Following a lunch where any sense of joy had been utterly trampled by embarrassment, my seaside date with Shiro-san continued.
"……A-Are you ready, Shiro-san? Remember, gently…… Keep it gentle, okay!?"
"Yes."
"I mean it, as softly as if you were holding a cookie……"
"I understand."
I nervously repeated my warnings several times to Shiro-san, who was currently holding a beach volleyball she had manifested.
I was the one who had suggested playing in the sea after lunch, and I was the one who had proposed beach volleyball…… but now I was deeply regretting it.
"I’m counting on you! Seriously, I’ll actually die!"
"It is fine. I shall resurrect you even if you die."
"That is not fine at all!"
My opponent was Shiro-san—the undisputed strongest existence in this world. If she hit the ball without holding back, my body wouldn't just fail to hold up; it would undoubtedly be vaporized. In fact, the ball would likely disintegrate first, and the resulting wind pressure alone would probably level the entire coastline.
The greatest proof of my peril was Chronoa-san, who had been watching us with a look of constant trepidation for a while now. Since my life was clearly in danger, I assumed she was prepared to jump in and save me if the worst happened. However, against Shiro-san, I suspected even Chronoa-san might be helpless, so I pleaded with all my might.
"I understand. I will hit it with a strength Kaito-san can return…… In exchange, let us have a match."
"A match?"
"Yes, like the one Kaito-san had with the Phantasm King. The loser must follow one request from the winner. How does that sound?"
"……I-I understand. That’s fine."
I wondered why she was going out of her way to suggest this. I had a bad feeling about it. Specifically, I felt Shiro-san wanted me to do something—something I would normally refuse if she just asked. I couldn't afford to lose.
Since there was no court, she decided that whoever let the ball touch the ground first would lose. This meant even if I made a mistake and the ball flew off in some random direction, if Shiro-san couldn't return it, she would lose. It was a condition that heavily favored the one hitting the ball.
Shiro-san served with a slow, deliberate movement. As promised, the ball flew in a gentle arc at a speed even I could handle. I got into a receiving stance to hit it back, but I only had the experience of high school PE classes. My return was nowhere near clean; the ball veered sharply away from her.
However……
"……Huh? Wait!?"
Shiro-san vanished and instantly reappeared at the ball’s landing point, returning it with ease.
Wait a minute—she was using teleportation? That was blatant cheating!
The outcome was a foregone conclusion. Against an opponent who could teleport to reach any ball no matter where it was aimed, I suffered a crushing defeat.
Shiro-san simply said "later" regarding her request and suggested we move on to the next activity. My anxiety was only growing.
"……Um, Shiro-san?"
"What is it?"
"……Why did the sea split during watermelon splitting?"
"I wonder why?"
Shiro-san tilted her head adorably, but the reality before my eyes was, as usual, her fault. We had decided to try watermelon splitting, and when Shiro-san swung her stick, the entire landscape—sea and all—had been cleaved in two along with the fruit.
Beside her, Chronoa-san was clutching her head with a hollow, burnt-out expression. Her mental state was in tatters.
"This is going to cause a tsunami or something……"
"Shall I put it back?"
"Please, do so immediately."
"Understood."
With a flick of her finger, the split sea returned to normal as if the miracle had never happened. She really was an outrageous person.
"……Shiro-san, this is too much."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. This isn't just a sandcastle anymore; it’s a full-sized royal castle made of sand."
"Was it perhaps a bit too large?"
"Not just 'a bit.' Look, Chronoa-san's eyes are dead. Who do you think is responsible for that?"
"I wonder who?"
"……"
Currently, a massive fortress of sand stood before us. It was so vast and detailed that I would have believed it was the actual Royal Castle.
Perhaps because she had been pushed to her absolute limit, Chronoa-san looked as if her soul were leaking out of her body.
"……Miyama…… I beg of you…… I’ll do anything…… help me."
"Ch-Chronoa-san."
"If you want me to strip, I’ll strip…… just put in a word with Shallow Vernal-sama……"
"You don't have to do anything like that! I'll ask her to put it back to normal!"
Chronoa-san was at her breaking point. She gripped my hand weakly, seeking help with hollow, desperate eyes. She was a hard worker—or rather, she was just incredibly pitiable.
As evening approached and a vermilion light began to illuminate the coast, Shiro-san and I sat on a plastic sheet, gazing at the sparkling sea.
"It was a delightful time."
"I’m truly glad to hear that."
Chronoa-san had finally fainted around the time Shiro-san manifested a sunken ship for treasure hunting. At the moment, she was being cared for by Ein-san back at the beach house. Incidentally, the reason Ein-san hadn't appeared at all was because she was terrified that Shiro-san would force her into a swimsuit the moment she stepped onto the sand.
Shiro-san had been chaotic from start to finish, and the time had flown by, but if I were asked if it was fun, the answer was an easy yes. I had been dragged around all day, yet I didn't feel like complaining.
I think that was because Shiro-san had seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself. Her expression was as blank as ever, but the corners of her mouth had been slightly upturned the entire time. All those outrageous acts—splitting the sea, building the castle—were likely just her way of frolicking. She simply didn't know how to hold back.
As the Creator God, Shiro-san likely never had the chance to play like this before. Seeing her so happy made it impossible for me not to enjoy myself too.
"……Kaito-san."
"Eh? Ah, yes."
"Do you remember the promise from our match?"
"Yes, that I would do one thing you asked."
"I shall use it now."
"……Wh-What should I do?"
Shiro-san spoke in her usual monotonous voice, and I asked her back with a lingering sense of unease. Here it came. What was I about to be forced into? I didn't think it would be anything cruel, but I still had a faint, instinctive dread.
