After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Many questions were swirling in her mind, but Toyokawa Yuu remained expressionless, even quickly adopting a somber look.

It was as if, under Metis's questioning, the emotions that had been suppressed were about to collapse.

Last time, when faced with Metis's questioning, Toyokawa Yuu managed to get through it by thinking quickly under the gradually gathering gazes of all the guests in the mourning hall.

This time, he will not let his performance be so clumsy and ugly.

Yuu Toyokawa not only had to put on a show for the guests in the funeral hall, who were either ill-intentioned or scrutinizing her, but also for Metis, who was standing right in front of her.

Although he obtained information about himself and a considerable number of members of the Toyokawa family from Toyokawa Sadaharu ten years ago, it was far from enough.

Many things from ten years ago are already outdated, and he knows nothing about what has happened in those ten years.

The only clue was found in Toyokawa Shoko's previous medical examination report—her plan to revive Ave Mujica.

And this Metis before us, as a personality that could almost be said to have been created for Ave Mujica, might know something.

Furthermore, Toyokawa Yuu was also very curious about how Metis had survived until now, and even become the dominant being of the body "Wakaba Mutsu".

Where did the wooden figure go?

and so……

"Mu, I also want to cry, but I have more important things to do right now."

As before, place both palms on Metis's shoulders and apply slight pressure.

But this time, Toyokawa Yuu abandoned the rhetoric that could reliably maintain her image as a live-in son-in-law and widower.

As the son-in-law of the Toyokawa family after Toyokawa Shoko's death, who had virtually no real power or resources, maintaining appearances was important, but not that important.

No one really cared what kind of feelings Toyokawa Yuu had for Toyokawa Shoko; most of them just wanted to find an excuse to hold her accountable, so that they could have more ways to attack her in the tense and exciting inheritance battle that followed.

But Metis in front of her was different. As Toyokawa Shoko's best friend, she knew far more than anyone else.

The previous plan to extract information from Hatsune Miku has proven ineffective, with bloodshed being the price to pay; it's time to find someone else.

They're all drama queens; it's just a matter of who can outact the other.

While challenging a multi-headed monster is inherently reckless, knowing what the opponent fears might tip the scales of victory in your favor.

"I want to etch Xiangzi's smile, her radiant light like the rising sun, firmly into my mind."

Turning her gaze to the portrait of Toyokawa Shoko to the side, Toyokawa Yuu spoke first, silencing Metis's voice, which seemed to have found the key point and was about to further expand on her acting.

“Oblivionis said she was not afraid to forget, but I cannot truly forget her, otherwise the warmth she gave me, those beautiful memories that were as comforting as sunshine, will also disappear, forever tearing a piece out of my heart.”

The slightly exaggerated words, the inexplicable nicknames, and the tone of voice intertwined with hoarseness and sobs reached Metis's ears.

To others, it might seem a bit incomprehensible, but to Metis, who was still tightly gripping Toyokawa Yuu's collar, it was like a series of heavy hammer blows hitting his heart.

The natural-born actor stood frozen in place, his brownish-yellow pupils trembling uncontrollably, and even the hands that were gripping Toyokawa Yuu's collar lost their strength.

Looking at Metis, who seemed to have been turned on and whose shoulders were trembling slightly, Toyokawa Yuu suppressed the smile that hadn't yet appeared on her lips.

Even disregarding the need to avoid suspicion, they gently embraced each other's shoulders in public.

"You too, Mortis, even if you are fearless of death, I still want to beg you to have a fear of death... As Xiangzi's other half, with her sunshine-like smile, take her place and look at this world properly."

Chapter 6 Metis's Breakdown

“I…I…Saki…”

His brownish-yellow pupils were filled with unease, and Metis's voice was somewhat incoherent.

Mortis, Oblivionis...

These two words, which he hadn't heard for almost a decade, pierced Metis's mind like two sharp steel needles through his ears.

Mortis, in the name of death, proclaimed that he was fearless of death.

But Toyokawa Yuu knew that what Metis feared most was dying silently.

In order to survive, she even had the courage to rebel against the wooden man and seize control of her body as a dependent.

However, even Toyokawa Yuu didn't understand what had happened in the past ten years.

The multi-headed monster, 【Wakaba Mutsumi】, no longer uses the wooden figure as the dominant personality; instead, Metis, whose life is constantly hanging by a thread, has taken control of the body.

