C.S.O.

After the unexpected incident, Kuro and Ruko had breakfast.
They were not the only ones having breakfast; Flamia and Chiaki joined them.
After Ruko almost had a heart attack when Flamia suddenly appeared in Kuro's room out of nowhere, Ruko immediately contacted Chiaki for her opinion, but she had no clue about what had happened or why it happened.

The only thing they both knew was that Kuro had engaged in a sexual relationship with Flamia.
The problem was, how could that happen when CSO was just a game?

But the biggest mystery was the appearance of Flamia inside Kuro's room.
However, this was impossible because Kuro's room had strong security measures to prevent Ruko from entering.
Could it be that Flamia was an esper who could teleport like Kur*ko?

The breakfast atmosphere was silent, and no one initiated a conversation.
They had bread with fried eggs and meat for breakfast.
Kuro ate as usual, calmly and seemingly unaffected by what had happened as if he already knew or understood why this could happen.

Ruko and Chiaki kept looking at Flamia with suspicious and confused gazes.
They still couldn't believe what had happened.

Meanwhile, Flamia appeared cheerful and ate leisurely.
She was still wearing the shirt Kuro gave her and nothing else.
It's not like there were no other clothes, but Flamia didn't want to wear anything else.
She acted very spoiled like a newlywed.

This made Ruko and Chiaki envious because they couldn't do the same.
For both of them, the game was just a game and couldn't be equated with the real world.
That's why, even though they were married in the game, they behaved as usual in the real world.

“…um?”

Chiaki suddenly noticed something strange when she saw Kuro eating.
She then glanced at Flamia and noticed the same peculiarity.

“Kuro-chan, the ring?”

Kuro stopped eating and looked at his finger.
As Chiaki said, he found a ring on his ring finger.
And it wasn't an ordinary ring; it was his wedding ring from CSO.

“Why is this ring here in the real world?”

Although asking with a slightly surprised tone, Kuro's expression showed no surprise at all.
That meant the sudden appearance of the ring on his finger was not strange to Kuro.

“And Flamia-chan too.
Why is it only you who appeared in the real world?”

“Ruko-chan, why do you look resigned? Don't you feel that something is strange about all of this?”

“What else can I do? There are too many mysterious and strange things.
If I think about it too much, I might go crazy.”

Chiaki suddenly realized that Ruko's gaze seemed lifeless.

(She must be deeply shocked after finding out that Kuro had a sexual relationship with Flamia.
But then again, Kuro-chan is her husband.)

Chiaki sighed as she regretted teaching Flamia a little, but sooner or later, this was bound to happen, so regretting it was not the right course of action.

“Ruko-chan, hang in there! I feel the same way.”

“I think I need more time to accept all of this, Chiaki-chan.”

There was nothing more they could do for Ruko.
Only time could heal her wounds.

Chiaki sighed and then turned to Flamia, showing a cynical gaze.

“Flamia-chan, can you explain what happened here?”

The only person who might know is Flamia.
All these problems also started with her.
In other words, she holds the key to resolving this quickly.

“Also, can you tell us your real name and where you live?” Chiaki added.

Flamia finished eating and looked at Chiaki, seemingly preparing to answer all the questions, but…

“Sorry, I also don't know what happened.”

Chiaki received the worst answer.

“I only know that when I opened my eyes, I suddenly found myself in Kuro's room.
As for my name, my real name is Flamia.
And as for where I live, you already know because we have the same house.”

“…”

Chiaki couldn't comment because everything Flamia said was something that should only exist in a game, yet Flamia genuinely treated it as real.
It was abnormal and strange, but cases like Flamia's were not uncommon nowadays, as the boundaries between the real world and fiction had become increasingly blurred.

The problem was that Flamia didn't seem to be joking or taking it lightly at all.

“If Flamia doesn't want to say it, then we can't force her,” Kuro suddenly spoke up.
“But most importantly, can you lend her some clothes?”

“…”

“To be honest, I'm a little-“

“Onii-chan, you pervert!!”

“You're such a pervert!!”

Both Chiaki and Ruko ran to Ruko's room to find some clothes.

Kuro smiled wryly.
After all, he was a normal guy who couldn't resist if there was a naked girl nearby.
Although technically it was already too late, considering that Kuro knew every inch of Flamia's body from the outside to the inside.

“You should hurry and get dressed.
It's still winter here, so-“

Hacho! Kuro's warning came too late.
Flamia's nose released mucus.
Without hesitation, Kuro immediately wiped it with a tissue.

At that moment, Flamia's face turned red.

“Thank you.”

Kuro just gave a small smile.

Chiaki and Ruko returned with some clothes.
They didn't know if the clothes would fit because both of their bodies were smaller than Flamia, who looked like an athletic older sister.

After trying various clothes, they finally found ones that fit Flamia's size, although they weren't particularly cute.
A short black skirt with white lace and a plain shirt with a creepy skull image.
The shirt belonged to Kuro.

“Not bad, but we have another problem.”

“Yes, I know what you mean, and somehow I now understand our difference from her.”

Chiaki nodded in agreement with Ruko.
Their current problem was not finding a bra that fit Flamia's chest size.
Total defeat.
That's how they both felt at the moment.

Meanwhile, Kuro appeared to be deep in thought, wearing a complicated expression on his face.

“I guess there's no other choice.
We should borrow my mother's bra.
I think their sizes are the same.”

Kuro stepped onto the second floor where his parents' room was located.

“Kuro-chan, we should be the ones to get it!”

“…alright then.”

Ruko and Chiaki finally took over for Kuro.
For some reason, their faces looked quite complicated.

Meanwhile, Flamia picked up Ruko's bra and showed it to Kuro.

“I've never worn this.
Could it be some kind of armor?”

“Yes.
You could say tha- wait, you said you've never worn one before?”

