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 235
Chapter 235: The Two Problematic Ones
Several minutes had passed since Shio’s shocking confession, and the two girls, now united by their shared, somewhat peculiar hobby, were deep in conversation.
Well, “conversation” might be a stretch. They were really just passionately gushing about their love for their respective siblings, which had essentially turned their rooms into shrines.
“When talking about my big brother, it’s impossible to ignore his usual strength and kindness, of course. But what really gets me is how adorable he is when he’s completely relaxed, like when he’s not in battle. It’s like he becomes this soothing, mascot-like presence that makes me want to hug him and take him home with me. It’s a constant struggle!”
“I totally get it. Rasetsu is similar. Normally, she’s so serious and respected by everyone, but behind the scenes, she’ll go, ‘Nee-chan, I’m so tired!’ and cling to me with everything she’s got. It’s so cute that I end up doting on her, like, ‘Oh, you poor thing,’ and my maternal instincts kick in so hard that I’ve nearly lost control of myself more times than I can count.”
Someone help me. I can’t understand the world these two are living in.
Huddled in the corner of the room, sitting with my knees drawn up to my chest, I turned my back to the pair as they debated topics like “soothing comfort” and “maternal instincts.” I was utterly at a loss.
The initial sense of urgency that had driven me to burst into the room, worried something might have happened, now felt like a distant dream.
Instead, my sole focus was on escaping this hellish situation as soon as possible.
The lofty image I had of Setsuna, this haughty and dignified figure had been thoroughly shattered and rebuilt into someone who was just really into her little sister. Sure, I’m all for yuri vibes, but this is on another level.
I wasn’t sure if Rasetsu knew about the state of this room, but if she didn’t, it would be best to keep it a secret. Otherwise, there’s a good chance she’d flee the country again, triggering a second round of pursuit quests.
I could kind of understand the passionate devotion to one’s “favorite,” but imagining that my own sister’s room might be in a similar state filled me with an indescribable mix of emotions.
…Come to think of it, she’s always been overly attentive, offering lap pillows and fussing over me whenever I’m sprawled out on the couch. Now it makes sense.
The thought that I was this close to being taken home is belatedly terrifying.
Not that I’d ever hate her for it, but wow, that’s… a lot of love to process.
And Setsuna’s confessions were no less unsettling than Shio’s.
I had just heard her casually share how, after returning home yesterday, she had holed up in her room all night, hugging a pillow that smelled like her little sister. My brain had been stuck on “???!!!” ever since.
Honestly, it felt like a serious problem. Couldn’t I just pretend I didn’t hear any of this and quietly go back to everyone else ahead of them?
I quietly stood up, hoping to sneak out of the room…
“Big brother, where do you think you’re going?”
Shio’s voice stopped me in my tracks, freezing me in place.
“Hey, wait a minute. You’re not planning to spill the secrets about my room to everyone, are you?”
“I’d never do that! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything, so how about letting me off the hook here?”
“Oh, I’ve got a great idea! If you’re low on Rasetsu energy and feeling weak, why don’t we just cosplay my brother as a substitute?”
“…What?”
There’s no way that would work. What ridiculous nonsense is my sister spouting now? There’s no replacing someone you care about—no matter where you look in this world.
Judging by Setsuna’s extremely awkward expression, it seemed like she agreed. Even without her saying a word, the vibe she gave off screamed, “Yeah, that’s not happening.”
Setsuna turned her gaze to me silently, crossing her arms as she groaned and pondered. Finally, she spoke up in response to Shio’s suggestion:
“Hmm… To properly cherish her as a substitute for Rasetsu, she’s too lacking in vulnerability. …How about you relax a bit on this bed and let your guard down?”
“What the hell are you even talking about?”
Setsuna lightly patted the bed, motioning for me to lie down. I couldn’t help but shoot back with a deadpan remark.
