“”AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!””

“Asagao! Do something!”

“Higan! Do something!”

“”EH?!””

Wait wait wait!!!

Ah!

“Higan! Cast any wind magic below us! In the meantime, I’ll expand my barrier to the wall to decrease the speed of our fall!”

“OK!” 

“[Barrier!]”

I expand my barrier to the limit where it scrapes the wall surrounding us. If I expand further the wall might collapse. I kept the wall contact to my barrier decreasing our fall. I can finally see the bottom.

“Are you ready Higan?!”

“I am!!”

“…”

“..”

“NOW!”

“Gale Impact!”

Higan throws a punch with wind enhancement. The wind created a small whirlwind below us. The barrier sways with the whirlwind and bit by bit, we landed safely. Albeit with small scratches here and there, heal can do the trick!

“Guh!”

“Higan! Let me see your wounds!”

Eh…the skin on her hand and fingers are peeling off. It looks reaaaaally painful! I shouldn’t just stare at it.

I cast heal on it pouring more magic to further accelerate the process of regeneration. I mean, just looking at it makes me feel the pain too and Higan’s countenance is twisted in pain. Look on the bright side, no broken bones or anything.

“Thank you Asagao! I think that was really reckless of me trying something I am not familiar.”

“Hm? I really can’t blame you, we were in a desperate situation.”

“However, isn’t I who stepped on the trap?”

“That’s also inevitable. We both didn’t see that coming.”

“If you say so then I won’t say anything about it anymore. I’m fine now…”

“Ok…now…”

The question is…where is this place? I know it is somewhere in the mountains and we entered the cave earlier then fell in here…

But this place…

The ceiling is so high, there are crystals the gives off pale blue light that illuminates the whole place. This place is not really cave-like.

There is a large door in front of us.

We can go back up if we try really hard but…the thought of exploring a new place in a secret lair excites me!

But I think it would be better to go back and take Master and Alstroe. But part of me wants to go right now because Alstroe and master might kill the fun.

Uh…but the danger lies ahead… But the excitement! Hmmm…

CREAK

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“Asagao, it’s open.”

“OH! Let’s go!”

It can’t be helped now!~

Since Higan wants to go, I should go too as her friend!~

We walk towards the door and enter it.

What we saw is in another degree of dimension…

“”UWAAAAAAH!!!””

I don’t know how deep we have gone to but…deep inside this cave...

There is a small city. The houses are…futuristic?!

There are some towers erected everywhere. On top of it, there are some weird orbs that illuminate blue lights that dance around the tip of the tower.

There are also some skyscrapers?!

The ceiling is so high to accommodate these skyscrapers I think. There are some waters sprouting in some decorated fountains. There are even futuristic rail ways here and there. Is the ground paved? No, it’s cemented.

What the hell is with this futuristic post apocalyptic city setting!?

The area here is so large that this small city with so many futuristic things fits.

Although there plants that already withered away, some of the house destroyed, and some of the roads are blocked or in a sorry state, the whole place is still reeking awesomeness!

I mean, you don’t see something like this every day!

Even the books that I read back in the castle don’t have any information on something like this!

Y-Yeah…back in our world…I’m actually a fan of a futuristic post-apocalyptic setting of a story… and I can go bang bang or pew pew with a gun!

“Asagao! This! We found something really incredible!”

“Y-Yeah! Awawawa! I mean! Eh!? D-do you want to explore a bit Higan?!”

“I do! I do!”

“Let’s go!”

We walk down from the higher grounds to enter the city…

Oh my god! Oh my god! I’m really excited!  Higan is seething with excitement too! I mean, we are legit explorers right now!

I often see most of these in fictional stories and games, but seeing the real deal in a fantasy world like this! Even Higan is really interested as it is her first time seeing something like this!

We run around the whole city like a kid! Wait… we are…I am right now…biologically a child. Higan is a child too… We really don’t plan to play around too much!

The houses are crush by some rubble. There are actually no intact houses here. We can’t go pillaging like this!

There are light stands in every corner of the road. It’s really a modern city…no…much modern than our city. 

“Asagao, don’t you want to enter those tall houses?”

“Tall houses? Ah, you mean the skyscrapers?”

