.
I stared into the screen at Ryuu, who was glaring at the pixie at that moment, with a feeling I can only describe as stunned amusement.
Although I had played the pixie for most of the time, Kanon and I had actually traded roles several times. It had been my turn on the last play-through, but I had wanted a break, so we put the scenario into time dilation and went to rest and cultivate before restarting. Kanon had wanted to take the pixie role when I returned so I was now sipping tea.
After considering my options, I carefully asked, “Exactly why do you say that, Mr. Kowa?”
His mouth twisted in thought, then he said, “To begin with, your ‘certain technical reasons’. I don’t really believe you can’t overrule a simulation gone bad. The only way you wouldn’t have a reset button after running these for thousands of years is if they can’t have any errors. And your whole premise is that her scenario has an error.”
True, that, I thought, nodding to myself. Normally, Ryuu is a musclehead, so seeing him thinking critically made me feel a little proud of him. Neither I nor Kanon replied to him, though.
He picked up a stone and turned it in his fingers while studying it, visibly going over his thoughts.
“And the idea that you can only go back to the last save point is also crazy,” he finally continued. “Not just because you can surely save more than one place. I mean, I don’t believe your spectacular ancient technology can’t do at least that much. But more importantly, it’s got to be valuable for training reasons to be able to keep multiple play-throughs and go back and try different things from different places.”
“Mmmm…” the pixie– being played at the moment by Kanon– responded while holding her chin. “Big Brother…”
“I said I wasn’t playing that game anymore,” he interrupted before she could say more. “I already know you two are working together, so you don’t have to pretend to be a random outsider. You can talk normally.”
I sighed, then projected my spiritual voice into the scenario, projecting to both Ryuu and Kanon. Pardon me if I don’t speak normally out loud, Mr. Kowa. It’s hard to talk in that silly voice without laughing.
He set his jaw, still staring at the pixie, then continued, “The whole ‘I can’t log out’ story is ridiculous for the same reasons. There’s no way you don’t have an emergency exit.”
I considered my options, then sent words privately to Kanon, We can try to convince him he’s wrong, but I’m not sure whether we should.
Success according to my original plan depended upon his belief in it. That is now lost. We’ll need to change tactics. Will you switch with me, Commander?
Sure, just a second, I answered, put my teacup down and sat back, then told the operator to make the switch.
My awareness entered the pixie body, then I heard my voice saying, “Mr. Kowa, supposing what you are saying is true, what can you do about it? You’re at my mercy.”
He gave a dark smirk. “Trying to play the cold, aloof elite, just like your sister? But that’s another problem. Just like the whole ‘Chiara is my toy and I can do what I want with her’ story. Tiana may act cold, but she’s too kind for that.”
Looking over at me, the pixie, he said, “I bet you weren’t letting Chiara feel the pain, or you were doing something else to make it easier on her. You were just using her to train me, so there wasn’t any need to hurt her.”
I don’t know if he was just getting that from his intuition, or if Chiara had somehow communicated to him the fact that we were switching her out before she went through the worst parts.
After giving a little pixie sigh, I answered, Rather than technical reasons, we have strict rules against cutting scenarios short, Mr. Kowa. To enforce those rules, we built the system to pass the physical training gains to your real body only upon stage completion. So we are going to make you complete this stage in any case. And Chiara does have to reach her destination in order to clear her original stage. This experience isn’t a requirement, but she hasn’t registered her original completion yet.
“So, even though I know it’s a farce, we have to finish it, because of your rules.”
“Because there are benefits you have yet to receive. In order to receive them, you must complete the scenario,” Kanon stated. “And you still haven’t learned everything I intend for you to learn.”
“So what do you want me to do?” he asked, picking up another stone. “What’s the real test? What’s the real clearing condition? Beating that boss? Beating those villagers? Getting clear of the village with Chiara? Am I supposed to learn a new attack, or learn how to run faster? Tell me what you want me to do!”
“And if I answered, ‘all of the above’?”
He pressed his lips together, then flung the second stone out to sea.
“Fine,” he declared, then looked at me. “If you’re still working with me, then go stay with Chiara. I won’t be coming to rescue her. If they try to sacrifice her, kill her or do whatever you need to do so that she doesn’t go through that again.”
I stared at him in shock.
“M… Mr. Kowa?” I stammered in that tiny voice, too surprised to remember to use my spiritual voice.
“What are you going to do in the meantime?” Kanon asked.
“Level up. If you want to teach me, then teach me. I’m going to stay here and work until I can blow that beast away in one hit. Until I can wipe that stinking village from the face of this simulated planet. Until I can pick up Chiara and jump out of that place with her in one leap. Whatever you think I should learn in order to rescue her, I’ll learn it.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t mention the one huge weakness you should have noticed by now.”
