kscans

Chapter 492 - Corundum

In this virtual world, I tend to get carried away easily, and pretentious lines have a habit of flying out of my mouth.

I think Sora was probably in a similar boat.

She was polite to everyone, and fundamentally demure. Though her curiosity was strong, she never lost her self-control, and if she ever noticed herself getting carried away, she would immediately blush and reflect on her actions.

I don't know if it's the right word to describe a fifteen-year-old girl, but she was the very picture of a proper lady. At the very least, Sora embodied the 'young lady' I imagined in my head.

As for her eagerness for battle and her cheerful desire to be on the front lines… well, we can chalk that up to the attributes of a world of swords and sorcery. That's fine.

What I'm trying to say is that her girlish, quiet, cute, and modest 'face' was only one side of her.

It wasn't a role-play in the traditional sense, but more of a persona she unconsciously wore to be a certain way. An overcoat, neatly tailored for others to see, that everyone possesses in countless numbers.

So. What happened to Sora-san after some certain someone came along and, in a kamikaze-like attack, ripped that coat away from her?

The answer is————

"…………Sora-san. Sora-san, it's been over ten minutes. We're well past the extra four days and into something like a twenty-day extension here."

"It's fine. If it's bothering you, you can just push me away."

"Hey, can we maybe seal away those kinds of phrases? Things like 'if you don't like it' or 'if it's a bother' are cheap shots. They should be banned cards. Please, have mercy on me…!"

This.

She's a bona fide clingy child who puts even that certain indigo-haired girl to shame, and a spoiled princess who surpasses even that other certain princess. In other words, she's an unparalleled, highly dangerous substance with a special effectiveness against me.

About ten minutes ago, just when I thought she had finally gotten off me, she pulled me up, shoved me, and with exquisite control, my body landed right back on the bed.

By the time my sense of danger screamed 'This is bad,' it was already too late. My partner charged at me again, hugged me, and I've been completely immobilized ever since.

The fact that my stats are sealed due to the cost of yesterday's little move—[El Solas, Piercing Divine Arrow]—has proven to be a fatal blow.

Since the name I invoked was only one, only one stat was sealed, but it just had to be the one I need most right now: Strength (STR). I'm completely helpless.

In a zero-versus-one-hundred grappling situation, it's difficult to turn the tables even with skills.

"Geez… you turned out to be a 'clingy child,' a 'lonely girl,' a 'jealous girl,' and a 'spoiled brat' far beyond my wildest imagination. You've really surprised me."

"I've told you that many times. That I'm actually a very selfish child."

Did she really say that…? I tried to look back at my 'memories,' but even if I remember everything perfectly, I can't just load it all in an instant.

On top of that, with the body heat and whatnot being shamelessly pressed against me, it's utterly impossible to concentrate and recall memories. Seriously, stop, please, stop, stop, stop!!

"There!"

"Ah!"

I activated [Trance]. With my now smaller body, I slipped out of her grasp, then used the mysterious maneuver of [Breath Moment] to swiftly escape the danger zone.

As I landed softly and turned around… I was met with the utterly unreasonable glare of a girl with clearly puffed-out cheeks.

That truly childish expression was something I hadn't seen until recently.

That face, which, excluding her family, only I in the entire world would ever see—it's painfully obvious how that would look to me, which is precisely why this is so difficult.

My partner is so cute I could die. Somebody help me.

Of course, in a closed space like this, no help is to be expected, which is why…

"Alright, come on, let's go for a walk! We have a lot to talk about, and there's someone I want you to meet! It's a waste to be cooped up on such a nice day! Let's go, let's go now!"

"Nice weather? The weather here in the virtual world is fixed for each field… Ah, w-wait—Hey! You always end up running away like this!"

I averted my eyes from her adorable, resentful face and bolted out of the room without giving her a chance to argue. A lively complaint chased after me. How rude. No one is running away.

This is, if you will, an emergency backstep to measure our distance.

◇◆◇◆◇

Even Her Full-Power Highness limits her full-power, me-killing, clingy style to when we're alone. In public, she restrains herself to the Sora-san of before… or perhaps a step closer than that. So now, the public thoroughfares and shared fields are my safe zones.

If I too obviously 'flee' to those places, I'll pay for it later, but it's not like I intend to just keep backing down as I have been. Not just letting her be affectionate as my partner, but—

As a man, I intend to take the lead for my lady.

"—Fwhoooaaaaahhh…!!!"

Just a few minutes ago, she had been walking down the road with a prim, proper, and thoroughly peeved expression, sticking to me at a half-step's distance.

But once we were in a forest outside the safe area where there were fewer eyes, I unveiled my prized 'servant' and swept her up into the sky. In an instant, her eyes were sparkling, and she was crying out in wonder.

"Amazing! It's so amazing! It's a dragon! A dragon! We're flying!"

"Y-Yeah. We're flying. Maybe calm down a little—"

"—Haru, do you understand? This is what it means to fly! Not kicking off weapons or stepping on the air or any of those weird methods! This is it!"

"W-Weird methods…"

Though it's just a small part of her, this is also the real Sora. The demure her, the curious her, and the her who sometimes gets carried away with innocent joy like this…

"Well then, let's call this a proper stroll through the sky… Do you like it?"

