Chapter 1026 - The Mismatched Trio on a Walk
"──────Whoooooa..."
And so, we journeyed through the sky for a time, without a destination.
"What's with that? You said this wasn't your first time."
"Mouth's hangin' open."
Sapphire Express, on a completely whimsical route, had headed due north. Then, on a whim, we decided to drop by and check out the ridiculous scenery...
Five hundred kilometers from the Great Bell Tower in the [Safe Area].
"Yeah... well, anyone would be slack-jawed seeing this, no matter how many times..."
Before the endless vista that greeted us so majestically, we each let out dazed, tourist-like comments that floated into the surreal space.
Before us lay a vast basin stretching as far as the eye could see, said to be where Nortalia—the former Northern Faction, known long ago as the 'Free Nation of the Sky'—once existed. ...And filling it...
"...That's teeeeeeeeeeeeeerrifying. No way I'm getting any closer."
"He has aquaphobia, apparently."
"Then why'd ya come, ya idiot?"
...was a surface of water, filled to the brim.
It was a gigantic, perfectly round, and utterly unnatural puddle drawn upon the earth. The water didn't seem to flow from anywhere, nor did it seem to flow away. It was simply an immense volume that continued to exist.
What was most noteworthy was its color.
It wasn't a fantasy-like vibrant blue, nor was it a game-like crystal clear... it was pitch-black. Seeing that singular shade of darkness, a direct affront to Nortalia's faction color, reflecting only the ripples of a silent wind was a sight that could only be described as "eerie."
At least, for me it was. It's super scary.
I don't even want to imagine what kind of world lies beneath it—
"I'd heard the rumors, but you've really got a water affinity? That's a joke, right?"
"And he even drowns on his own, too."
As Tiger Lucky said, this wasn't my first time. I'd come for a peek with Sora once before, but my feelings about it hadn't changed one bit.
Seriously, how can you guys look so calm?
"Alright then, could you two jump in there?"
"Now that's a different story."
"Absolutely not."
See? That's what I thought. Of course. The bottom of water you can't see through is a universal, unchanging fear for humanity. This isn't just a me-with-my-trauma problem; it's a hard pass for anyone. You bet it is.
"...For the record, it's not 'water' or 'being underwater' itself that I'm scared of. It's the creatures you encounter underwater, you know, the fishy types, that I can't stand."
"Why's that?"
"Their eyes are just... wrong."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...If they don't have eyes, is it okay? Like jellyfish?"
"Nope, they're out. They sting you, right? Super scary, no thanks."
"That ain't a fish."
"Shellfish?"
"Don't underestimate me, okay? Unless we're talking giant clam-sized, they're not that scary."
"That's not much of a brag. You realize that, right?"
—And so, we continued to banter back and forth.
"Alright, okay! We've had our fill of this horror spot! Let's GO to the next place!"
"What's with him? He's talkin' like we're the ones who brought him here."
"Emotionally unstable. Cute."
"...Are you sure 'cute' is the right word there?"
I swiftly turned on my heel and hopped back onto the back of my beloved servant, who had been waiting patiently behind me. After waiting for the other two, who followed me with their respective listless and exasperated gazes, I said,
"Alright, so where to next?"
We soared once more, rejoining the starry sky.
As if it were her birthright, my self-proclaimed little sister settled into my lap. I patted her head idly, tearing my gaze away from the source of my terror and looking toward the horizon.
—Of course...
"By the way, you got any plans to conquer it? You're the one who triggered this whole thing, after all."
In the center of the perfectly round water surface...
A vortex silently formed, holding a light within it—the gate to a dungeon...
"Not a chance!!!"
"Such conviction."
Unfortunately, that's outside my jurisdiction, so I've decided to have absolutely nothing to do with it—past, present, or future. Naturally. Who in their right mind would challenge that?
Some impossible game with a stupid nickname like, 'Please Drown Freely.'