Chapter 492 - Corundum
I get strangely carried away in the virtual world, and cool-sounding lines tend to just pop out of my mouth.
I suspect Sora might be in a similar boat.
She's polite to everyone and is, for the most part, demure. While she has a strong sense of curiosity, she never fails to exercise self-control, and if she realizes she's gotten carried away, she'll immediately blush and reflect on her actions.
I don't know if it's the right word to describe a fifteen-year-old girl, but she was the very picture of a lady. At least, Sora was the embodiment of the 'young lady' I imagined.
As for her being eager to fight and happily wanting to be on the front lines, a slightly mischievous trait… well, this is a fantasy world of swords and magic, so let's just chalk it up to a character attribute and call it good.
What I'm trying to say is—that girlish, quiet, cute, and graceful 'face' was likely just one side of her.
It wasn't a role-play in the traditional sense, but one of the many personas one unconsciously wears to be a certain way. A beautifully arranged cloak that everyone possesses in countless numbers, tailored for others to see.
So. What happened to Sora-san now that some guy came along and ripped that cloak off in a self-destructive, all-or-nothing charge?
The answer is—
"…Sora-san. Sora-san, it's been more than ten minutes. This has gone beyond four extra days' worth; we're into twenty days of overtime here."
"It's fine. If it's a bother, you can push me away."
"Hey, can we maybe put a seal on that type of phrasing? Saying things like 'if you don't like it' or 'if it's a bother' is a dirty trick. It's a forbidden card, so please, have mercy on me…!"
This.
She's a bona fide cuddle-bug who puts even a certain indigo-haired girl to shame, and a selfish princess who surpasses even a certain other princess. In other words, an unparalleled hazardous material with a special effectiveness against me.
About ten minutes ago, just when I thought she had finally gotten off me, she pulled me up, shoved me, and with exquisite control, my body landed right back on the bed.
The moment a sense of danger kicked in, it was already too late. My partner charged at me again, hugged me, and I've been completely neutralized ever since.
The fact that my stats have been sealed as a consequence of yesterday's move—[El Solas, Piercing Divine Arrow]—has proven to be a fatal blow.
Since only one name was invoked, only one stat was sealed, but it just had to be Strength (STR), the one I need most right now, so I'm completely helpless.
In a grapple, going from 0 to 100, it's difficult to turn the tables even with skills.
"Geez… you turned out to be a 'cuddle-bug,' a 'lonely-bug,' a 'jealousy-bug,' and a 'selfish-bug' far beyond my wildest imagination. I'm shocked, I tell you."
"I've told you that many times. That I'm actually a selfish girl."
Did she really say that…? I try to look back into my 'memories,' but even if I remember everything perfectly, I can't just load it all in an instant.
On top of that, with the warmth and everything else she's unreservedly pressing against me, it's impossible to focus and recall memories. Seriously, stop, stop, stop!!
"Hup!"
"Ah!"
I activate [Trance]. My body shrinks by one size, allowing me to slip out of her grasp. Then, I activate [Breath Moment], and its mysterious maneuverability lets me escape the danger zone in a flash.
As I land with a soft tap, I turn around to see… a girl with her cheeks puffed out, glaring at me with an utterly unreasonable look of accusation.
It's a truly childlike expression I'd never seen on her before.
A face that, aside from her family, only I in the whole world will ever get to see—and it's terribly problematic how that looks to me.
My partner is so cute I could die. Somebody help me.
Of course, in this enclosed space, there's no help to be found, so…
"Alright, come on, let's go for a walk! We have a lot to talk about, and there's someone I want you to meet! It's a waste to be cooped up on such a nice day, so let's go, let's go now!"
"Weather? The weather here in the virtual world is fixed for each field… Ah, w-wait—honestly! You always end up running away like that!"
I avert my eyes from her adorable, resentful face and bolt from the room without giving her a chance to argue, a spirited complaint chasing after my back. How rude. No one's running away.
This is, shall we say, an emergency backstep to gauge our distance.
◇◆◇◆◇
Even this full-power princess of mine limits her killer, full-power clingy style to when we're alone. In public, she restrains herself to being the same old Sora-san… just maybe one step closer than before. So now, the public thoroughfares and common fields are my safe zones.
If I too obviously 'flee' to those places, I'll pay for it later, but I don't intend to just keep backing down like before. As her partner, I won't just let her be affectionate; I will—
As a man, strive to take the lead with my lady.
"—Whoaaaaaah…!!!"
Just a few minutes ago, she had been walking down the road with a prim, proper, and pouty face, sticking to me with only half a step of distance between us.
But once we were in the woods outside the safe area where there were fewer people, I unveiled my pride and joy. I swept her up into the sky, and in an instant, her eyes were sparkling as she let out a cry of wonder.
"Amazing, this is amazing! It's a dragon! We're flying on a dragon!"
"Y-yeah. We're flying. Maybe calm down a little—"
"—Haru, do you understand?! This is what it means to fly! Not kicking off weapons or stepping on the air, not those weird methods! This!"
"W-weird methods…"
Though it's just one part of her, this is also the real Sora. The demure Sora, the curious Sora, and the Sora who sometimes gets carried away with innocent excitement like this.
