"Members of the Far-East Magical Napping Society, let me begin, by saying that I am incredibly proud of the work that each and every one of you has put into preparing for the upcoming battle," Dekomori said from atop the wooden crate she had brought into the clubroom. "Today we enter the battlefield as proud warriors of magic! Some of us may not survive, but we will all be heroes!"
"Uh, what are you doing, exactly?" Isshiki said.
"Why, I'm giving an inspiring speech to rally our troops and lift their spirits!" Dekomori said. "As second-in-command of this club, it's my responsibility to take over leadership roles while my master is doing her test! And right now, that consists of riling us up for a death march! Speaking of which, when we see Sheeptar the Sheep King today, our destiny begins! Let us make that destiny one that shall forever establish our club as the greatest band of heroes to ever live! We will claim victory, with the power of friendship, courage, incredible amounts of fantasy violence, and love! Who is with me?"
"Huzzah!" Kumin raised her first energetically.
"Isn't this a bit much?" said Isshiki.
"Why do you saw that?"
"Well…"
Isshiki looked around. Between Dekomori on the crate, him with the sunlight from a nearby window glinting off of his head, and Kumin cheerfully standing next to him…
"There's three of us in total."
"We are few, but we are mighty, merry, and wearing tights!" Dekomori indicated to her stockings.
"But Isshiki doesn't have any tights," said Kumin.
"H-hey!" said Isshiki. "Men aren't supposed to wear tights anyway…"
"We advocate for true gender equality, Isshiki," Dekomori declared. "And besides, tights are cool! But with that out of the way, let us embark! Chimera!
Chimera mewed while she slumbered on the floor of the clubroom. Begrudgingly, she crawled over to the magic circle as Dekomori quickly flicked on the lights.
"Here we go!" Dekomori raised her fist. "Club Members, advance!"
"Right!"
Dekomori was the first to dive into the circle, followed shortly by Kumin while Isshiki trailed behind her. The two girls calmly glided through the portal, while Isshiki was letting out screeches in shock and surprise at every turn or flash of color.
Meanwhile, Rikka and Yuuta were sitting in class while the test was being handed out. They locked eyes for a brief moment and nodded to each other in silent agreement. Preparation and studying were over. Now, it was time for the real deal.
"Reality be rent," Rikka muttered under her breath, but it was loud enough that Yuuta could hear.
"Huh, what are you-"
"Synapses shattered. Banishment, from this world!"
"So, this is another world…" Isshiki looked about the glorious terrain around him. "This is so cool! Just like mangas-"
"Shush!" Dekomori raised a finger and summoned her hammer. "We must be ready; Sheeptar will be here any second now."
"Wait, why are you the only one who has a weapon? I want a weapon!" said Kumin.
"I don't know, try and summon one out of thin air or something!" said Dekomori. "Do you seriously still think all of this is a dream?"
"Of course it is!" said Kumin, letting out a slight giggle. "You're so silly, dream Dekomori. I fall asleep in the clubroom all the time and then dream about going on magical adventures with all of you!"
"Figures," Dekomori let out a sigh.
The three of them were standing in the middle of the same grazing field as before, as the night sky hung above them.
'So, as soon as he gets here, we're gonna put him in the Overlap thing?" said Isshiki.
"Correct," said Dekomori. "That way, he won't be able to cause any more damage unless he manages to beat us"
"Okay…" Isshiki gulped. "So, what's the plan?"
"You see, it's-" Dekomori trailed off. All of a sudden, a reddish tinge overtook the inky night. "He's coming. Get ready,"
From behind a large hill, came a loud thumping noise as four massive feet struck the ground, leaving indentations in the grass. Emerging from the side was a gigantic, enormous… head of a sheep.
Believe it not, a standard-issue white-faced sheep was what revealed itself to the three heroes. Well, except for the fact that it was easily the size of a small mountain. Its beady yellow eyes locked in with the three of them before it let out an enormous booming roar. Well, bleat was a more accurate description.
"EEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!"
"Oh my gosh!" said Isshiki. "Ah… Ah…"
"Reality be rent, Synapses shattered, banishment from this world!" Dekomori said quickly. At once, the background faded into a bluish cave-like environment. The Mjolnir Hammer donned her golden armor and raised her weapon.
"The overlap can change the environment as well too?" Kumin surveyed the cavern that the group now stood in, with droplets falling from stalactites to stalagmites. "Huh, I was wondering what all those odd visuals were…"
"You get a cool suit of armor too?" Isshiki said. "That seems kinda unfair given Kumin and I are still in fabric uniforms!"