Flamia nodded softly.

Kuro immediately slapped his cheek to dispel dangerous thoughts.
Then he sighed because now he understood why she didn't wear a bra in bed back then.

“Haa…
I guess it's understandable.
Until now, I don't know if bras exist in CSO…”

Kuro muttered to himself.

“………”

Flamia suddenly stared at Kuro with a sharp gaze, as if observing him.

“What's wrong?”

“…..Kuro…
you…-“

“Sorry for the wait.”

Chiaki and Ruko arrived with a seemingly ordinary bra.
For some reason, their faces turned as red as ripe tomatoes.

“Why did it take so long?”

“Well…
we had trouble finding a normal bra.”

Chiaki just smiled wryly.

Kuro knew what they had just seen in his mother's room.

“It seems like you can already distinguish between what's adult and what's still childish.”

“”SHUT UPPPP!!!!””

Flamia didn't understand and just tilted her head.

After that, Flamia put on Kuro's mother's bra.
Since it was her first time, she needed help putting it on.
One problem was solved.

Kuro felt a little relieved, and finally, he could smile.

“Chiaki, Ruko.
Now I'm going to buy clothes for Flamia.
We don't know how long she'll be staying here, so I think we should buy her some clothes.”

Their reactions were predictable.
They were shocked and opposed the idea.

“After doing that, is Onii-chan going to ask Flamia-chan out on a date? I can't believe this…
hu hu..”

Ruko cried softly.

“Kuro-chan, can you give us a proper reason?”

Chiaki, who looked angry and annoyed, now hugged Ruko to comfort her.
Chiaki now looked like a mother comforting her child.

“If you want to buy clothes, I think the two of us can do it, or all four of us can go together.”

Chiaki's suggestion made sense, but Kuro immediately shook his head.

“I also want to leave this to you, but considering our current situation, we can't possibly do that.”

“What do you mean-?!”

“You seem to understand, don't you?”

Chiaki couldn't argue with Kuro anymore and could only bow her head.

“Kuro, what's happening?” Flamia asked.

Among the four of them, she was the one who understood their current situation the least.

Kuro took his phone from the table and opened the internet menu.
After finding what he was looking for, Kuro handed his phone to Flamia.

Flamia read the news on Kuro's phone.
She saw a photo of Chiaki, Ruko, and Kuro posted on the internet.
Various comments appeared below their photo.

“Might you guys be famous?”

“Yes.
Famous because of you.”

“Eh?”

“Since this morning, I've been receiving hundreds of emails asking about Kuro-chan's marriage to Flamia-chan.
It seems like a lot of people are curious.
I had to turn off my phone because of that.”

Suddenly, Ruko's crying stopped, and she looked at Chiaki.
She started to understand what was really happening and the situation they were facing.

“Now you understand? If we go together or if only you two go, we'll encounter significant problems.
I don't want that to happen.”

“Onii-chan?”

Ruko realized that Kuro was doing all this for their sake.

But the biggest reason was to quell the curiosity of people interested in their marriage.
Kuro's face was already known to the public.
Wherever he went, he would attract attention.
But if he went with Flamia, the public would understand why they were getting married.
They were getting married because they had known each other for a long time in the real world.

That impression was the most important thing.

“If I go, I might encounter the same problems, but unlike you, I'm already used to things like this.”

Chiaki suddenly sharpened her gaze.

“Kuro-chan, do you have any other reasons why you insist on dating Flamia-chan?”

“Eh?”

Ruko was confused by what she had just heard.

“Well, that's how it is,” Kuro replied, glancing at Flamia.
“I think she also wants to talk about a lot of things with me, right?”

“…”

Flamia didn't answer and turned her gaze away, but from her expression, Kuro's guess was correct.

Chiaki sighed.
She knew that Kuro would still go using a thousand other reasons.
The problem was, what about Ruko?

“Ruko, I'm sorry.
Instead, let's go on a date next week, okay?” Kuro suddenly said.

“…Promise?”

Kuro nodded slowly, smiling.
Kuro didn't have any other choice because this was the only way he could comfort herself quickly.

“..Alright.
I'll let you go on a date, but I want to invite Chiaki-chan to come with us.”

“”Eh??””

Kuro and Chiaki were surprised.

“Why are you surprised? If Onii-chan treats Flamia-chan like a wife, then we should also receive the same treatment.”

“Heyy…”

Chiaki protested because she knew that if Kuro did that, their lives would immediately fall apart.
And Kuro must also be aware of this, but…

“Alright.
I'll do it.”

“?! “

Kuro answered without hesitation.

After the decision was made, Kuro took a shower and changed his clothes.
He wore jeans, a jacket, and a red T-shirt underneath.
His outfit didn't look much different from what he wore in CSO because that was Kuro's style.
He didn't forget to wear his square glasses to look slightly different.

“Onii-chan, why don't you wear nicer clothes?”

Unfortunately, Ruko had seen his fashion style too often, so it made her a bit bored.

“Don't be kidding.
Do you want me to be someone else?”

“I want to go on a date with Akame-chan.”

Kuro sighed.

Akame, Kuro's alter ego.
Akame also emerged thanks to Ruko, who liked to edit Kuro's photos with various styles and clothes.
Ruko did it out of curiosity to see Kuro in different appearances, like a stranger.

And one day, there was a photo contest for a magazine cover.
Participants had to submit their best photo and personal information.
Out of curiosity, Ruko ended up sending an English version of Kuro's photo.
She wasn't afraid because she thought Kuro wouldn't win.

But it was a big mistake because suddenly Kuro asked her about the magazine photo.
Ruko provided fake data, but not the phone number and email address, so the company contacted Kuro to inform him that he had won the contest.
What's worse, the magazine's sales skyrocketed and had to be reprinted.