Shiro-san removed the pareo she had wrapped around her waist, exposing her stunningly beautiful legs. I felt my gaze focus on them involuntarily. Then, Shiro-san lightly patted her own lap.
"Please, let me give you a lap pillow."
"……Huh? Eeeeeh!?"
"I saw Kuro doing it, and I wanted to try it myself."
"N-No, but……"
A lap pillow!? In our current situation, that was incredibly dangerous. Shiro-san was in a swimsuit. Lying down on her lap meant direct contact with her bare skin. After the mutual feeding during lunch, my self-control was already at its limit.
"You will listen to one thing I say, correct?"
"Ugh……"
I had made the promise. Refusing now would be dishonest. I had no choice but to resolve myself.
"……I-I understand."
"Yes. Then, please."
"……"
I swallowed hard at the sight of her pearl-white thighs. I shook my head desperately to clear my mind and then slowly lowered myself onto her lap.
Her lap was surprisingly soft, yet it had a firm elasticity. I felt her body heat against my cheek, and I knew my face was turning a shade of red that probably defied medical science.
This was…… even better than I had imagined. It was warm, soft, and utterly heavenly. I felt that if I let my guard down for even a second, I would never be able to get back up. As I fought to keep the threads of my sanity from snapping, Shiro-san spoke quietly.
"You are…… truly strange, aren't you?"
"……Eh? In what way?"
"Even after witnessing my power, you do not feel dread. You do not kneel."
"……Was I being disrespectful?"
"No, I prefer it this way. However, I find it mysterious…… Are you not afraid of me?"
"……"
Her voice was as flat as ever, yet I felt a definite spark of emotion within it. I didn't know what she was thinking. My Sympathy Magic didn't work on her, so I couldn't read her heart.
Why wasn't I afraid of her? Shiro-san was the strongest being in existence, a true God with nearly omnipotent power. Fear and reverence were the logical reactions…… and yet……
"I don't know if I can explain it well, but…… maybe it’s because Shiro-san 'isn't perfect'?"
"……Please continue."
"If you were an omniscient and omnipotent being with absolutely no vulnerability, I might have been terrified. But while you might be almighty, you aren't omniscient, are you?"
"I am not."
"So, I can see 'Shiro-san' in you—your individuality. Because I can see that personality, I don't think I'm afraid."
"……"
In truth, even I wasn't sure. I had been scared when we first met, but now I just thought of her as a charming woman who happened to be an airhead with cheat-level powers. I didn't feel fear, and I suspected I never would again.
Shiro-san fell silent for a while before speaking again.
"……Indeed, I am not omniscient. I do not even truly understand myself."
"……Eh?"
"I do not feel any difference between the creatures, the plants, or the earth of the world I created. They all seem to have the exact same value to me…… Am I a cold-hearted existence? Do I…… not love this world?"
"……"
Her expression hadn't changed, but her words sounded incredibly lonely. I couldn't leave them unanswered.
"I think…… it’s actually the opposite."
"The opposite?"
"Yes. I think Shiro-san probably loves this world more than anyone else."
"……Eh?"
For the first time, I heard a clear inflection in her voice. It was a sound of genuine surprise. I shifted my head slightly to look up into her beautiful golden eyes.
"You love this world you created from the bottom of your heart. Everything in it can be traced back to you. That’s why you don't want to differentiate between them, right? Because everything is equally precious, you look at it all with the same eyes. You don't involve yourself unless you have to because you don't want to assign different values through your interference."
"……"
"And that’s why an Otherworlder like me—someone not born in the world you created—is the perfect person for you to interact with."
"……"
Shiro-san remained silent as my words hung in the air. Her golden eyes held mine, and for a moment, it felt as though the flow of time itself had slowed to a crawl.
"……You truly are…… a fascinating person."
A smile spread across Shiro-san's face.
It was a transformative moment. Her normally static expression shifted into a smile so radiant it felt as if all the beauty in the universe had been distilled into a single point. It was as dazzling as a star and more precious than anything I had ever seen.
With that gentle smile still on her lips, she placed a hand against my cheek, slowly lifted my head, and pulled me into her chest.
"Sh-Shiro-san!? Wh-What are you doing!?"
My face was buried in her soft, ample breasts. The sensation was warm and heavenly, though it left me struggling for air.
"I see…… So I loved the world after all. One truly doesn't understand oneself. I was only able to realize it because you told me."
"I-I’m glad to hear that, but!? Wh-What is this situation!?"
"It is a reward."
"A reward!? Wait, I don't understand!"
I was now receiving a 'breast pillow' instead of a lap pillow. My mind went completely blank. I was overwhelmed by her softness and the sweet, intoxicating scent that filled my nose.
"However, it seems Kaito-san is pleased."
"Please don't read my mind at a time like this!"
Of course I was pleased! I’m a man! Having my face buried in the cleavage of a peerless beauty like Shiro-san was the definition of happiness, but my last remaining threads of reason were about to snap.
"……Thank you, Kaito-san. But please, let me make one correction."
"……Correction?"
I looked up slightly at her gentle voice. Shiro-san leaned down, and I felt a soft touch against my forehead.
"I am not involving myself with you because you are an Otherworlder…… I want to be with you because I find you 'precious'."
"Huh? A-Ah…… um……"
The warmth in her voice was more than I could take. My mind, pushed far beyond its capacity, finally short-circuited. As my consciousness began to fade, I felt Shiro-san pull me into a tight, firm embrace.
Dear Mother, Father—Shiro-san is an airhead, she's occasionally outrageous, and I feel like I'm constantly being dragged around by her. But even so, the time I spend with her is wonderful. More than anything, I think she is—a very charming goddess.