Chapter 197: End of the Second Round; Nishimiya's Little Surprise?
.....
Bang!
Without a word, Seito pulled the trigger, giving the player a swift and painless end.
[Current Players: 10]
"Finally, it's over."
Seito stowed his weapon and stretched his limbs with a long yawn.
"Seito, why'd you kill him so fast? We should have chatted with him a bit longer," Iori Kitahara grumbled, looking dissatisfied. He clearly hadn't had his fill of "playing" yet.
"Get lost!"
Seito shot him a frigid glare. "You're the only freak who enjoys that. Do you have any idea how much time we've wasted because of you?"
"Ahem," Iori coughed into his hand. "I was just bored, that's all."
He really had been bored. For the last two hours, he'd been nothing but a glorified meat shield for Seito and the girls. He just wanted a little entertainment.
"Fine, fine," Seito waved him off.
At that exact moment—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
The compasses on their persons suddenly flew out of the window, streaking toward the sky. All across the ruined city, countless other compass fragments were doing the same, converging in the heavens to form a single, massive, shimmering golden compass.
[Congratulations! You have successfully cleared the stage.]
[You have one minute of remaining time in the instance.]
[Zone Announcement: Players 'Sei', 'Asuna'... and ten others have cleared the Second Round.]
Hearing the system prompt, the group didn't hesitate. They chose to log out immediately.
Seito's Apartment.
With the second round concluded, Seito decided to log off for the day. The final round wasn't scheduled until tomorrow, so there was no point in lingering in the God Domain.
He climbed out of his gaming pod and headed to the living room. At a glance, he saw Amou, Kanade, the Sora-Shiro siblings, and the Yukinoshita sisters already gathered around the dining table.
"Seito, you're finally back."
Amou spotted him and shifted over to make space. "Sit next to me."
"Sure." Seito nodded and pulled up a chair.
The dinner spread was lavish, likely a collaborative effort between Haruno and Amou.
"What took you so long to get out?" Sora asked, mid-bite.
"Too many 'Camping Kings' and 'Rats' dragging things out," Seito sighed helplessly. The sheer number of players hiding in corners had made the process a slog; otherwise, it wouldn't have taken nearly this long.
"Anyway, let's not talk shop," Seito said, changing the subject as he started on his meal.
The group chatted and laughed through dinner, finishing quickly. Amou and Yukino headed to the kitchen to handle the dishes, while Seito and the siblings took Kanade and Haruno out to the balcony to digest.
Leaning back in a rocking chair, Seito held Shiro in his arms and gazed up at the starlit sky.
"Remember when we used to watch the stars like this when we were kids?" Sora mused.
He recalled the time after their parents and Seito's parents had passed away. Seito would take the siblings out to stargaze, claiming it was the best way to ease the grief.
"Yeah," Seito murmured, closing his eyes.
A gentle breeze rustled his white hair. Starlight cascaded from the heavens, bathing him in a soft glow. For a moment, the girls stealing glances at him couldn't help but blush.
"Mm..." Shiro snuggled deeper into Seito's chest.
Step, step, step—
Haruno and Amou walked out after finishing the dishes.
"Oh? What are you all up to?" Haruno asked with her signature playful smile.
"Just catching the breeze and enjoying life," Seito replied.
"That sounds lovely." Haruno went back inside, brought out another rocking chair, and joined them. Amou did the same.
The group fell into a comfortable silence, simply soaking in the evening air.
An hour later, Sora rubbed his eyes. Noticing that Seito and Shiro had already drifted off, he stood up and headed back to his own apartment. The Yukinoshita sisters opened their eyes as well; seeing the two asleep, they gave Amou a few quick instructions and headed home.
Amou and Kanade shared a look and stood up. Amou grabbed a small blanket from inside, tucked it around Seito and Shiro, and then led Kanade back into the warmth of the apartment.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, the first rays of the sunrise hit Seito's face, coaxing him awake. He blinked, looking around groppily.
Realizing he'd spent the whole night on the balcony, he looked down at Shiro. She looked incredibly precious while sleeping, curled up in his arms like a tiny kitten. The sight immediately put him in a good mood.
Gently lifting her, Seito carried her back to his room and tucked her into bed before heading back out.
Five minutes later, Seito was downstairs, heading out to buy breakfast as usual.
Step, step, step—
Footsteps echoed behind him. He turned to see Shoko Nishimiya emerging from the building.
"Oh, Shoko. Where are you headed?" Seito smiled.
"To buy breakfast~" she replied, her voice soft and melodious. It was the same gentle voice she used in the game.
"Let's walk together then."
"Okay."
The two strolled down the street together. Seito noticed that the hearing aids she used to wear were nowhere to be seen.
"How does it feel?" Seito asked.
"Wonderful~" Shoko replied.
This feeling of being a "normal" person was something she had never truly experienced before. She knew very well that everything she had now was a gift from the man beside her.
Thinking back to their childhood, Shoko felt that if it hadn't been for Seito, she likely would have been bullied by her classmates. Back then, she was an "outcast" in the eyes of other children. Only Seito was willing to be her friend.
Back then, she thought he was a bit strange, but looking back now, she only felt that having Seito in her life was a blessing.
"Seito-kun~"
Shoko took a deep breath.
"Yeah?"
Seito turned to look at her. He saw her face flush a deep crimson as she slowly stepped closer to him. She opened her mouth, looking hesitant, but finally, her large eyes filled with resolve.
She took another two shallow breaths to steady her nerves. Her lips trembled slightly as a soft, gentle whisper drifted from them:
"Will you... be my boyfriend?"
...
Thank you for reading.