Chapter 4: The Greedy King
Chapter 4: The Greedy King
After we returned to Laputa and delivered the unconscious man to his wife, we met up with everyone else in the Laputian king’s private quarters.
“Good to see you back safe, Rekka,” said Hibiki.
“You can say that again...” I sighed.
I had almost been decapitated, after all. At any rate, I explained to Hibiki and the gang how we’d come to resolve Chirika’s story. Then it was Hibiki’s turn to tell us how things had gone for them.
“To get straight to the point, we agreed to settle things with Boboza via contest.”
“Via contest?”
“A contest for the throne. If we lose, we have to teach Boboza the time-stitching technology. But if we win, he’ll allow Nyanyan to take the throne and will support her politically so long as we overlook the little coup incident.”
“Wait, so... he gets something either way?”
In other words, even if he lost, he’d get off scot-free for trying to take over the kingdom. He’d just go back to being the next in line for the throne. And if he won, he’d have everything he needed to officially begin his reign as king. It was win-win for him.
“And Nyanyan’s okay with all this?” I asked skeptically.
“I only told her she’d have to compete for the throne.”
“Uh, don’t you think she’s gonna be a little upset when she finds out the rest?”
“Probably.”
“Come on...”
My shoulders slumped dejectedly at Hibiki’s all-too-flat reply. But even so, she was as calm as ever.
“Have you forgotten what’s at stake here, Rekka? In three days’ time... No, it’s already been over a day now. In just two days, Atlantis is going to sink. We need to get Nyanyan on the throne before then.”
“I know, but...”
“In the event that Nyanyan actually manages to earn the right to the throne, the king of Laputa has agreed to arrange the coronation ceremony here on Laputa.”
“The coronation ceremony? Here?”
“Fortunately, Laputa and Atlantis have a close-knit alliance. They’re practically the same kingdom. We’ll have every citizen of Atlantis attend the ceremony, then we’ll extend the ceremony to include all kinds of other events and make it last the whole day.”
If all went according to plan, that would mean the people would be moved—no, evacuated—before Atlantis sank.
“The Nyanyan we met at the bottom of the ocean... Her wish was to save the Atlantians, not Atlantis. Right, Rekka?”
“Yeah... You’re right.” I couldn’t argue there. “If we can win this contest or whatever, it’ll solve both Nyanyan and Sherlyn’s stories at the same time. You’re amazing, Hibiki. You came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone.”
At the honest praise, Hibiki started blushing and looked away.
“I-It was simply what the situation called for. Really, it’s only possible thanks to the cooperation of the Laputian king.”
The rulers of Laputa and Atlantis had a long history and a common bloodline. Apparently, an offshoot of the Laputian royal family had descended to Atlantis to establish their own dominion. That relationship, combined with the fact that she’d been the one to give the Atlantians the time-stitching technology, gave the Laputian king a great deal of influence over Atlantis’s affairs.
“Also, do you remember how Nyanyan mentioned that Laputa and Atlantis were twin islands?”
“Yeah, she said something about them moving together.”
“That’s right. Specifically, Laputa is pulling the island of Atlantis along. Do you know what that means?”
“Uh, well... It means that Laputa determines the course of Atlantis, right?”
“Yes. It’s the same as a car being pulled by a tow truck. Atlantis is a moving island, but it doesn’t move on its own. Now, just imagine for a moment if you will... What would happen if Laputa flew over a continent?”
“Atlantis would crash right into it!”
“Bingo. It would be a total disaster. So no matter how else you look at it, the fate of Atlantis is in Laputa’s hands... Though I doubt the current king would do anything like that.”
True, she didn’t seem like the evil type. Or rather, that didn’t seem like the kind of thing that would interest her. Which, of course, was great news for all of Atlantis.
“Well, I understand now why you wanted to bring the Atlantians here, but what about this competition? Please don’t tell me Nyanyan and Boboza have to fight each other.”
“As if I’d sign a child up for a fistfight. The competition is going to take place in the form of Atlantis’s most traditional sport...”
▽
“A boat race, huh?” I muttered as I looked over the crowd of spectators gathered along the coastline to witness the race for the throne.
Boat racing had a storied history in Atlantis. It had been popular for over a century, and was normally celebrated in a grand, annual competition. The course was set as a single lap around Atlantis itself. While the island was relatively small, paddling by hand would make the race a grueling contest of endurance rather than speed, but...
“I guess with all the other technology Laputa has, I shouldn’t be surprised there are motorboats...”
They were the kind steered by a tiller rather than a wheel, and while their appearance was rather retro, their functionality was on par with any modern motorboat I’d ever seen. Actually, their top speed clocked in at a hundred kilometers per hour, which for all I knew well surpassed modern technology.
As for the race itself, the winner would be the first team to complete a lap around the island. The “teams” were really the boat crews, which consisted of four people including the helmsman. Circumnavigating the island would take roughly ten to fifteen minutes, and the whole thing could be watched via long-distance projection machines—basically cameras—mounted on the boats and various checkpoints around the course.
“Bohahaha!”
Suddenly, my eardrums were assaulted with the sound of a grating, obnoxious laugh. When I looked to see who the culprit was, I spotted a stout man with a strange hairdo that resembled a seahorse sitting on top of his head. I recognized him from the projection future Nyanyan had once shown us. But this was my first time seeing him in the flesh.
“So that’s Boboza...”
This was Nyanyan’s uncle, the mastermind behind the coup.
“Wh-What do you want, Uncle? Did you come here to laugh at us because you think you’ve already won?”
Despite Nyanyan’s surprise at her uncle showing up out of nowhere, she didn’t lose her cool.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I mean, I was shocked when you suggested a race in the first place... But I wasn’t expecting all of your little friends to be children! Oops, pardon me. I forget that you’re still just a child yourself, Princess Nyanyan,” he replied, chuckling to himself.
I guess from his perspective, we did just look like a bunch of kids.
“Urgh! I won’t lose to you, Uncle! I’m going to win and inherit my father’s title!”
