Chapter 75: Tight Lili! Sakurajima Mai Comes to the DanMachi World

Through the authority of the Circle of Avidity, Lili's current thoughts were fully known to Shirakawa. Feeling the emptiness in her soul.

He could basically guess what had happened: she'd gotten her massive fortune stolen, and with it, the hope of a better future.

The purpose of this ability experiment was to use this unique method to gain a Devoted Chosen of Pleasure. But if Lili's inner void was left unchecked…

Even her soul might completely collapse. That wasn't what he wanted.

He wanted loyal followers.

To grow his own familia within the DanMachi world. It would make recruiting future members easier, and Lili was very familiar with the dungeon.

Even if other group chat members arrived in this world—

She'd be a great help for what came next.

Sensing the branded soul with the Circle of Avidity moving closer to him, and seeing there were few adventurers or pedestrians nearby…

Shirakawa unleashed his strength, built from his powerful stats.

In the dim lighting…

His moonlit silhouette couldn't be seen by the naked eye. He reached the cluttered alley in no time, and what he saw—

Were several adventurers opening Lili's green supporter bag.

"Damn."

"There's a ton of monster materials in here too!"

The adventurers were all holding bags filled with valis, checking the various materials scattered on the ground. One of them gasped:

"If we sell these…"

"They're worth at least a million valis!"

"You little thief. You must've stolen some entire party's dungeon haul. With a move like that, you think you can still live in Orario?"

"These are stolen goods!"

"We'll just hold onto them for you. And if the original adventurers catch you—don't expect to live long."

The leader's eyes gleamed with greed.

He couldn't believe their haul was this good. He even eased up on the idea of beating Lili. They began packing up.

Dragging the oversized supporter's pack—

None of them even glanced at the pallum girl sitting dazed against the wall. The sound of the bag scraping along the ground shredded Lili's dreams to pieces.

And with it, the key to her personal vault. She couldn't even think about leaving the Soma Familia now. All her hard-earned money…

Gone.

Everything disappeared.

Lili lifted her head in despair, casting a glance toward the gods who lived in the heavens, but even she couldn't help letting out a bitter laugh. After doing all that, wasn't this just her own karma?

She was already numb to the pain in her body. Supporting herself against the wall, Lili struggled to stand. Her dreams and desires had been completely stripped away—she now felt like nothing more than an empty shell.

"Someone like me… doesn't even deserve the gods' gaze."

"..."

"Let alone salvation… Maybe death really is my only escape?"

As that thought surfaced in her mind, she looked at the adventurers walking away and suddenly realized—death itself wasn't that terrifying.

What was truly terrifying was dying without ever having fought back for anything meaningful.

Clutching a loose stone from the corner of the wall, a faint smile appeared on Lili's young face. Even if resisting meant death, at least it would be a kind of liberation...

But—

Just as Lili made her decision, the adventurers ahead who had intended to leave suddenly stopped in their tracks. The leading one snapped angrily:

"Trying to play hero?"

"Better know your place. We've earned enough today, so get lost. I'll let it go just this once."

They glared at Shirakawa, who had suddenly appeared before them.

The leader of the group, who had just robbed Lili, showed a flash of wariness in his eyes. He hadn't even noticed when this guy had arrived.

He tried to bluff using numbers to pressure Shirakawa into backing down.

"Hero? I wouldn't call it that."

Adventurers at Level 2 in the Danmachi world were nothing to Shirakawa. He casually summoned the scarlet-hued holy sword: All Things of Creation.

He was holding the money pouch and the support bag filled with monster materials that the adventurers had been dragging behind them. None of this surprised him. What did catch his attention, though—

Was Lili, clutching a stone, ready to resist them.

Shirakawa could have easily resolved the situation, but he figured there was more value in making this moment count.

"..."

Seeing the scarlet blade in Shirakawa's hand, the adventurers exchanged glances. They knew this wouldn't end well.

They hurried to draw their weapons.

"We're members of the Soma Familia. You'd better think—"

But Shirakawa didn't give him a chance to finish.

Without even using his holy sword, he relied on raw physical strength. He kicked the leader in the stomach—hard enough to send him flying over ten meters and crashing heavily into the ground, bones shattering in the process.

The excruciating pain made him wail in agony.

The rest of the group, witnessing this one-sided beatdown, had no intention of fighting back. They just wanted to run—to reach the safety of the city streets.

