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When she heard Akio's question, Erina Nakiri fell silent, clearly debating how to respond.
It took her a long moment before she finally said, "What if I told you…it was the Gourmet Sanctuary that told me? Would you believe that?"
"The Gourmet Sanctuary?"
"Yes." Erina nodded. "When I first awakened my Gourmet Cells, I suddenly received a strange kind of feedback. It was like something out there was telling me, 'You've awakened Gourmet Cells.'"
"Thinking back now, it must've been the Gourmet Sanctuary itself speaking to me."
Hisako couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. That explanation was… way too out there.
Akio, on the other hand, actually smiled.
He could tell she wasn't lying. She really believed what she was saying.
That made things very interesting. If the Gourmet Sanctuary was the one who told Erina about her cells, then… did that mean the Sanctuary itself was alive?
Not necessarily. It could be something else entirely.
Curious, Akio asked, "So, you never told anyone else about going into the Sanctuary?"
Erina let out a helpless sigh. "I told my grandfather once, but he thought I was just stressed out and hallucinating."
"Then why didn't you bring something back from the Sanctuary? That would've proved it."
Akio pressed further.
"That's the problem." Erina's voice carried even more frustration. "I thought of that too. But no matter what I tried, I couldn't bring anything out of there. Whenever I leave, I leave alone. Nothing comes with me."
"So I had no way of proving any of it. Later, even after awakening my Gourmet Cells, I just couldn't be bothered to tell anyone anymore."
In short—she gave up.
Akio made a thoughtful noise. "So you can't bring people in with you either, right?"
"Of course not," Erina said. "I don't even know when I'll enter. It just… happens at random. How could I possibly take anyone with me?"
"That's easy to fix."
Akio snapped his fingers. "I can mark you with a coordinate. Whenever you enter the Sanctuary, I'll sense it and follow you in. What do you say?"
"Do I even get to refuse?"
"Of course… not."
Erina shot him a glare. "You're ridiculously pushy, you know that?"
Akio didn't look the least bit embarrassed. "I finally have this kind of power. What's wrong with being a little pushy?"
Erina knew all too well—this guy had her cornered.
And it infuriated her.
What was worse was knowing she couldn't actually refuse him. That made her even angrier.
But even so, she straightened up and bargained. "Fine, I'll agree. But how are you planning to compensate me?"
"Compensate?"
"That's right. You don't expect to just freeload, do you?" She eyed him warily.
Akio leaned back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, rubbing his chin. "Alright. I'll allow you to become my follower. How's that sound?"
"Ha—what?" Erina froze. That was his idea of compensation?
Wait. Followers… that wasn't something ordinary people could even grant. Only one kind of being needed followers, and that was…
She swallowed hard. "You're… a god?"
"In a sense, yes." Akio nodded. A Dimensional Demon God was still a god, after all.
Erina sucked in a sharp breath at his calm admission.
Hisako, too, just stared at him in shock.
"You—you're saying… which god are you, exactly?"
"I'm not one of the gods you're familiar with," Akio said. "I'm a Dimensional Demon God. A god who rules over a dimension."
Both Erina and Hisako looked utterly lost, but Akio went on.
"Think of it this way. Hell is a dimension. Heaven is a dimension. Earth itself is a dimension. Takamagahara, the home of your gods, should also be one.
And I…" His eyes glinted. "I am the god who rules over the Dimension of Light."
"By the way, don't confuse the Dimension of Light with Heaven. They're not the same thing."
That was even scarier.
A god who ruled an entire dimension—someone comparable to Amaterasu herself? No wonder he had swatted her aside like she was nothing.
The gap in power was absurd.
Erina had never encountered someone this overwhelming before.
Terrifying, yes—but after the fear came a rush of excitement. She managed to hold back her grin and asked, "If I become your follower… what do I get out of it?"
"You'll be able to use my power. It's pretty strong. With it, ordinary demons and monsters wouldn't stand a chance against you. And in critical moments, you can call for my help. If you run into someone you truly can't beat, I'll deal with them."
"So? What do you say?"
That good of a deal?
Erina nodded before she even realized it. "I'll do it."
Then, as if remembering something, she glanced back at her aide. "Hisako. I want Hisako to be your follower too."
Hisako's face flushed with emotion, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Erina-sama…"
Akio had no doubt—if Erina so much as crooked her finger, this woman would give herself up on the spot. It was one step away from a full-blown yuri drama.
How easily bent could she be?
Suppressing a sigh, Akio said, "Fine. But she has to offer tributes."
"Tributes? Like what?"
"Meals. Three a day. Preferably Eastern food, since that's my homeland's cuisine."
Erina and Hisako both gaped. Three meals a day as tribute? That was…
"Aren't you supposed to be a god?"
"And what, gods can't eat?" Akio shot back.
"But—I thought eastern gods don't partake in mortal food…" Hisako said hesitantly.
"I'm not one of those traditional gods. I'm a Dimensional Demon God—" He cut himself off, suddenly annoyed. Why was he even explaining? Who was the god here?
"Just answer. Yes or no?"
"Yes! Of course, yes!" Erina quickly agreed on her aide's behalf. "And not just her. I'll make the offerings too. How about that?"
"..."
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