“Bohahaha! I’d like to see you try!”
After getting in another good, obnoxious laugh, Boboza wandered off... Er, I guess he was probably going back to his boat.
“Grr! I’ll show him!”
Nyanyan was raging so hard I could practically see the steam coming out of her ears as she continued to inspect our boat. While she had never entered a race before, she’d apparently been fond of boats since she was young and knew a good deal about them.
“So, Nyanyan,” I asked. “How come a crew is four people? Wouldn’t the boat go faster with fewer people on board?”
“What? Weren’t you listening to the rules? The race allows for interference.”
“Huwah?!”
“Well, directly destroying a boat or intentionally harming the other participants are still considered violations of good conduct.”
“I... I just thought this was a more wholesome sport.”
“It’s typically held as part of a grand event much like a festival. The rules were designed to encourage that flair of excitement. It would be a lot less interesting to watch otherwise.”
So rather than a sport, this was pure entertainment... If she were here, Zeta probably would have scolded me for not getting that sooner.
But interference was considered fair game, huh? That meant the race wouldn’t be decided by speed and skill alone. We’d have to pick our team carefully. If directly harming rival boats or opponents was out of the question, I figured it’d probably be smarter to choose more technically skilled crew members like Satsuki or Shirley.
“Sorry, but I’ll pass,” Shirley said as soon as I brought up who would be participating.
“How come? I bet you’d be good at coming up with ways to hinder our opponent, Shirley.”
“Certainly. But the boat reaches speeds of a hundred kilometers per hour, right? Not to mention how high the waves are today... It’ll be a pretty rough ride. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be able to do much more than cling on to something.”
“Now that you mention it, the same goes for me...” added Satsuki, her eyebrows dejectedly furrowed.
Not that I blamed them. I hadn’t really processed myself what going at a hundred kilometers an hour would be like. Adding the waves on top of that would make it even more taxing, and anyone thrown off the boat could potentially be seriously injured.
Since this was specifically a contest between Nyanyan and Boboza, it was a given that she had to enter. But since she was the most familiar out of all of us with boats, it was just as well. So if I went along too, that would leave two more spots open. It would probably be too much for Harissa or Tsumiki to handle. Iris and Corona had the stamina for it, but straight-up brawn was really their strong suit. Even though interference was allowed, it wasn’t like I could send them to attack Boboza.
“Um, Rekka...” said Rain, hesitantly raising her hand.
“What’s up, Rain?” I asked.
“I don’t know about interference, but I think I’d be useful on a boat. I’ve definitely got sea legs, you could say, and I’d even be all right if I happened to get thrown overboard.”
“Hmm...”
It was true there probably wasn’t any better ally to have on the high seas than a mermaid. In the event of an emergency, we’d all be glad to have her aboard.
“All right. So the crew will be Nyanyan, me, Rain, and...”
“Why not take me as your number four?”
“Sherlyn?”
Indeed, it was the ever-smiling, mature, laid-back Sherlyn who raised her hand and volunteered to fill the fourth slot. For the record, knowing that there would be trouble if the Atlantians saw it, we’d asked Harissa to hide Sherlyn’s crown with her invisibility magic.
“I’ve fled the police on boats before, so I at least won’t be a hindrance. And I have to say I’m pretty good at outsmarting people. Besides...”
“Besides?”
“My life is on the line here too. I’d like to participate if possible.”
“That’s fair.”
It was easy enough to understand how she felt. Her magic was pretty versatile too, and wouldn’t be against the rules since it wasn’t explicitly offensive. So, with the team finally decided, I went to inform Nyanyan, who was still inspecting the boat.
“...And that’s our roster. Is that okay with you, Nyanyan?”
“It’s fine by me. I’m not old enough to participate in the races normally, so it’s not like I have any familiar teammates to bring along,” Nyanyan said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
It seemed she’d been pretty rigorous in inspecting the boat. Her clothes were all wrinkled and dirty now.
“Ah, hold still a sec,” I said, reaching out to wipe an oil smear off her forehead.
“Mm...” Nyanyan closed her eyes and held still.
“There. All better.”
“Thanks.”
“Hang on, there’s also... Wait, those are bags under your eyes. Did you not sleep last night?”
“Well, I was up quite late looking after the patients. I might be a little low on sleep right now.”
“Hey... Well, it’s not like I helped or anything, but today’s a big day, you know? Sleep is important.”
“Yeah, you’re right...” Nyanyan smiled with a troubled expression before tightly clenching her fists in determination. “But I’ll definitely win against my uncle! I’ll be the one to succeed my father!”
Even sleep-deprived, she seemed to be overflowing with energy. At the very least, I didn’t have to worry about her motivation levels.
“All right, then let’s board the boat and get ready. It’s almost time for the race.”
“Right!”
▽
“The race for the throne of Atlantis... will now commence. I, the king of Laputa... will be presiding over this contest.”
Just before the race, the king of Laputa announced to the crowd that she would personally oversee the handling of the prize. The people intently listened in silence to the young yet dignified king, but...
“We shall leave the commentary... to you.”
“All riiight! Just leave it to me, Your Majesty!”
“H-Huh?!”
I was taken aback by the energetic young girl who stepped out from behind the Laputian king.
“YEEEAAAAAH!”
But upon her appearance, the crowd burst into a ruckus of cheering and fist pumping. Looking around, I could see vendors selling drinks and food, as well as spectators amusing themselves by placing bets on who would win.
“Wh-What is going on?” I asked.
“I told you this was a grand event,” said Nyanyan.
“Yeah, but still... The throne’s on the line here.”
It wasn’t my place to tell them to be respectful, but good grief.
“And now, without further ado, it’s time for our teams to board their boats!”
The worst offender of all was probably the overexcited commentator herself, who was riding a miniature airship hovering over the starting line. She was probably going to report on the race from the air. Whatever, I guess. It was probably a good thing to have a third party watching the race closely.
Anyway, the four of us boarded our boat on cue. Nyanyan, of course, took the helm. I didn’t recognize the guy who appeared to be the helmsman for the other team, but Nyanyan froze when she saw him.
