"Sorry, Shino-non. I never thought our destination today would be here..."
"No, it's fine. I intended to be a chaperone today anyway, so don't worry about it."
"So, these kids are the rumored Amazoness Corps?"
"Yeah."
"They don't really look the part..."
"Well, seeing them in the other world is part of the fun."
Asuna and Shino whispered back and forth. Since Shino was still a bit shy around strangers, she took a step back from the spotlight, ceding the seat next to Hachiman to Asuna. Incidentally, the seating order was Shino, Asuna, Hachiman, and then Yukino.
"So, who is that beautiful woman...?"
"That's Yukino. Yukinoshita Yukino. She's Haru-nee-san's younger sister, and I suppose you could call her my best friend."
"Ah~! Now that you mention it, I can see the family resemblance."
"And, as I'm sure you've heard, she's the Vice-Commander of Valhalla Resort, same as me."
"Ah."
With Asuna's explanation, Shino finally remembered where she had heard Yukino's name before.
"Wait, you mean Absolute Ze—?"
"No!"
Asuna panic-strickenly clapped her hand over Shino's mouth before she could finish the phrase.
"Asuna, I can hear you."
"A-Ahaha..."
Contrary to Asuna's expectation, Yukino didn't seem particularly offended. She simply sipped the tea she had ordered with complete composure.
"Um... is she not... angry?"
"I've grown used to it by now. At this point, that alias has become one of the symbols of our guild. It would be pointless for me to complain about it now. So, Asuna, it is about time you started making an effort to like your own alias as well."
"Y-Yeah, I guess you're right," Asuna agreed with a wry smile.
"Now then, Hachiman-kun. Isn't it about time you introduced us to everyone?"
"R-Right..."
"You are the Ruler, are you not? Try to act with a little more dignity."
"R-Right..."
"W-Wait a moment, please!"
Hearing their conversation, Moe suddenly spoke up, her face a mask of shock. The other five girls were whispering amongst themselves, all wearing similar expressions of astonishment.
"Hm? What's wrong, Moe?"
"U-Um, did you just say 'Absolute Zero'?"
"...Oh. Does that mean you guys know what that is?"
The leader, Saki, tried to answer Hachiman's question.
"Yes! The truth is, the reason we started gaming was..."
"Hold on, Saki. I know I brought it up, but let's get the introductions out of the way first."
"Understood!"
Hachiman started by introducing Asuna and Yukino.
"Ah—this is Yuuki Asuna, and this is Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Yuuki Asuna."
"Yukinoshita Yukino. It is a pleasure."
"And this is Asada Shino."
"P-Pleasure to meet you."
"Finally, these six here are, in order: Nitobe Saki, Fujisawa Kana, Noguchi Shiori, Annaka Moe, Kusunoki Lisa, and Milana Sidrova."
"""Nice to meet you!"""
Hachiman simply rattled off the list of names.
"That was quite a simple introduction. No explanation of the circumstances?"
"Hmm... Asuna, what should we do?"
"Like we talked about yesterday, at this point, why don't we just have Yukino help us out?"
"True... Well, it's not like their lives are in danger in the real world. Let's go with that."
Hearing this, Yukino looked concerned and peered softly into Hachiman's face.
"I had noticed you were sneaking around doing something lately... You haven't stuck your neck into anything dangerous, have you? Is everything alright?"
Seeing this interaction, Shino realized painfully well that Yukino, too, had feelings for Hachiman. She was forced to acknowledge once again that she had far more rivals than she had imagined.
"It's fine. Anyway, Saki, as the representative, tell us the rest of what you were about to say."
"Yes! The truth is, we started GGO in order to get along better."
"By 'get along,' you mean among yourselves? You don't look like you're on bad terms..."
"That's only because you scolded us, Hachiman-san. Until yesterday, we really didn't get along at all."
The other five girls nodded vigorously in agreement.
"We started gaming on our coach's advice. Initially, there were two candidates: GGO and ALO. To decide, we watched various famous videos from both games for reference. That was where we found Shana-san's videos in GGO, and the videos of Valhalla Resort in ALO. Ultimately, we chose GGO. To be honest, memorizing magic spells in ALO looked too difficult, and we thought it might be impossible for us..."
"Yeah. It really is amazing how they can recite all that smoothly while moving around like that..."
Hachiman glanced at Asuna and Yukino as he said this. The two women immediately delivered a calm retort.