"If we can just make it out of here—"

But Shirakawa wasn't going to let them escape. He snapped their arm and leg bones and then dragged them like dead dogs—

Tossing them off into the distance.

"..."

The sudden change left Lili completely stunned.

The adventurers who had exploited and tormented her so many times—now lay defeated, powerless to resist.

As that familiar figure approached, Lili stared at Shirakawa's face. The stone in her hand slipped to the ground.

He was the adventurer she'd partied with today.

So he'd found out she took the money and came to settle the score?

She didn't plan to beg. Her expression calm, she simply asked, "Shirakawa-sama… can I… do one last thing?"

"...Of course."

Shirakawa was curious what she would do. If she just begged for mercy, then he really would have no respect for her—she didn't even have a soul worthy of light.

But with a resolve to die, Lili ignored the angry glares of the adventurers she used to fear. She walked over and retrieved a dagger from one of their bodies.

Under the moonlight, the sharp dagger glinted coldly.

Sensing death draw near, the previously arrogant leader couldn't ignore her anymore. Even through the pain, he shouted:

"You… what are you doing?!"

"..."

Lili slashed their throats one by one, the dagger slicing through them with ease. The thick scent of blood filled the alley.

She stood still.

Watching the life drain from their bodies, her only emotion was relief. Nothing else.

Still gripping the dagger—

She turned to Shirakawa, her face calm. She had no intention of explaining herself. Maybe… he would let her go now?

But what was the point of living like this?

She wiped the blood off the blade using her clothes, knowing it would hurt if she did it herself. Then she offered the dagger to Shirakawa with both hands.

"Death probably hurts a lot..."

"Please—help me end this quickly."

"..."

Shirakawa hadn't expected that response.

Staring into her serious eyes, he took the dagger in silence.

Lili, realizing that death was near, slowly closed her eyes. Her eyelashes trembled faintly, betraying her calm facade. After all, who could truly welcome death with open arms?

But—

The pain she expected never came.

Instead, she felt a warm hand rest gently on her head. No scolding. No violence.

Lili opened her eyes in confusion.

Shirakawa smiled down at her.

She asked softly, "...Why?"

"You took about five million valis from me. Based on the average daily pay for a supporter, you'll need to work for around 50 years to pay it back."

"So—live. And work it off."

"..."

Feeling that gentle gaze on her, Lili opened her mouth, but no words came out. In the end, she simply hugged Shirakawa.

Her emotions had calmed beyond words.

But her tears flowed like a broken dam.

The will to live had started to grow again in her heart. Leaving the Soma Familia, becoming a supporter for Shirakawa—

That would be her new reason to live.

"First, gather up all the valis and materials. With that much money, there's no reason to stay in a dump like this. You should find a better place to live."

"Mm!"

"I remember you were part of the Soma Familia, right? Use this money to leave them."

Shirakawa gently patted Lili's head. His tone was light.

"And then—join my familia. Become one of my chosen."

"..."

Hearing those words—

Lili looked up at him in disbelief. The warmth of his embrace still felt unreal. Had she really… received a god's salvation?

She didn't ask why.

Why this god had come to Orario in a mortal's body. Why he could reach the 15th floor of the dungeon with ease. Maybe there were things…

She simply hadn't noticed yet.

All those monsters—could that have been due to the recent abnormalities?

The girl nodded firmly.

"Okay!"

"In the name of the God of Pleasure, live on in Orario. From this day forward, you are no longer just a supporter—"

"You are..."

"A chosen of the God of Pleasure!"

"Offer unto me your body, your spirit, and your undying faith."

Without hesitation, Shirakawa activated the divine power granted to him by his godhood. He turned to Lili, who stood before him, still struggling to process the overwhelming rush of information.

He imprinted the emblem representing the "Chosen of the God of Pleasure" onto the girl's smooth, pale skin.

The supernatural effect instantly healed the injuries on Lili's body.

"…"

Feeling the pain vanish, Lili lifted her shirt and looked at her stomach. A dark purple mark with a unique floral design glowed faintly, exuding a strange yet pure radiance.

"Chosen of the God of Pleasure"—

She didn't fully understand what that title meant, but she could recall that final declaration: to offer up her body, her soul, and her unwavering faith.

Lili wanted to stand on her toes—

But being a Pallum, even that wasn't enough… Her attempt to kiss Shirakawa fell short. Still, the emptiness in her heart was suddenly filled.

