When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a city at night.
Surrounded by skyscrapers that seemed to pierce the heavens and brilliant lights that drowned out the stars, I found myself standing in the middle of a wide road. It was roughly six lanes across, and judging by the surrounding scenery, I was situated at a considerable height.
The Metropolitan Expressway immediately came to mind... Yes, this scenery looked exactly like the Earth I used to know.
Of course, there were differences. Most of the soaring buildings were circular, vast enough to be called towers rather than mere skyscrapers. Furthermore, the lights illuminating the way weren't typical streetlamps; they were glowing tubes that stretched as far as the eye could see.
It was truly a sight to behold—a near-future version of the Metropolitan Expressway. Wow. It felt like I had stepped out of a fantasy world and straight into a sci-fi novel.
I genuinely couldn't believe this was a Virtual Space. I felt a cool breeze against my skin, the asphalt beneath my feet felt solid, and my body moved exactly as I intended.
"How do you like it, Kaito-san? Amazing, right?"
"Yeah, it’s incredible. If I hadn't been told, I never would've guessed I was currently a Mental Split Body."
I expressed the wonder welling up in my chest without reservation to Alice, who had appeared beside me before I even realized it.
"Isn't it? It’s my masterpiece. I used Kaito-san's world as the model, but I added a few personal touches because a direct copy would be boring."
"I'm genuinely moved. To think I can play however I want in such a realistic Virtual World..."
"U-Umm..."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
When I spoke excitedly, Alice’s expression turned somewhat awkward for some reason. Finding it strange, I asked what was on her mind, and she spoke while lightly scratching her cheek.
"...Well, I mean, I intend to make it so you can roam around freely eventually... but to be honest, I haven't actually finished building the whole thing yet."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. For now, the only part that's actually playable is the 'Racing Game.'"
"...Ah, so that’s why we’re on a highway."
I see. Even so, it was still impressive enough, and I couldn't help but look forward to it. Playing a racing game in such a realistic world sounded like a lot of fun.
"...Actually, Kuro-san and I have been discussing the concept of playing in a Virtual World for quite a while... but we just couldn't make it happen."
"Was that because it requires such advanced technology?"
"Of course, the Magic Formula for constructing a Virtual World is massive and complex. But more than that... it takes a staggering amount of high-purity Magic Crystals to maintain the space. No matter how rich Kuro-san is, Magic Crystals are indispensable for Magic Tools and are in high demand all over the world. We couldn't just go monopolizing them, and since we needed such a ridiculous quantity, it never made it past the concept stage."
"...Wait. But you’ve put it out as an attraction now, even if it's unfinished."
"...Well, you see, since 'Shallow Vernal-sama is the Sponsor' this time... we had an unlimited supply of rare materials."
"A-Ah... I see."
"As a result, we finally gathered enough Magic Crystals to build and maintain the world, but since the project had been stalled at the planning stage for so long... the Magic Formula itself isn't fully finished yet. Still, it reached a minimum level of completion, so I implemented the Racing Game and turned it into an attraction."
To think she would just provide something that even Kuro and Alice had trouble gathering... As I thought, Shiro-san really is the ultimate cheat.
"Well, it's still amazing as it is. I'm looking forward to the race... actually, I've been itching to try it for a while now."
"Ahaha, then let’s get started right away. First, let’s pull up the Menu Screen."
"Umm, how do I do that?"
"Use either your right or left hand and try drawing a circle in the air counter-clockwise three times."
"Got it... O-Oh!?"
When I moved my hand exactly as Alice told me, a semi-transparent display—a Menu Screen—appeared in the air. What a futuristic feeling... my excitement spiked again.
"Most of the items aren't implemented yet, but try tapping the top one, 'Game.' Then, if you select Racing Game, the machines will be displayed."
"...I don't know how many times I've said this, but this is seriously cool. Whoa, there's a lot of them..."
"There are slight differences in handling, but their performance isn't that different. For a beginner like Kaito-san, I recommend this one. It's well-balanced overall and easy to control."
Alice pointed to a cool black motorcycle with a sleek, streamlined form. It looked fast and stylish, but...
"...But Alice, I've never actually driven a motorcycle before..."
"Oh, it's fine. An Auxiliary Formula is active at all times, so you basically won't fall over or crash. In car terms, it's a simple setup where you go if you hit the gas and stop if you hit the brakes. Plus, since it’s just a game, you won't feel any pain if you crash, and the machine won't break. I designed it so even children could play it."
"I see. That’s a relief."
"Yeah. However, if you do crash—like hitting a wall—your speed will drop drastically, so be careful about that."
She really had thought of everything. It seemed like even I could enjoy this. For now, I decided to go with the bike Alice recommended.
When I selected the bike on the screen and pressed the confirm button, the motorcycle materialized right beside me.
"Oh, looking at it up close, it really is cool..."
"That bike is a machine called the 'BC-96' designed by Kuro-san!"
"...I see."
BC... Baby Castella. 96... Kuro. No, surely not...
"Then, let’s get started! It’d be a bit dull with just the two of us, so I’ll put out about four NPCs as well~"
As she spoke, Alice operated her own Menu Screen, and four new machines appeared beside us. To think there were even NPCs... Non-Player Characters; it really was like a dream.
The machines were all coo... l... l?
"...Hey, Alice."
"What is it?"
"Umm... that machine that looks like a miniaturized Megiddo-san is...?"
"Ah, that's the 'Red Gorilla Mark II.' It's not a very fast machine."
"...I... see... Just make sure you don't get into a fight with Megiddo-san over that."
Red Gorilla... well, whatever...
I felt like I had stumbled upon a potential source of conflict, but I decided to ignore it and just play. Beside Alice, a machine resembling a small buggy had been prepared, and it looked like we were ready to go.
When I climbed onto the bike... it was incredibly stable. I didn't even have to try to balance it. It felt like I could drive it without any problems.
"Then, I'll start the countdown!"
"Yeah!"
As Alice announced in a bright voice, a red lamp appeared in the air. After a few seconds of counting down, it turned blue, and the race began.
Dear Mother, Father—The VR world created by Kuro and Alice still has some unfinished parts, but it is truly amazing, and I am deeply moved. Now that the Racing Game has started, I can feel my excitement reaching its peak as—I started the bike.
??? "Alright, let's start the count!"
Serious-senpai: "Wait a second. This is the goal point... an ordinary bike just started coming up. If we pass each other in a weird spot, it'll be a mess. Should we wait until it's all the way up?"
??? "What!? That bike—do you know the model?"
Serious-senpai: "...It was definitely a B-series bike... probably a Castella. A 96... the BC-96."
??? "...And the color!?"
Serious-senpai: "Why have you been asking that for a while now? It was black... a Black Baby Castella."
??? "...It's finally here... I've been waiting for this."
Serious-senpai: "...Hey, are we seriously still doing this skit? Kids these days won't even get the reference."