Immediately after, a tall figure wearing a flaxen-colored sweater and an apron walked in. The gentle smile on her face and the wife-like, homemaker aura instantly shattered Shiro's psychological defenses.
'This... this is the final boss!'
Usually, when Asuna wore the Knights of the Blood Oath's red and white armor, it wasn't as apparent... but now, Shiro realized that her greatest enemy had been right beside her all along.
Shiro blankly withdrew her gaze from Asuna and looked back at Kanna, who had a dazed expression on her face, looking at the cards in her hand, unsure what to play.
Suddenly, Shiro felt that perhaps... the threat from this little pipsqueak wasn't that great.
She thought of a good idea.
Asuna looked puzzled at the two little ones playing cards in the room and couldn't help but ask, "Shiro-chan, where's your Onii-chan?"
Shiro said expressionlessly, "In the dojo."
"Ah, really now. It's almost dinner time, and he's still in the dojo. Shiro-chan, Kanna-chan, go ahead and eat... I'll go call Yusei-kun." Asuna complained lightly, then turned and left.
But in Shiro's heart, the alarm bells rang again. This seemed like a complaint, but it actually felt more like playful banter between a married couple.
The threat level Shiro assigned to Asuna in her mind shot straight up, almost reaching the ceiling.
This made her even more determined about her plan.
She looked at Kanna, who was about to play a card, and spoke, "Kanna, how about we form an alliance?"
Kanna looked at Shiro, tilting her head, seemingly not understanding what she meant.
"Are you talking about the kind of alliance where all dragons band together to annihilate humans?"
After thinking for a moment, Kanna stated what she thought an 'alliance' meant.
Shiro, however, was no ordinary child. Hearing words like 'destroy the world' and 'annihilate humanity', her little face remained calm as usual, "No. It means we join forces to prevent other girls from appearing around Nii."
"Yusei likes Kanna, and Kanna likes Yusei. And if we don't let Yusei have friends, he would be very sad, right?" Kanna's soft voice said seriously.
"But if you don't stop it, there will be other girls around Nii. Many, many of them. Aren't you bothered by that?" Shiro grew a bit anxious. She didn't expect this little pipsqueak to be so... stubborn.
Kanna looked puzzled, "Why should I be bothered? Powerful male dragons have many female dragons. Isn't that normal?"
Shiro found herself at a loss for words. She opened her mouth, "Nii is not a dragon. He's human."
"But Kanna is a dragon."
"You're not the same species."
"But Kanna can turn into a human form."
"That... that still means you're not the same species, right?"
"Kanna thinks it's fine if we're not the same species."
Shiro discovered that was indeed the case, so she nodded.
"Kanna won't monopolize Yusei. Kanna really likes Yusei."
Looking at Kanna, who was still focused on the cards, a trace of defeat finally appeared on Shiro's usually expressionless face.
She stood up and went to sit on the veranda overlooking the garden.
Kanna, inside the room, was puzzled why Shiro suddenly stopped playing. She looked at Shiro.
"Why aren't you playing anymore?"
"...Don't feel like it."
"Oh." Kanna looked at the playing cards in her hand, was silent for a moment, then put her cards away and went to sit beside Shiro.
"Shiro... you are troubled."
Shiro glanced at Kanna beside her, then looked away.
"You know what's troubling me?"
"Mhm. You really like Yusei. Kanna also likes Yusei. Then we have the same interest, so we can be friends." Kanna nodded.
Shiro was stunned for a moment, not expecting Kanna to say something like that.
Kanna looked seriously at Shiro and extended her small, fleshy hand.
"Shiro, let's be friends. Friends make each other happy."
Shiro stared blankly at Kanna's outstretched hand. She hesitated for a moment, then placed her own hand on top.
Time seemed to freeze at the moment the two little girls shook hands. This was their first handshake, and the first time they weren't at odds with each other.
In the dojo, Yusei, who was about to try developing a new sword technique, suddenly stopped his movements. His gaze turned towards the dojo entrance.
Asuna was standing there, looking at him, a gentle smile still on her face.
"Practicing even in the game? You're really diligent. But it's time to eat now, Yusei-kun."
"Because I want to become stronger, you know." Yusei smiled, sheathed his Ice Dragon Katana, and walked towards Asuna.
The two walked side by side towards the living room. However, along the way, Asuna felt something was off. She looked at Yusei... her eyes filled with confusion.
Yusei felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and couldn't help but cough lightly, "Is something wrong?"
Asuna suddenly let out an 'Oh!' and clapped her hands, "I finally figured out what's wrong. Your clothes!"
Yusei looked down at his clothes, puzzled.
SAO didn't have a dirtiness setting for clothes.
"What about my clothes? They shouldn't be dirty, right?"
Asuna rolled her eyes at Yusei. She said helplessly, "Do you always wear formal clothes at home?"
"Alright, go change your clothes quickly. I'll go serve the food."
Yusei really did wear this same outfit at home. Mainly because there was no distinction between home clothes and outdoor clothes in the game, so over time, he had forgotten about it.
"Okay."
Although Yusei didn't usually wear them, he still had quite a few sets of casual home clothes in his inventory. After changing in a nearby room, he came to the living room. Shiro and Kanna were already seated.
But what surprised Yusei was that the two little girls were sitting together today, while Asuna was sitting opposite them.
After a moment's thought, Yusei went and sat down next to Asuna. This way, it was two people on each side, facing each other. Very balanced.
However, this simple action based on balance made the hearts of the girls present uneasy.
Asuna, sitting next to Yusei, felt somewhat restless. It was the first time she had sat so close to a boy. She felt a bit uncomfortable and nervous, and her heartbeat seemed to quicken a few beats.
As for Shiro and Kanna, they simply felt like their possession was being taken away. Kanna was disappointed Yusei didn't sit next to her, while Shiro started thinking about her Onii-chan's preferences regarding figure and height. She suddenly felt a bit insecure.
'Nii... do you like big ones?'