I didn’t quite understand why Rion was planning to hit me in the back of the head. If I knew that, I’d be the one hearing the ‘mind-reading’ sounds, not Himari.
But I think it’s safe to say that the Rion I know and the Rion from the original work have changed quite a bit.
The independent Rion, who never felt the need to rely on anyone, seems to respect me for some unknown reason, and doesn’t hesitate to ask for my help or input when needed.
There’s also a noticeable difference in Himari’s attitude.
Himari still consistently disses Rion, but from the sidelines, it feels like she’s just carrying on a routine rather than genuinely disliking her.
Given that, I thought Rion was changing for the better, but…
With Vina’s debris and Hoshino’s warnings from her encounters with Rion, and Himari’s warnings as she cooperated with Rion as the leader of the Supernatural Special Forces… add to that Rion’s awkward behavior towards me.
All this leads me to suspect that Rion has something up her sleeve.
But when I ask what that might be, it becomes a complicated feelings for me. If Rion does something against my wishes, it’s highly likely that it’ll involve Aris.
In fact, I might have been completely off-base regarding this. Perhaps Rion does have some shady intentions concerning our idol project… Hmm.
Of course, given the nature of this project, the kind of issues like idol industry sex scandals that were common back where I came from are unlikely to happen here.
To begin with, the idol project is currently on hiatus because of my schedule, and everyone is complaining about fatigue, so we’re contemplating a full stop on activities.
So, turning back to Aris. If Rion were to adopt a stance like, “Aris is just a robot, not a living being. Therefore, I must destroy her Halo,” what on earth should I do?
I can’t just smack Rion and hope it wakes her up. Rion is notoriously stubborn and won’t back down until something serious happens.
Anyway, I trust that the Teacher and the Game Development Club will save Aris and prevent any bad endings. If I could believe that, it would be a real relief.
The issue is, I genuinely hope Rion doesn’t take that path.
Throughout life, you might go through a rough process, but good outcomes can happen sometimes, yet a good result doesn’t mean it’s all over. The same goes for Aris; one can’t just say Rion was entirely wrong when considering the process.
I know that incident plays a big role in Rion’s personal growth, much like Mika did in the original story.
But I want a happy ending for everyone who’s deserving. Rion, despite effectively being the ‘Demon Lord,’ was actually just trying to save the world according to her beliefs. It’s hard to say she had a happy ending in the original.
I can’t say how Rion’s story unfolds after the parts I know, but up to where I’m aware, Rion was missing.
I hated that.
Um… saying all this, I feel like I’m oddly favoring characters who occupied the villain position in the original. Not to mention Mika, and then Rion and Kaya…
…anyway.
Knowing that Rion’s heart isn’t inherently bad, I wanted to help her change for the better. If Rion were to choose the same path as in the original, I’d conclude that was an irrelevant concern.
Honestly, I’m a bit scared.
Can I really stop Rion’s rampage? Can I truly persuade her, who has already firmly resolved to act according to her beliefs, with just a few words?
I want to confidently say that I’ll be by her side and together we’ll walk toward a better path, but…
…what on earth should I do?
*
“Ah! Ba-bam ba-bam, the saintess has returned to the party!”
“…Ahaha.”
“Mika! What brings you to Millennium?”
Watching Aris, who approached with eyes shining, made my swirling thoughts deepen even more.
After spending the last night in Millennium, I decided to take a moment to roam the Millennium campus before returning to Trinity. Coincidentally, I ran into Aris, who was one of the subjects of my concerns.
Should I call this lucky or not?
I can’t quite tell, but after briefly staring into Aris’s sparkling eyes, I reached out towards her head in silence.
It’s quite unfair; there’s not much height difference between Aris and me. Although she seems like she should be looking up to me, it might not seem natural for me to be petting her head like this.
But that’s a trivial matter. Despite her build, Aris is soft and accustomed to receiving affection from others.
“If you ask why I’m here in Millennium, well… to put it technically, I finished everything yesterday. So now, I’m just sightseeing!”
“Oh, then Mika is going on an adventure with Aris! Today is the release day for the much-anticipated new game Dragon Nesting! I’m sure it’ll be fun!”
“…Ahaha. I won’t be able to hang out for long, but for a little while, it should be alright.”
“Then, Aris, let the adventure resume from now!”
With overflowing energy, Aris declared this as we began walking down the path. I felt exactly what the Teacher from the original work must have felt seeing Aris adored by all the Millennium students.
Throughout our walk, Aris kept babbling about the new game, Dragon Nesting—“Have you heard about it? It’s such a great game!” While it’s delightful she’s doing well, I couldn’t resonate much with the game itself.
On top of that, me being in this body living a half-removed life from games possibly made it even harder to relate.
As we stepped out of the campus and into the city, an unexpected topic popped up.
“Rion often talks about Mika!”
“…Huh? Rion thinks of me? By the way, do you talk to Rion often?”
“Not really frequently, but I meet with Rion every two weeks for a discussion. We talk about academics and sometimes the areas I’m stuck with, and have various conversations!”
“Heueng… That sounds really interesting.”
I had only faced Rion along with Aris twice, but it appeared Rion had kept meeting Aris without my knowledge.
“Everyone thinks I’m being called by Rion to be scolded… but I believe Rion is a very kind person!”
“Ahaha, well… yes, she might actually be kinder than I initially thought.”
When an ordinary student keeps being called by the president of the student council, people might assume it’s because they got into some trouble, right? Especially if that student is part of the Game Development Club…
Separately from that, though, I was surprised to find Rion had such an adorable hobby without telling me.
If I were to ask her directly, I could see her replying something like, ‘It’s only natural to periodically check for potential risks and see if there are any issues.’
“Every time Rion sees me, she listens quietly to my adventure tales!”
Ah, I can understand that feeling. It’s just like a mother patiently listening to her daughter from kindergarten sharing her day’s experiences.
Rion isn’t really the type of parent who makes Aris enroll in multiple academies. Such beliefs were merely slanders.
But I was also a bit curious about what Rion said about me.
“Ah! Rion asked me to keep that a secret! So no matter how much you insist, I can’t tell you, Mika!”
“Oh, come on! Just a tiny hint?”
“Even if you say it like that, a promise is a promise! A hero must not betray their trust!”
“…Heuhe. I suppose that’s fair. Alright, I won’t pry.”
After chatting with Aris for a while, I realized something.
My concern—what I would do if Rion insisted on destroying Aris like in the original work—already had an answer.
If Rion, who seems to care for Aris so much, does indeed come to such a conclusion, there has to be a struggle she’s dealing with.
As I watched Aris walk into an arcade, I solidified my thoughts.
I will inevitably be fooled, even while I know.
