Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 153

Chapter 153: The Silver-Haired School Day

 

Taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air, I walk through the familiar streets of the residential area, mentally preparing myself.

 

Since I took on this form, I’ve always hidden my silver hair with the hood of a hoodie whenever I went outside. But now, I’m not hiding it at all, letting it flow freely and shine under the morning sunlight.

 

If asked why I’m not hiding it, it’s because there’s no longer any need to, and I have to accept the way I look now.

 

Thanks to this morning’s ?Lucifel? commotion, the anxiety I had about going to school has eased, even if only a little.

 

In that sense, I suppose I should be grateful for the fact that my smartphone started talking (although I regret not being able to break it).

 

As for how I handle her(?) now, to avoid any panic from her speaking randomly outside, I’ve connected her to a wireless earphone so that only I can hear her voice.

 

“I’ve also strictly instructed her to speak to someone only after I give approval, so I hope it’ll be fine.”

 

After spending quite a bit of time dealing with the ?Lucifel? incident, we finally started heading to school.

 

Kurono and Shino took the car and left for school first, while Shiori left a bit later, saying she was meeting up with her middle school friends.

 

Now alone, I ignored the startled looks from passersby and headed toward the park where I usually meet my close friends.

 

Even though it’s a route I’m used to walking, the stares from people make it hard to stay calm.

 

After walking for a few minutes, I arrived at the park. Shinji and Shiro were already waiting near the entrance, engaged in a serious conversation.

 

Trying to appear as manly as possible, I lifted my bag with one hand and slung it over my shoulder, then greeted them as naturally as I could.

 

“…G-Good morning, you two.”

 

“Oh, Sora, good morning.”

 

“Good morning, Sora.”

 

Despite my slightly awkward greeting, the two casually returned it, as usual.

 

Before heading to school, I turned off the wireless earphone in my left ear and took out my smartphone.

 

After confirming that no one else was around, I introduced the talking smartphone, ?Lucifel?, to the two of them.

 

?Nice to meet you. I am the support system ?Lucifel?. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Takamiya-sama, Kouzuki-sama.?

 

“Huh? What is this?”

 

“No way, is this the AI support system from the game you mentioned before!?”

 

Surprised by the talking smartphone, my close friends alternated between looking at me and the screen in shock.

 

After I explained the situation to them, they both furrowed their brows and let out a deep sigh at the end.

 

“Man, aren’t you basically a walking unique event generator even in real life?”

 

“If anything happens, just call us right away. Shinji and I will rush over.”

 

*A walking unique event generator.*

 

They’re exactly right, so I can’t even argue.

 

I just shrugged, and then my two friends continued with something serious.

 

“Oh, by the way, we were discussing what to do from now on, and there’s one thing we want you to be careful about, Sora.”

 

“This is really important, so please listen closely.”

 

“W-What is it? Why are you both getting all serious all of a sudden…?”

 

Feeling a bit nervous, I braced myself.

 

Shinji and Shiro then said in unison:

 

“If anyone shady approaches, run away.”

 

“If anyone suspicious comes near you, please run.”

 

After my brain paused for a second from hearing them say the exact same thing at the same time, I gave them a deeply exasperated look.

 

“Are you guys my guardians or something?”

 

I couldn’t help but retort, and the two boys responded with resolute faces.

 

“We’re your friends *and* your guardians.”

 

“Yeah, you’re surprisingly off-guard in real life, unlike in the game. We have to keep an eye out.”

 

“Alright, alright, I get it! I’ll accept your challenge. Let’s have a ?duel?, you two, and come at me together!”

 

“Idiot, there’s no way we can beat someone who can use all their in-game skills in real life!”

 

“Exactly! No matter what, we’d be taken out in seconds!”

 

As we were having that silly exchange, ?Lucifel? on the smartphone suddenly spoke up: ?Is everything okay with school??

 

We fell silent and checked the time, realizing it was almost 8:00—dangerously close to being late.

