In a stark white void where a black moon hung suspended in the sky... Machina sensed the entrance opening and turned around.
Since the only person she had given a key to this space was Alice, it was obvious who had arrived. Alice approached at a brisk pace, her head tilted slightly downward. Seeing her, Machina raised a hand with a bright smile.
"Alice, welco—ghurgh?!"
A punch of staggering force buried itself in Machina's stomach, forcing her to her knees. Without a moment's pause, Alice used Machina’s bent knee as a stepping stone to leap upward, driving a flying knee strike directly into her face.
"Hebugh?!"
The impact was powerful enough to make the very dimension tremble. Machina went sailing through the air, spinning like a drill, but her power was so overwhelming that she simply reappeared in front of Alice a second later as if nothing had happened.
"...A stomach punch right at the start, followed by a Shining Wizard? Your killing intent is way too high, Alice."
"..."
"Umm... let me guess. Are you perhaps... angry?"
"Of course I'm angry, you idiiooooot!" Alice roared.
Her face was a mask of fury as she grabbed Machina by the collar and glared at her with razor-sharp eyes.
"How dare you do that to me!"
"W-Whatever could you mean by that...?"
"The fact that he doesn't remember anything about the fair but perfectly recalls our date—even though you were excluded from his memories—means you moved that dimension to Trinia after we parted, didn't you?! You probably used the excuse of introducing Shallow Vernal-sama to festivals from the otherworld or something like that!"
"...As expected of Alice. You got it almost perfectly right."
"..."
"...Tee-hee— Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! Wait, a Cobra Twist?!"
As Machina gave a mischievous smile—the smile of someone caught in a prank—Alice snapped a joint lock onto her with lightning speed.
"Ah, wait—a Frankensteiner?!"
Alice transitioned fluidly from the Cobra Twist, clamping her legs around Machina’s head and spinning with enough momentum to slam her into the ground. Alice then leaped high into the air to deliver a follow-up.
"Ow... This time she's leaping off the empty air and spinning. Oh, it’s a Phoenix Splash—ouch!"
Alice continued to rain down a relentless combination of pro-wrestling moves. Each strike was infused with an astronomical amount of magic power, enough to obliterate a star in a single hit.
And yet, for Machina, it felt like being tapped on the head with a paper fan. Such was the sheer absurdity of her existence. It was precisely because Alice knew Machina was built that way that she was able to attack with her full strength.
"A high-difficulty combination... You really are a technical-based fighter. But based on that reaction, it means you got to be plenty lovey-dovey with my child, right? That makes my little scheme worth the effort."
"...Good grief, you don't feel guilty at all, do you?"
"Well, you're angry because it was embarrassing, but it doesn't seem like you're actually angry that I deceived you."
"...Haaaah."
Looking at Machina's knowing smile, the wind seemed to leave Alice's sails. She let out a heavy sigh, her expression shifting through a complex series of emotions as she processed everything. Finally, she relaxed her shoulders and sat down beside Machina.
"...Well, without an opportunity like that, I probably never would have been able to make a move myself. And to be honest, I am a little relieved that Kaito-san hasn't forgotten the date. I'm still ticked off that you set me up, though."
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry. But you're just way too reserved, Alice. You're finally his lover; you should be much more aggressive."
"You're far too aggressive, so I wish you'd hold back a little..."
"I'm not exactly ignoring that reflection, but whether or not I can actually improve is another matter entirely."
Alice had been shaking with rage when she first realized what had happened, but thinking about it calmly, Machina’s meddling had actually been a benefit. The experience of acting proactively was rare for her, and it would likely help her grow more comfortable in her relationship moving forward.
In the end, Machina’s actions were born of goodwill rather than malice. Alice knew the goddess had acted out of concern for her, which made it impossible to stay truly angry.
"...By the way, did Shallow Vernal-sama request information about this world's festivals?"
"Yes. She seems to be gathering quite a bit of information from other worlds lately. She probably wants to use it for her own dates with my child. She's even researching standard romantic events for couples."
"Wait, does Shallow Vernal-sama even have any acquaintances among the World Creators besides you?"
"...She almost had none. She's truly feared, after all. However, it seems she’s established a new connection recently."
"Oh? That’s interesting."
"To put it simply, it’s one of Nebula’s subordinates from the past. I believe the name was—"
Since they were best friends who understood each other perfectly, the tension evaporated. Before long, the atmosphere turned peaceful as the two began their usual idle chatter.
Serious-senpai: "...It’s over... The hell has finally passed! Aaaaaah! I'm here! I'm alive!"
???: "Well then, next time, in accordance with the rotation, it'll be a one-episode conclusion lovey-dovey session with Alice-chan."
Serious-senpai: "...You've got to be kidding me..."