kscans

Chapter 716 - Let's Hang Out

"—Man, what should I call this… They're so passionate, huh?"

"Ufufu… They're what you'd call intense fans. He has a high percentage of them."

The moment I stepped onto the stage for the third time today, I immediately noticed that the 'color' of the massive cheers that struck my virtual eardrums was slightly different.

In short, it was a matter of the volume and heat of the words being mixed in.

It was likely heavily related to the dramatic circumstances of having left once and then returned. The fans, who were so overjoyed at the return that they seemed on the verge of sobbing, were all calling out the name of one person…

—that is, he or she stood there, not even trying to hide their extremely annoyed expression.

Originally, being a 'ranker' wasn't about being an idol or anything, but in this age of information, for someone in a position to be exposed to so many gazes, it was an outrageous act.

But, I get it.

"There must be a ton of people who like that about him…"

That's precisely why a strong person who behaves in a way you can't is so eye-catching.

Usually, that kind of attitude tends to attract endless voices of both praise and criticism, but… in the first place, Arcadia is a world of entertainment.

As long as they're not engaging in malicious and troublesome behavior, it can be justified with the simple phrase 'personal enjoyment (role-playing),' so those who support them can do so openly.

So, if there was one sad part to all this…—

"Tch… It's so loud, it's making my head pound…"

"Haha… Come on now, you've got a scary look on your face."

—it would be the fact that the person in question had nothing but grievances about the way they were being treated. The [Screen] was apparently in such a bad mood from the passionate reception that even Tonic-shi next to him felt the need to try and calm him down.

However, taking that into account as well,

"Man, that's Yurayura-shi for you."

"Yes, that's Yura-san."

—and yet, the fact that he still dutifully shows up on a stage like this is what makes his character so great.

Even with the messages of support, he didn't reply with complaints, but with things like 'do what you want.' The inability to completely cast aside the goodwill directed at him is what makes him or her so appealing.

He is, in splendid fashion, just a tsundere—

"…Oi, you bastards, stop thinking such stupid things."

—I guess he heard not just my gaze but my voice as well. The silver eyes turned on me, glaring daggers…

"You're not holding back your tone even with Hina-san. You're very consistent."

"Well, we're contemporaries. To me, it actually feels friendly, and I'm happy about it, you know?"

"Friendly…"

"You can drop the formal language with me anytime you feel like it, too, Haru-kun."

"Please be content with 'Hina-san.' I've already fulfilled your request."

"Oh, you're so cold. And yet you treat Gossan like a friend."

"That's due to the General Commander's unique character, I'd say. Besides, I'm the type of person who finds it difficult to drop formal language with my superiors…"

"I might be younger than you, Haru-kun, for all you know."

"If someone that young existed, my emotions would be a complete mess. Please stop—"

—and as I bantered with my older sister of a partner, a surge of killing intent.

"…You think we should just crush them already?"

"Oh, that's surprising. You're actually in the mood to win?"

"I don't have the motivation, but I'm feeling a whole lot of irritation right now."

Some rather dangerous conversation reached my ears, and when I looked over again… perhaps aided by the stress of being on a stage he disliked, his face was sixty percent grumpier than usual.

Hehehe…—good, get angrier.

Whether it's anger or something else, it's a hundred times better than indifference.

"Alright, looks like we've lit a fire under him. Let's turn up the heat on our end, too."

"Yes, let's—I'll drag you right into it."

Ever since he or she returned to the ranks, I've been straightforwardly saying it time and time again. It's my identity, for crying out loud.

And the fact that I've been saying it means I've had someone to talk to.

And who would that be but the Eastern Faction rankers, who have told me stories of their 'seniors,' 'juniors,' and 'contemporaries'… which means that Hina-san has known since before the Tra-Duo that this is what I've wanted to do.

Thus, she must have already guessed her partner's intentions without needing to discuss it in a meeting. In fact, she probably knew from the moment we won the first round and our 'confrontation' was decided.

In conclusion, I have absolutely no intention of fighting that ill-tempered senior.

Just like with the 'Princess' who was wallowing in her loneliness back then, I have no intention of worrying about winning or losing. Because—

"Senpai."

"Huh?"

—I left my partner at my back and stepped forward, calling out to him, and received a threatening reply.

His reactions are so easy to predict it almost makes me laugh, but I don't want to make him angry in an unpleasant way, so I swallowed it with a poker face.

And so, while 'recalling' and summoning the [Samidorizuki], I slid it, scabbard and all, into the belt of my [El-Gran Stasia]… and in parallel with my preparations, I sharpened my focus.

The curtain has already risen. The signal for the start of the battle will be either our mutual intent or a single step of distance. Thus, just before that, I stopped my advance a step before entering his territory, and—

—to reiterate, I have no intention of fighting [Screen]. Because he or she is the type of person who has no interest in 'fighting' and has publicly stated that they cannot enjoy it.

In that case, yes. There is only one taunt.

"Come on, let's hang out. And if a veteran title holder like yourself fails to show me a good time, be warned that your cute junior will mercilessly mock you for it later."

"…What part of you is a cute junior, you bastard."

First Nat-chan-senpai, and now him. I'm being treated so horribly.

Well, putting that aside, one more thing. This too, is a line I once threw at the 'Princess' who looked so utterly bored all by herself.

"Here I come, senpai, get ready—I'm gonna make you say you had a ridiculous amount of fun."

—I added that on as a bonus, and with that, let's begin.