“Akame is currently overseas and won't be back for a few years.”

“Heeee…”

“By the way, what about Flamia?”

The two of them weren't around.
Chiaki was helping Flamia get ready to look more suitable for their date today.

The person they were talking about came.
Although she looked more beautiful, Ruko and Kuro could hardly recognize Flamia now.
If you said she was pretty, she indeed was, but the large glasses, hat, and twin-tail hairstyle that usually gave a boring impression had no effect on Flamia at all.

“”…..””

Kuro and Ruko fell silent.
They were going on a date, but Flamia stood out too much, so Kuro asked Chiaki to change Flamia's appearance to that of a bookworm.
Unfortunately, their efforts didn't have much effect.

“I know what you're thinking, but I can't do more than this.”

Chiaki even felt surprised.

“Kuro, what do you think of my appearance?”

“You're beautiful.”

Flamia smiled happily and excitedly, while Ruko and Chiaki looked at Kuro coldly.
They weren't angry because Kuro complimented Flamia's appearance, but because Kuro's answer was the same every time they asked about their own appearance.

“Onii-chan, you're an idiot.”

“Ugh…
what do you mean?”

“Hmmph..”

Kuro didn't understand why they both looked angry and could only scratch his head.

“Alright, I guess it's time for us to go.
Flamia, let's go!”

Flamia smiled happily and immediately hooked her arm around Kuro's.
Kuro was surprised and prepared for their reaction, but he was taken aback when he didn't sense any hint of jealousy from them.

“We'll go ahead.
Chiaki, please take care of Ruko.”

“I know.
You don't have to worry about your wife.”

Ruko smiled as she watched Kuro leave with Flamia from the house.
After the door closed, their figures disappeared from sight.

Ruko and Chiaki glanced at each other.
Their faces suddenly became tense and serious.

“Let's talk while watching TV.”

“Yes.
I think we should seriously consider this now.”

They both walked towards the TV area.
After preparing tea and some snacks, they started to show serious expressions.

“Chiaki-chan, what do you think about Flamia coming to this world?”

“I don't know much about this kind of thing.
Isn't it your family's specialty?”

“I understand, but Flamia can be considered a bit special.”

“Maybe she came to this world because she's marrying Kuro-chan.
The problem is, if marriage can bring someone to this world, it might cause some issues with marriage in CSO.”

Ruko nodded and sipped her now cold tea.

“But maybe this only applies to Valkyrie Maidens like Flamia.
What do you think, has Onii-chan realized about that world and this situation?”

“We both know Kuro-chan well.
For now, we have to trust Kuro-chan.
After all, we are Kuro-chan's wives.
Our task is to support his every action and also remind him if he makes a mistake.”

“I didn't expect you to act like a real wife.
Ahaha…”

“Ahaha…”

They both laughed awkwardly but then fell silent for a long time.

“…..Chiaki-chan..”

“I know.”

“For some reason, I feel something is not right.”

“I think we need a third opinion on this matter.”

Ruko nodded.
They both drank their tea at the same time and sighed together.

 

 

Meanwhile, Flamia and Kuro were on the Shinkansen train.
They were attracting attention as they had expected, not just because Kuro's face was circulating on the internet, but also because Flamia was clinging to Kuro like super glue.

Flamia smiled happily while hugging Kuro's arm tightly.
Kuro didn't care much about the gazes of other people, but he felt a little embarrassed when Flamia hugged him tightly.

While waiting, Kuro opened the internet.
As he suspected, their photos from boarding the train had already spread online.
The speculation that the girl with him was Flamia had also been revealed.

“Kuro, what do you see?” Flamia asked.

“Just some unimportant news,” Kuro replied.

He then put his phone back in his pocket, but before he could do so, he received an email from Yuya and Fumiko.
They asked about the truth of the news circulating on the internet.

Kuro sighed and replied to their message with a brief answer.

“Oh, by the way, where are we going?” Flamia asked.

“To the mall, of course.
Didn't you forget that we need to buy clothes for you?” Kuro replied.

“The mall?” Flamia shook her head.
“I've never been to a mall before.”

“So it seems.
I guess we have a lot to talk about,” Kuro said.

“I also want to talk a lot with you, Kuro.”

Silence fell between them.
They both realized that it wasn't the right place for a conversation.
But Flamia didn't let go of her embrace.
Kuro simply smiled and responded to Flamia's playful behavior.

After about 30 minutes, they arrived at the large train station in the big city.
Upon exiting the train, they noticed that many people were already waiting for them, holding their phones and taking pictures of Flamia.

They seemed eager to see Flamia in person and observe the difference between the CSO character and the real-world Flamia.
From the snippets of conversation, Kuro overheard, most of them believed that Flamia in the real world was more beautiful, even though she had a dull style.

Perhaps the biggest reason was that it was the first time Valkyrie Maiden appeared in public.

After pushing through the crowd like a famous artist, the two of them finally made their way out of the station.
However, as soon as they exited, three women approached them.

“Excuse me, are you Flamia?” one of the girls asked.

“Yes, my name is Flamia,” Flamia answered, sounding like a child.
The three girls smiled and whispered to each other after hearing Flamia's response.

“Do you have business with Flamia?” Kuro asked, as the three girls finally turned their attention to him, seemingly realizing his presence.

“Ah, well…” one of the girls began.

“Um?”

The girl who responded to Kuro suddenly became stunned.

“Hey, Miyo, what happened to you?” one of the other girls asked.

“Uh? Ah…
I feel like I've seen him before,” Miyo replied.

“Don't you recognize him? He is Flamia's husband in CSO,” another girl continued.
“But now I understand why they got married in the game.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you reacting as if you don't know about it?” the other girl added.
“But now I understand the reason they got married in the game.”

“Yeah, could it be that you're on a date?”

