Chapter 1141 - Departures Accompanied by Farce
────In any case, I am not a person so lacking in delicacy that I would choose a straight-down-the-middle pitch like "So, what's the relationship?" right here.
No, if the opponent were just a lone delinquent, it would have been an option, but with this... calling her 'this' or 'that' is rude even for me at this late stage, but with the Saintess-sama (Sayaka-san), who is essentially a mass of benevolence and harmlessness—like an extreme version of Sora in a bad way—I feel hesitant.
Therefore, while shelving the matter of their relationship for later observation...
"Err... a-are you okay?"
For the time being, I extend a hand to Sayaka-san, who is flattened on the floor. I ignored the fist to the head, viewing it as presumed frolicking, but I decided it would be pitiful to just leave her there.
I understand that I'm not in a position where I should only show a good face to the opposite sex. However, it's difficult; the women I've fallen for all tell me to 'be a soft-hearted person'—
And, the moment I crouched down to ask if she was safe.
"Whoa...!?"
Soft pink hair spilled out like a carpet. And into her green eyes—whether due to the hyper-emotional expressions unique to the virtual world or not—the Saintess-sama, who had tears welling up, moved with agility.
Truly, I was surprised by her movements, wondering if this person was capable of such quick action. And so, Sayaka-san, taking my hand, stood up and...
"Honestly...! Really...! You should learn a little from Haru-sama!"
"Hah, what exactly am I supposed to learn from this brat?"
Shrinking her slender body, clad in priestly robes, even further, she hid behind my back and used me as a shield,
"Everything! Everything! You lack what is called a sincere heart—"
"Does someone with a sincere heart overlook the violence right in front of them?"
While doing so... they started, well, a spat.
What is this.
"So..."
And immediately getting stuck for a comeback, she looked toward my back again with a troubled face; it was the Saintess-sama. She is a loser at bickering to an admirable degree.
In that case... ah... in that case.
"...My apologies. It's just, well, I was taken aback."
"Y-Yes, that's right...! It was so sudden, it couldn't be helped!"
When I offered a helping hand that sounded like an excuse, she mentally leaped at it, her eyes sparkling as if she had found a literal hand of salvation. Thus, while I was troubled with an ambiguous smile, wondering if her mental age hadn't suddenly plummeted, from the front came a menacing—
No, that's different.
"Hah, womanizer."
"Isn't it a bit pitiful for me to be disparaged after being dragged into a lovers' quarrel...?"
That silver-haired girl has the eyes of a bully who is joyfully engaging in a fight.
"Always, always saying such spiteful things like that...!—"
...And so,
"Better than being a constant flower-garden-brain—"
"What is wrong with being peaceful—"
"That's why the masses say whatever they want about you being 'demonic' or whatever—"
"That has nothing to do with the current—"
"You man-eater—"
"Wha...!!? E-Enough already—"
"Perpetually peace-addled—"
"Tha, a-as for you... y-you mean person!—"
"Vocabulary-deficient idiot Saintess—"
"Y-Y-You Great Demon King of insults...!—"
What opened was a terribly awkward, low-level quarrel that could be mistaken for that of elementary schoolers.
What is this, am I okay to go home? ...While watching the battle situation, which was leaning 100:1 while I was somehow sandwiched in between, only one thought remained.
"..................Hmm."
Despite being called a bookworm, her nature is likely too pure to be utilized in a verbal spat. The Saintess-sama, who was being piteously beaten down with her cute vocabulary... well, from what I could see, she seemed to be honestly angry without any hidden side.
As for Yura looking normally happy, I could only be surprised.
No, her outward expression and such were undoubtedly the same as usual, but somehow, the slight bounce in her voice and her rhythm were different. I can tell.
If she intends to hide it with this, I'm sorry but... look. I'm a perfect 'Memory' ability user, limited to the virtual world. Comparing the usual with the unusual is child's play—and so,
"────Hey."
"Ah?"
When I was called and turned a wary eye, wondering if she too would read my heart... it was likely a needless worry. My eyes met the delinquent who called me with a somewhat refreshed, sullen face,
"────.............................."
If that's the case, I looked back, and behind me was the Saintess-sama, silenced with completely teary eyes. It seems the conclusion of the delightful presumed lovers' quarrel (?) ended in a complete one-sided game.
Poor thing.
While thinking that I might be quite heartless for just offering a mental prayer.
"Let's go. We don't have time to play the fool forever."
"If anything, it was a farce that you started, though???"
Turning away with a displeased face that was just a tiny bit softer than the one I was used to.
Following my friend who sent a party request and gallantly leaped through space enveloped in the light of teleportation, I also called the spatial teleportation system with the party member follow setting.
...And so, while the two of us together were surrounded by blue light.
"Hm? Wait..."
This Saintess-sama. Is it okay to just take her along normally?
I didn't have time to confirm such a doubt. While taking Sayaka-san, who had at some point grabbed my sleeve while half-crying, the avatars of the two were swallowed by light and began to cross space.