The Mysterious Architect, Eta Lloyd Wright

Just as my feet hit the ground, I heard the sound of the door upstairs splintering apart.

"Run for all you're worth! As long as we use Physical Reinforcement, they shouldn’t be able to catch us!"

If I actually ran for all I was worth, I’d turn into a shooting star. To maintain my cover, I trailed behind Christina-san at the "background character" pace of a Mob Spellsword.

She accelerated, her Magic Power Control smooth and efficient.

"Keep it up! They’re going to swarm us any second. If we stop, we’re dead!"

Christina-san mowed down the zombies blocking our path and glanced back over her shoulder.

"O-okay...!" I stammered.

Behind us, I could hear the rapid thumping of footsteps.

They were moving at about the speed of a dog. If zombies can sprint like that, the average citizen is basically toast.

It’s a real shame this world doesn't have any Americans. Oh, wait—we have spellswords. Close enough.

"Straight down this street!"

"Hah... hah...!"

I made sure to pant heavily, never missing an opportunity to play up my mob appeal. Since Christina-san was clearing out everything in front of us, life as a mob was pretty easy.

"There it is!"

And there, standing amidst the local cityscape of another world, was a Japanese Modern building.

There was no mistaking it: the Mitsugoshi Company.

The architectural style was pure modern Earth. Why on earth did they decide to go with Japanese Modern in the Land of the Arts? No matter how you looked at it, the styles clashed horribly.

"It’s breathtaking every time I see it! An artistic masterpiece that seamlessly integrates an alien culture into our monotonous cityscape! It’s a bold, revolutionary aesthetic that defies tradition, yet somehow evokes a sense of ancient history! A toast to Eta Lloyd Wright—the legend who swept last year's Architecture of the Year awards and secured her place in history!"

"Wha—!?"

Hearing Christina-san gush about a Japanese Modern Department Store at a mile a minute while sprinting for her life made a weird noise leak out of my throat.

Why?

What is so great about this building?!

Isn't this basically cultural blasphemy? It’s like putting mayonnaise on chilled ramen.

Still entirely unconvinced, we arrived at the Mitsugoshi Company.

"Damn, it’s locked."

"We’ll just break in."

The moment I drew my sword, the atmosphere around Christina-san shifted.

"I won't let you."

For some reason, she spread her arms as if to shield the door, glaring at me.

"This is the structure of which it was said: 'Even if the royal palace is razed, the Mitsugoshi Company Oriana Branch must be preserved!' It is a treasure of humanity! I will not let you lay a single finger on it!"

"No, no, no, look at the situation!"

The zombies were closing in at a full-on sprint!

"Sid-kun, do you really not understand the exquisite beauty of this door’s detailing?!"

"I don't get it at all!"

It was a door. It looked like a door.

"Then I shall educate you. You see, the ornamentation on this—"

Mid-sentence, Christina-san spun around and sliced through a zombie behind me.

"—this door is delicate and possesses a sublime—"

She continued her lecture while hacking away at the growing pile of corpses.

"The nuisances are busy. I’m wrecking it."

Since Christina-san was occupied with the zombies, I funneled magic into my blade and pulled it back for a swing.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I ignored her grief-stricken scream—the kind of soul-crushing wail you’d hear from someone whose lover was being held at gunpoint.

Besides, "Eta Lloyd Wright" was obviously just Eta. If it breaks, I’ll just grab her by the scruff of the neck and make her build ten or twenty more.

Just then, there was a loud click, and the door swung open.

"Stop trying to break it! Get in here, now!" a man's voice barked from inside.

I grabbed Christina-san by the collar and dove through the entrance.