 

Without needing to say a word, the three of us took off running.

 

Sora and her friends stopped messing around and made their way to school. Since walking wouldn’t get them there in time, they picked up the pace to a light jog.

 

After a while, the familiar school gates came into view in the distance.

 

As they passed other students along the way, Sora overheard snippets of conversation behind her:

 

“Huh? No way, is that…?”

 

“Is that the ?Astral Online? Silver-Haired girl!?”

 

“No way, why’s she wearing our school uniform!?”

 

“This is crazy! I need to tweet about this!”

 

The Silver-Haired Adventurer was a mysterious figure who had appeared on TV multiple times, with her identity completely unknown. Despite being globally recognized, nothing was ever revealed about who she really was. So it’s only natural that when someone looking just like her suddenly appeared at their school, wearing the same uniform, people would be shocked.

 

Sora, ignoring the growing commotion behind her, kept running with her friends.

 

Then, from the wireless earphones connected to her smartphone, Lucifel’s voice chimed in:

 

?Master, your heart rate is slightly elevated. Are you alright??

 

?Because I’m running!?

 

Sora answered silently in her head, since talking out loud wasn’t an option. Unlike when she was inside ?Astral Online?, Lucifel wasn’t *inside* her. Lucifel could monitor her vitals and share her vision, but Lucifel didn’t hear her voice in her head or get instant responses.

 

?At least she can’t hear my thoughts?, Sora thought with relief, as she and her friends passed through the school gates.

 

???And then, all the eyes turned on her at once.

 

Thanks to social media and live chat apps, word had already spread to most of the students about a silver-haired girl in a school uniform.

 

What awaited Sora beyond the gates were countless stares filled with admiration, curiosity, and fear, all directed at her.

 

And all of it, mercilessly, focused on one person.

 

…Well, this was bound to happen.

 

“I wonder if this is what it feels like to be a famous celebrity,” Sora thought to herself.

 

But unlike those who aspired to become one, Sora hadn’t wanted this at all. She had been transformed into this form against her will.

 

As she looked at the completely changed scenery, so different from before summer break began, a sense of sadness crept into her heart.

 

Seeing her stop in her tracks, her two friends standing beside her lightly patted her shoulder in silence and began walking again.

 

From their backs, she could sense a silent message: “Don’t worry, we’re here with you.”

 

“You guys…”

 

Feeling like she was about to falter, Sora borrowed her friends’ strength and began to accept her now-changed everyday life.

 

The boy, now turned into a silver-haired girl, bore the weight of everyone’s gaze as she followed behind her friends, who walked ahead with confidence.

 

She reminded herself that this pressure was nothing compared to fighting the ?Great Calamity?.

 

With the overwhelming presence of the silver-haired adventurer standing tall, all the students in their path stepped aside.

 

Sora walked down the cleared path, entered the school building, changed her shoes at the lockers, and made her way to her classroom with Shinji and Shiro.

 

Along the way, several students mustered up the courage to try and talk to her, but the moment Sora looked at them, they froze and couldn’t take a step closer.

 

With countless eyes on her, Sora finally reached her classroom, entering with Shinji and Shiro by his side.

 

Her familiar classmates stared at her in shock.

 

The once-accepted, friendly glances from her classmates were gone.

 

Feeling bitter about their stares, Sora walked to her desk, located at the far back near the window.

 

Without sitting down, she touched her assigned desk with her left hand and greeted everyone with a simple “Good morning.”

 

The classroom fell silent.

 

The usual chatter was nowhere to be found.

 

Her classmates, with tense expressions, awaited the words of the silver-haired adventurer, a hero of the world.

 

Facing them, Sora said,

 

“I know it’s hard to believe, but there’s something I need you to hear.”

 

Her voice, now that of a girl, came out as if squeezed from the depths of her gut.

 

To her classmates, who knew nothing, Sora revealed her true identity.

 

“I am Sora Kamijo, and I was transformed into this form by the Demon Lord’s curse in ?Astral Online?.”