Akino Yukinoshita

In the next moment, the entire Matou mansion began to tremble violently, as if struck by an earthquake. The centuries-old building crumbled in an instant, burying the remaining members of the Matou family under the rubble, their fates uncertain. Among them was the blue-haired boy, Shinji Matou.

The girl who caused this chaos didn't pay much attention. As she approached the Matou residence, she had already sensed both Sakura and Zouken Matou's presence. To prevent Sakura from being consumed by the Crest Worms, she chose to invade the underground chamber in the most direct way possible—by obliterating the mansion entirely.

The underground space that had been hidden was now exposed to the sunlight. The countless Crest Worms and Lust Worms, disturbed by the sudden destruction, began to squirm and scatter in panic.

Zouken Matou's face darkened with fury, his gnarled hand trembling as it gripped his cane. He glared at the beautiful girl now standing beside Sakura, his eyes filled with hatred, like a beast ready to strike.

He didn't need to check outside to know that the Matou family's centuries-old legacy was completely destroyed. Yet, he wasn't in despair. As long as he remained alive, the Matou bloodline would continue. For now, his only thought was to make this girl, who had ruined everything, pay dearly. But he wasn't foolish. Centuries of experience had taught him that he was no match for this girl. He could only focus on escaping the situation for now. Revenge could come later.

Zouken Matou had confidence in his ability to survive. Even if this girl had the power to demolish the mansion, she couldn't kill him so easily. His true body, hidden deep within the Crest Worms, ensured his survival. Unless she obliterated the entire area in one blow, he would find a way to escape.

"Eugh, so disgusting..." The girl wrinkled her nose at the sight of the writhing worms all around. She waved her hand, instantly exterminating all the Crest Worms and Lust Worms on the ground.

She didn't even bother acknowledging Zouken Matou, who was standing on the platform above. Instead, she crouched down beside Sakura and spoke in a concerned tone, "Are you okay, little Sakura?"

The girl, Akino Yukinoshita, inspected Sakura closely. The young girl had delicate features, her face like a perfectly crafted porcelain doll. It was hard not to be drawn to her.

"Thank you, I'm fine. Who are you?" Sakura asked, feigning innocence with a soft, wide-eyed expression that made Akino smile at her adorableness.

Resisting the urge to pinch Sakura's cheeks, Akino smiled brightly. "My name is Akino Yukinoshita, but you can call me Akino-neesan. I'm just glad I made it in time. Things could've been really bad otherwise."

She patted her flat chest, exaggerating her sigh of relief. Just moments ago, those vile worms had been less than two meters from Sakura. If she had been a little later, Sakura might have suffered trauma beyond repair—something Akino was determined to prevent.

Thinking of how close it had been, Akino's hatred for the old bug, Zouken Matou, deepened.

Hidden nearby, Eriri couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity as she listened to Akino speak. The black hair, the cute face, and the somewhat flat chest—it all matched her memories of another Yukinoshita sister. However, why was her name Akino and not Yukino?

Taking a closer look at Akino, Eriri compared her appearance to that of Yukino Yukinoshita, a well-known character. Everything, from the graceful black hair to the icy beauty, lined up perfectly with the Yukino she knew.

It was confusing. How could this girl be called Akino Yukinoshita instead? There was no such character as "Akino Yukinoshita" in the OreGairu story—only Yukino and her older sister, Haruno. It made no sense.

There were two possibilities, Eriri concluded. Either Akino was just Yukino with a different name and had been bound to a system, allowing her to travel between worlds, or she was a transmigrator who had taken over a new character.

The second theory seemed more likely. After all, if someone wanted to hide their real identity, they wouldn't change just one letter in their name.

Still, regardless of who Akino was, Eriri saw an opportunity to gain access to OreGairu's world coordinates.

"Disgusting old bug, just stay put and die already." Akino's melodious voice echoed across the space.

It seemed this beautiful girl was a lot fiercer than her delicate appearance suggested. With a playful yet venomous tone, she pointed directly at Zouken Matou, who stood above them.