"Get yourself a magical weapon, then we'll talk about armor," said Dekomori. "Now, you're probably wondering why you're not as scared as you would normally be."
"Huh?" Isshiki said. He then noticed that despite the towering wooly colossus in front of him, he did not feel overwhelmed in the slightest, as if one were looking at a mountain that one did not intend to climb, despite both of those factors being false.
"Your magical half is maintaining your mental state. Since this is your first time, the impact will likely be heavy on your human form, once we leave the overlap," Dekomori said. "Ah, speaking of impact, look out!"
Sheeptar the Sheep King let out another bleat as it charged straight towards them.
"Gah!" said Isshiki. "What's the plan?"
"Behold, the masterful genius of the Mjolnir Hammer's tactical mind!" she shouted. "Now soldiers! Group up, and hit it till it dies!"
"…Come on! That reference is way too old for this day and age!"
"Wait, you actually get that?" said the Mjolnir Hammer.
"Well duh, who hasn't seen-"
He barely got another word out when Sheeptar's mighty jaws closed around him. Kumin and Dekomori watched in shock as Isshiki was pulled into the monster's mouth like a piece of bacon. He didn't even scream before he was gone. Sheeptar then gulped, a lump visably moving down his throat before he turned his beady eyes on the two remaining heroes.
Kumin and the Mjolnir Hammer exchanged glances at one another.
"...Run,"
This problem… is of no consequence! Rikka thought to herself as she entered the answer. So far, her training was paying off and she was able to answer most of the questions with confidence.
Yuuta… he helped me get this far. Perhaps… perhaps he truly is the key to unlocking my ultimate power! I shall have to check using my Wicked Eye later. For now, let us move to the next page…
The moment Rikka flipped open the paper, she felt a coldness grasp her neck.
No… no… this can't be! It's impossible!
The question read "Solve the matrix Equation if A is 6, 7, 8, 2 and B is 77. Show ALL your work."
Matrix… this term wasn't mentioned in the textbook. What do I do? I have no idea what a matrix is! Wait a minute… matrix… the same name as my favorite movie! Perhaps if I apply the same skills as Neo, I might be able to defeat this intimidating enemy! My friends are counting on me…
"Program, Override-"
"Please silence yourself, Miss Takanashi," said the teacher. Rikka gulped.
"Y-yes sir, sorry sir," she said.
Crap, I can't use any incantations here! This enemy is even more powerful than I predicted! Of course… my Wicked Eye is weak against math!
Just as Rikka's pounding heart rate was about to reach its limit, she felt something smack against her cheek.
Ow! Huh? It was a piece of paper folded and launched with a rubber band. Curiously, she picked it up and unfolded it.
"Dear Rikka Wicked Eye. I believe in you. I don't say this too often, but I truly do value the friendship that I have with you, and the rest of the club that we created together. And I hereby depart you with one final teaching. Harness the power of that friendship, and show that math problem who's boss!
Signed, Yuuta Dark Flame Master."
Woah, what's this incredible power I feel? Yuuta… has he tapped into his source of unlimited power contained within the Black Flame Dragon? No… this is more… this is from… a human source?
I need not question it now, this power will give me the strength I need! Behold, the power of friendship!
Rikka locked determined eyes onto her test and started writing like there was no tomorrow. Meanwhile, Yuuta let out a sigh of relief.
Thank heavens. He thought. The power of friendship? I can't believe that actually worked on her. Then again, I guess humans have their advantages. Oh jeez, I'm starting to talk like her in her weird, unusual, quirky, adorable… hey! Oh jeez, what's going on with me today? I'm so worried about Rikka that I can't focus on my test. And why do I get the weird feeling that Dark Flame Master has something to do with this! Hmm, I'll have to talk to her about that later. Anyone, hopefully, the others should be doing fine…
"This is not fine, this is not fine at all!" the Mjolnir Hammer exclaimed as she and Kumin continued to run away from Sheeptar the Sheep King.
"Poor Isshiki!" Kumin exclaimed. "I don't like this dream at all!"
"Ugh! Could you stop being a human already? It's getting very-"
Just then, a white wooly mass whizzed right past them and started galloping up the stone walls vertically like a dog climbing a tree.
"What the heck-?"
