Amel-san and I set off on a tour of the food stalls to find some lunch. Since the crowds would only get denser the closer we got to the Central Square, we headed in the opposite direction where the streets were thinning out.
Fortunately, the official ceremony had only just begun, so the outer areas were relatively empty. It looked like we’d be able to buy whatever we wanted without much of a wait.
"There are quite a lot of options here. Amel-san, is there anything in particular you'd like to eat?"
"Hmm, it's hard to choose. A part of me wants to dive into something meaty and filling, but fish skewers are always delicious, too. Is there anything you're craving, Sworn Friend?"
"I’d love some yakisoba, but you don't really see that at the stalls in this world."
"Oh? I've certainly never heard that name before. What kind of dish is it?"
"In this world's terms, I suppose it's closest to pasta."
Since ramen didn't exist in this world, Chinese-style alkaline noodles didn't really exist either. Consequently, I had never seen a dedicated yakisoba stall. There were pasta stalls and various dishes using noodles slightly thicker than somen, but none of them were quite right.
Takoyaki existed, albeit as a minor niche, but yakisoba remained elusive. Alice had made it back when we were at the beach, but she was a special case; she possessed a vast hoard of things that didn't technically exist in this world. For everyone else, it simply wasn't on the menu.
On a completely unrelated note, Amel-san was currently speaking in her natural voice. I wondered if she even realized she'd dropped the act.
"I see, so it's like pasta... Ah—ahem! I can feel your heart aching with nostalgia for the flavors of your distant homeland as if it were my own, Sworn Friend. If only there were something similar to appease your... Wait, Sworn Friend?! Look at that stall over there! It says 'Yakisoba'!"
"Eh? Oh, you're right. No way... Did the recipe actually get passed down from a former Hero?"
In the direction Amel-san was pointing, there was indeed a stall with "Yakisoba" written on its sign. This was a stunning turn of events. Had it always existed as some minor specialty I’d just happened to miss? Regardless, this was a godsend. I decided we had to check it out immediately.
Feeling a surge of excitement, I hurried toward the stall, only to stop short when I reached it.
"...It is Alice-chan, of course!"
"I had a feeling! And what does an octopus kigurumi have to do with fried noodles?!"
Alice was running the stall while dressed in a full-body octopus costume. I’d had a nagging suspicion, but of course it was her.
Well, whatever. I was just happy I’d get to eat some yakisoba.
Meanwhile, at the Arclesia Empire Central Square, the ceremony that served as the festival's main event was underway. Among the powerful figures in attendance, the first to notice 'it' was Fate, whose power eclipsed almost everyone else's.
However, Fate seemingly had no interest in the matter and didn't say a word. The one who actually spoke up was Lilliwood, who noticed it second thanks to her exceptional sensory abilities.
"This is...?! N-No way..."
"Lilliwood, what's wrong? Wait—this magic power... is that Megiddo? Is that idiot actually planning to crash the ceremony?!"
Following Lilliwood, who had turned pale as she whispered, Magnawell also detected the magic power rapidly approaching the square.
It was unmistakably Megiddo, despite the fact that he had not been scheduled to attend the ceremony. Both Lilliwood and Magnawell knew all too well that Megiddo possessed a truly audacious personality.
"World King, Dragon King, what is the meaning of this? Surely the War King doesn't intend to barge into the square while the ceremony is in progress?"
"I would like to tell you that he wouldn't, but... Megiddo shows a fair amount of consideration for those he likes, yet he doesn't care at all about the convenience of those he doesn't. He has a distaste for the Arclesia Empire due to its heavy aristocratic influence, so he might not feel any obligation to respect the state's proceedings..."
"He’s taken to the air. At this speed, he'll be here in seconds... What should we do, Lilliwood? Should we just blow him away?"
Sensing that Megiddo would arrive momentarily, Chronoa spoke up with visible panic. Neither Lilliwood nor Magnawell were in any state to remain calm either.
At Magnawell's suggestion to strike the incoming Megiddo and blast him into a Special Space, Lilliwood was on the verge of reflexively agreeing.
"Wait—no, we can't! He's carrying someone! Based on their magic power... are they otherworlders? It's not Kaito-san... but then who? Regardless, if we launch an attack powerful enough to repel Megiddo, those two will be caught in the crossfire!"
"...Then there is no way to stop him..."
Though the conversation was held in hushed tones, Chris, who was seated relatively close to them, had heard every word. Imagining the disaster that was about to unfold, her eyes lost their light, taking on the hollow glaze of a dead fish.
Serious-senpai: "The tonal shift between the heartwarming, peaceful Kaito Side and the hellish landscape of the Stomach Pain Warrior Side a few seconds later is truly something to behold..."