ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

Chapter 222: Real Strong Part 2

Eh, the hell, the fuck is this! I’m starting to feel scared here! Of course I could just turn around and have a look who was following me, but if it turned out that it was just some random stranger, than this would be helluva awkward.

That would be simply unbearable. “Why is this guy looking at me?” “Why is this guy following me?” To be subjected to such awkwardness right on the very first day of school would be simply too much to bear for the little old me.

Whatever should I do here? Should I just run away in hopes of shaking the bastard off? No, I cannot do that. If I suddenly break into a mad dash here, it would be simultaneous with admitting to my stalker that I am aware of the fact that I’m being stalked. And who knows what might happen then?

It’s like the only way for me to win this is to start running away, but actually starting to run away would mean admitting defeat…… God damn it, it’s only the beginning of September, it’s way too early for me to be dragged into mind games like that! And the fact that this game called life is something you cannot log out of was not helping in the slightest!

「…… Ah, umm!!」

「!!??」

It spoke! No, wait a second! It was more like it tried to talk to me! What the hell!? What is it!? What is it that you’re after!?

Why would you try to make contact in this kind of situation!? Was it the fact that there was something on my back? Then in that case it was my duty as a true gentleman to act accordingly, thank that someone and laugh at my own carelessness.

「Yes!? What seemeth to beest the problem!?」

「Ahh, umm…… You’re Hizutome-kun, right?」

Turning around, instead of a hired hitman that my brain was imagining, I have seen a young girl about my age, wearing the uniform of the same high school as I was wearing.

「Ah, umm, Saiga… -san?」

「Y-Yes, that’s right. H-Hizutome-kun, umm, ahh…… Summer vacation! It’s been a while!」

「Summer…… Ah, oh, yeah, now that you mention it.」

Ahh, now I see. That must have been the reason why I was not sure who it was that was walking behind me.

Unlike that one day during the Summer when she was wearing that thin one piece dress, Saiga-san right now was wearing the summer version of our high school’s girls’ uniform. She was also smiling happily with her face slightly flushed red, most probably because of the Summer heat that was still to be felt in the atmosphere. Yes, that has to be it.

Umu, I know that it was probably rude to think that way about someone, but right about now when I look at Saiga-san I get a feeling that she would make for a fine heroine in a number of different dating sims. That’s how cute and stylish she was.

「Huh? Do you perhaps live somewhere close-by, Saiga-san?」

「Eh? Umm, ahh…… I wanted to change my routine for a bit and I went to school different way, and, umm…… That’s when I noticed you, Hizutome-kun…… Yes! It was completely by accident!」

「I-I see……」

Well, it would certainly explain a whole lot of things. For example: the fact that we happened to bump into one another in front of that convenience store around my neighborhood. So that must mean she lives somewhere in that area as well, huh?

However, the fact about the whereabouts of Saiga-san’s house means very little to me. Almost as nothing as a game that I have little to no interest in.

Now then, the real question right now is: whatever should I do from here? Should I call it quits here and be on my way? Or should I make some attempt at small talk, even though I know that it might end up rather poorly?

「But I must say, summer vacation ended in a flash and what do you know? It’s back to school already.」

「T-That’s true…… It’s really is back to school already, that’s why……」

Well, it would certainly be nice to have more holidays available to you, but such a thing is not good in its own right. Because of that life would lose some of its sharpness. At least that’s my take on it.

Reality and games are both pretty nice as long as you indulge in them in moderation. Well, there are ways in this world for one to live by doing nothing besides what one likes, but…… the only people like that that come to my mind are those foregners and Natsume-san. Strange, why would I think about Silvia Goldberg here?

「………」

「………」

Kuh, talk about awkward. Come on now, Saiga-san. Throw me some ball here, give me something to work with! Don’t force finding the conversation topic all onto me!

If I had more experience in socializing with other people, maybe I would be able to come up with conversation topics like machine gun or even a rail gun. However, my sphere of interest tend to lie elsewhere, so when it comes to socializing my caliber is only something similar to an old revolver. Rather poor and ineffective at best. But I must try to come up with something……!

