"You're the invincible Priestess, it will be fairly easy for you inside. Also, why can't they enter and see it for themselves?"
Only the Spirit King should be slightly stronger than her, or maybe that friend of hers is someone formidable as well. But it seems Yumiko might be able to enter it and not them.
"It's possible that she already tried and failed. That's why I'm going to ask her for the specifics later."
Ah. Yumiko also has the same guess as me.
"Alright. I'll be with you if you need me."
Fulfilling the role of a support, I'll be behind her later.
"Un. Thank you, Daisuke."
Yumiko drew close to me and reached for my hand while giving me an enchanting smile.
"What's there to thank for? I'm here as your support, right?"
Somehow, Yumiko, reaching for my hand like this...
Eh? Don't tell me it's that?
"You're right. Maybe if you're not Yuko's, I might get you for myself."
Hearing her words, I couldn't find the right words to answer her. I find her attractive, yes. Even when I first saw her I already thought of that but yeah, we're casual friends at least but for her to say something like this...
"You don't have to be flustered. Maybe not now but there'll be a chance for me as well."
Yumiko reached in for my cheeks and pinched it when I fell into my overthinking habit.
"Err… It's actually fine by me but if I have to ask, why me?"
I at least want to know why. True, we have known each other for at least a month now but only in this world did we get to spend some time where I started to see who Yumiko really is. For her to express it like this, she's serious about waiting for her chance.
"I don't know. You have this kind of charm that draws people to you. I can't properly explain it but I kind of want to continue walking this path with you."
Yumiko drew her face near mine and stared straight into my eyes before answering my question.
"I see. Thank you for answering Yumiko."
I nodded and sincerely thanked her. At least I now know the reason why she said that. Continue walking this path with me…
Right now she's the one stronger between us but there might come a time where I'll surpass her, is that what she meant?
Ah. No. That sounds wrong. Yumiko, she wanted to stay by my side throughout this journey that's filled with the unknown.
"You don't really need to be flustered by it. Treat it as passing wind."
Yumiko tried to brush it off. She went back to her previous seating posture trying to hide her reddened face from me. She's the one that got flustered eh?
"I'm not at all flustered. You know my ability. So, I guess I'll count this as being confessed to by the invincible Priestess."
I smirked at her. I can be speechless but I can't get flustered by this. Maybe it's not enough to get me flustered?
"This guy. So you're going to use it as a material to tease me?"
Yumiko glared at me as she tried to look for an answer by staring directly at me but that only made her show me her flustered face.
"Alright. You've just given me an idea."
Right now, if someone saw her like this, they wouldn't think she's that invincible Priestess.
"Can I take back what I said?"
"No. If there's really a chance, why not?"
Err. I know destiny couldn't explain this. I guess this is how I really am. Is Yuko already aware of this? Is that why she's too accepting? I don't know.
"Ugh. I'll really tell this on Yuko!"
Yumiko groaned and pouted but with a face like that, it just turned her more attractive.
"Ah. Of course, she will know. There are no secrets between us."
Yuko already told me everything that she remembered about our childhood. However, because I couldn't remember if that really happened, I couldn't picture it. But one thing is for sure, something happened to me during it that changed me to become like this now.
Because of my Adaptability, my true nature is slowly being unearthed. The dark thoughts that occasionally surfaced is probably another part of me, like a piece of a puzzle. Now I don't know if what I remembered before the blank in my memory is real.
It's hard to explain it but everything will come to light once I recover those memories. The question is, when?
"Even without any battle, I already lost to Yuko."
Yumiko looked down and said these in a low voice.
"Don't call it a battle. I'm both your support, right?"
I patted her head to calm her down. But Yumiko, by using this situation. She faced me and got into my embrace while clinging tightly to my back.
Her soft and small body being this close to me, it's a different sensation from the other girls.
Seeing those small shoulders of hers carrying the burden as a summoned Hero, I couldn't help but respond to what she did.
