With a mental tap on the [Take] option under Honami Ichinose's profile, a soft, shimmering, golden light abruptly enveloped the cavernous space within the ruined dwarf ship. The air, already stale and heavy with the scent of ancient metal and dust, crackled with a faint, unfamiliar energy, like distant static. Shadows seemed to deepen momentarily, pressing in on them, before receding just as quickly as the light intensified. When the luminescence subsided, leaving behind only the dim, ambient glow filtering through cracks in the colossal hull and Riku's lamp, a young woman stood where empty space had been just moments before.
Riku and Levi, huddled near a shattered console while Igris stood silently, impassively nearby, stared, momentarily speechless, at the unexpected arrival. It wasn't just that someone had appeared out of nowhere; it was who had appeared. The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, possessing a natural charm, an innate radiance that seemed to emanate from her very being, softening the harsh edges of the ruined environment. Her long hair cascaded down her back in a striking strawberry gradient, the soft, delicate pink near her head seamlessly transitioning into a vibrant cyan at the tips – a splash of utterly otherworldly color in the dim, mundane interior of the wreck. Her eyes were large and luminous, the blue so deep and clear they resembled polished sapphires, holding a gentle intelligence, a serene curiosity that seemed to assess her bizarre surroundings with calm, focused observation.
She was dressed in a pristine crimson uniform, the jacket tailored to accentuate the delicate curve of her shoulders, fastened neatly with simple buttons above a crisp white shirt. A dark red ribbon was tied impeccably beneath her slender neck, adding a touch of formal elegance. The short, white skirt flared slightly, revealing the gentle swell of her plump thighs encased in smooth, matte black leggings that disappeared into a pair of sensible, practical brown shoes. Her figure was undeniably alluring, her ample bosom perfectly curved beneath the uniform, hinting at a soft femininity that was both innocent and captivating. Every line of her body seemed to flow with a natural grace, a harmonious symphony of curves and angles that was both cute and undeniably beautiful.
Honami Ichinose blinked, her large blue eyes taking in the strange surroundings – the colossal, ruined interior of the ship, the imposing figure of Igris standing silently, motionlessly nearby, the two unfamiliar men staring at her with varying degrees of shock and curiosity. A flicker of surprise, a brief widening of those striking blue eyes, crossed her serene features, but it was quickly replaced by a calm and collected demeanor that seemed almost preternatural given the circumstances.
"Um… where am I?" she asked, her voice soft and melodious, carrying a gentle lilt that was instantly disarming in its politeness. Her gaze moved from Riku to Levi, a polite curiosity evident in her expression. "And… who are you?" She didn't seem frightened, not a hint of panic in her posture or voice, merely observant, assessing, her poise remarkable given the sudden and utterly bizarre circumstances of her arrival via shimmering light. The air around her seemed to subtly shift, a faint aura of quiet confidence emanating from her, hinting at an inner strength and resilience that completely belied her delicate appearance and impractical attire for a ruined spaceship.
Levi, who had been staring with a slack-jawed expression that hadn't been seen on his face since he'd first encountered a squirrel that not only talked but demanded payment for directions (a story for another time, and one he rarely told), finally found his voice. He cleared his throat, a sardonic, slow smirk spreading across his face as he turned his gaze from Honami to Riku.
"Well, Dola," Levi drawled, using the nickname he'd bestowed upon Riku after a particularly grim and calculating strategic move that reminded him of something from Rio's memories. His eyes flicked between the bewildered but remarkably composed Honami and Riku's slightly dazed, surprised expression. "Looks like your 'anime character gacha' isn't quite as useless as it sounds after all. Though, I gotta say, for someone who just risked life and limb completing some questionable tasks and dealing with glowy-winged midgets, your priorities are… certainly interesting."
He stepped closer to Honami, circling her slowly with a theatrical flourish, his eyes taking in the details of her pristine uniform and unnatural hair color. "Welcome to our humble abode, Blondie-Two," he said, giving her a new, casual nickname. "Hope you brought more than just a fancy school uniform and some questionable hair dye. Unless your special power is the ability to ace pop quizzes or navigate confusing social hierarchies in the middle of a monster attack, I'm not entirely sure how helpful you'll be out here." He punctuated his statement with a pointed, mocking look at Riku. "Though, I suppose she's a significant upgrade from that grumpy crimson statue over there in terms of… visual appeal." He gestured towards Igris, who remained as impassive and silent as ever, completely unaffected by Levi's commentary.
Riku, finally snapping out of his initial surprise by Levi's typical antics, shot him a sharp glare. "Don't make fun of her, Levi. It's not her fault she's here. Also, she isn't here of her own free will." He added, perhaps more for his own benefit than Levi's, "And remember, every single person is useful, given the chance." Though, even he didn't immediately know how a seemingly ordinary schoolgirl would be useful for them in this life-or-death struggle, let alone for the village's survival.
"Oh, I'm sure she is, Dola," Levi countered easily, his smirk widening, enjoying Riku's discomfort. "Useful. Like a fragile porcelain doll in a rockslide. By the way, your system's randomness is truly its most consistent and infuriating feature, much like your uncanny ability to attract the most bizarre and inconvenient allies imaginable. First a brooding titan-slayer with a penchant for standing silently and judging everyone, now a picture-perfect schoolgirl. What's next? A talking cat with existential angst?"
