Chapter 298: The One Who Can't Be Held

The next day.

I woke up naturally early in the morning, did a light warm-up with my usual sword drills, sweated a little, then refreshed myself thoroughly with a cold shower before heading back toward the "Western District."

Along the way, I noticed the girls filming their daily activities again, as they always do.

This scene—truth be told—was fairly familiar to people living near the Seibu Ikebukuro Line.

Thanks in part to the presence of a larger arts university near Egota, encountering such self-produced filming sessions was a fairly common experience in the area.

I deliberately avoided the main road, moving forward through what felt like an "unreal kingdom," making sure not to interfere with their filming as much as possible.

Although summer was nearing its peak, the girls' skin, exposed to intense sunlight in the Abyenia heat, had already turned noticeably tanned.

Right now, it's incredibly easy to tell the difference between those with the "Player" status and those without.

Apparently, thanks to our skill, , we never get sunburned no matter how intense the sunlight is.

So, we can live without worrying about skincare, completely free from spots and freckles. Quite convenient.

As I was walking alone toward the studio, suddenly—there she was, swaying, swaying, as if stepping through a shimmering heat haze: a girl walking through the mirage.

"Ohhh... oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...!"

At first glance, she looked like someone dressed as a clown, her face smeared with thick, haphazard white makeup.

From her eyes, nose, and mouth, a single line of red—drawn swiftly, as if with a brush—dripped down her face.

"Ohhh... Ohhh..."

What seems strange is the expression on their face.

She seemed to be laughing, despite her unsteady steps.

No, perhaps one could say that the subtle shading of makeup gives the appearance of a smile.

Aaaaaaah!

A "zombie" dressed in a clown costume.

Grasping the full extent of its existence, I feel a chill run down my spine.

Just dressing up a "zombie" in human-like attire—could it really be this unsettling, so utterly blasphemous?

"T-this... this can't be..."

Normally, I'd have used magic or something to quickly deal with it.

But right now, I'm completely drained of will to fight, utterly overwhelmed by its sheer eeriness.

"Oh... oh... oh..."

Fortunately, since she walks as unsteadily as a typical "zombie," I should be able to get away with just a quick jog.

Of course, I can't completely shake her off—there's no way I'm going to risk endangering anyone else.

And so, at a cautious distance, our early morning stroll began, me and the "zombie" keeping pace.

'Uuuu... u, u, u, u...'

"...Ghost-san, over here..."

There was no doubt that this was some kind of poorly executed prank.

But I couldn't figure out why.

Perhaps around the time this situation had lasted for a good while,

as we slowly approached the "Western Area,"

a woman suddenly appeared, giggling softly.

"Ehehehe... hehehehehe..."

The face of the woman holding a camera was one I recognized.

One of the girls I briefly caught a glimpse of when the missile was sliced in half... her name is Nezu Nanami.

Her nickname here is—shall we say—"Princess of Laughter."

Smirking in perfect keeping with her nickname, Nanami said,

"Hehehe. Got a great expression there. Cut!"

"...What exactly are you trying to do?"

"Hehe. It's a prank, a prank. I just got the scared face of the internet's latest sensation, 'Nameless High School Girl'! Hehehe."

"Huh?"

Seriously?

Even 'Wednesday's Dank Town' wouldn't go this far.

"How was that? Pretty gross, right? We're used to going over the top. Honestly, stuff like this—creepy vibes—actually works better, don't you think?"

I stare at the "zombie" approaching me, my face twisted in disgust.

"Still, that was your doing, wasn't it?"

"Yes.... Took me forever to get the makeup right. Hehehe."

I choose my words carefully, speaking to her as someone older than me,

"Still, imitating something like that... won't you end up turning viewers away?"

"Hmm?"

Even though it's just "zombie," desecrating the dead invites punishment. I think quite a few people feel that way.

Ahahaha

She narrowed her eyes even further, like threads of silk.

You shouldn't take things so seriously. Just ignore people who can't tell a joke. I always do only the most fun things.

Is that really the case?

If I were to become a "zombie," and knew that my body would be treated like this after death, I’d still be deeply unsettled.

I’m sure there are plenty of others who feel the same way.

...That said, if a younger woman pointed this out to me, I wouldn’t think someone like her would honestly listen to what I had to say.

I decided to stop giving any further unnecessary advice,

"Then—since there's nothing more, I'll be going."

"Hey, hey, hey! ……hehehe. I've got something in mind! This scene here is just the opening act! You know, like the hook at the beginning of a video!"

"……hm."

I remember hearing from Asuka and Tsumuri that she's planning a collaboration project with them.

……ugh, I just can't get excited about it.

"Hehehe. My idea is——'Let's Try Exploring a Different World!'"

"A different world?"

"Yeah... You know about the 'infinite spawn' gate of the 'zombies,' right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go through it and explore the world on the other side."

"That sounds... honestly, interesting. But is it safe?"

"Safe? There's plenty of danger, of course. But if you're about the same level as 'Nameless' girl, you should be fine."

Well, admittedly, if you're attacked by a "zombie," you should be fine as long as it doesn't run out of magical energy.

"Then, about the date..."

Just as I was about to ask, that moment came.

『KHAHAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!』

The zombie girl, forced into a clown costume, lunged at us with a grinning mask glued to her face.

"Whoa, dangerous...!"

Saying that, he starts to pull back.

It's alright, it's alright

In an instant, Nanami pulled a furoshiki from her pocket and vanished the zombie from this world without a trace.

It's like a magic show, really.

A crucial collaboration partner. I won't hurt them, ohoho.

"...What are you...?"

Magic tricks. Just simple magic tricks.

Magic tricks... There's no way that could be it.

That was probably some kind of skill or magic.

Something small, smaller than a doll, was squirming and struggling in her hand.

"Meet at Nya-kky's house tomorrow morning at eight. I'll handle the preparations, so—just eat a good meal... and maybe bring some light reading to pass the time. Hehehe."

"Huh..."

"Then it's settled. We'll go with that plan tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Alright, see you tomorrow~♪"

"Yep. See you tomorrow."

With that, Nanami stuffed the furoshiki into her pocket and drifted away from the spot.

Watching her go, I honestly thought to myself:

She's someone I can't catch hold of.