VOLUME 1
Chapter 3: Team Battle
Part 5
Kasumi Yukasaki did not like hurting people’s feelings.
Though this was a game, from the start, she did not like fighting against monsters. Even now, she could feel in her heart the pain of monsters near death as they breathed laboriously, shook in fear of death, and stared unblinkingly at her.
She thought she wasn’t cut out for a world like Sky World. She didn’t think she could get used to such brutality in fighting games even if she spent her whole life trying.
But at the same time, she thought this world to be wonderful.
She was thrilled to have the opportunity just to travel with friends. This was the first time she had such a feeling. Even when she was with Sakuya, her heart did not beat as fast.
It was Jun. The boy who, out of nowhere, appeared to aid Kasumi. Though a tad brusque&h.e.l.lip; he was a nice guy who helped out the troubled Kasumi.
When he appeared, why did her heart pound so hard? Not knowing what to do, she put on a smile. It was fun to walk alongside him. She smiled unknowingly, and when he heard him referred to as ‘disgusting,’ she was utterly shocked.
Seeing how much fun Eri and he were having just talking to each other, she felt a bit sulky. It pained her.
Why? Eri was a very important friend to her. It was just a case of one of her friends getting along with another of her friends. It was not like the two of them were intentionally leaving her out.
(I feel like I’ve become such a shallow person, huh.)
Since she herself thought that she had become a disagreeable person, she didn’t think too much of the matter. Surely she was just confused. Her grandmother taught her that thinking of bad things was not good and that if one had their heart right, happiness would be sure to follow.
At least, for now, she was happy.
She thought she wanted Jun and Eri, two of her most important friends, to be together.
“Isn’t that just something like a luxury?”
Kasumi sat at the top of the hill near the town of Gazar.
Today, everybody was left to their own devices to do what they wanted. Eri was leveling up her skills in the meadow. Jun was finishing up his remaining quests. Kasumi, having nothing to do, sat there alone, daydreaming.
From there, she could see the edge of the island.
Past the meadow, abruptly ending at that point, was the endless blue sky.
That was the southern edge of the island. The ground ended there.
Normally, she would not be conscious of this, but now, she saw the floating island of Altaria in a different light.
Walking all around the island would not help her find a way off.
The only option would be to board an airship, whether it be the regularly scheduled one, or the personal one. This was the way Sky World, with its countless islands, worked. The only way on and off islands would be by airship.
“Would it be bad if I wanted us three to stay together forever?”
Kasumi stared motionlessly at the cliff at the end of the island.
If Jun managed to get his hands on an airship, he would again be helping her. That would make her very happy. Eri would have also cooperated in doing so. However, Kasumi would then be heading off to rejoin Sakuya.
She knew that. Jun had his own things to do. He was just taking a break to help Kasumi out a little bit.
One day, Jun and Kasumi’s paths would separate.
Thinking about the day that would happen, Kasumi felt gloomy, and it showed in her facial expressions. She held her chest tightly. She felt bad. She wanted to cry out. She couldn’t bear it.
It was normal for her to not be in contact with her parents. Her grandmother was very strict. Although she was brought up with lots of affection and she was always fawned on, she went to high school on her own.
Only after that was she able to become friends with Sakuya.
That was the same with Jun. Just like Sakuya, she did not feel anything particular for him on first sight. However, she felt a just little bit different around Jun than with Sakuya.
Kasumi could not think about the nature of her feelings for him.
Just now, she didn’t feel like she could be around Jun. She really thought that.
She let out a big sigh.
“I wonder what Jun-san thinks about me&h.e.l.lip;”
She accidentally said that out loud. Looking around, she saw n.o.body. Believing that, she wanted to speak out her thoughts.
Shortly afterwards, she heard a young girl’s voice.
“He’s a lazy, good-for-nothing buffoon.”
Surprised, Kasumi jumped to her feet and uttered, “What?”
Before she knew it, a short girl was standing next to her. She seemed around 12 years old. Though she looked graceful, she was standing motionlessly, gazing distantly.
“Jun’s a lazy, good-for-nothing buffoon.”
“Huh? Huhh???”
“Have you not noticed how lazy and incompetent he is?”
