Tengen Uzui froze, startled by the Sapphire Star's blunt, almost irritable attitude, and instinctively asked, "Instructor Sapphire Star... you... you seem to have quite a grudge against these two?"
"Don't get me started! Just talking about it pisses me off!" The Sapphire Star planted her hands on her hips and pointed at the two who had just climbed to their feet, looking ready to drag every old grievance into the open.
"Back at the gathering hub in the Old World! We agreed the three of us would board together! Go work in the New World together! And what happened?!"
Her finger nearly jabbed Blaze in the nose. "You! Blaze! The ship was about to leave, and your childhood friend sent word that 'Hinoa back home made some new dango and is waiting for you to come eat them,' and you hopped right off the ship and ran! Not even a goodbye! You left me waiting on board forever!"
Blaze shrank back under her jabbing finger, her crimson dragon armor seeming to lose some of its luster. She muttered, "...B-but Hinoa's dango really are delicious... and I did think about coming over afterward..."
"Afterward? By then it was ancient history!" The Sapphire Star's anger flared again, and she turned on Lone Bird.
"And you! Lone Bird! You were even worse! 'Next time for sure,' you said! 'Next time for sure'?! Like an idiot, I believed you! And what happened? Your 'next time' dragged on for who knows how many years, while I was stuck alone in the New World getting chased down three streets by a Bazelgeuse trying to eat me!"
Lone Bird awkwardly rubbed his sturdy armor, his gaze wandering. "...W-well... I got lost... besides, Bazelgeuse is pretty challenging..."
Tengen Uzui listened, dumbfounded. "...Huh? So these two are...?"
The Sapphire