. Although the air was no denser than sea level air on Huade or Earth, the first of the two Spirit Beasts who had been on standby appeared out of the haze with her tail lazily waving back and forth, propelling her. She was a ravishingly beautiful mermaid-like creature, the potential result if the merrow had extravagantly decorated themselves for …

. I stood in this spot again, looking at the Six Geometries Seven Elements tapestry. My original plan had been to move Ryuu elsewhere for what I had in mind, but Curator felt that we could accomplish it here, once she made a few minor configuration changes. Dilorè, standing beside me in this unfamiliar environment into which I had brought …

. I stood in the background once again, this time looking at the banner hanging in the blackness in front of me, stirring up ancient memories. ‘Tapestry’ was a loose term, in this case. This banner was actually a form of weaving from the Fundamental Plane, in which the various objects depicted could freely move around the material. And in …

. Having received a surprising question that I found myself unable to answer, I paid attention instead to my cousin’s hands as they tended to my hair. Combing hair is a rhythmic activity, and can be a very therapeutic one. It’s a gentle dance, one hand lifting the tresses, the other steadily pulling the comb through them. With the hands …

. I will confess I allowed a ‘pfft’ to escape my lips. Ryuu shot a lethal glare in my direction, but he couldn’t leave his attention off the threat for more than a moment. It immediately returned to the flame in Kanon’s hand, and his eyes narrowed. “So I have to defeat you?” “As long as the Commander doesn’t overrule …

. 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 …

. Continuing in third person from Ryuu’s point of view. The village warriors and mages held their siege line around the pixie’s three [Wind Wall] shields, content to wait for the incoming monsters to arrive. They left no escape for either their original prey or the interloper. “Ryuu?” Chiara called. “Get up here! You can’t do anything down there in …

. A quick reminder: Tiana is temporarily narrating in third person as if from Ryuu’s point of view. Ryuu’s expression evolved rapidly from suspicion to anger to confusion. The pixie– Tiana– used the high-pitched toy voice to add, “Not much time left, Big Brother!” He stopped his run in the middle of a bamboo stand at a point where he …

. With the spectacle ended, the spectators moved off the beach, up into their village. A couple men stayed to strip Ryuu of his gear and clothing, then left the body laying there on the beach. I had actually transitioned from my pixie form to the instructor’s booth when Ryuu died, and watched the gruesome ritual through the screen. Now …

. Although Kanon made considerable adjustments for Ryuu and Chiara, she didn’t make any changes at all for Dilorè. I don’t know if this was because my cousin was the first fairy she had ever trained, or if, as a young fairy, a training scenario for a young Elder was already a pretty good fit. The scenario I had chosen …