Chapter 514: Reality Sometimes Manifests a Mysticism That Surpasses Fantasy

Author's Preface
JAPAAAN!!

"........."

Vwom!

『Dinoscull XXX-XXX-XXXX』

A Tyrannosaurus skeleton lets out a roar from a card small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and the text for Dinoscull is displayed in a scratch-like design.

"........."

Fwip!

『Zodiac Cluster XXX-XXX-XXXX』

Picking up another card, constellations float up like a planetarium, and the lines connecting the stars trace out the text for Zodiac Cluster.

"Haa... this is pointlessly high-spec..."

AR-equipped digital business cards... It supposedly costs enough to feed four people at a slightly pricey restaurant just to make a single one of these... Are you okay, "Cyber Battalion"? Your company's business cards were made of paper; aren't you falling behind civilization?

".........This is a problem, I'm not sleepy at all."

Things were rough even after that... Somehow the flow of the conversation led to us having a tag match with fully randomized character picks, the Q&A session naturally devolved into sexual harassment being hurled at Katzo, and I was forced to talk passionately about Riot Blood... Abibibibi... That's right, it is a pure and simple fact that there are voices of concern regarding Riot Blood, but that is akin to a heart that fears the dark. Do you have any experiences of being afraid of the hallway leading to the bathroom as a child? Yes, yes, that is an absolutely natural reaction as a human being. The terror you harbor toward Riot Blood is closely related to that... The legality of Riot Blood has been scientifically proven; all that matters after that is the courage to take a step forward. What did you see in the dark? A Zombie Beast baring its fangs? A gruesome serial killer? Those are not things your eyes actually saw; they are, so to speak, phantoms stared at by imaginary eyes born from your brain... Now, let's turn on the lights and take a big gulp of Riot Blood; there are no monsters, right? Caffeine will give you courage......... Obabababa, yep, yep, I gave a smooth review exactly like this... Did I receive some weird brainwaves?

I'm in trouble, humanity isn't supposed to have built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth yet... Don't tell me, directly into my brain?! No, I shouldn't think about it; Riot Blood is a pure and righteous caffeine beverage! Repeat!!

"Now then......... what should I do about this?"

I contacted home just in case... but can I even go home like this?

"Yeeeaaaahhheeeey!! Japan is the best! You can drink alcohol at twentttyyyy!!"

"No, what you drank isn't alcohol, it's just club soda... gueh"

"Fevyeeerrr!!"

"...! ......! ......!"

I don't know if it's boxercise or what, but Silvia Goldberg (Status Condition: Bar Drunk), who possesses physical strength that is definitely not that of a civilian, has taken off her Silver Mask and is strangling Katzo. Keeping the sight of him quietly dropping to the floor in the corner of my vision, I avert my eyes in the opposite direction.

『That's why I loooost... it's so weeeirddd... how did the brat and the Target Enemy end up together at that exaaact timmeeee... That situation is a total jackpottt...』

Grumble grumble grumble grumble...

Chug chug chug chug chug chug...

She was grumbling, she was chugging.
Using the dwindling liquor bottles as her companions, the Hannya... or rather, Amelia Sullivan, is sinking endlessly into her own world.

She wasn't lashing out at anyone, and compared to Silvia Goldberg, she was prickly, but all of her outward-facing emotions had turned inward. Or rather, if you talk to her she glares at you, so this is bothersome in its own way. Plus, she switches to insanely fast English, so I can't catch a word she's saying.

A drinking party where no one is even sure who suggested it: one person passed out, one person going berserk, one person dead drunk... and me, the only one who has fully utilized my experience as an assassin little girl and a wall-climbing medic to erase my presence to the absolute limit.

"...Master, one fruit au lait."

"Customer, this is from the person over there."

A sliding fruit au lait......... Ah, hey, seriously?! This is a classic bar event! Or rather, the Master looks a little excited about it too, doesn't he?! Alright, I'll play along!

"Who in the world is it from..."

"Hey, hello there."

