Ever since I arrived in the otherworld Trinia, I had gained so many things. I truly felt glad that I had come to this world, and I had grown to love it here.
However, if I were to voice a single complaint, it would be that my "life's greatest crisis" seemed to be updated every single year, much like the release of a new vintage of wine every autumn.
Well, since those crises were almost always updated by the same person—and that person happened to be the God of another world—perhaps my dissatisfaction shouldn't have been directed at this world at all.
Regardless, that was the situation. I, Kaito Miyama, was currently facing the single greatest crisis of my life.
"No unsightly slabs of meat, no loathsome half of God... Finally, we are all alone. My beloved child..."
"Y-Y-Yes, ma'am..."
I looked at Eden-san, who was staring back at me with a mad smile and eyes clouded with a dark, murky obsession. My body trembled so violently that I couldn't even manage a proper reply.
Currently, Eden-san and I were on a "planet" she had gifted to me. I knew it sounded nonsensical even as I said it myself, and I desperately wanted to believe it was a joke, but unfortunately, it was the cold, hard truth.
And just as Eden-san said, there was no one here but the two of us. No Kuro, no Alice, no Shiro-san... there wasn't a single person who could save me in a pinch.
"Ah, how long have I looked forward to this moment! I might even call this the very pinnacle of my happiness. Yes, that's right. There is no one here but me and my beloved child... No one, absolutely no one, will interfere with our tryst! Ah, my beloved child, I have kept you waiting quite a while. You must have wanted to be pampered to your heart's content by your mother. But until now, that loathsome half of God was always in the way. Yes, of course, I understand what my child wants to say. If only I had struck down that half of God sooner, my beloved child could have been spoiled by his mother as much as he wished, without anyone to stop him. Ah, please forgive your worthless mother for taking so long to be alone with you. But please, rest assured. To make up for all the restraint my beloved child has had to endure, during this overnight trip, I shall pour my mother's love upon you until you melt! My love, which I had held back out of wariness toward that half of God, shall now be fully unleashed! I shall grant my beloved child heavenly bliss!"
"..."
Somebody help me! Please! This was bad—Eden-san's eyes had completely lost their light. And more than that, I couldn't believe my ears. What did she mean, she had been "holding back" until now? There was actually a level above this?
I had truly never experienced a crisis of this magnitude before. I wondered if I would actually be able to return home in one piece.
To begin with, the reason things had escalated to this point was a certain ability-sealed chess tournament where an "overnight trip with me" had been put up as the prize.
For some reason, I had been turned into the prize without my knowledge, but since that sort of thing happened all the time, I hadn't been particularly bothered by it at the time.
The problem was that the one who emerged victorious from that tournament was Eden-san. According to the rules, she had been unable to use any of her abilities, such as thought acceleration or future sight, and was limited to only ten seconds per move.
However, it seemed Eden-san had taken her preparations with terrifying seriousness. According to her, she had "memorized every past match in existence and practiced hundreds of thousands of times without using any abilities."
And even though she hadn't been blessed with an easy bracket, she had crushed formidable foes like Kuro and Shiro-san one after another. She had even managed to defeat Alice—whom I had expected to win—after a fierce, exhausting battle.
So, in a sense, Eden-san had won the trip with me through legitimate means. Because of that, it seemed even Kuro and Alice felt they couldn't interfere. They had both apologized to me with incredible intensity before I departed.
Thus, a trip that could only be described as the greatest crisis of my life was organized entirely without my input.
Honestly, I had wanted to refuse. However, looking at Eden-san, whose excitement was already at its maximum, I felt that refusing would only trigger an even more terrifying catastrophe. In the end, I had no choice but to accept.
That was how I found myself here, on this planet with nothing but the sea, the beach, and a cottage, all created by Eden-san.
However, I hadn't come here entirely empty-handed. Though the chances of success were only fifty-fifty, I had prepared one final countermeasure.
"Playing in the sea right away would be lovely, but first and foremost, I must enjoy this tryst with my beloved child with my entire body to my heart's—Oh? What's the matter, my beloved child?"
As Eden-san was about to launch into another incredibly long speech, I took action and lunged forward to hug her, clinging to her tightly. This was the secret plan I had prepared.
"I... I'm also happy to be all alone with you like this, Eden-san. It might be rude of me, but since we have this rare opportunity, please let me act like a spoiled child."
Having known Eden-san for a fairly long time, I had discovered that she possessed a mysterious mode that appeared from time to time.
I still didn't know the exact conditions to trigger it, but whenever I proactively initiated communication with her, she would sometimes shift into that state.
That said, it wasn't a sure thing. If it succeeded, Eden-san's danger level during this trip would drop to zero... but if it failed, her excitement would become even more volatile than it already was. It was a double-edged sword.
Now then... what would happen?
Thus, the greatest gamble of my life began as I challenged my life's greatest crisis.
Serious-senpai: "...What is this mysterious sense of seriousness...?"