Sheeptar roared as his jaw lowered, before a deluge of steaming purple liquid blasted at the two adventurers.
"It's magical acid, run!" Dekomori shouted as she and Kumin ran in opposite direction to avoid the blast.
"What kind of sheep is this thing?" said Kumin. "Some kind of fluffy xenomorph?"
"You've seen it too?"
"Well yeah, who doesn't watch that internet series?"
Sheeptar roared once more, but froze for a moment as a fleshy dark figure slowly emerged from his throat. He closed his mouth on reflex, but his jaw was suddenly wrenched open from the inside, revealing their companion's face.
"Isshiki?" said Kumin.
The boy scrambled out of the sheep's mouth jsut moments before Sheeptar closed shut his jaws again, but it was enough time for Isshiki to climb on top of his head.
"Ugh, this smells like ass!" he screamed in anger. "Hey girls! I'm okay!"
"His endurance… it's on another level!" said the Mjolnir Hammer.
"TAKE THIS YOU OVERSIZED COUCH CUSHION!" Isshiki wasted no time, and he used his hands to pin Sheeptar's eyes shut. The giant sheep roared and started to spray out more acid aimlessly, nowhere near the two girls.
"He's giving us an opening! Attack!" the Mjolnir Hammer summoned her hammer and charged forwards. "Mjolnir Lunatic Crusher!"
"Wait, don't!" Isshiki raised an arm in protest when he saw her angle of attack, but it was too late.
The Mjolnir Hammer succeeded in smashing her weapon into the side of Sheeptar's face. However, she failed to avoid smacking Isshiki off of him, sending the boy flying through a hole in the cave ceiling into the night sky.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH-"
"Isshiki! Not again!" Kumin exclaimed. As the sounds of Isshiki's voice died down, again he was gone.
"I'm not done yet, Mjolnir Tornado!" the Mjolnir Hammer swung again and agai,n battering Sheeptar's face against her hammer. But soon, the giant ovine recovered and blasted her full-on with a load of purple acid.
The Mjolnir Hammer let out a scream as the burning sensation engulfed every inch of her body, even her eyes were set aflame with agony. When it ended just a few moments later, she could not see anything but a burning mass of purple and red, while she felt herself beginning to fall, with no more momentum for her to land with or hammer to use as a counterweight.
"Deko-chan, no!" Kumin shouted. "I wish… I wish that you would stop falling!"
All of a sudden, the entire world was filled with silence. Despite the raging battle, it would've been possible to hear a pin drop. Kumin opened her eyes and watched in amazement. Sheeptar the Sheep King who was just about to finish off her friend, silently stood in place, frozen in time. Dekomori was suspended midair, like a video that had been paused.
"What's going on?" Kumin spoke aloud. "Wait, I have an idea!"
When the Mjolnir Hammer finally hit the ground, instead of a hard stone floor, she was enveloped in the soft embrace of a mountain of pillows.
"What the…" she looked around, finding her predicament both bizarre and amusing.
"I did it!" said Kumin. "Wow, I'm really lucid in this dream! Huh, but I don't seem to be waking up. Maybe I just need some more sleep…"
Sheeptar continued to advance, but just before he could bite on the Mjolnir Hammer, something crashed into the side of his face. It was huge and sphereical, and completely covered in burning mass, like a fireball of heat, except it glowed pure white like a pearl near a heavy-duty flashlight.
"Huh? A stray fireball?" said the Mjolnir Hammer.
"No… that's…" Kumin said.
The mysterious glowing object floated down to the ground, revealing for the second time a familiar figure.
"No way... Isshiki?"
"What the heck…?" he said, grunting as he slowly stood up. "What just happened?"
Held against Isshiki's chest was a smaller version of the fireball he had arrived in, also glowing with glorious white light.
"No way… he's carrying the soul of a newborn star!" the Mjolnir Hammer said. "Oh, he must've collided with it when he was launched out of the cave… wait that's it! Combine it with your guitar and make a weapon!"
"Huh?" said Isshiki. "Oh right, I forgot about this!'
He unstrapped the damaged guitar from behind his back and smushed the glowing ball into the center. At once, the instrument started to take on the star's glow and it shimmered while it began to transform.
The guitar's neck separated from its body. The long sharp upper half stretched and thinned even further, before flying into Isshiki's hand in the form of a powerful-looking spear tipped with a star shape. Meanwhile, the lower half morphed its shape into a brilliant silver shield in the shape of a six-pointed star.
