kscans

Chapter 477 - The White Star Clad in Red, The Blue Star Clad in Black, Part Three

In that moment, four things happened to me from my perspective.

First: my transformed body's MP hit rock bottom, thanks to the barrage of skills led by the dual-eyed Eyes Oculus and the constant duplication and reloading of the [Ruby Rabbit Bullet].

Second: the power of Helia, having fulfilled its preset fifty-second contract time, faithfully left my right arm with an 'unusable' debuff.

Third: the stars had finally aligned, and I was informed that I had successfully tamed the dragon boss, whom I had, I'm sorry to say, beaten to a pulp.

And the fourth and final thing, which was honestly the biggest problem—upon 'taming' it, I was required to give the Stardust Beast a name.

My blade flashes scattered the starry sky, and the final rising slash sent me flying high into the air. My thoughts, which had returned to normal after the effects of Eyes Oculus wore off, were moving at about eighty percent speed, likely as a toll for the recent madness.

The immense inertia generated by my AGI of over 900, combined with 'Desperate Crimson,' skills, and footwork, launched my avatar so high that I thought it might reach the 'land' in the heavens above. A few seconds later, the laws of physics firmly caught hold of my avatar.

Once my ascent stopped at its highest point, the next phase was the acceleration of the fall. As I fully savored the familiar sensations of intense floating that felt like my stomach was being pulled up, and the ridiculously strong winds, only one thing escaped my lips.

"I've said it before, don't ask me for naming sense."

I had intended for it to be a finishing blow, so I was glad to have achieved the desired result. Successfully taming the boss-like 'dragon,' when I hadn't seen any signs of taming even after racking up a massive kill score, was also a stroke of luck I couldn't have hoped for.

Now, if only it had a random naming feature like in some games, it would have been perfect. Or I would have liked some time to think about it after the battle.

The blinking system announcement at the edge of my vision won't disappear, which means one thing, right? 'Give me a name, right now.'

I could just ignore it, but in this game, I have a prime example of what happens when you treat something carelessly right here on my right hand...

Maybe I should just call it Draggy or something?

It would probably get along with my cheerful friend T, and it's easy to say... As I was thinking that, the [Alv Stella], which had returned to its ring form on its own, vibrated slightly on my right middle finger.

Think seriously, it says. Alright, I'll try, don't get mad—

By the time I had eaten up half the distance to the ground and my falling speed had reached a pretty good clip, I roughly brushed away the white hair covering my face, activated Trance, and then recalled the features of the 'dragon' I had just been facing.

Needless to say, my 'memory' was perfect; I could even remember each and every one of the star patterns on its body with crystal clarity. The 'starry sky' of a Stardust Beast varies from individual to individual, and aside from its type and size, that could be said to be its only 'personality.'

But I'm not particularly knowledgeable about constellations or celestial bodies, so... the only thing that caught my eye was the one star that shone the brightest.

In that case—alright, I've decided.

Whether it's because it's decided to be nice to its junior, or because it's taken a liking to it due to the 'star' connection, the mysteriously cheerful star-sword doesn't seem to have any complaints about the name I've come up with.

With a wry smile, I sheathed the jade blade in my left hand.

Only a few seconds left until I hit the ground. It's only been a little over a minute since the battle started, but a quick look around shows that things below are already in an uproar.

There's no sense of a late-arriving hero's climax... but in that case, let's at least make a grand entrance as reinforcements, newbie!

Come forth, your name is—

"Sapphire!"

Just above the ground, the wings of night bloomed in response to their host's naming and call.

The starry sky that overflowed from the shadows took the form of a 'dragon.' It caught its master, who had fallen from the heavens, on its back, and its massive body, unchanged, soared high—

"...Is this really the kind of thing an individual should be allowed to command?"

The massive Stardust Beast floating in the sky, flapping its great wings... Belatedly, the host, awestruck by its sheer presence, stared in exasperated wonder.

Ahead of him, a sparkle that could only be seen by those who looked down on the 'dragon'—the first-magnitude star on its back shone with a deep, clear blue.