"Ah, Miss Assassin is working too hard."
Hearing Asagiri's teasing remark, Kato gumi calmly removed the hair tie from her wrist and tied her loose black hair into a high ponytail. As she organized the materials Ashikaga Miwa had provided, she replied in an even tone,
"Whether it's reasoning ability or combat talent, I can't compare to Kotoko and Asuna. I'm very ordinary. But even soone as ordinary as doesn't want to be the one dragging everyone down. If I can help everyone… and help you, then I'll give one hundred percent… no, one hundred and twenty percent."
"Didn't I already tell you? You're not ordinary at all."
Asagiri picked up the laptop, set it on his lap, opened the combat training videos Ashikaga Miwa had sent, and said with a light chuckle,
"Asuna, Kotoko, and I all have very strong personalities. From a normal person's perspective, we probably all seem a little abnormal. Our ways of thinking and acting are completely different, yet you still managed to gain all three of our approval and beco a mber of this team. That alone proves your value."
"Yes. Precisely because of that, I can't be the one who holds everyone back."
Kato gumi picked up the docunt folder containing Ashikaga Miwa's handwritten notes, then asked softly,
"There's sothing I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Based on the pattern we've summarized so far, the rewards the system gives after a Player clears a Dungeon are always the ones most suited to that Player, or at least the ones they need the most. And the four of us are all high-level Players who can even customize the type of reward we want, right?"
"Right."
A puzzled look appeared on Kato gumi's face as she thought it over.
"But if that's the case, then do we still need Ashikaga sensei to create special training plans and improvent programs based on our individual abilities?"
Asagiri shrugged and answered casually,
"You'll understand once you read it."
Although Kato gumi still did not fully understand what he ant, she nodded obediently anyway. She opened the folder, took out the special training plan Ashikaga Miwa had written specifically for her abilities, and began reading carefully.
[Suggestions for Phantom's Future Developnt]
The very first line almost made Kato gumi lose her composure.
The phrasing was so serious and formal that the instant she saw it, she could not help imagining Ashikaga Miwa's strict, ticulous face, the sa face Asagiri always described as that of a "frigid middle-aged woman." She nearly burst out laughing on the spot.
But the content that followed quickly caught her attention.
[Based on Phantom's exclusive talent, the recomnded future developnt directions are as follows:]
[1. Strengthen lee combat ability and frontal combat capability. Prioritize acquiring high-power close-range attack skills, as well as skills that allow instant repositioning such as teleportation or blinking. The goal is to rapidly close the distance and deliver a fatal strike before the enemy can perceive Phantom's presence.]
[2. Develop toward long-range sniping. Strengthen personal agility and combine it with the exclusive talent to beco an archer-type combatant who can eliminate enemies from a distance and provide support in frontal combat through surprise attacks.]
[3. Focus entirely on the exclusive talent itself. Minimize offensive skill investnt and instead develop into an intelligence-gathering and reconnaissance type profession. Note: There is already a team mber with reconnaissance capabilities, so this path is not recomnded.]
[4. Also based on the exclusive talent, try acquiring trap-type skills. On the premise of maintaining concealnt, set up controllable traps in advance to gain battlefield advantage for the team.]
Kato gumi silently read through all the suggested developnt paths. As she did, her future direction gradually beca clearer.
"Ashikaga sensei… she really…"
"The rewards the system gives after a Dungeon clear are based on what the Player believes they need most, or what they most want to obtain, but that does not necessarily an they are the rewards with the highest compatibility for that Player."
Asagiri paused slightly before continuing.
"Her strategic thinking is excellent. And don't forget, she's also one of the main organizers of the combat tournants. Training and cultivating fighters is one of her specialties. Players and fighters are not exactly the sa, but leaving it to Ashikaga Miwa to formulate future developnt paths based on each person's traits is still the smartest choice."
Then he added with a faint smile,
"Even though I'm the Leader, I'm better at adapting and commanding on the spot during battle."
"Huh? You an… in this area, Ashikaga sensei is better than you?"
Kato gumi looked a little surprised.
"That doesn't sound like sothing you would say. Aren't you supposed to be an all-purpose genius?"
"I am."
Asagiri answered without the slightest modesty, then smiled.
"But everyone has their specialty. If the topic is long-term growth planning for each of you, then yes, I could do it too. But Ashikaga Miwa is first-rate in that field. And precisely because she is not a Player, because she's an outsider, she can maintain a more objective view."
He leaned back slightly.
