kscans

Chapter 956 - Hornless Triangular Pyramid

When I get an idea, I act on it immediately. And since her thinking and actions are on a level far beyond that of a mere mortal, it's only natural that any related matters proceed at the speed of light.

In other words, when Ashe gets 'in the mood' and makes a move—

"I'm asking just in case, but you're not pushing yourself, are you?"

"Mm. I'm fine."

It means she can conjure up a day or two of free time without breaking a sweat.

And so, the weekend came. We were high in the sky, on the back of a dragon.

Having safely completed a weekday filled with an endless stream of events, we arrived at Saturday morning. Four of us, including myself and Ashe, had gathered early.

"…So, um… where exactly are we going?"

The other two were, of course, my partner, Sora-san, and…

"—Nfufu, it's a secret!"

On the back of Sapphire, who flew with a gentle swiftness, a sapphire-haired girl clung tightly to a golden-haired one.

Nia had also somehow etched the [Riding] skill into her Status recently, so unless I made the dragon perform some extreme acrobatics, she didn't really need any support. Therefore…

"Oh, come on… Nia-san, you're an accomplice in this…"

"It's okaaay, it's okaaay! It's not a 'mischievous plan'! Nfufufufu!"

"That's the laugh of someone who's up to no good…"

Having spent so much time together, Sora-san showed not a hint of resistance. It seems she was being treated not as 'support' but as a 'cushion.'

To be more precise, she was 'something that I'll hug for now because it's comfy.'

Oops, my eyes met her amber ones. I quickly looked away to avoid her deadpan stare.

"…Is it necessary to keep it a secret?"

"Well, it's kind of a retread, I guess. A nostalgic callback."

Ignoring the happy, harmonious duo on the rear seats, the front section consisted of me, straddling the dragon's neck, plus Ashe, who stood with a hand on my shoulder, gazing at the scenery.

"Though, I'm pretty sure it's already half-obvious."

"Half?"

"Maybe all of it."

The moment she found out I was planning something with Nia, the secret was pretty much blown. So, inviting her right after Ashe was basically the big reveal.

Not that I ever intended to keep it a super-tight secret…

"…………Fufu."

A quiet, small laugh. When I turned again toward the sound that drifted down from above my head, the princess was looking not at the scenery, but at me, her silver-blue hair fluttering in the rushing wind.

"…What is it?"

Her expression seemed to be teasing me. As if she could see right through me.

Feeling uneasy, I couldn't help but give her a half-lidded glare.

"Nothing. Not a thing."

"…I see."

She probably saw right through it all anyway.

That I was harboring another 'secret plan (surprise).'

Something separate from what I had 'consulted' with Nia about. Or rather, that whole thing was just an introduction for this other thing, so the main event was obvious.

Well, it's only natural she'd notice… after all, it had never happened before. Me, completely on my own initiative, taking the three of them out together.

And so, the time for final mental preparation began.

"So… where are we headed, exactly?"

"East, for now."

Well, let's just enjoy it as much as possible and carry out this date where heaven and hell coexist.

◇◆◇◆◇

—A dazzling beast of light.

What my informant, the Saintess herself—Sayaka-san, the [Orb Law] of the North—had given me wasn't a precise name, but rather a series of words that very roughly described the being's appearance.

I'd already been looking for 'something' promising out of necessity, but the players of the Northern Faction, Nortalia, are the ones who have 'seen and know the world' of Arcadia best. And among them, the core of 'expeditions,' who have accumulated an exceptional amount of experience, are none other than that trio.

There's another exceptional individual known as [Lux the Traveler], but he's too whimsical. You're lucky if you even get a reply, so it's not worth counting on him from the start.

And there's one more super-exceptional being called [Yurayura the Screen], but she's useless. She completely ignores all my messages, so I'm thinking of giving her a good whack next time I see her.

Anyway, that's how it went. During some downtime while clearing the Key Tree Maze, I brought it up with my most promising source of information, and it was a direct hit.

With the promise of both 'adventure' and 'spoils,' I obtained eyewitness information about an 'unknown' that stimulated my curiosity. The place we visited today was…

"—…Whoa."

"Wow…"

"Whaaat, what is this…"

"It's magnificent, isn't it?"

A glistening, shining forest of crystal.

Its name was the [Shogen-no-Mori (Forest of Crystal Source)]—a raid-recommended zone located far to the east of the Garden of Divine Creation's Safe Area, within the 'End Circle,' which ranged from one thousand to three thousand kilometers from the center.

The trees standing in rows were all formed from colorful crystals that emitted a hard luster, and everything that met the eye was a spectacle worthy of the word 'sublime.'

A thin layer of clear water covered the unnaturally flat ground. The crystalline glow, transmitted and released by the sunlight, reflected chaotically, almost searing the eyes.

"…"

When I dipped my toe into the water, I found it was only a few centimeters deep.

No matter how much environmental resistance from water and the like is magnified in-game, the abilities of a superhuman avatar should still prevail against this much… but what surprised me was,

"Is this less 'in the forest' and more 'in its stomach'…?"

Tap, tap. Inside the water.

The ground I tapped with my toe was also made of hard crystal. In other words, not just the trees, but the entire space was formed from it.

"…I mean, they say crystals are a type of living organism, in a way."

"Eh, what? You mean we're about to jump into the mouth of a crystal monster?"

"Please don't say such scary things…!"

Ashe murmured something, Nia picked up on it, and Sora's honest reaction capped it off. It was a pretty standard pattern for us, but this wasn't the safety of our daily lives; it was the danger zone of the End Circle.

Of course, we had to maintain a minimum level of tension—

"So… what kind of area is this?"

"No idea."

"Uh, hey, did this guy just say 'no idea'?"

"Haru?"

"Hey, all I heard was that there's 'some kind of interesting enemy (?)' here."

"I don't think the 'End Circle' is a place you just come to on a whim."

"It's fine. Sayaka-san said the two of us, me and Sora-san, would be fine."

"'A pair of top-tier rankers would be fine' is the polar opposite of reassuring information, you know?"

"Haru???"

"I said it's fine. Look, we even have the 'strongest' with us."

"Leave it to me. If necessary, I'll wipe out the obstacles as well."

"Maybe hesitate a little before destroying the scenery?"

—…Well, perhaps even a minimum level of tension.

"…You know, I feel like you guys could actually win a fight against every other ranker team."

"That's impossible!?"

"Well…"

"…The [Sword Saint] and the 'Eastern Wings' would be particularly tough. I wonder what I should do for the next Four Pillar War."

Wasn't necessary after all.

---

A heartwarming field trip (in a danger zone).