"A spear and a shield! The perfect weapon combination for offense and defense!' the Mjolnir Hammer proclaimed.
"Woah, this is so cool…"
But Sheeptar had already recovered and reared back for another acid attack.
"Uh-oh! Run away-"
Isshiki did nothing as he simply raised his shield. The moment the scalding hot attack made contact, it splashed and immediately deflected to every side except towards Isshiki and the other two. Confused, Sheeptar lowered his mouth to bite him, but he responded with a single powerful thrust of his spear.
"Wow, he's unstoppable!' said Kumin.
"Uh… I appreciate the compliment, but he's not getting any more dead!" said Isshiki.
"Oh, right!' the Mjolnir Hammer snapped herself out of her stupor. "Attack… again!"
She and Kumin charged in. The Mjolnir Hammer leaped into the air, her hammer raised.
"One more time! Lunatic Mjolnir Crusher!" the Mjolnir Hammer said. Sheeptar screamed as his head was crushed by her almighty blow. Blood started to leak from Sheeptar's nose, and his mouth was drooling with exhaustion. the Mjolnir Hammer followed up with two more powerful strikes. Meanwhile, Isshiki's poking and blocking rendered the Sheep King unable to deal with the Mjolnir Hammer's rushdown. It was only a few more attacks later when he collapsed onto his wooly stomach, letting out pained groans while the Mjolnir Hammer gracefully landed. She turned to face Isshiki.
"Strike the killing blow yourself, comrade," the Mjolnir Hammer said. "You've earned it."
"Gee, uh… thanks," Isshiki cleared his throat. "In fact, I can already guess what my attack is going to be. Behold, my new power: Cosmic Drive Spear!"
Isshiki's spear glowed white-hot as he lunged forward, impaling Sheeptar's face and finishing off the demon. He grinned triumphantly for a brief moment before the remains of the Sheep King began to swell.
"Huh?"
"It's going to explode! Run… again!"
Kumin and the Mjolnir Hammer scrambled as fast as their legs could carry them, but Isshiki wasn't so lucky, unaccustomed to the weight of his spear and shield.
KABOOM!
"So, let me get this straight," Yuuta said as Dekomori and Kumin sat in the midst of the vast grazing field. "You took down Sheeptar the Sheep King… all by yourselves?"
"Indeed!" Dekomori put her fist to her chest. "With the combined power of the Mjolnir Hammer and Isshiki's newly awakened powers, we brought Sheeptar's death upon us with relative ease!"
"...I am incredibly impressed, my apprentice," Rikka said. Then, all of a sudden, she began to laugh. Not a cackle, snortle, or mocking, but a genuinely sweet bout of blissful laughter. Everyone watched in shock as the Eye of the Wicked Lord continued to let out a feminine guffaw.
"W-what is this?" Dekomori said. "Some kind of ancient curse?'
"N-no, nothing like that!" Rikka said, in between fits of laughter. "I just think it's kinda silly how we were all gung-ho about the sheep but you two took care of it no problem! Great job!"
Dekomori, Nibutani, and Yuuta gasped simultaneously.
"Rikka, you're…" said Yuuta
"Talking like a human!" Dekomori said.
"Eh?" Rikka blinked. Then her face suddenly went pale. "Ack! What's happening to me? Could it be… I actually am turning into one?"
Two thoughts ran through Yuuta's mind. The second thought was that Rikka seemed to have a serious case of anthropophobia that may be causing her anxiety, and thus acting like a human was something she despised. The first thought was how cute she looked while she was talking like a human.
"Well…" Yuuta thought of something to say. "I think you have a cute laugh. You shouldn't force yourself to act in a way that doesn't feel comfortable to you. After all, I sometimes act more like a human, and other times like a Nemah. It's really not a bad thing."
"You… think I sound… cute?" said Rikka.
Crap! It slipped out!
Just then, Nibutani gracefully floated from above atop a cloud of golden fairies.
"Well this was a waste of time and energy! Can't believe I got dragged to this stupid alternate world anyway," she said, frowning.
"So, is that it?" said Yuuta. "Are we all done here?"
"Actually, there is One more thing," Rikka walked over to Isshiki, his clothes scratched and burned, but still holding to his body crumpled on the ground. "You have proven yourself worthy of joining the Far East Magical Napping society."
"Really?" Isshiki locked eyes with her as he slowly got up. "Alright! Ow!"
He winced and rubbed his thigh.
