That 304: The Path Leading to Another World

As we walk, the path instantly becomes a sea of crushed flesh, organs, and blood.

"Ahh-hyaa, hyaa, hyaa, hyaa! Splatterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"

Nanami cackles with delight.

"Shut up... and follow me."

Nakkyi Cat, clearly in a bad mood.

Our feet were surrounded by the corpses of zombies whose heads had been meticulously destroyed.

From the looks of it, there were no surviving individuals.

Just—naturally, the stench of blood was overwhelming.

A sharp, raw, and vivid smell filled the underground space densely.

Still, this was apparently considered relatively better.

This is something I once heard from Rika-chan, who said her father was a police officer—apparently, the smell of a truly rotten corpse is "nothing like this."

If zombies emitted odors equivalent to decomposing corpses, we would have gone mad long ago.

Holding my thick mask with one hand, I said,

"Look up at the ceiling... blood is splattered everywhere. Be careful not to let droplets get into your eyes or mouth."

As I warned, Shichirei-chan quickly raised her hand.

"Um... I have everyone's folding umbrellas with me..."

"Huh?"

"Tomaru might... possibly need one..."

Well, that's quite prepared of him.

Nanami-san joined in too, and with the blood-soaked Nyakkyi leading the way, the four of them slowly moved forward, each holding a differently colored umbrella.

Amidst the steady drip, drip of red droplets falling like rain, we moved forward at a leisurely pace, as if strolling through a garden.

Though it was an utterly surreal and ghastly sight, these were survivors of the apocalypse—true强者, each unfazed by the gruesome scene.

After all, if they were shaken by something this minor, the road ahead would be a worrying prospect indeed.

The expedition party then proceeded smoothly along the path leading to the "Door to Another World," without encountering any particular obstacles.

Thanks to closing the various doors we passed along the way, we should have successfully contained most of the "zombies" underground.

"Seriously... Thanks to some idiot who barged in earlier, I'm swamped with extra work."

I ignored Niyaky's grumbling, pretending I didn't hear.

She probably means Aizuki Miyoi when she says "some idiot."

Her actions are honestly... divisive even among us, but at the very least, we can't deny the intention behind them.

Also, most of the chatting during the journey was left to our leader, Nanami.

"By the way, when exactly did the 'Gate to the Other World' appear?"

"I don't know the details, but I think it started right after Phase 3 began."

"…Well, it's amazing there were no casualties."

"It was just the right location. The underground is tightly sealed, and those 'zombies' can't open the door. …Anyway, Nanami should already know that much, right?"

"Hehehe. I hear this footage will be permanently archived as official records, so I'd like to add a few details here and there."

"Hmm."

Nikkky, as she speaks, ruthlessly eradicates the "zombies" with the force of a bulldozer tearing up soil. The scene feels completely like a fan-made, tasteless video.

What makes her so terrifying is how she effortlessly crumples the "zombies" one after another with her bare hands.

Whether it's due to her "fighter" trait or not, occasionally, a "zombie" simply bursts apart with a loud bang after being lightly punched—watching it unfold is strangely surreal.

And then—opening the door closest to the "Door of the Otherworld," we mercilessly obliterated the swarm of "zombies" that burst out with a loud "Wah!" using the famous Nya-kii Punch.

As we struggled through the narrow corridor with barely any room to step, we finally, with great relief, reached the "Door of the Otherworld."

▼

"Well then, I'm heading back now... uh... I guess."

Turning his back, Nya-kii said.

"Hey, you're leaving already?"

"……. I was only asked to guide you this far, by Reika."

"I see."

With her zombie-eliminating power, we could've made things a lot easier ahead... Well, no use crying over spilt milk.

We each exchanged our thanks, then watched her go.

"Hey, Nya-kii?"

"Hmm?"

"Smash Bros. You promised, remember?"

"…………Yeah."

"I'll show you my Kirby moves someday."

"Kirby on the DS is a weak character, you know."

"Wha—?"

"Didn't even know that? You might not even make it as a Shōbu."

"Guh..."

She muttered that and walked away.

...She could've at least made an effort to be a little more like the original Nya-kii Cat, couldn't she?

The rain stopped, and the four of us folded up our umbrellas.

▼

"The Gate to Another World."

It looked like a gaping hole carved into the wall.

Or perhaps it's more like a large full-length mirror.

It's about two meters tall and roughly one meter wide—slightly larger than the ones I've seen before.

At its edges, there's a section that looks like a wooden frame, strongly reinforcing the image of a mirror. Or maybe like a door whose frame remains but the panel has been removed...

"Whoa. From here, into another world..."

"Wait—didn't you say 'Nameless' had seen something like this before?"

And then, Ran-chan, the "Guardian."

"No, I haven't really looked at it this closely before... For example, if we carved away this wooden part, would the gate close?"

"We've already tested that ourselves. It seems this section is just decorative. Breaking it won't affect the 'door' itself."

"Huh... just decoration..."

"If there's a way to close the 'gate,' then Toru's 'Light Magic X' would probably be the only option... Or perhaps even 'Nameless' san's 'Ultimate Sword X'—if we're just trying to close it, it might work too."

"You think so?"

"Yes. I saw the video of 'Nameless' san cutting through a missile. Maybe techniques perfected to the level of 'X' can actually affect the other world."

That said... I didn't bring my sword today, after all.

Besides, our goal isn't to destroy this "door" in the first place.

"Namimi-san"

"Hm?"

"By the way, Namimi-san, have you ever actually gone through this 'door' on the other side?"

"Hehehe. No, I haven't....I just want to keep that first impression fresh, you know~"

I see.

I recently had a similar experience—being betrayed by someone who sounded just like a friend.

"Mayoi-san"

"Hm?"

"Actually, now that I think about it... why did you come here, Mayoi-san?"

Quick, quick, quick! You're saying that now? Of course, it's to bring information from the other side back to Lady Reika♪

Then, don't you have Nanami's video?

Then I might get lied to, you know?

"Lies...?"

For example, those "achievement reward items" you can get over there. It'd be tough if they were hoarded all to yourself, wouldn't it?

I see...

That means...

Nanami and Mayi aren't truly comrades, after all.

Hmm.

I've received various lectures from Asaka, but I still haven't fully grasped the power dynamics within the "Imaginary Kingdom."

First and foremost, at the peak of the "Imaginary Kingdom" stands the Queen—Shizukawa Reika.

And guarding her is Mayi and the others—the "Immortal Squad."

And on the surface, while appearing friendly with Reika, there are influential figures aiming to take her down—such as Nanami and Hakka, along with the other "Princesses," among others.

Meanwhile, the "Guardians" are maintaining a neutral stance for now, in order to foster good relations between the "Kingdom" and the "Central Office."

That's pretty much the general situation.

Come to think of it, this entire group consists of individuals each driven by their own separate agendas.

Nodding along silently to myself,

"Then, uh... everyone seems to be about ready to go."

The "laughing princess" spoke up.

"Hehehe... Well then, shall we finally set off? On our otherworld expedition."