Last Period/Knights Collab Area 2-2: The Knights' Mission

[shivalries]

Area 2-2: The Knights' Mission

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Ritsu: *yawn*... A whole new world, but the same nice and cozy sleep...

I wonder if everyone's had breakfast already. I hope they left some for me.

...Hm? Something smells really good... Is that...?

Hansel: ...Oh no, how did Gretel do this again?

I remember it was pretty different from the Mistress' recipe. Maybe I'll ask her to give me a revised version when she comes back.

Ritsu: Don't mind if I do~

Hansel: Waugh! Oh, Ritsu-san... Good morning.

Ritsu: Mornin'... Mmm, it tastes pretty good. Even better than yesterday.

I think this is good enough already. Something still bothering you?

Hansel: Well, I've discovered I can bake fairly well, but as for everything else...

Ritsu: Oh, I get it... it is a patisserie, after all. Can't run one with just any old cake.

Hansel: Flavoring aside, the decorations are the worst part...

The designs can only be found inside my sister's head. There's no way to just replicate what she's done.

Ritsu: Why not just go with what you feel like? No need to get hung up on that.

Hansel: Gretel advertises her cakes as both cute and delicious. I want to make sure they look nice...

Ritsu: It might be best to ask Nacchan about it, then.

Hansel: What do you think of the taste?

Ritsu: Ah, sorry. I wanna wake up a little more before I give it a proper taste-test. Got any soda on you?

Hansel: Soda? Sorry, I don't think so. No one drinks that here...

I don't really like how it feels on my throat.

Ritsu: To each their own~ I like it, but it's fine if you don't have any.

I'll go get Nacchan, and then we can start tasting stuff.

—-

A little while before Ritsu woke up



Leo: There's a whole world outside and we're not out there... I'm so boooored...

Tsukasa: I know, but we are not allowed to leave at the moment. Let us wait until Levi-san returns with a report.

Izumi: This whole thing rubs me the wrong way. It's our problem! Don't you think we're wasting time just sitting on our butts here?

Tsukasa: ...Sena-senpai, you have been to this world before, yes?

Could I ask you to describe your experience in greater detail?

Izumi: What's there to say? A Spiral summoned us here.

I think Spirals come from really deep despair, or something...?

Normally, it wouldn't have anything to do with us, but by some strange chance, despair from our world came over here.

Arashi: Some strange chance? Like what?

Izumi: I dunno. Just last time I was here, it turned out the Spiral was born from the despair of one of our fans.

So we guessed that it called us here for help.

That's why if a Spiral called us here, we're the only ones who can save it. We can't leave that to anybody else.

There has to be some significance to our arrival here.

...At least, that's what Sakuma said.

Leo: Mmm? Rei was here too?

Izumi: All of Trickstar and UNDEAD were.

Arashi: Why didn't you ever mention it before, Izumi-chan?

Izumi: I forgot all about it. Time didn't pass in our world while I was here, and my memories of it were hazy.

I just thought I'd just dreamed it all up.

Leo: So this really is a dream?

Arashi: But we can taste food and feel pain, right? We also slept through the night yesterday... Can we really say that's a dream?

Tsukasa: Perhaps this means that no matter how long we stay here, it will have no bearing on us in the real world?

Izumi: Possibly, but that doesn't mean we can just ignore our mission here.

Tsukasa: That is precisely my concern... Is our mission here truly to take down that Spiral?

Izumi: Kasa-kun, were you even listening? What else could it be?

Tsukasa: The concept of "idols" is not even in the public consciousness here yet.

We should proclaim our greatness far and wide, and set the foundations of idol culture here.



Would this not be the mission that we have been given?

Izumi: Where did you get THAT from?

Tsukasa: Why, you said it yourself, Sena-senpai—there is meaning to our arrival in this universe.

What could be more meaningful than this?

We shall make it known to the denizens of this world that there exist idols who surpass even Trickstar and UNDEAD!

Arashi: There goes his competitive streak again...

Leo: If we have to purify Spirals by performing, then that means we need to get a good stage!

Instead of singing a capella on the streets, it'd be way more fun to pull out all the stops in a huge concert dome!

Izumi: Well, I won't stop you.

Arashi: (I know we should really get down to business if we want to get back home, but...)

Tsukasa: Narukami-senpai? Is something the matter?

Arashi: ...Oh no, it's nothing. So anyway, I guess we have to start setting up for a concert?

Izumi: I'll leave that to you guys. There's somewhere I wanna stop by first.

✵✵✵✵✵
Downtown Wisebury

(Leo and Izumi ask around Wisebury for information)



Leo: Something feels off...

Izumi: When there's so much despair in a world that Spirals start to appear, don't you think war and poverty would be everywhere too?

But everyone we run into seems pretty carefree.

Hey, Leo-kun! We don't have time for detours!

Leo: Go on ahead, Sena! I'll catch up later.

Izumi: Catch up...? Do you even know where I'm going? —Fine, I'm leaving you behind, then!



—-

Arc End HQ



Levi: My, if it isn't Izumi-chan! What's the matter?

Izumi: You were taking forever to come back, so I came to you instead, duh?

Levi: Oh my goodness, did you really miss me so much you couldn't stand it any longer?

Being this beautiful should be a crime...

Izumi: So? Any leads?

Levi: Oooh, somebody's impatient... Sorry, but Arc End hasn't gotten any new info on the Spiral from yesterday.

But don't you worry—once we can open up a proper investigation, we'll catch the little rascal before you know it!

The people here wouldn't be able to relax and go about their daily lives if there are Spirals lurking around.

Izumi: How long is that investigation supposed to take?

Levi: It depends. Sometimes we'll find it in a day, sometimes it'll take one or two months.

Izumi: We don't have that kind of time.

Levi: Not much we can do about it. There's still so much we don't know.

Izumi: ...That Spiral's been going after pastry chefs, right?

It showed up when Naru-kun and the others were making sweets. So we can just—

Levi: No, we can't. That would put you all in danger.

Izumi: We know it's dangerous. But we can't get back home unless we defeat that Spiral.

So help us out, will you?

—-



Izumi: Leo-kuuuuun! How long are you gonna play around?

Leo: Oh, finished already?

Well, I better get going before that scary man over there gets veeeery angry at me. Gloopy-gloop~

Child: Thanks, mister! Gloop gloop~

Izumi: They understand Otherworld-ese...?

Leo: Wahahah! I taught them how to speak it!

Izumi: And here I was gathering info...

Levi: Aw, let him be. The kids looked like they were having so much fun.

Feels like it's been forever since I last heard laughter in this city.

Leo: I wasn't just playing around, either, you know?

Thanks to those kids, I thiiink I have a picture of what this world's like.

Izumi: Was my explanation not good enough for you? How many times have I told you this stuff already?

Leo: But you make it all sound so complicated!

Izumi: *sigh*... Whatever. We figured out what we have to do now, so let's get back, okay?

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