kscans

Chapter 774 - A Stroll in White

—It is a common occurrence in Arcadia, the embodiment of dreams, for a person to walk straight into magic or miracles. For a time, there was an immutable 'truth' that was considered an unshakeable constant in this virtual world.

It was something a certain girl once said to her reckless companion.

'People can't fly.'

No matter how much players—humans—acquired powers that transcended reality, the one ability that had yet to appear after three years was the power to 'walk the skies.'

This was an extraordinary game that allowed the realization of various ideals and absurdities through a virtual body. The idea that it couldn't be implemented due to technical issues was, in itself, unrealistic.

If that was the case, there had to be another reason… For instance, perhaps it was a deliberate choice to avoid severely disrupting the game balance by granting players a transcendent form of mobility.

Or perhaps it was an intentional limitation, because the fantasy of soaring through the heavens by oneself was a miracle that surpassed human processing capabilities.

A variety of hypotheses abounded—until a certain time, when an idiot emerged to spectacularly shatter that unshakeable constant into a million pieces.

...And because I was well aware of that story from a not-so-detached perspective.

"...Nacchan-senpai, you can fly?"

In the middle of a sky stained by the sunset.

Before a sight that could be described as nothing less than 'mystical'—even setting aside her deadpan complaining—I let a simple, honest question of astonishment escape my lips.

As I spoke, I activated the active ability of [Talaria Record] before the brief feeling of weightlessness at the peak of my ascent ended. Gaining the power to tread upon the air at the cost of sealing most of my agility, I stood on the void... and seeing me, she said one thing.

"...Hmph."

Well, one sound, rather. She scoffed with a look of displeasure.

Yes, she glared at me with a face that looked truly, from the bottom of her heart, displeased.

"Does this look like I'm gracefully flying through the sky to you?"

"………………"

And so, when asked that way.

"………………"

"………………"

"...A mischievous kitten... caught in a net—"

"I'll strangle you."

"I'm sorry!"

After a long, hard look, I muttered my 'impression,' only to be met with a barrage of countless threads—a just punishment for my actions—which I desperately dodged with all my might.

"Tch… You're quick."

"Did you just click your tongue? Did you really try to strangle me?"

"It's really unfair seeing you in the 'sky' like this, not in a limited field. Seriously, stop flying around so freely, you're making a fool of me."

I was certain that if I'd been caught, I would have been throttled without hesitation, but it seemed she had shown some mercy after all.

The proof was that I managed to dodge it with my agility temporarily nerfed to around 60. However, she seemed displeased by that in its own right, and my senpai, who had her threads nimbly dodged—

Natsume, the seventh-ranked member of the Southern Faction, the [Thread-Weaver], looked dissatisfied.

"You can't just say that to me…"

"...Well, you seem to have some awareness that you're 'doing something amazing,' so I'll let it slide. I was planning on scratching you if you said something like a clueless protagonist."

So scary. And yet, I personally don't dislike this side of her.

………………And, um, well…

"If it's not too much trouble, might I... escort you?"

Judging from her words and attitude, she wasn't flying freely but was simply suspended in the air. It was a feat her Anima, the 'threads' that ran wild through the sky, could certainly perform, but it seemed she couldn't control them as she pleased.

So, I presumed to ask—

"...Well, that's passable. I'll be in your care."

"Ah, yes."

Without even offering a hand, she simply leaned against the threads enveloping her body. My senpai accepted her junior's devotion with a defiant turn of her head.

What is it with her? In any other situation, it would be perfectly reasonable to think, 'What's with this girl?', and yet, right now, all I feel is a mysterious charm and familiarity.

Is it because we've had a serious fight, or is it because I'm the one looking at her with admiration and envy… well, I guess it doesn't really matter.

In the end, the fact that she doesn't seem to hate me is more than enough for now.

"Ah, but stop. It's not like I'm some innocent maiden who's going to shriek just from being held, and you don't need to worry about it, but just one thing."

"Eh, what is it?"

As I walked through the air towards her, Nacchan-senpai held up her palm to stop me. In response, I tilted my head, wondering what was wrong and that I didn't mind either…

"That face of yours is kind of irritating, so change to the one I'm used to seeing."

"What's with this girl?"

Her unreasonable tyranny was so absurd that even my own words slipped out unfiltered.

◇◆◇◆◇

"...I can't help it. For some reason, you were in that form both times we fought. I know you're a guy, but I don't have an image of you as one, so sue me!"

"I'm telling you, I'm not mad."

And so, after that delightful rendezvous in the sky was over.