I was right. Normal speech sounds ridiculous in a chipmunk voice.
“Actually, it isn’t all that bad,” Kanon mused. “He understands that he’s vulnerable. His defense is nearly nonexistent, but if he can bring either overwhelming speed or overwhelming force, he doesn’t need defense.”
That’s not really what I was talking about, although it’s another weakness, I replied. I was talking about his tendency to try to solve everything himself.
“How is that any different than you?” Ryuu retorted. “You do the same thing!”
Kanon’s laughter came through the sphere. “He does need to think more about how to leverage the contributions of others, but if he is supposed to be a hero, isn’t solving everything himself exactly what your kingdom asked of him?”
I hesitated answering, since she had a point. In the silence, Ryuu grumbled, “Could you two not talk like I’m not sitting here?”
“Very well, Mr. Kowa,” Kanon answered. “Although you probably don’t need to ‘level up’ as much as you suggest in order to clear the stage, it wouldn’t actually harm anything, since we have largely accomplished our real goal already, except for the execution.”
Ryuu’s brows wrinkled. He turned his eyes from the sphere to the pixie, looking for an explanation from me.
If you truly now understand, deep in your gut, that you need to improve, Mr. Kowa, then we’ve accomplished half of our goal, I told him. The other half is for that need for improvement to become engraved in your soul.
“Why don’t we try doing it his way for a bit?” Kanon suggested. “We can put this scenario in time dilation, in the meantime.”
The sea, the cliffs and the rocky beach suddenly dissolved around us, as a world of marbles and RPG dice materialized. Countless spheres, tetrahedrons, cubes, octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and icosahedrons, in a wide range of sizes, from soccer balls to mountains, grew into being, spreading into the distance. Some sat on the boundless white tile floor, some lay partially buried in it, and some floated in the air above it. Many of the spheres were moving, as were the polyhedrons of every kind in the air.
Their substance was manifested mana. Some were one homogenous element, some contained more than one.
All were solid. Whether those elements could normally hold solid forms was irrelevant. An octahedron the size of a beach ball sitting near Ryuu’s feet consisted of pure Wind, but it was as solid as the Earth tetrahedron to my right.
I finally noticed that I was no longer a pixie. I was now in my own body, dressed in the outfit I arrived at the art gallery wearing. Feeling a little silly that I was hovering a short handful of inches above the ground, I touched down and folded my wings.
The observation sphere that floated nearby was now monitored directly by the operator.
Kanon appeared from behind a dodecahedron of Water the size of an office building, floating toward us while seated on a sphere of Aether levitating a couple paces off the ground. She announced our new location as she arrived.
“Six Geometries Seven Elements Tapestry.”
I looked around and nodded. I had a distant memory of using this place as a sort of obstacle course and team combat practice field.
“What are we doing here?” Ryuu immediately demanded, folding his arms.
“The Commander may do whatever she wishes,” Kanon answered. “She can stay here and watch, or she can help me teach you, or she can go practice her magic or flying, or anything else she wishes. You, Mr. Kowa, will be training with me, until you are ready to overcome that scenario and rescue your fair lady.”
He glowered at her, then grimaced and noted, “So you refuse to end the farce. I still have to complete your challenge.”
She tipped her head. “You knowing that it is artificial doesn’t change anything. I’m your nemesis, the Commander is your sidekick, and your quest remains Lady Chiara’s rescue.”
His scowl grew darker. “And in the meantime, what happens to Chiara?”
“Lady Chiara waits safely in time dilation, with mere seconds passing for her, so it doesn’t matter how long you delay. She will continue to wait that way until you choose to cooperate. With a single day outside the mountain equaling nineteen years in this place, we need not discuss a time limit.”
“I have to eat eventually!”
“I can create your meals, restore your health and your clothing, even resurrect you, as many times as needed.”
Ryuu had no retort, this time.
She continued, “Based upon your words, your goal is to grow strong enough to rescue Chiara. It isn’t the best approach, but if that’s what you’re determined to do, then I will not dissuade you. It’s the truth that you, as a chosen hero of our world, have the potential to do it. So, with that in mind…”
His jaw muscles worked, as he stared at her, digesting her words. Then his shoulders sagged. He heaved a sigh and answered, “Fine. What do I do?”
With a nodding smile, she looked around, surveying our geometric surroundings. After a moment, she stretched out her index finger to designate a sphere about ten paces distant. It was the size of a small house and contained all seven elements. The moment she pointed, it began rolling slowly away.
Looking back to Ryuu, she ordered, “Destroy that.”
He put his hand on his sword hilt, then returned his eyes to her, filled with suspicion.
“That’s it?”
She held her hand up, to her side, palm up, and a ball of flame appeared above it.
“I never said it would be undefended.”