But she was dead serious. Activating a skill from her advanced profession, Samurai, which only ninjas above level 50 in this country could attain, she conjured her ?Phantom Clone? skill.
Suddenly, another Setsuna appeared behind me. The skill created a single clone with about half the user’s stats, and before I could react, it restrained me in a tight hold. Fortunately, it wasn’t too strong, and I quickly broke free.
However, in the split-second I used to shake it off, both Setsuna and Shio closed the gap and firmly grabbed onto me.
Despite activating my buff skills, they held me in place with an unnerving strength. Was this some kind of girl power thing? I couldn’t budge an inch!
“Ahhh! There’s no way I can relax under pressure like this! And if you’re really looking for sisterly comfort, wouldn’t it be better to go find Rasetsu instead?”
Desperate, I shouted the most logical argument I could muster at their obviously flawed reasoning.
Shio, however, dismissed me with a casual, “Oh, come on. You’re a little tired from the pool earlier, aren’t you?”
Setsuna doubled down as well, claiming, “Let me cherish you for just five minutes. It’ll help me focus on searching harder.” What kind of nonsensical excuse was that?
This was the very definition of being cornered with no reinforcements. If only I’d brought Kuro along…
Resigned to my fate, I sent a quick message in the party-wide chat, letting them know I’d be about ten minutes late.
Later, I found myself dressed in a yukata, lying on a luxurious bed fit for royalty. For five minutes, I was subjected to the doting affection of two girls overflowing with maternal instincts.
I came dangerously close to succumbing to their overwhelming babying energy, nearly losing my dignity entirely.
On the road to the fourth village, I sat in the carriage, staring out at the desolate wasteland. My mind was empty, and I was too drained to think about what had just transpired.
“Princess, your face looks much brighter today than it did yesterday.”
“Ah, yeah… I suppose it does.”
“But Sora, your face has been red this whole time. Are you feeling okay?”
“Inori, just… don’t worry about it…”
Having been released after the ordeal with those two, I barely managed to hold onto my sanity.
It was a close call. if I hadn’t, I might’ve devolved from being an adventurer to a literal baby.
The carriage we were riding in was the largest I’d ever seen, capable of holding up to ten passengers. It felt incredibly spacious compared to our usual rides.
Over in the far corner, Shio and Setsuna had grown so close that they were now entirely lost in their own world.
Meanwhile, next to them, Inori, Kuro, and I were seated in a row. Across from us, Shin and Rou sat together, sharing the opposite bench.
When my gaze met Rou’s, he suddenly apologized for what happened earlier at the pool.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect myself to lose my composure to that extent.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve been pushed to the brink of losing my sanity plenty of times myself.”
“You mean the way your sanity keeps breaking and rebuilding itself every time you bounce between crappy and masterpiece-tier games?” Shin chimed in with a pointed remark.
At his words, countless memories of absurd scenarios flooded my mind.
I recalled the time I literally became a golf ball and had to navigate an obstacle-course-like stage to reach the goal or when I played that chaotic game where, armed with nothing but a back scratcher, I had to dodge auto-aim bullets while punching out enemies.
Honestly, it’s impressive I’ve managed to hold myself together.
But enough about my own struggles. Rou deeply treasures his memories of Sky Fantasy. The frustration he still feels about those moments resonates with me too. It’s not easy to forget those experiences, but I’m glad he finally vented about it. Bottling it up would’ve been worse, and I hold nothing against him for that.
“Hey, Rou, sometimes it’s okay to explode. I’ll even send you a game later that’s perfect for blowing off steam!”
“Heh, thanks, but I’ll have to politely decline.”
“Why!?”
“Because about 70% of the games you gift me are absolute trash. Let me guess, this one involves fireworks or bombs exploding, doesn’t it?”
“Shin, how did you know!?”
As my shocked reaction gave me away, my two friends burst into laughter.
We continued our lighthearted banter until, before we knew it, the carriage brought us to our destination, the fourth village.