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Riveria slowly closed her eyes, letting the morning breeze caress her face and green hair. She stood still, five colorful balloons floating gently in her hand, swaying softly as if inviting her to dance. In that brief moment of silence, she imagined herself lifting into the sky—slowly, lightly, like a leaf carried by the wind. In her mind's eye, the sky stretched endlessly blue, and she drifted among the white clouds like a feather.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, causing her eyes to snap open with renewed sparkle. "Shirou," she said, turning to him while swaying the five balloons back and forth, "if I had more balloons... way more, could I actually lift off the ground?"
Shirou blinked, slightly startled by the unexpected question. "In theory, yes... but—"
Riveria immediately cut him off, her voice brimming with excitement. "Then let's try it! We don't have to go too high. These balloons are small—they won't attract attention, right?"
Shirou sighed and began running rough calculations in his head. "If you really want to float... you'd need an enormous number of balloons. I mean, a lot. They'd have to support your weight—"
Pinch!
"Ow!" Shirou instinctively grabbed his cheek, which had just been pinched. His hand reflexively rubbed the spot that stung and tingled. He stared at Riveria, who was looking back at him with a mischievous smile.
Riveria leaned in slightly, her eyes half-lidded in playful reproach. "It's rude to call a woman 'heavy,' Shirou."
Shirou was flustered, his face turning red. "That's not what I meant! I was talking technically! Physics! Mass and lift force!" he stammered.
Hearing this, Riveria burst into laughter—light and clear, like the trickling of mountain water. She laughed freely, and for a moment, she no longer seemed like the legendary mage of Loki Familia but rather a young girl lost in a simple, happy moment. "I know, I know," she said, still giggling as she lightly patted Shirou's arm. "But your expression just now was priceless."
Shirou could only offer a wry smile, rubbing his cheek as if it could erase his embarrassment. Yet, seeing Riveria's radiant smile, he felt the small pinch was a fair price for such a sight.
Riveria clasped her hands in front of her chest, still tightly holding the strings of the five balloons floating cheerfully in the air. Her smile hadn't faded since she had pinched Shirou's cheek, but now there was a gentle seriousness in her tone. "Even if it doesn't work... let's just treat it as an experiment. Field research, not just fun," she said confidently, as if convincing herself this wasn't merely a personal whim.
Shirou watched her and let out a short sigh. He recognized that look—the unmistakable curiosity of a scientist... or in this case, a mage thirsty for new experiences. He knew there was no point in refusing.
"Alright," he finally said, a small curve forming on his lips. "I get it. You really want to try this?"
He paused for a moment, his mind working. "In that case, how about I project larger balloons this time?" he mused, raising a hand to his chin.
Riveria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Wait... didn't you say earlier you didn't want to create a hot air balloon? You were worried it'd attract the attention of the gods in Orario, right?" Her voice carried doubt. She glanced at Shirou briefly before looking down. "I don't want to trouble you or put you in a difficult position because of my selfishness."
Shirou responded with a reassuring expression. "Relax. What I'm projecting now won't be as big as a real hot air balloon... just slightly larger than before. It's still safe."
He then extended his hand toward Riveria. "Here, let me show you."
Riveria reluctantly handed over the five balloon strings. Shirou raised his left hand, and with a smooth motion, he channeled prana that enveloped the five floating balloons, as well as the small red balloon that had been placed on the ground. In an instant, they all began to fade slowly, like fragments of light carried away by the wind. Fssh... They dissolved into particles of magic and vanished into the air.
"Ah..." Riveria held her breath, watching the tiny balloons disappear from sight. A strange sense of loss settled in her chest. Even though they were just temporary projections, she had genuinely enjoyed that small moment with them.
But before she could voice her disappointment, her eyes widened.
With a faint shimmer of red light, Shirou projected a new balloon into his right hand. This balloon looked full, glossy like wet silk, and—much to Riveria's astonishment—it was far larger than the previous ones. The balloon hovered calmly, held by a thick silver string.
"Here," Shirou said, handing the string to Riveria.
Riveria accepted it in awe, her eyes never leaving the large balloon now floating in the air, as if daring the sky to lift whoever held it. She gazed at it from bottom to top, watching it drift gently yet steadily, as if it had a will of its own to stay aloft.
"It's... taller than me," she murmured, her voice filled with wonder and a hint of hope.
Shirou watched her warmly. "Try swaying it gently. Feel the pull."
When Riveria did so, the balloon swayed softly, giving her the sensation of being gently tugged upward. It was the beginning of her flying dream, slowly taking shape.
