The Duke-class certifications were finished without a hitch... though, it wasn't as if I had expected any trouble, so a smooth conclusion was inevitable. Alice had mentioned from the start that bringing me along was mostly for her own peace of mind, so in a practical sense, my role had likely ended the moment I finished giving her a piggyback ride.
Well, setting that aside...
"We still have plenty of time. Should we go somewhere? I don't really know the towns around here, though."
"Sounds good-ssu. It's not like we have a massive amount of time to kill, anyway."
"Yeah. So, let's just find somewhere to play for a bit, grab dinner when the time is right, and then head home."
"Thanks for the meal—Ouch!?"
"Why are you already assuming I’m footing the bill? Even if that’s how it ends up, that attitude is just annoying enough that I’m tempted to break out the Toy Hammer next time."
"I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop with the terrifying threats-ssu! That thing actually hurts, you know!"
I gave Alice a light rap on the head as she fully intended to let me treat her. After a bit more meaningless banter, we made our way to the nearest town.
It was a reasonably large town, the kind of place that felt like it would be packed with all sorts of shops. Since the Southern Region of the Demon Realm was under Magnawell-san's jurisdiction, I’d heard that monsters were a common sight here, but it turned out they had substantial urban areas as well.
"But Kaito-san, there aren't any casinos in this town-ssu."
"And why exactly are you assuming we're going to a casino? Don't you have somewhere more... normal? A place where we can just hang out for a bit?"
"Hmm... there's a large grassy field further ahead, so how about we do something there? I happen to have a full badminton set on me-ssu."
"That sounds good. Let's go there."
How long had it been since I last played badminton? It felt quite nostalgic. Besides, if it was a wide-open field, it seemed like we could have fun just moving our bodies. I didn't think I had many outdoor games in my Magic Box, but I’d probably find something if I dug around.
Regardless, we could start with badminton, and the time might pass surprisingly quickly.
"Since we’re at it, do you want to have a quick match?"
"Oh, come on. You know I’m no match for you when it comes to physical ability."
"Oh, I’m well aware of that, which is why we’ll be using the 'Limit Kaito-san Rule'!"
"The... what?"
"It’s the same as when we played beach volleyball during our trip to the coast. I won't perform any movements that exceed your own physical limits, Kaito-san. And since there’s still a gap in things like dynamic vision, the rule is that you’re allowed to use Physical Enhancement."
"Ah, I see. With those constraints, it might actually turn into a real contest..."
If I recalled correctly, the very first time we used that rule was during my match with Megiddo-san at the Six Kings Festival. In any case, just as Alice said, past experiences like beach volleyball had proven that games usually turned out quite well with those rules in place.
"Well, unlike the beach volleyball match, we don't have anyone to judge whether or not I’ve exceeded your limits, but we aren't betting anything on this, so let's just keep it casual."
"Fair enough. Even if you did go slightly over my limits, I wouldn't be able to tell anyway, so let's just aim for 'close enough'."
When we arrived at the field, it was indeed very spacious and seemed perfect for playing. We immediately got ready for badminton, each taking a racket and putting some distance between us.
"Let's start with a light rally. You did say it's been a while, Kaito-san."
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that."
"Here I go, then! Hup!"
"Oh, and... there!"
"You're hitting it quite cleanly, aren't you-ssu? I'll keep them coming!"
"Got it."
Alice hit the shuttlecock in a high arc at a slow speed, and the rally continued as I hit it back. When I had tried that tennis game in the Demon Realm before, it was a total disaster, but I could hit the shuttlecock quite well in badminton, and I felt my control wasn't half bad either.
Well, since we were just doing a gentle rally for now, I didn't know how it would go once the match actually started...
"Kaito-san, smash!"
"Wait—like this!?"
"Nice-ssu! That had some real heat on it. It was just barely within reach for me under the limit, so it looks like this will be a good match."
"No, how are you returning it so cleanly when you're hitting it with just the very tip of the racket?"
"The snap of the wrist is the secret-ssu."
I didn't know what it was exactly, but playing like this with Alice was always fun.
"Hup! There's an opening!"
"Ah, wait, that's high!?"
"Fufu, it's not all about fast shots, you know. You'd better watch out during the real game."
"Which reminds me... we don't have a court, so how are we scoring this?"
"Wouldn't it be fine to just say the person who fails to hit it back loses the point? It's not like this is a life-or-death battle."
"That's true. Alright, let's go back and forth a few more times and then start for real!"
Alice was always such good company. She was the kind of person for whom the term 'best friend and lover' felt perfectly natural. It was fun because she often challenged me to matches on equal footing like this.
Lost in the moment, I forgot all about the time and simply enjoyed playing badminton with Alice.
Serious-senpai: "That person from ???!? Spitting a curse and then collecting it yourself... No, wait, this actually feels kind of refreshing. It won't be that sweet... sweet... wha... Part... 1? U-Uwaaaaah...!"