kscans

Chapter 317 - Remembering Those Days

"—Whoa, so you seriously didn't have a mid-air jump during the Four Pillar War?"

"Yeah. I was making do with all sorts of exploits, but they've all been patched out now."

"Hah... Your skill evolved and you got effectively weaker. That's rough, man."

"Well, I'm sure it's better than before if I can just master it, but..."

"Man, that sounds tough. On top of a niche stat build, you've got all these hard-to-control skills, and you have to manage an unrealistic physical feat like a 'mid-air jump' in parallel."

"Seriously. Before, I at least had a foothold, in a sense, but now it's just 'empty space.' I just can't get the hang of the feeling of stepping on nothing."

"Sounds like you're in worse shape than I thought... By the way, what happened to that Ignition thing you used to use like it was your specialty?"

"That very same [Ignition] is what evolved into [Rocket], so..."

"Ah... so that's it."

"Having a cornerstone skill transform on you like that, that's gotta hurt..."

Just over ten minutes after our hectic departure.

As we headed due south from the safe area—the men, including the two who had caused the commotion, were engaged in the kind of casual conversation you'd have with close friends.

"...Boys are strange, aren't they?"

"They really are. One moment they're yelling and fighting, the next they're like this."

I can hear the exasperated voices of the girls watching us from a step behind, but they'll just have to understand that this is how it is.

Men, or rather, gamers, are just like that.

Yesterday's enemy is today's friend. Once you've shared a 'good game,' everyone's a friend, ready for some no-holds-barred fun.

"Also, your durability seems to have subtly increased, right? I checked your public info, and it said VIT: 0..."

"Ah, I don't have all my equipment details listed. For now, I've got about 150 from additional bonuses... during the Four Pillar War, it was 50."

"Fifty, with a full-on melee attacker build... You're an idiot."

"That is, admittedly, idiotic... I mean, in a good way."

"I know, right? But hey, if the premise is to dodge everything, then investing in durability is a waste, isn't it?"

"Idiot."

"Idiotic."

"Haha, I'll take that as a compliment."

—Ah, how wonderfully carefree and pleasant these conversations between guys are.

In the real world, I chat with Toshiki, and here, I talk with Irori and Goldow, but...

With the former, the girls in our group are so active that it never really becomes a 'guys only' conversation. With the latter, it's relaxing, but we mostly talk one-on-one, so it's not quite like this.

Tetra is in a different category. That junior (senpai) is generally quiet, or rather, his energy is calm, so... my natural, more introverted side tends to come out.

"Oh, what's wrong? You look happy."

"Huh? Ah, n-no... I don't. Probably."

"Ehh?"

An interesting voice caught my attention, and I glanced back to see Sora waving her hands dismissively.

Next to her, Rinne-chan-san was watching my partner with an amused expression... Oh, are they sharing secrets? Whispering between two beautiful girls is a feast for the eyes; they can do that forever as far as I'm concerned.

Also, I'd bet money on it. In a few seconds, Sora will turn red for some reason.

From Rinne-chan-san's teasing expression and Sora's already slightly flustered state, the future is crystal clear—see?

"Wha—! N-No, that's wrong..."

"Ahaha~. Well, that's how it is, so don't you worry~."

I have no idea what was said, but just as predicted, Sora's cheeks flushed red as she tried to deny it. Rinne-chan-san continued to tease the girl with an amused smile—

"...Huh?"

Suddenly, her large, dark eyes turned to me, who had been observing them.

Not just her eyes.

"Whoa?! H-Hey, what—"

"Alrighty! Just borrowing him for a sec!"

I was pushed on the back by the peppy girl with the ponytail that suited her so well, and I was forcefully shoved out of the circle of guys.

I was the only one who cried out in surprise at the action from the one person I hadn't properly interacted with... for some reason.

"Here we go..."

"She held back for a while."

Oi, you two over there.

Stop muttering like you know everything and explain—how far are you planning to take me???

I was pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and pushed again, her brisk steps at my back... until I was escorted more than ten paces away from the others.

Beyond Rinne-chan-san, who was walking with a strangely bouncy gait, I could see the tiger and his disciple striking up a conversation with the now-left-behind Sora.

