74. Wanna Check if I'm Third-Rate?
74. Wanna Check if I'm Third-Rate?
[Pure Love (Anni Agape)]
-A divine artifact that can transform into any equipment.
-Imbued with the divinity of Ur, a member of the Muses, and the godhood of Hephaestus.
-Maintains optimal condition in any situation.
-A gathering of junk remains junk, so do not lose your faith in me.
-Trait: Indestructibility (Infinite Durability)
-Trait: Transformation (Can change form)
-Skill: [Encore Kiss]
-Skill: [Power Chord]
-Skill: [Battle of God's Music]
[Battle of God's Music]
-Plays the poems of the gods.
-Effects change depending on the poem played.
"......???"
The last week before vacation.
When I was finally discharged from the hospital and stepped outside to return to the dormitory, a bizarre window suddenly stretched out long before my eyes.
"So this is... I mean....."
Seeing Ur's name written on it, maybe this was related to Ur.
Just in case, I took out Anni Agape... the name's seriously weird.
Anyway, I took out Agape and held it in my hand.
"This is that thing from before, right?"
A water-colored dagger.
The subtle sanctity felt from its surface definitely gave me the feeling that Ur had given it to me.
I felt a bit bummed when it got futilely shattered before, but this time it came with the Indestructibility trait too, so it seemed like I'd be able to use it well in many ways.
"And on top of that, if I can freely change it into anything....."
Could it be possible?
I breathed the thought I had into Agape as it was.
─Wooong...!
Agape began to flicker.
Soon it gradually increased in size──and became a light-blue sports car?
"This actually works?"
Ah, I can't resist this.
I immediately opened the car door and got inside.
"The seats are insane."
The cushioning was no joke.
The steering wheel I grabbed right away fit perfectly in my hand, as if intuitively telling me what 'optimal condition' meant.
"Can I just start it up and go now?"
I immediately picked up the car key... I mean, what key, this was a car made from equipment in the first place.
There was no way something like a car key existed.
If it changes according to my will, then it should probably start itself up on its own.
I breathed my thoughts into Agape once again, putting the car into ignition.
"Alright, let's go!"
Accel ON.
I pressed the accelerator forcefully, and the sports car────did not move.
"....Why not!"
Isn't it common sense that it should move by this point?
Flustered, I frantically stepped on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel, but the car remained utterly silent.
Eventually, as I sat in the seat staring blankly at the steering wheel, at some point Mai, who had sat down next to me, asked.
"Is Big Brother an idiot?"
There's no engine, so obviously it wouldn't move.
"....Then."
What, so this thing was just an empty tin can with a fancy exterior?
Faced with a reality I couldn't handle, I looked over at Mai.
In response, Mai patted my shoulder and said.
"No worries. Mai will do it instead."
"Do it instead?"
What did she mean by instead?
Mai soon got out of the car and opened the front hood.
Then she went inside and closed the hood— no, why was she going in there?
─Bureung... bureureureung!
"Whoa!"
The exhaust sound roared powerfully.
Startled by the unexpected vibration, I accidentally stepped on the accelerator without realizing it.
─Bureureureureung!!!
"Whoa, whoa, whoaaaa?!!!"
It surged forward──did not.
It just made a loud exhaust sound. Just revving vigorously in place.
"Now what's the problem this time?"
As I fell deep into thought feeling the trembling vibrations, Mai soon spoke to me over the car radio.
"A request for Big Brother: there are no wheels, idiot."
"......Did you really just make the exterior?"
I got out of the car and checked underneath. The brakes, the springs, everything that should be there was there, but the wheels were missing.
It lacked in the strangest places, this thing.
'Where on earth do I get wheels....'
Was there a tire shop nearby?
As I stared at the sports car that was like a steamed bun without the filling, another window floated up before my eyes.
[An Oracle has arrived.]
[Main God─Cronus: Do not forget my grace.]
".....Um."
Grace.
Guhrace.
So.... was he talking about this?
I took out Cronus's Scythe.
─......?
"Hey."
It was in its usual pistol form.
Maybe because the rank went up, it felt a bit closer, but whatever, that aside.
"Could you turn into wheels for me?"
─.............
"You don't know? There are tons of people getting hit by cars and dying these days."
─......!
That... made sense!
Cronus's Scythe slid off my hand like black clay and crawled sluggishly toward the car.
Soon it spread its body onto each empty wheel spot and equipped the tires, and thus the complete form was born.
"If it still doesn't work after this, I'm really gonna get mad."
Then I'll buy one with my own damn money.
I opened the car door, got inside, and gently stepped on the accelerator.
─Buuuuuung.
".......Fuck?"
Why.
Why isn't it working again this time?
When I angrily pressed the accelerator hard, Mai spoke over the radio.
"Is the gearshift just for decoration?"
"....Aha."
"Put on your seatbelt too. This car has no airbags."
"......Thanks."
I put on my seatbelt, released the gear, and stepped on the accelerator.
The car smoothly moved forward.
"Ha..... seriously."
A dumb bastard who can't even make use of what he's given.
Still, with the joy of having a new car in my own way, I drove off coolly.
"You don't have a driver's license?"
"Well... strictly speaking, this isn't exactly a car, so...."
