"Little Honda, you're such a mood killer!" Kurumi suddenly burst out, reaching forward to untie the ribbon that bound Futayo Honda's blue hair beneath her ornate headpiece.
The ponytail immediately came loose, and her abundant blue hair cascaded like a wave. The shimmering strands reflected a brilliant light, stunning Kurumi into silence. Little Honda really is a peerless beauty, comparable to Kimi Aoi...
Canceling her transformation, Kurumi returned to her weaker, human form. Gently cupping Futayo's smooth, tender cheeks, she spoke softly, her expression filled with tenderness and pity. "Such a delicate face... why is it always so tense? What burden rests upon your shoulders that you can never relax?"
Her affectionate eyes met Futayo's clear, steady gaze. Compassion met solemnity.
Stare. Stare. Stare... Futayo remained completely motionless, her serious eyes still fixed intently on Kurumi.
Two red clouds appeared on Kurumi's cheeks, and a puff of white steam rose from her head. She was utterly flustered.
Little Honda, I finally get a chance to act like a literary girl for once. Can't you at least play along a little?
"Little Honda, I've never seen you smile before. Such a pity..." Kurumi said, hastily letting go of her face.
Ah, love... in matters of the heart, the one who falls first always loses. Every time she tried to "conquer" Little Honda, she somehow ended up falling for her instead.
"Divine One," Futayo said suddenly. Kurumi's heart leapt. Oh! Is she about to comfort me?
"Divine One, my hair ribbon is still in your hand!" Futayo added with her usual calm tone.
Kurumi blinked, glancing at the blue ribbon in her hand, then back at Futayo, whose long hair now draped weakly over her shoulders. Seeing the girl's serious gaze fixed on the ribbon, Kurumi suddenly felt an urge to cry. Little Honda... in your heart, am I really worth less than a piece of cloth?
"Little Honda! You idiot!" Kurumi shouted tearfully, flinging the ribbon hard onto the ground.
Under Kurumi's burning gaze, Futayo bent down seriously, picked up the ribbon seriously, and then, with the same grave expression, tied it neatly back around her hair. The blue ponytail returned—brave and dignified as ever.
Kurumi: "..."
Little Honda! Difficulty level: 100/100.
"Uuuh..." Kurumi suddenly buried her face under the blanket and began to sob loudly.
Futayo's composed face revealed a hint of confusion. Why is the Divine One crying? Who angered her?
Kurumi's "Onee-sama's Guide" had just been published—and it caused a massive sensation. While everyone else struggled to explore the labyrinth, "Onee-sama" had already rampaged through it several times, compiling detailed monster data into a guidebook for everyone.
The moment players received the "Onee-sama's Guide," they were filled with one unanimous feeling—reverence. They had to worship her! Kimi-nee was beyond godlike!
"Damn! That name's way too advantageous," players muttered as they sent friend requests while grumbling under their breath.
Within the first few minutes of publication, Kurumi's friend list exploded—six full pages of friend requests. Her hands grew sore from clicking "accept," and she cursed the system for not having a "one-click accept all" function.
"So amazing..." murmured Kirito, the solo swordsman, staring at the "Onee-sama's Guide." His pupils contracted. Others might not understand how monumental this was, but as a beta tester, Kirito did.
The guide contained detailed information on every monster in the labyrinth area. That meant Kimi-nee had scoured the entire dungeon—everything except the boss.
"This name's really too good..." he muttered again, sending a friend request. It was quickly accepted. Checking her profile, Kirito's eyes widened—Kimi-nee was level 17, a full four levels above him.
"Kimi-nee... could she be a beta tester too?" The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. During the beta, the system had clearly told him he ranked first among players. If Kimi-nee had existed back then, that title would never have been his.
"If she's not a beta tester, that's even scarier... that's not talent anymore—that's monstrous. An absolute prodigy." Kirito's heart trembled, yet deep down, a flicker of hope ignited. With someone like Kimi-nee in this game... maybe clearing it isn't impossible after all.
