Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 5 - Chapter SS

Bonus Short Stories 
The Royal Capital, Altea 

The day after Mr. Franklin’s terrorist incident in duel city Gideon, the Superior from Huang He, Xunyu, returned to the kingdom’s capital at a speed unimaginable to the common person. 
Unlike when she had gone to Gideon, she didn’t have Meihai with her. The Huang He ambassador had more business in the duel city, and she was also thoroughly averse to Xunyu’s method of travel, going as far as to tearily beg the Superior not to take her. 
No one could fault her. Xunyu traveled by extending her Superior Embryo, Tenaga Ashinaga, into the distant horizon at supersonic speeds, then grabbing the surface and pulling herself towards it just as fast. To her, it was as natural as walking normally, but anyone forced to accompany her would turn groggy from the repeating decreases and increases in speed. 
Upon arriving to the capital’s gates, Xunyu took off her Superior Embryo. By design, Tenaga Ashinaga was like a set of complex claw grabbers and circus stiltwalker stilts, so it wasn’t hard to remove. 
With that done, she walked, on her own two feet, towards the state guest house in the noble district. She proved her identity to the guardsmen at the entrance, headed for her destination room, knocked on the door, and was welcomed inside. 
“I’m bAck, Cang,” she said upon entering. 
“Welcome back, Master Xunyu!” a boy greeted her with a smile. He was Canglong, the current owner of the room and the third prince of the Huang He Empire. 
“How’rE you holdin’ up?” she asked. 
“I still have a bit of a fever, but it’s nothing major. What about you, Master Xunyu? There was some trouble in Gideon after the Clash, wasn’t there? It was projected in the capital’s sky.” 
“So it seEms.” 
Franklin had made sure that the incident at Gideon would be broadcasted to both Gideon and the capital. It was still the talk of the town here in Altea, and many tians were worried that something similar could happen here. 
That was the reason why Xunyu had removed her Tenaga Ashinaga from sight upon entering the city. While wearing her Embryo, she had the appearance of a fiend with limbs far too long for any humanoid creature, and the sight of such a being hopping around was sure to make the tians uneasy. 
Fiendish and odd as she sometimes seemed, Xunyu was a girl (ten years old, by the way) who was capable of such consideration. 
“Well, I’m finE,” she said. “All I hAd to do was take care of a single mOnster.” 
“I see. That’s good to know,” Cang sighed with relief. “Oh, right, Master Xunyu, how was the Clash of the Superiors? Was the kingdom’s duel champion... was Figaro strong?” 
“YeAh. Figaro was toUgh and I had tons of fun. I’d love tO fight him many more times while I’m here in thE kingdom,” she said with a smile that was plain to see even with the talisman covering her face. 
Oh, it must have been a really great duel, thought Canglong upon seeing her expression. 
“Master Xunyu, could you tell me more about the fight?” he requested. “The incident made it all chaotic, and I have yet to hear many details of the duel.” 
“Of coursE,” said Xunyu. “That’s whY I returned here, aftER all.” 
Indeed, she had come back to the capital specifically to show this boy that she was all right and tell him of the duel that he was certainly curious about. 
“Before the stArt of the fight, to get fired up, stir up the sCEne, and set up a trap, I built myself up as the heEl. Then, I...” 
And so she spoke, telling Canglong the details of the exciting new memory.

A certain day after Franklin’s Game, Nemesis 

Ray arrived at the knight offices in Gideon and began uncursing the items there. This was quickly becoming a part of his daily routine. 
Naturally, I was at his side, examining the weapons he had freed from their spells. 
As I silently eyed the items, I became painfully aware that, as weaponry, they were far stronger than I was. Not only were their bonuses to attack power far greater than mine, but some also increased other stats, gave new skills, or even dealt elemental damage. 
Comparing myself to them might’ve been foolish, considering that they were all things like named blades, demonbrands, and sacred swords, even though they’d been cursed, while I was merely a second form Embryo. Even so, the very idea of having to choose any of them to be Ray’s weapon gave me a heartache. It made me picture a world in which he saw me as weak and became more distant. 

I’d rejected the idea of him taking new weapons and acted as though they had to be “examined,” and now I couldn’t help but admit that it was nothing but an act of jealousy. 
Still, I couldn’t keep rejecting them for such a superficial reason. For Ray’s sake, I had to pick him a suitable weapon. 
With that in mind... 
“Ray, if I may ask, what are your preferences when it comes to weapons?” I asked. 
“My preferences?” he raised an eyebrow. 
“I believe I should consider more than just its attributes when picking your reward. Your tastes are important, as well.” 
No matter how powerful the weapon, it would mean little if he didn’t like it. 
“Well...” he said and took a moment to think before continuing. “I’d like it to be black, considerably long... and I prefer blades over blunt weapons.” 
“Hm?” I was highly familiar with a weapon that fit those conditions perfectly. 
It was none other than myself. Both the Black Blade of my first form and the Flag Halberd of my second form were right up his alley. 
“Is that all?” I asked. “Some people like weapons that release fire, lightning, and such. Don’t you have any preferences like that?” 
“Can’t say I do.” 
“But the conditions you gave make it seem like you’re satisfied with me.” 
“Oh, right. Guess that means you’re just my type.” 
... 
“...UEH?!” 
Eh? I... Huh!? W-W-W-W-Wait...! What?! 
“What’s wrong?” Ray asked. “You look pretty red. Are you sick...? Does the Epidemic affect Embryos, too?” 
“N-No! I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine!” 
Calm down! Compose yourself, Nemesis! I told myself. He’s only saying that I’m his preferred type of weapon... definitely not that he likes me as a woman! 
A-All right, I pulled myself together. 
“Still... so I’m your ideal weapon, am I?” 
“Marie told me that Embryos naturally take shapes and abilities befitting their Master’s wavelength. You’re born from my personal traits, after all. It’s no surprise we’re compatible.” 
“I see... That means I’m the best partner you could ask for!” 
“Damn right. We’re companions. Keep looking out for me, will you?” 
“...Of course!” 
This was a real weight off my mind. I actually had nothing to be afraid of. No matter what weapons Ray would use from now on, I would be his only partner. 
So now, as the proud bearer of this title, I had to choose a weapon that would make Ray more powerful than ever! 
Thus, free of the gloom from before, I faced numerous weapons and began examining them with an eye keener and stricter than ever.