Chapter 15: Chapter 14

“It’s going to happen any minute now, right?”
“Yep. And this is a great spot for it, trust me.”
“Umm, I’m still not sure I understand what is happening?”

Yuuji, Ayumi and Hibiki stood at the edge of one of Helios’ public parks, overlooking the sea beside them.

Yuuji had given Hibiki her phone, and as part of showing her how to use it (along with somewhat figuring it out himself) he’d got Ayumi’s number, and they decided today would be the day to have a tour around Heliopolis, the academy island.

If ‘island’ was an appropriate name for it.

*bzzt!*

“Uwawa!”
“Woah, what’s this?”
“Ahh, there it is.”

All three of their phones buzzed simultaneously, causing some shock with the two less technologically able.

They each pulled their phones out in turn, only to be greeted by a closeup live feed of a cute little snout with twitching whiskers and an adorable mask-like fur pattern.

“This is your two-minute warning! Put down any hazardous or fragile objects, Heliopolis is setting sail!*

*bzzt.*

“W-What was that delightful creature!?”
“Oh. I suppose you’ve not met him yet. That’s Ji-Hye’s spirit, her ferret familiar Pajeon.”
“P-Pajeon?”
“It means ‘Scallion Pancake’.”
“Pancake…”

Hibiki’s eyes shone like stars in supernova as she inspected every inch of the little metal device in her hands.

“Pancake isn’t here right!? Where do I find him!?”
“He’ll be with Ji-Hye right now, and I’m sure they’re busy with preparations. But we can see them later.”
“Yes! We absolutely must!”

She brought her face right up to his with tremendous fervour, causing him to take a step back in fear.

“Y-Yeah, we can go see her soon. If you’re happy with that Ayumi?”
“Haa… Pajeon sure is cute, but I struggle to deal with Ji-Hye. Sometimes it’s like she’s speaking a totally different language…”

Ayumi wore a distant gaze as memories of some past trauma re-emerged.

“My sister…”

Yuuji, deeply empathising with her pain, rested his hand on her shoulder and fought back tears. He had known Ji-Hye for over a decade, but she and Ayumi had been in his grandfather’s care for as long as he could remember.

Knowing Ji-Hye, she had almost certainly roped Ayumi into many pointless, confusing trials, such as ‘Just accept my group request and stand there!’ or ‘Log in daily, and send me gems!’. It was rare for him to have access to phones or computers during his free time growing up, but whenever he did she would always somehow find how to contact him for bizarre reasons.

Just then, a horn sounded, and the ground beneath their feet rumbled.

“Wha-!? Is this what we’re waiting for!?”
“That’s right, it’s time!”
“...This is pretty exciting.”

Yuuji had only experienced a few earthquakes in his life, and they had been very minor. Even though he knew what was happening and it was safe, it still made his heart pump a little.

Huge waves rippled into the ocean below them, as from the ground beneath their feet a gigantic plate of metal emerged, coupled with the clattering of a colossal chain somewhere under the island.

*THUNK* *THUNK*

More giant plates emerged as they locked together smoothly, leaving hardly a trace that they were ever separate in the first place.

The ocean waves rushed back in to fill the empty space that had been left, and for just a second there was a feeling that they had sunken a metre or two below where they were before.

“Woah-!”
“Uwa!!”
“Hehe, it’s pretty unusual your first time, right?”

The sounds around them settled briefly before the wind started to rush in from the side.

“We’re… moving?”
“That’s right!”

Hibiki was right to be surprised.

Humanity’s wonder of technology, ‘Heliopolis’, was not just a man-made island. It was a mobile island.

A giant fortress on the sea, housing the hope for the future - Phoenix Academy’s trainee demon killing all-stars. Built with a town and even methods of food production on board, it had been made to imitate a small island jam-packed with the latest that technology had to offer.

“Haa~... Yuu! Mimi!”

A long, weary yawn came out from behind them, and they turned to see Ji-Hye lumbering their way like a zombie.

“Ji-Hye? Aren’t you busy managing Helios’ movement systems right now?”
“I left… Haa~... Pajeon in charge. He told me you three were here.”
“So he’s not here right now…”

Ignoring Hibiki’s downcast eyes, Yuuji sighed.

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“Isn’t it a pretty important job?”
“He can handle it~! He’s basically a super AI. Besides, it’s far too early for me to deal with that kind of stress…”
“What kind of life are you living where 6 pm is early…”

It was Ayumi’s turn to quip as the Ishitake siblings joined their minds, sharing a collective dubious look at the girl who was swaying on her feet, barely keeping awake.

