Chapter 255 - The Party in Full Swing
【Nier】— I'm so, so sorry, see you tomorrow!!!!!
"Ngh!"
A strange sound escaped my throat as the message practically slammed its contents directly into my brain the moment I opened it. It was about fifty percent her usual self, and fifty percent relief that she’d finally replied.
She'd just decided we were meeting tomorrow without even checking my schedule, which confirmed that something was definitely off—
"What's up?"
"Nah, it's nothing…"
Goldow, who had been leaning against the atrium railing watching the commotion below, tilted his head at my sudden outburst. I waved a hand as I closed the window, a wry smile forming on my face internally.
Can I even log in tomorrow?
I’d received a summons—or rather, an “invitation,” but since I had no idea what Yotsuya Development wanted, I couldn't predict what would happen.
…There was the question of whether I should even be going under these circumstances, but my opponent was on a level that transcended concepts like trust, so I had no choice.
They had the chancellor of my university contact me personally just to get a message to a single student.
No matter what I was in the virtual world, in reality, I was just an ordinary citizen. I had virtually no right to refuse, at least not mentally—though, as a player of [Arcadia], the option to ignore a request from Yotsuya was nonexistent from the start…
"Hey, Goldow."
"Yeah?"
"That girl's an amazing singer."
It was a deliberately obvious change of subject. Leaning my body against the railing next to him, I looked down at the small girl standing on the stage below.
She really looks the part, that little red one.
"As expected of a real-life idol, huh?"
"Hah! All I ever see is her goofing around here, so it feels weird, y'know?"
Well, given her appearance in real life, it was understandable… and since she had a partner who looked like her twin, it was no surprise they were popular as a duo.
Apparently, they’ve even performed at the Budokan. She’s a legit celebrity. My knees are shaking.
By the way, her partner, the one known as 'the cute one of the Eastern Wings,' Ri-na-san, was once again on my partner's lap. Sora's shyness only lasts for a very short time after meeting someone, so after more than an hour of being clung to, she must have gotten used to it.
I could still see a hint of bewilderment, but the sight of Sora happily playing with the blue girl now looked just like that of sisters. I was impressed; I never knew she had both big and little sister attributes.
"But still… nowadays, your status in the virtual world usually takes precedence over any real-world position—so how are things on your end?"
He asked lightly, tipping the stein in his hand.
Talking about real-life matters in a virtual world was a breach of etiquette—but his voice was so full of camaraderie and concern that such things didn't matter.
"…For now, it feels like all I can do is go with the flow."
"Gahaha! Well, that's how it is for everyone at first."
A heavy hand slapped my back, and my avatar swayed dramatically.
I’d been treated like this many times, but come to think of it, right from our first meeting in the arena when I fought Irori, that slightly harsh impact had never felt unpleasant.
I offered a vague smile in return as I staggered, and after downing his drink, Goldow laughed heartily and pulled something from his pocket.
"—Here, for you."
"Huh?"
When I took it, I saw it was a small, folded piece of paper—
"Wait, this is…"
"Memorize it well, then get rid of it properly. You're good at 'memorizing,' right?"
As I looked up, stunned by the characters written on the opened paper, that large hand came down on my shoulder again, patting it firmly.
"Well—seriously, Haru, if you're in real trouble, you can count on me."
With those words, he turned, and his massive back descended to the floor below. As I watched in a daze, the charismatic giant was instantly swallowed by a wave of welcoming partygoers.
I was left behind with a single, roughly torn piece of paper.
Written on it was his contact information in the real world.
"…Could he be any cooler?"
Honestly, I almost cried. When you're feeling down and someone offers you the perfect kindness at the perfect time, your tear ducts just…
"—Well, you can see why he’s so popular, can’t you?"
"There you are, you samurai-title-fraud."
As usual, I shot a merciless glare at the blonde who had materialized beside me without a sound.
He might be trying to act considerate by bringing two glasses, but the undisguised, mocking smile on his face made the gesture a net negative, damn him.
"Good evening—how are you doing, Lord Fourth?"
"Hmph—not bad, Sir Seventh."
This sarcastic exchange was something we were both well accustomed to. I nonchalantly took the offered champagne glass as Irori, who had replaced the now-third-ranker, leaned his back against the railing in a relaxed manner.
"So the ranker titles themselves can change, huh?"
"Still haven't done your homework, have you? This is the first time it’s happened."
Rank Seven, [Sword Protector]—now Rank Four, [Peerless] Irori.
