Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Virtual On Chapter1 (section)

===Part 5===

“…”

“U-um, Touma? Toumaaa?”

The transmission reached the cocoon-like cockpit just fine, but Kamijou stared into the distance while sitting with his arms around his knees.

“Hey, you’re wasting time. If you’re going to leave the switch on, let’s fight some more.”

“…”

Kamijou remained motionless as if his soul had left him.

But.

“C-c’mon, c’mon. I’ll ''actually'' go easy on you this time.”

Those words reignited something inside Kamijou Touma.

His shoulders shook, the soul escaping from his mouth returned to his body, and he spoke in a low voice.

“Lilina, was it?”

“Uhey, hey. What is it, Touma-sama? Can I go back into sleep mode?”

“Can I ask one thing of you?”

It was not enough.

He needed more heat.

So he asked the support AI to perform a certain ritual.

“Call me a los-…”

“You loser!! You’re completely goddamn useless! You just don’t have what it takes. Ahh, ahh. I thought I had escaped that boring sleep mode hell now that you were trying out Virtual-On, but I guess I ended up with a failure of a player. That’s just my luck!!”

Lilina was apparently fairly high-spec.

She carried out her task even more proficiently than asked, so Kamijou felt a boiling heat rising from the pit of his stomach.

“Yes, yes. That’s right…”

“?”

“I can’t excuse this just because it’s a game or for fun. Yeah, I can’t just curl up in a ball after getting the snot kicked out of me!! I don’t know how long it’s been since she started playing and I might have only started 10 minutes ago, but I can’t hold my head high unless I bring some tears to Index’s eyes!!!!!”

“Whoa, you’re really getting into Virtual-On in a negative way. Well, with games you win as long as you enjoy it in the end.”

Kamijou pressed his right thumb against the button.

He approved the rematch against Index.

And after that…

“Lilina.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me everything I need to know about Virtual-On. What do I need to do to wipe that smug look off of Index’s face!?”

“Heh heh heh. I like the look in your eyes now.”

Lilina smiled wickedly in her window.

The two of them faced the “nemesis” before their eyes.

“The fun of Virtual-On is how you get better the more you lose. So keep at it. I don’t know how long she’s been playing, but let’s keep challenging her the dozens, if not hundreds, of times needed to fill that gap in a short period of time!!”

“Yes, yes. So that’s all it is? I don’t need divine guidance or to pull a legendary sword from a stone? It’s just a matter of experience!? Then let’s do it. I’ll climb up to her level!! Wait there, dammit, and I’ll make you cry while I easily usurp that throne you took so long to reach!!”