“At least treat him to something once he’s finished. Matter of fact, we were actually about to have a tour around town if you wanted to join us? Hibiki here is very excited to meet little Jeon too.”
“Mmn! Coffee~!”

Yuuji looked at Ayumi helplessly as she gave a reluctant nod.

“...We’ll stop at a café first.”

******

“Fuaaa~”

Ji-Hye flopped back comfortably into the fine leather chair as she sipped her drink, life quickly returning to her features.

“I don’t know how you manage to drink that with a straight face.”

Yuuji suspiciously eyed the “Black Death Espresso” she had ordered, feeling sure he’d just seen a skull and crossbones form in the light foam drifting atop the beverage. He himself had ordered a cappuccino, while Ayumi had chosen a caffé mocha, and Hibiki was gleefully munching on the little marshmallows that came with her hot chocolate.

The café wasn’t far from the park they had come from, and it was a suave and trendy little place, with smooth jazz playing quietly in the background and the pleasant smell of roasted coffee beans.

The owner, a silent but stoic man, wiped the countertop with practised movements until it had a pristine shine, matching the rest of the decor surrounding them.

‘Le Nid D'Oiseau..? Its cosiness lives up to the name.’

Yuuji made a mental note of the shop so he could come back sometime - it had the perfect atmosphere to help him relax, and though it wasn’t crowded there was just enough hustle and bustle to feel lively.

“So, we’re currently at the eastern edge of Main street, where the majority of the shops are located. Retail stores and restaurants are spread quite evenly all along the road, but it’s a fun walk if you’re looking to go shopping.”

Ayumi brought up a map of the island on her phone and began laying pins to show some notable locations.

“But wait, the island moves, right? Isn’t the current eastern edge going to become the western edge if we turn the other way?”
“I can answer that: Helios is designed to move omnidirectionally. The actual inhabitable sections don’t rotate, just the propulsion devices.”

Ji-Hye waved her hand lightly as she casually explained an incredible feat of ingenuity. She knew the structure inside and out, as she had even helped work on parts of it in her early teens.

“To the north is the academy grounds where we’ve come from, and the further south you go you get into the residential and farming districts.”
“Farming?”

Hibiki looked up from her drink with interest as a dab of whipped cream stuck to the end of her nose.

“Helios is fully self-sufficient should it need to be. For starters, we’re surrounded by the ocean, but a huge variety of crops are grown locally here, as well as lab-made meat and some cattle for milk production.”
“I’ve always wanted to see a cow in real life!”
“I’m sure that could be arranged.”

Ayumi smiled gently as she wiped the cream off of Hibiki’s nose, who was happily daydreaming about meeting the animals. It was a strange sight as the smaller, younger girl seemed motherly at that moment, but Yuuji still thought it was cute nonetheless.

*Ping!*

“Hmn?”

Ji-Hye’s phone chimed, and as she held it up a brown and white furry rocket launched out of the screen and scurried up her arm.

“-!?”

“Oh, Pajeon! You wanted to join us?”

The others were shocked at first, but on seeing Pajeon peep through the locks of her hair Hibiki’s heart melted.

“H-He’s real!”
“Hey, little Jeon.”
“...I almost fainted for a second.”

Ayumi calmed herself down as Hibiki ‘Awawa!’d; her hands reaching slowly and unsteadily towards the fluffy creature, unsure of how to handle him. Seeing this, he shied back slightly, nose twitching while he eyed the suspicious newcomer. After determining she was satisfactory, he shuffled down to the table to let her pet him.

“Is it alright for him to be out here?”
“It’s fine~! The owner gave the O.K!”

Ji-Hye stuck her tongue out slightly with a wink and made an OK symbol with her fingers, which only made him more suspicious. Figuring that not making a fuss was probably the best option in any case, he moved on reluctantly.

“Maybe a trip to the farms after this would be fun to round out the day.”
“It’s really lovely down there. I often take strolls that way to clear my head and get some fresh air.”
“...Yuu, carry me?”
“No.”

Ignoring the happy squeaking sound coming from Hibiki beside them, the three made their final plans for the evening before calling it a night and heading home.

The simple joy of it all warmed Yuuji’s heart, and he couldn’t help but feel that he would gladly spend the rest of his days doing nothing if it was the four of them together.

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