I strolled through the streets with Aria-san, enjoying some window shopping as we shared idle chatter. At the moment, I found myself asking her about the sound-based magic she had used earlier.
"Aria-san, can you basically do anything as long as it involves sound?"
"Yes, that is a fair way to put it."
"Like moving at the speed of sound, for example?"
"...Yes, well, I can do that."
"I see. That sounds quite powerful. I mean, an attack using sound would move at supersonic speeds, wouldn't it?"
"..."
Supersonic movement was a staple ability in battle stories. Moving at roughly 340 meters per second seemed incredible to me, so I had assumed it meant Aria-san was exceptionally strong—but she wore a conflicted expression.
When I tilted my head at her reaction, she gave me a wry smile and explained.
"Well, while the speed of sound is certainly impressive by general standards... it is actually quite slow among those at the Peerage-class level. Only a handful of individuals even at the Baron-class are unable to reach supersonic speeds, and they usually possess other exceptional abilities to compensate. Those who specialize in speed can move at dozens of times the speed of sound, even at the Baron-class."
"Oh, I see. Come to think of it, I did hear that even a low-ranking Count-class can react at light speed."
I recalled hearing that from Alice during a discussion about Lilia-san's reaction times. I believe Lilia-san hadn't even reached the Count-class level back then, yet Alice had said her visually perceivable speed was one two-hundred-millionth of a second and her reaction speed was one one-hundred-millionth of a second. Even though that required reinforcement from her magic power, I was told she was only slightly behind the speed of light.
Now that she had reached the Count-class, she was likely even faster... and the high-ranking Counts, Dukes, and Six Kings were on an entirely different dimension.
Even with my glasses that allowed me to see up to ten times the speed of light, it was difficult to fully track Isis-san when she was moving "slowly." The sheer scale of the Six Kings' power was truly staggering.
"Yes. Therefore, sound-based attacks are actually considered rather sluggish. However, even if they can be sensed through magic power, sound is invisible to the eye, so there are many situations where it can be used effectively. I can set traps, reflect sound to eliminate blind spots, or disrupt an opponent's sense of balance. It has a wide range of applications... but in direct combat, the speed is a real drawback. Despite how I look, I am of the Peerage-class, so I can move far faster than sound myself."
"Can you reach the speed of light?"
"...Ah, no, the speed of light is still quite a way off. I can manage about ten times the speed of sound, but anything beyond that is difficult."
"I see. Still, from my perspective, ten times the speed of sound is plenty impressive."
"Fufu, thank you. You are surrounded by such extraordinary people, Kaito-sama, so I was a little worried I might disappoint you."
Aria-san smiled mischievously, looking genuinely happy. Seeing her like that made me smile in turn.
To be honest, since my combat power was often compared to a slime's, the difference between a Baron-class and a Count-class was so vast that I could only perceive both as simply "amazing."
"I wouldn't be disappointed. Besides, being Peerage-class already means you're a one-in-a-million genius. I'm just genuinely impressed by how incredible you are, Aria-san."
"Please, don't flatter me too much. I might get carried aw— K-Kaito-sama?! Excuse me!"
"Huh? Whoa!"
In the middle of our talk, Aria-san's face shifted as if she had spotted something. With blinding speed, she grabbed me and dove into a nearby alley.
I was still confused by the sudden turn of events when she pulled my head toward her, gesturing for us to hide. This probably wasn't the time to think about it, but my face was currently pressed right into her chest. She had such a refined, pleasant scent that it made my heart race.
"...Um, Aria-san?"
"Shhh! Just a moment. I... I spotted someone I know. I'm sorry for the tight quarters, but please, bear with me just a bit longer."
"...Ah, okay."
That explained things. Aria-san was clearly here incognito and wanted to avoid being recognized by an acquaintance.
I understood the reason, but having my face buried in her chest until they passed was embarrassing. Then again, if I moved carelessly and we got caught, that would be worse. Actually, can I see who she's hiding from?
While held in Aria-san's embrace, I couldn't move my head, but I shifted my eyes toward the street. In the distance, I saw a familiar figure.
Wait... isn't that Beatrice-san? Huh? If that's Beatrice-san... then Aria-san really is Alexandra-san...
Serious-senpai: "W-What a guy. Pulling off a hug on the very first day they met... Is he doing an RTA or something...?"