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 72
Chapter 72: El Aurum
Summoned by the Nun, Sora entered the examination room and received the results of the tests.
The results were all normal.
She was told that her body was that of a healthy girl, capable of even bearing children.
Moreover, it seemed that the curse had permanently attached itself to her body, and it wouldn’t be lifted unless he defeated the one who had placed it.
Even though she was aware of this, hearing it from someone who claimed to be a specialist hit her hard.
Normally, this would be a shock, something to feel depressed about.
But now, there was a reality in front of her that left no time for such emotions.
After leaving the hospital, Sora chose to visit “Kameda-ya,” a small, privately owned café she had been to before with Hojo Kirie.
Sora pulled the hood low over her eyes to hide her conspicuous silver hair. Sitting across from her was a girl who made no effort to hide her noticeable white hair and golden eyes—?El?, the self-proclaimed “God.”
A girl with her head hidden under a hood, and a girl dressed in white with white hair.
Despite their attention-grabbing appearance, none of the surrounding adults or the students gathered for summer break paid them any notice.
This was likely because El, the most conspicuous of the two, was using a skill akin to “Concealment” from ?Astral Online?, making them appear to others as inconspicuous girls.
El picked up one of the two iced coffees Sora had ordered, took a sip, and smiled.
“The taste is decent. Is this one of your favorite spots?”
“I’ve only been here once before, last month. It’s not like I’m a regular.”
“In that case, why did you choose this place to talk?”
“I just didn’t want to bring someone as suspicious as you into a house where my sister lives.”
“Oh my, calling such a cute girl suspicious, Sora-sama, you’re quite harsh.”
El sighed theatrically and propped her chin on her hand.
While it looked picturesque when a beautiful girl did it, Sora, knowing it was just an act, ignored her.
Sora didn’t have time to play along with this charade.
Earlier, she had certainly said that she was one of the masterminds who had dragged Sora and others into ?Astral Online?.
In other words, she was the root cause of why Kurono’s parents and many beta testers had vanished from this world.
Even if there was a reason she had to do it, she was still the one who made her precious friends cry, making her, at least for now, her enemy.
Frankly, she wanted to punch her, but the fact that she had come to her while he was struggling to figure out how to meet her was a golden opportunity.
She wasn’t stupid enough to let emotions ruin everything now.
There were many things he wanted to ask, but there was something that took priority over all else.
?If she is the ‘God’ who appeared in the Master’s world, surely she can do something?, Sora remembered Lucifel’s words, who had supported her in the game, and she looked directly at El.
“I have a question for you, who claims to be a god.”
“You are a hero who saved the world. If it’s a question I can answer, please feel free to ask.”
“…Then I’ll ask without hesitation. Can you use your power to save the beta testers of ?Astral Online? who lost their bodies?”
At this question, she narrowed her eyes.
The gentle atmosphere shifted, and she returned a cold gaze to Sora.
The response didn’t come immediately.
El took a sip of her coffee, creating a pause, and then replied.
“Yes, I can.”
“Really!?”
Startled, Sora stood up from her chair with a loud clatter.
By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
All the surrounding gazes turned toward them.
However, when El snapped her fingers, a mysterious light enveloped Sora and her.
The onlookers lost interest and returned to their conversations as if nothing had happened.
El shrugged and said to Sora, who looked at her with a desperate expression.
“But I have no intention of saving them. Do you understand why?”
“…I don’t.”
“Let me explain. I issued a warning to the beta testers as a notification. I told them to stop if they remained after the test period, as troubles would arise. Do you think it’s worth saving those who ignored my advice and were absorbed into *that world*?”
“……”
Sora clenched her teeth in frustration at her expected response and glared at the indifferent El.
However, she remained completely unfazed.
After taking another sip of her coffee and showing a slight thoughtful gesture, she continued.
“But, since you are someone who has contributed greatly to the world, I’ll make an exception. If you are willing to listen to my request, I might grant your wish.”
So it came to this.
The white-haired girl looked at her with a playful gaze, as if enjoying testing her response.
Sora, having anticipated this kind of development, smiled slightly at her challenging look.
If it meant saving Kurono, she would be willing to meet any demand.
When she closed her eyes, she vividly pictured the black-haired girl who always smiled at her.
Since she had already decided on her answer, Sora responded without hesitation.
“Alright. Tell me your conditions.”
“I already thought you would definitely agree, but are you sure about this?”
“Yes. I won’t regret any sacrifice if it means helping my partner.”
“……You really are a fool, aren’t you?”
El sighed in exasperation from the bottom of her heart.
However, Sora, not understanding the meaning, simply tilted her head.
She smiled and looked at Sora as she stated her conditions.
“I have just two requirements. First, you must rescue all the beta testers who are captured by the enemies. Then, defeat the Demon Lord and save this world. If you do that, the beta testers should be able to return to their original world.”
“Is that really all?”
“Yes, you must first help others and then defeat the Demon Lord. There’s nothing more challenging than that. If you can achieve it, it will be worth far more than just reviving the testers.”
“So, are you also giving me a rare item as a bonus?”
“I think you should get that gaming brain of yours operated on somehow.”
El’s comment was rude. As a gamer, it’s natural to seek rare items and new adventures.
Sora puffed up her cheeks slightly in annoyance at El’s sharp remark.
El, seeing her childish behavior, gave a wry smile and turned her gaze to the window.
There, a luxurious black car was parked.
Waiting by the open rear seat was a white-haired woman in a black suit, giving off an air of an adult version of El.
“Is it already that time? Time flies when you’re having fun,” El said with a wistful expression as she stood up from her chair.
“Is that an escort?”
“Yes, I have a busy schedule. Even coming to see you like this is beyond my schedule.”
She smiled and added, “I’m sure I’ll be scolded by my aides later.”
“Why did you go through all that just to see me?”
“Because I really wanted to see you.”
She said she wanted to meet me, even though we’ve never met before. That’s strange.
Approaching Sora, who was completely bewildered, El grasped her hand with a joy that seemed to come from the depths of her soul.
Then, leaning close to her ear, she whispered, “Be careful of girls who look like me. They are enemies of this world.”
Moreover, she didn’t stop there. She lightly kissed her cheek before stepping back.
Sora, caught off guard, touched her cheek with her hand, which still felt the soft touch, and her face turned as red as a boiled lobster.
“Wh, wha…”
“I won’t lose to either the Dawn’s Child or the Jade Princess. After all, I’ve loved you, Sora-sama, since three years ago.”
With her chest puffed out, she declared firmly.
To be honest, it made no sense at all.
Then, with the help of what seemed to be her attendants, she was carried away like a piece of luggage and left the café.
“I still have a lot more to tell you. Let’s meet again, my hero.”
El waved grandly, was thrown into the car like a package, and then departed.
As Sora watched the surreal scene, it took her a full ten minutes to recover from the shock of receiving a kiss on the cheek from her.
Why did it take so long?
It was because, regardless of who the person was, being kissed on the cheek and confessed to by a girl in real life was something that had never happened to her before.
Thanks to that, many of her doubts were blown away.
Sora Kamijo, 16 years old this year.
The person was an NPC who called herself a goddess.
Could this be what they call a “popularity surge”?