During this Four Pillar War, after I had left the stage, Irori's final battle record was the defeat of three rankers, including the [Heavy Tank], and the capture of the southern faction's base.
His new strategy, which he had unveiled at long last, leaned not into his usual ‘defense’ but into ‘offense.’ The military prowess he displayed was more than worthy of a promotion and a new title—if there was just one thing that bothered me.
"Can I give you my honest opinion?"
"No."
"[Peerless] is just a little too over-the-top. It makes me laugh."
"Do you want to be minced, Crown?"
Unfortunately for me, the immediate counterattack made me flinch.
—[Acrobat (Crown)], [Jester (Crown)], [Magician (Crown)]… and even [The One Who Usurps the Throne (Crown)].
The nickname ‘Crown,’ which started for the stupid reason of ‘Kyoukugeishi is hard to say,’ had taken on a life of its own, spawning countless ridiculous alternate readings that dealt a fatal blow to my sanity.
Among the ones I glimpsed, the worst was ‘The New King Who Inherited the Crown from the Queen’—they’re totally messing with me. Stop playing around with my name!!
"Stop. This fruitless conflict will yield nothing."
"You're the one who started it."
I waved the white flag in seconds, and he let out a wry chuckle. True to his word, he seemed to be in a ‘not bad’ mood. As we watched Goldow and Mi-na, a mismatched duo, crash the stage below, the expression on Irori’s face was even gentler than usual.
"You didn't invite her?"
He answered my sudden question not with words, but with a glance.
"I kind of figured you'd be the one to escort her here."
I didn’t need to say who.
"Hah, that's too great a role for me. Besides, Sensei isn't very fond of noisy places."
"That’s… well, I guess you're right."
If she did come, she would probably just smile serenely as always, but in terms of whether it suited her personality, it would be the latter.
There might also be the reason that if Ui-san appeared here, the chaos on the floor below would undoubtedly spin out of control… It seemed more like her to want to avoid causing a commotion herself rather than disliking it personally. That felt very much like the Sword Saint.
"So, you should go see her yourself, and soon."
"Yeah, as soon as I can get in touch with her."
Unfortunately, my master had yet to log in. It was probably something in the real world, but it was unlikely I'd get to see her today.
In fact, if I thought about it calmly, the idea of a real-life traditional Japanese beauty like Ui-san logging into a game every day was the more irregular thing to—…huh?
"Aren't they calling for you?"
"…No, I don't hear anything—"
"I-RO-RI-IIIII!"
"GET DOWN HERE, IRORI!"
Yes, you are very much being called. It seems the next ‘victim’ has been chosen.
"……………………"
"Go on, get down there. I bet a handsome guy like you is a good singer, too."
"You'll regret this… The next victim is you…!!"
Oh, how scary. But thanks to various incidents during my part-time job days, I’m used to singing my heart out in front of large crowds.
I watched the melancholic back of the kamishimo-clad samurai descend the stairs, leaving a curse in his wake—
"Hey there, senpai."
"Is this some kind of all-you-can-eat soba thing?"
A weary smile, not quite a wry one, escaped my lips as Tetra casually took the spot next to me.
Sora seemed to be having fun, having formed a trio of beauties with Hinayo-san, and I was grateful that both my partner and I were getting along with everyone—
"So… I don't really have anything to talk about, but are you interested in the ‘Crown Nickname Rankings’ I found online?"
"What the hell are you looking up? You got too much time on your hands?"
"Not really. If I had to say, it’s just me venting my frustration about getting demoted back to Ninth for some reason."
"Don't take out your frustrations on your senpai (junior)!"
Seriously, I’m so grateful for them, damn it…!!
――――――Ranker's Title――――――
◇First【Lawless】———【Tengen】◇
◇Second【Sword Saint】———【Ui】◇
◇Third【General Commander】———【Goldow】◇
◇Fourth【Peerless】———【Irori】◇ Rank UP!
◇Fifth【Left Wing】———【Mi-na】◇
◇Sixth【Right Wing】———【Ri-na】◇
◇Seventh【Acrobat】———【Haru】◇ Rank UP!
◇Eighth【Scorching Gaze】———【Hinayo】◇
◇Ninth【Undying】———【Tetra】◇ Rank UP!
◇Tenth【Twin Fists】———【Genkotsu】◇
――――――――――――――――――――
It's been almost half a year since I started posting, thank you all for this year! To everyone, have a Happy New Year!!