Chapter 596 - White and Silver
Once the lunch break—a rest period for players and spectators alike—was over, only three matches remained in the two-day-long Eastern Faction Four Pillar War Selection Match: two semifinals and one final.
The featured matchups were, of course… well, since three rankers besides me and Tetra were still in the running, every single one of the three matches involved a ranker. With no shortage of exciting bouts, it was a given that the number of spectators would explode.
However, there's a limit to how much the instance area can be expanded.
The spectator seating, which had grown denser as the tournament progressed and the number of parallel matches decreased, had switched to a lottery system a few matches ago. If I were to step outside now, I'd be treated to the sight of Istia's district filled with the lamentations of those who didn't win a spot.
That's scary in more ways than one, so I'll be making full use of my special privilege and holing up in the VIP seats. With that in mind, I headed over without even arranging to meet up with my seniors… and there.
"—Eh?"
"—Huh?"
Coming face-to-face, we, two strangers to each other, froze and let out befuddled noises.
—On one side, me. I had no plans to show myself in public and was just thinking of getting in some of my daily magic training, so I was still in my alternate avatar form.
My custom-made formal wear, the [Sakura Hanaori], crafted with the soul of my personal artisan, was currently locked away in my inventory for the crime of being a 'super flashy costume' that couldn't be hidden even with a stealth cloak.
I was wearing the [Series Lounge No.6]—a sort of black jacket-dress that I'd somehow ended up borrowing indefinitely and had then been officially gifted to me—with the [Cloak of the Hidden Rat] over it. It was a look one step shy of full incognito mode.
One step shy. Meaning, my face was on full display, with my long side-tail, which sways carelessly at any given moment, let loose… a face that has become such a bombshell that I hesitate to show it so openly unless I'm in a place limited to people I know.
—On the other side, my counterpart. A tall, slender figure in a silver robe, but wearing practical, warrior-like battle wear underneath.
A well-featured face set in a sullen expression, and silver, short hair that partially covered their eyes in a way that was hard to judge as either unkempt or neat. Their voice was on that exquisite line where one couldn't tell if they were male or female.
From their equipment and personal aura, I could tell that in this place—… even mixed in with Goldow and Mi-na, who were watching us with smug grins, and Ri-na, who was standing beside them looking aloof—they possessed an aura, an information density, that didn't feel out of place.
And so, our next words expressed the exact same meaning.
"Who might you be…?"
"Hey, who's this?"
Our questions were directed to the same people, as well.
Seeing our reactions, which were synchronized in a strangely perfect way, the amusing old man promptly performed his usual mysterious, high-speed self-destruct. We'll ignore him for now…
At times like these, there's only one person to rely on. I ignored the eternally grinning red-head and sought an answer with my eyes. The honest, good girl opened her mouth, just as I expected.
"The Fourth and the Tenth."
Her words were excessively brief. Considering this girl isn't particularly quiet, that extreme brevity must have stemmed from a trust that we would understand on our own—
No, wait, Ri-na-san is yawning. She was just too lazy to explain.
…Well, anyway.
"Ah, so that's that 'Trance' thing… huh? That's your alternate form, right…?"
"I see, I see… so you're even more of a casual type than I'd heard."
Even if concise and brief, it was maximally efficient. We, who had been given our answer, nodded in understanding at the same time before once again facing each other in a synchronized combo.
Goldow is having a good laugh over there.
Alright then… it was an unexpectedly sudden encounter, but I suppose I should offer a greeting. Of course, it's proper for the junior to introduce themself first.
"I'm Haru, the [Acrobat]. It's a pleasure to meet you, senpai."
I introduced myself and offered my hand—but they, he or she, simply looked me over with sleepy, half-lidded eyes… and unfortunately, did not shake it.
However, they did raise one hand, and instead of palm to palm, they lightly tapped the back of their hand against mine.
"Yurayura. [Screen]. …This is just how I am. Just leave me be."
And with that introduction came a crystal-clear message: 'I have no intention of getting friendly with you.' As for my reaction to that…
"Got it. Well, let's have fun and get along, eh?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
That laid-back name of theirs really doesn't have an ounce of intimidation in it—I thought, suppressing a disrespectful laugh at my senior.
When I declared my heartfelt wish with my best smile,
I successfully received a threat from my senpai on our very first meeting, and our memorable first contact came to a neat conclusion.
A nice, short chapter. And that's that.