As her fingers tightly gripped the string of the large red balloon, Riveria felt a gentle but stronger pull than before, as if an invisible force was trying to lift her slowly off the ground. Unlike the five small balloons that had only swayed lightly, this one had a real upward force, as though she only needed a few more to take flight truly.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and an irrepressible smile spread across her face. "Shirou... I think this might actually work," she said, unable to hide her amazement.
Shirou didn't respond directly. Instead, he raised his hand again, summoning prana with a motion almost like sleight of hand. In an instant, a second large balloon appeared in the air—bright orange, floating upward and drifting slightly toward Riveria.
"Whoa!" Riveria reflexively exclaimed, then quickly jumped and grabbed its string before it could escape into the sky. She clutched it tightly, her breath slightly hurried from the brief panic. She glared at Shirou, but her eyes still shone with excitement.
"You could've warned me! If I'd been too slow, this balloon might've landed on someone's roof!" she protested, half-serious and half-amused, as she held both balloons—red and orange—now swaying gently above her.
Shirou only smiled faintly. "Relax. If it flew too far, I could just dispel it before it touched the ground."
Riveria was about to retort when Shirou suddenly said, "Get ready."
"Huh? For—eh?!"
Before she could ask, large balloons began appearing around her. Soft flashes of light zipped through the air, each revealing a new balloon in a different color, shimmering like gems under the morning sun.
A yellow balloon emerged to her left.
A green one followed from behind.
A deep blue balloon rose slowly to her right.
A pale blue, almost translucent balloon spun gently in front of her face.
Finally, a purple balloon appeared above her head, floating like a crown.
Riveria's reflexes were extraordinary. With agility and grace, she reached out one by one, catching each balloon's string before any could fly too far. The breeze made her hair dance, and her white shorts rustled as she adjusted her stance to balance while holding them all.
Now, she stood in front of the forge with seven large balloons floating above her—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pale blue, and purple. The colors formed a beautiful canopy, like an inverted rainbow hanging in the sky.
The strings tangled between her fingers, and she gripped them tightly, her eyes wide with awe. Her breath hitched slightly. "Shirou..." she whispered, "I'm really going to lift off..."
And in her heart, a small voice said:
Flying with you... might not just be a dream.
Shirou stood straight, his hands tucked into his pants pockets as he watched Riveria, now surrounded by seven large balloons floating gracefully in the air. The balloons made her silhouette look like something out of a dream painting—elegant, bright, and almost unreal. Yet, Shirou's expression wasn't fully satisfied.
"Still not enough," he finally said, his voice quiet but clear.
Riveria, whose body now felt slightly lifted but not fully airborne, nodded. She could feel the pull of the balloons, much stronger than before, seven times the force of just the single red balloon earlier. But gravity still held her down. "I can feel it. Almost," she said eagerly. "Just project more, Shirou. I'll catch them all."
Shirou scratched his head, which wasn't itchy. "I could... but... I'd have to repeat colors. The balloons would start doubling up."
Riveria blinked, only now realizing that. She looked up at the sky where seven large balloons floated gracefully. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pale blue, and purple. All the colors of the rainbow.
"Heh," Riveria giggled, her lips curling in amusement. "Turns out, we accidentally made a rainbow hanging in the sky." She let out a light sigh and said, "Then let's try another way."
Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Another way?"
Riveria turned to him, her green eyes gleaming with intelligence. "You're more skilled in Reinforcement than I am. And these balloons are your projections, right?"
Shirou nodded, starting to follow her train of thought.
"You once said Reinforcement can strengthen an object's properties, not just its physical structure but also its properties," Riveria continued, slightly raising her hands to let the balloon strings rise higher.
Shirou stared at her, now fully understanding. "So you mean... You want me to reinforce these balloons—both the rubber and the gas inside?"
"Exactly," Riveria nodded quickly. "Use Reinforcement on these balloons. Strengthen the rubber so it won't burst easily, and the gas inside to increase its buoyancy."
Shirou nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll try."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let prana flow from his body to his fingertips. "Trace... on."
His hand rose to chest height, his fingers forming a steady mudra. Silently, he directed Reinforcement one by one onto the large balloons swaying in the air, starting with the outer rubber, making it more elastic, pressure-resistant, and less likely to burst. Then, he reinforced the gas inside, increasing its lift by altering its density and stability.
A thin aura of prana enveloped each balloon, and they slowly glowed softly, shimmering as if holding the sky within.
Whoooosh...
"Ahhhh—!"
The sudden small scream made Shirou snap his eyes open.
What he saw made his heart race.
Riveria... was lifted into the air. Her feet slowly left the ground, her green low ponytail fluttering in the wind, and the large balloons above her were now truly carrying her upward. She wasn't just hovering lightly—she was rising... rising high!
Hap!
