Seeing Firefly actually look a little shy was quite surprising to Sylvia.
It instantly reminded Sylvia of a meme she'd seen in her previous life.
If she yelled 'I will set the seas ablaze!' right in front of Firefly…
Just how embarrassed would Firefly get?
She really wanted to try it…
Too bad the timing wasn't right right now.
If their affinity wasn't high enough, the meme just wouldn't land with the intended effect.
Just as Sylvia was pondering these utterly unserious thoughts, perhaps feeling she needed to respond to the praise she'd received, Firefly, with a slight blush, looked at Sylvia and said:
"Your swordplay is very fast too, Sylvia. Even though you're using a greatsword, your transitions are much more fluid than I imagined."
Compared to Firefly's sword art, which most likely originated from standardized military training, Sylvia's style—honed entirely through real combat—was far wilder.
However, bolstered by two rather unconventional hand-skills Sylvia had acquired,
[Prohibited-Grade Fur Care Techniques (Highly Acclaimed by Furries)]made Sylvia's hands extremely soft and greatly enhanced her muscle control.
While [Cheating (Master Level)]gifted her with incredibly agile hand speed and reaction time.
Individually, neither skill seemed particularly proper.
But when combined with Sylvia's swordsmanship, they naturally produced a synergistic effect greater than the sum of their parts.
Her sword strikes became faster, quieter, and harder to detect.
At the same time, the fluidity of her transitions improved dramatically. She could wield the greatsword with the versatility and flexibility of a rapier or a flexible sword.
Sylvia had spent some time adapting to these changes. Manifested in the game, it resulted in this rather 'contradictory' style.
"Is that so? But it still feels quite rough to me. It's nothing compared to yours, Firefly."
Sylvia wasn't fully satisfied with her current swordsmanship, but it wasn't a problem that could be solved overnight.
In contrast, Sylvia genuinely felt that Firefly's martial arts were both efficient and beautiful.
"Is this what you've been practicing lately? Your hands are so dexterous!"
Firefly was surprised by Sylvia's description of 'rough,' because the flexibility of Sylvia's hands and her exquisite control didn't seem to match a 'rough' sword style.
It couldn't be that she'd trained these hands for some other kind of technique, could it?
Outside of the script's requirements, the Stellaron Hunters were free. Any part not specified by Elio was open to their own interpretation.
So, after witnessing Sylvia's contradictory swordplay and hands, Firefly developed a desire to take a closer look.
"Would you like to try learning some of my combat techniques then?"
Though her appearance leaned more towards cute, Firefly's inner self was never just about cuteness.
Since Sylvia seemed to lack some refined sword techniques, teaching her a few things would be a good way to pass the time.
Firefly didn't have any urgent missions lately; she was mostly preparing for the Charmony Festival on Penacony.
She remembered how the script for her next mission, originally finalized, had been altered for the first time due to one person's sudden appearance.
This was the first time since joining the Stellaron Hunters that Elio had issued a revised note after distributing a script.
And it wasn't just her script. Kafka's, Silver Wolf's, even Blade's—all their upcoming missions had undergone changes.
The only differences were the extent of the changes and whether any key nodes were altered.
Sylvia was special. Her fate was elusive, so much so that even Elio couldn't accurately map its trajectory.
This was the current consensus within the Stellaron Hunters.
So, Firefly actively wanted to spend more time with her. She also looked forward to the day she would form a contract with Sylvia.
After all, given her circumstances, she'd likely never have any connection with such ordinary, beautiful feelings and contracts, right up until the day she died.
Hearing Firefly's invitation, Sylvia was surprised by its suddenness and asked curiously:
"Really? Do you have enough free time?"
"Of course. I've been fairly idle recently."
"Then I'd absolutely welcome you teaching me. Should we do it online?"
"Mhm, online is fine."
Firefly's smile was radiant, as if Sylvia had just agreed to something truly wonderful.
--+--
The gaming session with Silver Wolf and Firefly didn't last too long.
Silver Wolf would have loved to continue, but neither Firefly nor Sylvia were that fervent about it. After saying their goodbyes, they both logged off, leaving Silver Wolf alone to keep fighting the good fight.
Coming back to her senses in the real world, Sylvia found that her and Acheron's positions had shifted again.
From initially lying on top of her, Acheron was now nestled on her side.
Soft, steady breaths brushed against Sylvia's cheek, seeming to indicate their owner was long asleep.
Sylvia gazed at Acheron's sleeping face. Trying to move her hand, she found her other hand was already held fast in Acheron's grasp, immovable.
"Asleep?"
"..."
No response.
Sylvia thought for a moment, then raised her free hand and gently poked Acheron's smooth cheek.
It was very soft, and a little cool.
Giving it a light pinch felt quite nice.
It was as if her fingertips had picked up a trace of Acheron's unique scent from the contact.
Though, there wasn't much flesh on Acheron's face, so pinching it wasn't entirely satisfying.
"Tch, not as fun to pinch as my own face."
Acheron seemed to sense something, her head shifting slightly a couple of times before stilling again.
Staring at the seemingly completely unguarded Acheron, Sylvia remembered all the things this woman had done to her earlier.
Her face grew warm, and Sylvia felt a desire to get her back.
So, Sylvia shifted her body, bringing her face closer.
Her gaze kept darting between Acheron's closed eyes and her full lips.
Seeing that Acheron showed no signs of stirring despite her repeated advances, Sylvia was rather amazed.
"...So defenseless? You used the power of Nihility on me when you were messing with me, didn't you? Otherwise, how could I have felt absolutely nothing? Hmph, you've only yourself to blame for doing all that and still daring to sleep next to me now."
Sylvia was convinced there was absolutely no way she could have been manipulated to that extent just from playing a game today—something was definitely up!
It was highly likely Acheron had used the power of Nihility, or something else.
Otherwise, given her own vigilance, no matter how much she trusted Acheron, she shouldn't have been toyed with to that degree without waking up.
She was just playing a game, not drugged.
And this woman didn't even confess voluntarily! If Sylvia didn't ask, she'd just pretend not to know.
Sure enough, her seemingly dazed demeanor was all an illusion. Once she gradually shakes off the shadow of Nihility, her true nature is probably going to show.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
It's not like she's some petty person. If Acheron really wanted to do something, couldn't she just say it outright?
Did she have to pull a stunt like that?
The thought of how Acheron had made her pupils shake with fright made Sylvia gnash her teeth.
And so, without any further psychological burden, she zeroed in on Acheron's lips and went in for the kiss.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.