Chapter 669 - Iiiii
"Aaaand that's a wrap. Now that we've happily reached five members, I'd like to briefly unify our understanding of the future direction for our clan, [Azure Sky]."
For now, the discussion had settled down. I took the liberty of leading the next part, and one, two, three, four pairs of eyes turned toward me.
Including Kanata, who wasn't tiny but still small, the four of them lined up on the sofa were all, for some reason, quite compact. Yet, they were a completely motley crew: an innocent young lady, an oddly mature boy, the Sword Saint (?), and a serious junior (puppy).
If I, in my transformed body, who is apparently known as 'that crazy Acrobat' out there, were to join them, we'd have a compact clan full of unique personalities.
…Somehow, we've gathered a group with a very high concentration of soothing vibes.
As for our total combat power, well, this is way beyond the level of a small elite force. I swallowed a smile as I looked at the four of them, fitting so neatly on the sofa.
"…See, Haru, you really should be the leader."
"Well, it's not unusual for the head and the facilitator to be different people."
I caught Sora-san's complaint as she stared at me, and I smiled fondly at the familiar sight of the surprisingly caring Tetra smoothly mediating.
"That said, with Tetra leading the charge, we've kind of become a 'gathering of solo players.' Basically, everyone is free to do as they please, and I don't plan on frequently calling for clan gatherings… but, okay, anyone with objections, raise your hand."
Hmm, no hands. Excellent.
"However, this is a precious connection. I'd feel lonely if we were just members in name only, so I'll be actively reaching out to you all, not as a clan, but just as me. So be ready for that. Of course, you guys shouldn't hesitate either… at least when it comes to me, anytime—Ui-san, what is it?"
As I continued speaking, my eyes turned to the Sword Saint, who had a hand to her mouth and was letting out a soft, amused laugh. She smiled gently and said,
"Oh, I'm sorry. I know it wasn't directed at me personally, but it's just so refreshing to hear you speak to me so casually, Haru-kun…"
"RIGHT, FROM NOW ON IT'S FORMAL SPEECH ONLY."
"Oh my… what a shame."
"What kind of flirting are we being subjected to?"
With Tetra's weary retort as a concluding remark, I returned to the topic at hand.
"Ahem, so, feel free to call on me anytime. As for everyone else, let's just keep our communication switches ON, though there's no need to make a special effort. Again, this is a precious connection, and I'd like for us to get along if possible."
So, that was the policy, or rather, the mindset.
"Next up, this isn't something we'll be involved in as a clan, but it's a topic that concerns the majority of our members… about the upcoming event."
The parties involved were three, including myself. We moved on to the topic of the semi-official real event, the [Triangle Duo], which has been held in mid-September for the past two years.
And so, I passed the baton without any preamble.
"Alright, Tetra-kun, please explain the overview."
"Why me?"
Because, my friend, it's better to have someone with actual experience explain it than someone who just knows the basics… It's not like I'm embarrassed to talk about it with my vague knowledge or anything.
"Ugh… Even if you ask me, it's pretty much what everyone already knows. It's a tournament held in a real-world indoor arena, with tickets sold to a real-world audience. Rankers from the three factions, excluding the West, are randomly paired up to put on a show. That's it."
"You participated too, right, Tetra?"
"Just once, last year. I was out in the first round."
"Who was your partner, by the way?"
"The North's [Cloud-Hidden]."
"A ninja pair, huh."
I can see them doing some crazy stuff if they clicked, but they'd probably struggle with firepower against other rankers… which is likely why they were unfortunately eliminated in the first round.
"Hah… Your question just now proves you really only know the basics. Fine, I guess I'll continue. Basically, the Trio Duo is considered just for fun. Not just for us who are actually fighting, but the audience probably isn't expecting a serious battle like in the Four Pillar War either."
"It was originally requested to be held with those desires in mind."
Across from Tetra, the Sword Saint, sitting next to Sora-san, chimed in. Completely unrelated, but the sight of Ui-san sitting on a sofa is so out of place it's amusing.
"Ui-san, you participated in the first one, right? I know that much."
"Yes. I made it to the semifinals, but I lost there."
It goes without saying who she lost to.
"In response to the wish to see the brilliant figures of the 'rankers,' who continue to achieve remarkable feats in the Four Pillar War and beyond, up close, Yotsuya Development prepared the stage and held the 'Triangle Duo.' Therefore—"
"""Tri-an-gle Du-o…"""
I managed to hold it in, but perhaps because her pronunciation was so incredibly gentle, it prompted a slow, echoing repetition from the others. The Sword Saint, blushing faintly upon hearing it, cleared her throat once.
That too was a small and cute 'ahem.'
"I participated back then, thinking it was just for fun… but at the time, I had not yet reached the state of mind I have now."
It didn't suit her, is what she means.
However,
"So, now that you've reached it?"
"Yes—I am thinking of participating."
Next to me, Sora-san expressed her excitement with a silent shudder, but well, I felt something similar. It's a feeling that can't be expressed with simple words like 'happy.'
"…………If the Sword Saint is participating, she'll probably be subject to special regulations, just like the Princess. I mean, even among rankers, her level is just too far beyond everyone else."
"I will leave such matters to the organizers."
Whether she knew what was going through our minds or not, she stated her intention with unwavering calmness to conclude. In any case, this means all three rankers of [Azure Sky] will be participating.
What kind of clan has a majority of its members as rankers?
"But I see. If we can really go into it with a casual, 'just for fun' mindset, then there's no need to spend time on special training or adjustments, huh?"
"Wouldn't that defeat the whole purpose? It seems more like an event where people want to see everyone's natural selves, without the responsibility of a team or anything. The random pairings regardless of faction also seems like a plan that's fully committed to entertainment."
"That's true."
So they just want to see something interesting. And all we have to do is have fun—very well, that's something I'm pretty good at.
In that case, we'll approach the Trio Duo with a casual attitude, in a good way…
"Okay, then one more thing. The huge event scheduled for mid-September—"
When I think about it, it feels like this moment has finally arrived.
"Let's start planning our strategy for conquering [Green Connect]."
With our sights set on the second… no, the third 'Color'.
Kanata: (I-Is it okay for me to speak...?)