“Yeah, that's right.
Once in a while, I have to drag out my NEET boyfriend.
You probably don't know how much I have to drag him along, ha-ha.”

Flamia looked confused and couldn't follow the conversation.

For some reason, the girl named Miyo fell silent and seemed to be observing Kuro.

The other two girls laughed along with Kuro, understanding his intention.

“It must be tough having a NEET boyfriend.”

“Hey, Chiyo, you know that's rude, right?”

Chiyo covered her mouth with her hand.

“Sorry, uhm…”

“I haven't introduced myself yet.
My name is Kuro Kanata.
And this is Flamia Fi- Fuyami,” Kuro interjected.

“We're also sorry.
My name is Chiyo Chihaya, and she is Asuka Amano.
And the little girl here is Miyo Makihara.
As you may have guessed, the three of us are Liber in CSO and we're also fans of Flamia.”

“After seeing that Flamia was at this station, we decided to greet you…
and if possible, we'd like to take a photo together with Flamia.”

Now everything was clear, but Kuro had already expected it, so he wasn't too surprised.

Kuro turned to Flamia and asked, “Flamia, how about it? Do you want to take a photo with them?”

“Photo? …sure,” Flamia replied, looking confused.

After getting permission, Chiyo, Miyo, and Asuka lined up next to Flamia.
Meanwhile, Kuro took on the task of capturing the moment with Chiyo's digital camera.
He took several pictures and stopped when he felt it was enough.

They then parted ways.
Kuro and Flamia continued their date, while the three girls went inside the station and boarded the train.

Inside the train, Miyo remained in a daze as she stared at her phone's wallpaper.

“Miyo…
Miyo.”

“Uh…
huh…? What's up? Have we arrived?”

“…It's not you who has something.
Why have you been silent all this time? Is there something wrong with the photo of Akame on your phone?”

“No, there's nothing wrong with Akame-kun's photo.”

“Then why do you keep staring like that? You've been acting this way since we met Flamia's boyfriend, what was his name again…?”

Chiyo turned to Asuka.

“…Huh? …Somehow, I forgot too.”

Strange.
That's what they thought.
They had only met Kuro a few minutes ago, but their memories of Kuro were becoming fuzzy and slowly fading away.

Chiyo was experiencing the same thing.
Despite trying to remember Kuro, her memories grew blurrier.
But after seeing the photo of Akame on her phone, she remembered everything.

“Kuro Kanata…”

That was the young man's name.
Kuro and Flamia arrived at a large and tall mall.
It was the same mall where they bought a gift for Ruko yesterday.

People started paying less attention to them, which meant the public's curiosity had decreased.
It was a relief considering they were on a date and needed some privacy.

Kuro led Flamia to the third floor.
The store they entered was a lingerie shop.
Flamia naturally attracted attention, but Kuro drew even more attention.
However, it didn't bother Kuro because he was accompanying his wife in buying underwear.

The husband's taste matters.
But Kuro couldn't say he was Flamia's husband since their relationship existed within a game.

Kuro then handed Flamia over to the store attendant to help her find the right size.
Flamia and the attendant then walked around the store, discussing various things.

Kuro sat in the waiting area inside the store, reading an ebook on his phone to pass the time and avoid getting bored.
After about 10 minutes, Flamia called out to Kuro from the fitting room.
Kuro approached, but as he arrived in front of the fitting room, the curtain suddenly opened from the inside, revealing Flamia wearing only her underwear.

“……”

Kuro fell silent.
His face turned slightly red, but that was the only reaction he showed.
He let out a small sigh.

“Kuro, what do you think? Do I look good in this?” Flamia asked.

The store attendant approached with a small smile.

“The most important thing in choosing underwear is that you feel comfortable wearing it, Flamia-sama.
But don't worry, there are now special materials for underwear that are soft and comfortable, so any style is not a problem,” the store attendant explained.

Kuro turned to Flamia.
“Do you feel comfortable?”

Flamia nodded.
“Actually, I feel comfortable in this, but I still want to try something else.
Kuro, do you mind?”

“No, you can choose whatever you like.”

A happy expression immediately lit up Flamia's face, but Kuro panicked when Flamia casually removed her underwear before closing the curtain.
Not only Kuro, but the store attendant also panicked and quickly closed the curtain.

“Don't be careless.
We're not at home, so let's be a little more embarrassed,” Kuro protested with a flushed face due to embarrassment.

“Sorry, I thought since you've seen me naked, I forgot a little,” Flamia replied.

While Kuro nearly had a heart attack, the store attendant looked at him with a disgusted gaze.
She had overheard everything they said about living in the same house and seeing each other naked.
Any fool could guess the extent of their relationship.

The curtain opened again, and this time, Flamia was wearing a sexy and provocative black garter belt.
Kuro's face turned bright red.

“What about this? Somehow, I feel a bit strange wearing this.
Do I look weird?”

If Kuro hadn't restrained himself, he might have attacked Flamia, but he finally calmed himself and said

“You're not weird, but that kind of lingerie is usually worn by adults or slightly naughty girls (according to Kuro's version).”

“Naughty girl…”

Flamia understood what Kuro meant.
Her face turned deep red with embarrassment.

“But like I said, if you like it, you can buy it.”

“Is that true? In that case, I don't need to try it on here.
I'll try it at home, and you can give your opinion freely.”

Kuro fell silent and surprised.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Kuro and Flamia left the store after purchasing two bags filled with ten sets of underwear.
Kuro took on the duty of carrying the bags, while Flamia tightly held onto Kuro's arm.

Still, on the third floor, they entered a clothing store and bought several outfits.
Flamia immediately changed her skull-printed shirt to a mini white shirt with a love design, but she didn't change her skirt.

“We'll buy shoes for you.
After that, we'll have lunch and have fun, okay?”