"You're an academy student cadet, right? The fine comes with increased penalties."
"N-no...!"
I got a ticket.
The reason was speeding.
The cause was Mai's Heavenly Demon's Dominating Step, after she felt competitive toward a sports car that overtook us nearby.
***************
After returning to the academy,
I immediately went back to the dormitory and unpacked my luggage.
"This is Big Brother's room."
"...Come to think of it."
Mai was looking around the room.
Where should I have this kid sleep from now on?
Honestly, I wasn't too worried.
"I'll lay out a bed with the scythe and cover it with Agape as a blanket, that should be fine."
─......?
"Ehei, have you never seen someone get crushed to death by a person lying on them as a bed?"
─..........
There was a minor friction with the scythe, but I managed to get past it.
I finished setting up the new bed next to mine and called out to Mai.
"Mai, you should be able to sleep with this──"
"──Seuuuu.... haaaaa....."
"..........Hey?"
At some point, Mai had opened the wardrobe and taken out one uniform, sniffing its scent.
She wasn't suddenly reaching her hand down or doing anything outright lewd. She was literally just sniffing the uniform's scent, so I didn't know what to say.
First, I felt like I should tell her to stop.
".....Assimilation complete."
Transformation activated.
Mai spread her wings and covered them over her body.
The white wing soon became Garu and began to be absorbed over Mai's body. Eventually, when all the light faded, what was there was....
"With this, I can stay by Big Brother's side."
"....It's a school uniform."
Surely she didn't mean she wanted to take the same classes.
Just in case, I looked at Mai, and Mai asked me in return.
"Is there a problem?"
"There are so many that I'd say I'm at a loss for words instead..."
In the first place, I'm not from some powerful family. How would I suddenly enroll a kid?
Plus, even if she took classes, it didn't seem like she'd follow well.
And if she attended classes, she'd obviously take exams too. Could she handle that?
Under circumstances where picking apart each issue led to an endless conclusion of no answers,
Mai spoke to me.
"Big Brother is an idiot. I definitely understand now."
"No, why?"
Why do you keep painting me as an idiot?
To this, Mai shook her head and answered.
"I am Big Brother's summoned beast. Not an outsider."
"....Ahh!"
Because the kid looked so much like a person, I had forgotten.
For now, she was a summoned beast. To classify, it was like a 'pet' or a 'spirit'.
There was no one anywhere who would find it strange to have a pet next to you while taking classes.
'But that pet...'
It was a bit weird since it looked human.
Oh well, since spirits often look like people, it could make sense that she looked human too.
As the limits of my rationality were slowly approaching from many angles, I decided to stop thinking more deeply.
"Anyway, why classes? It's not particularly interesting even if you attend?"
"Because the Heavenly Demon must be good at everything!"
"It's the Heavenly Demon again."
Alright, what kind of talk would it be this time?
I rested my elbow on the desk, propped my chin, and looked at Mai.
"The Heavenly Demon is strong."
"Right?"
A relatively reasonable reason.
"Good at cooking too."
"What?"
I thought so.
"Good at broadcasting too."
"............"
"Good at magic. Earns lots of money. Crafts weapons. Levels up. Dances and sings."
"Um....."
Surely everything she was saying right now...
"Does childcare too. Gives good advice. Good at baking bread. Does everything they want."
"........I see."
She asked to borrow my phone lately, and it seemed she watched every single Heavenly Demon there was to watch.
...
..
.
After roughly finishing unpacking,
I lay down on my bed for the first time in a while.
"Heuaaaa...."
This feeling of the world becoming peaceful.
I subtly turned my body to the side and checked on Mai.
"Sniff.... sniff sniff....."
"...Earlier you were sniffing mine, and now you're sniffing your own uniform's scent?"
As if she never got tired of it, Mai was holding her sleeve to her nose and sniffing it.
What was so good about it? To think it was the scent of fabric softener, that uniform was probably entirely made by Mai herself.
"Smells good."
"What kind of smell is it?"
"The smell is....."
Mai slowly turned her head and looked back at me.
"Big Brother's scent."
"....My scent?"
That's a uniform you made.
Wondering what she meant, I stared at her, and Mai continued her answer.
"You saw earlier. I 'mimicked' the scent soaked into the uniform entirely and made this."
"....Wait a moment?"
First, I wasn't sure if I understood correctly.
"So right now, that appearance... it's not that you copied my uniform, you just did that earlier because you wanted to copy the scent?"
"I can change the clothes to whatever I want at any time."
".....Didn't you ask me to buy you Heavenly Demon clothes before?"
"................"
"Hey?"
Mai slowly turned her head away.
"Mai. Young child. Needs time to grow. Good Heavenly Demon, time to sleep now."
"....Ehh."
Fine.
It's just a few bucks, no need to be like this.
I turned my body just like that and spoke to Mai.
"Want me to buy you one more?"
".........?"
"I saw lately that the Volcanic Sect training robes are trending too."
"....Big Brother."
At my words, Mai slowly sat up and asked.
"They say the Heavenly Demon is first-rate in martial arts, but third-rate as a woman."
"???"
"Want to check if I'm third-rate?"
"Go to sleep."
You little kid.
I turned my body completely and faced the other way with my gaze.
"......Tsundere?"
"No!"