Chapter 17: The Stray Commander

"Agh...!"

What happened? Where am I? Why did I black out?

"It looks like you're finally awake."

"I take it that means you're the one who saved me."

Before my eyes stood a Phantasm Girl with hair so green it evoked the image of a deep, tangled forest.

"I’m Guriel. I was assigned the same mission as you. I found you collapsed in the snow, brought you to this shelter for protection, and here we are."

"Thank you, Guriel. Did you see any of my comrades nearby? We were caught in an avalanche; they might still be buried."

"The blizzard is too intense right now. Stepping outside means risking a quick death from the cold. Besides, a Phantasm Girl can go without oxygen for about three hours. Even if they are buried, they should be able to dig themselves out."

"Do you know the exact coordinates of this location?"

"No. The weather is blocking all signals. I only have a rough idea of where we are."

"Do you think a Morse signal could get through?"

"Even that would be incredibly difficult. We’ll likely have to wait for the storm to break. What are you planning to send?"

"Your squad and mine are ultimately heading for the same destination. Instead of wasting time on a frantic search, it’s better to make the objective our rally point."

It was then that I noticed a strange inconsistency.

"Wait... you said you found me 'lying on the floor,' right? Not 'buried'?"

"Yes, that’s right. There was a light dusting of snow over you, but it didn't look like you’d been caught in an avalanche. It looked more like the snow had simply accumulated over time."

"Then why wasn't I buried? Better yet, why was I lying right in the path of another squad by pure chance?"

As if projected onto a screen of mist, the last thing I saw before losing consciousness flickered dimly in my mind. But even that clue was swept away by the wind, dissolving into nothingness.

POV - Asuna

"Now... what should I do with this?"

I had retreated to a cave with a stray cat—or rather, a stray Commander. Since he seemed half-frozen, I’d draped my coat over him and started a campfire.

"I mean, I’m nursing him back to health and all, but this is a real problem."

In the scenario I’d envisioned, I wasn't supposed to run into Newbie here. I was actually hoping to cross paths with Yellow. On the bright side, Newbie passed out before he could recognize me. I could just leave him here and play dumb, but...

"Guriel’s squad is moving slower than I expected."

If I leave him like this, there’s an eighty-five percent chance he’ll die. But if he reports that I saved him, I’m cornered as far as the organization is concerned.

"Either way, it’s a step toward disaster."

Sigh. I didn't really want to use this yet.

"Time for OYS, I guess."

The OYS abilities are broadly divided into three categories.

"Ao" (Blue) for repulsion.

"Kuro" (Black) for convergence.

And "Aka" (Red), which fuses the two, weaponizing the collapse of incompatible traits.

"The World: My Own Sky. Mode: Black. Red Thread."

I accelerated the fate of Newbie and Guriel meeting, amplifying the thread and pulling them together.

"The pull on Newbie is strong enough, but Guriel is barely budging."

I performed the impossible feat of hooking into a void, binding causality together like a string.

"Might as well take the fate of meeting Yellow as a bonus while I'm at it."

There. That should do it. Now I just have to toss him somewhere along their path.

I rummaged through his chest pocket, fished out his lighter, and used his own hand to flick it on.

"Inhale... exhale..."

Time for me to get back to work.