Chapter 481 - The White Star Wears Red, The Blue Star Wears Black, Part Seven
—Through countless eyes, I watched as the 'White' vanished, buried in the starry sky.
The one who commands the swarm of humans, the one who has felled many stars.
To swallow the legs that run faster than a meteor, I have lost innumerable pawns. Even the 'dragon' that soars through the heavens bowed and obeyed that person.
But I shall grant my blessing to my brethren who have found their master.
Therefore, I shall sing praises to the rare soul who has been chosen by the great star's shadow.
Next, the actor who has finished their turn will exit the stage, and I shall move my own pieces to test her.
To see if she can find me, the smallest of all—
A few moments of silence. And then…
In the depths of the night sky's darkness—an endless 'White' flashed, along with 'Red'.
◇◆◇◆◇
What is this unreasonable (BS) game? Don't you dare spit out those words so lightly.
Never mind Sapphire's behavior after I brought her over to our side, but the enemies in Arcadia fundamentally exist as if they're alive—they appear before us with such complex and detailed thought processes and behaviors that you can't help but think so.
Even with inorganic enemies like rocks or suits of armor, the game is so thorough that it pounds into you the feeling that they are living as inorganic beings. It's the same with the NPCs in town, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't see them as mere lumps of data controlled by AI.
If that's the case, then naturally, they have their own perspective, regardless of their creator's intentions… and when I think about it that way, the one person in this situation who absolutely shouldn't be uttering 'that line' is none other than me, the acrobat.
I fly through the sky, dash around at subsonic speeds, and fire off fireworks like there's no tomorrow. I'm doing whatever the hell I want. If I were on their side—the enemy's side—I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs.
'What is that incarnation of an unreasonable (BS) game?!' I'd say.
Therefore, I am surprised, but not indignant.
I am anxious, but not dismayed.
Unreasonable mechanics? I welcome them. In that case, as one who has been stamped with the seal of 'special'…
"—[Reject Sentence]."
I will take even greater unreasonableness into my hands and trample over everything in a grand 'welcome.'
In the instant I was about to be crushed by the horde of Stardust Beasts pouring out of the 'gate' opened by the brute-force Trojan horse, I swapped my Jade Blade for the crimson gun.
The moment I pulled the trigger with my main avatar, not caring about a misfire, and the light of my mana lit the fuse, a grand firework exploded in my left hand.
The crimson wave of mana swallowed the swelling starry sky, along with Sapphire who was right beside me—but it did no damage. At least, not to us.
In the 'hole' that had opened up in the torrent, Sapphire flinched her neck in surprise. I leaped onto her back, and the loyal star immediately understood her role and beat her great wings.
"Now then, I wonder what and how much is going to be taken from me…"
There's no need to consider the grace period, but I'm a little scared of the aftermath. Depending on the situation, I might be unable to move for a few days… well, I guess that's fine.
If I think of it as an extended vacation, it's not much of a price to pay.
Right now, more important than that—
"Round two… or rather, the real fight is just getting started."
As Sapphire flew up to escape, I glanced down at the ground from high above. The starry sky pouring out of the dark gate, which had spread out like a great swamp, showed no signs of stopping.
Not only were there the familiar faces from before, but the six-legged horses, likely the standard version of the earlier 'Trojan horse,' had joined in, making for quite the parade.
Honestly, at this point, it's beyond my capacity.
If I were the only one who had to survive, I'm confident I could manage something, but if I'm to stick to my original goal of everyone surviving… this is not a scale we can handle with our current forces.
—However, if I can turn them back into a 'disorderly mob,' that's another story.
If it's just a matter of numbers, we can manage. My proud party has shown so much grit in this survival challenge; they'd be able to pull through something of that level.
Therefore, what's needed here and now is someone with a special pair of 'eyes' who might just have a chance of spotting the enemy's 'head,' which has yet to reveal itself.
If I push her too hard, I might get hit with that mysterious counter again, but I have no choice. I'll prepare a plan to get back in her good graces with some lamb dishes, which she seems to like.
"—Alright, Sapphire!"
There's no time for long deliberations. Once I've decided, I just have to charge ahead. Same as always.
The dragon, whose thoughts are likely connected to mine just like the Star Sword's, understood my order just by hearing her name. She turned, her wings letting out a satisfying sound.
We headed straight for the wooden roof where three shadows were.
"Ugh…"
"Bwah…!"
"Hiee…!?"
The trio of magicrafters were blown by the gust of wind caused by Sapphire, who landed with great force yet surprising silence. My business was with none other than the last one, the one who shrieked.
"—Nia! I need your help with something, come quick!"
Her aquamarine hair fluttered, and her matching eyes blinked. My partner, frozen on the ground after falling on her butt—hey, this is no time to be rolling around, get up, hurry, hurry!!
"Wha-what is it—whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, what, what is this?!"
I leaped off the dragon's back, rushed over, scooped her up, and rode on Sapphire once more. After this two-second maneuver, Nia-chan, who'd been abducted in the blink of an eye, started making a fuss long after it was all too late.
"Ah, sorry for the commotion."
"…W-well, do your best."
"Bye-bye, Nia-chan!"
I gave a nod to the other two, who were still staring blankly—I was going to wave, but my right hand wouldn't move—and then we took to the skies.
My left arm was occupied, of course, but it wasn't just to keep my partner from escaping.
To eliminate the strain of taking her into the sky, I activated [Luna Nobody, Guardian of the Shimmering Moon], holding her slender body tight.
Yes, this is an emergency, so I have no intention of letting her go or letting her escape—
"Noooaaaaahhh!? You idiot, idiot, idiot! No, I can't, no way, you moroooon!"
"I'll listen to all your complaints later, so just bear with me for a second, please—hey, I'm really sorry, don't hit me, don't struggle, you're chipping away at my HP which is already in the red zone…!!"
I apologize for the sudden request, but for now, please give up gracefully and cooperate.