"Since when was this a test?" said Dekomori.
"Isshiki has powers?" Yuuta's eyes widened.
"Now it is time for you to pick your True Name," said Rikka. "I suggest that you base it on your weapon,"
Isshiki looked at his spear, the seven-pointed star at the end sticking out in all directions, still shining brightly despite no direct sunlight. He looked at his buckler, depicting an arrangement of stars in the shape of a shield.
"I think I want it to be…" he thought for a moment. "The Celestial Centurion."
"Woah, that sounds really cool!" Dekomori's eyes lit up. "Good choice!"
"Then, by the power vested in me by the Wicked Lords before me, I hereby welcome the Celestial Centurion to the Far-East Magical Napping club as a permanent member!"
"You mean I get to stick around? Awesome! This is the best day ever!" Isshiki excitedly leaped in the air when a pain shot right up his spine. "OWCH!"
"Uh, Nibutani? Do you mind, cause we could really use some-I mean… a-hem. Mori Summer, your healing magic is currently required." Rikka stopped her human tongue.
"Healing? Oh right, I have those," Nibutani blinked. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and reached out her hands. "Gift of Sana!"
All of a sudden, the wounds and scratches on Isshiki's body vanished in an instant as wisps of white magic swirled around him.
"Well, would you look at that? I feel better now!" Isshiki. "Thanks Nibutani!"
"Don't mention it," Nibutani said. Then her eyes suddenly widened. "Hey… does this mean I get to decide who lives and who dies?"
"Uh… technically?" said Rikka.
Nibutani grinned maliciously.
"Fairies, let us learn some more healing spells. Come along,"
"Yes, Mori Summer!" the chorus of fairies chirped as Nibutani rose into the sky once again.
"Sheesh, pretentious much?" Dekomori said once she was out of earshot.
"I guess that's just how she likes to use her powers," Isshiki shrugged. "So… what do we do now?"
"Ah, yes," Rikka said. She took a deep breath before stretching out her arm. "Arcane Distortion!"
A massive shockwave of blue magic rings emanated out from her palm. Yuuta could feel them whizz around his spine as they extended in every direction.
"I see. The Exalthumanemah is not in this world. I suppose we shall have to leave."
"Well, that sucks," said Yuuta. "How many other worlds do we need to search?"
"Potentially infinite."
"Really, I think we could get that done by-WAIT WHAAAAAAAT?" he said, his eyes going wide.
"Yuuta, the multiverse exists in many more than three dimensions. There's no telling how many other worlds there are adjacent to ours. The Bureau could've hidden the Exalthumanemah in any one of them." Rikka said.
"I see your point," Yuuta let out a sigh. "So, you've been hopping from world to world looking for this thinig for… how long?"
"About four years."
"Seriously?!" Yuuta said.
"But don't worry. With the club by my side, we'll be able to search for it at ten times the speed," Rikka said. Then she turned and flashed him a smile. "Especially now that the Dark Flame Master himself is here to help me."
"Oh jeez, don't flatter me too much-"
"IT'S A MIRACLE!"
The group all turned to see the pale face of Shenton, as he rested his knees.
"You did it! I don't believe it, but you did it! Sheeptar the Sheep King has been slain! The flocks are safe! I… cannot express how thankful I am! Please come to my village, and we'll throw a feast in your honor!"
"A feast?" said Yuuta. "Well, I haven't eaten yet today-I mean… a-hem. Thank you, it would be our honor to share a drink with you."
"A gift… yes, I should prepare a gift!" Shenton clicked his fingers. "Come with me! The village will be so happy to hear of Sheeptar's defeat! Don't bother with the carcass, we'll carry it back over the next few days…"
"Oh please, I insist!" Dekomori casually skipped over before grasping the gigantic lifeless remains of Sheeptar by the wooly coat, digging her feet into the ground, and lifting it over her head with just two hands.
"Incredible!" Shenton said, before bowing repeatedly. "The Great Ovines have smiled upon us by sending you all here!"
Shenton lead the group over the many hills of the world before they finally arrived at a small village tucked away between two mountains. It was a quaint little place with several houses, each connected to a pen full of sheep. Shenton immediately ran to the center of town, where two large metal poles suspending a massive golden bell up in the air. He reached out his shepherd's stick and attached it to a matching hook on a long rope connected to the side of the bell. With a great motion, Shenton swung the bell back forth, and loud clanging noises filled the night. Before long, several sleepy-looking and rather grumpy villagers emerged from their homes to check out the commotion.