He turned back to Honami, his tone shifting, becoming surprisingly polite, if still dripping with layers of sarcasm that likely flew over her head. "Don't mind him," he said, gesturing towards Riku with a thumb. "He's just… processing. The sheer shock of winning something aesthetically pleasing from his system has temporarily short-circuited his tactical genius and social skills. Just try not to trip over any conveniently placed banana peels; he tends to overthink those with intricate flowcharts."
Riku sighed, a weary sound, and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long day, potentially trapped in a ruined ship with Levi's relentless teasing and a bewildered summon. "Levi," he said, his voice low and firm. "Be respectful. She's a guest."
"Respectful?" Levi echoed, raising an eyebrow theatrically. "Of course, Dola. My deepest respects to our new… asset. I shall endeavor to treat her with the utmost courtesy and strategic consideration. Though, forgive me if I don't immediately entrust her with the village's defense strategy or assume she's secretly a combat expert. Unless, Blondie Two," he turned back to Honami, his eyes twinkling with mischief and underlying annoyance at the situation, "you happen to have a secret stash of anti-fairy spray or, perhaps, a black belt in glow-stick combat hidden under that pristine uniform?" He was clearly, visibly annoyed by the absurdity of the summon given their current predicament, and channeled it into relentless sarcasm.
Honami, to her immense credit, took Levi's sarcastic barrage and mocking nicknames with remarkable composure. A small, polite smile touched her lips, radiating genuine pleasantness, and her sapphire eyes held a hint of amusement rather than offense. She seemed to process his words, understand the underlying tone, and choose to bypass the antagonism entirely.
"It's nice to meet you both," she said, her melodious voice cutting through Levi's teasing like a clear bell. "My name is Honami Ichinose." She offered a slight bow of her head, an ingrained politeness evident in her every movement. "As for my… abilities, I'm afraid Mr. Levi is correct. I don't have any experience with fighting monsters or… glow-stick combat, as you put it." She glanced around the colossal, ruined ship again, her expression still calm but tinged with intellectual curiosity. "However, I am a quick learner, and I'm willing to help in any way I can."
She turned her attention to Riku, her gaze direct, intelligent, and filled with polite inquiry. "You mentioned the 'system' brought me here. Could you explain what that is and why I'm in this… rather unusual location? And why I seem to have... appeared from thin air?" Her demeanor was one of genuine inquiry, absorbing information with an almost palpable focus, attempting to piece together the bizarre reality she'd been thrust into.
Levi, momentarily taken aback by her unflappable politeness and collected response to his deliberate provocation, merely shrugged, a grudging flicker of admiration in his eyes. "Well, Blondie Two, you've got more patience than I do, I'll give you that. Most people I know would've either screamed and run or decked Dola here for his brooding silence by now."
Riku, finally regaining his footing and deciding honesty was the best policy given the circumstances, stepped forward. "It's a long and complicated story, Ichinose-san," he said, using a more formal address out of respect for her composure and unfamiliarity with their world. "But in short, yes, a… system… connected to me brought you here. As for why, we're still trying to figure that out ourselves, and how it works." He gestured around the ruined ship, the massive, silent structure looming around them. "As for this location, we believe we might be under magical surveillance after a recent encounter with some… fairies. This structure offers a degree of… interference, a place where we hoped to hide until the potential tracking spell dissipated."
He briefly, concisely, explained their encounter with the aggressive fairies and their subsequent suspicion of being tracked by magic. Honami listened intently, her brow furrowing slightly as she absorbed the information, connecting the dots with visible mental effort.
"Magical surveillance… fairies… this is all quite different from what I'm used to," she commented, her tone thoughtful, analytical. "However, the principle of seeking a location that disrupts tracking signals makes logical sense. It's like seeking a Faraday cage, but for magic."
Levi snorted from his position nearby. "Logical sense? From Dola? That's a first. Usually, his plans involve more brooding, less talking, and certainly less… well, logic and clear explanation."
Riku shot Levi another glare, which the shorter man completely ignored, now leaning against a piece of twisted metal.
Honami, seemingly unfazed by the underlying tension and sarcastic jabs between the two men, continued to observe her surroundings, her mind clearly working at high speed to process the bizarre reality she had been thrust into. "So," she said, her gaze returning to Riku, calm and focused. "What is the next step? Do we wait here to see if we're being followed, to see if this 'interference' works?"
"That's the current plan," Riku confirmed, his earlier surprise now fully replaced by his strategic mindset, incorporating this new, unexpected variable. "We wait and observe. If the fairies don't appear within the next day, the tracking spell, if it exists, will likely dissipate as we hoped. If they do appear…" He trailed off, his gaze hardening, a grim resolve settling on his features. "Then we'll have to deal with them."
Levi cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the quiet space, a predatory glint entering his eyes. "Then let's hope those little Tinkerbells decide to pay us a visit," he said, a humorless smile playing on his lips. "It's been a while since I've had a good fairy dust-up."
Riku sighed internally, the absurdity of the situation hitting him anew. This unlikely trio – a brooding strategist burdened by the fate of his people and the secrets of another world, a sarcastic, battle-hardened former titan-slayer with a penchant for dark humor, and a remarkably composed transfer student from another dimension, dressed in a school uniform – were now huddled in the eerie, silent ruins of a colossal alien ship, waiting to see if they were being hunted by magical fairies. The sheer, impossible comicality of it all was almost enough to make him laugh, if the stakes weren't so incredibly high.