"Okay, here you go."
Izumi Chihiro, of course, would not refuse his cute sister's request, and happily handed over his phone.
As Sagiri took the phone, she sat down beside him.
Her fingers scrolled across the screen, checking out the interesting comments.
"Ni-san, there are so many people praising it! And it's true, Ni-san's performance in this volume was perfect. Also, the overall design played a huge role in the story's progression, greatly enhancing the reading experience..."
This didn't come as a surprise to the girl; her appreciation for novels had greatly improved compared to before, and after being the first to read this volume, she had expressed her 'admiration' to her brother.
"But after looking for a long time, no one mentioned the illustrations. As expected, I've lost my sense of presence. Sagiri didn't play the role she should have."
Sagiri pouted, feeling a little unwilling.
Even though her skills had improved, the level of recognition she received was still not as good as it was during the middle and late stages of demon slayer.
This made her, who believed she bore a significant responsibility, feel frustrated.
"No, it's not that Sagiri, you've gotten worse. It's just that you haven't given everyone enough 'surprises'. Everyone saw your improvement when drawing action scenes before; when people had low expectations, you delivered a higher response. Now, everyone's expectations of you have also increased, and you can't make rapid progress like before, so naturally, people's perception will be very different."
Izumi Chihiro analyzed the specific reasons.
"Is that how it is..."
Sagiri pondered and realized that it seemed to be true.
But...
"It's still that my abilities aren't enough!"
She pursed her lips.
If she could meet Ni-san's previous requirements, perhaps she could make everyone's eyes light up?
But there was no way. Ni-san couldn't wait until she had mastered that drawing technique to a very proficient level before releasing it; that was unrealistic.
She was a genius, but not that much of a genius.
This was the first real setback she had experienced on her artistic journey.
This also made her sober up for once.
Perhaps, the statement that she would surpass Eriri Ni-san in not long sounded a bit overconfident to Eriri Ni-san at the time!
The young girl was once frivolous, but now she had come to her senses.
Sagiri couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
"There's nothing we can do. Everyone has their limits. For talented people, after quickly surpassing ordinary people, they will eventually encounter bottlenecks. If they don't have any special experiences, their growth will be slow. Eriri also went through a state like yours now... Moreover, that style of painting really can't be mastered in a short time. Sagiri, you don't need to blame yourself."
Izumi Chihiro saw his sister's emotional imbalance and promptly offered comfort.
"Ni-san..."
Sagiri's gaze was touched.
When you desperately need to improve but can't, it's a very tormenting state.
But in her memory, Ni-san never showed any such signs. Even when he encountered small setbacks, he overcame them through his own efforts, without wasting time.
But was Ni-san really a genius?
Not necessarily.
The important point was a matter of mindset.
The more anxious you are, the easier it is to mess things up. Staying calm and facing things with composure might be where Ni-san is truly stronger than others!
With her brother as a role model, showing a path to success, she, as his sister, should also learn from his demeanor.
Thinking of this, Sagiri's slightly downcast mood instantly brightened.
But correspondingly, she also started to care about other things.
She had just scrolled to an interesting comment.
"Hahaha..."
The girl laughed several times.
"What did you see that's so funny?"
Izumi Chihiro looked puzzled.
"Ni-san, look at this comment... Someone said you're Kyubey! And it makes a lot of sense!"
Sagiri casually leaned her small shoulder against him, holding up her phone with one hand and placing it in front of him.
The nickname Old Thief on it was nothing new; during the demon slayer period, this name had already become famous, and she had heard of it. She also believed that this name vividly and appropriately described her brother, and he deserved it!
But she hadn't expected the name Kyubey to also become a derogatory term in the eyes of readers.
Come to think of it, it was indeed true.
Kyubey's inhumanity and lack of emotion perfectly matched her brother's behavior when 'making people suffer' in his works.
"So what if I am?"
He said calmly.
"Ni-san, don't sulk, lest you damage your health."
Sagiri feigned advice, but in reality, she was testing the sincerity of his attitude.
"It doesn't matter."
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and his gaze drifted.
"Hehehe, as expected...!"
Sagiri smiled triumphantly.
The nickname Old Thief was actually an honor for him; being able to make everyone forget to eat and sleep was also a form of recognition.
But to describe himself with the beastly name Kyubey, that was indeed a bit insulting.
Of course, when he finished watching puella magi madoka magica, he also hated Kyubey to the bone!
He, of course, did not accept this equation!
"Since Ni-san is unhappy, I'll help you delete this comment."
Sagiri raised her finger and said loudly.
"No."
Izumi Chihiro reacted quickly, instantly grabbing her soft little finger.
If he really deleted it, wouldn't that person boast about it later?
Then everyone would know about it and associate him with Kyubey.
So, his sister was completely digging a pit for him!
"Sorry, Ni-san, I was being meddlesome~"
Sagiri stuck out her little tongue, her face full of a mischievous, triumphant smile, adorably playful.
Seeing Ni-san's rare display of panic was undoubtedly a source of joy for her.
Izumi Chihiro narrowed his eyes.
With his presence, his sister's personality had become increasingly cheerful and optimistic, but a slightly mischievous streak had also been brought out.
"Ni-san, you should let go of my hand..."
Sagiri waited a few seconds, but noticed her brother was spacing out, and feeling the strong grip on her wrist, her face flushed even more.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't hurt Sagiri, did I?"
Izumi Chihiro snapped back to reality and immediately released her right hand.
"No, Ni-san's hand is big and warm, but he wasn't using much force."
Sagiri turned her cheek, her voice also becoming a little softer, describing how she had felt just now.
"That's good."
Izumi Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief.
He had just thought that his sister's face was flushed because he had used too much force!
Since that wasn't the reason, then the real reason was...
Eh?