"Who are you, and why are you meddling in the affairs of the Matou family? What is your goal?" Zouken's voice was a deep, gravelly growl filled with rage. He could hardly contain his hatred, but centuries of survival had also made him curious. He needed to know the identity and motives of the girl who had obliterated his family's legacy.

"I'm here to save little Sakura and kill you, you disgusting old worm. That's all the reason I need," Akino said with a bright, almost cheerful smile.

Hearing this, Zouken Matou fell silent, gripping his cane tightly. He slammed it against the ground, summoning a new swarm of winged, vicious-looking insects from the hollowed walls.

The bugs—known as Blade Wing Insects—were highly aggressive and known for devouring flesh in an instant. However, like the earlier Crest Worms, they were no match for Akino. With a simple wave of her hand, the new swarm disintegrated into dust.

"Don't worry, little Sakura. I'll deal with this pest," Akino said as she crouched down again, gently comforting Sakura. She reached out to pat Sakura's head, only for the girl to shy away, avoiding the gesture.

The rejection made Akino's smile freeze for a moment. Her hand hung awkwardly in the air.

"Ah... sorry, Akino-neesan. I'm not used to people touching my head," Sakura said softly, her small hands gripping the edge of her dress. She looked bashful, as if embarrassed by her actions.

Akino awkwardly laughed, trying to play it off. "Haha, no worries. It's my fault for not asking first."

Internally, though, she felt defeated. Her plan to bond with Sakura through a simple pat on the head had backfired spectacularly. Now she was questioning her own charm. Still, she resolved to win Sakura's favor in the coming days. One day, she would earn the right to pat that adorable little head!

Standing up, Akino turned her attention back to Zouken Matou, ready to deliver the final blow. Yet, before she could act, a small figure leaped forward, beating her to the punch. A powerful strike from Sakura sent a shockwave through the air, obliterating everything in its path, including Zouken Matou's twisted body.

Akino froze, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. The girl she thought was weak and in need of protection had just obliterated an entire building with a single blow.

"What...?"

Akino's brain short-circuited as she stared at the small, smiling Sakura. The child looked nothing like the helpless girl she had just saved moments ago. She was more like a miniature powerhouse, with enough strength to level entire structures. The sheer contrast left Akino reeling.

Had she... had she been the fool all along?

Turning to her system, Akino sought answers. "System, did you know she could do that?"

"I told you, I can't sense her energy at all!" the system replied, just as baffled as Akino.

System-chan had tried scanning Sakura when they first arrived, but she hadn't detected any unusual power levels. From her perspective, Sakura had appeared to be nothing more than a normal five-year-old girl. Yet the sight of her leveling buildings with ease had the system doubting its own abilities.

"What the... aren't you supposed to be the almighty system? You can't even sense something as obvious as this?" Akino muttered, half in disbelief.

"You clearly don't understand. It's obvious Sakura has some powerful backer—someone even I can't detect. They're probably watching us right now," the system replied, trying to justify its earlier oversight.

Akino's eyes widened. "Wait... what?"

She quickly scanned the area but, of course, found nothing.

Since Eriri and Aisley used cosmic energy to alter Sakura's body, even a high-level system like Akino's couldn't detect them. In terms of power structure, those who wielded cosmic energy had already surpassed the scope of regular systems.

The system's teasing voice echoed in Akino's mind, snapping her back to the present. "There's no point in searching. If I can't detect them, you won't either."

"..."

Akino's face darkened. She wanted to lash out at her system, but ultimately held back. There were more pressing matters to deal with—like finishing off the old bug.

"Whatever. I'll deal with you later," Akino muttered under her breath before turning back to Sakura with a smile. "So, Sakura, you're pretty amazing after all, huh?"

Sakura, still beaming with excitement, replied, "Hehe, not really. But Akino-neesan is really strong too!"

Sakura had already used the chat group to assess Akino's strength and learned that she was at the peak of Level 5, much stronger than herself. Despite her own power, Sakura genuinely liked the cheerful big sister who had come to her rescue.

"Shall we go finish off that disgusting old worm for good?" Sakura asked sweetly.

Akino blinked in surprise. "You knew about Zouken Matou's real body?"

"Of course!"