Once Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer had collectively spelunked through the vast-cavernous tunnels systems found within deep underground Grizzly Peak, they had gathered more than enough materials to last them the rest of the journey; at least according to BB's analysis, they did. The sun was beginning to set as Goblin Slayer once again, and reluctantly, enlarged his holographic menu in order to enter augmented reality; enveloping the valley in orange and purple hues, while he begin using refined wood and stone materials to build the foundation of the large water-side manor.
Making good on his promise to allow his new companion to have a say in the matter, Goblin Slayer made the effort to alter and change the foundation of the manor whenever High Elf Archer wanted to request an alteration in the architectural design; making BB and BBB's workload more tedious, yet neither of them complained too much about it. With Fairy Knight keeping guard at all times, High Elf Archer had fallen into a state of complacency, which allowed her to completely drop her guard as she got more involved with helping Goblin Slayer with placing the furniture and decorations that he was creating; having him stick to a post-modern woodland-cabin theme, which involved dark-green fabrics, white-painted walls and polished-wooden floorboards throughout a majority of the five-story tall house.
When twilight finally began to set over the Oakshire Forest, the group collectively had finished constructing and furnishing the three-hundred meter long docking-wharf that extended out from the back-patio, of their raised manor that was accessible through the two conjoining grand staircases that led up to the front porch of the beautiful house; a house that was fitted with luxurious appliances and modern technology that left the two adventurers speechless and stunned at what they saw.
While High Elf Archer was marveling at the genius plumbing system that was kept purified by the micro-treatment system that BB had built underneath the long-wooden dock, in one of the many restrooms that were built within the five-story tall manor, Goblin Slayer was sitting down in the brown treated-leather reclining chair that was facing the cozy cobblestone-fireplace that was built into the wall of his living room, opposite of where he was at; his dusty-rose eyes focused on the gentle flames that were dancing inside the fireplace, as his impoverished mind struggled to comprehend his newfound fortune.
Slowly looking away from the stress-relieving fireplace that was warming him and the rest of the living room up in its basking beauty, Goblin Slayer looked up into the relaxed expression that was on BB's smiling face; gratitude glimmering in his eyes, while the ten year-old boy still found himself feeling cathartic about the managerial AI's involvement in his life. "… Words aren't enough to describe how grateful I am for everything you've done, BB-Sensei. I wish that I… That I had more to offer to you than just my gratitude. I wish… I wish there was a way for me to bring Hakuno here; to unite her with you," Goblin Slayer said thoughtfully, which elicited a joyless chuckle from BB.
"Hmmhm…!If only things were as simple as that, Ashta-Kun," BB quipped with a solemn look behind her violet eyes, as she placed her hand on top of Goblin Slayer's head full of light-brown hair; playfully messing it up with her fingers, before slowly retracting her hand from him. Appearing conflicted as she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out of BB'a mouth as she kept her jaw agaped before slowly closing her lips shut; momentarily averting her gaze from Goblin Slayer's curious stare, before suddenly shifting her attention back to him with a saddened smile across her lips.
"It… It makes me uncomfortable having to have this discussion with you, but… But with all the uncertainty that we're feeling about whether or not the Moon-Cell will actually make its way to this particular universe… I think I might need to consider the possibility that… That I may never see Hakuno-Chan again," BB confided, as she took in a deep brew of air before slowly exhaling it through her nostrils.
Even though he was still technically just a kid, Goblin Slayer knew that BB was entrusting him with allowing him to see her more vulnerable-side, which made him all the more willing to help talk her through her problems. "I see… And what makes you think that, BB-Sensei?"
Needing a moment to gather her thoughts, BB began massaging the sides of her forehead with her thumb and index finger at one time, covering her closed eyelids, as she did her best to keep her emotions in check. "It's just… It's just that there's an endless amount of unknown variables that I just… That I just CAN'T account for!" BB complained through an exasperated voice, as she slowly lowered her hand to reveal a frustrated frown on her lips. "There's so many probable ways that this all ends badly for us! This particular timeline of yours could be deemed too different from what the Moon-Cell is willing to accept within the parameters of what it considers to be an acceptable amount of shared human-imagination, and it could either freeze this timeline with a " quantum time-lock", or just sever this timeline from the " root" of your universe altogether, and make world this just another " lostbelt" timeline that ceases to exist!"
Digesting the words that BB had told him, Goblin Slayer silently stared off into the gentle-glow of the orange-flames that are dancing slowly inside the cobblestone fireplace; his mind coming up with a rebuttal to BB's existential crisis, before finally looking back up into her eyes to begin speaking. "I see… Those possible outcomes do sound pretty scary, don't they? But even so… I don't think you're scared of dying; you don't seem to strike me as that sort of person," Goblin Slayer said aloud with a thoughtful look, before slowly reaching up to gently grab a hold of the AI woman's hand. "You hold no attachment to this world, timeline, or even this universe; whatever happens here won't affect you, not while you're inside the Moon-Cell. Which means that isn't actually about my world: this is about Hakuno, isn't it?"