"Yes!"

And the her who now shows everything, who has become so direct and affectionate with sweet eyes, with sorrowful eyes—and with eyes that are somehow fulfilled.

All of it is real, and all of it is the unbearably cute partner I know.

"…By the way, um, when you summoned this child just now…"

"Hm? Oh, yes?"

I confess, I was captivated by her sparkling profile. She turned to me suddenly, and I hastily suppressed the flicker of surprise, meeting her gaze with a perfect poker face.

We aren't going particularly fast, but it's always windy at high altitudes. We've gained enough height to avoid attracting the attention of other players, so the wind is quite strong.

It's thanks to the system assist that we can have a conversation without shouting.

"If I didn't mishear, I think you said [Sapphire]—mph…?!"

However, there was nothing to be done about her hair being swept about by the gusts of wind. Both Sora, sitting in front, and I, sitting behind, had our long golden and white hair whipping around wildly.

Sora's mouth was covered by a lock of her own hair. I let out a small laugh… and the hand I reached out with was a completely unconscious action.

"…! …Ah."

One hand brushed the golden threads from her lips and caressed her cheek, making the girl flinch slightly.

The heat of a palm and the heat of a cheek. Our gazes locked, and then, as if by unspoken agreement, we both looked away, pretending it never happened.

This is another tricky part—Sora-san, when she's on the offensive, she's stronger than anyone… but when she's on the receiving end, she's by far the weakest.

Figuring out our new sense of distance is just so, so difficult.

"S-Sapphire. Yes, that's right. That is this one's name."

"I-I see. Th-Thank you. Very much."

Sora gave a strange reply and quickly turned to face forward again. But of course, the wind didn't stop blowing, and through the gaps in her freely fluttering hair, the nape of her bright red neck was in plain view.

If I happen to touch her for any reason, she gets taken down in a second, as you can see. Becoming more honest has boosted her attack power exponentially, but it seems her defense has plummeted—

"…U-Um, you see. I actually… I also succeeded in taming one."

"Oh, just as I thought."

After taking two or three deep breaths to calm herself, she hesitantly brought up something I had already half-expected.

My inventory only contained the [Stardust Relics] I had personally acquired. I figured there was no way a team consisting of a ranker and a de facto ranker would end up with zero loot, nor that Lux would have taken it all.

Even if only Lux had succeeded in taming a beast and Sora had tried to give him her share, saying 'I have no use for them,' there's zero chance the number one of the North would agree.

That guy, as shown by that 'gift' of his, doesn't seem to like just receiving things. In that case, it's natural to assume Sora's spoils have already been used.

Which means, the answer is—

"It might be a surprise, being up in the sky like this… Um… Come, [Ruby]."

She, too, has tamed a creature that feasts on relics.

As she called out, the girl's arms came together as if to hold something—and from that shadow, a small starry sky overflowed.

It wasn't as small as the 'mouse,' the smallest I'd seen, but it was small enough to fit in Sora's hands. With distinctive triangular ears and a soft-looking, swaying tail, it was…

"A fox, I think."

"I think so, too. Its tail was just a single one at first, but…"

Just as its master had worried, it was probably surprised to suddenly find itself in the middle of the sky.

Its ears perked up, and after a moment of stiffness, the small animal panicked and hid, burying its face in Sora's stomach—head hidden, but tail in plain sight. And what was swaying back and forth were three tails.

Apparently, they multiplied as she fed it relics (food).

"Huh… I wonder if it's some kind of spirit fox?"

"Ah, that sounds exactly right. This one can use magic."

Well now, that sounds like a great match for Sora… No, really, for the current her, it's a Tamed Beast that suits her almost too perfectly. Her battle form is a fox girl, after all.

Anyway, that aside.

"Ah, right. So… if I didn't mishear, I think I heard something like [Ruby] just now?"

"Y-Yes. That's right. That's this one's name."

"I, see…"

"Yes…………"

"………………"

Ruby and Sapphire… Hmm, this is, how should I put it?

This is the moooooost embarrassing type of unintended telepathy, isn't it?

"W-Well, coincidences like this happen… It gives off a nice matching feel for partners, don't you think? Even though it's a coincidence. Purely a coincidence."

"…Th-This one has a large red star on its neck, you see."

"Yes."

"When I see something red and sparkly… um, because of a certain someone, I can't help but think of rubies. Because of a certain someone who is liked by rabbits."

"Is, that so…"

Like a little fox, she pressed herself against me, nudge, nudge.

As Sora's face, which was as vividly crimson as any jewel, sought something from me, I averted my gaze. Meanwhile, our steeds, untroubled by their players' embarrassment or a little fox's surprise, continued to beat their massive wings, soaring through the sky with pure enjoyment.

There was another reason, so I'll hold off on saying the 'origin' of my name for now.

But whether I say it or not, I know it, and I can't fool myself. The fact that one of the 'blues' that came to mind when I saw the blue star was the sky blue of a certain someone…

No matter how I try to spin it, that's the truth, and so the embarrassment is unavoidable.