“What’s wrong?”
“That man is last year’s champion.”
“Seriously?”
“That lowlife uncle of mine...! I guess he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
There, Boboza seemed to notice us and smiled like he was ready to break out into guffawing at any second. Nyanyan gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow in a mix of displeasure and frustration.
“It’ll be fine. I’m not above using whatever means necessary in order to win, either. We won’t lose,” I said, patting her on the shoulder and trying to encourage her.
“R-Really? You seem an awful lot like the fair and square, by-the-book type.”
“Me? Nah. Kind of the opposite, honestly. I’m a weak nobody, so I have to play whatever cards I can to win. Scheming and loopholes are right in my wheelhouse.”
Like zapping a Demon Overlord with a laser or cheating my way out of an underground labyrinth by busting through the ceiling. That kinda stuff.
“At any rate, just leave it to me. All you have to do is concentrate on driving.”
“All right.”
Nyanyan took her seat by the till and looked ahead with a slightly less tense expression. Once both teams had settled in, we sat in position waiting for the signal.
“Oookay, folks! It’s almost time to start!”
The crowd seemed to reach peak size now that the main event was fast approaching, and the commentator took that as a sign it was time to kick things off. She pulled out a red flag and held it high overhead. Both Nyanyan and the other helmsman had their eyes locked on it, and the moment it dropped...
“Raaaargh!”
Boboza’s team suddenly threw something our way, but Sherlyn and I knocked it into the water before it could do anything. Because of that, I couldn’t tell for sure, but I would have bet money it was a smokescreen or something else meant to blind us.
“Tch!” Boboza clicked his tongue.
“I saw that one coming a mile away!” I yelled mockingly back at him.
“What a start! Team Boboza launched an attack right out of the gate, but Team Nyanyan was ready and waiting for it! Both teams start off neck and neck!”
Just as the commentator in the tiny airship described, our boats were practically sailing along next to each other.
“Oof, wow! This really is a rough ride!”
If Shirley hadn’t warned us earlier, I probably would’ve been thrown overboard immediately. But I was prepared and held fast to the side of the boat as I kept a watchful eye on Boboza and his team.
“There’s no way they’d try the same thing twice, right?”
Maybe it was because their initial surprise attack had failed so spectacularly, but they didn’t seem to be up to anything more. We continued to sail speedily along as we circled the island, eventually coming to a sharp curve.
“Crap!”
Boboza’s team got to it before us and took the inside lane, pulling ahead. By the time we came out on the other side, they were about half a minute ahead of us. It was starting to show that they had a former champion driving their boat. The difference in skill was too great for even a talented amateur like Nyanyan to overcome.
“Ugh!”
She clenched her jaw, desperately trying to control the boat as it rocked violently up and down. With her emotionally charged handling, we were hot on the trail of Boboza’s team. But then, a strange shadow appeared on the horizon...
“Uh, what’s that?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re now approaching the first obstacle!” said the commentator, inadvertently answering my question. “The crowd favorite, the rocky zone, has made another return this year! One wrong move here will spell ruin for either team’s boat, but going around will cost them on the clock! What’s it going to be?! It’s time for our competitors to show us what they’re made of!”
“What are we going to do, Nyanyan?” I asked.
“Shut up! I’m concentrating right now!” she yelled as we charged right into the rocky zone.
As its name implied, the rocky zone was indeed quite rocky. Boulders had been scattered with just enough space between them to allow a single boat to pass through. Visibility was terrible, and at the speed we were going, the commentator was right. One misstep, and we’d be out of the running immediately here.
Thunk!
“Uwah!”
It didn’t take long before we clipped one of the large rocks. Really, all we did was bump into it a little, but it felt like a full-on collision with how fast we were going. I looked around in a panic, but thankfully no one had fallen overboard. Nevertheless, the mistake had cost us a precious few seconds that allowed Boboza’s team to pull even further ahead.
“Just you wait, Uncle!”
“Calm down, Nyanyan! It’s too dangerous to be reckless here. Let’s just get through the rocky zone safely for now.”
“Tch!”
“I understand how you feel, but you have to be patient. The race only just started. We still have plenty of time to catch up.”
The worst-case scenario was crashing the boat. If we had to retire, it would be an instant win for Boboza. As such, I tried to calm Nyanyan down as much as possible to increase our chances of getting out of this obstacle safely.
“Both teams are moments away from making it through... Oh, what’s this?!”
I was terrified to think what would make the commentator gasp like that, but I would soon find out the cause.
“A-A net?!”
There was a net stretched between two boulders almost dead in front of us, forcing us to bring the boat to an emergency halt.
“Curse you, Uncle!”
Nyanyan clicked her tongue as she turned us around to take another route. At least we were safe, but this little stunt of Boboza’s really did cost us. By the time we got out of the rocky zone, his team was a good twenty meters or so ahead of us.
“Oh, no! After getting caught in Team Boboza’s net, Team Nyanyan has fallen behind! Will they ever recover?!”
As the high-spirited commentator rehashed the situation for the crowd, we did our best to close the gap.
“Rekka. What should we do...?” Rain asked as she clung to the boat.
“Based on the inclusion of interference and obstacles, the main point of this race is its entertainment value. I’d bet there’s somewhere ahead that’ll give us a chance to turn the tables.”
The real thrill of a competition was the moment of reversal. The great upset. The comeback. Especially in a race. If there were obstacles, surely there would be something along the way that would give us a fighting chance. Of course, I wasn’t expecting it to come for free.
“Keep your eyes peeled, ladies and gentlemen! Now that we’ve reached the middle stretch of the course, it’s time for... the dark cave!”
Hearing that, I turned to see what we were getting into. Up ahead past Boboza’s boat was a large cape jutting out from the island. There appeared to be a cave entrance right at the base of it along the water.