“Un…” Flamia nodded.
“As long as I'm with you, anything is fine.”

“In that case, it's settled.
Let's go.”

They then walked to another section on the third floor where shoes were sold.
Various shoe models and sandals were available.
Kuro and Flamia tried on several pairs before finally deciding to buy three pairs of shoes and a pair of high heels.

A large number of bags made Kuro uncomfortable, so he arranged for a delivery service to send their purchases to his house.
They then had lunch at a restaurant, taking turns feeding each other.
From an outsider's perspective, they appeared to be an affectionate couple deeply in love.

After lunch, for some reason, Flamia's gaze seemed serious.

“Kuro, there's something I want to-“

Before she could finish her sentence, Kuro stood up, seemingly unwilling to hear the rest of Flamia's words.

“I know, but if you want to talk, we still have plenty of time.”

“…..”

“If we don't have enough time in this world, we can still talk in the Celestial World, right?”

Flamia fell silent for a moment.
She bit her lower lip and had a complicated expression on her face.

“Kuro, so you already know that I am…”

“…not from this world?”

Flamia nodded.

A person from another world.
That was the truth about Flamia.

“It's not a big deal.
You are who you are.
Regardless of whether you're a person from this world or not, in my eyes, you will always be my wife, Flamia.
So don't think too much about it and let's enjoy ourselves.
I'd be sad to see you moping around.”

“……”

“I actually have many theories about the Celestial World (CSO) where you come from, but I still don't know if my theories are correct.
That's why, as long as you're here, we should have fun.
If you want to talk, let's discuss it with Ruko and Chiaki.
I think they already know the truth about CSO and you.
So we'll talk about this as a family, okay?”

Flamia widened her eyes in surprise.
But perhaps what shocked her the most was hearing that Ruko and Chiaki already knew the truth about her and CSO.

CSO, commonly known as the Celestial World, was a game for most people, but for those who knew the truth like Kuro, CSO was another world.
A parallel world, a different dimension, and various other terms.

This kind of thing only happens in anime or manga, but Flamia's existence as a being from the Celestial World coming to this world is proof that CSO is another world and not just a game.

This is also the truth about the Valkyrie Maidens.
They didn't appear in the real world not because they were NEETs or NPCs.
From the beginning, they were never humans from this world.

The problem now is that Kuro doesn't know how long Flamia will be in this world.
He knows that their rings might be some kind of link between Kuro's world and Flamia's world.
There are still too many mysteries left unsolved, which is why Kuro chooses to have fun with Flamia.
Yes, it is the best decision for now.
At least until he knows the truth about how Flamia came to their world.

Flamia simply smiled softly and nodded in acceptance.
She didn't expect Kuro to think of her in this way.
Flamia was grateful and happy that Kuro truly became a good husband.

“In that case, let's continue our date.”

Without hesitation, Kuro took Flamia's hand.
Flamia was pulled by Kuro, not knowing where they were heading, but one thing was certain—they were still in the mall.

“Flamia, there's one thing you should know about me, or rather, my family.”

“Um?”

“In our family, the existence of other worlds or beings from other worlds is not actually strange.
In short, we often encounter things like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'll explain later, but the bottom line is that our family is a special one that deals specifically with these kinds of things.
You must have realized that Chiaki and Ruko easily accepted you despite your suspicious existence.”

“?!-“

“That's right, they are accustomed to the presence of beings like you.”

“……”

Flamia fell silent, but if what Kuro said was true, then Flamia was fortunate that Kuro was the one who knew about it.
However, the truth about Kuro's family was still surprising.

Kuro and Flamia arrived at a game center located in the mall.
Flamia was amazed and excited when she saw games she had never seen before.
It was understandable since there were no games like that in CSO.
Flamia looked at various large boxes and a strange claw machine.
Inside the boxes were various items such as stuffed animals, accessories, and more.

Flamia's eyes suddenly focused in one direction.
Slowly, she approached and looked inside the box filled with small and large stuffed monster dolls.
Kuro also approached and understood why Flamia was so interested.
The dolls inside the game were the monster dolls from CSO, but unlike the scary ones in CSO, these were modified versions, making them look cute and adorable.

Flamia pressed her face against the glass, causing her glasses to touch the glass and make a clinking sound.

“Hey, be careful.
Um?”

Kuro then looked at the doll that Flamia was eyeing.
Kuro chuckled bitterly because the doll was the monster he was very familiar with, Akaku, the Demon King of the third world they had defeated.

“Are you interested in Akaku?”

Flamia nodded enthusiastically multiple times.

Unlike the Akaku that Kuro knew, the doll version looked cute and funny.
Despite being a Demon King, Kuro understood why Flamia liked it.

“Why don't you try to get it?”

“Okay, I'll give it a try.”

After exchanging some money, Kuro returned and explained how to obtain the doll from the game.

The first attempt failed.
The second one was a complete failure.
The third one was almost successful but dropped.
The fourth one wasn't much different.
And by the tenth attempt…
Flamia became frustrated, and her face turned red.

“Damn, if that's the case, there's no other choice.”

Flamia opened her hand, and a magical circle suddenly appeared as the dolls in the box began to float.
It was magic.

“?!..
Ouch!”

Flamia was flicked by Kuro quite hard, causing her to lose concentration, and her magic failed.

Flamia scratched her head and then turned to Kuro, who looked surprised and bewildered.

“Don't use magic.
Don't forget that we're not in CSO.”

“Ehh? Sorry.”

Flamia stuck out her tongue.
She was adorable.

“Tell me if you can use magic in this world.
Hmm…
Is it possible for you to use all your powers from CSO?”

“I don't know.
I've never tried it.
When I first came to this world, I never used magic.”

“That's how it is.
As I suspected, this is not your first time coming to this world.”

