Chapter 1025 - Celebrating Freedom
Well then. In many ways... yes, in a variety of ways, including personal matters, I've raced through the past few months, which were packed with significant and turbulent events. And now...
After finishing the twelfth Four Pillar War at the end of last year, and with the new year upon us, a period of what feels like the first real 'downtime' in a long while has finally arrived, at least until the end of January.
I'm sure there will be various small events popping up here and there, but just not having any major plans or mandatory tasks makes a big difference in my peace of mind.
Freedom... yes, it's been a while, but this is a time of true freedom.
Though it was a moment of sheer, unadulterated defiance, my heart has now resolved itself and chosen its path. I won't say I have zero worries or concerns, but now I can face them with complete positivity.
Before me lies that freedom—!
And when that happens...
"—Yo! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
I figured I'd just hang out with a buddy without thinking too much about it.
After the birthday party and the Ten Seats meeting, with Ashe busy right after the new year and Nia dragged away by her best friend, I found myself eating dinner alone. So...
It was just before 9 PM in real time. The golden hour for young people.
I randomly called out to a friend who happened to be around and got an instant response. I landed on the rooftop of a building in the corner of the Safe Area in the Garden of Divine Creation, our meeting spot.
"Yo, you made it."
The reply came from a lone 'tiger' who had been gazing at the sky as the veil of night began to fall.
His spiky hair was on point as always. Dressed in a black leather rider's suit and a tiger-striped bomber jacket, his appearance had a punch that would likely make a child cry upon first meeting.
"It's rare for you to be the one to call me out."
"I've recently become a free man."
"What's that supposed to mean? Congratulations?"
In reality, he's just a funny guy whose amusing name adds to his charm.
My friend, Tiger Star Lucky, exuded a friendliness that was clear from his smile—...and after a few seconds, his brow furrowed intensely.
It was less of a scowl and more of a look of pure confusion. The tiger, surprisingly capable of delicate consideration, must have been debating within himself whether or not to make a retort.
After another few seconds...
"...That's some... conspicuous luggage you've brought with you, huh?"
He wasn't wrong. In my arms. The 'luggage' I'd been carrying since I arrived, which was eye-catching, huge, and talkative, drew a wry smile from him.
And my answer was a smile that was more resignation than anything—
"She threatened to do horrible things to me if I didn't bring her al—"
"—I said no such thing."
I wasn't even allowed to finish. The 'luggage'—or rather, Ri-na, who had been clinging to me since the meeting and refused to let go—covered my mouth.
"...Shouldn't you go get an exorcism or something? You're definitely possessed by some kind of woman-trouble curse."
And with that truly rude concern from Tiger, our little scene concluded.
And so, the late-night escapade of a most unusual group began.
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"—Hah! Having a taxi really makes things easy!"
"Who are you calling a taxi? You will address me as Sapphire-sama and worship me."
And so, we flew from the city into the night sky. Above the clouds, illuminated by a giant, bright, full moon. On the back of a 'dragon' that blended into the sea of stars, where constantly moving twinkles bustled about.
We didn't have a destination. We'd simply flown out without any objections after I said, "Let's just go somewhere," and for a while now, we'd been carried along by Sapphire's whims without a second thought.
I was in my designated seat on her neck, a familiar spot where I could reach the sapphire that was her namesake. Tiger, on the other hand, was unfazed by his first ride and was casually standing and walking around on her back.
"You have a riding skill?"
"Huh? Nah, I don't have anything like that."
"Then what kind of core strength do you have? Are you an idiot?"
And as I shot back a retort...
"You're not one to talk, big brother."
A chain of retorts from my arms. It was a gift from my self-proclaimed little sister, who was looking perfectly peaceful thanks to the protection of [Dias Lunaria], which hadn't lost its [Luna Nobody] abilities even after evolving, shielding her from the wind pressure and everything else during flight.
I mean, really, her transformation into a bratty sister just knows no bounds...
"You tell 'im, Ri-na. He's always pullin' off some creepy moves."
"Don't call them creepy, that's just a straight-up insult, you bastard."
I've already given up on that front, and for better or for worse, it's a known fact among my 'ranker' peers, who have already gone through the process of being shocked, exasperated, and finally, accepting it.
So, it's a lost cause. It's ridiculous to even bother with it now.
Which is why, what I'm interested in right now isn't the trivial and hopeless matter of my high-and-mighty, self-centered bratty sister, but rather—
"You two can talk surprisingly well?"
The relationship between the feline and the idol, who seemed to be able to converse quite normally.
"It's not so much that we can talk, but..."
"We're both old-timers among the rankers. So of course we've interacted a few times."
A perfectly normal reason that I could only nod to and say, "Well, of course." But that's not what I meant. I was asking more about their compatibility, type-wise...
"I don't dislike Minalina. They're funny."
"I don't mind him either. He's not the type I'd want as a 'brother,' though."
"Hah, I've always wanted a younger sibling, you know? But I've only got older ones, so being a big brother doesn't suit me."
I don't think he read my mind, but—
"Only older ones... so you have an older brother and sister? You're the youngest?"
"Did I not tell ya? That's right. Surprising, ain't it?"
"First time I'm hearing it. A little surprising. You seem like you'd have a younger brother."
"I get that a lot. People say I'm good at lookin' after others or whatever, but I don't mean to be."
"You have a disciple."
"Maru, ya mean? He's my equal, not my disciple. He just came along later, and after I taught him the basics, we've been learnin' from each other. Don't know when he'll surpass me in the ranks, either."
"As always, you don't seem interested."
"Well, yeah. The numbers don't matter to me."
—It was truly, truly surprising.
From the conversation they were having, it seemed their compatibility wasn't bad at all.
"Huh? What're you spacin' out for? C'mon, get in here, you bald bastard."
"Who are you calling bald?"
"...Even if he were my 'brother,' I don't think I could love a bald one. Good luck."
"What am I supposed to be having good luck with? Don't worry, I'm probably not genetically predisposed to balding. The one you should be worried about is that spiky brown-haired guy over there whose scalp looks like it's under a lot of stress. Offer him a silent prayer."
"Understood."
"That's not what I meant! Are you two ganging up on me? My real hair is super silky, I'll have you know."
"Silky Tiger...?"
"That doesn't fit his character. Weird."
"Hey, 'weird' is a super direct insult, you know!"
The journey of three had only just begun.
I didn't know where we were going, but it seemed like it was going to be a surprisingly fun night.
The rate of baldness on both his father's and mother's side is extremely low.
Plus, with the grace of God, he's far from being bald.
As for Tiger Lucky...