I was carrying the girl who was apparently to be my 'partner' for the [Green Connect] raid in three days, enjoying a leisurely stroll through the air, by my standards.

The one being carried was 'white,' and the one carrying was also 'white'—a matching pair.

Come to think of it, I had been in this form every time I met her, so it was understandable that the image of a beautiful girl had been burned into her mind as my default.

So, although I had just let my true voice and a deadpan look slip out, I had no complaints. If I'd made her self-conscious, then that was my bad.

"Anyway, why did you pick such a fancy meeting spot like the sky?"

Even without using [Rocket], I was now able to soar through the sky, making for a rather relaxed stroll. We should still be moving at nearly a hundred kilometers per hour thanks to various mobility skills, but a ranker should be able to handle this much with no problem.

Thanks to the protection of [Luna Nobody, Guardian of the Shimmering Moon], all we felt even at this altitude was a gentle breeze. Brushing away her bangs that swayed softly, Nacchan-senpai remained silent, her gaze fixed on the distance.

At times like this, I was certain that pestering her would be counterproductive. Why? Because cats are creatures that will come to you if you just leave them alone—

"...It's not like I specifically chose it as a meeting place."

Well, it seems she doesn't possess the same kind of mind-reading skills as certain others. After a short while, what came back was not a sharp retort, but a somewhat vague reply.

"I just started practicing there right after the Triangle Duo ended... I've been doing that whenever I have free time. So it was more like, 'come when your schedule opens up.'"

"Hmm...?"

So the message wasn't 'meet me here,' but rather, 'I'm here, come whenever.' In that case, what I should ask is…

"Practice?"

Was she practicing how to fly? I asked, a simple deduction coming to mind. In response, she stared into the distance again for a moment, then—

This time, her expression turned slightly annoyed.

"...You... did a lot of things to me in the second round, didn't you?"

"Ah... yes."

She was undoubtedly talking about the match against the [Screen & Disperser] team in the recent [Triangle Duo]. As Nacchan-senpai said, it was the match where I did a lot of things and showed them off to her.

"Copying my style is... well, whatever. Just means you should work hard, like a good junior."

"Uh, haha… I'll do my b—"

"—But."

Her yellow eyes, which had been gazing into the distance, snapped to glare at me.

"Showing off things that I can't even do is not okay. That was seriously, sooooooooooooooooo..."

"…………"

"...incredibly annoying that I'll never forgive you. You better remember that."

"That was a long pause…"

It seemed like a mix of resentment and an overwhelming competitive spirit was pouring out of her… but setting that aside, I had a good grasp of what she wanted to say.

Considering the sight of her in the sky, entangled in her own threads as she 'practiced,' anyone could have figured it out. In other words, she…

"So you can freely control the 'threads' themselves, but you're not good at attaching them to your own body to manipulate it."

"Why did you have to say it out loud? Are you trying to pick a fight?"

It seems she's unable to use the advanced technique of my Senten—in other words, the marionette technique of controlling her own avatar with threads. And seeing me do it ignited her pride.

From the fact that she was attempting to practice it, it didn't seem impossible for her, but judging by her reaction, it was at least not her strong suit. The fact that she didn't try to bluff her way through it was very much like her.

Man. It really is... you know?

"...What is it? Stop staring."

"My apologies."

I haven't heard the details yet, but hmm—I'm quite happy with my 'partner.' As I thought, I have a feeling I'll be able to get along well with this person in the future.

"Nacchan-senpai."

"Are you going to keep that up? Call me Natsume-senpai properly."

"I'll teach you my-style marionette control, so if you'd like, you could teach me some of your [Thread-Weaver]-style tricks in return. …Actually, I was planning on asking when the time was right, but what do you say?"

As someone determined to walk the path of a junior to become the 'cute junior' she spoke of, I made my earnest and sincere proposal while leisurely soaring through the sky.

In response, the kitten in my arms—who, true to her word, showed no signs of bashfulness like an innocent maiden, and was instead being held in a rather bossy manner—...

Her expression went from blank surprise,

to a frown of suspicion,

and then, through a delightful series of changes, to something bitter.

"No. I refuse."

"Great to hear. Once again, it's a pleasure to work with you, Nacchan-sensei."

"I said no! Who are you calling sensei?!"

"Anyway, let's get down to business. About the [Green Connect] raid—"

"Listen to me! Really... Nngh! You really are not cute at all!"

And well, something like that.

Now that we've gotten a little closer, I suppose it's time to start talking seriously.

---

I love Nacchan.

Ah, let's get hyped for Chapter Five, Section Four.