I embraced her and started brushing her hair using my fingers.
"I get it now. This is what it feels like to have a companion from the same world. It feels really light."
Yumiko giggled as she got herself comfortable snuggling into me. Maybe for her, being in my embrace is a comfort zone.
Fighting alone in a foreign world, there's no way they wouldn't feel lonely. I saw it with Yuko and now with Yumiko. Well, Raiden was doing well all by himself.
I see. So this is what the Spirit Queen mentioned. About Yumiko being lonely.
"Hmm? Such a scene to arrive at. Interesting."
Suddenly, the Spirit Queen's voice pulled us out of the atmosphere we put ourselves in.
Standing on the door was the Spirit Queen, still in her black and white dress and behind her was the silenced Spirit King who was held by her in his collar. But he's looking at her lovingly so that meant he's fine the way he is.
Yumiko turned red immediately as she couldn't stand up and face the two.
"Oh? Am I interrupting something? Go ahead, continue. I'll give this idiotic king some love first. Take care of Yumiko for me, Daisuke."
The Spirit Queen laughed elegantly before pulling the Spirit King with her.
As soon as she left our vicinity, Yumiko released herself from our embrace and stood up.
"Ugh. Now, she also got something to tease me about."
Yumiko facepalmed. Her eyes then turned to me, and remembering what just happened, she blushed once again.
"Isn't it fine? You two will be closer by then."
I don't see what's wrong, they're like sisters so…
"This is your fault, Daisuke."
Yumiko glared at me and started hitting my shoulder.
And it hurts. Her strength is higher than my endurance after all.
"Hey, don't throw the blame. You're the one who initiated it."
I grabbed her arm to stop her. She didn't offer much resistance and her punches immediately stopped.
"Haa… I shouldn't have confessed."
Yumiko embraced me again and this time, it's even tighter than earlier. I could feel her rapidly beating heart through our closeness. Through this, she had just reinforced her confession.
"Yumiko... You knew I already have Yuko and not only her, there's three more that were left behind in their worlds, then there's also Jayna here. If you're fine with that then…"
She will eventually find out about it anyway so being honest like this with her is better than hiding things.
Even if I try to deny it, I'm already attracted to her. But to answer her confession like this…
Am I turning into something bad? However, this is me, there's no point denying myself.
"Now. I really wanted to ask myself as well, why you? If this means I can continue in this path with you, then please take care of me, Daisuke."
Yumiko slowly raised her head and said these words. Questioning herself at first before accepting what I just said.
"Un. That's a given. I'm your support, right?"
I nodded and smiled at her and Yumiko did the same.
Her face then drew near me and planted a kiss on my left cheek.
I thought there's only Jayna but for Yumiko to suddenly confess...
"I'm glad to have witnessed the convergence of two destinies."
The Spirit Queen came back just in time after Yumiko kissed me. With the Spirit King standing decently behind her now, she had this kind of satisfied smile on her face.
But her words, it's about destiny again.
"What do you mean, Yse?"
Ignoring our current state, Yumiko was also alarmed at what the Spirit Queen said.
"It is as I said, Yumiko. Your destinies are meant to converge with each other and that convergence happened just now. From now on, you could say you're now tied to each other."
The Spirit Queen explained as if it's a common subject and there's no hesitation in her voice.
"And yes, it's including those four destinies that were already tied with you. There's also another one that's about to converge. However, it's not the right time yet but soon."
She then turned to me and continued on talking about destinies. Her smile contained her patience of explaining it to us, as if any question we might have, she would answer truthfully.
Four and one more. Why is it too accurate?!
"I ought to not believe your words but hearing how accurate that is, can you at least explain it to us?"
I asked her. It's something I have no knowledge of so I want to know. If my link to these girls can be explained by destiny, then I ought to know how that works. If it can be controlled or not. Until now, I could only see myself as being drawn to them.
Haa. This turned to something complicated.