Chapter 68: The Frantic Prelude to the Festival

The consecutive holidays in the mountains came and went. I spent the next two days at school, working alongside Shiki, Ayane, and Asahi. We were in the thick of preparations for the Culture Festival, which was being held in conjunction with the steadily approaching Dungeon Festival.

“An acquaintance of mine at a shop acted as a middleman for the noodles, and I managed to snag some high-quality meat through Tsubaki-san’s connections. As for the most important part—the vegetables—Reima’s Baal provided enough to kill a man. Food-wise, we’re all set!”

I listened to my best friend summarize our progress on the order forms while I handled the heavy lifting. With my summoned beasts helping out, we focused on the physical labor of setting up the stalls.

“And look! From right here, we’ll have a perfect view of Kushinada-chan’s live performance during the Culture Festival!”

Shiki let out a boisterous, uncharacteristic laugh. I watched him with a look of mild resignation as we continued the work, finally finishing the setup for both the shaved ice and yakisoba stalls.

“Reima… do something about him,” Ayane sighed.

“It’s no use. I’ve seen enough of Shiki’s idol obsession in my previous life to know better. If I try to stop him now, he’ll probably just explode.”

“I guess you’re right. Wait, so the Shiki from your world was like that too?”

“Yeah. His ‘top pick’ wasn't just one person, either. It was a nightmare when he dragged Ayane and me along for a nationwide tour. You know how lucky you are.”

“...In a weird way, yeah. But I see. That means we actually finished an entire tour?”

“Yeah. Every time Ayane applied for tickets, she won. Long breaks and holidays were basically just one long trip across Japan.”

It was nostalgic, in a way. From what I remembered, Shiki had possessed infinite stamina back then, and keeping up with him had been a special kind of hell. I’d gone along with it because he was my best friend and I’d enjoyed myself well enough, but my allowance had definitely felt the burn.

“...We were really close, weren’t we? All of us.”

“Yeah. Honestly, except for the fact that Dungeons exist here, things are mostly the same.”

“I’m glad,” Ayane said, looking a bit sentimental. “It makes me happy to know that the ‘me’ over there was good friends with you guys, too.”

We talked like that for a while until our preparations were finally complete. All that was left was to rest until the Dungeon Festival kicked off tomorrow, but then—

“Whoops, another earthquake? They’ve been frequent lately.”

I looked around as I started to stretch, feeling a light tremor underfoot. Fortunately, it wasn't strong enough to knock anything over, but they had been happening for several days now. It was starting to make me uneasy.

“Hey, Baal! Is the stall okay?!”

“Master! I have braced it firmly with my magic! It is unscathed!”

“Good. Thanks, man.”

“Kugh—!”

“Hey, you okay?”

Seeing that everything was fine, I’d offered a simple word of thanks, only for Baal to suddenly clutch his chest and slump down.

“Do not worry, Master. I am merely… overwhelmed with joy to have received my Master's gratitude.”

“You’re so dramatic. I’m always grateful to you, so don't let it get to your head. But seriously, thanks for the help today.”

“...The pleasure is mine, Master. Nothing makes me happier than being of use to you.”

“Then we’re even. Well, preparations are basically done, and it looks like Shiki and the others are heading home. Shall we?”

“Indeed, Master! We must return posthaste so that I may practice the secrets of yakisoba!”

Baal gestured grandly as he began reciting the "ultimate secrets of yakisoba" he’d apparently learned from Shiki. He really does love cooking, I thought. But as I turned to follow the others, Baal stopped.

“Tell me, Master. Are you having fun right now?”

His voice was unusually serious.

“Hm? Yeah, I’m having a blast.”

“Then it is well! Hmph! I look forward to bestowing my secret techniques upon the humans once the festival begins! And Master, we simply must tour the festivities together!”

The moment I’d answered, Baal went right back to being noisy. I suppose it makes sense, I mused. His original source was a god, after all. He always did love human activities. If there was a festival happening, he was always the first one to dive in and enjoy it.

“Alright, let’s go—wait, another one?”

I traced my memories through the haze of a slumber.

Deep within the warm embrace of the earth, I slept, ruminating on my final moments. I thought of those who had ended me—no, I thought of him. He was the one who had stopped me when I could grant nothing but ruin to the world, when I had failed to save anyone.

Ah, I love him. I love him more than anyone.

I cannot forget. No—no matter how much time passes, I cannot forget that Hero. I long for him. I wanted to stay in those records, cherishing them forever.

However, the fact that my consciousness has returned can only mean one thing: I must once again grant destruction to the world. Who will I face this time? Will I meet someone like him? Someone like the man who ended me for the first time?

“Surely… that would be impossible.”

As the words left my lips, I began to reconstruct my body. I took the form I held in my final memories—the form I took when I faced Reima Kariya. The form of the woman who loved him.

I am Volnyux of the Calamitous Night, the disaster born of the earth. I am a nature spirit loved by the soil even as I destroy it—one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Mythologia.

“It matters not why I have awakened. I am a weapon. I am a calamity.”

Magma seethed and bubbled around me. Plants sprouted only to be instantly incinerated as the ground shook, carving out my new stronghold.

“Now, humans—show me if you can overcome the trial that is I.”