What's with that... Torakichi is acting a little suspicious. Is he a pure-hearted boy or something?

—Anyway,

"Umm... what can I do for you?"

"Ahaha, sorry about that. I just wanted to have a little 'chat.'"

I turned my gaze from the group behind me to her. Taller than Sora, she was standing a little too close, a bright smile on her face—

...I've seen it many times today, but it's a truly refreshing, good smile.

She was a girl who embodied the word 'cheerful' perfectly.

"Let me reintroduce myself—I'm Rinne, Maru's partner."

"Ah, yeah—I'm Haru, Sora's partner."

She bounced on her feet and came to stand beside me, and we introduced ourselves again.

A bright appearance that seemed to be the personification of 'light,' with girlish cloth armor that looked like something out of a fantasy martial arts story. I couldn't see any noticeable weapons, and she looked like she fought with her bare hands...

Putting aside whatever abilities she might have, her fundamental style is that of a full-on power fighter. It's somehow both surprising and fitting.

When I took her offered right hand, she shook it vigorously, just as I expected, making me laugh.

"Maru and Haru-san, the names sound so similar. Hmm, what should we do..."

"Ah, you're right. I hadn't even noticed."

"Let's think about it later—oh, and please, just call me Rinne!"

"This is the first time someone's asked me to just use their first name... but, got it. Nice to meet you, Rinne. You can just call me by my first name too, it's fine."

I had been treating her with the same casual air as Torakichi and Maru II, but normally, she's a ranked senior female player I would be using polite language with.

If she was asking me to be casual, I wouldn't feel comfortable unless she did the same—or so I thought.

"No, that's a bit... difficult, I think."

What was once Rinne-chan-san, now Rinne, unexpectedly refused.

To be flatly refused by a girl when you suggest using your first name is, for some, a genuinely depressing situation. Especially when I was the one who insisted on it...?

I was more surprised than shocked, and I froze—

"I'm the type who prefers to look up to my 'faves' rather than stand beside them!"

I couldn't quite process the words she dropped next. I just stared blankly at Rinne, who had said it so casually.

Wait, hold on.

I've had a similar experience recently... somewhere... not just somewhere, but in the real world—

"I rewatched the archives endlessly! You were so, so cool!"

—Yes, a certain young lady of the Shijo family was exactly like this.

"...No, no, no, I'm really not that special, for a ranked senior like you to call me a fave or anything like that..."

"The day after the Four Pillar War, Maru was going on and on like an idiot, 'Watch it, just watch it, watch all of it,' and it was super annoying, but once I watched one, I couldn't stop!"

"Okay, let's calm down. Let's just take a moment to calm—"

"But the best part! Was your one-on-one duel with Iris-sama!"

I see, so she's not going to stop.

"It was really, reeeaaally a shame that the conversation wasn't picked up! But I could imagine—or rather, speculate, all I wanted from your expressions! Yes!"

"That's forceful..."

So she gets called with '-sama' even by her fellow rankers...

I've been too embarrassed to call her by her nickname (Ashe), but maybe it would be more peaceful to just go back to her original name.

She makes a slightly displeased face every time I call her Iris, so she'll probably get angry eventually—

"Therefore! Since this expedition is also a fateful encounter, I was hoping to take this opportunity to ask you all sorts of things—!!"

"Hey, um... whoa, you're close, you're too close! —Hey, Maru II-shi! Your partner just started bugging out, can you do something about it?!"

"It's no use! Maru's fallen down the 'Acrobat-san' rabbit hole himself!"

My hopes for rescue were dashed by a mysterious logic of 'in a way, we're kindred spirits'... and indeed, when I looked back, all I got was an apologetic, vague smile.

Damn you, traitor...!!

And you, Torakky, with that sleazy grin on your face, I'll deal with you later. I'm going to mercilessly mock you for how flustered you were with Sora, so you better be ready...!!

...And so, for a while after that, I was hounded by Rinne's machine-gun-like questions, and I began to suspect that she might be an even bigger free spirit than her partner's master.

When I occasionally glanced back at Sora, I saw that she had, at some point, joined the guys next to her and—

"...Hee hee."

—for some reason, she was watching me with a happy expression, which I found strange.