Flamia nodded in agreement.

“We can come to this world only at specific times.
And that time is on June 6th.
During that time, the barrier separating the worlds becomes thin, allowing us to come to this world.”

“……”

Kuro fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he processed the surprising information.
It was either quite shocking or his suspicions had turned out to be correct.

“Kuro?”

“It's nothing, but never use your magic again, as it will get us into trouble.”

“I understand, but I still want it!”

Flamia pressed her face against the glass again, frustration is evident on her face as she looked at the Akaku doll that she could almost obtain.

“In that case, leave it to me.”

Kuro approached the controls and inserted a coin.
After a while, he successfully obtained the Akaku doll and handed it to Flamia.
The claw machine was an easy game, which made him skilled at winning prizes.

Flamia looked extremely happy as she hugged the soft Akaku doll, but a strange feeling arose in Kuro's mind.
The memories of their battle against the Akaku were still vivid.

“Kuro, quickly get something for Chika-chan and Anna-chan too.”

Kuro was slightly surprised when Flamia also thought about them.
He smiled and inserted another coin.

“You choose the gifts for them.”

“Really?”

Kuro nodded.

“In that case…”

Kuro didn't expect Flamia to choose the Rokaku and Shikaku dolls for them, which were also Demon Kings like Akaku.

After obtaining what they wanted, Flamia and Kuro continued their date while exploring the game center.
The Demon King dolls in Flamia's embrace attracted a lot of attention.

They looked at various games.
Sometimes Flamia and Kuro tried them, but Flamia always lost because she had rarely played them before.
This made Flamia frustrated because Kuro refused to let her win.

They then noticed a crowd gathering around a dance floor game.
Two people were competing, and from their precise dance moves, it was clear that they were both skilled in the game.
Their clothing style indicated that they had danced many times before.

Interestingly, one of the competitors was a beautiful and athletic girl.
Based on the score, it could be determined that she was the winner.

Flamia watched the competition attentively, her eyes seemed unable to look away from the girl.

“Are you interested?”

“Yes.
This is so much fun.
Even though I don't really understand the songs being played, I'm really enjoying it.”

“That's good.
Why don't you try challenging her? You know, that girl has become a legend in this game.”

“Does that mean she's famous?”

“That's right.
You can see that the girl hardly ever makes any mistakes.”

Flamia then looked at the score and the symbols on the screen, confirming Kuro's words.

“…I give up.
If I use my magic, I'm sure I'll win.”

Flamia said it confidently as if what she was doing was not cheating.

“You rely too much on that…”

Kuro sighed.
At almost the same time, the song was nearing its end, and so was the game.
However, the outcome could already be guessed from the points earned.

The audience applauded.
Kuro and Flamia also applauded.
The victorious girl smiled happily and proudly as if she were the greatest.
Meanwhile, the defeated contestant could only bow their head in defeat and slowly walk away.

Kuro and Flamia then left the game area.
The girl continued trying to find an opponent by challenging the audience, but no one dared because they already knew how skilled she was.

With no opponents, she lost her enthusiasm for playing and picked up a small bag she had placed on the floor.
Slowly, the girl walked away from that place, and that's when she saw a man walking with a girl with fiery red hair.

“….Kuro-chi?”

After watching an exciting match, Flamia and Kuro tried other games.
They teamed up as partners in hunting zombies, throwing balls into baskets, but perhaps the most special moment was when they were in a special ice skating rink not far from the game center.

They rented skates and started stepping on the ice floor.
Kuro had played several times before, so he was quite skilled, but Flamia…

“I hate ice…”

After falling several times, Flamia finally vented her frustration towards the ice floor.

Kuro held Flamia's hands to help her stand up.

“Why does hating ice have to do with not being able to ice skate? Besides, you're the one who wanted to try this, right?”

“…I wanted to try it because it looked fun…”

Flamia pouted and looked away with a flushed face.
The reason Flamia wanted to ice skate was because she saw many couples ice skating.

“How about we just finish here? If you want to play, we can play at the Ice Lake in Nilfheim.
I think teaching you here will only take up time.”

Flamia appeared more irritated by Kuro's words.
What Kuro said made sense, so she had no reason to argue or refuse Kuro's idea.

Flamia sighed.
She finally gave in and left the ice skating arena.
But Flamia's gloomy face still made Kuro feel a little guilty.

While they were wandering around, Flamia stopped when she saw a couple coming out of a box together.

“Kuro, what is that?”

Kuro looked in the direction Flamia pointed and smiled softly.

“Oh…
that's just a photo booth.
You know about photos, right?”

Flamia immediately pinched Kuro's cheek.

“Don't think of me as a fool, but why are so many people going in?”

Kuro then pulled Flamia into an empty photo booth.
Kuro immediately inserted some money and after pressing a button, they heard some sounds.

“?”

Flamia didn't understand what was happening, but after seeing a photo come out showing herself and Kuro, Flamia immediately understood.

“I guess instead of explaining it, it's better to show it directly.
So, do you understand now?”

Flamia nodded.

“But I'm a little disappointed with the small size of the photo.”

A disappointed expression appeared on her face, but after thinking for a moment, Flamia smiled softly.

“Let's take another one.”

“Huh.”

“But I want us to be closer and more intimate.
You're my husband, but you don't seem interested in me at all.”

Flamia's face turned red, and she couldn't dare to look at Kuro.
Her shy face made Kuro realize what Flamia actually wanted.

Kuro let out a small sigh, then took off his glasses and put them in his pocket.
It was at that moment that Kuro's gaze became sharper as if he had transformed into someone else.

“?!”

Their eyes met.
Flamia was surprised when Kuro suddenly changed and touched her chin.
His face also approached, allowing Flamia to feel Kuro's breath directly.

Flamia's face grew even redder.