"Well then, let's call this our long-awaited, proper stroll through the sky… Do you like it?"
"Yes!"
With sweet eyes, with sorrowful eyes—and with eyes that seemed somehow fulfilled, she's now able to be completely open and straightforward with her affection.
They're all the real her, all the partner I know and find unbearably cute.
"…By the way, um, when you summoned this one just now…"
"Hm? Yes, what is it?"
I'll confess, I was mesmerized by her sparkling profile. I hastily suppressed the surprise that threatened to bubble up when she suddenly turned to me, putting on a perfect poker face to meet her gaze.
We aren't going very fast, but strong winds are the default at high altitudes. We've climbed high to avoid attracting the attention of other players, so the wind is quite strong.
It's thanks to the system assist that we can have a conversation without shouting.
"If I didn't mishear, I think I heard you say [Sapphire]—mph…?!"
However, there's nothing to be done about your hair getting blown about by a sudden gust. Both Sora in front and I in the back had our long gold and white hair whipping around wildly.
I let out a small laugh at Sora as her own hair covered her mouth… and the hand that reached out did so entirely unconsciously.
"…! …Ah."
The girl flinched as my hand brushed the golden threads from her lips and caressed her cheek.
The warmth of a palm, the heat of a cheek. Our eyes met with a spark, and then we both looked away at the same time, pretending it never happened.
This is another tricky part—Sora-san's offensive power is top-tier, comparable to a certain someone or another… but when she's on the receiving end, she's by far the weakest.
Figuring out our new sense of distance is just so incredibly difficult.
"Sa-Sapphire. Yes, that's right. That's his name."
"I-I see. Th-thank you, very much."
Sora turned forward abruptly, muttering a strange reply. But the wind, of course, didn't stop blowing, and through the gaps in her freely fluttering hair, the nape of her bright red neck was in plain view.
If I touch her, even by chance, she's down for the count in a second, as you can see. It seems that while her attack power skyrocketed after she became more honest, her defense power plummeted—
"…U-um, you know. Actually, I also, um, succeeded in taming one."
"Oh, I figured as much."
After taking two or three deep breaths as if to calm herself, she timidly brought up a topic I had already half-expected.
It was because my inventory only contained the [Stardust Relics] that I had acquired. I figured there was no way a ranker and a de facto ranker would team up and get zero spoils, nor that Lux would have taken them all.
For example, even if only Lux had succeeded in taming a beast and Sora had tried to give him her share, saying 'I have no use for them,' there's no way the number one of the North would have agreed.
That guy, as shown by that 'gift' of his, doesn't seem to like just receiving things. In that case, it's natural to assume Sora's spoils were already used.
Which means, the answer is—
"I wonder if it'll be surprised, being in the sky all of a sudden… Um… come, [Ruby]."
She, too, had tamed something that devours the relics.
At her call, the girl's arms came together as if to cradle something—and from the shadows they cast, a small piece of the starry sky overflowed.
It wasn't as small as the 'mouse' I saw, the smallest of the lot, but it was petite enough to fit in Sora's hands. With its characteristic triangular ears and a soft-looking tail swaying back and forth, it was….
"A fox, maybe?"
"I think so. Its tail was just a single one at first, but…"
Just as its master had worried, it seemed surprised to suddenly find itself in the middle of the sky.
After freezing for a moment with its ears perked up, the small animal hastily buried its face in Sora's stomach to hide—but it was hiding its head and not its tail. What swayed there were three tails.
Apparently, they multiplied as she fed it relics (food).
"Huh… a type of kitsune, I wonder?"
"Ah, that sounds right. This one can use magic."
Well now, that sounds like a great match for Sora… No, really, it's a tamed beast that suits her almost too well right now. Her avatar transformation is a fox girl, after all.
Anyway, that aside.
"Ah, um. And… if I didn't mishear, it sounded like you said [Ruby] just now?"
"Y-yes. That's right, that's her name."
"I, see…"
"Yes…………"
"………………"
Ruby and Sapphire… Hmm, this is, how should I put it, that thing, isn't it?
It's the most embarrassing type of telepathy, the kind that happens completely unintentionally.
"W-well, coincidences like this happen… It gives off a nice 'matching partner' vibe, don't you think? Even though it's a coincidence, because it's a coincidence."
"…Th-this one has a big red star on its neck, you see."
"Right."
"When I see something red and sparkly… um, for some reason, because of someone, I can't help but think of rubies. Because of a certain someone who's liked by rabbits."
"Is, that so…"
Just like the little fox, she pressed herself against me insistently.
I averted my gaze from Sora-san's face, which was dyed a brilliant crimson that could rival a gemstone itself.
Unconcerned by the players' embarrassment or the little fox's surprise, the carefree dragon continued to beat its great wings, looking as though it was having the time of its life.
There was more to it than that, so I'll hold off on revealing the 'origin' of my name for now.
But whether I say it or not, I can't fool myself. The fact that one of the 'blues' that came to mind when I saw the blue star was a certain someone's 'sky blue' is…
No matter how I struggle, it's a fact, and thus embarrassment is unavoidable.