Just then, Yuu returned, carefully balancing a tray with both hands. She walked with the exaggerated caution of someone carrying a bomb.
"Thanks, Yuu."
"You're welcome! But man, this is hard to carry without spilling!"
"Try using one hand next time. You know, like professional waitresses do?"
"Oh! Good idea!"
"Practice when you're bored. It's always good to learn a new skill."
"Mhm! I will!"
The three of them took a moment to enjoy the tea Yuu had brewed.
"This is actually really good, Yuu. You've gotten better."
"Well, the ingredients are infinite, so I can practice as much as I want!"
"Even so, this is the result of your hard work. Good job."
"Hehe!" Yuu fidgeted for a second before looking up at Hachiman expectantly. "Um, Hachiman? Since I did a good job... can I have a reward? I want you to carry me! Like a princess!"
"Sure, I don't mind. But where did that come from?"
"I saw a video of you the other day! You were doing it for another girl!"
Hachiman paused, a cold sweat forming. "...Which video?"
"This one! Look!"
She pulled up a window showing the footage of Hachiman's GGO conversion. Sure enough, there was Hachiman, carrying Gunner X bridal-style.
"How did you even know that was me?"
"Someone told me!"
"Who?"
"This lady! Kurusu-san!"
"Are you serious?!" Hachiman blurted out. Not only was Gunner X talking to them, but they were on a first-name basis?
"Wait, Ai—can you actually contact Soleil directly from here?"
"Yep! It's like they're right in front of us."
"How...?"
"Hold on... let me check the time... Okay, they should be free. I'll link us up."
Ai tapped a few commands on a virtual console. After a moment, a light flickered on.
"We're clear. Connecting now."
Suddenly, three shimmering, semi-transparent figures were projected onto the sofa: Argo, Rosalia, and Kurusu. They weren't actually logged into this server, but their images were being broadcasted in.
"Whoa. For real?"
"Oh? Is that Haru-bo's voice I hear? You're visiting the girls today, then?" Argo chirped.
"Wait, Hachiman is there?" Rosalia asked.
"Lord Hachiman!" Kurusu exclaimed.
The three of them seemed to realize Hachiman was present, though they couldn't see him perfectly clearly.
"Hey, what kind of tech is this?" Hachiman asked.
"From our side, we can only see your silhouette," Argo explained. "It's basically a two-way shadow projection."
"I see."
"Since you're inside a VR space, you can probably see us well enough to tell who we are, right?"
"Yeah, I can see you guys fine."
"We couldn't justify the budget for a full-scale link, so we went with this simple system," Argo said. "We just project the shadows, but it's enough to make it feel like everyone's hanging out in the same room. Good for the girls' morale, ya know?"
"I see... thanks for looking out for them, Argo."
"You're very welcome~" Argo's image smirked. "And since I'm so helpful, I'd like a reward. I want a princess carry too."
"What is it with you people and the princess carries lately? Is it a trend or something?"
"Blame Guru-Guru," Argo teased, gesturing to Kurusu.
"Guru-Guru... you mean Kurusu? Ah, I get it now." Hachiman sighed. Kurusu had clearly been spreading that GGO video around their inner circle.
"Be careful not to let my real identity leak to outsiders, Kurusu."
"Of course, Lord Hachiman! I would never!"
"Good. And Argo, fine—next time I see you in person. You're probably even lighter than the Kitten over there, so it won't be a problem."
"Hey!" Rosalia's projection immediately flared up. "What's that supposed to mean?! I'm not heavy!"
"Heavier than Argo?"
"Well... yeah, but..."
"Then I'm technically right."
Realizing she was losing the argument, Rosalia pivoted. "Anyway! Where's my reward?!"
"I'm still considering yours. Just wait patiently."
"Well... okay. If you say so..."
(Though I haven't actually thought of anything,) Hachiman added internally, successfully dodging the bullet.
"Alright, I think that's enough of a tech demo," Ai interrupted smoothly. "Yuu and I still need our turns being carried by Hachiman."
"You just slipped yourself into that count, didn't you...?"
"I don't know what you mean. Anyway, Argo-san, we'll talk to you later!"
The connection snapped shut. As promised, Hachiman took turns carrying both girls.
"Ai, look! Am I a princess now?" Yuu asked, beaming.
"Fufu. Yes, you're a very beautiful princess."
"Yay! Hachiman, I love you!"
"I'm glad you're happy," Hachiman said with a soft smile.
Next was Ai. "How about me, Yuu? Do I look like a princess too?"
"Whoa, yeah! You look great! Man, I should have made a dress like that too!"
"You'll just have to work hard on your own designs," Ai teased.
Hachiman blinked. Somewhere in the last few seconds, Ai had swapped her outfit for an elegant gown. "Wait, where did you get that?"
"There's a function that lets us design our own clothes. I had this prepared specifically for today."
"You're as calculated as ever... You could have told Yuu about it, you know."
"Oh? If I tell her everything, she'll never grow. I believe in a 'self-discovery' style of education."
"I guess that makes sense. Well, Yuu, you heard her. Put some effort into your next design so you're ready for next time."
"Mhm! I'll do my best!"
As Hachiman sat back down on the sofa, Ai looked at him. "Hachiman, are you busy for the rest of the day?"
"I'm free. As long as you promise not to do anything indecent to me while I'm asleep, I could even stay the night."
"Really? In that case, there's somewhere I want you to go with us."
"Where?"
Instead of answering, Ai asked a different question. "Before that—how strong is that avatar of yours?"
"This is a copy of my ALO avatar, so it's pretty top-tier."
"Then we'll be fine. Follow me."
Hachiman followed them outside, where he noticed a small, unfamiliar shed that hadn't been there before.
"In there?"
"Yes. I'll open it now."
Ai pushed the door open. Hachiman froze. Spread out before him was a landscape he knew all too well.
"Is this... Aincrad?"
Stretching out before his eyes was the unmistakable view of the Town of Beginnings on the first floor of Aincrad.
And so, the three of them began a new adventure.
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