing Angel: "Isn't that thing just for exorcising evil spirits?"
Unaware of the true capabilities of Stands, Gabriel assumed it was merely a tool for exorcism.
Zuke: "No, exorcising spirits is just one application because it can interact with them. Its actual uses go far beyond that."
Healing Angel: "Really? I don't believe you unless you come to my room again right now."
Seeing her reply, Shin twitched his lips. While he knew Gabriel was carefree, this was a bit too trusting.
Zuke: "Are you sure? You're a girl inviting a guy into your house—it's not exactly appropriate."
Healing Angel: "We're not strangers. Of course, I wouldn't let just anyone in, but you're fine."
Her response caught Shin off guard. Aren't we just online acquaintances?
For someone like Gabriel, whose life revolved around online games, her in-game relationships likely held as much weight as real-world ones.
As one of her closest gaming companions, Shin had naturally earned her trust to a degree she didn't extend to others.
No wonder she wasn't angry about him peeking on her earlier.
Zuke: "Since you insist, I'll come over. Keep an eye on your electrical outlets."
Given that Gabriel herself didn't mind, Shin saw no reason to refuse. He summoned his Stand, Blackbird.
"Blackbird: Void Miasma."
Using its ability, Shin merged his body into the subspace within Blackbird's form before transforming it into an electric current.
"Blackbird: Red Hot Chili Pepper!"
This allowed Blackbird to transport Shin through electrical circuits. Since he had already visited Gabriel's house once, navigating back there was a breeze.
Within moments, Blackbird located Gabriel's home and emerged from her computer.
Meanwhile, Gabriel sat cross-legged on the floor by her power socket, staring intently.
The next instant, black electricity surged from the outlet, crackling before coalescing into a shadowy figure.
Gabriel couldn't see the shadow directly, only the visible electrical current spiraling in the air.
Finally, Shin stepped out from the shadow of Blackbird, landing lightly in Gabriel's room like a superhero striking a pose.
To Gabriel, it looked as if Shin had appeared out of thin air.
To be continued…