Chapter 8:

The Formation of Sora's Guard Squad!

Sora no Kiseki: A Bittersweet Return to the Stars


In the corner of the classroom existed a "sacred territory" where no one dared to intrude.

"Alright, I summon my ultimate card, 'Dragonic Emperor'!"
"Not that again! You're always relying on Dragonic Emperor!"

In this corner, a group of otaku led by Takashi and Kenta immersed themselves in their card game world, seemingly turning their backs on reality. For them, this was their final sanctuary.

Since Sora's arrival, the classroom's atmosphere had changed dramatically. Ume, who had opened her heart to Sora, no longer displayed her previous sharp attitude and smiled more often. Yuta, along with his sister Asuka, was gradually letting go of his inner conflicts. Yet the otaku group alone maintained their distance, keeping others at bay.

"Takashi-kun sure has strong defenses against 3D girls," someone commented.
"Of course. Compared to the pure beauty of 2D girls, real girls are just..."
Such conversations mixed with their card battles.

While these exchanges seemed perfectly natural, Takashi occasionally glanced at Sora. He was slightly afraid of how he couldn't take his eyes off them.

---

Then, an unexpected visitor appeared in their sanctuary.

"Wow, that looks fun! What are you playing?"

The clear voice shook their "sacred territory." Their world trembled.
Turning around, they found Sora standing there. Their black twin tails caught the morning light as they swayed, making the air around them seem different—as if they were peering in from another dimension.

"This is a card game? Let me join in!"
"Hyaa, Sora-chan...!?"
"Why aren't you with the girls..."

As the boys raised their startled voices, Sora continued distributing innocent smiles. The white collar of their uniform revealed a glimpse of their collarbone, softly reflecting the morning light. Even the school nurse looked bewildered.

"To think Sora-chan would come here...!" Takashi whispered excitedly.
Noticing Takashi's tone, Yuta frowned with concern as he saw his eyes beginning to sparkle.

"Um, Sora-san. The girls are..."
"Ehehe, but this place is closer♪ Besides, it's more fun when everyone's together!"

No one could stop Sora's innocent behavior, and they ended up joining the boys' circle for measurements. Takashi's eyes sparkled as he desperately tried to maintain composure, though occasionally struggling to contain a nosebleed at Sora's innocent gestures.

"Ah, this card is cute!"
Sora peered at Takashi's cards. A sweet fragrance wafted through the air, and a mysterious light seemed to shine in.
It was as if a crack had formed in their two-dimensional world.

"This is... 'Angelic Princess'..."
Takashi's voice trembled. It was one of his precious collected cards, depicting an ideal two-dimensional character, pure and divine.

"Oh, it's an angel girl! She's so cute♪"
Sora smiled innocently. Their smile seemed even more radiant than the card's illustration.

"So, how do you play this?"

"T-this is 'Duelist Chronicle,' and Dragonic Emperor is the trump card of this game..."
 Takashi began explaining with a trembling voice. Sora's sweet fragrance and the soft touch on his shoulder nearly made his mind go blank. 

"Oh! And what happens when you use it?"
Sora's pure interest gradually gave strength to Takashi's voice. 

 "Well, you see, this card destroys all of the opponent's monsters, and for each one destroyed, your life points recover!"
"Amazing! Takashi-kun, you know so much!" Sora exclaimed joyfully, giving Takashi a hug. 

 "S-Sora-chan!?"
Blood threatened to burst from Takashi's nose. 

 "Eh? Takashi-kun, your face is so red! Are you okay?"
Sora placed their hand on Takashi's forehead with concern.
"I-I'm fine!"
 Takashi's voice cracked. 

 "W-we're not interested in the 3D world!" Kenta declared with a shaking voice.
Sora tilted their head and smiled brightly.
"Eh, really? But I'm 3D♪"
While saying this, Sora casually leaned on Takashi's shoulder and picked up a card. 

 As Kenta struggled with confusion, Sora turned to him with a slight tilt of their head.
Their transparent eyes looked straight at him, making his throat tighten until no words could come out. "Hey, won't you teach me? This game looks so interesting!" 