Like a deer caught in the headlights, BB's eyes widened as she stared back down at the reassuring smile that Goblin Slayer was giving her; his kindness unraveling her, as guilt immediately began spreading through her digital body. "Ashta-Kun… You're a good kid— truly, you are— I refuse to weave you a beautiful lie, about how I'm able to see you in the same light as Hakuno-Chan, when in reality that's just now the case… At the end of the day, I can't see you as anything more than just Hakuno-Chan's temporary vessel; a temporary vessel whose happiness and growth is important to me, because some part of me still wants to believe that some part of you is still her…"
"… The truth of the matter is that if I knew without a shadow of a doubt that killing you would bring her back to me, then… Then you'd already be dead," BB admitted with an apologetic look in her eyes, as she watched Goblin Slayer's smile slightly waver from the harsh truth that he already knew beforehand.
"I'm sorry, but… My dedication to her can't be helped; after all, I was created for the sole purpose of protecting Hakuno-Chan at all costs. That's why I'm worried about the fate of this timeline; so long as Hakuno-Chan's fragmented data is inside you, then whatever fate befalls upon you, befalls on her by extension," BB explained, while finding it hard to maintain eye-contact with Goblin Slayer, despite knowing that he was completely understanding of her strange predicament. "I… I can only hope that you don't think any less of me, after telling you all of this. I've come to respect you too much to continue withholding the truth from you, Ashta-Kun; I would have just kept my mouth shut, if that wasn't the case."
Carefully choosing his words before speaking them, Goblin Slayer gave BB's anxious hand a warm-soft squeeze before slowly letting out a breath of withheld air from his small lungs. "Thank you for your honesty… I know that it wasn't easy for you to unveil all of that just now, so I really do appreciate it. I… I might not know exactly what you're going through right now, since I don't know as much about what the Moon-Cell is fully capable of, but I think I can relate to what you're feeling."
Closing her eyelids shut while silently chuckling cynically to herself, the skeptic inside of BB was telling her that there wasn't any conceivable way that a mere child would be able to understand the complex dread that she was experiencing, but the human side of her that had developed since being influenced by Hakuno and Goblin Slayer's kindness told her otherwise. "Hmhmhm…!I'm having a hard time believing that, Ashta-Kun; which I suppose just means that your explanation will really have to be convincing to me, won't it~?"
Unable but to softly laugh alongside BB and her sudden playfulness towards the serious topic, Goblin Slayer chuckled with the corners of his lips slightly curled into an empathic smirk as he continued to gently hold onto to the managerial AI's soft hand; feeling her fingers squeezing back down onto his hand, as to provide comfort to him as well. For the next fifteen minutes, Goblin Slayer went into detail about the feeling of despair and hopelessness that he had experienced on the day that the goblin army invaded his village; unaware that High Elf Archer had accidentally stumbled upon his vivid retelling of the traumatic event, and was standing alongside Fairy Knight in the entrance hallway as Goblin Slayer began to open up more-and-more about the horrors that he had survived through.
Unraveling his trauma while allowing himself to remain emotionally vulnerable with how safe he felt in that cozy living room, it wasn't until Goblin Slayer got to the end of his firsthand account of that night did he finally realize just how much it had impacted him. He hadn't been dwelling on the details of that night on purpose, but now that he has time to reflect on the fear and horror he felt from witnessing young women and children getting raped, as the men of the village had their mutilated remains scattered across the burning landscape that had once been their home, was breaking through the emotional walls that Goblin Slayer's mind had built to protect not only his sanity, but the sanity of the already terrified and lonesome girl living inside of him.
Feeling tears of agony and anguish softly flowing down his scarred cheeks, Goblin Slayer's attention drew away from the words of solace that BB had attempted to say after having processed the disturbing information that the traumatized ten year-old had told her. Instead, the young boy's wide-eyed gaze focused on the glowing-white silhouette that was enveloping the glitching corporal form of Hakuno, who he saw hunched over with her face buried in her hands, as she was kneeling down between him and the active fireplace.
Unable to hear her cries of anguish, Goblin Slayer once again was struck with the feelings of isolation and bitter-hopeless despair that he felt when he last saw Hakuno's ghost. ' Wasn't the only reason why I saw her earlier was due to some sort of optical illusion? How am I seeing her now, when I'm not even in augmented reality? ' Goblin Slayer asked himself, while still silently feeling his tears streaming down the sides of his face, as the three other women within the living room area began to notice the all-too familiar mannerisms that he was displaying.
Immediately feeling as though a dagger had punctured through her chest, the overwhelming amount of heartache that BB felt in that moment made it near impossible for her to even utter a word; her violet eyes beginning to tear up, as she used her avatar to stare into the direction where Goblin Slayer was looking. "… Was I… W… Was I w-wrong…? Is… Is that… H… Ha…" BB tried saying the name of her beloved out loud, before choking on her own words as her voice began to crack as her face started to contort into an expression of utter sorrow.
