It felt as though his finger were sinking into soft sand. The moment Arton's fingertip made contact with whatever was blocking his vision, he distinctly felt it sink in. Kaya, who had been using her medical ninjutsu to ease Arton's post-battle tension, froze in place the instant her body registered that touch.
Seemingly oblivious to her reaction, Arton tapped upward a couple more times with his finger. And each time, his fingertip wound up buried again.
"Eek!"
Kaya finally snapped out of it, letting out a startled cry as she threw both arms around herself. Her dewy eyes fixed on Arton with a mixture of embarrassment and reproach.
Off to the side, Carina and Nami—who'd been fighting to see who got to feed Arton fruit—and Uta, who'd been enjoying the show, all turned their heads curiously.
"Sorry, sorry," Arton said. "It was blocking my view, so I just wanted to shift it a little so I could see your face, Kaya."
After letting out a couple of awkward coughs to cover for himself, he apologized to Kaya.
"Heehee, Captain Arton, I think you just wanted to check whether Kaya's, uh… assets had grown, right?" Uta interjected with a mischievous grin. "I get it, I get it. When I bathed with Kaya, I was curious, too. Even tried weighing them with my hands."
She stepped forward, crouching beside Arton and making a grabbing gesture with her free left hand. Naturally, that only made Kaya's cheeks burn even brighter.
"S-stop it, Uta!"
Kaya covered her face with both hands. Overcome by embarrassment, she jumped up and shuffled to a different spot.
Seeing this, Arton let out a flustered sigh and shot Uta an exasperated look.
"Look what you did—now she's embarrassed."
"Oh, please," Uta teased back. "You weren't worried about embarrassing her in the first place. You're just annoyed your soft pillow disappeared from under your head."
She glanced briefly at Kaya's legs, which were hidden under her long skirt. Uta, having bathed with Kaya, knew better than anyone: Kaya wasn't just growing in one area—her legs had grown quite shapely, too. And given how much Arton already loved relaxing on Kaya's lap, Uta was certain he'd only love it more and more as Kaya got closer to Tsunade levels.
"Don't worry, though," Uta went on. "My lap's here anytime you want it. Sure, I can't compete with Kaya, but with my short skirt, you'll get a more, shall we say, direct feel of my skin."
Her cheeks coloring a little, Uta knelt behind Arton and carefully rested the back of his head on her own lap.
Seeing this, Nami and Carina exchanged a look—and fell silent. There was no point fighting anymore; Uta had stolen the moment, leaving them both feeling like they'd lost.
"Mmm, not bad," Arton remarked. "But you don't know Kaya's medical ninjutsu, so you can't exactly relieve my mental fatigue the way she can."
He placed both hands together in front of him, squinting slightly at Uta. Honestly, although the Elizabeth Bathory template Uta had obtained didn't specifically enhance her figure, she already had excellent proportions. With Arton lifting his head to see her face, half of it remained hidden by two rather generous curves casting a shadow.
"Heehee, where are your eyes wandering, Captain Arton?" Uta asked, mock admonishment in her voice. "Don't tell me you're about to try the same trick on me, see if I've grown? That's against the rules, you know."
She placed both hands on Arton's arms. "But then again, I do have my own special way of helping you relax, don't I?" Uta said with a playful smile.
"True enough," Arton replied. "After all, this ship is home to the greatest songstress in the world. So, my sweet diva, how about a little performance to soothe my weary soul?"
"Of course," Uta answered. "It'll be the perfect way to celebrate your becoming the new World's Greatest Swordsman."
Moments later, a graceful melody slipped from her lips, and before long, Arton, Kaya, and the others noticed that the surrounding environment began to change. Musical notes, blossoms, and fruits started materializing out of thin air, dancing through the air.
Everyone understood that they had entered Uta's Sing-Sing Fruit space. But rather than worry, Nami and the others happily frolicked in this fantastical world.
Watching all of this, listening to Uta's captivating song, Arton felt his mental exhaustion from repeatedly activating his templates in battle begin to heal at remarkable speed.
Suddenly, Uta seized Arton's hand and leaped upward. Keys resembling a piano keyboard formed stair steps in midair, allowing the two of them to ascend. Before long, Arton realized they'd arrived at a scene filled with soft, cotton candy-like clouds on all sides.
"This is…truly beautiful," he murmured, lying back amidst the fluffy clouds while Uta, looking like a fairy, sang and danced atop a nearby cloud. Her skill at singing was undeniable; in this dreamlike world of her own, with mysterious objects swirling around in support, Uta's voice seemed to pierce the soul. Arton couldn't recall ever hearing anything more sublime in his previous life.
Gradually, he noticed with surprise that Uta's song was inspired by the story of Shirou Emiya and Sakura that he'd told her.
"As expected of one of the world's finest divas," Arton mused. "I only gave a rough outline of Emiya Shirou and Sakura's story, yet she's already composed a song about them?"
Little did he know that although he'd only shared a short summary of Emiya Shirou and Sakura's romance, his diary actually contained virtually every detail of their story.
Faced with such an excellent song, Arton naturally wanted to capture it. At this point, his Sailing Diary System was already recording. Its star, of course, was Uta.
[Video (Recording): Uta's New Song!]
Shirahoshi: "It… it's so beautiful—just as enchanting as Mother's voice."
Camie: "Even the famous mermaids who are known for their singing might not surpass Uta."
Shyarly: "She's truly an incredible human. No wonder Arton was so set on recruiting her."
Black Maria: "An outstanding piece of music is enough for Arton to switch on video recording? Perhaps I should try writing a song of my own."
Kozuki Hiyori: "If possible, I'd like to write songs that are as long as possible, so Arton can record a longer video and help me rack up more points."
Gion: "That red-haired girl…she could be quite the formidable rival."
Charlotte Pudding: "I wonder if Arton would record a video of me if I made him some special cooking?"