 Kenta desperately looked at Takashi, his eyes pleading "Hey, do something," but Takashi could only return a confused expression. 

"N-no, we... we won't let 3D girls move our hearts...!"
"Y-yeah! We support and protect 2D beautiful girls! Reality doesn't matter to us!" 

However, Sora seemed completely oblivious to their distress.
While giving them an innocent smile, they gently placed a hand on Takashi's shoulder.

"Takashi-kun, amazing! This card's effect looks interesting♪"

"H-hyaaaa... Sora-chan...?" 

Takashi's face turned bright red as he swayed unsteadily.

 "It's okay, Takashi! We're...!"
Kenta tried desperately to call out, but Sora had already gently taken his hand, eyes sparkling as they spoke.
"Hey, Kenta-kun likes cards too? Which one's your favorite?" 

 Kenta's thought process completely stopped. 

 ---

The warmth from their hand and that smile devoid of any doubt pierced deep into his heart.
"Uh, well... this is... how do I say..."

"Fufu, Kenta-kun is amazing too!"
Sora happily gave Kenta a small hug, drawing him close by the shoulder. 

 At that moment, blood dripped from Takashi's nose.
"S-Sora-chan...!!" 

"Eh, are you okay?"
Sora looked at Takashi's face with concern, gently applying a tissue. 

"Ugh... this kind of skinship... impossible in 2D...!"

The two boys tried desperately to resist, but their hearts were constantly shaken by Sora's smiles and continuous skinship. 

"Wait, at this rate we'll be betraying our 2D beautiful girls...!?"
"That's right, having our hearts stolen by such a cute 3D girl... No, no, it's not allowed..."

However, Sora, unaware, took Takashi's hand and held it gently.
"Takashi-kun, thank you. Everyone is so kind, I'm really happy♪" 

Takashi and Kenta had reached their limit.
"...This experience... impossible in manga or games... Is reality... this...?" 

More blood dripped from Takashi's nose, and finally he cried out: 
"I-I can't take it anymore... I might not be able to return to 2D!" 

"Sora-sama's... that smile is too powerful...!" 

Finally, the otaku reached their breaking point and shouted:
"...We... can't go back...!" Sora watched their behavior with a puzzled tilt of their head.

"Everyone, what's wrong? Are you okay?" 

"That's it...!"
Takashi suddenly stood up.

"We've decided! We're going to be Sora-chan's guard squad!" 

"That's right!" The other otaku joined in unison.
"We will protect Sora-sama as their guard squad from now on!"
"We'll perfect the photo album of Sora-sama!"
"Wherever Sora-sama goes, we'll follow!" 

Sora, though not quite understanding, showed a bright smile.
"Thank you! I don't really get it, but I'll do my best too♪"
Saying this, they hugged each member of the guard squad one by one. Finally, they gave Takashi a light kiss on the cheek and innocently said:

"Looking forward to being together♪" 

 Across the classroom, Ume watched with an exasperated expression. "Another one, or should I say a whole group? Fell under Sora's spell."
But there was warmth in her voice. 

 --- 

From that day forward, the sacred territory in the corner of the classroom transformed. The space that once proclaimed love for the 2D world became the headquarters of "Sora's Guard Squad." Led by Takashi, they recorded and praised Sora's every move, becoming a new part of daily classroom life.

After school, Mr. Sato sighed softly in the faculty room. "Everything that happens around Sora-san always exceeds common sense..." Yet strangely, no one found it unnatural. As if these events were meant to happen naturally.

"Sora-sama! We'll record another wonderful day today!"
Takashi's voice echoed in the hallway.
"Ehehe, everyone looks like they're having fun♪"
Sora's innocent response.

There was no trace of defeat in the otaku who had lost their final sanctuary. Rather, they seemed truly happy.

Though no one noticed, Sora's silhouette, backlit by the setting sun, appeared to shine like an angel for just a moment. Perhaps it was a glimpse of their true nature.

Ameniwa
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