The Days Without Big Sis, I Miss Her

"That hurts, Big Sis!"

Higokumaru clutched her head with both hands, tears welling up in her big eyes as she looked at Yae Sakura.

"I told you not to call me Big Sis. Call me that again, and believe it or not, I'll cook you into roasted fox!"

"Ro... roasted fox? Big Sis, I was wrong! Don't turn me into roasted fox! Fox meat doesn't taste good!"

At that, Higokumaru let out a wail and hugged Yae Sakura's thigh.

"You really are too much!"

Big Sis, Big Sis—those were the only two words left in Yae Sakura's mind.

"Big Sis, is this another world? That's great! From now on, I can stay by Big Sis's side all the time." Higokumaru gently released Yae Sakura, then looked around, seemingly delighted.

"..." No! It's not great at all...

Being called Big Sis all day long made Yae Sakura feel like she was going to lose her mind.

"Big Sis, do you know? I missed you so much!"

"Ever since Schicksal HQ in the Open World opened up, you never came back to Yae Village again. I hadn't seen you for over half a year.

"Every day, I stayed in the shrine, hoping you would come back. But every day, I kept waiting and waiting, and you never returned...

"I know that over at Schicksal HQ, there's an Ai-chan who stays by your side just like I do. You wouldn't be lonely, but... I feel so unwilling.

"I miss the days when we gathered materials and took commissions together in Yae Village..."

As she said that, Higokumaru's tears suddenly fell.

Higokumaru loved grilled meat and fried tofu most of all, but during the days Big Sis was gone, even fried tofu and grilled meat had no flavor to her.

"Sigh... All right! Don't cry..."

Seeing that Higokumaru was actually crying, Yae Sakura became a little flustered.

It was true that she had not gone to Sakura Samsara for over half a year. She had been constantly grinding Schicksal HQ instead.

After all, she had already grinded almost everything in Sakura Samsara. Compared to Sakura Samsara, the things at Schicksal HQ were more worth grinding for.

Since it was a game, she had never considered Higokumaru's feelings. She had not expected...

Still, Yae Sakura could be certain that this was the Higokumaru from her own account.

Sigh... Wait!

"Don't we see each other all the time in the Valkyrie dorms?" Yae Sakura came to her senses. She had put a Higokumaru in the dorms!

"Well... hehehe..." Higokumaru scratched her head awkwardly.

"Hehehe my ass! You made me worry for nothing!"

Yae Sakura slapped Higokumaru on the head.

"Forget it. Come with me!"

"Yes, Big Sis!"

"..."

She was not five hundred years old...

Besides, even if she were five hundred, you were a Herrscher from the Previous Era, who knew how many tens of thousands of years old, and you were calling me Big Sis?

Where was your shame?

But considering you were pretty cute... I...

I still can't accept it!!!

Big Sis, my ass!

Taking Higokumaru with her, Yae Sakura first went to introduce her to Kikyo.

Unless something unexpected happened, Higokumaru would be accompanying them on missions from now on.

"Good afternoon, Miss Yae!"

When Yae Sakura returned to Kaede Village with Higokumaru, the villagers they passed greeted her with smiles.

"Good afternoon!"

Yae Sakura replied with a smile. With Kikyo vouching for her, and with Yae Sakura often enthusiastically helping the villagers over the past year by taking commissions, the villagers did not reject the half-demon Yae Sakura.

Then again, the villagers held Kikyo in great reverence and believed everything she said was right. They practically treated her like a god.

"Big Sis is amazing. You're so popular even in another village!" Higokumaru followed behind Yae Sakura, looking up at her with worship in her eyes.

"..."

"I wonder whether the villagers in this village have spirit-dispelling cannons or soul-sucking treasure bottles. I haven't played with those in so long."

Higokumaru looked at the surrounding villagers expectantly.

"..."

No! You were overthinking it. Not every village was like Yae Village!!

It was Yae Village's absurd black technology that was strange, wasn't it?

At last, when they reached Kikyo, Yae Sakura immediately explained, "Kikyo, this is my familiar, Flying Fish Ball... no! Higokumaru!"

"A familiar? Fat Fish Ball?" Kaede, who stood beside Kikyo, brightened when she saw Higokumaru.

Fox ears, and a fox tail too!!

So cute!!!

"Your name is Fat Fish Ball? My name is Kaede. Can we be friends?" Kaede hurried over to Higokumaru and looked at her expectantly.

"... B-Big Sis?"

At a loss, Higokumaru hurriedly looked up at Yae Sakura.

Only after seeing Yae Sakura nod did she seriously look at Kaede...

"My name is Higokumaru, not Fat Fish Ball!"

"Higokumaru? Oh, oh! I understand! Higokumaru, can we be friends?"

"Well... since you asked so sincerely, I'll reluctantly agree!"

"Really...? That's great! Are you a little fox? Can I touch your ears and tail?" Upon hearing that, Kaede immediately looked at Higokumaru with great anticipation.

"No!" Higokumaru refused without even thinking.

Her ears and tail were sensitive spots...

Other than Big Sis, she could not let anyone else touch them.

"A familiar? As long as she doesn't do anything bad, do as you please." Kikyo glanced at Higokumaru, then withdrew her gaze.

After a year of getting to know each other, Kikyo had come to trust Yae Sakura completely.

The fact that Kikyo was on Yae Sakura's friends list was the best proof of that.

Yae Sakura currently had only three friends: Xia Ji, Kikyo, and Kaede.

Other than being able to private chat, though, Yae Sakura had yet to discover any other functions.