Even more remarkably, Metis, who couldn't live without forming Ave Mujica, is still alive and well ten years after that band disbanded.

The outcome of that personality-based battle royale competition is somewhat noteworthy.

"No, I don't want to hear it! Xiangzi hasn't left me! We clearly made a promise that no one would leave me!"

That long passage was probably only understood by a select few among the guests attending the funeral.

But for Metis, it was a clarion call to awaken a nightmare that had been dormant for ten years.

Before tragedy struck, the devil slept soundly in the cradle of happiness.

And now, it's not just a hundred ghosts roaming at night.

Even before he could question Toyokawa Yuu, Metis covered his ears, resisting all sound, and buried himself in the mourning crowd, disappearing into the funeral hall.

"Xiao Mu..."

Seeing Metis suddenly lose his mind and run away, Nagasaki Sase turned his head and looked at Toyokawa Yuu, who had caused all of this, with a complicated expression.

Resentment, blame, contempt... a whole host of emotions were expressed.

But she didn't have time to exchange pleasantries with Toyokawa Yuu right now. She grabbed her handbag and followed Metis out of the mourning hall.

Very good, mission accomplished.

Watching Metis and Nagasaki Sosei leave, she pursed her lips, displaying an expression of struggle and hesitation, as if she was torn about whether to follow them.

But in reality, he was overjoyed.

Although it's unclear why Metis was so provoked, Yuu Toyokawa is certain from her reaction that she was likely involved in the effort to reorganize Ave Mujica.

Another piece of the puzzle has been added. Although these scattered fragments are far from piecing together the full picture of the events over the past ten years, and have even made the already chaotic clues more tangled, it is still a gain nonetheless.

Moreover, making a multi-headed monster flee in disarray is a very satisfying thing, isn't it?

“Youyu… Xiaomu, she…”

The familiar voice reached Yuu Toyokawa's ears, heavy and dejected, yet gentle enough to soothe her sorrow.

Turning around, she found Hatsune Miku leaning against her, her pinkish-purple eyes filled with complex emotions.

Metis wasn't the only former member of Ave Mujica present; Hatsune Miku was also once a member.

Mortis, Oblivionis...

These two distant and somewhat unfamiliar titles have affected not only Metis, but also Dolores, who was once the lead singer.

Looking at Hatsune Miku, Toyokawa Yuu knew that she was about to face a choice.

Should they stay in the funeral parlor under the guise of organizing the funeral, or should they offer apologies and comfort, and then have either Hatsune Miku or Nagasaki Souse and Metis chase after them to separate them?

If I stay here, I'll be able to finish the mourning period soon, and even continue to "remember Shoko Toyokawa" with Hatsune Miku afterward.

Moreover, this time they might not even need to go to the study; they could simply demonstrate their tolerance for mistakes in front of Toyokawa Shoko's portrait.

However, having learned her lesson from the previous incident where she actually lost her soul while with Hatsune Miku, Toyokawa Yuu is no longer as careless as before.

It is possible to emulate the story of Toyokawa Sadaharu, but it is unlikely that one can do so immediately. At the very least, one must first have a way to resist the soul-crushing choke of this golden retriever.

This place is dangerous, no less so than a dragon's den or a tiger's lair. We should at least make some preparations.

Therefore, there is only one choice left now.

"Hatsune, could you please go with them? Xiangzi's departure has hit Mutsu harder than we thought. I'm worried she might do something foolish."

Gently patting Hatsune's shoulder, which was exposed outside her black dress, Toyokawa Yuu gestured for her to follow and comfort Metis.

At least nominally, he was Toyokawa Shoko's husband, and even if Hatsune Miku successfully acquired the Toyokawa surname, he would still be Hatsune Miku's superior in status.

She wouldn't have a good reason to refuse a request made in public.

"You need to calm down too. Leave this to me... Dolores, may you truly be fearless in the face of sorrow."

The familiar nickname entered Hatsune's ears, causing her to catch her breath.

After a moment, he nodded with a complicated expression.

"I understand. I'll leave this to you, Yuu."

Why is the monster still alive in Chapter 7?

The disturbance caused by Metis's breakdown was just a minor incident at the funeral. Although it did attract some people's attention, it was not unusual for people to lose control of their emotions in such a setting, and it was quickly forgotten by the other guests.

After all, very few people cared about Wakaba Mutsu's thoughts. Most people present were not coveting Wakaba's daughter, but rather Toyokawa Shoko's inheritance.