“Do you want me to act like this?”

“….”

Flamia couldn't answer.
Her heart was pounding loudly, making her thoughts a bit strange.

“Listen, if you want me to be more intimate, I can do it anytime,…
I don't think this is the right moment, but…”

“?!”

Kuro's lips got closer.
Kuro's gaze also made Flamia freeze and unable to refuse the kiss from Kuro.

Kuro gently kissed Flamia, with no sign of him kissing her roughly, but Flamia felt that this kiss was so special and different.

After about 5 minutes, Kuro released the kiss when he sensed someone's presence outside.
He glanced briefly and, after realizing they had left, he looked back at Flamia.

“If you want, I will gladly do it.”

“…….”

Flamia fell silent, but she also realized that it wasn't just her who desired intimacy.
However, Kuro held back because he knew that if he acted on it, it might cause problems for Flamia.

“Why don't we just take a photo together?”

Kuro's gaze softened once again.
His smile returned to its usual warmth, but Flamia's heart continued to beat fast, and didn't want it to fade away.

Kuro inserted another coin and pressed a few buttons.
The large screen displayed their close-up faces.

“Are you ready?”

Flamia nodded.

“Alright, say cheese..”

They then took multiple photos in various poses and even captured moments of them passionately kissing.
There was also a photo of Kuro panicking when Flamia wasn't satisfied with just the kisses.

But in the end, they took a photo framed with a big heart.

After enjoying themselves, they left, holding hands like any other ordinary couple.

“Now, where should we go?”

“As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where we go.”

Flamia leaned her head against Kuro's chest playfully.

“How about having dinner, and then I'll take you to my secret place.”

“A secret place…
uhmm…
alright.”

Flamia smiled happily upon hearing that Kuro would reveal his secret place to her.

They then exited the mall.
The reddish twilight sky adorned the horizon.
Flamia and Kuro hailed a taxi and got in.
Flamia didn't know their destination, but when she heard the name Fubuku City, she knew they were heading to Kuro's hometown.

Why were they going back? Flamia didn't understand, but she followed Kuro wherever he went without asking too many questions.

After about an hour, they arrived in Fubuku City, precisely at the border before entering the city.

They got out of the taxi.
Kuro led Flamia into a bustling family restaurant.
Luckily, there was one empty table available for them.

A waiter approached them.
Kuro and Flamia ordered the same food.
So far, nothing was particularly special.
The food wasn't extraordinary either.
It was tasty, but not exceptionally so.

However, they occasionally fed each other, making the food taste even more delicious.

Once they finished, they left the restaurant, but instead of heading home directly, they walked towards a wooded area not far from Fubuku City.

Suddenly, Kuro released his grip on Flamia's hand.

“Kuro?”

“Give me that plush toy; I'll take it with me.”

Somewhat confused, Flamia still handed over the plush toy to Kuro.

“Flamia, use your magic so that you can follow me.”

“Eh?”

Ignoring Flamia's confusion, Kuro turned around and leaped towards the forest.
Kuro's swift movement made him seem to disappear.

“Kuro, where are you?”

Flamia looked around in all directions, but she couldn't find Kuro; she only saw the darkness of the forest.

Flamia panicked, but after remembering Kuro's words, she immediately used her tracking magic, just like she did in the Hurz Forest, and activated Night Eye to see in the darkness.

Flamia found Kuro.
He was heading towards the center of a hill in the distance.
But what surprised Flamia was the incredible speed at which Kuro was moving.

Flamia broke into a cold sweat.
Kuro was supposed to be an ordinary human without any special abilities, but now she understood why Kuro had asked her to use her magic.

Flamia didn't want to lose track, so she used magic to catch up with Kuro.

After traversing a dense forest and various steep rocks, Flamia finally caught sight of Kuro leaping among the trees.
It didn't take long for Flamia to catch up with him.

Kuro smiled when he saw Flamia by his side.

“We'll arrive soon.
I'll increase my speed, so you better keep up.”

“Hmmmph…
Who do you think I am?”

Kuro smiled and then accelerated.
Flamia was somewhat surprised to see Kuro moving three times faster between the trees.

Flamia also increased her speed and caught up with Kuro.

After about five minutes, they suddenly arrived at a slightly open part of the forest.

Kuro landed and was dragged a few meters before coming to a complete stop.
Meanwhile, Flamia smoothly and calmly stopped.

Flamia approached Kuro while looking around.
They were in the middle of the forest, atop a hill.
She saw a well-maintained small wooden house that appeared to be frequently used.

“Welcome to my secret place.”

“…..this is…”

“I know, but why don't we sit down first.”

Kuro walked toward the wooden house and sat down, placing the plush toy on the wooden floor.

Flamia also sat down near Kuro.

“Flamia, can you see it?”

Flamia looked in the direction Kuro pointed, which was a view of the city filled with beautiful twinkling lights like stars.

For a moment, Flamia couldn't look away and continued to admire the cityscape.

“Compared to the nighttime view in CSO, it might not be much, but for someone like me who lives in this world, it's a beautiful sight.”

Compared to CSO, the modern cityscape dominated by blue and green neon lights gave off a captivating futuristic impression.
This couldn't be seen in CSO because the lights there were created using magical items with minimal illumination.

“This is a beautiful view.
I understand why this place is your secret spot.
…Do Anna-chan and Chika-chan also know about this place?”

“Yes, only the two of them and you know about this place.” Kuro lay down on the floor and used his hand as a pillow.
“But this place is special not just because of that.”

Initially, Flamia didn't understand, but when she glanced up at the sky, she saw another beautiful sight—a sky full of stars with a large full moon.

Flamia then understood why Kuro lay down and finally decided to do the same next to him.

“!”