"Take the last Dungeon as an example. Because we failed to anticipate that Sato had swallowed a bomb in advance, we ended up consuming the Hourglass of Reversal. But does that an the ability we should develop with the highest priority is sothing like x-ray vision that lets us see inside people's bodies? Of course not."
So letting Ashikaga Miwa help in this area is the wisest option."
After saying that, Asagiri's tone turned calm.
"If you know soone is better than you in a certain area, but you refuse to ask for help just because of your pride, that isn't confidence. That's foolish arrogance."
"Mm…"
Kato gumi nodded thoughtfully. Then she stared at Asagiri's profile and smiled faintly.
"Whether as Utsunomiya or as the team's Leader… I feel like I understand you a little better now."
"The atmosphere is getting a little ambiguous, Kato."
"Huh?"
Only then did Kato gumi realize that, at so point, she had unconsciously sat down right beside him. Their thighs were nearly touching.
She imdiately shifted aside and murmured softly,
"Sorry…"
"No need to apologize."
Before she could finish, Asagiri cut in.
"It would actually be even better if you just sat on my lap. I can't even imagine how incredible that would be."
Kato gumi stared at him for a second.
"…You're talking abstractly again."
Asagiri smiled and shot back,
"Then how about I sit on your lap instead?"
Kato gumi went silent for a mont.
"…Please act like a normal person, Utsunomiya."
As she watched him place the laptop back on the table, stand up, and walk toward the empty space in the living room, a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.
She realized sothing.
Actually, Utsunomiya had very high emotional intelligence.
That ti before, when he noticed she wanted to start calling Asuna and Kotoko by their given nas so they could grow closer and beco true friends, he had deliberately called her by na first.
And just now, although he looked like he was spouting another absurd joke, he had actually sensed that she was beginning to feel shy and awkward because of how close they had been sitting. So he had used one of his ridiculous lines to instantly change the atmosphere.
Because Kato gumi herself was also very sensitive and good at reading the room, she had been able to notice it.
"You keep watching those first. I'm just going to fulfill Hat Mita's wish."
"Persona, ta."
"Ding ding ding. Hat has appeared."
Hat Mita materialized in the living room with a sweet smile, even delivering a strangely cool entrance line. At that mont, Kato gumi felt her heart grow unexpectedly tense.
Fulfill Hat Mita's wish?
Here? Right in front of ?
"Ah, finally my turn. Next up is the fun ga session."
The mont Kato gumi heard those words, her heart jumped into her throat, and even the way she sat beca subtly restless.
Her personality was calm, yes, but not to the point of total transcendence. If Hat Mita suddenly took out that so-called Purple Mood right now… should she quietly leave, or just stay seated and pretend nothing was happening?
Thankfully, the next thing Hat Mita pulled from her item bar was not so suspicious little toy, but a light pink electric guitar.
"Clang clang. Ti to play guitar."
Hat Mita ran over to the sofa with the instrunt, sat down, crossed her legs, and swayed from side to side. She had none of the quiet grace of a proper young lady. Instead, she radiated a lively, energetic kind of cuteness.
"Deng deng deng."
Before she began playing, Hat Mita deliberately patted the empty space beside her and smiled at Asagiri.
"Player, co sit next to ."
"Alright."
Asagiri walked over and sat beside Hat Mita.
For so reason, Kato gumi herself did not even realize that her expression now looked slightly like she was sulking.
…
Several hours later.
"Mm…"
Kato gumi raised a hand and rubbed her tired eyes. Asagiri was still sitting there with the laptop open, browsing through recent news in search of useful information, showing no sign of fatigue whatsoever.
She spoke softly,
"Utsunomiya, are you hungry? I'll make dinner."
"Make dinner?"
Asagiri looked genuinely surprised.
Seeing his reaction, Kato gumi deliberately made her expression a little stern.
"What kind of reaction is that? My cooking definitely isn't as good as Asuna's, but for sothing simple like miso soup, I'm fairly confident."
"I wasn't saying I dislike it."
Asagiri waved a hand and smiled.
"I just ant that there are instant noodles. Cooking dinner sounds like too much trouble."
Kato gumi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and answered with a gentle smile.
"How could I let you eat instant noodles when I can cook? You've been working so hard. The least I can do is help where I can, right?"
"It's the sa as Asuna…"
"Shh."
Before Asagiri could finish, Kato gumi suddenly raised her fair index finger and gently pressed it against his lips.
Although she knew Asuna might have said sothing similar to him before, Kato gumi's eyes flickered with a trace of complicated emotion as she spoke softly.
"Even if Asuna has said the sa thing to you before…"
She lowered her gaze slightly, then looked back at him.
"The one here with you right now is ."
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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