kscans

Chapter 148 - The Figure of Adoration

"—It was definitely the first Four Pillar War! I can't even count how many times I've rewatched the archives of you, Ui-san!"

"That brings back memories. I didn't fully understand this world back then. Looking back now, everything I did was so clumsy. It's quite embarrassing."

"That's not true at all! Every single moment was beautiful and cool... It was the first time I was ever so captivated by something that I forgot how to speak...!"

"To be praised so highly... it's a little overwhelming. Thank you, Sora-chan."

"H-Hah—...!!"

"Alright, alright..."

It seemed that hearing "Sora-chan" from the Sword Saint, the person she had idolized for three years—or two and a half, to be precise—was a bit too much for her to handle.

I caught Sora as she periodically returned after taking a fatal emotional blow, and soothed my near-death partner, wondering for the nth time how this kept happening.

Look, when she first clung to me, I felt all sorts of embarrassment.

But when it happens this frequently... every few minutes, sometimes even every few seconds, where she runs away and comes back, she starts to feel less like a girl and more like a small animal.

Like a timid little dog in an unfamiliar place that runs away from its owner for a second, only to immediately come scurrying back. Sora's current state is a perfect match.

Her face would turn bright red, and she'd cling to me to hide it, letting out strangled noises like "hauu" or "fuguu" as she shut down. This went on for several dozen minutes, with me soothing—or rather, coddling—her.

The way Ui-san was looking at us had also shifted, now resembling how one might look at an "older brother and his little sister" rather than a boy and a girl...

"So that avatar is your real-life appearance?"

"Yes, it is. I came to this world so that I could wield a sword as myself."

"Everything you say is so cool..."

"Fufu... You shouldn't tease me too, Haru-kun."

Well, as for me, I had reached a state of invincibility after being thoroughly embarrassed, and had just decided to roll with it.

As a result, the two of them were taking turns doting on Sora, which created a strange sense of camaraderie. While my partner was having a meltdown, I felt like I had managed to get a little closer to Ui-san.

I also learned a lot about her while Sora was passionately explaining to Ui-san why she admired her so much.

It's not that I was eavesdropping. I got permission to listen—in fact, Sora had begged me to stay.

Ui-san must have a fondness for this spot, because she led us to the veranda again. When they sat down, I tried to be considerate and asked, "Should I give you two some space?" but Sora immediately grabbed me.

It's not that I was planning to just abandon two people who had just met. The main reason was that I had gathered that Sora's admiration for the [Sword Saint] was something she had held even before she started playing Arcadia.

Inevitably, touching on that subject might bring up some of Sora's real-life circumstances. So, I decided to ask, just in case...

—I don't care about that. Please just hold onto me so I don't run away.

Those were Sora-san's exact words.

Overwhelmed by her amber eyes, which seemed to be filled with a steely resolve—I ended up listening to Sora and Ui-san's conversation from the side, from start to finish.

And during that time, oh, the real-life information that came out...

—Not from Sora, though, but from Ui-san.

Her real name is Matsukaze Yui. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Matsukaze Kiyoshiro, who runs a small swordsmanship dojo in a town far from the city.

The dojo's style is Matsukaze Ittoryu, a practical school of swordsmanship.

Though they call it practical, the core of the style is apparently defensive, with an emphasis on self-defense and mental discipline.

The dojo itself has been open for forty years, but since Mr. Kiyoshiro is the founder, it's not a style that has been "passed down through generations."

Mr. Kiyoshiro himself is said to be an exceptional swordsman, so even though the school is young, its name is apparently widely known.

...I thought this was another case of my own ignorance, but it's widely known "in the world of swordsmanship," so I'm in the clear. I can't be expected to know about modern swordsmanship schools.

He is apparently a robust gentleman who, even on the verge of seventy, shows no signs of decline, and happily beats up his young disciples with a smile.

I couldn't hide my twitching smile, and Ui-san, in a rare moment of fluster, added, "He's usually a very kind grandfather," which left a strong impression on me.

What left a strong impression? It's obvious—"Grandpa."

It sounded so natural, so accustomed, that I'm going to go ahead and assume it: I suspect Ui-san is a grandpa's girl...

No, this kind, gentle soul combined with a doting grandfather is a forbidden combo...! The sheer wholesomeness would be overwhelming, I'd never be able to stand up again...!!

...Anyway, Ui-san—Yui-san—had been close with her grandfather since she was a child, and had become completely fascinated with 'wielding a sword.'

However. Yui-san at that time (age seven) was particularly small, even compared to other children, and found it difficult to even swing a child's wooden sword.

She had no choice but to wait "until her body grew." Unable to touch a sword but wanting to be near them, she diligently helped out at the dojo for—twelve long years.

But the heavens did not grant her the gift—the 'body' that could wield a sword.

She didn't grow taller, and she couldn't build muscle. Her motor skills were good, but her body was so frail that she would easily fall ill if she pushed herself.

Light practice swings were no problem. But with that, she couldn't pursue the 'sword of her grandfather' that she had admired since she was a child...

It was the virtual world—Arcadia—that opened a path for Yui.

A second body, different from her real one.

Physical abilities defined by numbers, where innate differences didn't matter.

And a world where, in a different sense than reality, she could wield a sword for the sake of wielding it.

Presented with another path after being shut out from her own in reality—it was none other than her 'Grandpa' who jumped at the chance.

Laughing off the expensive price of the console, saying, "It's a small price to pay," her grandfather was the one who sent her into the virtual world... Matsukaze Yui became Ui, and in reality, she firmly grasped the heavens that had abandoned her—and so, in the world of Arcadia, a [Sword Saint] was born.

You know... that's, that's a protagonist, right there.

If you heard the details, you could write a book about this success story... and apparently, though not written by her, there really is a book.

In other words, all of this is public information.

All in all, she's just so dazzling. It's no wonder Sora 'admires' her—but I still didn't fully understand.

That's because Sora's own circumstances were also involved.

Sora herself omitted the details, so I don't know the specifics. But I think I have a general idea.

In conclusion, their circumstances in the real world were similar. It's not that Sora also aspired to be a swordsman in reality.

The commonality was that they both suffered from the disadvantage of having been born with a weak body.

And though the form was different—they had both faced 'something' that was difficult to recover from.

Sora didn't say much.

But... the girl who smiles, cries, gets angry next to me, and is now so excited to meet the person she admires,

As if to get back at reality—she saw the small figure who, before she was called the [Sword Saint], was swinging a 'sword' with all her might in the virtual world.

And at one time, she said, she was saved by that sight.

Well, what do you know. This one's a protagonist, too.

Of course she is. Sora, who must have chased after that figure of adoration, what path did she walk to be here now...? As her partner, I know all of it.

"—Fuguu...!"

"...Yeah, yeah."

Leaving one guy lost in his thoughts, Sora once again fled from the conversation between the two female protagonists and, without fail, clung to me.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. I found my hand unconsciously reaching for the girl's head—and after a slight hesitation, I ended up patting it as if she were a child.

Honestly, she probably doesn't have the luxury to be concerned about me right now. Sora didn't react, just accepted my hand and continued to mumble, "Muu, muu."

I don't know the details, and I don't plan to ask. But this girl, who must have had 'something' that made her need to cling to an idol, is now here, so relaxed.

—And I, alone, was happy for her.