Chapter 657 - One, Two, After the Dawn
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The first thing I registered upon waking was the heaviness in my head. I didn’t need to look at the sunlight pouring through the high window to know—it was the lethargy that comes from sleeping past noon, my body’s own personal protest.
It was far from a refreshing start to the day, and I had no desire to get up. But it wasn’t just my physical condition keeping me down.
“Normally, I’m the type to just sleep it off and get over things…”
However, that only applied to ‘minor issues.’ When it came to matters that stirred up my emotions this much, there was little I could do.
I fumbled around my pillow and grabbed my terminal.
Lately, I’d finally built up a bit of a tolerance, enough that I could glance at the news as long as it wasn’t directly about me.
So, I swiped my finger across the screen, bringing up the headlines…
—Sotalm & Nortalia Alliance Scores a Resounding Victory! The Invincible “Princess” Is in Top Form!!!
“...Damn it all. I won’t lose next time.”
The incredibly high-tension, sparkling headline got under my skin more than I expected—well, maybe just a little, like the tip of my pinky finger—and I grumbled the sore loser’s mantra to myself.
Once again, it was an awakening far from refreshing.
◇◆◇◆◇
All in all, I think we fought well. It was a fun match.
It started with the invincible samurai getting taken out right off the bat, followed immediately by the General Commander. Even after losing our top two players in a flash, the remaining members fought hard.
Under Lotta's command, Gen-san bought us time with a self-sacrificing move, allowing Mi-na, Ri-na, and Hina-san to unleash a barrage of their full firepower, temporarily pushing back the enemy offensive. On top of that, the women held their ground while the rank-and-file members threw up walls with a zombie-like assault.
Tetra fought hard, too.
While resupplying the MP of our faction members, led by Hina-san, who were burning through it like water, he managed to sneak up and take down one of the Northern rankers. That was nothing short of brilliant. The fact that he was taken out by [Versatile] immediately after was, well, unavoidable. A truly admirable effort.
After that, however, it was a slow… no, it was far from slow. The [Sword Queen], supported by [Long Legs] and [Thread-Weaver], single-handedly charged in, struck hard, and with a single slash, our female members were eliminated. In less than five minutes, Istia’s rankers were almost completely wiped out.
And what was I, the man of the hour, doing all this time? Look, I fought hard. I laid all my tricks and trump cards on the table. It might be bragging, but I was a whirlwind of fury, a rampaging lion.
But it was impossible. I was already at my absolute limit just dealing with the monstrous coordination of Berumail, [Full Auto], and [Wolf Pack]. The second they saw me putting up a fight, the now-free Maru II and Uni came flying over.
I was killed instantly. There’s no way I could win a five-on-one. Get serious.
And so, with our key strategic players utterly annihilated, our Istia had but one fate. The Princess leisurely strolled into our castle, touched the great crystal, and that was game over.
Honestly, there’s a lot to reflect on. The only ones who performed flawlessly for the situation were Gen-san, Tetra, and maybe Hina-san.
We had the two idiots who failed to properly assess Ashe's condition and mood, charging her head-on only to be taken down in seconds. Then there were Mi-na and Ri-na, who panicked at the unexpected frenzy and botched their spell casting. And finally, there was me, who put on a grand show only to get surrounded and crushed without taking a single person down. The whole thing was just… truly regrettable.
I’m convinced we could have put up a better fight if we’d done things differently. That’s why it’s frustrating. Incredibly frustrating. Frustrating to the very core of my soul… but still.
Putting aside the inadequacy I feel as a ranker, if I were to give my honest opinion on the war as a simple player…
“Well, it was fun, so I’ll let it slide.”
That’s about where I’d land.
However.
“—Mm. I had fun, too.”
“Of course the victor would have had a perfectly wonderful time. Just you wait until next time…”
I have no intention of just accepting this loss. And so, I shot a menacing glare at Ashe, who had shown up at the loser’s room today as if nothing was wrong.
My threat was met with a cheerful smile and promptly ignored. That makes two losses in quick succession. I could cry.
“So, what do you need?”
We were long past the point of pointless pleasantries before letting her in.
It was just past two in the afternoon. I poured her a coffee as I always did and asked my question. Ashe, who had dropped by unannounced, thanked me and tilted her head.
“I did have something to discuss, but more than that, I wanted to see you.”
“……”
“Hehe… such a sour look.”
My expression was a mix of twenty percent lingering frustration, thirty percent embarrassment, and fifty percent resignation. Since I couldn’t win a war of words, the least I could do was fight back with my face.
But my firm stance of ‘no thanks to this embarrassing back-and-forth’ must have gotten through. Ashe hesitated for a moment, as if deciding whether to continue teasing me—yes, she made a show of it—but she quickly relented and gave a small nod.
“About the party tonight. I was wondering if we could have it together, all three factions.”
“Huh? Wha—huh? The winners and the losers?”
“I may not be the one who should say this, but I’m sure no one will mind, right? Besides, the idea came from your side.”
“That party-loving old man…”
I didn’t need to ask who; the face of our [General Commander] was the only one that came to mind. As always, those two leaders are way too chummy.
They’re like a couple of uncles from the same family.
“I guess it’s fine… but why are you the one telling me, Ashe?”
“Goldow said, ‘You’re going to see him anyway, right?’”
“He’s like a meddling uncle.”
Don’t get any weird ideas, old man. It’s embarrassing.
“...You didn’t want to see me, Haru?”
“What kind of question is that, coming from you with that wicked grin on your face?”
“Hehe… it seems my expressions are an open book to you now.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s still mostly guesswork… but, well.”
Considering how frustrated I was, I honestly didn’t want to see her, but…
That aside, there was something I wanted to ask.
“Ashe.”
“Mm.”
Since we’re already in embarrassing territory, I might as well ask without reservation.
“You don’t seem lonely anymore, do you?”
“……”
I still remember the look on her face when we first met.
It was a face that resembled someone from my hazy memories—someone always isolated by their own brilliance. Because I remembered, I could ask with conviction.
In response, she simply smiled softly.
“...Haru.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Mm… Don’t… run away, okay?”
She set her cup on the table and stood up. As she always did, she quietly approached me where I sat on the sofa, a safe distance away.
Quietly, she drew near… and then, just as quietly, without a word.
Close enough that I could feel her breath, she leaned in and, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, gently pressed her lips to my forehead.
“...Thank you. It’s all thanks to you.”
“…………………………”
Her movements were so natural that I couldn’t even flinch, let alone run. I simply accepted the sudden warmth on my forehead without resistance, frozen in place. Meanwhile…
“……, …………So.”
Ashe, her cheeks faintly flushed, gently stroked the spot she had just touched, as if to hide her embarrassment.
“That’s… that’s how it is. I’ll see you… later, okay?”
She averted her gaze and, just like that, left.
Her coffee remained on the table, unfinished.
With a soft click, the front door closed, signaling her departure.
So, well, when you get right down to it…
“……………………‘The Invincible “Princess” Is in Top Form,’ huh… I see. Indeed.”
My grand total score for yesterday and today comes to three straight losses.
Overpowered in the virtual world, overpowered in the real world.
I'll just note the shocking fact that while I did cut down the Four Pillar War, my original plan was to cut the whole thing out entirely, so I'm prepared to be praised for my efforts.
Please forgive me, because this isn't the main event for Chapter 5's interpersonal turn.