With quick reflexes, Shirou dashed forward and leaped, his arms wide open. His heart pounded as he managed to grab Riveria's white calves, which were already lifting higher.
"Oof—!" Riveria gasped, her body jolted by the sudden tug.
Their combined weight made the large balloons unable to lift them further, and slowly, they descended back to the ground. But their position now looked comical—like an unbalanced human tower. The seven colorful balloons still floated in Riveria's hand, hovering above her like a giant umbrella. Shirou still tightly held her calves, trying to keep her from flying again.
"Shirou! Why did you pull me down?!" Riveria looked down, her brows furrowed in confusion.
"I was worried you'd fly too high! How would you get back down?!" Shirou called from below, but his voice was swallowed by the wind carrying their words away.
"What?! I can't hear you!" Riveria frowned, then raised her voice. "Just pull me all the way down!"
Obediently, Shirou began lowering her slowly. His hands, which had been gripping her calves, now moved up to her smooth knees. Then, unintentionally, his fingers brushed against her exposed thighs under her shorts.
Hau~
A small gasp escaped Riveria's lips, making Shirou freeze instantly.
"Don't stop!" Riveria commanded, her voice slightly trembling.
Shirou swallowed hard and continued. His hands now reached her slender waist, his face accidentally almost pressed against her ample chest. His breath hitched as he tried not to think about how close they were. Slowly, his hands moved again, circling her toned stomach, and finally stopped at her shoulders.
Now, they stood face to face, mere inches apart. Shirou's hands still gripped Riveria's shoulders as if he were afraid she'd float away if he let go.
"..."
"..."
The air between them felt hot, even as the morning breeze remained cool. Riveria stared at Shirou with flushed cheeks, while Shirou struggled to look anywhere but her shining green eyes.
The balloons above them swayed gently as if laughing at the awkward scene.
Who would've thought the "flying experiment" would end like this? Shirou thought to himself.
"So... why?" Riveria raised an eyebrow, her hands still tightly holding the strings of the seven balloons floating above them. Her voice was soft, but there was an unmistakable curiosity in it.
Shirou felt his palms pressed against Riveria's shoulders, covered by her smooth blue top, growing sweaty. So damp... but why do I feel so hot? he wondered in confusion.
"I-I... I was worried you'd fly too high," Shirou finally answered, his voice hoarse. "If you got carried away and fell... I didn't want you to get hurt." His eyes lowered, his face reddening. "And... sorry for... my hands earlier."
Heh...
A small laugh escaped Riveria's lips. Despite their awkward position—standing so close, balloons floating above, and Shirou's hands still on her shoulders—a warm feeling surged in her heart. This... is kind of romantic, isn't it?
"Shirou, you don't need to apologize." Riveria shook her head, her smile gentle. "Haven't I told you before? I'm fine with anything you do to me."
Shirou frowned. "But that—"
Ssstttt...
Riveria cut him off by puckering her lips, blowing a short sound like she often did to calm her students. "I know you're a good man. So stop apologizing, okay?"
Shirou fell silent, his mouth shut by Riveria's unwavering gaze. Inside his heart, something was pounding—whether from guilt or something else, he couldn't tell.
And between them, the balloons still floated, as if witnessing a conversation deeper than words.
"Just let me go, Shirou," Riveria said lightly, her voice full of confidence. "Let me fly for a bit."
Shirou furrowed his brow, his grip on her shoulders not loosening. "But... how will you come back down?" he protested, the image of Riveria falling from the sky making his heart race uncontrollably.
Hah...
Riveria let out a short sigh, but a smile tugged at her lips. Shirou's excessive concern warmed her even as it amused her. "Shirou," she said, shaking her head, "did you forget I'm a level 6 adventurer? Falling from this height would barely make me dirtier than a doormat."
Ah... right.
Shirou's face instantly reddened as he realized his own foolishness. With slow reluctance, his sweaty fingers gradually released their hold on Riveria's shoulders.
Whoosh...
Freed from Shirou's grasp, Riveria's body slowly lifted again. With a nimble motion, she released her right hand from the balloon strings and waved at Shirou, who stood stiffly below.
"Don't forget to catch me if I fly too far!" she teased, laughing as her voice grew fainter with height.
Shirou could only raise his hand, waving back with a mix of worry and admiration. His eyes never left Riveria as she drifted farther away, the seven colorful balloons forming a small rainbow arc in the blue sky.
Thump...
The sound of his own heartbeat was loud in his ears. Amid his anxiety, there was a small pride in seeing the joy on Riveria's face as she grew smaller in the distance. The morning breeze brushed through Shirou's red hair as if smiling, but this time, he kept his gaze fixed on Riveria soaring higher.
"Come back safely..." he whispered to the wind carrying her away.