Chapter 325: Penacony Arc 『 Part Twenty 』, The Double-Decade Warp of the Penacony
「 "You should get your eyesight checked. Are you sure March 7th looks like this?" Stelle said, her voice laced with exasperation.
"…My name is Hotaru, an artist from the Iris Family." Hotaru offered a brief, polite introduction.
"Oh! I see, I see! I was thinking—it hasn't been that long, but Miss March sure has changed a lot." Sampo chuckled heartily, brushing off the awkwardness. After his own introduction, he gestured enthusiastically, eager to take the two of them to experience some 'adult entertainment.'
"…Adult entertainment?" For a moment, Hotaru couldn't quite process the suggestion.
"Looks like I hit the nail on the head! Come on, you two—let old Sampo show you the wonders of the adult world!" 」
「 ..... 」
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"Ohhh, IS IT FINALLY HAPPENING—!?"
Beer foam splattered across the wooden table of the Adventurer's Guild as Kazuma suddenly slammed his hands down and bolted upright. He stared fixedly at the projection in the sky, his eyes locked onto Sampo's slick, oily grin.
"A-dult… en-ter-tain-ment!"
He enunciated every syllable with a trembling fervor, his fingers gripping the wooden mug handle until it creaked.
"When you come to a dream world, this is the kind of dream you're supposed to have! Sampo, you magnificent bastard, you really know how to live! And to think he didn't forget to invite Stelle along… truly a brother-in-arms forged in the fires of Belobog!"
"Heh~"
Aqua covered her mouth, letting out a long, cold sneer. She looked Kazuma up and down with a gaze full of undisguised contempt.
"You… honestly, you can only find an outlet for these delusions in your dreams, can't you?"
"This… this is a critical observation!"
Kazuma wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth.
"As the party leader, I have a duty to understand the current state of Penacony's entertainment industry…"
Before he could finish, Sampo's voice from the sky added a follow-up:
"Don't you worry, Miss Hotaru! These are all strictly wholesome activities that fully comply with public order and good morals!"
"…"
The fiery atmosphere that had just ignited in the Guild plummeted to absolute zero in an instant.
"—D-Damn it all!"
With a heart full of profound grief, Kazuma slammed the table again.
"Sampo! How does Stelle have a friend as straight-laced as you!? This is a travesty! A total disappointment!"
—
「 The trio arrived at the lower level of Penacony's commercial district. Sampo finally revealed their destination: The Peppy Pepeshi's Salon.
Sampo was a regular here and wanted to take Stelle and Hotaru inside for some fun. Unfortunately, entry required a VIP card, and Stelle, much to her lack of surprise, was barred at the door.
"What's the deal?" Stelle shot an unimpressed look at Sampo.
"Easy now, don't panic! Let old Sampo think of something… Oh, I've got it!" Struck by a sudden inspiration, Sampo convinced the Pepeshi security guard to help him retrieve a few items: "A Moment of Betrayal," "A Cloud of Doubt," and "Everlasting Hatred."
Sampo remained cryptic about what these items actually were. Once the guard returned with them, Sampo led the girls to a television set, claiming he had something fun to show them.
With a beaming smile, Sampo turned his gaze toward Stelle. "I say, sister, why don't you try touching it? See what happens?"
"Are you trying to set me up?" Stelle eyed him with deep suspicion.
Hotaru also sensed something fishy and was about to intervene, but Sampo countered smoothly: "This is a Family artifact; what could possibly go wrong? But hey, if you're not up for it, no biggie—I'll do it—"
Both of them looked toward Stelle—actually, it was three people—including the big-nosed, sunglass-wearing cool guy currently twitching on the screen.
Left with no other choice, Stelle reached out and touched the TV.
In a flash of blinding white light…
Stelle vanished. In her place stood a knee-high, sunglass-wearing cool guy who let out a very cool "Hmph." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Boardtop World, Disboard〜
"…Ah."
Inside an inn in Elkia, Shiro opened her red eyes slightly, letting out a small gasp of wonder.
In the sky, the chibi-fied version of Stelle was pacing back and forth. With her short limbs and oversized sunglasses, her movements were frame-y and rhythmic, looking exactly like a character from an old-school fighting game.
"Ohhh!"
Sora's eyes widened with excitement.
"That effect is incredible! This goes way beyond the scope of a sensory game! Is she going to fight as a mini-character? Or is it an adventure? Surely it's not an MMORPG?"
"Sampo… is a bad man. He has a scheme."
"You're overthinking it, Shiro."
Sora ruffled his sister's hair with a grin.
"What kind of 'scheme' could a Masked Fool have in Penacony? At most, they turn themselves or others into a punchline for the laughs, but they won't do anything truly out of line."
Sora rested his chin in his hand, deep in thought.
"Speaking of which, this Sampo feels a bit off. Not only did he fail to recognize March 7th, but he called Stelle 'sister'? Did he ever use that term back in Belobog?"
—
「 Sampo immediately lost his composure, his smirk harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK- 47.
"..Oh, my!"
"Wait, what..." Hotaru was equally stunned. "How did you end up like this!?"
Though Stelle could only manage a very cool Hmph, she could fortunately change back via the TV. Sampo asked her to clear the game inside, promising a mysterious prize at the end.
The game wasn't difficult. When Stelle finally reverted to her human form, she held a pair of doughnut-shaped handcuffs called "A Moment of Freedom."
This was the final ingredient Sampo had mentioned. The trio headed to Dr. Edward's to experience a dream Sampo had visited the previous night—a personalized Dream Bubble customized with various emotional prototypes.
The items Sampo had the guard fetch were precisely for this purpose.
Once the Dream Bubble was generated, Stelle and Hotaru entered the dream together, finding themselves in the clinic of Belobog's Underworld.
The clinic was deserted, save for a note on the desk: Become the Garbage King, though the trash bags have long been broken
"What a strangely familiar piece of advice…"
Sampo's voice echoed within the dream: "Don't sweat the details—if you ask me, you should head outside and take a look. Just try not to be too shocked!"
Hearing this, Stelle stepped out of the room, only to find the streets of the Underworld teeming with… trashcans. 」
「 ..... 」
〜A Certain Magical Index World〜
"PFFT—!!"
Shirai Kuroko sprayed her black tea all over the dormitory carpet. She clutched the sleeve of Misaka Mikoto's pajamas, her shoulders shaking violently.
"Onee-sama!"
Kuroko's voice trembled with laughter.
"Hahaha… why do the trashcans have arms and legs!? And they're in gold, silver, and bronze? Hahaha… Sampo's dream is way too much fun!"
Misaka Mikoto's mouth also twitched.
"Could this be related to Stelle's subconscious? I remember back in Belobog, she had a real thing for rummaging through trashcans… maybe deep down, she really does want to rule over all the bins in Belobog? I'm not sure, but this dream is unexpectedly epic."
With a sudden teleportation, Kuroko's head was resting on Mikoto's lap in the next second, rubbing against her with a blissful expression.
"Onee-sama, why don't we watch this tonight? It's way more entertaining than those boring third-rate movies~"
"I suppose we could."
Sparks of electricity flickered near Mikoto's bangs.
"But only if you get off my lap first."
—