I stepped back up to the Garapon lottery machine to draw for my next gift.
"EX5"
Another EX... Actually, I had been on quite a streak with the EX category. With this, I had officially drawn all five of the special prizes. Considering the total number of participants, drawing them all so early felt like an incredible stroke of lopsided luck.
"Oh, that marks the final EX prize. Well then, here is EX5."
"Thank you very much... This is, uh, a speaker, I take it?"
The item Canalis-san held out was a spherical speaker about the size of a volleyball. It was topped with cat-ear-like decorations, giving it a playful, cute appearance. It looked quite high-tech, but since Shiro-san and the others had likely been consulted beforehand, I assumed it was safe to use.
"Yes. This is a speaker capable of playing a wide variety of music in high fidelity. It plays tracks just by touching it and focusing on a song in your mind. Apparently, it can even select music for you based on vague requests or just the general mood you’re feeling."
"Heh, that sounds great. I’ll finally be able to listen to music in my room. The design is stylish and cute, too; I like it."
In other words, with this, I could listen to music from Earth to my heart's content. Relaxing with a cup of black tea while listening to nostalgic tunes sounded like a wonderful way to spend my time.
"But really, having received so many amazing things, I feel both grateful and a little bit guilty. Honestly, if it were possible, I’d love to meet the people who sent these and thank them in person."
"...Oof!?"
"Canalis-san?"
The EX birthday presents were clearly heartfelt, chosen with my tastes in mind. As I was expressing my gratitude for them sending gifts all the way from other worlds and mentioning my wish to thank them directly, Canalis-san’s head suddenly jerked to the side as if she’d been struck by an invisible fist.
Her expression remained as stoic as ever, but judging by her voice, did something happen?
"Ah... well, my mind is currently in a state of absolute chaos. To put it in terms you might understand, it’s like my inbox was just hit by a massive wave of spam that crashed the entire server. I really wish the ones who didn't even send presents would just shut up. Taha~ Regardless, I have understood your feelings, Kaito-sama. Please wait just a moment."
Canalis-san turned to glance toward the live commentary seat where Alice and Fate-san were sitting. Alice gave her a slight nod.
"Attention. Suspending the live commentary due to the occurrence of a K-Case. An emergency meeting will now be held. Shallow Vernal-sama, Machina, Kuro-san, Canalis-san... and Lilia-san, please report to the commentary area immediately."
"Wait, what!?"
At the sudden summons, Lilia-san—whose name had been called quite naturally alongside that lineup of legends—looked completely blindsided. She had a look on her face that screamed, "Why me!?"
Alice looked back at Lilia with an expression of profound, genuine pity.
"...It’s a tragedy, I know, but please just accept it. From this point forward, whenever this sort of situation occurs, you are the official Representative of the Human Race."
"..."
Lilia-san wore a look of indescribable despair mixed with utter resignation as she trudged toward the commentary area. Shiro-san and Kuro, who had also been called, gathered around the booth and began a hushed, intense discussion.
I wondered what was going on. I had really just meant it as a casual sentiment... but there was no doubt that my words had triggered a massive incident. I waited for about five minutes, feeling incredibly awkward, until the meeting finally broke up. Canalis-san returned to my side.
"...Well, as a result of our conference, it has been decided that one person will be permitted to receive words of gratitude directly from you, Kaito-sama. To determine who that is, I have prepared this Garapon containing the numbers of the five people you will be giving gifts to first. Please, give it a spin."
"I-I understand. I'm really sorry for causing so much trouble with a stray comment."
"No, no. Your feelings are the highest priority, Kaito-sama, and we exist to make your wishes a reality. That said, summoning everyone would be a nightmare in terms of logistics, and it would likely lead to endless bickering over the original turn order. So, we've settled on one person. Taha~ Think of it as a special exception. We've already cleared it with Shallow Vernal, so go ahead and give it a good turn."
"R-Right."
Following Canalis-san’s lead, I turned the handle of the new lottery machine. A single ball rolled out. Just like when I was selecting the first five people to give gifts to, the number on the ball was invisible to my eyes... but perhaps she had made it legible for me this time, as glowing letters materialized in the air.
"2"
Serious-senpai: "The moment the Cyber Angel's arrival is confirmed."