Part 270: A Long Bread

...Yes! D'oh! Today, I'd like to review this bread, just freshly distributed from the Central District! Yes! This one... nice stick! (crisp sound of tearing through transparent packaging) This is a best-selling staple from Yamazaki Bread! I'm amazed the factory's still running in a world overrun by zombies! (brief chewing sounds)... Hmm, delicious! The cream inside is even more than I expected... and not too sweet! And it's long... you could eat it forever... long, and... perfect with coffee...

I quietly opened the door to one of the attractions at Avienia—“Mina's House”—making no sound.

That's because, after questioning Vivian and the others, I'd learned they were always around here.

"Uun, delicious! And long! If frozen, it'd make a perfect club!"

The voice coming from inside was definitely a forced, exaggerated performance by Tenri Amamiya.

This... must be a filming session, right?

I've heard that in this "Avienia," the rule is "Those who don't entertain shall not eat."

In a country where the number of video views directly determines one's standard of living, they too must have been making videos just to survive.

Walking through the interior, which recreates the atmosphere of a cartoon world, I move forward through buildings whose sense of perspective is so distorted it's impractical for everyday use.

It seems this kind of attraction has now become the filming studio used by Vivian and the others. I see—these buildings are designed to block out outside noise, making them perfect for video shooting.

As I wander around curiously, I hear a soft thud, like a gentle blow.

"…Ow! Hey, Asaka, not during the actual take…"

"Cut! Cut! That's a cut!"

"Wait, why?"

"Idiot! You idiot, Satori! You idiot!"

"…Ow! Don't slap me so hard like that!"

"Are you even serious about this?! What's with repeating 'long' so many times? And freezing it to use as a weapon? That's an insult to the very concept of a nice stick!"

"But I couldn't think of any other way to express it…"

"There's plenty—like the crisp crunch of bread, or the cream's 'Wait, is this… actually this good? Seriously?' kind of sweetness!"

"Really...?"

"Nice Stick has been one of my all-time favorite breads since childhood. Please avoid casual work that doesn't do it justice."

"I've never heard of that before."

"Even worse, our inner rival, Renkai Hyakka, is pushing 'Jam & Margarine' right now! Yet we Nice Stick fans stand firm and fight on! Don't forget that spirit! Got it!?"

"Wait a second... What exactly is 'Nice Stick'? I don't remember being part of any group like that..."

"Y-You're kidding, right!?"

"Eeep...!"

Then, once again, the energetic *pechikōn* of determination.

It seemed the two of them had become quite close—maybe even inseparable—while I was away.

Seizing the moment when the filming had paused, I suddenly appeared right in front of the two of them.

"Hello."

Their previously tense expressions instantly brightened, as if flowers had bloomed.

"Warrior-san!"

"Senpai!"

Standing against the backdrop of the towering pile of Nice Stick packaging, both of them grabbed my hands,

"P-please help... Asuka-chan forced me to eat so many sticks... so many... she kept making me eat them...!"

"Please help! I finally managed to get my hands on some rations through my 'Guardian' connections, but Satori-chan is totally lacking in food review talent! She can't express the slightest bit of excitement when opening a pack of Nice Sticks—no anticipation at all!"

I gently soothed their combined "please help" with a wry smile,

"Are you both okay? No need for seconds?"

"Yes! Still living the 'underground passage' life, just as before!"

That's what matters most.

Then Asuka, slightly frowning with concern,

"Compared to us, senior...?"

"Nothing special on my end either."

"So that means... memories...?"

"Have returned. Naturally."

"Thank goodness!"

As for the matter of my past-life memories, I intended to avoid discussing it with others—certainly for a while now—following that approach.

There were two reasons why this had to be done.

One was the concern that if I became too reliant on my companions, I would end up doing exactly what my previous self had done.

The other was that if she realized I wasn’t the “master” she referred to—Koi Kawa Hibana—I might risk her using the "Temporal Magic X" to reincarnate into the past once again.

No matter how cunning she may be, there's no denying that Hana Kawa is a powerful ally.

We'll continue to rely on her assistance from now on.

"With this, I'm sure we can solve everything—missiles, the famine, and even bringing everyone back to life!"

"I'll do my best to make it happen."

"Ah, again with the modesty~"

Seeming thoroughly relieved, Asuka beamed from the bottom of her heart, while Tsumiki gave her a slightly puzzled look.

Cutting right through her confusion, I said,

"Anyway! I'm starving! How about we all eat together?"

Asuka readily agreed to this somewhat abrupt change of topic, and the food review filming was temporarily put on hold.

"By the way, where's Miharu?"

"She's—she was helping out just a bit ago, but now she's wandering around here and there. There are so many fun things to see around here, after all..."

Ah, I see. I can't really blame her.

Living in Disneyland or something like that must feel like a child's dream, wouldn't it? Whether it's comfortable or not is another matter.

"Then let's invite her and have an early dinner, shall we?"

"Got it♪"

"Ah, but... come to think of it, I don't actually have any money from this country."

"Please, don't worry about that!"

Then Asuka gently patted Sutori's head like a younger sister, beaming,

"Look! It's me! The very me who produced the newcomer Vivian, Tenkyou Sutori—her channel has just surpassed five hundred subscribers! So there's absolutely no risk of running out of audience!"

"Five hundred?"

I'm not even sure if that's impressive or not, to be honest.

"Yeah. It seems the buzz came from this guy's unique physique and voice being something fresh and new."

"Huh, really?"

Despite her words, I could sense a coldness in Asahina's gaze as she looked at Shuuri.

The maid-clad girl smiled awkwardly, nibbling on the leftover bit of the Nice Stick used during filming, as if out of obligation.