Seeing the sincere expression on Souta's face, Kurumi smiled and said:
"Alright, since this was a decision made by my future self, I have no problem following through with it. In that case, I won't pry into the matter of the Spirit of Origin anymore. As for my relationship with my clones, I will handle it properly."
Hearing Kurumi's words, Souta breathed a sigh of relief.
Good. Kurumi was still Kurumi. The same tactic could move her twice... No, it was just proof that she had always been kind at heart.
Even though her current persona was wrapped in a chuuni style, Souta still felt a sense of familiarity with her.
"Let's follow our future agreement, Kurumi. Since you've compromised, I won't let you suffer when it comes to time."
Saying this, he immediately removed the lifespan cards he had redeemed from the system's store.
In an instant, a thick stack of item cards appeared in his hands, all designed to extend one's lifespan.
Kurumi curiously watched Souta's actions.
The manga had provided limited information, so she only had a rough understanding of Souta. She wasn't aware of too many specific details.
So now, Souta fascinated her even more.
Souta smiled at her, handed over one of the item cards, and said,
"This is a card that extends time. Try using one—just mentally activate it."
Kurumi's gaze was filled with curiosity as she took the card.
Because she had already come to trust Souta, she didn't suspect he was trying to trick her. The moment she received the card, she immediately activated it.
A soft glow flashed, and the card transformed into light particles that entered her body.
Instantly, the clock-like eye hidden beneath her medical eyepatch started spinning at an incredible speed. A moment later, the long-haired girl looked up at Souta, her face full of surprise.
"One thousand years..."
"Yup, one card equals one thousand years."
Souta stuffed the entire thick stack of cards into Kurumi's hands, saying,
"These are all yours. From now on, you can use time however you like."
"Oh..." Kurumi blankly stared at the cards in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly.
This was way too extravagant!
Her future self... actually had the luxury to waste time ?
Damn... That's way too enviable!
"Contractor," Kurumi leaned in closer to Souta, nearly pressing against him. "How long will you be staying in this era?"
Looking at Kurumi, who was now so close that he could feel her breath, Souta had an impulse.
And then... he acted on it.
He wrapped his arms around Kurumi's back and pulled her tightly against him.
"Uhh..." Kurumi was caught off guard and let out a soft sound of surprise.
She quickly realized what had happened and felt a little flustered.
Should she push him away?
Seeing how naturally Souta embraced her, it was clear that her future self and him often had this kind of intimate interaction. Kurumi hesitated—refusing might feel a little... awkward.
Besides, she didn't dislike it. In fact, it felt... warm.
"Ah, sorry. I hugged you instinctively..."
Souta let go of Kurumi, coughed lightly, and tried to play it off.
Kurumi shook her head with a soft smile, her eyes indicating that she didn't mind.
She said, "It seems my future self is surrounded by happiness... Contractor, you still haven't answered my question. How long will you stay in this era?"
"I don't have any strict time limit," Souta replied. "I can leave anytime after I've settled my divine kingdom."
"Yeah, it's a manifestation of my power," Souta explained without hiding anything.
"Oh? You're saying... you're a god?"
Kurumi suddenly looked even more intrigued, murmuring to herself,
"A god and a nightmare... Ohhh, such a contradictory combination, but the contrast makes it even cooler!"
"..." Souta felt speechless. What was so cool about that?
"Contractor, I want to go with you to establish your divine kingdom." Kurumi suddenly declared, her voice brimming with excitement. "The power of a god... it's been a while since something got me this pumped up!"
"I'm not going to fight, you know."
Seeing how fired up she was, Souta reminded her.
"Oh, by the way..." Souta suddenly remembered something. "Kurumi, you lured me out of that café—was there something you wanted?"
"Not really. I just wanted to see what kind of person my lifelong contract partner is."
Kurumi gazed at Souta's face, as if memorizing every little detail.
"And after seeing you... I'd say you're exactly like in the manga. Contractor, you're a very kind person. Also... you're just as much of a pervert as in the manga."
"..." Souta felt his brain short-circuit. "Pervert...?"
"Yes. A huge pervert."
"Wait a minute! I'm not taking the fall for that!" Souta protested. "I've read the manga too. Where the hell does it say the protagonist is a pervert? Even if he was, that has nothing to do with me!"
"Contractor, denying something you clearly did will make my impression of you drop."
Kurumi very seriously reminded him.
"What did I do?" Souta was completely baffled.
"You clearly like girls with Shiroyasha's body type. Otherwise, you wouldn't have tried to 'conquer' that girl named Origami, right?"
Kurumi pointed at Souta and pouted.
"I've been watching for these past six days. Seriously, doing that right under my nose... I'm a little mad, you know?"
Damn you, Honjo Nia! You really messed me up!
"Kurumi, let me correct your misunderstanding."
Souta explained his relationship with Shiroyasha in detail.
After listening, Kurumi asked,
"But you really did try to 'conquer' that little girl named Origami, didn't you?"
"Well... I was just messing around with a kid in my free time," Souta reasoned.
Kurumi looked doubtful, clearly not buying it.
Seeing this, Souta sighed and decided to drop the argument.
At this rate, even he was starting to doubt himself.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
Kurumi abandoned the Origami topic and instead looked at Souta with intense curiosity.
"Let's go set up your divine kingdom already. I must witness the power of a god!"
"Sure, but before that..."
Souta smiled at Kurumi and said,
"I have a request. Kurumi, can you summon your clone from two years ago, your clone from a year ago,, and the one in the gothic kimono?"
"Hmm?" Kurumi was surprised, but then she smiled. "You like my other looks too, huh? As expected of my contractor—you really understand me!"
Without hesitation, she summoned the three clones.
Souta immediately pulled out his iPhone and began taking pictures from every angle.
He vividly remembered how Kurumi had once teased him over the system phone, telling him to go back five years and create more "embarrassing" memories for her.
Well... since she had asked so sincerely, how could he refuse?
So today, he was going to take a lot of pictures!
"Oh my? This man... He's taking pictures of us?"
"He looks like the contractor from the manga... but why is he here?"
Kurumi (main body) spoke up,
"He has something to take care of in this era. I just happened to run into him."
Souta smiled and waved them over.
"Alright, everyone look at the camera! Let's take a group photo."
Using his divine power, he floated the phone in mid-air, then squeezed himself between the four Kurumis.
A five-person group photo was taken.
Souta grinned mischievously.
Kurumi, oh Kurumi... You always tease me.
This time, when I go back, it's your turn to suffer!