Kasumi leaned her head, thinking that the person was a resident of the town. Even a NPC would leave town once in a while. They acted naturally, just like any normal living human would. No, they were human. Though her guild members didn’t believe it, they were real human residents of this world. Though they did live considerably different lives, they were still able to do things like revive each other.
Many people said that this world couldn’t possible be real.
However, Kasumi was steadfast in her belief that it was. This was reality. They couldn’t possibly be dreaming. She knew that in towns, ordinary people walked alongside each other, and by no means did they conducted themselves in a manner typical of AIs.
Therefore, it made perfect sense for her to engage in regular conversations with residents of the town. Many of the other guild members ridiculed her for this.
“Uh&h.e.l.lip; young lady, what’s your relationship to Jun-san?”
“Alice.”
“Excuse my impoliteness. I am Kasumi Yukasaki. You can call me Kasumi.”
Alice, as she introduced herself, nodded gently, saying “Okay.”
“Jun is a lazy, good-for-nothing buffoon.”
“Alice-san, don’t you think you shouldn’t speak badly of others?”
“&h.e.l.lip; But Eri said that.”
“You shouldn’t imitate bad things that other people do either.”
Bending over, she made eye contact with Alice and chastised her with her finger.
After staring at her finger for a little bit, Alice nodded her head.
“Calling somebody a ‘lazy, good-for-nothing buffoon’&h.e.l.lip; is bad?”
“Uh&h.e.l.lip; I don’t think those words are used to be nice&h.e.l.lip;”
“Jun is a bad person?”
“Jun-san is a wonderful gentleman. He’s kind. He’s brave. He overflows with chivalry, helping those weaker than him.”
“&h.e.l.lip; Who?”
Alice turned left and right, and shook her head.
Before long, she tired of it and raised her face, staring intently at Kasumi.
“I have a question.”
“Sure, what is it, Alice-chan?”
“&h.e.l.lip;’chan’?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. Was that too much of me to use such a familiar honorific with you on our first meeting [1]?”
“No, no. ‘Chan’ is okay. &h.e.l.lip; Call me that some more.”
“Alice-chan.”
Alice smiled happily. She seemed very pleased with that.
“One more time.”
“Alice-chan.”
She looked so happy.
“Y-you’re cute, Alice-chan.”
Alice then pulled her expression off her face, and after a short while appearing as if in a trance, returned to how she was earlier, with a sudden “Hah.”
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“Kasumi, could you risk your life for Jun?”
“Yes.”
Kasumi responded, holding in her hair.
“So you would allow your battery to be depleted for him?”
“No problem. Jun-san is important to me.”
Alice puffed out her cheeks.
“&h.e.l.lip; How unexpected. You didn’t even hesitate.”
“Uh&h.e.l.lip; Is there something wrong?”
“No. Actually, that is good.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Kasumi smiled. Eri sometimes called that a special move: ‘Holy Saint’s Smile.’ Alice said, “Ooh,” and her cheeks turned red.
“What destructive power!”
“That’s good. I didn’t know.”
“Buuu&h.e.l.lip; Well, okay. Kasumi, I have information for you.”
“Yes?”
“The Crimson Scarf Knight a.s.sociation is going to MPK Jun.”
“Em pee kay, huh?”
Kasumi tilted her head. While surprised by hearing her old guild’s name, she didn’t know what they had to do with Jun.
Alice placed her hand on her eyebrows and said, “Oops, I messed up. That’s a technical term.” Then, after preparing herself, she raised her head once again.
“The Crimson Scarf Knight a.s.sociation want to have Jun killed.”
Kasumi’s face stiffened.
“Currently, Jun is questing on his own. He has to get to the exit of the cave. If it continues like this, Jun will die.”
“Where?!”
Alice remained silent. She presented her a rolled-up scroll. It was a map. The path to Jun was shown on the map. It was the quickest route, provided she did not get lost along the way. Kasumi looked down and began sprinting.
“Contact Eri. She’s nearby.”
Alice’s voice hit her chest. That was right. She could take out Eri’s communication stone while running.
TRANSLATOR’S NOTES
[1] – Chan is an honorific generally used with small kids. It is also considered informal, so would not necessarily be appropriate for use on a stranger (although this restriction is less important with chan than with other honorifics like kun).