"Aincrad…"
"The graveyard of four thousand souls-nyan," Faris said softly. "A few of my own guests are sleeping up there-nyan…"
"Faris-tan…" Daru murmured, the group offering her looks of sympathy.
Faris wiped a theatrical tear away and suddenly brightened. "Kyouma was there too-nyan… Hachiman and I will surely avenge him-nyan!"
"Uh, Faris-tan? Okarin is actually doing just fine-o!"
"Kyouma… Hachiman is going to see you now-nyan!"
"Faris-tan? Are you even listening to me-o?"
Shino and the others watched the exchange, figuring this kind of weirdness was just par for the course in this cafe. They turned their attention back to the screen as Hachiman approached the Monument of Swordsmen, where countless names were etched into the stone. Some Shino recognized; many she didn't.
"What's that?"
"The Monument of Swordsmen-nyan. It lists the players who participated in the boss raids for each floor-nyan."
Next, the feed showed Hachiman passing through a portal and stopping in front of a bakery. A massive, decadent cake sat in the window. The five girls (excluding Daru) all swallowed hard in unison.
On the screen, Hachiman gave a smug huff. "How's that? Bet you're craving sweets now, aren't you?"
"Ugh… that jerk Hachiman…!" Mii growled. "Daru-san, we're ordering more cake!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in!"
"Hachiman's smug face is so irritating… but I want cake too!"
"Daru-nyan, get one for me as well-nyan!"
Daru sighed as he headed back to the kitchen. "I'm happy to be relied on by women, but let's be real: I'm just a glorified errand boy-o…"
By the time he returned, the scene on the screen had shifted to a lush forest and lake.
"It's beautiful…"
"The city was cool, but I'd love to visit a place like this."
"I recognize this-nyan. This is the floor where Hachiman's base is located-nyan."
"Sharp as ever," the doll confirmed.
"Faris knows the outside, but they wouldn't let me in-nyan," she pouted.
"Well, I only know it from data," the doll added.
Shino realized that entering that base required either extreme intimacy or Hachiman's explicit permission.
"Wait, he's going back to a town?"
"It looks more like a village. Very rustic."
"Look at the player ratio, though…"
"As expected of Hachiman-nyan! He was just as popular in his past life-nyan! Just like back then-nyan!"
Shiina, sensing a roleplay opportunity, leaned into Faris's vibe. "Faris-san, were you close to Hachiman back then, too?"
Faris fidgeted shyly. "In that era, Faris had already been reborn several times since the Age of Myth when I lived alongside Hachiman-nyan. In that life, I was but a simple village girl-nyan. I had no power; I could only watch his legendary deeds from afar-nyan…"
"So your love went unfulfilled back then?" Shiina asked, eyes wide with mock drama.
"Hachiman already had a wonderful partner—the Princess of a Great Empire-nyan. Faris couldn't bring herself to tell him she was his lover from a previous life-nyan…"
Shiina shot a mischievous look at Shino, then pointed at her. "Faris-san, look closely at Shino's face."
"Nyan-nyan?!"
Faris peered intently at Shino, then gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "C-could it be… that shape of the ear… Princess Shinolteas-sama?!"
"Wait, what?" Shino blinked, completely lost.
Shiina nodded solemnly. "Yes. And we are the reincarnations of her loyal handmaidens."
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