Call Me By Name

"Oh…"

The eggshell shattered, revealing Ria's entire body.

Unlike last time, she wasn't naked. That time, the Cyclops' gastric juices had dissolved her clothes.

Nevertheless, Serge shouted.

"Boobs!"

Ria's chest was exposed, having burst through her leather armor.

"S-somehow, this is painful…"

Ria groaned, but it was understandable.

"R-Ria-chan, didn't you somehow grow a lot bigger?"

"Huh?"

She stretched out her limbs. Her clothes were clearly too short.

Her chest was painful. Unbearably painful.

"What's going on…"

She stood up. Her eye level had changed. Estimating from Serge and Maal's perspectives…

"Around half a head taller?"

This had happened before, but this time the growth was more pronounced.

Above all else, her chest hurt.

"Ahh…"

Ria sighed. Overly large breasts just got in the way during combat.

"Seriously… what a pain…"

Ria quickly stripped off her clothes one after another.

Though she shot Valis a somewhat resentful look, the dragon showed no signs of remorse.

She created new clothes and armor with genesis magic. Adjusting the size was tedious.

"Boobs! Boobs!"

Serge was chanting 'boobs' while waving his hands. She hadn't particularly minded, but apparently this counted as a fanservice scene.

"Hmm, it hurts when I tighten it."

"How about making something with elasticity, like a sports bra?"

"Right… Why are you so knowledgeable about women's underwear?"

Setting aside Serge, who was now evading the question by looking off into the distance, Ria finished arranging her appearance and created a full-length mirror.

"Ugh…"

She was close to one hundred and seventy centimeters tall. Her hair nearly reached her waist.

Her almond-shaped eyes were framed by long, fluttering eyelashes. Depending on the light, her eyes appeared either black or gold.

Overall, she exuded a mature aura. Yet despite that, she hadn't lost the supple grace of a maiden.

"Beautiful…"

For a while, Ria stood admiring herself in the mirror.

"Why am I such a beautiful woman…"

It was an incredibly frustrating experience for Ria, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Since she was feeling vexed, she had Valis grant her a small wish.

She had her beloved katana Kotetsu from her previous life shown to her, and was relieved to see it had safely returned to the hands of someone who cherished it.

"So then, you want me to take this child along?"

With a brazen attitude, Ria faced Valis. Her feelings of reverence toward the god had already vanished.

It was a sort of defiance—try and kill me if you can.

"Indeed, she will become your strength as well."

When Ria turned her gaze, there was a beautiful young girl.

The girl had been a dragon just moments ago. When Ria voiced the obvious concern—how could she bring a dragon to a human settlement—Valis had simply changed her appearance.

She looked to be in her mid-teens. As for her exact age, even Valis didn't seem to know. For a race where ten or twenty years was nothing, that couldn't be helped.

She had curly golden hair and pale green eyes. Her wide, round eyes were adorable.

And protecting her body was plate armor made of orichalcum.

Yes, orichalcum. Created by a mother worried about her child, it was armor at the level of a divine artifact.

On her back was a greatsword that looked like it would give even an ogre trouble to wield. It too was made of orichalcum.

Restrain yourself, Divine Dragon-sama.

"So, what is this child's name?"

With a sigh, Ria accepted taking her along. Well, she probably wouldn't be a burden.

"Ah, it hasn't been decided. Since you'll be acting as her older sister, you decide."

This was where things got difficult.

To begin with, Ria had no naming sense.

Matsukaze and Rudolph were names she'd brought from knowledge in her previous life.

Perhaps she could name her after a woman from her previous life, but that was difficult.

Names of acquaintances were Japanese to begin with and wouldn't suit her, and there was no way she'd give a woman a name like Kiyomaro or Muramasa.

She considered Joan, the name of a European female warrior, but rejected it since that person had a tragic end.

She thought about naming her after a famous female warrior from this world's history, but gave up after being unable to find one suitable for a dragon.

So she dumped the task on Serge, who seemed good at this sort of thing.

"Eh, me?"

Even so, Serge was troubled. Unlike naming a game character, this was a dragon who would easily live for millennia—he couldn't pick a bad name.

In fact, the names he suggested one after another were rejected by Ria just as quickly. If that was the case, she should just name her herself.

Then, after who knows how many attempts, seeing her appearance covered in plate armor, a certain name came to mind.

"How about… Irina?"

"Hmm, not bad. Where did that name come from?"

"It's the name of a female warrior who wore plate armor and wielded a huge sword."

"Ah, that works."

Thus, her name was decided.

"Let's give you a surname too. Irina Crystal. As my younger sister."

"Irina."

"Irina."

"Congratulations, Irina."

"Congratulations, Irina."

"Thank you."

"A-also, Nee-chan, I have a request about names too."

'Give me a name too,' Serge started to say.

In truth, the name Serge was equivalent to something like Yosaku or Hachibee in Edo period terms from his previous life.

"If I have a name given by royalty, I can introduce myself with dignity."

"Well, I don't particularly mind… but I'll still call you Serge from now on, got it? It's a hassle otherwise."

To Serge, who was nodding vigorously, Ria put a hand to her chin and thought.

"Serge… Serge… How about Sergess? It sounds more aristocratic."

"That sounds like some perverted villain's name, so no thanks!"

He rejected it so strongly that Ria was momentarily taken aback.

"Then… Serge… Sagi… ttarius. How about that? Long-range attacks are your specialty, so isn't it fitting?"

"Sagittarius… the archer… I can use meteor attacks too, it's perfect for me!"

Serge cried out in ecstasy.

He wasn't a superhero, couldn't be the protagonist of a space opera, and probably couldn't pull off last-second rescues, but it wasn't a bad name at all.

"Want a surname too? Sagittarius Crystal."

"Eh! Is that okay!?"

"Yeah, Crystal was originally a commoner's surname anyway. As long as you don't claim Casalia, it's fine."

Serge was thrilled. He brushed back his bangs with his hand.

"I am Sagittarius Crystal. Those close to me call me Serge."

It seemed like something had gone slightly wrong with him.

"Well then, Irina, take care of yourself."

"Un, Valis-chan. I'm off."

Smiling fondly at her daughter's energetic reply, Valis used teleportation magic.

Silence returned.

Valis exhaled softly. The next moment, a mountainous form filled the space.

What a fun group they were, Valis thought. Come to think of it, the last humans to reach this place were with Anaia.

Though she didn't have long left to live, she would never forget them until her final moment. For Valis, to remember was to love.

However, she thought.

Valis' precognition was telling her. She would definitely meet Ria again, not just Irina.

And when that time came, there was a high chance it would be a battle that would push her to her limits.

Her precognition wasn't complete. Just as she hadn't been able to fully foresee Clarice's demise, she could barely grasp Ria and Irina's futures.

If such a future arrived, she would need to leave this cave herself. And probably, the other three Divine Dragons as well.

Would she be able to meet those humans she missed? If she could, that would be good.

(Is Shifaka still alive, I wonder? Kuo, obviously, but…)

While recalling each of their faces, Valis drifted into a light slumber.