Watching Toyokawa Yuu's every move, meticulously searching for any exploitable flaws, is what these branches of the Toyokawa family should truly be doing.

Unfortunately, their plan was destined to fail.

After Hatsune left the funeral hall, Toyokawa Yuu began to handle the other guests who came to mourn with ease.

He is no longer the ignorant boy who knew nothing about the current situation.

Thanks to the information Toyokawa Sadaharu gave him ten years ago, Toyokawa Yuu had a memory of most of the faces of the people present.

While a deep and meaningful conversation might reveal some of their true intentions, it's more than enough to simply go through the motions at a funeral.

After all, as a son-in-law of the main family, he shouldn't be too familiar with these people from the branch families.

As time went by, the sun sank and night gradually fell.

With a polite expression, Toyokawa Yuu saw the last guest out of the mourning hall before letting out a long sigh of relief.

By the light of the mourning hall, Toyokawa Yuu turned to look at the portrait of Toyokawa Shoko surrounded by white flowers, and saw her serene and gentle smile. After a whole day of feigning politeness, he couldn't help but feel a wave of weariness.

I've never seen you smile so gently in our wedding photos; instead, you've left me with such a huge mess.

The thought that a funeral for a powerful family like the Toyokawa clan would never end in a day, and that she would have to deal with it for at least another whole day tomorrow, gave Toyokawa Yuu an impulse to simply die and go back to ten years ago to escape reality.

With no one around, Toyokawa Yuu didn't bother with any formalities and sat down very casually on the altar where bouquets and portraits were placed, looking almost as if she were sitting next to the deceased Toyokawa Shoko.

"Toyokawa Shoko, we shouldn't have any grudges against each other, right? At most, I tormented you a few times online before, but you didn't have to leave me with such a terrible mess."

Picking up a white flower, she brought the slightly withered bouquet, which had been sitting there all day, close to the portrait and gently patted the smile that was forever frozen in time.

It was as if he was teasing his deceased wife, whom he had never met.

A son-in-law may not enjoy a day of happiness, but he will certainly not escape a day of suffering.

He thought that since Xiangzi was dead, he could at least inherit her harem and estate.

As a result, not only do I have to guard against a group of branch families engaging in a tense and exciting inheritance battle with myself, but even Hatsune Miku, my loyal golden retriever, has the idea of ​​strangling me to death to make my inheritance.

Thinking of Hatsune Miku's face, which looks great when she laughs but is terrifying when she goes crazy, even Toyokawa Yuu couldn't help but feel a chill down her spine.

He knew very well that the loyal golden retriever would never let him go.

Her possessiveness towards Toyokawa Shoko was beyond strong; it had reached an almost abstract level.

Especially after the death of Toyokawa Shoko, the original owner of the body, no one could suppress that twisted desire anymore. Sooner or later, she would drag everything Toyokawa Shoko left behind into her own vortex of desire.

This includes Yuu Toyokawa's body, which even he himself doesn't know how many times Shoko has used, and his life.

There's no escaping this calamity; the only option is to strike first.

I don't have many cards to play, and I don't know if what I said to Metis today will have the desired effect.

Judging from her behavior today, she still cares about Ave Mujica, and may even feel flustered by the title Mortis.

It's like being terrified of having someone call out your name and expose some lie.

With her eyes slightly lowered, Toyokawa Yuu recalled the not-so-long plot and setting of "Ave Mujica".

After the wooden figure died, Metis was about to disappear, so he chose to play the role of [Wakaba Mutsumi] himself, which allowed him to survive...

In the end, the girl, who was only an "assistant" to begin with, still chose to jump into the abyss during Ave Mujica's comeback live performance and actively merge with the wooden figure.

As for the outcome... it's unknown.

But that will only happen after Ave Mujica is reorganized.

In this timeline where Toyokawa Shoko dies young, it's possible that Ave Mujica didn't reunite, and Metis didn't go to save the wooden man.

However, Metis is positioned as an assistant to the wooden man, a personality that can only exist by attaching herself to something else. She needs the band Ave Mujica to constantly put pressure on the wooden man in order for her to continue to exist.

The wooden figure's decline of only about a month had already brought Metis's existence to the brink of collapse. How did she manage to persist for ten years?

Or has Metis's role as an "assistant" changed? But what happened to cause this change, and what has Metis become?