“You guessed it, folks! The dark cave is pitch black inside! Our teams will have to navigate through it with only the light they have on board... if they dare! The waters are shallow, and the rocks are sharp! One wrong move will put a hole right through the hull of their boats, but they say fortune favors the brave! If they successfully manage to make it through, the dark cave is actually an incredible shortcut!” the commentator explained. “But buyer beware! Looking at the race data from the past ten years, the crash rate is an astounding 98 percent! There have been a few lucky teams who made it through, but their boats were too badly damaged to even finish the race!”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess. And it looked like Boboza’s team was playing it safe. They veered away from the entrance on a course to go around the cape instead. But what about us? This shortcut might be our chance, but the commentator made it sound way too dangerous. Should we hold out for another opportunity? The race was already halfway over now, so if we waited too long...
“Rekka, do you have anything small that can give off light?” Rain suddenly asked.
“Um... If you only need a small light, what about my cellphone?” I asked in return.
“That’ll do. Let me borrow it,” she replied in a tone that didn’t allow any room for argument.
That was rare coming from her, but she didn’t hesitate to take my phone. She then turned and told Nyanyan to head for the dark cave.
“A-Are you sure?” Nyanyan asked, looking at Rain with uncertainty.
In response, Rain simply smiled and said, “Yes, I will lead the boat with this light. Make sure you follow me carefully.”
“But Rain, this boat goes a hundred kilometers an hour. Even if we decelerate in the cave, do you think you’ll be able to keep ahead of us?” I asked, worried.
Rain then turned her calm and composed smile on me.
“My, Rekka. Have you forgotten? I am a mermaid. I won’t lose to anyone in the water. Even in total darkness, I can clearly make out the tidal currents. Avoiding obstructions will be simple,” she reassured me with a confident nod.
“All right, Nyanyan! You heard her—to the cave!”
“Oh fine, whatever!” Nyanyan shouted, tossing her worries to the wind as she made a beeline for the cave entrance.
“Oho! Team Nyanyan has gotten ambitious! They’re headed for the shortcut in the dark cave... But will they make it out safely?!”
Our unexpected course had certainly gotten the commentator’s attention.
“Well, then, I’ll be off.”
After giving us a polite bow, Rain hopped off the boat. Jumping into the roaring, open ocean at speeds like this would ordinarily be tantamount to suicide, but Rain was no ordinary girl. Several seconds after her long, pink hair disappeared under the waves, she resurfaced alongside the boat. She then accelerated and overtook us with ease, slipping into the dark cave. We followed her in.
“Wow...”
True to name, it really was dark in here. Without a light, you couldn’t see anything at all. That 98-percent crash rate was perfectly understandable. In order to navigate safely through this place, you’d have to go at a dead crawl. That is, if you didn’t have a mermaid leading the way for you.
In order to keep track of the light from the phone she was holding, we turned down the light on the ship as low as we could and proceeded through the cave doing our best to suppress the fear of screwing this whole operation up. Eventually, another light came into view.
“Is that...?”
Yes, we’d made it to the end of the cave! Coming out into bright daylight again, however, we were all temporarily blinded by the sun. I clung to the side of the boat as best I could so I wouldn’t immediately be thrown overboard once we hit rough water again, but Nyanyan’s vision was compromised too. We were forced to slow down for a few seconds, but once I could see again...
“Would you looky there! It’s Team Nyanyan, alive and well! Defying all odds and expectations, they’ve somehow made it out of the dark cave and are now well in the lead ahead of Team Boboza, who took the long way around the cape!”
Hearing that, my heart leaped.
“Nyanyan, can you see yet?! Can you still drive?!”
“Even if I can’t, I will!” Nyanyan yelled, accelerating the boat once more.
This was it, the grand reversal. It had been dangerous, but we’d come out on top. And we had to seize it—which, unfortunately, meant there wasn’t time to stop completely and get Rain back on the boat, so she had to follow us in the water for now. The slowdown after exiting the cave had already cost us precious time, and Boboza’s team was already coming around the cape by the time we got back up to speed. In short, we were ahead as we entered the last leg of the race, but not by as much as I would have liked.
“Both teams are in the home stretch now, folks! Team Nyanyan is in the lead, but can they keep it up?!” the commentator announced as we hit the final turn.
“Bohahahaha! You did better than I expected, Princess Nyanyan!”
“Ugh!”
We could hear Boboza shouting from his boat, which was dangerously close behind us now. He was apparently leaving all the hard work on their side to his subordinates, so he was free to taunt us all he liked. Of course, Nyanyan was concentrating and didn’t have the leisure to respond in kind. She was desperate to keep her lead over last year’s champion.
“But it’s such a shame...” Boboza continued. “You didn’t stand a chance from the beginning!”
“Wh-What—?!”
I wanted to ask what he meant, but before I could, our boat quickly began decelerating.
“Huh?!”
We managed to finish rounding the corner while coasting, but Boboza’s team overtook us almost instantly.
“What?! What’s this?! Team Nyanyan has suddenly come to a stop! Is it bad luck, or was it some plot?! Either way, Team Boboza has pulled ahead to take the lead!”
“What’s wrong, Nyanyan?!”
“I don’t know! It just stopped working!”
“Wait a minute...”
What Boboza just said... Don’t tell me he did something to our boat! It was against the rules to outright damage your opponent’s boat though, which would mean Boboza was cheating. And if that were the case, he’d be automatically disqualified... But Boboza knew that. He might have done something incredibly sneaky that wouldn’t implicate him. Something that would look like an accident.
“N-No...!”
Nyanyan let out a pained groan as she watched her uncle pull away from us. Despair filled her eyes.
“Rekka! If it’s come to this, I’ll pull the boat myself!” Rain declared in the heat of the moment.
She valiantly tried to grab hold of the boat, but there was no way her thin arms would be able to handle a boat this size. No, maybe she couldn’t, but...
“Sherlyn!”
“Mmhmm?”
“I need to ask a ridiculous favor!”
“You got it.”
That was way too easy, but Sherlyn gave me a firm nod and asked what she needed to do.
“Well, first...”
I explained the details of my absurd request.
“That sounds like a recipe for a sore back later, but I guess we don’t have any choice!”
