Once the commotion surrounding Noin-san's diary finally settled down, we made our way to the monster race track.
The venue was buzzing with an incredible amount of energy. Even though the arena was massive, it looked like finding an empty seat was going to be an ordeal, or so I thought...
"Miyama-sama, I presume? Welcome. Please, allow me to escort you to the VIP section."
"Oh, yes... Thank you."
It happened again. Apparently, restaurants weren't the only places where I could get in on reputation alone. I really felt like my status was skyrocketing in some very strange directions during this Six Kings Festival. Even though the only people here were those with a certain degree of power, it made me a little anxious about what the future held for me.
Setting aside my increasingly bizarre reputation, the VIP section we were led to was quite nice. It was spacious enough for Bell to fit comfortably, so we could all watch the races together. I really felt indebted to Kuro and the others for their constant thoughtfulness; I’d have to find a way to thank them properly once the festival was over.
It seemed we weren't the only ones invited to the VIP area. Near the large glass windows overlooking the track, I spotted three figures.
"Go! Get in there—fugyah!?"
"Come on! Number two—migyah!?"
"This match is min—higyah!?"
I saw three people in horse kigurumi—one white, one black, and one brown—and I walked up and punched each of them in the head, one after the other.
"Fia-sensei, Noin-san, we can see quite well from here."
"How could you treat me like this!?" all three clones cried out in unison.
"Shut up, idiot."
What on earth was she doing? Actually, I was running into her so often lately that I was starting to wonder if she was the festival's official mascot or something. I let out a heavy sigh, shoved the three horse suits aside, and sat down to watch the race with Fia-sensei and the others as if nothing had happened.
"...Um, Miyama-kun?"
"Yes?"
"Well, Shaltier-sama... she's a Split Body, but she's sitting there in seiza... and it's making me incredibly restless."
"Please, just think of her as an annoying piece of furniture."
I gave a curt reply to Fia-sensei, who was glancing nervously at the Idiotic Triple Stars currently kneeling in a formal posture in the corner of the room.
"...Fia? Is this really okay? Treating the Phantasm King-sama like that..." Noin-san whispered.
"Listen, Noin. You need to remember one thing... Miyama-kun is the only person in the world allowed to do that. If we tried it, our heads would be rolling on the floor in the next heartbeat."
"...R-Right."
It was easy to forget sometimes, but Alice was indeed one of the Six Kings. To Fia-sensei and Noin-san, she was a superior being—and one who was quite widely feared, at that. Perhaps I was the only one she acted so casually around. Maybe she usually carried herself with much more dignity. After all, she was a King...
"...Kaito-san, Kaito-san! Look at the next entry list! Just point to one at random for me!"
"..."
"That one? Alright! Split Bodies for Gambling Alice-chan numbers 23, 24, and 26! I’m going all in—gyan!?"
"Try to show a little self-restraint..."
I took back my previous thought. Was she really a King? Was it really okay for someone this stupid to be one of the Six Kings? Also, what happened to number 25?
"...Um, Fia? Now that we've seen No Face-sama like this... are we going to be killed later to keep us quiet?"
"I-It should be fine, right? Shaltier-sama doesn't have a hair's worth of interest in our lives, so..."
"...Ah, by the way, if you go around telling people what you saw here... I’ll kill you, okay?"
"Hieee!?"
While Fia-sensei and Noin-san were whispering, Alice had suddenly materialized right in front of them, her voice chillingly cold. The two of them were visibly terrified. Yeah... it was definitely time for some educational discipline.
"...Eh? Wait, Kaito-san? Ah, come on, I was just kidding! It was an Alice-chan joke! Ahahaha, the prank was a total success... No? That’s not working?"
"No."
"...Whoops! I just remembered Alice-chan is super busy preparing for tomorrow! This is bad! I have to leave right now—gueh!?"
"We’re going to have a little talk... over there."
"O-Of course, Kaito-san always comes first, and I’d love to talk as much as you want, but... is it just my imagination? I feel like I just heard a highly dangerous sub-audio track saying, 'You’re messing around way too much, you bastard, I’m going to beat some sense into you.'"
"..."
"Wow... your smile is terrifying..."
I returned Alice’s terrified gaze with a silent smile, grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, and dragged her toward the corner of the room. But, hmm, what should I do? A lecture was a given, but she probably wouldn't learn her lesson from that alone. Then it hit me.
I spoke toward the Black Necklace around my neck.
"Kuro, help me give Alice a lecture."
"Wait!? Why are you calling for backup from there!? You devil! You demon!"
"I’d be happy to."
"Gyahhh!? Kuro-san!?"
I decided not to worry about why Kuro could naturally hear me through the necklace. But then I blinked. Wait, was Kuro... actually angry? There was black smoke literally billowing off her body.
"...By the way, Shaltier? Did I just hear you say something about killing my family?"
"N-No, it was a joke! Really, seriously! I swear to God! Stop, stop... No straight punches! A straight punch from Kuro-san is a literal death sentence! Wait, why is there a black vortex being set up behind me!?"
"..."
"...Ah, K-Kuro-san! You’re looking even more beautiful than usual today! See, an angry face doesn't suit you at all. I really love the smiling Kuro-san the best~"
"..."
"...Um... er... I'm sorry."
"Hmph!"
"Gyahhhhh!?"
Dear Mother, Father—I'm sure Kuro knows that Alice was only joking. I mean, she's holding back her punches... right? She has to be. I really hope she is. Well—it's Alice, so I'm sure it'll be fine.
Serious-senpai zero: "...I mean, isn't Alice basically the festival's MVP at this point? Just her showing up turns the scene into a gag; she's a literal natural enemy... Hmm?"
[Friendship level between Serious-senpai and Wyvern-senpai has increased.] [Jo-less Evolution is now possible.]
Serious-senpai zero: "Wha!?"