Once we finished our run through the Trick House, we spent a bit more time enjoying the amusement park with Kuro and Alice. We hit a few more attractions, savoring the experience to the fullest.
"Man, amusement parks really are a blast. I can't believe how much time we've spent here."
"We really have been here quite a while. I’m starting to get hungry, though. I'd love to grab a bite to eat."
"You're right. There was a food corner back there, so let's go find something!"
"Wait just a second... Haven't you two forgotten something very important?"
Kuro and I exchanged a look, and the realization hit us like a ton of bricks.
"Oh..."
Our whole reason for being out today was supposed to be the sukiyaki. We had spent the day running all over the place just to gather the necessary ingredients.
"Now that you mention it, we were supposed to be making sukiyaki."
"I—I completely forgot!"
I wasn't the only one; Kuro had clearly let it slip her mind, too. We’d both been completely swept up in the park’s excitement. To be fair, the Trick House had been quite the shock—and it took a decent amount of time—so it wasn't too surprising that we'd lost track of our original plan.
"Right, well... let's get back on track and make that sukiyaki. The question is, where should we cook it?"
"How about Shaltier's shop? I’m sure she has a pot we can use."
"Ah, good point. I bet Alice's workshop has a pot that would work perfectly. Since there won't be anyone else around, it'll be a nice spot for a relaxing meal."
"Then it's settled!"
"That’s funny. I don’t recall anyone asking the homeowner for permission."
Despite Alice’s protest, we decided to hold our sukiyaki party at her general store. We planned to pack up the amusement park and then head over using Teleportation Magic.
"Oh, but before we go, let's ride the Ferris wheel one last time."
"That sounds like a perfect finale. It’s big enough for the three of us to fit, too."
Alice agreed with Kuro's suggestion, and we headed for the Ferris wheel to wrap up our date. We reached the boarding platform and climbed inside.
As the Ferris wheel slowly climbed, I gazed out at the scenery. Looking at it again, the park was truly massive. It was still hard to believe that something this size could fit inside a single handbag. In that regard, Shiro-san really was incredible.
"That was so much fun, though. Even the Advanced Mode of the Trick House was interesting."
"Advanced Mode? I thought about switching it over, but in the end, I never actually did it, you know?"
Alice wore a look of genuine confusion at Kuro’s words. That was strange. I’d been certain Alice was the one who had toggled it, but her reaction didn't seem like one of her usual jokes—it looked sincere.
"Oh... wait! I remember now. I did set it once to automatically toggle over the moment I entered."
"So it wasn't intentional?"
"Does that mean Kuro-san and Kaito-san actually went through the Advanced Mode? That version was still under adjustment! It was meant to be a total gag... I mean, did you seriously finish such a... radical course? Hieee!"
I suppressed the urge to snap back with, Weren't you the one who made it?! Thinking back, Alice hadn't originally intended to join us in the Trick House.
Based on the conditions she just mentioned, the attraction was programmed to switch to Advanced Mode only after Alice had gone through it once with me.
Furthermore, it seemed the Advanced Course was still a work in progress. Given that I couldn't imagine Alice being able to handle the trial in the final room herself, her explanation actually made a lot of sense.
"Well, the last part was definitely a bit radical. It was pretty embarrassing."
"I mean, I put that stuff in purely as a joke, but you two actually did it? Kuro-san, you're intense..."
"Shaltier. Once we step off this ride, you’re getting a Flick: Extreme."
"At least wait until I’ve put the park away! Otherwise, the whole thing is going to be vaporized!"
If I remembered correctly, the strike she used during the Six Kings Festival that melted the ground and carved out the sea was only a Flick: Strong. Did "Extreme" mean it was even more powerful than that? I found myself wondering if Alice would even be revived by the time the sukiyaki was finished. With a wry smile, I turned my eyes back to the passing scenery.
???: "Phew..."
Machina: "Ah, welcome back. Want some sukiyaki?"
???: "Why is the sukiyaki finished before it even happens in the main story? Well, whatever, I’ll take some. Not bad... wait, where’s Serious-senpai? Oh, she's turned into sugar? Huh? Wait a second... isn't she... missing pieces?"
Machina: "I used her for the sukiyaki."
???: "Pfft!"