Sherlyn laughed, then...
“Mark!”
She cast her Mark spell on our boat and hopped off.
“Here we go, Sherlyn!”
“Thanks!”
Once she was in the water, Sherlyn swam over to Rain and wrapped her arms around her neck. Rain then took off, zipping ahead of us like she had earlier in a rare, serious display for the mermaid princess.
“Steal!”
Next, we could hear Sherlyn casting her other spell over the crashing waves. The boat Nyanyan and I were on then instantly accelerated, pulled along by Sherlyn’s magic.
“Wh-Wh-Wha?!”
“Hold on to me, Nyanyan!”
She was about to fall right off the boat, so I grabbed on to her and then held on for dear life myself. A mermaid’s top swimming speed easily surpassed that of the boat, as Rain had demonstrated for us earlier in the cave. So with Rain dragging Sherlyn and Sherlyn dragging the boat, we were all moving along at Rain’s breakneck pace. The real question mark in the equation was whether or not Sherlyn would be able to hold on like this. She’d confidently accepted the task, but it still wasn’t guaranteed to work. I was worried, but my worries were blown out of the water as the boat zipped along at an incredible speed. We easily overtook Boboza in the blink of an eye, and...
“Whaaat?!”
We left him and his dumb, shocked face in the dust as we crossed the finish line.
▽
Not two days later, it was time for Nyanyan’s coronation ceremony on Laputa. After the race, Boboza had tried to discredit our victory by claiming we cheated. The king of Laputa herself reviewed the claim and determined that we hadn’t actually broken any rules, so his argument was thrown out. Go figure he was so fixated on coming up with sneaky ways to slow us down that he didn’t even realize that us speeding up on our own was perfectly allowable.
“Even though it was announced beforehand, we had to shuttle all the Atlantians to Laputa via airship... Thank goodness Atlantis is only about as big as Vatican City,” sighed Hibiki.
“Yeah, too bad we didn’t have any time to sleep...” I sighed in return.
We were both nearly slumped over in exhaustion. All the shuttling to Laputa was work enough as it was, but we also had to coordinate with the soldiers and make sure all of the citizens were accounted for at the coronation ceremony. It wasn’t until Satsuki checked with her Omniscient Magic to make sure not even a single kitten had been left behind on Atlantis that we were finally able to relax.
“Well, at least this will resolve Nyanyan’s story...”
“Yeah...”
Even R seemed to have taken a load off, and the three of us took a moment to chill until Satsuki came to tell us the coronation was at hand.
“Rekka, Hibiki. The ceremony’s about to begin.”
“All right. We’re coming.”
Hibiki and I got up and left the king’s private quarters, which we had been using as a break room. The Great Library of the Heavens was the only manmade structure on Laputa, and the library was so packed with books there was no space for all the Atlantians. Because of that, the coronation ceremony was being held outside in the courtyard.
Incidentally, the crown being used for the ceremony was the one Nyanyan had removed from Sherlyn. We’d held a simplified but official succession ritual after winning the race so Nyanyan could become the legitimate ruler and therefore remove the curse. Since Sherlyn had told Nyanyan at the beginning that the crown was something she’d retrieved from Boboza and accidentally put on, she went and actually stole the real crown—the crown from this time period—from Boboza in order to back up her story, then handed it over to the king of Laputa for safekeeping.
“Ah, Rekka!” Rachelle called out, waving and smiling as we exited the library.
“You’re in an awfully good mood today. What’s up?”
I couldn’t help remembering how she’d spent the beginning of this trip complaining about the lack of carnage.
“Heh heh, well, I got my fill of love energy from everyone when you grabbed on to Nyanyan during the race, so I’m totally satisfied for now!”
“You don’t say...”
I had nothing else to say to that. I guess at least there was no ensuing rampage this time, so no harm, no foul...
Anyway, after shaking off the dumb angel that doggedly followed me around, I headed backstage where the ceremony was set to take place. And yes, there was actually a stage. The little robots of Laputa had built it overnight.
“Heya, Rekka,” said Sherlyn with a friendly wave.
“So you’re finally here,” said Chirika with a smirk.
They and the other girls had already gathered backstage, and they welcomed us as we arrived. Technically, we had nothing to do with Atlantis or its people, so we’d decided to watch the ceremony from behind the curtain like this rather than standing out in the courtyard with all the other Atlantians. And the king of Laputa helped make that all possible.
“Nyanyan Atlantia, daughter of the late King Zezenova, we acknowledge you as the legitimate successor of the crown, and present you... with this...”
Actually standing on the ground instead of sitting on her flying sphere, the king of Laputa gently placed the crown on Nyanyan’s head as she kneeled down to receive it.
“Zezenova was a good king... who served his people well. Do you swear to carry out his righteous rule... and follow in his footsteps?”
“I swear it.”
Nyanyan readily agreed, and the moment she did, the crowd in the courtyard erupted into cheers.
“Hooray for Her Majesty Nyanyan!”
“Long live the new king!”
They were all celebrating Nyanyan’s ascension. It wasn’t like she’d done anything as king yet, but the people still welcomed her warmly. That was, I’m sure, in no small part thanks to the Laputian king’s praise of her father.
“You all...”
Nyanyan seemed to feel it too. She trembled with emotion as she looked upon her adoring people. The king of Laputa observed this all for a while herself before tapping her staff against the ground to get everyone’s attention.
“Let us now commence the festivities to celebrate... the new king. Eat, drink, and dance... to your heart’s content.”
“YEEEAAAAAH!”
Cheers—or rather, one unified roar—several times louder than before echoed through the courtyard as the people began chanting the king of Laputa’s name.
“How self-interested...” I sighed.
“That’s how the citizens usually are. They vastly prefer celebration to ceremony,” Rain replied with a smile. “But the number of people looking up at the king with pride rather than looking away with disinterest is a real testament to the goodness of a kingdom.”
Come to think of, Rain was a princess too. Those words had a certain weight coming from her. But just about as we finished talking, an exhausted Nyanyan retreated backstage.
