That 385: Hundred-Man Strength

After checking the remaining time (about thirty-five minutes left), I was munching on a nice stick while simultaneously recovering my magic power, when—

"…What, seriously? Right in the middle of relaxing, *Fiaa Ball*!"

A modestly thrown fireball soared toward me.

To be honest, I’d already noticed her a little while ago, so I just hopped sideways and easily dodged it.

Looking at her, "Playboy" Nana Natsuomi appeared, looking lively again after several days.

She still had her thin, narrow eyes angrily twitching,

"Hey, hey, hee-hee! Hey! 'Nameless'! You can't just go off and have fun without me! Invite me!"

"I can't just say... "

It had been her sudden move all along.

You're my friend, so I'm not holding back! That means I'm getting ten thousand! *Pee-ri-ka pee-ri-ra-ra...*

At the same time, I quickly close in with bread tucked under my arm and cover her lips with both hands.

"Mmmph!"

"Sorry. I'm begging you—please spare me the mystery stuff."

Wait, wasn't that spell just randomly cast a moment ago? That was risky.

"Mmm, mmm..."

"I'm being serious right now... This isn't something I'm just playing around with."

And so, he explained the situation in detail.

To his surprise, Nanami instantly flipped her attitude and said,

"Ah, so that's what you were up to—trying to give Reika a piece of your mind, huh? That's why that woman made such a dramatic announcement... Typical of her."

"Yes."

"Well then, I'll help you out too."

Truly, she understood quickly.

"There's a dedicated line between princesses, so I'll contact Kazuha and Mizuki right away. Probably just that alone will be enough to keep the two of them from interfering."

"Thank you."

"You're close with Tora-chan and Hakka's side anyway, so no need to contact them."

"Indeed."

At least with those two, we won't have to worry about them turning against us.

"Then, that leaves only the 'Immortal Squad' as the remaining obstacle."

"The Immortal Squad." Sayuri-chan and Mayi-san.

"Are there any other strong 'players' in the 'Immortal Squad'?"

"Well, if you ask me, they're all just weaklings."

Nanami proudly declares with a grin.

"I don't know how it'd go in a straight-up fight, but in my case, if I team up with the 'Gambler,' I can fully utilize the 'Mystery' type....And I've even made a pact with Tora-chan—just in case things go south, we'll join forces."

Hmm...

Well, she does seem to have a remarkably good compatibility with the "Gambler" lady. If they're attacking a fortress together, their combined abilities might be nearly invincible.

That said, there is a Soul Restoration Machine in the castle, so you can't go too far off the rails.

"I get it....Besides, if you go making a fool of yourself like that, it'll ruin the whole 'game' the other side went through to get here. To enter the castle, you should just head straight for the main gate. It's like following the path of an old attraction that's been closed down, known as the Mystery Tour. You've heard of it, right?"

The Mystery Tour, huh?

I think that was an attraction that stopped operating around when I was in elementary school.

Apparently, there was a villain known as the "King of the Dead" who took over the castle, and guests had to obtain the "Sword of Light" and use it to defeat him... something like that.

"Would flying through the sky really fast be too unrealistic?"

"I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it'd probably take longer that way."

"Wait, what?"

"Rika's room is easiest to reach from the staff entrance near the climax attraction—the throne of the 'King of the Dead.' There's also a VIP room on the castle's terrace, which technically counts as her room too—"

Nanami made a slightly bitter face at that moment,

"Since that one botched an assassination attempt once, she's been avoiding staying there as much as possible."

Oh my.

That girl, even here she manages to cause trouble.

"Listen, 'Nameless.' This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She rarely ever exposes herself like this, so don't miss it."

...Hmm.

But then, one question arises.

"Shizukawa Reika, why did you invite me to this game?"

"Well, she sometimes randomly organizes events like this. Probably just jealous of you—after that missile incident last time, you've been getting all the attention, right?"

"I didn't see it that way."

"She's just putting on a show. She's good at that. But inside, she's boiling over with envy toward others."

Being the center of attention is just a burden to me... I guess some people actually like it, though.

"Well, alright....Saya-chan and Mayi are more like allies, so the remaining obstacles have pretty much vanished, right?"

"No, not really. We'll probably end up clashing with those two."

"Wait, really...? Do you think so?"

"Yeah. They've got their own bond, after all. No matter how close you two are, they won't let you roam freely in the castle like it's nothing."

"Hmm..."

Then,

"Even so, —"

Tenchō Tsumuri interjected.

Incidentally, he was the one who had dragged in the unrelated Yagi Mariri earlier.

Perhaps because of that, his expression had grown slightly more solemn now,

"Even so, we're three against one. If we all attack together, the enemy shouldn't be a problem."

"That's true, but... um... I'm sorry, but if it comes down to a real fight, I'd really rather not get too close to the front line this time..."

"Why is that?"

"Well... um... I mean..."

She seemed really hesitant, glancing at me with her eyes.

That was all I needed—ah, I see, I understood immediately.

I've heard from Ayumi. She's pregnant.

Given how things are now, she was unsure whether or not she could properly raise a child... but judging by this expression, she's made up her mind.

She's going to have the baby.

Then I patted Sotatsu on the shoulder and said,

"Then, Nanami-san, you'll be assisting us here, strictly speaking."

"B-but..."

I understand how he feels.

Knowing that his loved one might return today, he probably wants as many allies as possible, as soon as possible.

I gave a determined nod.

"Relax. I'll do the work of a hundred people."