Their expressions changed immediately when they saw Sheeptar's carcass, ranging from shock, awe, and amazement.
"Everyone, listen here! The beast that has plagued our flocks for weeks has finally been vanquished! These kind travelers have slain Sheeptar the Sheep King! And now we shall have peace! Let us celebrate the names of our saviors, whom are…"
Shenton froze mid-sentence and slowly turned to Rikka and friends.
"Erm… forgive me, but it would seem that I forgot to ask your name," he said.
"No need to apologize," Rikka said. "We prefer self-introduction anyway."
Shenton walked away as Rikka took center stage, hopping atop a conveniently placed soapbox.
"I am the 95th holding of the Eye of the Wicked Lord! The one who wields the almighty Konigin der Nacht, one of the last surviving members of the dark Nemah, Master of the abjuration arcane, and leader of our band. Member #1, Rikka Takanashi!" she said. She proceeded to strike several consecutive poses as she recited her introduction.
"I am the forever servent of the Wicked Lords and pupil to the glorious Mori Summer. As the wielder of the Mjolnir Hammer, I will forever bring death upon enemies with zero relenting while I relay the teachings of peace and love to all universes! Member #2, Senae Dekomori!"
"The scholar of sleep, the duchess of dreams, and the night siesta of horror! I bring upon the gift of glorious rest upon a tired overworking world! Member #3, Kumin Tsuyuri!"
Nibutani took a deep breath before starting her introduction.
"Formally the Great Mori Summer, I command the legions of fairies to shape the world as I see fit! Through my presidential ability, I will create a paradise for humanity, while bringing forgiveness to the sinful and freedom to the enslaved, giving out blessings of Light as one of the last remaining Exalt! Member #4, Nibutani Shinka!"
"A former nobody who was endowed with the power of the stars, I am known as the Celestial Centurion, a guardian against all the is evil, who shields the innocent with the gentle starlight while judging the guilty with the piercing end of my spear, and who dealt the finishing blow to Sheeptar the Sheep King! Member #5, Makoto Isshiki!"
Seriously? For goodness sake… fine! Dark Flame Master, you can take over.
"Mwahahaha! I am a legendary warlock who combines magic with machines into an arsenal of burning flames, fueled by the power of the devastating Black Flame Dragon that resides in my arm. I, the Dark Flame Master, will forever assist the Wicked Eye in her virtuous quest! Member #0, Yuuta Togashi!"
"And together we are…" Rikka shouted. All six of them leaped into the center before posing simultaneously into a structure-like formation.
"The Far-East Magical Napping Society!"
The six heroes froze in their pose, as an eerie silence filled the air. Yuuta wasn't sure what to do next.
Shenton's voice broke the silence.
"Let us celebrate our saviors, the Far-East Magical Napping Society!" his voice carried through the air as crisp as a fall breeze. A loud cheer came from the crowd of townspeople and the club members beamed with pride.
"Oh jeez, I can't believe they actually liked that…" Rikka flushed slightly. Then she slapped herself together. "Ack! Pull yourself together! Darkness, blacker than black, combine with my deep-"
Yuuta rolled his eyes. Without a doubt, Rikka was cute as both a shy human or a melodramatic Nemah. He then noticed how easy it had been to think that.
And so, the village threw together a party for their heroes. With all of them working together in surprising unision, and the fact that they didn't have anything complicated to set up, it took hardly any long. The cooks immediately started carving up the remains of Sheeptar the Sheep King, and weavers began harvesting his massively wooly coat. Before long, an incredible feast was put forth in front of the club members, made mostly of out of mutton and lamb, with a few vegetable dishes sprinkled in between.
Without much a reason to deny their rather immense gratitute, Yuuta and friends ate happily among the villagers. Dekomori tried to snag a drink of alchohol, but Nibutani stopped her quickly. Countless numbers of people, adults and children included, had come up to thank the club personally, especialy Isshiki whom Dekomori and Kumin agreed had made the most difference. Yuuta was surprised at how calm Rikka was, accepting greetings and smiling all the time. It was then that it occured to him that Rikka must've been doing this sort of thing for years with how much dimensional hopping she did. That didn't make her any less charming, with a sparkle in her eye as she recounted one of her battles to a small child.
It was fun, spending time with these villagers. While they were completely different in terms of culture, they had a certain… rustic charm about them. Perhaps being isolated alongside nothing but sheep in this mountain range for who knows how long had humbled them.