“Phew, I’m beat...”
“Good work.”
“This is more taxing than the race for the throne was. I wanna go home and sleep...” Nyanyan started to slump over immediately, causing the crown to slip precariously on her head.
“Rekka’s right, Nyanyan. You did well.”
“Oh, Rain. Heal me...” Nyanyan staggered into Rain’s embrace and made her pat her head lovingly.
I honestly felt the same sense of relief, like we’d really accomplished something, and let out a small sigh.
“Gratz on saving the story, Rekka...”
“Hm? R?”
Maybe I was just imagining it, but R seemed a little more deadpan than usual. Really, all I’d done was see to it that Nyanyan ascended the throne. The safety of the Atlantians wasn’t fully guaranteed yet... Wait, actually, come to think of it, we’d never even figured out why Atlantis sunk in the first place.
“So how does it feel to take over the throne?” Rain asked as she stroked Nyanyan’s hair.
“Hmm...” Nyanyan mumbled against Rain’s chest before narrowing her eyes. “It still doesn’t feel quite real... but I think I get it now.”
“Get what?”
“Why my father...”
Nyanyan began to answer Rain with a tinge of embarrassment, but then...
“Kyah!”
“Uwah!”
A sudden tremor rocked Laputa, knocking us all down. Those with a better sense of balance were back on their feet quickly and did what they could to help, like cutting down falling objects to shield everyone who was still on the ground. But while we were coping with things backstage, we could hear the clamor and panic of the crowd beyond the curtain.
“What are these tremors?” I asked.
We were on a flying island. There shouldn’t be anything to cause tremors. It wasn’t like a massive hunk of land could hit turbulence like an airplane would, either.
“Hmm, I see... So that’s... what it was.”
I looked up towards the source of that strangely calm voice to see the Laputian king sitting on her sphere, watching the shaking trees while nodding.
“What are you talking about?”
“Previously, you said that Atlantis... would sink. And just now... We figured out the reason.”
“The reason?”
She’d figured out why Atlantis would sink? But we were on Laputa right now...
“You’ve heard that Laputa and Atlantis are twin islands, no?”
“Nyanyan mentioned it, yeah.” She’d said they maintained a fixed distance between each other and that Atlantis moved whenever Laputa did. “What about it?”
“When Laputa moves, so too does Atlantis... But while Laputa floats in the sky, Atlantis floats on the ocean below.”
“Okay...”
I guess that much made sense. If Atlantis was a moving island, it was basically free-floating on the surface of the water.
“You could think of it... as Laputa being connected to Atlantis... by an invisible rope. Simply put, Atlantis hangs below Laputa... by that rope.” Perhaps it was because she had the advantage of sitting on a floating sphere, but the Laputian king seemed wholly unconcerned about the worsening tremors. “And it seems that, as it were... Laputa can no longer... stay afloat.”
“How come?”
“The island has likely reached... the end of its natural life. And when it falls, so too shall Atlantis. That is what is written... in the ancient scripts.”
“What?!”
If Atlantis was essentially dangling from Laputa and Laputa went down, then yeah, Atlantis would go right down with it. And come to think of it, when we’d first told her that Atlantis was in danger of sinking, the king had said something about it involving Laputa... This must have been what she meant.
“How long do we have until Laputa falls?!”
The tremors weren’t stopping, but I at least wasn’t feeling the sense of weightlessness that came with rapid descent. Maybe, if the island was basically dying of old age like the king had said, it would be a slow fall?
“We cannot tell you precisely, but perhaps... about an hour?”
Just an hour? The Nyanyan we’d met at the bottom of the ocean had said that Atlantis sunk so suddenly that there wasn’t even time to prepare the ritual to return to the past... And it seemed like that was happening again.
“Damn it...!”
Moving all the Atlantians to Laputa had completely backfired on us. It had taken us the entirety of two days to move them all up here, so there was no way we could evacuate them all now before it was too late.
“Your Majesty! Is there no way to save Laputa?!”
“Let us think... Japan is not far from here. If we utilize all of the island’s propulsion system, we might be able... to make an emergency landing.”
“Then—”
“However... there is not enough time. Even if we hurry... land would be just out of reach.”
“No...”
The Laputian king informed us of the hopeless situation in a rather plain fashion.
“And we’d finally found... something new to research... in people. Alas, this is fate,” she said with a small sigh.
Maybe it was the wisdom and weight of all her years, but she looked so gallant in that moment.
“Hey, don’t chalk things up to fate so readily!”
But unfortunately for her, I wasn’t about to accept the end that easily.
“Your Majesty... You said that Atlantis’s connection to Laputa is like a rope, right?”
“That’s right.”
“And it’s Laputa that’s reached the end of its lifespan, so basically its ability to fly is fading, right?!”
“That’s also right...”
“Then...” I looked Nyanyan’s way and hesitated to say the rest out loud, but resolved myself and did it anyway. “If we cut the rope and drop the dead weight of Atlantis, will it make enough of a difference that Laputa might actually stay afloat until we reach Japan?”
“Rekka...?”
Nyanyan’s eyes went wide upon hearing my preposterous suggestion. Meanwhile, the Laputian king barely batted an eye.
“If we cut the rope, so to speak, it wouldn’t be impossible. We would simply have to destroy the island of Atlantis. However... we would have to do so within the next... fifteen minutes. Otherwise... our altitude will already be too compromised.”
“Roger that.” With a nod, I turned to Corona. “Corona, do you think you can do it?”
“I can try.”
“There’s no time. Please.”
Corona nodded and transformed into full Demon King mode before taking off and heading down towards Atlantis. Would she be able to destroy a whole island on her own? I had to start thinking of backup plans ASAP.
“Rekka...”
But in the midst of that, Nyanyan’s worried voice reached my ears. Silently, I turned to face her. She was looking up at me, her face pale and her eyes wavering.
“Is what you were saying true...? Are you really going to destroy Atlantis? Our homeland?”
“I’m sorry, Nyanyan...”