「Ah…… Ahhhh, oh, yeah! That’s right! Speaking of which, do you play ShanFro, Saiga-san?」

「Fueah.」

「Fueah?」

「No, no, it’s nothing! Please! It’s nothing! Umm, yes. Yes, that’s correct! I’m playing ShanFro from time to time!」

Speaking of which, the last time we met I’m sure we were having the same kind of conversation, but we were abruptly interrupted for some reason. But I’m sure it was certainly about ShanFro.

And Saiga-san shook so suddenly, probably because the topic was changed so suddenly towards a video game. Also, the way her hair was gently swaying in the wind was really cute and appealing.

「What kind of character do you play as, Saiga-san? A Healer?」

「N-No, umm…… A Warrior one……」

That’s surprising…… Although I’ve heard rumors that Saiga-san trains in kendo and martial arts, so that sort of experience is surely to come in handy when playing warrior classes in games. And seeing how Wezaemon was in battle, that sounds about right.

「I see…… Do you play much?」

「Emm, well, umm…… Yes. I also…… belong to a guild……」

「Oooh? Were you perhaps invited by a family member?」

「Umm, yes, that’s right……」

Playing with your relatives poses a threat of the fact that you play a certain game being leaked to the world, but if you enjoy the game, you can achieve a level of teamwork that random people could only dream of.

Pencilgton, Katsu and myself. We know one another from different games, but I can say that we are rather close. Maybe not as close as family members, but our teamwork is nothing to scoff at either.

That being said, sometimes it turns out that you thought that playing with family members might be a good idea, but it ends up being quite a disaster instead. However, there is no way of knowing that beforehand, so what counts here is the intention.

But this is going well so far. The conversation is going smoothly for the time being, without any awkward silences and topic shifts.

「Apparently a new continent has been opened recently. Do you think you’d be able to challenge it, Saiga-san?」

「I-I wonder…… There are many strong players out there…… So I’m not so sure……」

Certainly, more and more ships are starting to cruise over to the new continent, but when it comes to the center of the playerbase, I’d say that it is mostly focused around Thirdrema still. And the amount of people refraining from going to the new continent should still be larger than those who are willing to go there right away.

I also heard that players like Rei and her “Black Wolves” are yet to venture to the new continent, seemingly out of consideration for other players.

「I mean yeah, not everything on the current continent has been discovered yet, so staying there does not mean that it will be boring by any means.」

After all, there are still Unique Monsters that are waiting for the players to take them on.

「Yes, I guess that, you’re right. Fufufu……」

Now this is a good sign. If someone like me is able to make someone like Saiga-san laugh happily, I’d say it’s a job well done.

And then it happens. A small cicada flies in between us, about to draw its last breath and turn into a shell, even though it may have not been able to leave any offspring behind.

It plunges down towards the ground in a splendid parabola. However, there was one small detail here. Saiga-san was in its way.

If this was a game, maybe she would have been able to do something about it. However this is real life, and your body does not possess the capacity to respond as fast as your thoughts.

I knew it was there because I could see it in my line of sight. However, Saiga-san was not so lucky. And before I could move my body or react in any sort of a way, that cicada managed to land on Saiga-san’s forehead.

「Hyah.」

FLICK!

「Obuah!?」

「He? Ah, aaahhh!?」

I tried to brush the cicada off Saiga-san’s forehead, but before I could react appropriety the cicada jumped from there and instead settled on my body.

To be more precise, it landed on my cheek.

I did not expect that, not in the least. I don’t know how Saiga-san managed to keep her cool like that, but upon realizing what just happened I lost my balance and fell onto the ground, this event turning into yet one more landmine that was covering this already treacherous minefield called road to school.

SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII, SHII!!

「Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!!! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!??」

Agh, the leg! The leg was twisted in a strange direction, one that a leg should never bend towards too much!! And that’s not all! The wings! Please just spare the wings! It’s pretty much done without them around!

「I-I’m so terribly sorry! I-I’m going to help you right…… Kyah!?」

For poor Hizutome Rakuro-san, the very first memory right after the summer vacation was over was to be manhandled in a really nasty fashion, just like a cicada. It was a pretty much traumatizing experience.

One thing’s for sure: Saiga Rei-san is incredibly strong.