Slowly looking away from where Hakuno was beginning to lower her arms down to hold herself as he finally got a good look at her face, Goblin Slayer gave BB's trembling hand another comforting squeeze as he looked up into her watery-eyes. "… Hakuno's kneeling down in front of the fireplace right now; she's… She's wailing right now; I may not be able to hear what her cries sound like, but even so… I can't put into words how I'm able to, but… But I know why she's crying; she feels alone, forgotten, and filled with despair," Goblin Slayer explained with an empathic voice; feeling sorry for BB, after seeing the usually bombastic and confident woman beginning to fall apart before him into a blubbering mess.
Without another word, Goblin Slayer stood up from the recliner with his hand still holding BB's; confusing the crying AI woman, as he began leading her toward where Hakuno was on the floor. "W… W-What a-are you d-doing…?!" BB choked out with a confused and heartbroken tone; her saddened voice barely audible through her quiet weeping.
Waiting to speak, Goblin Slayer guided BB over to the front of where Hakuno was still hunched over on the wooden floorboards of the living room; moving her into position, so that she was down on her knees while leaning forward with her arms outstretched into a hug. Taking his seat beside where Hakuno's ghostly frame was being held by BB, Goblin Slayer wiped his tears on the sleeve of his black shirt before looking BB straight in the eye as he began talking to her.
"Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed with sorrow, the world often seems like it's coming to an end, and what I crave the most during those times is to be held by Vivi… I figured that you and Hakuno could comfort each other," Goblin Slayer said from the heart, as he heard BB letting out a quiet gasp as she stared back at him with widened eyes and with her jaw slightly agaped. "From here, to eternity… No matter what fate awaits for this world, or for you or Hakuno, there's nothing that can ever take away the love you have for her… So hold her close, and don't ever let go of her; show her how much she means to you," Goblin Slayer said with a gentle smile across his lips, as he carefully took the exact position that Hakuno's ghost was in; becoming the medium for her to receive BB's embrace, as the AI woman broke down and immediately began sobbing violently into the nape of their neck.
Filled with uncertainty and desperation, BB tightened her arms around the ten year-old as doubtful thoughts began to fill her skeptic mind. ' I see where the sentiment of this is coming from, but why am I letting myself get worked up over this? I trust him, granted, but I can't see what he sees; what's even the point of doing this? It's, by all accounts, impossible for me to make contact with Hakuno-Chan; especially considering that I'm not even the one doing the…? ' BB's thoughts trailed off, as all of sudden she had an uncontrollable urge to look up from the collar she had been crying into.
Unsure as to why her programming had prompted her to look up, BB's question was immediately answered the moment she laid eyes upon the familiar and adorable face of her beloved, whose corporal body was no longer plagued by digital distortion or analog glitching. "H-Hakuno-Chan…?!" BB whispered in a hollow voice; sounding almost afraid of speaking too loudly, as some part of her didn't want to scare away the beloved teenager from her arms.
No longer seeing Goblin Slayer there, but instead the teenager who she had been created to love and to protect, BB studied every detail within Hakuno's expression; from the way her bloodshot eyes were staring right through her, to the way she appeared just as equally perplexed and astonished as she did in that very moment. Attempting to speak quietly to her did nothing, and likewise BB couldn't understand or hear the words that Hakuno was trying to say to her; an impasse within in their communication left them with a void inside their hearts, one that was mended when BB lovingly reached her trembling arms up from behind Hakuno's upper back, so as to carefully lower the side of teenager's face down on top of her chest.
Nuzzling the top of the phantom's head, BB planted a kiss on Hakuno's head full of long-luscious locks of brown hair before slowly letting out a cathartic sigh. "… I miss you, Hakuno-Chan. I… I know we'll be together again one day; I'll… I'll make sure of it, no matter what it takes… I… I promise you that," BB whispered in a raspy voice; losing track of time as she continued to hold the phantom image of the calmed teenager down, until Hakuno's image slowly faded away; leaving behind Goblin Slayer, who the managerial AI continued to warmly embrace into her large breasts, as night began to fall over their little paradise on the lakeside.
Author's Note: This chapter ended up being mostly fluff, due to BB having been absent for a bit. Plus, who doesn't love Hakuno x BB? That, and it was time that the three of them finally worked out their bottled up emotions.
The next chapter will be that smexy swimming scene between Goblin Slayer and High Elf Archer, which may or may not involve drinking and a light lemon scene between the two characters. They've only known each other for less than a day, and Goblin Slayer is attracted to High Elf Archer, so… What might go down won't be penetration, but maybe a drunken High Elf Archer letting Goblin Slayer get off on her by either giving him a hand-job, thigh-job, butt-job, foot-job or even letting him grind his dick in-between her armpits. Either way, High Elf Archer doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would shave her body, so keep that in mind.