“Are they called like that? I didn’t know.”

“I want to enter that too, but, what if the whole thing falls down on us while we are still inside?”

“*shudder* that would mark our end!”

“Hmm…where can we go now I wonder?”

“How about we go to that big chapel like-house?”

“Oh! Let’s go!”

Higan knows about Chapel huh…

The building that she points is…a huge building but not tall…behind it is just the layer of a rock wall.

I wonder what could be inside…

The door is made of glass! Wow!

As we enter…

BZZT! BZZT!

WANG WANG WANG!

INTRUDER DETECTED! INTRUDER DETECTED! DEPLOYING COMBAT DRONES!

EH?! EH?!

The door behind us shuts firm with a metal door! The lights that are buzzing are red and like the police car light!

In the far side of the large room…I saw the sign…

ETHER TECHNICIANS UNDERGROUND RESEARCH LABORATORY.

AH?!

After the loud alarm goes off, egg shape-like robots with one eye come out from the left side of the spacious room. About…thirty of them…

“Asagao! I’ll bombard it!

"[Icicle!]”

CLANG

The drones have shields?!

“Asagao! I failed to destroy the enemy! Next command! I’m out of battle points!”

“Fufufuf…Higan! In situations of uncertainty, there is one strategy that is the most effective given the circumstances.”

“W-what is this strategy Asagao?!”

“…”

“…”

“We run!”

.

.

.

“”UOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!””

“Keep running until we lose them!”

“Asagao! This is the strategy that you thought up?!”

“What do you want me to do!? Throw myself there?!”

BZZT! BZZT!

PING!

FWIP!

FWIP!

They start bombarding us with lasers and electrical charge! That’s not fair! They are also shooting us with weird blue beams!

Dodge Dodge Dodge!

“Less yapping, more running!”

“Higan! There is smoke rising from your tail!”

“NOOOO!”

“Let’s run faster!”

“”UOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!”

.

.

.

After turning here and there, we lost them…I think…

“”Haah…Haah…Haah…””

“What are those?!”

“Eh…don’t ask me…I’m just a secluded princess weeks ago.”

“Ehehehe! Then I’m a shut in for my whole life! Although I go to the capital, I basically never knew anything about the world!”

“Why are you boasting that?!”

“Ehehehe! I really feel alive right now Asagao!”

“Well, if we screw up, then you won’t feel alive anymore.”

“Hehehe…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Asagao, have you ever tried kissing someone?”

“Where is that question coming from? Well…I guess not. Why?”

“I want to try it for once.”

“…”

“Asagao…do you want…to try it?”

WHAT?!

Think of the time place and occasion!

The offer is tempting but!

Why now?!

Do you think we will die here?!

I refuse it! I don’ want to die here! I am previously a man, a virgin no less. But… it doesn’t feel right!

I mean, even with this body, if you ask me if I like boy or girl. I would definitely say, girl! But there are more important things to do right now!

“Higan…you do realize that…what you are asking is wrong.”

“I know. But…you know Asagao…the curiosity about it sprang at me abruptly so I can’t help but ask for it.”

“Well…”

“It’s just a girl to girl kiss. It’s not considered our first time!”

“That notion itself is really wrong.”

“Hmm…then I will stop if Asagao doesn't want to.”

Well… that’s a relief I guess. 

Weirdest things come to Higan’s mind sometimes. This one this time is really outrageous.

Well…right now…yes…priority…

The place we are right now is… a lab?

There are papers that are scattered here and there. The books are stacked.

While looking around, I saw a set of documents that have a stamp saying “top secret”

Wow…people here actually use this kind of phrase…

I open it…

The contents are…

World Domination with the use of Ether Technologies imbued with Magic.

Plan for encroachment of our militaristic might set to Phase A.

Developing ether technologies for warfare that will be used for dominating the land of the humans.

We have already deployed thousands of Magic-equipped ether golems. The first city was obliterated to ashes, however, a report says a human was rescued by a white dragon.

Pursuing of the runaway was terminated. Proceeding to Phase B, the liberation of the human race and conquering the land for resources. The plan will be reported back to the main land. Immediate delivery to the headquarters for approval of---

The page was ripped off…

What the hell?!