On the twentieth day, a player finally reached the small town where Kurumi was staying. Just as she had predicted, the first to arrive was Kirito.
"Finally, a player made it here. These past few days, your big sister was dying of boredom. Little brother, come have a drink with your big sister!" Kurumi said as soon as he entered the town.
"Wait! I'm underage. Minors aren't allowed to drink," Kirito replied instinctively, bringing real-world logic into the game world. Of course, there were no such restrictions here.
"You're right... I'm sixteen too. I shouldn't drink either," Kurumi suddenly stopped walking, her delicate face clouded with confusion.
Indeed, Kurumi was sixteen years old. In the Guilty Crown world, the fourteen-year-old Shu Ouma himself had confirmed it. There was no doubt—Kurumi was sixteen. So, she really couldn't drink either.
"You're kidding... Kimi-nee is sixteen?!" Kirito was stunned. First off—that height!
"I already told you, this is my Divine Shrine Maiden form. My real self actually looks like this." A white flash of light surrounded her, and the flaxen-haired Kimi-nee transformed into the black-haired, twin-tailed Kurumi in a short black dress.
"So Kimi-nee is only sixteen..." Kirito was completely dumbfounded.
And thus, Kurumi's age once again became sixteen—an eternally mysterious number. Forever sixteen. Anyone who pried too deeply into this secret would face Kurumi-chan's punishment.
Over the next three days, Kurumi dragged Kirito around town against his will, stubbornly and imperiously declaring herself his "big sister." Whether Kirito agreed or not didn't matter—Kurumi simply decided it herself.
In truth, for Kirito—who had lost both parents young and grown up with only his sister—it was actually comforting to have a cheerful, outgoing big sister figure like Kimi Aoi. So, he never voiced any objection.
The once-empty town gradually began to fill with players. On the twenty-fifth day, news finally spread: someone had found the boss room. Players were invited to gather at the town square to discuss the raid strategy.
"Mmm-hmm! Looks like our hard work wasn't in vain," Kurumi said, brushing a hand through her flaxen hair as she walked gracefully down the street, a small smile of satisfaction on her lips.
The boss had been found five days earlier than in the original story, and player deaths were still under a thousand. Compared to the grim events of the source timeline, Kurumi's intervention had drastically improved the situation.
The meeting place resembled an ancient Roman arena. Surrounding the center were rings of earthy-yellow stone pillars and descending rows of steps, with a circular stage at the very bottom.
When Kurumi arrived, only a few people were there. On the central platform stood a blue-haired man patiently waiting for more players to arrive, so Kurumi chose a seat on the outermost steps.
Strangely enough, while Kurumi often found Futayo's unflappable demeanor infuriating, Kirito actually appreciated it. To him, her calm nature made her easy to get along with—she didn't intrude, nor did she make things awkward. Sitting beside Futayo, he felt no discomfort at all.
Step, step... More players began to arrive. Among them was a small-framed figure in a cloak. Upon spotting Kurumi, the player hurried toward her, then sat stiffly at her side. The rigid posture radiated nervous tension.
"Ara~ so small and adorable. With movements that cute, you must be a lovely girl," Kurumi said with a teasing smile, reaching out to lift the player's hood.
"Ah!" A cascade of golden hair spilled out. The beautiful face beneath flushed red with embarrassment. She glanced at Kurumi for a brief moment before looking down again shyly. Her nervous, bashful demeanor was unmistakably that of someone meeting their idol—it was Asuna.
"Ah—Kimi-nee!" Asuna exclaimed softly, her voice filled with both shyness and joy. In truth, she deeply admired Kurumi—almost to the point of worship. The only reason she had managed to leave the Starting Town and make it this far was because she had followed in Kurumi's footsteps, inspired by her radiance.
It felt as if she were clutching the only ray of light in the darkness—letting go would mean being swallowed whole by shadow.
Back in the Starting Town, Kurumi had illuminated everyone's path forward. To Asuna, she wasn't just a guide—she was the very light she depended upon, her greatest source of comfort and hope.