Shiro-san made a grand, flashy entrance, looking every bit like the final boss of an RPG. Her claim that she was “having fun” filled me with a vague, lingering sense of unease.
Well, I suppose she’s in a good mood, so I should probably take that as a win… right?
“A-Anyway, shall we get going?”
“Wait.”
“...Huh?”
“A dire situation has occurred.”
Shiro-san stopped me just as I was trying to pull myself together and head for the festival. A dire situation? Her face remained its usual expressionless mask, and I didn’t feel any tension from her at all, but...
I mean, what could possibly be “dire” to the Creator God herself?
“Both of my hands are empty.”
“...Excuse me?”
“Both of my hands are empty.”
“...Um, so, is that the ‘dire situation’?”
“Yes. A very dire situation. I cannot depart like this.”
“...”
Is she telling me to hold her hand? She’s being awfully roundabout… Ah, I see. Shiro-san wants the suggestion to come from me. That’s why she won’t say it directly.
“That is correct.”
She confirmed it. But, man… In a normal town it might be one thing, but walking through a crowded festival while holding hands with a world-class beauty and the God of the World took some serious courage. I found myself hesitating.
“...If my hands remain empty, I may find myself unable to truly enjoy the festival. Should that happen, I might accidentally put 'The Work in Question' on display in the Sanctuary.”
“Shiro-san! It’s a date, so please, by all means, let's hold hands!”
“Hmph. Very well. If you insist so strongly, Kaito-san, I am not entirely unwilling.”
“...”
I’d forgotten. This woman held a terrifying hostage. As long as that sad creature was in Shiro-san’s possession, I couldn’t afford to ignore her demands.
Surrendering, I took her left hand in my right. She was… so soft!
Honestly, Shiro-san was just unfair. She was perfect down to the smallest detail. Her skin was supple, and the touch of her hand felt exquisite—almost as if it were clinging to mine.
I didn’t even know how to describe the faint, pleasant scent wafting from her, but it was wonderful. Everything about her screamed “perfect beauty.”
“Praise me more. It makes me happy.”
“...”
Well, setting aside her airheaded nature…
Regardless, walking hand-in-hand like this reminded me of my time with Kuro yesterday. I hadn’t done it on purpose, but since Kuro had been on my right and I’d used my left hand then, our positions were the exact opposite now.
“Mgh...”
It didn't mean anything. It just popped into my head, but a cold sweat immediately ran down my spine.
It was only then that I realized my fatal mistake. I had completely forgotten about a certain mind-reader who harbored an intense rivalry toward Kuro.
Shiro-san let out a soft, dissatisfied grunt. Then, she firmly pulled my right arm against her, hugging it tight while resting her head on my shoulder.
“Wait! Sh-Shiro-san?!”
“Kuro isn't tall enough for this. It is my victory.”
“I don't understand your winning criteria! Also, they’re… they’re touching me!”
“Naturally, I am pressing them against you. Kuro lacks this level of fullness as well. In other words... I win.”
“Kuro isn’t even here! What are you acting so triumphant about?!”
Awa-wa… My arm, my right arm was being sandwiched by Shiro-san’s incredibly ample fullness.
And wow… it felt so elastic, yet so soft that my arm just sank into it. Damn it, is the Creator God’s body a cheat too? My head was starting to spin.
“U-Um, Shiro-san. Please let go…”
“No.”
“N-No, I really won’t be able to last if you keep this up…”
“If you can explain exactly what won’t last and why, I will consider it.”
“Are you some kind of demon?!”
“No. I am a God.”
It was no use. Not only was she refusing to budge, she was being more difficult than I’d ever seen her. Was Shiro-san always this proactive?!
“...I am being a little playful.”
A playful Shiro-san was terrifying. Anyway, I had to calm down. Stay cool. Think of prime numbers or complex calculation formulas...
Wait, why? Even though I was trying to think of numbers and math, vivid images of my mixed bath with Shiro-san were flooding my mind.
What was happening? This was wrong. This was definitely wrong. Scenes entirely unrelated to my thoughts were playing in high definition, like a video... Hm?
I felt like I’d experienced this before. That’s right—it was just like that time I visited the Temple.
“...Shiro-san, stop projecting these images into my head immediately.”
“You caught me?”
I knew it was you! What were you even thinking?!
“If I let go of your hand, it might slip.”
“...And what happens then?”
“It seems it would trigger a recall of your memories. How very mysterious.”
“...”
She was threatening me! She was basically saying that if I didn’t let her cling to my arm for the whole festival, she’d keep those agonizing images on an endless loop in my brain.
Honestly… Shiro-san was far too much to handle today.
Dear Mother, Father—
How should I even put this? She really is the fearsome Creator God. She has taken total control of the initiative. I don’t know what’s gotten into her, but Shiro-san is being awfully bold today.
The Creator God’s all-out offensive… is powerful.
Me-o: “...Wait just a minute! I only use this form because I like the look! If I really wanted to, I could be as tall as Shiro! I can change my chest size whenever I want too! I’m not losing! I am definitely, definitely not losing!!”
Serious-senpai: “...You lost to Isis in the popularity poll... Oh.”
Me-o: “...Why don’t we… step over there… for a little chat?”