"That kind of thing is just practice. Just habit."
"Or perhaps you are simply too lazy to memorize anything?"
"O-Oh... I can't really argue when you put it like that..."
Unable to come up with a proper rebuttal, Hachiman could only scratch his head.
"Anyway, to get back to the topic—because of that research, we became quite knowledgeable about the famous players in both GGO and ALO. That's the situation."
"So you reacted to the words 'Absolute Zero'."
"Yes. Um, well... does that mean... that's you?"
"Yukino, is that how it is?"
Hachiman had no intention of explaining the ALO side of things, so he tossed the entire ball into Yukino's court. Sensing this, Yukino stared flatly at Hachiman, then crossed her arms and fell silent, deep in thought.
The silence stretched on. Just when the tension became unbearable for everyone except Yukino, she seemed to consolidate her thoughts and opened her mouth.
"Do you girls understand the significance of asking us that question?"
"Y-Yes! Of course, we won't tell anyone! Right, everyone?"
"""Yes!"""
"However, secrets always leak eventually. And when that happens, the first ones to be suspected will be you. Do you understand this much?"
"That... is true."
"In that scenario, he might not do anything even if he suspected you. But we will. The power we hold in the real world—well, most of it is due to his achievements—is far more colossal than you imagine. My sister, in particular, shows no mercy. She will use every means available to thoroughly crush anyone who opposes us."
At those words, the table fell dead silent.
Hachiman and Asuna, knowing that particular sister, thought, 'Yeah, if it's her, she'd do it regardless of whether we tried to stop her,' and didn't attempt to interject. Even Shino, who knew some of the circumstances, felt she needed to remind Eiko and the others to be careful.
Saki and her group knew nothing of the context, so they were half-doubtful. But seeing Hachiman nod to them—confirming the threat was real—changed everything. They didn't know Yukino, but they knew Hachiman well as Shana. His attitude made the reality of Yukino's words sink in.
"Understanding that, do you still wish to know the truth?"
"Um..."
None of the six could answer the question.
"I suppose it is troubling to be told that so suddenly. Please, discuss it amongst yourselves as much as you like."
"Y-Yes! Excuse us!"
The six girls began to confer in hushed whispers. Surprisingly, Moe—who looked the meekest—seemed to be advocating strongly to know. Conversely, Saki, with the responsibility of being captain, was the cautious one.
Finally, it seemed Moe conceded. The discussion concluded with a 'No'.
"I'm sorry. We aren't ready to take on that resolve yet."
"I see. I think that is the natural choice."
Yukino said this with a serious face, but immediately followed it with a smile.
"Let me give you some advice. You should get to know him better. If, after that, you still wish to be near him or join his circle despite the risks, then tell him. Convert your accounts to ALO. If you do, perhaps he will coincidentally be there, and once you complete the ritual, you might just be invited into his garden."
"His garden... Valhalla Garden...?"
Moe, who had been the most eager earlier, murmured the words. Seeing how quickly the term came to her, she was likely the biggest fan among them. The others also seemed to recognize the existence of this 'Garden,' and the light returned to their eyes.
"I only said 'his garden'."
"Yes! We understand!"
"Good. Then that is fine. You are Annaka-san, correct? Why are you so curious about Valhalla Resort?"
"Um, well, that's..."
Moe began to fidget. Seeing this, Kana interjected from the side.
"Moe is a fanatical fan of Yukino, the Absolute Zero! See, they even look a little bit alike. Before, when we didn't get along, I used to ignore it, but she was always saying she wanted to be like her!"
"I-Is that so..."
Yukino looked slightly embarrassed.
"Well then, for Moe's sake, we'll have to do our best!"
"I can't commit just yet, but maybe if I become much, much stronger in GGO, I'll find the resolve!"
"I wouldn't mind joining right now, personally."
"Come on, Kana, we have to stay in sync here!"
"I don't know what this 'ritual' is, but it sounds like something you can't pass unless you're strong, so let's just focus on that for now!"
The remaining five chimed in one after another. Yukino watched them with a heartwarming smile. (Incidentally, the 'ritual' refers, of course, to that thing Fuka-Jiro is currently in the middle of enduring).
Then, Hachiman held out a slip of paper to Moe.
"Moe. Since you're such a fan, here. A present from me."
"...What is this?"
Written on it was a website address and something that looked like a password.
