On the morning of the final day of the Six Kings Festival, I was waiting in the Central Square for Shiro-san. Our meeting was scheduled for exactly 10:00 AM, and since I had arrived early, I still had about twenty minutes to spare.
Still, I couldn't help but wonder... why did both Kuro and Shiro-san insist on "meeting up"? I suppose sticking to the classics is important in these situations.
Since Shiro-san would likely teleport in at the stroke of ten, I decided to pass the time by leisurely observing the deserted Central Square.
By the way, the fact that there were unnaturally few people in the square was... well, undoubtedly the work of the Gods.
As I was lost in thought, a group of Gods appeared in the square, their footsteps echoing in perfect, disciplined unison. Leading them were Chronoa-san, Fate-san, and Life-san, but Shiro-san was nowhere to be seen.
...Is this that thing again? A security detail so intense it would put an actual army to shame.
"Everyone, listen up! While the specific deployments were communicated yesterday, I have additional points to emphasize!"
Standing in formation a short distance from me, Chronoa-san began issuing instructions in a sharp, authoritative voice.
"First, as you are aware, the situation differs from last time. Many of the world's top-class powerhouses, starting with the Six Kings, are present at this festival. Therefore, forcible removal carries a risk of causing collateral damage to the surroundings."
"Which means you should either give Peerage-class individuals a wide berth or seek instructions from us Supreme Gods... Above all, do not act on your own initiative."
Following Chronoa-san, Fate-san added her own piece, her expression serious and entirely unlike her usual lazy self.
"Regarding Demons and Humankind below the Peerage-class, please follow the orders of your respective squad leaders. I trust you understand that failure will not be tolerated."
Life-san was still saying ominous things. I mean, "squads"? This was practically a military operation.
"Ah, and one more thing... while I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to pick a fight with the Six Kings, you must strictly ensure that you do not involve yourselves with the Phantasm King No Face. She is a concentration of trouble and hassle. No matter how you approach it, interacting with her leads only to headaches. Ignore her on principle, and if you absolutely must interact, wrap up the conversation as quickly as possible. A single disruption in coordination could prove fatal. Be extremely cautious."
Chronoa-san delivered the warning with an exasperated look. Ah, I see. This must be the "she's dragged us into trouble so many times" pattern. She even called her out by name.
"...Is that what they're saying about you?"
"I'm offended! Even for someone like me, known as Merciful Alice-chan, this is an unavoidable trigger for rage. I’m considering a lawsuit!"
"You’d definitely lose, so don't bother."
"...U-Um? Kaito-san, you're my lover, right? Isn't this the part where you back up your cute girlfriend, or negotiate directly to fix Alice-chan's reputation?"
But Chronoa-san was pretty much entirely right. Even I could predict that if the Gods got involved with Alice, it would inevitably turn into a disaster.
The level of chaos when she and Fate-san teamed up was enough to make anyone clutch their head in despair.
"...Unfortunately, improving that reputation is a task of extreme difficulty. It's beyond my abilities."
"You gave up too fast! No, no, we can do this! Humans can achieve almost anything if they put in the effort!"
"...Alright then, Alice. Improve my board game skills."
"...Even I... have things I can't do."
"Hey, don't look away from me... Look me in the eye..."
...I was realizing this a bit late, but was I really that catastrophically bad? To the point where even the practically omnipotent Alice said it was impossible?!
"...Hey, Alice."
"What is it?"
"I want you to be very modest and sugarcoat it, but... am I really that weak?"
"...Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and if you play enough, you'll naturally get better."
"...And if you remove the sugarcoating?"
"You're a disaster. In my long life, I've never experienced someone winning because I held back and tried to lose on purpose. It's bad enough to make me want to cry, quite seriously."
"That bad?!"
Incidentally, while I often played various games with Alice, I was miserable at board games unless they had an element of luck.
Still, it wasn't as if I had lost every single match to Alice. I had even won at Shogi before... provided with a handicap that fundamentally broke the game: Alice had a 10-piece handicap, and I got to move twice in a row.
"...Oh, it's almost time. Since it's Shallow Vernal-sama, she'd find me even if I hid, so I'll be guarding you from a distance."
"Eh? Oh, right. Thanks, as always."
"No problem! Later~!"
Alice gave a theatrical salute and departed. She really was a reliable person. I was only able to walk around so casually because I knew she was watching my back... I'd have to treat her to something later.
As I glanced around while thinking that, the Gods had vanished, and there was only one minute left until the meeting time.
At that exact moment, an anomaly occurred in the square. Thin strands of light appeared on the ground, forming a massive magic circle.
Once the circle covered the entire square, a magnificent, divine pillar of light descended from the heavens... and Shiro-san stepped serenely from within the radiance.
"I've kept you waiting."
"You just made an entrance like a Last Boss!?"
"I was frolicking, just a little."
"...I-I see..."
As expected of Shiro-san, she was incredible from the get-go... but did her appearances really get flashier the more she frolicked?
Dear Mother, Father—I was left speechless by Shiro-san showing off a difference in caliber from her very first appearance. Or rather, what was this sense of unease? Well, for now—it seems she's in high spirits.
The Creator God Shallow Vernal's self-restraint has been lifted.