Knock knock!
"Ikki-senpai, may I come in?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Excuse me."
After we decided on the amusement park trip, we each went back to our rooms to get ready. While I was doing some light research on my laptop, Koneko-chan knocked and stepped into the room.
"Are you already ready to go, Koneko-chan?"
I mean, it's not like we needed to pack much, so it's only been a few minutes since we split up.
"Yes! I'm all set! …Were you looking something up?"
She peeked over at my screen as she asked.
"Yeah. I was just trying to decide which amusement park to go to. I thought maybe something popular like that mouse-themed park in Chiba would be a good idea. Do you have anywhere in mind?"
"In that case, I saw something on TV about a park that's been gaining a ton of popularity recently. Supposedly, it used to be completely empty up until about six months ago. But ever since the new manager took over and revamped it, it's turned into a massively popular theme park."
Oh? That's impressive. So it's the hot spot right now, huh?
"Alright then! Let's go there."
=====================
After asking Koneko-chan for the name, I looked it up and decided to teleport us to a spot nearby. A bit lazy, maybe, but efficient. We passed through the main gates of the park.
According to the brochure, their catchphrase is: "Fairies from a magical land have come to delight you and bring dreams and hope!"
But just one glance around tells me this park is full of beings that clearly aren't human.
All the staff, who you'd normally expect to be wearing costumes, are very obviously not in costume. Is that their actual form!? Are they just working like that!?
"Ikki-senpai? Something wrong?"
"Ah, not really. I was just caught off guard by the staff. I mean… not to sound weird telling a devil this, but didn't it bother you at all?"
"Isn't this normal? Last year, the Occult Research Club hired an actual Youkai to run a haunted house for the school festival. President Rias handled it."
…What the hell, Rias!? That weird vibe I felt from the old school building back then, so that's what it was!?
I know it's the Occult Research Club and all, but hiring real Youkai for a public school festival!? Seriously!?
The first thing that caught our eye was a shop called the "Candy House," featuring the park's main mascot. At first, I thought it was just a fancy sweets store, but turns out it's actually a shooting game where you "defend the kitchen" from mischievous rats.
Apparently, if you beat the harder levels, the prize sweets get more extravagant. After hearing the rules, Koneko-chan immediately chose the highest difficulty, above Easy < Normal < Hard, called "Insane Mode."
Insane Mode?
That seems kinda… off-brand for a family park.
"Alright, one ticket for Insane Mode! Please select your weapon!"
Clank!!
Behind the receptionist, I'd assumed there were just toy water guns hanging on the wall. But when she flipped a hidden panel, a full armory of military-grade-looking weapons appeared.
"Assault rifles offer automatic fire but require manual reloads. Pistols allow for continuous shooting without reloading but require greater accuracy. Gunshots, smoke, and recoil are all realistically simulated. Please don't point the guns at other guests. Now, which will you choose?"
…This is still the Candy House, right? The shooting part's supposed to be the side game, right?
Why does it feel like we're about to enlist!?
Koneko-chan picked an assault rifle. I went with a pistol and we entered the "kitchen battlefield."
"Let's do our best, Ikki-senpai. The fancy sweets are on the line."
Driven by the promise of sugar, Koneko-chan dove in with intense focus. From all corners of the futuristic rat base (the kitchen and pantry), rats jumped out and fired back with their own weapons.
…Aren't they supposed to be the targets!?
Also, apparently we were fitted with bulletproof vests, getting hit results in point deductions.
Oh, and a rat in a missile-equipped robot suit showed up too.
Koneko-chan used her agility to push forward through the chaos, mowing down enemies. I followed behind, using precise shots to clean up any she missed.
Explosions lit up the halls behind us. Gunfire echoed through the narrow corridors. The smell of gunpowder filled the air.
Finally, we made it to the goal.
"Haa… it's over… What the hell was that!?"
Other than the first few, I headshotted every single target. We were sprinting full speed, minds and muscles running with all limits removed. I was exhausted. My head was pounding.
They weren't kidding with "Insane Mode."
We posed for a commemorative photo with a disturbingly sturdy-looking mascot and received a deluxe candy set as our prize.
"Sorry, Koneko-chan. I'm a little worn out… How about we go there next?"
I pointed to a nearby building styled like a whimsical music theater. Maybe we could finally rest for a bit, music is supposed to be relaxing, after all.
"Okay, let's go."
Koneko-chan agreed, and we headed inside. When I opened the door, we were blasted with deafening noise. Apparently the walls were soundproof.
On stage, a metalhead sheep mascot (non-human) and a band of humans were rocking out. The audience was all headbanging in unison.
[Aw! Aw! Aw! OHH YEAH BABYEEEEE!!]
SLAM!
"…Let's go somewhere else, Koneko-chan."
"If you say so, Ikki-senpai… It did seem fun, though."
Sorry, but with my current condition, full-on headbanging isn't an option.
Next, we headed to "Flower Adventure," which the brochure said featured a pink cat-like mascot (actually a dog, apparently) and lots of floral displays.
"Shall we move on?"
"Yes. Though I feel something extremely lewd… like Issei-senpai."
I… don't know what she's sensing, but I think it's best to stay far away from that place. Feels like we'd be peeking into some industry secrets we weren't meant to see.
Finally, we found a normal attraction, a stage performance with the elemental spirits of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. They acted out a short play and performed dances along with a narrated story.
"Ohh~ If Issei saw those spirits, he'd probably be jumping with joy."
"Hmph… They are very cute, I'll admit."
Koneko-chan got a bit grumpy at my indirect compliment toward the spirit girls, but… hey, I've got some memories tied to a water spirit I met in that familiar forest too.
[And thus, with the help of the spirits, peace returned to the forest.]
All four spirits struck a final pose in sync, well, almost. The earth spirit was off by a beat the whole time, but honestly, that just made it charming.
It was noon by the time we finished watching, so we grabbed some lunch.
"This croquette! The breading is crispy yet light, the filling balanced with just the right blend of flavors. And the juicy meat brings it all together in perfect harmony!"
Koneko-chan suddenly launched into full-on food critic mode.
The food overall was good, but the Princess Croquette, one of the park's signature dishes, was on another level.
Apparently it was handmade by a "princess from the magical kingdom." No idea what that means, but hey, it tasted great.
After lunch, our first stop was "Planet Dinosaur," where you explore the Mesozoic Era and learn about prehistoric life, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous, through life-sized animatronics.
[At the end of the Cretaceous, a giant meteor struck, wiping out nearby dinosaurs instantly. Dust clouds blanketed the sky, ushering in an ice age. The remaining dinosaurs gradually succumbed to hunger and cold, perishing one by one…]
…Wow. That narration was grim.
I know extinction is part of the story, but couldn't they have delivered it with a bit more tact!?
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