The classmates had long since grown accustomed to Shiraha talking to himself.
As for Mei, she'd already found her own little circle of friends. The eldest daughter of the Raiden family always seemed to make a bunch of friends without even trying.
During breaks, three or four girls would always gather around her desk, chattering away about Sailor Moon, celebrities, urban legends, and oddly romantic fairy tales.
Truth be told, if Shiraha weren't constantly talking to thin air, he'd probably have inexplicably made a bunch of friends too.
While telling her stories, Elysia noticed the glances from the other children, those looks that were anything but kind. Like they were staring at something strange. Something other.
"Are you sure you don't want to go make some friends?" she asked softly.
Elysia loved telling stories. She had a little mischief in her heart, and she especially adored children clinging to her side. Clinging so much they couldn't be pried off.
But her heart was never in the wrong place.
Shiraha glanced at the others in the classroom and put on a pleading face. "Nee-chan, spare me. You want me to fully immerse myself in fourth grade?"
"Oh my~"
Elysia drew out her voice, a touch helpless, the dimples on her cheeks flickering in and out. "Then if you end up without any friends later, Shiraha can't blame me."
She'd warned him, after all! Elysia told herself this in her heart.
Besides he still had her, didn't he!
Shiraha tightened his jaw, looking terribly serious. "If I really do end up friendless in the future, then I'm clinging to Nee-chan."
He didn't pay attention during class either. He spent most of it propping his cheek on one hand, gazing toward the window.
What expression he wore, Mei didn't know. Whenever she turned to look, all she could see was the back of his head.
Halfway through the lesson, Mei couldn't hold back anymore. She tore a slip of paper from her notebook, crumpled it into a ball, and lobbed it at Shiraha.
She knew his grades were excellent. But she still wished he'd pay attention in class. At the very least, not spend every waking moment wrapped up with his fierce ghost friend.
The paper ball flew through the air then stopped mid-flight.
"Nee-chan?"
Shiraha looked uncertainly toward Elysia, who had suddenly leaned in and taken hold of him. A bad feeling rose in his chest. Class is still in session!
Nee-chan, don't do this on a new account!
"Give me a little time to think too~ There are simply too many things in the past. Even a mysterious fairy lady needs to organize her words."
Elysia tossed the paper ball into the nearby trash can. Then, as if nothing had happened, she drifted gracefully back to her designated spot. She let the cool breeze from the window wash over her, admiring little Mei's puffed-up, indignant face.
She gave her calf a gentle swing, the corner of her mouth curving into a near-imperceptible arc.
'I truly am a woman of deep transgressions.
Little Mei, don't blame me. Blame the way the world is.'
The morning lessons weren't worth mentioning. Fourth grade was still doing addition and subtraction of decimals, along with basic statistics.
Though after class, Mei did seem to shoot him a glare. But Mei had her own circle of friends, and Shiraha didn't think much of it.
Probably Elysia-nee had done something. After all, Elysia's mischievous streak was common knowledge.
"School's out." Shiraha exhaled deeply. Time to march toward his ascension.
"Mei-nee... we finally get to see what's really hidden up that delinquent senpai's sleeve."
Mei looked at Shiraha. For once, she didn't let him take her hand.
Shiraha withdrew his hand and tilted his head. Mei let out a soft huff. "Let's go. To the clubroom."
As Mei-nee walked on ahead by herself, Shiraha gave Elysia-nee a thoughtful look. The way she was deliberately avoiding his gaze made him crack a smile without meaning to.
"Let's go. To the clubroom."
Shiraha took Elysia's hand, giving her no chance to keep drifting airily behind him.
The clubroom wasn't far. Normally, Shiraha and Mei would have lunch here as well. But today, whether it was Mei or Shiraha, both carried an extra edge of anticipation in their hearts.
They pushed open the door. The delinquent senpai was catching up on sleep as usual. Only this time, two unremarkable boxes sat on the club table, their tape seals already broken open.
"She skipped class again!"
So saying, Mei's small frame was already perched on a chair, leaning over the rim of the box and peering inside.
"A helmet?"
The first thing that came to Mei's mind was a movie, Ready Player One.
Could the delinquent senpai's family really possess core technology? Had they even developed a brain-machine interface?
"Look at you two. Like you've never seen the world before."
Raven had propped herself up at some point, looking thoroughly exhausted, but the corner of her mouth was still curled upward, a hint of canine teeth peeking through.
Mei felt irritated but didn't know how to argue back.
"They're yours. Just don't take them home."
She yawned, exhaling a long, deep breath. Then her gaze slowly sharpened. "You didn't tell your families about this, right?"
"Relax. We wouldn't do something that low-class."
Shiraha answered while already pulling one of the helmets out of the box.
As for exposing World Serpent right now? He glanced at Elysia beside him, equally curious. No need. If things kept developing as they were, there was a real chance he'd end up holding the "seals of six states" simultaneously.
Elysia was a little tense. This involved Grey Serpent, after all. And Grey Serpent in the Previous Era had been nothing but trouble.
"How do you use it?"
Shiraha asked the question that was on Mei's mind.
Both were kids, naturally curious about novel things, let alone born-and-bred Anti-Entropy types, who had an interest not just in Gundams but in high-tech products of all kinds.
Raven stretched lazily, and as she tilted her head toward the ceiling, the smile on her face nearly slipped for a split second.
"What a hassle. Fine, I'll help you."
Her attitude was as obnoxious as ever. Raven walked over and casually sat on the table, taking the helmet from Shiraha's hands. She sized it up briefly, then placed it over his head with unexpected gentleness.
"The activation switch is here..." She tugged at Shiraha's arm. It didn't budge.
"Raise your hand."
Shiraha raised his left hand. The Raven opened her mouth, then closed it.
Are you left-handed?
But left hand it was. Just get this task over with, head back, catch up on sleep, and spend the afternoon in the clubroom reviewing material, she had to adjust to high school life as fast as possible.
"The switch is here. Start-up and loading might be a bit slow, the product isn't at the market stage yet, so a lot of functions are still in testing."
Raven's voice grew quieter and quieter. Probably not intentional on her part, the helmet was simply beginning to muffle Shiraha's senses.
Shiraha held Elysia's hand even tighter.
At first, his vision was blurry, but the resolution gradually sharpened. He could vaguely make out a golden hall. Shiraha waited quietly, occasionally tilting his head to get his bearings.
After about three minutes, the picture stabilized completely. He looked down at his body, identical to the one outside.
Then he looked around. The resplendent hall. The soft sofas. And, right in front of him, vertical pupils brimming with scientific curiosity, a green-haired young woman.
Shiraha forcibly suppressed a grin. His left hand fumbled around, found the switch just below the side of his head, and pressed it.
The visuals cut off immediately. He pulled the helmet off.
"Can people outside hear what I say in there?"