Chapter 795 - The Tomoe Trio
Although Sapphire has the form of a great-winged dragon, she doesn't actually fly by flapping her wings. If you asked me how she flies, I'd have no choice but to say, 'Beats me,' but regardless, this fact comes with several major advantages.
One is the silence of her flight. Another is the wonderfully clever fact that her takeoffs and landings have minimal impact on the surroundings, creating very little wind pressure.
And so…
The moment Sapphire quietly completed a perfectly smooth landing—her massive body, while light for its size, still possessed a weight orders of magnitude greater than a human's, and with the added weight of her passengers, the ground still shook, just a little—it happened.
"—Woooah, I missed you, Sapphire-chaaan!!!"
"Waah?!"
"Wh-what the—"
"Whoa…?!"
"Eek!?"
A vibrant whirlwind of a person, letting out a wild cry, charged forward without a second thought and slammed into the Stardust Beast’s chest. The impact sent a jolt through the group, causing the three youngest-looking members, plus one blue-haired girl, to cry out in surprise. Ui-san was the exception.
The rest of us, myself included, were completely unfazed. Those of us who had seen the troublemaker's pre-motion simply sighed, having easily predicted this outcome, and began the process of disembarking—or rather, dismounting the dragon.
"Try to keep it in check, will ya?"
"OKAAAAAAY!!!!"
That is not the tone of someone keeping it in check.
For now, I'll ignore the chartreuse-colored embodiment of freedom—the number one ranker of the Northern Faction, [Traveler] Lux—who is currently blowing off steam and enjoying her liberty, and proceed with the greetings.
"""…"""
There were six eyes fixed on me. Well… I was drawing a ton of attention from everyone around, but three pairs in particular stood out. It was probably best to prioritize the gazes right in front of me.
One woman and two men. Their expressions were divided.
The lone woman seemed less calm and more… natural. She had a different kind of commanding presence than Lux—a sort of power dwelling within her stillness. She was a delicate maiden with long, tokiiro-pink hair swaying gently.
Her brilliant emerald eyes met mine with a soft warmth.
Then there were the two men, a pair of slender youths. Their expressions were somewhat stern, tightened with what was likely caution. They flanked the woman protectively, their appearances identical save for the fact that one wore his mid-back-length chestnut hair down, while the other had his tied up.
They both watched me with the same sharp, deep royal blue eyes.
Even the fact that they all wore identical, stylish monochrome priest robes made them seem like a perfectly matched set, as if they’d walked straight out of a painting.
I see, I see. For the most part, they seem to be just as the preliminary reports described.
In that case, the junior should offer his greetings first.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Haru, [Acrobat], fourth seat of the Eastern Faction, Istia—"
Just as I was about to begin our exchange with the proper etiquette, it happened.
"—I've been wanting to meet you for so long."
A sweet, cheerful voice boldly cut me off.
"…"
I was half 'no way' and half 'of course.' And there was a sliver of 'you've got to be kidding me.' The gazes of those who knew her as well as I did…
Among them, I could distinctly feel the stares of the two girls behind me, Sora and Nia, boring into my back.
"I've been watching all of your achievements ever since you first rose to prominence. The way you carry yourself is like a true protagonist. I've been enjoying it all so much every day."
"Uh, thank you very much…"
Contrary to her gentle and serene appearance, her speech was crisp and clear. Her voice itself was soft, but it carried… an indescribable pressure, a certain power.
Yes, just as I thought, a commanding presence. And more than anything—
"Um, you're a little close…"
Her sense of personal space was something else. She had closed the distance with a relentless zuizui, and before I knew it, she was right in front of me. At some point, she had taken my right hand and was now holding it reverently in both of hers. The distance between our faces was well under thirty centimeters.
Stares stabbed into my back. Zak, zak. The four blue eyes in front of me were also filled with a dangerous light, but—well, I didn't need to worry about that.
In fact, it was quite the opposite…
"—Alright, that's enough."
"—Saya-nee, stop it."
"Ah… oh, my."
They peeled her off me with an unceremonious rip, ensuring my safety in more ways than one. These two were undoubtedly on my side.
And then,
"…I'm sure you already know, but please accept my apologies."
"No, no, not at all."
One of them secured the… problem child, while the other remained before me. The young man with the flowing hair let the caution in his expression melt away, replaced by a good-natured smile.
"My apologies for the late introduction—I am [Mirror Law] Shoh, fourth seat of the Northern Faction, Nortalia. …In a different way from my sister, I've also been looking forward to meeting you, [Acrobat]-san."
"Ah, likewise."
As I shook the hand he offered so friendly,
"—Then, me as well. Forgive the circumstances… I am [Sword Law] Ren, fifth seat of the Northern Faction. I saw your match in the recent Triangle Duo. It was a splendid performance."
"Thank you, I'm honored."
From a safe distance, the young man with his hair tied back gave his greeting while keeping a firm hold on the woman, who was now quietly puffing out her cheeks.
I replied to his words, a wry smile on my face. Their dynamic was so exactly as I'd researched that I couldn't help but think, 'What a handful,' as if it were someone else's problem…
""Come on, Saya-nee, your greeting."
"Sheesh, I know, I know."
They weren't quite on the level of a certain pair of wings, but their timing was perfect. Chided by her two younger brothers, the woman was released and once again turned to face me.
…And she just stared again. Her green eyes studied me for a long moment before she finally spoke.
"—I am [Orb Law] Sayaka, third seat of the Northern Faction."
The third-ranked member of Nortalia. The woman who sits at the center of the 'Unyielding Seats of the North,' which occupy ranks one through five—the one people call the 'Enchanting Saintess'—gave me an incredibly charming…
"Ufufu…"
"…"
Correction. She gave me an incredibly beautiful, dangerous, and bewitching smile.
"Please, let's get along—Haru-sama."
As if she were doing it on purpose, she sent daggers into my back with her words, all while radiating an aura that was far too unique for its own good.
She probably has a heart mark at the end of all her sentences. The Saintess's rampage has held up the rapid-fire introduction of new characters.