In the darkness, eyes are floating... No, that's wrong, the lighting is just dim so it's acting as camouflage. N-No way, an employee who was permitted to wear not just a hood but a full black robe...!

"An exec, utive...!?"

"I serve as the Head of the Sales Department at the Japan Branch of Gatling Drum... let's see... you may call me Bishamonten."

Bishamonten... I hear the Japan Branch has seven executives... Or rather, based on the voice......... hmm? [*1]

"This time, you have contributed to the marketing of Riot Blood on a global scale, and Gatling Drum as a company would very much like you to accept a token of our gratitude... so I brought this."

"H-Huh........."

The date hasn't even rolled over yet, though...? Exactly when did you hear about... No, if I let it bother me, I lose. If I let it bother me... Shhk, the mechanical box that slid over opened on its own...

"No Face-shi's trademark... a Jack helmet painted in a special coloring..."

"Th-This is...!"

N-No way... a Jack helmet with a Riot Blood color scheme...!?

"Eh, wait a sec, this is a state-of-the-art VR system expansion part..."

Eh, are you kidding me? Internal power supply? It doesn't need to be plugged into an outlet? Or rather, isn't this compatible with both AR and VR? Connecting this terminal to a mobile device allows it to deploy real-time AR on its own... Ehhh? The price of this thing is on par with a helmet-type VR system...

"........."

Glance. Looking to the side, Katzo has his eyes rolled back; Silvia is happily chugging water for some reason; Amelia continues to down empty glasses......... Hmm, there are no other customers.

"Master, how confident are you in keeping your mouth shut?"

"Since I don't have much time left in this life, I will surely take my customers' secrets with me to the grave."

"Gatling Drum completely protects all personal information of our customers."

Dammit, even though you're a plain-faced old geezer with zero dandyism, you sure are damn good at playing along...! You guys are the best...!! In that case, it can't be helped. I take off the helmet, lift my slightly flushed cheeks on my exposed bare face, and put on the new helmet—

◆ 

"...Hah!?"

Huh? Eh? A car? Why?

"N-No... I'm pretty sure I left those idiots behind, went home first, got in a taxi..."

Huh? Eh? A dream ending?

"Customer, you were sleeping like a log."

"E-Eh, ah... really, was I? No, yeah, well, I was exhausted today so..."

Phew......... Hallucinations shown by ingesting Riot Blood one step short of an overdose, huh...
I really pushed myself too hard. Let's see, mix the eggs and Ri... wait, don't put that in... mix in the milk with the pancake mix, bake it, and it's done... Finally, pour some Ri... nope, don't pour that either... No, since it's sweet, couldn't it be used as a substitute for maple syrup? No, it couldn't.

Still, for a nightmare, that was a highly fantasy-tinged dream... It felt like something Gatling Drum might actually do...

Gon!

"........................Eh?"

No, no, no, that was just the sound of something hitting the Jack helmet I put inside my bag. But my mobile terminal is in my pants pocket, and my wallet and house keys are also in my pockets... So, a sound of two things echoing off each other like that couldn't possibly...

"........."

Wiping off my dripping sweat, slightly loosening my collar, I open the bag—which for some reason looks undeniably bulkier than it did on the way there—and.........

"Hiee!?"

Inside was the Riot Blood custom Jack helmet, gleaming as it caught the bright city lights of the metropolitan center───

Kyaaaaaaaah! (A horror-specific scream)

Author's Afterword
Where exactly does the dream start, I wonder? (Playing dumb)
I want to correct this mentality of mine that thinks, "If I want to forcefully tie up loose ends, I can just involve Riot Blood and it'll be fine."

Please don't worry about Bishamonten-san. She might be one of the rare "Tribe of the Night" who somehow survived in the real world of ShanFro, skilled at showing people dreams and serving as an executive involved in the secret of Riot "Blood," or she might just be a normal civilian.

The only thing I can say is that she probably won't appear again in the future, and unlike a certain sister, she is a capable career woman who can properly get married.

Translator's Note

• [1] Bishamonten: Bishamonten is one of the Japanese Seven Lucky Gods (Shichi-fukujin).