I had received a supplementary guidebook from Alice yesterday specifically for this final day of the Six Kings Festival.
Apparently, the finale was structured as a sort of "all-star lineup" of the previous six days. Aside from the usual stalls, the most popular attractions and booths from throughout the week were being showcased once again.
The festival grounds were so vast that seeing everything in one day was a physical impossibility, so having the best of the best gathered in one place was a welcome convenience.
Looking through the guide, I saw that the plant maze I had visited with Lilliwood-san and the VRMMO game I’d played with Alice were both available again.
Take that VRMMO racing game, for instance. According to a Hummingbird message I’d received from Lilia-san before bed, she and her group had to wait three hours just to play.
Since I’d been with the organizer—who had no qualms about abusing her authority—I hadn’t waited a single second. Apparently, multi-hour waits were the norm for any attraction featuring the cutting-edge technology of the fifth day.
In any case, with so many prime attractions and stalls to choose from, I wondered where we should head first. If Shiro-san had a preference...
"In that case, let's go to the target-hitting game you visited on the first day, Kaito-san."
"Umm... Oh, the one where you throw balls at targets? Hang on a second. I'll check the location in the guidebook."
The game Shiro-san mentioned was likely the one I’d gone to with Anima.
I flipped through the guidebook to find it. The book was well-designed, featuring a categorized table of contents and an index of shop names, so I figured I’d find it in no time... or so I thought.
"That's strange... It’s not here. Maybe it wasn't popular enough to make the cut."
"..."
"It’s a shame, but let's find another—"
"It is right there."
"Huh?"
I looked up from the guidebook, following Shiro-san’s gaze. Sure enough, further down the road we were traveling, I saw the familiar building for that very attraction.
I found it hard to believe Alice would leave an entry out of her guidebook... but more importantly, why was the building standing right in the middle of the road? That shouldn't have been possible. It felt less like it had been there all along and more like it had just spontaneously manifested.
Thinking that, I stole a glance behind us. A short distance away, I spotted Chronoa-san leaning against a pillar, looking utterly drained. Life-san and Fate-san were both by her side.
"...God of Space-Time, you did well. I'll provide recovery now."
"Well, it is Shallow Vernal-sama, after all. It’s only natural she’d demand a shop that wasn't actually there. I'll go ahead and set up some countermeasures for that sort of thing."
Yeah, I pretty much understood what had happened. Chronoa-san... you truly have my deepest sympathies.
"...S-Shall we go in?"
"Yes."
While inwardly offering my condolences to Chronoa-san, I led the way into the target-hitting shop Shiro-san wanted. Inside, a woman dressed in the attire of the Gods bowed deeply to us.
"Welcome. Everything has been prepared for your arrival."
"U-Umm, thank you for your hard work."
She was undoubtedly a God, but she was a new face to me. If I were to be blunt, she radiated a certain energy similar to Chronoa-san—not in terms of divinity, but in the sense that she looked like she carried a great deal of hardship on her shoulders.
"...By the way, Shiro-san, who was that?"
"The God of Fertility."
Ah, come to think of it, I’d heard about her from Fate-san. If I recalled correctly, she was a low-ranking God serving under Life-san, responsible for the Arclesia Empire.
Fate-san occasionally brought me snacks and mentioned she’d "made the God of Fertility prepare them," so I figured she was probably someone who went through a lot of struggle, just as I’d suspected.
"...Shiro-san, do you want to try?"
"I shall give it a try."
Since I had played before, I suggested she take a turn. Surprisingly, she agreed without hesitation. She let go of my arm and picked up one of the prepared balls.
"I am throwing now."
"Right. Good luck."
"...I will do my best."
Suddenly, a localized chill ran down my spine. Was it my imagination, or were cracks spiderwebbing through the very space around Shiro's hand as she gripped the ball? And was the ground actually shaking?
I didn't think she would, but... Shiro-san wasn't planning to throw with her full power, was she? Hahaha, no, surely not.
I mean, if Shiro-san actually got serious, she’d probably destroy the entire world. There was no way she would...
"Shiro-san! Wait—!"
I called out in a panic, but it was already too late. Shiro's hand flashed for a split second, and the ball simply vanished. One of the numbered target boards disappeared along with it.
"...Wait, what?"
"Is something the matter?"
"Ah, no..."
I was still alive and in one piece. The building hadn't been vaporized. The target board hadn't even been charred.
Did that mean Shiro-san had managed to hold back properly? Well, it looked like I’d been worrying over nothing...
Dear Mother, Father—the first place Shiro-san wanted to visit was the target game I’d gone to with Anima. It just occurred to me... but could it be that Shiro-san intends to visit all the attractions I went to on my dates over the last five days—in the exact order I visited them?
Outside the building where Kaito and Shallow Vernal were playing the target game, Chronoa and Kuromueina both looked thoroughly exhausted.
"...Underworld King, you were a true help."
"N-No... I'm just glad I made it in time. Honestly, Shiro is acting wild today. She’s definitely the one who’s going to be causing all the trouble today... I'll help you and the others out, Chronoa-chan."
"I... I appreciate it. I owe you one."
"...Even so, what's with Shiro? Her power control is all over the place."
"...Apparently, she is in high spirits."
"...It’s going to be a very long day."
True to those words, Chronoa and Kuromueina would spend the rest of the day desperately running around to keep up with Shallow Vernal's whims.