"Rumor has it that's the address for a private page where guild members can view videos of their friends. Just a rumor, mind you. A rumor. There's a chance your beloved Absolute Zero might coincidentally appear in the footage, so take a look with just the six of you when you get home."
"T-Thank you very much!"
"Yeah. Well, good luck."
"""Yes!"""
All six girls, not just Moe, responded to Hachiman's words.
With that, the topic was put on hold, and the group began to enjoy casual conversation in a peaceful atmosphere.
"So, Saki-chan and the others are all in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Club."
"Yes! I have the honor of serving as captain."
"I see... Maybe I should try it too?"
Asuna said this idly, but Hachiman immediately shot it down.
"No. Absolutely forbidden."
Hearing that, Asuna's cheeks softened into a smile.
"Geez, I get it, Hachiman-kun. If I do it, I'll do it only in front of you."
"Then I allow it."
Witnessing this intimate exchange, Saki turned red and flustered.
"Eh... U-Um..."
"Saki-san, these two are basically always like this. You don't need to worry about it," Yukino stated matter-of-factly.
Relieved, Saki decided to ask Asuna a bold question.
"Ah, okay. By the way, um, is Asuna-san actually Hachiman-san's girlfriend?"
"Yep, I am."
"I thought so. It's amazing you don't end up in a shuraba—a lovers' quarrel..."
Asuna answered Shiori's question without changing her expression.
"Hmm, but there are about ten people constantly aiming for my position, you know?"
"Ten...!?"
"Doesn't that turn into fights?"
At Shiori's question, Asuna tilted her head and asked Yukino.
"...Come to think of it, it doesn't, does it? Yukino, why is that?"
"Oh my. Did you not think that blood-drenched battles were unfolding in places unknown to you?"
Yukino said this with a smirk, causing Asuna to gasp in shock.
"Eeeeh!? I-Is that true?"
"It's a joke. A joke... for now."
"""Eep!"""
The added qualification sounded far too realistic, causing Saki and the others to let out a shriek. Yukino added nothing further and addressed Milana, whom she had been curious about.
"Milana-san, judging by the name, are you Russian?"
"Yes. My parents are in trade, so I've been going back and forth between Japan and Russia since I was little. But entering high school was a turning point, so I've been allowed to stay in Japan until graduation."
"Will you return to Russia once you graduate?"
"It's hard to say. There's a chance I might stay here permanently."
"I see."
Just then, the cat-shaped desserts Hachiman and Yukino had ordered arrived, slightly delayed.
"Oh, that is definitely a very cat-like dessert."
"Hachiman-kun, 'cat-like' is a bit..."
While Asuna retorted, Yukino was trembling with intense emotion next to her.
"This is magnificent..."
Yukino fell silent, completely entranced. Beside her, Lisa was speaking to Shino.
"But to think Shino-san was the same age as us..."
"Yes. Since we're the same age, you don't need to use honorifics, you know? Just call me Shino."
"No good! We're an athletic club, so even in a game, we can't just drop honorifics for a senior!"
"We're really strict about that sort of thing!"
"So, that being the case, we look forward to working with you, Shino-san!"
"I-I see..."
A brief moment of silence descended. Immediately after, a voice was heard.
"Nyaa... Nyaa..."
Everyone looked toward Yukino, the source of the voice, with astonishment. No one could say a word, until finally, Asuna spoke up.
"Y-Yukino... It's true the cat dessert is cute, but..."
Hachiman snapped back to reality and interjected instantly.
"L-Listen, you guys. Retorts regarding the cat noises you just heard are forbidden. Just assume this is how things are and watch over her warmly."
"""Y-Yes!"""
"Nyaa... Nyat? Asuna, did you say something just now? I'm sorry, I must have missed it."
"N-No, it's nothing, Yukino."
"I-Is that so? If nyat is the case, then it is fine."
"I-I really, really want to comment on it, but I feel like if I do, I lose, Hachiman-kun!"
"Yeah. Just watch warmly."
The fun times passed in the blink of an eye. Saki and the others said it would be faster to walk from there, so they politely declined a ride home and left together on good terms.
"Well then, shall we head back too?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? The main topic starts now, doesn't it?"
"Main topic?"
Yukino then spoke for the first time to the girl she hadn't exchanged a single word with all day.
"Isn't that right? Asada Shino-san."
-------------------------------
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