Flamia was startled when Kuro moved closer to her.
The warmth of Kuro's body was palpable as they made contact.
Even in the darkness, Flamia's face turned red.

“Flamia, aren't you surprised by the power I displayed?”

“…….if we consider the level of human power in this world, you shouldn't be capable of such abilities.
But I can also use my own power.
Magic, in this world, is only possible in worlds with magical circuits like the Celestial World (CSO), but…”

“Yes.
Such a thing should be impossible.
But it doesn't apply to this world.
The power you call magic is referred to as miracles in this world.”

“Miracles…”

The power to turn the impossible into something achievable, even beyond human comprehension, that is a miracle.

“So, is your power also a miracle?”

“No.
…instead of a miracle, I would call it a [curse].”

“Why do you call it a curse? You have power that surpasses others, but that doesn't mean you should label it as a curse.”

Kuro closed his eyes for a moment before smiling.

“Sorry, I guess I got carried away.
But in essence, I have this power because I come from the Kanata family.”

Kuro tilted his body and looked closely at Flamia's face.
Flamia blushed, and her heart raced uncontrollably.

“Like the Valkyrie Maiden, in this world, Kanata is a special existence.
We can't be equated with others, and others can't be like us.”

“……”

“I think that's enough for today.
Is that alright?”

Flamia understood that Kuro was talking about his family and the truth about himself.
Although Kuro seemed to be telling a simple story, Flamia understood that some things couldn't be revealed.

Flamia smiled.

“It's okay.
Besides, I haven't told you about myself either.
If I hear more than that, I think it would be unfair, right?”

“I didn't say it's unfair or anything, but there are some secrets that I don't want to share.”

“I understand.”

Suddenly, Flamia stood up and walked on the flat ground while glancing at the city.
Kuro followed her from behind.

“I love this world because of you, but unfortunately, I can't stay in this world forever.”

“Are you going back?”

“Yes, I think it's time…”

Flamia's ring emitted flickering light and slowly dimmed, while Kuro's ring remained unchanged.

“In that case, you should take this with you.”

“?”

Flamia caught the Akaku plush toy that Kuro threw.
When she saw the plush toy, Flamia remembered the time she fought alongside him and realized her feelings for Kuro.

On that day, she fell in love.

Flamia smiled.

“I will see you soon in your world.”

“Don't forget to bring Anna-chan and Chika-chan.
There are many things I want to tell both of them.”

“Of course.”

“Then, I'll be waiting for you, my husband.”

Hugging the Akaku plush toy, Flamia disappeared into particles simultaneously with the dimming ring.
But Kuro was happy because Flamia left with a smile.

Slowly, the particles vanished into the air, carried away by the wind.
Although they were separated, they could meet at any time.
There was no reason to be sad, but after Flamia left, Kuro fell silent and took off his glasses.

“A secret…
huh…?”

Kuro smiled thinly and walked towards the wooden house to retrieve two plush toys.

“I guess there's no difference with being conceited…”

As he blinked, Kuro's eyes turned red with a pattern of two squares merging like chains.

Kuro looked up at the night sky while smiling.

“I truly am a liar…”

As the shadow of clouds approached, Kuro's figure disappeared as if swallowed by the earth.

Upon arriving home, Chiaki and Ruko welcomed Kuro or rather interrogated why he came back alone.
Kuro, feeling tired, finally asked them to ask Flamia directly.

He gave them the Demon King plush toy.
It was an odd gift, but they were happy to receive it.

After cleaning himself, Kuro decided to go online in the world of CSO.
However, after learning some important information from Flamia, Kuro felt that trouble might soon befall them.

The Celestial World (CSO) was another world, but it was also a game.
Somehow, people from Earth could freely enter that world using VR gear.
It was impossible, but since it actually happened, there was only one explanation as to why it was possible: magic.
That was the only way to explain it.

For most people, magic was a power that only existed in fantasy stories or games.
Especially with today's technology, humans could seemingly use magic, even if it was just data.
However, this didn't apply to Kanata.

Gods, demons, youkai, monsters, jinn, supernatural powers, magic, ki, other worlds (dimensions), and magic were all ordinary to Kanata.
It wasn't because the Kuro family worshipped such powers.
They were one of the descendants in the world who could use and combat such existences.

That was why the power Kuro possessed now wasn't abnormal within the Kuro family.
However, it remained something abnormal in the eyes of the world.
It was a big secret that only a Kanata should know.

To keep that power pure and within the Kanata family, there was a tradition in the Kanata family that the main descendant, like Kuro, had to marry a girl who also had Kanata blood.
And that girl was Ruko.

Ruko was Kuro's cousin, younger sister, fiancée, and now his wife.
Although Kuro had filled out the marriage form as a requirement to marry Ruko, it would still be two more years before the form became valid.

Now Kuro had three wives, but because he married them in the other world, technically, only Ruko was Kuro's wife.
This was the life that Kuro had to live from now on.

“…………”

Could he do it?

In the depths of his heart, he knew and believed that he could do it.
But after he returned to the CSO world, specifically to his home, Kuro had to reconsider when he saw the frightening smiles of his three wives waiting for him.

“………………………………………………………………………………………………………….”

Another personality, Shiro, seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Kuro glanced at the ring on his finger and the rings on the third fingers of his three wives.
They were proof of their marriages.
It was now too late to turn back.

Kuro had a desire to always see his wives smile.
He didn't want them to be sad.
If they were happy, he would be happy too.
That was the reason why he would not forgive anyone who intended to destroy their happiness.

 

Note :

– How Flamia could enter the real world is still a mystery, but it might be due to the rings they wore.

– Kuro is not a human.

– Ruko, Kuro, and Chiaki are aware that CSO is not an artificial world, but another world.

– On June 6th, the dimensional boundary will fade, even if only temporarily.
During this time, it is possible to travel between the two worlds.