落とし穴外伝：２０２４年明けスペシャル SHINOBI
Dungeon Hole Side Story: 2024 New Year Special – SHINOBI
Side: Taiki
"Kyaa!?"
Accompanied by that shriek...
*Splash!*
The sound of someone hitting the water echoed through the area. In short, someone had fallen in. However, no one panicked.
"Aww..."
A chorus of disappointed voices rang out.
"Whoa! What a surprise! Jessica has fallen in the very early stages! And her scream was even more intense than I expected!"
Mikos’s voice, which could only be described as a shout, reached us.
Yes, the one who had just fallen into the water was one of Yuki’s wives. She was in charge of military affairs and certainly wasn't lacking in athletic ability, but...
"Those large breasts were her undoing."
"Usually that’s a line used for sexual harassment, but in this case, it’s literally true."
Indeed, Jessica’s fall was entirely due to her ample bosom. When she jumped to grab the roller slope and pull herself up, her chest made contact first. The rollers spun, she lost her footing, and down into the water she went.
"But really, why are we doing 'SHINOBI'?"
There were many comments to be made, but first, I had to voice the question of why we were recreating that Japanese year-end athlete program here.
"Luna saw it on TV at the end of the year and got the idea. I told her it was impossible because I have magical body-boosting, and the beastmen have different base physical capabilities, but then..."
*“Just seal their magic. That’ll settle the beastmen’s physical stats, too. They’re using magic boosts anyway. They have nearly the same physique; there’s no way their output is that different, right?”*
"That was her reply. Well, her logic held up."
"So, you set it up."
"Yeah. And when I asked who would do this without any reward, she said..."
*“What are you talking about? You have me. I’ll provide most any reward. So, if you can clear the athletic SHINOBI course, I’ll give you a prize! And you wouldn't tell me you can't clear something like that, would you!?”*
"Because of that provocation, the wives and subordinates ended up participating. Of course, since their magical body enhancement was gone, they did practice a bit beforehand, but..."
"Wait, there was practice, and Jessica still fell?"
As I asked that, someone appeared from behind...
"Well, there was practice, but that time I was lucky enough that my chest went into the gap between the rollers..."
Jessica, soaking wet, approached with a towel draped around her neck. She was wearing a white T-shirt and jersey pants, and the shirt was transparent, clearly showing her large chest. Under normal circumstances, this would be a heart-pounding sight, but...
"Lady Luna, I want to try again!"
"Hmm? Oh, sure, the reward is off the table, but you can do it freely later."
"Thank you very much!"
Something about her face—the look of a soldier, or rather, an athlete—made those kinds of thoughts vanish. Above all, she was Yuki’s wife.
"She’s surprisingly competitive."
"As a soldier, I follow orders, but that doesn't mean I don't feel frustrated when I lose. I’m going for a re-challenge. Though, honestly, my chest really isn't suited for this. I never imagined I’d hit the rollers and make them spin."
"We can't exactly have you wear armor, either."
Yeah, Yuki was right. If she wore armor, it would only add weight. As we were talking...
"Whoa! We have our first clear! It’s Tori!"
I turned at Mikos’s voice to see Tori waving from the finish line. Wow, she actually cleared that difficulty.
"Is it because she doesn't have a chest?"
At Jessica’s immediate comment, we exchanged awkward glances, but Yuki, being the husband he is, stepped in.
"I don't think it’s just about the chest. She’s slender to begin with. Jessica is a knight, while Tori and Riel are scout types. That’s the difference."
"I-I see. It’s the difference in agility."
"Is that so?"
"That’s right. And even if it were the chest, what would you do? I love you, chest and all. Don't go trying to 'trim' it unless it’s an emergency, okay?"
"If Yuki says so, I won't. I am proud of them, after all. Still, I do want to clear this."
Even with his reassurance, she clearly still wanted the win. Well, I can’t say I don’t understand that feeling. Still, their physical abilities are restricted...
