Episode 58: Back at School After a Long While

It was early July, that awkward stretch of time just before the start of summer vacation.

I’d been busy—or rather, two days had vanished into the void of Ena’s experiments, followed by a string of government assignments that kept me away. Today, however, I finally had a free schedule, so I’d decided to show my face at the Support Department.

"Good morning, Reima-kun!"

"Hm? Morning, Asahi... It’s been a while."

"Right? Has it been about a week?"

"Sounds about right. I’ve been the one running around lately."

I slumped face-down onto my desk. The one who had approached me was my friend, Asahi. I decided to kill some time chatting with him before homeroom, catching him up on the recent chaos, when a shadow loomed over us.

"Yo, best friend. What are you two gossiping about?"

"Ah, my best friend. Just giving a status report."

"I see. Anything interesting happen?" Shiki asked.

"I got caught in a certain white-coated lunatic’s experiments. It was hell."

"...Actually, I heard from Ayane that you’d run into Ena-san. Is that why you look so haggard? I was thinking you looked like a washed-up electric eel."

What kind of metaphor is that? I didn't have the energy to actually retort, so I just let the thought slide. Instead, I moved on to the other highlight of my week: meeting Yamato-san.

"No way. Was old man Yamato doing okay?"

"...It was the first time I'd met him, but he was way too energetic. Also, he was absurdly strong."

"Well, obviously. The man is Japan’s strongest Adventurer. The whole world acknowledges that."

"...He was also a complete combat junkie."

"............Well, he was Tsubaki-san’s master, if I recall."

Hearing that, the pieces clicked. Their physical movements, their sword techniques—they were strikingly similar. It made sense that they shared a master-disciple bond.

"That's right, best friend. The festival is coming up... Want to run a stall with us?"

"...Festival?"

"You know, the Dungeon Festival. It honors the day old man Yamato became the first person in the world to conquer a Dungeon. Meikutsu High holds its cultural festival at the same time, but apparently, they're letting individuals set up their own stalls this year."

"Huh... Shiki, what kind of stall are you planning?"

"Yakisoba, maybe?"

"That actually sounds like it fits you perfectly..."

The guy always wore that same red patterned bandana. I could easily picture him flipping noodles on a griddle.

"Wait, you said 'us.' Does that mean Ayane is in, too?"

"She’s doing shaved ice. A special version made with her homemade ice."

"Magical shaved ice, huh? In that case, I think Luna and Sol could help out."

"The wolf sisters? ...I mean, sure, but I’m worried about the fire one. Is she going to be okay?"

I’d made the suggestion on a whim, but he had a point. Luna’s ice would be perfect, but Sol’s flames were essentially the sun. There was a very real chance she’d incinerate the yakisoba into nothingness.

"Right. Maybe we’ll just have them work as shop assistants?"

"Using idol-tier girls like them as assistants is a massive waste of resources, but I'll take it. Hey, Asahi, you want in on the stall too?"

"Sure," Asahi said. "I didn't have anything else to do, so I’d appreciate it."

"Roger that. That makes four of us. We can iron out the details later. All that’s left is... deciding how to make the cheering flag for Kushinada-chan!"

"Whoa, wait, Shiki? Where did this sudden energy come from?"

"Oh, I guess you wouldn't know yet. See, I have this idol I’m stanning..."

With a flourish, my best friend shoved his smartphone in my face. On the screen was an idol with light green hair, wearing an outfit that looked like stylized Japanese traditional clothing. A video of her singing and dancing began to play.

"She goes by the name Kushinada. She’s actually an active A-rank powerhouse who dives into Dungeons herself. She’s a main attacker, she's incredibly strong, and the rumors say she’s on the verge of hitting S-Rank!"

Come to think of it, the Shiki from my original world had been a massive idol otaku, too. I remembered him dragging me to live shows all the time. My head was filled with useless trivia because of how often he'd invited me; it was a strange, fond memory.

Setting that aside, he only reached this level of hype when he was truly obsessed. He must really be into this girl.

"Huh... this person, huh? What’s her Job?"

"She’s a Shrine Maiden. A Shrine Maiden-type idol who specializes in various types of support. She’s the kind of Adventurer I aspire to be."

I looked at Shiki’s phone again. It was definitely the same woman from the video, but the more I stared at her, the more I felt a nagging sense of déjà vu. Where have I seen her before? I let Shiki’s passionate evangelizing wash over me while I killed time until homeroom.

"Alright, everyone! Today we’re deciding the groups for the Dungeon Festival!"

The teacher’s announcement brought the room to order. A festival for Yamato-san... I wondered what kind of things would happen. Despite my usual resignation, I found myself looking forward to it, daydreaming about walking around the event with everyone.

I spent the rest of the morning planning the stall with Shiki and the others, all while the melody of the idol Kushinada's song played on a loop in the back of my mind.