She was willing to offer everything—absolutely everything.

"Our familia has just been established in Orario, and we don't have a base yet. You're familiar with the city, so I'll leave that to you."

"If we're short on valis..."

"I'll just go sweep through the dungeon for more monster drops. But you'll be the one exchanging them."

They returned to the tiny apartment Lili had been renting. The space was cramped, but meticulously clean. Only the wall's window let in any air. A makeshift bed sat against the wall, and her supporter equipment was stacked neatly nearby.

After washing up, Lili came out with her short red hair still damp, her petite frame wrapped in clean gray cloth.

When it was just the two of them—

Lili blushed and nodded shyly at Shirakawa's instructions. She glanced at him sitting at the edge of the bed with no other place to rest.

She remembered what Shirakawa had said when she became the "Chosen of Pleasure."

Never having been physically close to a man, Lili nervously sat on the edge of the bed, then—

Clumsily but willingly, wrapped her arms around Shirakawa's neck.

Leaning close to his ear, she spoke seriously, though her voice trembled:

"I… I want to give Shirakawa-sama everything."

If someone were to ask Shirakawa how he would describe Pallums—

He might quote a famous line from an ancient essay in his past life: "At first extremely narrow, only enough for one person. After walking several dozen steps… still just as narrow." It felt oddly fitting.

Very different from his experience with Mary, who had been more of an urban legend spirit.

Lili's presence, though timid, was undeniably human. Her heartbeat echoed in her chest. The accumulated pressure of dungeon life melted away—

And perhaps, with the sight of a new future ahead, Lili found courage. Even if some things were overwhelming for her, her firm resolve pushed her through.

She was seizing her future.

"Tight… but smooth."

Time passed quietly.

Past midnight, both her body and spirit fully freed, Lili had fallen into a deep sleep. Shirakawa began his usual magic refinement, while the chat group system chimed in—

A new check-in was available.

So far, his time in the Danmachi world had been productive. With one more person granted the mark of "Chosen of Pleasure," his anchor had been established, though all his points were drained.

The current members of the dimensional chat group were no longer facing any immediate crises. Saeko Busujima and the Shinobu Kocho had both stabilized their worlds. Now, earning points could only come from check-ins.

Chat Group Notifications:

Healing Goddess has checked in: gained 13 points.

Mai Sakurajima has checked in: gained 15 points.

Ice Queen has checked in: gained 7 points.

Aqua has checked in: gained 2 points.

"..."

Ordinary High School Student has checked in: gained 21 points.

Aqua: Isn't there any way to boost my luck?

Aqua: I've checked in for so many days and still haven't broken 10 points even once!!

Ice Queen: Aqua, once I gather enough points and arrive in your world, how about a spar?

Aqua: No thanks. My divine powers are sealed in this world. I can only use them properly in another world. But if you do come—

Aqua: If you're strong enough, how about helping Shirakawa and me defeat the Demon King?

Healing Goddess: I think there's a god in Heaven who governs luck. I can try asking them tomorrow about how to boost your luck stat?

Checking in daily had basically become Shirakawa's routine. Aqua, of course, had become the designated "unlucky" one in the group.

Ignoring Aqua's latest meltdown in the chat—

Just as Shirakawa was about to close the window, a message from Mai Sakurajima caught his attention.

Mai Sakurajima: I've saved up 150 points. Can I go to another world now?

Aqua: Want to come to my world and join the hero party to save the world?

Mistress of the Butterfly Estate: There's no crisis in my world right now. Besides, the breathing techniques we train in… aren't super useful for becoming truly powerful.

Blue Ribbon: Come to my world! Become my follower!

Normal High School Student: Hestia's world is pretty nice. I haven't left yet, so maybe we'll get to meet.

"…"

Reading the chat group messages, Mai Sakurajima lay on her bed, caught in a brief moment of indecision.

But after seeing that Shirakawa, a fellow high schooler like her, was also in Hestia's world—

She made up her mind.

At least they'd have something to talk about, being the same age. She checked the instructions for using the inter-world transfer function.

And made the purchase.

She'd depart the next morning. As for school…

Mai didn't really care anymore.

Most of the students there already couldn't see her, or had forgotten about her entirely. In contrast, the members of the chat group had not forgotten her.

"It's fine even if I don't go to school anymore. But a real other world… what's it really like? Will I get superpowers easily…?"

Curious and hopeful, she slowly drifted off to sleep.