“Hentai” Ai said.

Sora gave Ai a confused and guilt-ridden look.

 “Sora Lolicon” She speaks out with a grin.

Sora froze up like a statue of ice – it would seem his brain stopped working as he tried to process the new information.

Now don’t be mistaken, most people would be thinking that Sora must be thinking the following: does Ai speak Japanese? Is she Japanese? Has Ai been lying to him all this while? And so on…but no! Sora took on a completely different tangent of thought: How many laws have I broken? Can she provide evidence in court? Is it a crime in virtual reality too? Is necro-philia against the law? – his thoughts bordered more closer to someone guilty (and seriously disgusting) looking for an escape on being caught red handed.

“Sora-Loli? … Sora-Loli?” Ai repeated as she waived her hand in front of face bring Sora back to reality.

The words certainly grabbed Sora’s attention as he moved as fast as lightening to wrap his hands around Ai’s mouth lest someone hears her – not that there is anyone in the vicinity.

“mmmmm” Ai tried to scream out however her voice was being muffled by Sora’s hand.

[Shhh!] Sora cried out – looking panicky and very guilty.

Ai stopped resisting and speaking. She calmed down and looked up at Sora.

Sora took a deep breath and removed his hand.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” Ai screams out at full volume.

Her high pitched *unusually* loud girl scream stuns Sora for a split second. Ai tries to break free from his grip however Sora recovers and tries to cover her mouth once again – his efforts are in vain. Ai begins to wrestle for her freedom and Sora was no match for her.

Once Sora leaves her, Ai scurries a good ten feet away from him.

The two kept staring at each other for a very very long time. Neither party batted an eyelash -  Sora didn’t blink because he had no eyelids and Ai didn’t blink because undead don’t necessarily need to blink.

Sora tried smiling – but having no muscles whatsoever he was unable to convey any facial gesture.

Ai took a step back seeing the skeleton making some gesture with its jaws.

Sora was panicking – he couldn’t let her get away (for many reasons now).

[You speak Japanese?] he asked her.

Ai was uncertain what this had anything to do with their situation but nodded slowly.

Sora frowned. Once again physically it was impossible for him – his thoughts of frowning could never be expressed.

[Why? Can she speak Japanese?] Sora wondered.

[Because my father taught me Japanese.] She fluently replied back to Sora.

Sora looked up at her and groaned – the brat read his mind. He completely forgot to barricade his mind.

[Then, why didn’t you speak in Japanese before?]

“How am I supposed to know you spoke Japanese as well? You don’t look like father. All I see is bones.” Ai replied hurriedly in her defense.

For a six-seven year old her replies were well structured and quick-witted.

“How old are you?” Sora asked slowly – the question was a dangerous one as in his current scenario it warranted multiple meanings.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Ai’s eyebrows twitched slightly; though her expression could be easily misinterpreted as well however Sora patiently waited for a reply.

“I don’t know.” Came back the reply.

The question was a difficult one for Ai. She lost track of the days, months and seasons (there is only one season in the desert – fried) that she had been stranded in the desert.

“I don’t know.” She muttered again before making tearing up.

As an undead she could no longer cry tears but she could certainly feel emotions.

Sora quickly moved to comfort her. He concluded that she couldn’t possibly be that old since she was still emotionally immature – that or the topic of age was a really sensitive one to women.

[There…there…] Sora said as he patted her head.

Ai did not resist him.

Why was Sora being so kind towards Ai? Maybe because he saw a Japanese connection through her. She spoke fluent Japanese unlike his Guardians (who sounded very crude and foreign). She even had impeccable timing with Japanese words. Although, Sora was broken in many ways ever since his journey in Ruler of Rules began but meeting Ai seemed to have restored him in some way. She became the first tangible sign that his former life did indeed exist and not a figment of his imagination lost in the distant past.

Ai represented hope and way a back home – that is why Sora moved unconsciously to comfort her like a real person.

[I didn’t mean to upset you.] Sora told her.

“I am sorry for screaming loudly, Sora-loli.” Ai replied back.

Sora froze up again but his recovery was faster. [Don’t call me Loli. That is a bad word. You are insulting me when you say that.] Sora patiently explained to her. He truly believed that there must be a misunderstanding.

Ai displayed a confused look.

Sora thought for a moment and continued, [Call me Sora-sama or even Master will do.]

Ai looks up at Sora who moved from patting her head to stroking her hair.

“But papa said if a man is kind to me for no reason to call them Hentai and address them as Loli / lolicon.” Ai replied back sincerely.

Sora cringed slightly – if only he had a face his expressions would be worth a million words.

[Bad Ai! I told you it is a slang!] Sora repeated. [Call me Sora-sama.]

“No!” Ai replied back.

[Master?] Sora asked with faint hope.

“No!” Ai shot back with a ferocious glare in her eyes. Her father’s teachings were the law for her and nothing came above that. Sora went as far as to declare her father taught her wrong – clearly she was angry.

“Sora-Loli!” She resolutely declared, pointing out to Sora.

Sora began reconsidering his options – ditching her in the sand as he first found her seemed completely ethical.

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