As I was thinking that, I watched...
"I will clear it!"
"Good luck, Firia-chan!"
"Do your best!"
"Watch out for injuries!"
With those cheers, for some reason, Firia-chan was participating.
"Wait? Isn't that physically impossible for her?"
"Really? It’s not like there’s a weightlifting section, so I think she can do it."
When Luna said that, I looked again. Indeed, there didn't seem to be any obstacles that couldn't be cleared just because she was small. Still, I couldn't help but worry, so I kept watching.
I checked the course again. The first part was four wall-kicks over a pool.
"Yo, ho, here I go!"
With her light body and natural grace, Firia-chan handled it easily. Next was the roller slope where Jessica had fallen. For Firia-chan, however, it was a spot that required an even bigger jump than Jessica’s.
"Hup!"
Firia-chan flew without fear. However, her landing point wasn't between the rollers, but dead center on one. I thought she would slip, but...
"Hoi."
Huh?
The roller didn't spin, and Firia-chan climbed right up.
"Why didn't the roller spin?"
"Ah, that’s because she didn't apply force up or down; she pushed right into the center. If you do that, it won't rotate."
"Ah, I see."
Now that he mentioned it, that made sense. That’s one way to keep the rollers from spinning. Still, it wasn't easy, but because Firia-chan was small and light, the load on the roller was minimal, making it harder to spin.
*“Firia-chan easily clears the spot where Jessica fell! But next is a section requiring jumping power. Can she reach the opposite shore!”*
Just as Mikos said, she’d cleared the roller slope, but the next jump to the opposite shore was quite a distance. No, wait...
"Isn't that tough for Firia-chan’s physique?"
"It’s tough, sure, but it’s not an impossible distance. Look, Taiki, you’re saying it’s tough, right? You don't think it’s impossible, do you?"
"Ah, that’s true."
I didn't think it was impossible. If a kid knows how to use their body, they can do it. As I thought that, Firia-chan picked her spot, and from the middle of the roller slope's descent...
*“She jumped! Will she make it? She made it!”*
"Oh!"
Both Yuki and I let out shouts of surprise as Firia-chan landed perfectly on the opposite shore. She had used her whole body like a spring. She landed safely, didn't lose her balance, and headed to the next obstacle.
*“Next is the single-rope slider! You need to time your landing perfectly!”*
Just as Mikos said, a single rope hung before Firia-chan, and a small patch of land sat at the end of the waterway. The top of the rope acted like a pulley; once someone grabbed it, they would slide forward. This required physical ability, but timing was the most important factor. Because...
"Here I go!"
Firia-chan grabbed the rope, and the pulley picked up speed. It was faster than I thought. At that speed...
"Hup!"
With a shout, Firia-chan let go. She landed perfectly in the center. She probably aimed for that, but...
"Nyo!?"
*Splash!*
She had too much momentum, couldn't hold her footing, and face-planted into the waterway.
"Oh dear."
"Firia-chan!"
"We need to get a towel ready."
Labyris and the others ran to where Firia-chan would climb out.
"Without magical assistance, the law of inertia really takes over, doesn't it?"
"Indeed. Well, she looks like she’s having fun, though."
Firia-chan was smiling as she climbed out of the water. The three who greeted her, and everyone watching, felt the same.
"It’s a good diversion for the New Year."
"That it is."
"Why are you two just relaxing and enjoying it? You go next."
"Huh?"
Watching this kind of athletic course is fun, but doing it yourself is...
You get wet. And more than anything, I didn't really care about the prizes.
"Come on, come on."
Without room for protest, we were pushed to the starting line.
"Darling, do your best."
"Taiki-sama, please do your best!"
"Don't push yourselves too hard, you two."
With those words from Seraria, Airi, and Taizo, there was no backing out now.
And the result? Well... shall we save that for next time?
I watched that program.
It was fun.
I’d like to try it at least once.