I couldn’t think of any way to save everyone here other than cutting Atlantis loose in order for Laputa to make it to land.
“...”
Yet even if that saved everyone, Atlantis was still Nyanyan’s home. Of course she’d be devastated over losing it. She might even argue against it or come to hate me over it. But even so, in order to save her story...
“Rekka,” R suddenly called out to me.
She had her hat pulled down over her eyes so her mouth was the only visible feature on her face. She’d been doing that and acting a little strange for a while now... I had a bad feeling about this.
“Please leave Laputa with all the heroines immediately. If you use all the airships on this island, most of the people of Atlantis can still be saved.”
“Wh-What...?”
R would make nasty comments about my progress on a story from time to time, but she’d never told me to straight-up abandon one before. I was kind of shaken to hear it, but she explained while continuing to keep her eyes hidden from me.
“Corona’s dark magic isn’t enough to destroy Atlantis. It might have been a different story if you had a large quantity of Tsumiki’s dark matter on hand... But fifteen minutes isn’t enough to prepare that.”
“What? But then...”
“Is your plan to make Satsuki use her Omniscient Magic to look up a strong spell like Divine Judgment and cast it to help out? She doesn’t have nearly as much mana as Messiah Kyandistrapps, you know. At most, she could use it once or twice. Do you remember how many times he had to use it to destroy that meteor? Or is your plan to ask Rachelle? Do you really think everyone can produce enough love energy for her in this dire a situation?”
R called me out on everything that had crossed my mind, leaving me at a complete loss for words. Wait, more importantly...
“Why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you forbidden from helping me with any stories?”
That’s what she’d told me in the past when I asked her for advice, but if that was really the case, it was breaking the rules for her to be telling me so plainly which plans would fail.
“The answer is simple: Nyanyan’s story is already over, so I’m free to give you all the advice I want,” she said in her usual matter-of-fact way.
But how could that be? There was no way Nyanyan’s story was over right now with Atlantis on the verge of destruction...
“What are you talking about, R?”
“I already congratulated you on completing it, didn’t I? Just think about it. What did I tell you when we first came to the past and met this Nyanyan?”
When we first got here? If I recalled correctly, she’d said that Nyanyan’s wish wasn’t to save Atlantis per se, but to do something about the coup... It was different than what the Nyanyan we’d met at the bottom of the ocean had wanted, so it changed our angle in pursuing her story here. But either way, I’d known Atlantis was going to sink and done what I could to try and save the people. I’d assumed it would all work out, but... No, it couldn’t be!
“The Namidare bloodline makes you the last hope of heroines who are stuck in desperate stories. Desperate, but not completely doomed. If you get caught up in a story, that means there’s still a chance of it being saved. And you did that here. You helped Nyanyan win the race and ascend the throne.” R paused for a moment before continuing. “And at that point, Nyanyan’s story was resolved. All the Nyanyan here in the past wanted you to do was help her take the crown. It didn’t involve the fate of Atlantis or Laputa or anything past that. In other words... You aren’t involved in a story right now.”
If I wasn’t involved in the story, that meant my bloodline didn’t apply... That meant that despite all the work I’d done, there wasn’t necessarily a chance it would make any difference. This part of what I’d thought was Nyanyan’s story was potentially doomed from the start. It was similar to what had happened with Lyun, but the difference here was that the story I thought I was trying to solve—Nyanyan’s wish to save the people of Atlantis—wouldn’t come to be for another thousand plus years. In short, I was out of my element. I was in over my head trying to change the past when it had nothing to do with my bloodline, which was why R was telling me to get out of Dodge. However...
“R, even if all that’s true, you know I’m not the type to just turn tail and run, right?”
She heard me, but didn’t answer.
“Even if I’m not involved in the story right now, I made a promise to save the people of Atlantis. So I’m not giving up until the bitter end!”
I declared my intentions clearly, but R just sighed.
“Well, I figured as much...” R raised her head and flashed a slightly more exasperated expression than usual before sighing again. “So, what are you going to do then? Even if you’re not going to give up, I can’t allow you to willingly walk into a romantic suicide pact, you know?”
Corona didn’t have enough firepower to destroy the island by herself... If R, with all of her abilities and insight from the future, said so, then I had no reason not to believe it. We had ten minutes left, tops. I began racking my brain for a quick way to come up with the additional firepower we were lacking.
“Ngh... Hngh...”
Before me, Nyanyan was moaning in anguish. There was no way of saving everyone other than destroying Atlantis. However, Atlantis was her homeland. It had been her whole life up until now. It had taken the Nyanyan we’d met at the bottom of the ocean over a thousand years of solitude to realize that she’d rather save her people than her kingdom, but the Nyanyan before us now was only a child. There was no way she’d be able to come to the same conclusion. But just then, Rain placed a hand against the worried girl gently.
“Nyanyan.”
“Rain...?”
“As a princess, I know how you must be feeling right now.”
Nyanyan turned to Rain, looking at her intently.
“Our decisions come with great responsibility, and sometimes that’s a frightening thing.”
“That’s right... I’m scared. Atlantis is our home. I know that we have to destroy in order to survive, but I’m still afraid... What if everyone hates me if I don’t stop Rekka? Our home... We’ll have nowhere to go. I’m scared, Rain!”
Nyanyan clung to Rain and spilled her heart to the mermaid princess, who hugged her softly in return.
“I know. I know it’s scary, Nyanyan... But sometimes, as leaders, we have to think ahead. Even if your decision brings sadness right now, as long as there’s a future, you’ll have an opportunity to regain all the happiness lost. I believe in that, Nyanyan. I believe in you,” Rain said, gently letting go of Nyanyan. “So what are you going to do?”
“I... I’m...” After a moment’s hesitation, Nyanyan turned my way. “Rekka... You said it before, right? That you came to save me?”
“Yeah, I did.”
But back then, she only asked me to do something about the coup d’état.
“Then, please.... Forget the kingdom! I beg of you, please save my people!” Nyanyan pleaded, clasping her hands together as if in prayer. “I finally understood earlier... I understood why my father was willing to use his own life to develop medicine for the people.”
