“If ya think you can knock ’em down by throwin’, just go ahead!” said the man.
“Feast your eyes on the essence of muscle magic.” I focused all my attention on my fist. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. No thoughts. No consciousness. “…Phew.”
I cleared my mind and locked my eyes on the prizes lined up on the shelf. I wound up…and threw.
In the next instant, a thunderous sound filled the area. The shock wave created by the bullet exceeding the speed of sound didn’t just blow away all of the prizes lined up on the shelf, it also blew away the shelf itself. Yeah, that was a good hit.
“Wh-what in the world was that…?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Muscle magic.” While the man running the stall was stunned, I selected only the prizes that I needed and put them in the bag of holding at my waist. “I don’t want the rest of ’em. Don’t need ’em.”
If I took all the prizes home with me, then the guy would probably be out of business.
“Th-thanks?” said the man.
Then I returned to the three girls. “Here ya go.”
First, I gave Ashley the red hippopotamus plushie she’d wanted.
“Th-thank you…”
“Yep.” She was surprisingly proper when it came to this kind of thing. She must’ve been raised well. Maybe my thoughts were showing on my face or something, because Ashley quickly turned away from me. “D-don’t get the wrong idea or anything! It’s not like you’re gonna win me over so easily with this!”
I guessed she wasn’t quite as simple as Filia.
“But your likability is rising rapidly!”
So maybe a little simple.
“Anyway… The more I look at it, the cuter this stuffed animal gets!” she exclaimed, and happily hugged it.
If she was that happy, then it was worth the effort! Next, I turned to Loli Loli.
“Loli Loli, I have this for you. Here.”
I handed her the figure that looked like some kind of twisted screw. It looked like a work of art, but…it also kinda looked like junk.
“Wow! Thank you!” she exclaimed, hopping around happily. Then, she gently patted the figure. “Such an incredible form! The deviation value is so high!”
“I-I see.”
I had absolutely no clue what she was talking about. But judging from the look on her face, she certainly seemed happy. I had no idea what that figure was worth, but if it made Loli Loli happy, then I was glad. I wanted the festival to end on a high note for her.
At last, the stalls closed.
We gathered in front of the Fire God idol once again.
“The festival was super fun! I just couldn’t help but get totally carried away with excitement!” said Loli Loli.
“Your village has a completely different way of celebrating than mine does. It was quite a lot of fun,” said Filia.
“It was a great festival,” I added.
Ashley seemed happy to hear it. “I know, right? Oh, the prayer is about to begin! From this point on, please listen quietly.” She held her finger up to her mouth.
“We’ll now offer a prayer to Fire God. Everyone, please listen quietly!” called Moichi, now clad in red clothing. He’d changed at some point when we weren’t looking. He now stood with the villagers, facing the Fire God idol.
“Long ago, in ancient times…before humanity appeared in this world, there existed Five Great Gods,” said Moichi. He spoke in a deep voice, light-years from the cheerful, casual way he’d spoken up until this point.
“The Five Gods, with their merciful, benevolent hearts, created us—the five races. The Water God made the mer-people, the Wind God made the elves, the Earth God made the dwarves, the Lightning God made the beastmen, and the Fire God made humans. We, born of the Five Gods, have recognized one another as brothers and sisters, cooperated with one another, and have lived in peace together. For a time there were also other living creatures, ‘animals,’ which are now almost completely extinct.”
I wondered if the wind had started blowing, because the Fire God idol was gently swaying.
“However, those happy days were shattered when the Dark God appeared. The Dark God created monsters and majin, the beings from the so-called race of demons. These wicked creatures antagonized the five races, and chaos engulfed the world. The Five Gods were unhappy with this turn, and they challenged the Dark God in battle. The power of the Dark God was incredible, but the Five Great Gods succeeded in striking and destroying their foe. However, the Five Gods also suffered terrible wounds, and they disappeared. But thanks to their sacrifice, the demons lost their power, and the world was once again at peace.”
Moichi paused for a moment and looked back at us.
“Everyone! Let us express our deepest gratitude to the gods who created us and who protect the world! I ask for a minute of prayer.”
A minute. During that time, no one uttered a word. There was only silence.
“Thus concludes our prayers to the Five Gods.”
After bowing to the Fire God idol, Moichi tossed the red robe he was wearing into the flames. That was probably the signal for the end of the ceremony, because after that, Moichi seemed like he was back to his usual self.
“Phew! I was so nervous.”
But the villagers cheered him on.
“That was great!”
“Hey, you did pretty good for your first time!”
Moichi walked over to Loli Loli. His relaxed expression stiffened once again. “I’m really sorry to have spoken ill of you, Loli Loli—and of your god. It’s a tradition that’s been passed down from generation to generation, so it’s not like we can change the words so easily.”
Come to think of it, I had heard something like that before about how the majin were born from the Dark God. I wondered what Loli Loli thought about that.
“It’s okay! It was refreshing to hear something different from what my father is always telling me!” she replied. It seemed like she didn’t mind at all.
Actually, if anything, her mental fortitude really was incredible. Something to shoot for myself, maybe!
“Thanks,” said Moichi, “I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, wait a minute!” said Ashley. “The festival’s still not over! There’s still one thing left to do!”
“Oh, yeah! That’s right! It’s not a festival if you don’t see that!” replied Moichi.
Huh, so there was still some kind of attraction left.
“What is ‘that’?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” said Ashley, gazing at the idol. “Watch. And don’t take your eyes off of it.”
The red robe that Moichi had thrown into the fire was already half gone. It was burning, burning, and…finally was nothing but ash. At that moment, flames erupted from the Fire God idol. The flames shot skyward and instantly stretched out high into the heavens, illuminating the village as brightly as daylight.
“It’s just fantastic, isn’t it?” Ashley murmured.
“Yeah!” said Loli Loli. “It’s just like fwwooooom! Whoooosh!”
“He he, I know, right? There’s nothing like seeing a good flame burning, it’s just the best!”
If someone heard Ashley say that out of context, they’d think she was nuts.
Anyway, as flames continued to roar, the Fire God idol gradually grew smaller and smaller, and eventually, the flames vanished.
“And now the festival is over. Did you have fun?” asked Ashley.
“I did!” said Loli Loli. “It’s really a shame that I’ve gone so long without knowing anything about this! It makes me want to ask myself, just what the heck have I been doing with the years I’ve been living?!”
Filia nodded. “It was a wonderful festival. Everyone in the village is so kind too. It’s a nice place.”
“I really had fun,” I added.
“Good, I’m glad to hear that,” said Ashley, smiling, seeming relieved at our reactions.
“Whoooooooo!” Moichi shouted in a voice that carried across the village. “All right, everyone! Eat and drink all ya want! Time to begin the feast after the festival!”
The noise and excitement didn’t die down, even late into the night.