Once again... it was a distressing affair.
"Pandora-san! Stop, please! It’s bordering on a broadcast violation!"
"……I’m the one who raised her, after all."
"Don't give me that smug look! Alice, I’m begging you, make her stop!"
"……Okaaaay. Pandora, that’s enough. Don't go showing Kaito-san such gory scenes."
"Ha! As you wish!"
At Alice’s command, Pandora finally ceased her movements. Before her lay Kong-san, bound by a staggering number of chains summoned from the void, looking utterly spent.
Pandora-san is terrifying. Truly terrifying... To be honest, she looked far too vivacious while she was tormenting Kong-san. She might actually be scarier than Eden-san.
Regardless, Pandora-san stopped thanks to Alice’s intervention, and Alice’s magic quickly restored Kong-san to health. I was worried about his mental state, but he vigorously declared, "I won’t lose next time," so he seemed to be doing just fine.
After receiving the second stamp from him, I left the arena with a dull ache in my stomach.
"……P-Pandora-san. Thank you for your help."
"Not at all; it was a simple task. My apologies, but I must return to my duties. If you ever require a proxy again, please do not hesitate to call upon me."
……No, thank you. Really, no thank you. My stomach simply won't hold out.
After parting ways with Pandora-san, I headed toward the stalls located a short distance from the arena. I knew that wandering around was a poor move while waiting for Lilia-san’s group to catch up, but right now, I desperately needed some form of comfort.
After all, I’d had two incredibly dangerous individuals appear as reinforcements in a row. I was becoming genuinely anxious that the next person to show up would be just as unhinged.
Please, someone... anyone normal... just come to me...
"Master!"
"……Eh?"
Hearing a familiar voice, I turned around to see Anima jogging toward me from a little way off. She was dressed for the Six Kings Festival in a jacket with a black starry pattern and matching trousers. As she reached me, a soft smile spread across her face.
"I am late. I am glad we could find—fueh!?"
"Anima!"
"M-Mas—Master!? W-Wha-What are you—"
It wasn't a conscious decision, but the moment I saw Anima’s face, I reflexively pulled her into a hug. Her face turned a vivid, unmistakable red, yet she didn't resist, settling into my arms. She was so incredibly cute that my frayed nerves finally began to heal.
A battle-maniac who wouldn’t listen to reason, and a God of Earth who tried to blast him into oblivion. A gorilla whose conversation felt like a game of dodgeball, and a subordinate of the Phantasm King who displayed a level of cruelty that would make a devil blanch...
Coming to me while I was exhausted from all that, Anima felt like a literal cleansing agent.
"……Umm, Anima. Sorry. I just... well, my emotions got the better of me."
"N-No!? Master was tired, so it cannot be helped. P-Please do not concern yourself with me."
Realizing I’d been hugging her quite single-mindedly for a while, I offered a proper apology. Anima was as red as a boiled octopus, her mouth hanging slightly open as she stammered. She shook her head from side to side at an incredible speed to dismiss my apology, but the flush on her face didn't fade.
"……U-Umm... Come to think of it, are Lilia-san and the others here too?"
"……No, I came here by myself."
"Really?"
"Yes. Lilia-dono and her party are currently still in the middle of collecting their ten stamps."
I see. It seemed Lilia-san’s group hadn't finished their collection yet.
"They intended to head here immediately after seeing Master’s Hummingbird... but since it appeared that Lilia-dono and the others wished to challenge the Five War Generals themselves, I suggested that I come on ahead."
"I see... Wait, huh? Were you okay with that, Anima?"
"Yes. I have no interest in the challenge itself. I believed ten stamps were necessary to assist Master, but after seeing your Hummingbird, I judged that stamps were not required for a proxy and came here at once."
What a relief. There really was an angel here after all... Anima’s devotion truly touched my heart.
"I see. Thank you."
"N-No, it is only natural for Master’s attendant! Ah, also, Eta and Theta were prepared to head here as well... but since they are former subordinates of Bacchus-dono, I thought they might have things they wished to discuss. I took the liberty of ordering them to remain behind, but..."
"Yeah. I think that was for the best."
She had certainly settled into the role of Attendant Captain. It was quite heartwarming to see. I reached out to stroke Anima’s soft hair, and she narrowed her eyes contentedly. After petting her for a moment, I pulled my hand back, and Anima nodded before speaking again.
"……So, what shall we do now? I imagine it will take some time for Lilia-dono and the others to arrive. Shall we move on to the next arena?"
"Ah, no, actually, I’ve already cleared the second one."
"I-Is that so!? To defeat two Count-class opponents in such a short time... As expected of Master!"
"N-No, it’s not like I was the one who actually fought them..."
Under Anima’s sparkling, purely respectful gaze, I felt a wave of guilt and gave her a brief summary of the events so far. Then, we returned to the topic of our next move.
"……Hmm. I don’t want to rush Lilia-san and the others, and since you’re already here, Anima, why don’t we head toward the next arena together?"
"Yes! Understood! I shall certainly grasp victory as Master’s proxy!"
"Y-Yeah. I'm counting on you. Well, since we’re here, let’s take our time and look at the stalls along the way."
Healed once more by the sheer cuteness of Anima’s sharp salute, I checked the guidebook for the next arena's location and started moving. I sent a Hummingbird to Lilia-san’s group to let them know I was heading to the arenas in order with Anima, so that shouldn't be an issue.
To be honest, I just really wanted to see the stalls. It’s a festival, and I’ve seen nothing but violence so far. I wanted a little peace and quiet on the way to the next challenge.
"……By the way, Anima. Was the way Lilia-san and the others were collecting stamps through combat after all?"
"No, there were many varieties... but it seemed there were many sports involved. I am not intimately familiar with them, but there were ball games called 'Squash' and something referred to as 'Bowling'."
"……Wait, what? That sounds like so much fun..."
That’s bizarre. Their experience sounds so refreshing compared to mine. Why couldn't I have done that instead!? No, I shouldn't panic. The Six Kings Festival has only just begun... I can go around to those later.
"Anima."
"Ha!"
"From here to the next arena... let’s go on a date."
"Ha! ……Haeh?"
"Alright, let's go!"
"M-Ma-Ma-Master!? Wha—What? A d-d-date... Awawa, p-please wait!?"
The next arena was quite a distance away, so I figured we could play at the stalls and facilities along the path. It would be a waste to just walk there when I had the lovely Anima by my side. Perhaps as a reaction to the stress I’d endured, I felt my spirits lifting. I took the flustered Anima’s hand and began walking toward the rows of stalls.
Dear Mother, Father—
In the midst of a succession of violent developments, a cleansing agent... or rather, Anima, appeared. Thanks to her, my mind is finally at ease, and I’ve decided to head out on a date with her. Yeah, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have to challenge the rest of the Five War Generals, but this is a festival after all—it’s a loss if you don't enjoy yourself.