If I’m not mistaken, her father, the previous king, had passed away from overusing the time-stitching technology to continuously return to the past in order to make medical advancements.
“He wanted to protect everyone. To a ruler, the people are like family... I was so very sad to be left behind, but...” Sadness filled Nyanyan’s eyes for a brief moment, but she raised her head and continued. “But when I saved those people who thanked me and when everyone welcomed me as the new king with such warm smiles, I finally understood why my father lived and died the way he did. I finally understand how great of a king he truly was. I want to be just like him. So, please, Rekka... Please save us!”
There, Nyanyan humbly bowed her head low. It seemed saving the people of Shangri-La had affected an incredible change of heart within her. The pampered princess grew into a real ruler. That little bit of life experience had opened up a whole new world for her. It was a shame that revelation was pointless now that everything was on the verge of destruction... is what someone else might have said. But to me, her words just now were all the more reason to try and save this place.
“Well, R?” I asked, turning to the girl from the distant future floating beside me.
She gave a small nod.
“As of this moment, you’re now involved in a new story. Feel free to go all out like usual.”
“You bet I will!”
Because Nyanyan’s feelings had evolved, her story was now being rewritten once more. And the fact that I was officially involved now meant there was a chance we could save it.
At times like these, my best strategy was to go over the current story in my head. What did I have at hand? What had already happened? What had I learned from it? With only five minutes left, I’d have to think fast. Time was running out.
But no matter how fast the clock was ticking, no matter how hopeless the situation seemed... I was going to do it! I was going to save everyone! I just had to come up with an idea!
“Oh...?”
That reminded me of something.
“...Wh-What?” Chirika asked in confusion when my determined gaze fell upon her.
▽
“Can’t you go any faster, Rachelle?!”
“Eep! This is angel abuse!”
“I’ll do whatever you want when we get back, so put up with it for now and try harder!”
“Didn’t you say that last time too?!” Rachelle screamed as she sped up.
It was a good thing she’d replenished her love energy during the race. Anyway, the sinking city and Corona firing off her dark magic at it eventually came into view.
“Corona!” I called.
“Is that you, young man?” she asked through ragged breaths.
Looking down from the air, I could see there were great holes all over Atlantis. She’d done a hell of a job, but it still wasn’t enough to demolish the island completely.
“Take a breather, Corona. Save your energy in case my plan fails and you need to clean up after me.”
“...What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to test my own greed,” I replied lightly as I reached into my shirt... and took out the Mask of Greed.
“That’s...!”
“If I become a demon, you two will have to stop me.”
Without any further ado, I put the mask on my face.
“...Guh?!”
The Mask of Greed was a cursed item that turned humans into demons. Furthermore, the mask absorbed greed in exchange for strength. The greedier the human, the stronger the demon. And the greed that I held was...
“Guh... Rrgh... Ugh!”
I groaned relentlessly. It felt like my head was being torn apart from the inside out. I could tell that the Mask of Greed was absorbing my greed and reconstructing my body with great power...
“R-Rekka...?” Rachelle called out, uncertain.
Come to think of it, she was still carrying me... I had kinda overlooked that. It was only a matter of time before my mind was taken over by the demon I’d become.
“Rachelle... drop... me...”
Of course, I meant on the island, but would she figure that out? Well, I guess I could trust the dumb angel at least that much.
“A-Are you sure? A fall from this height should kill a human.”
“It’s fine... Right now, I’m...”
I looked into Rachelle’s eyes from behind the mask and bared my fangs.
“...a demon.”
I said it in a voice so low that it surprised even me. Rachelle seemed to sense something and let out a small yelp as she tossed me into the air. I would have appreciated being thrown a little gentler, but whatever.
As I fell, I focused. While it was partly to get the timing of my landing on Atlantis right, there was a more important factor at play.
“Nuh... guh, ah... AAHH!”
I had to be aware. Aware of the true identity of the greed swirling within me, trying to pull me somewhere deep and dark. I concentrated on it with all my might. If it was weaker than I’d expected, I probably wouldn’t be able to break Atlantis apart. I’d probably just be crushed by the impact when I hit the ground.
So I focused. I focused for all I was worth and summoned the very roots of greed from my heart, offering them up in exchange for power.
“...!”
I opened my eyes. The land was closing in at a terrifying speed, but there was apparently already something inhuman about me. I was unnaturally calm. Finally, I recalled one last thing—what Chirika had said to me in Shangri-La.
“I’d call that greed rather than arrogance. You’re attempting to save everything yourself.”
She was right. I wanted to save everything and everyone. And for that, I felt a burning greed that consumed all else within me.
A magical childhood friend, a space princess, a sorcerer from another world, the poster child of a family restaurant, a guardian of the world below, a mythical beast that was deceived, a girl who shared my fate, a vampire with a hundred-year grudge, a homunculus whose destiny had been predetermined for her, a treasure hunter with a sick little brother she tried her best to take care of, a grieving mermaid, a gremlin space pirate, a lonely scientist, the president of a club that was on the verge of disbandment, an exorcist of a school president, a psychic who loved her friends like family, an idol with amnesia, a sealed-away Demon King, a spirit who had lost her little sister, a nekomata girl who was just looking for a home, a hungry fallen angel, a brilliant director in dire straits, a transforming superhero who needed a helping hand, a wayward nun, a wounded fairy, a samurai from the past, a cursed phantom thief, and a princess who just wanted to save her people... Just how many stories do you think I’ve desired to save until now?!
On top of that, I still had to prevent the War of All one day. I wanted to do that for the sake of R, L, the heroines, and everyone else who was part of the future. So take all of that, mask! Take my greed and give me strength!
As I clenched my fist, each and every muscle in my arm made a strange sound as it swelled almost explosively. I couldn’t see because of the mask, but I still had arms, right? Well, whatever. That didn’t even matter.
“RAAAAAAH!”
I slammed my fist into the ground below and felt it give way.