After the feast was over, a few of the more wiry villagers had gathered instruments, and before long the town square had become a large dirt-covered dance floor. Yuuta couldn't recognize any particular style of dancing but it wasn't long before Dekomori was tearing it up alongside them. Kumin had simply shrugged and joined her in, and it wasn't long before Isshiki and Nibutani followed. Yuuta was about to join them when he felt something grasp his hand.
"Eh?" He looked down and saw Yuuta grasping his palm in hers, as she looked away.
"Um… Yuuta?" she said. Upon closer inspection, she was eyeing a couple sharing a romantic dance with each other. "I would like to… That is to say I… um…"
It was too cute, watching her fumble over her words. Yuuta was really starting to like this human side of her especially, but having her hand in his almost overwhelmed his senses. He could barely form any words in his head other than the passioante feelings he had been repressing. Something about this moment felt… so nice.
Eventually, Yuuta couldn't bare the anticipation any longer. He decided he'd regret doing nothing more than he would anything else right now.
"Do you want to dance with me?"
"Eh?!" Rikka blushed bright red. "That's not… I mean…"
She slapped herself in the face and took a deep breath.
"The Eye of the Wicked Lord humbly accepts your invitation to a ritualistic ascention of harmony, Dark Flame Master."
Somehow, Yuuta knew that meant yes.
Rikka's movements were rigid at first; it was obvious this was her first time dancing with another. The third time one of them had stepped on the other's foot, she started to speak again.
"I'm sorry, I'm… inexperienced."
"So am I," Yuuta smiled. "We don't have any rules to follow here. Let's just have fun."
"Then, if that's the case…" a smile began to form on Rikka's face finally. She briefly let go of one of his hands to raise an open palm to the sky "Dance of Divination!"
All of a sudden, a large magic circle appeared underneath their feet. A few confused dancers took a step back.
Yuuta and Rikka briefly seperated, as she proceded to do a perfect arial piroette and landing, at the same her clothes magically changed into her gothic victorian dress.
"Woah, what the…? Yuuta stepped back as an exact duplicate of himself leaped out of thin air before vanishing.
"It's temporal dancing!" Rikka said as she gracefully manuevered her arms like serpants, before promptly stepping back quickly, dissapearing as she did so. Yuuta stood there confused when she reapeared, pulling him into a twirl. "We can dance not just through space, but through the time that occurs inside this circle! Is… is this too strange for you?"
"Huh, never thought I'd hear you say that before." Yuuta chuckled lightly. Now here's another question. Where was all of this newfound confidence coming from? "I'm learning all kinds of things about you, lately. But, this actually looks kinda fun!"
Rikka beamed and took his hands in hers.
What followed could only be described as… magical. No, not the kind of magical in the sense of summoning fireballs or seeing the future. The kind of magic that didn't need any kind of casting ritual or incantation, because there was already a spell laid upon the two of them, as they performed an elegent series of motions, ranging from a classical waltz to a sequence of dramatic poses, to an exotic shuffle, to a hedonistic disco drive, to all sorts of jives. And the temporal element turned the unearthly feeling up to eleven, as they danced past the future, present, and past, more versions of each other dancing past them, but the two of them only had eyes on each other. Before long, the entire town had began watching their performance, even though they hadn't planned on showing off. Somehow, when the two of them let go of everything in that moment, they were beyond comparison to the greatest dancers on Earth. As the song, ended, Rikka unexpectantly whipped out her umbrella, opened it above their heads as she grasped Yuuta's hand, and the magic circle disappeared, before the two of them were suddenly lifted up into the air, her umbrella pulling them upwards by their arms. Yet, it didn't hurt, as they gracefully sailed into the air. Yuuta had no words for the situation, all he wanted to do was to stare into Rikka's eyes, wicked or otherwise.
Luckily, the townspeople were then distracted by Dekomori and the other members started reenacting the battle against Sheeptar the Sheep King. And so, the couple floated far away from them, before they were both alone atop a tall hill. It was getting dark, and the only light was the moon hanging above their heads, bathing the scene iin a silver glow.
As they landed, Yuuta finally came to his senses. He had no more doubt right now. Touka… monsters… dragons… none of them seemed to matter to him. Rikka was the only thing he was concerned with.
"Yuuta," Rikka said. "There's… something I need to tell you,"
"Huh?" Yuuta turned and locked eyes with her.