Chapter 212: Asahi Sinks into the Ground
“—Sister!! Asahi has returned!!”
Having flown back from the Port Town of Terek on a flying boat, Asahi appeared at the entrance of the artificial beach.
“Welcome back!”
“I’m back!”
Without hesitation, Asahi dashed towards her sister. She had already changed into her swimsuit, fully prepared for the occasion.
“Jumping at that speed is dangerous!”
“Whoaah!!”
Ringo sprang into action.
Operating the Communicator Android, Ringo blocked Asahi’s path to halt her charge.
Asahi, propelled into the air, spun around in a vertical motion, and then, with a thud, landed feet-first into the sandy beach.
“!?”
Unable to keep up with the sudden movement, her sister, Eve, froze in place.
The sand that had been kicked up hit Ichigo directly, leaving her wide-eyed and motionless.
“Asahi, it’s utterly unacceptable to charge at the Commander like that! What were you thinking, risking injury?”
“I-I didn’t expect this to happen!?”
Asahi’s body had been extensively modified for enhanced survivability. With a metallic inner skeleton, high-power servo motors, powerful artificial muscles, multiple Brain Units, a backup power supply, and more, her weight was three times what it appeared to be.
If such a heavy weight were to collide with Eve, a living human, even with her advanced body control, there was a significant risk of injury.
That’s why Ringo had intervened, operating the Communicator Android to stop Asahi. Naturally, Asahi attempted to evade, using her high-performance body to leap.
However, the Communicator Android, despite its capabilities, could not withstand Asahi’s weight, output, or durability. Instead of taking the impact head-on, it precisely applied force to manipulate Asahi’s posture and direction.
Of course, Asahi resisted. But Ringo’s computational abilities had anticipated even that.
As her intended jump axis was disrupted, her arm, which she had raised for balance, was seized, and even her attempts to dodge Ringo were controlled, sending her into a forward somersault in mid-air.
After rendering her airborne and immobile, Ringo then drove Asahi feet-first into the sandy beach.
“Lately, I feel like Ringo has been treating Asahi rather roughly!”
“I’m handling her with the utmost care.”
“How is this considered care!?”
Asahi relaxed her knees and flopped onto her back.
“…Welcome back, Asahi. Let’s calm down a bit, shall we?”
“Ugh.”
Eve crouched beside Asahi, brushing the sand off her face. Asahi quieted down.
The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a dim light across the sky.
“Ma’am, the tent is ready. Shall we move over there?”
Amidst the commotion, Ringo had efficiently prepared everything. Another Communicator Android was setting up a bungalow-style tent.
Torches and firewood for the campfire were also prepared, ensuring everything was ready for the evening festivities.
“Alright then. Akane, everyone, let’s take a shower. Asahi, can you stand?”
“I can’t stand!”
“Asahi, you need to get up on your own. Your weight exceeds the Commander’s strength.”
“That’s unfair!”
“Ahaha. Come on, get up, get up!”
The group began to move, washing off the salt and sand in the shower booths before heading to the tent.
“Is this a campfire?”
“It’s not that grand. Just a simple bonfire.”
When Eve asked while sitting on the prepared chairs, Ringo shook her head, explaining that a campfire would be too hot in this temperature.
That made sense. The Tree was located in a tropical climate near the equator. Although it cooled down a bit at night, a large fire would make it too hot to approach.
“This is a bonfire. Ringo, can I start the fire?”
“Of course, Akane. Use the torch to ignite the kindling below.”
Akane took the lead and lit the bonfire.
The firewood had been brought in from the Afrasia United Kingdom, properly dried, and as everyone watched, the kindling successfully caught fire and spread to the logs.
“Once the fire spreads, we’ll add these thick logs.”
“I’ll do it!”
“I’ll help too!”
Utsugi and Erika eagerly raised their hands, stacking the logs under Ringo’s guidance.
Eve watched the scene from her chair.
At her feet lay Asahi, with Ichigo on her right and Olive on her left, effectively immobilizing her.
Akane observed the flames gradually spreading through the logs with keen interest.
“Bonfires seem to attract people for some reason. That’s what the literature says; what do you think?”
“Well… I do find myself staring at it.”
Eve gazed absently at the flames.
She had done barbecues several times and had tried cooking over gas and charcoal. However, this was her first time seeing flames roaring like this outside of gas fire.
“I’ve prepared marshmallows. It seems roasting them over the bonfire is the way to go.”
“Oh?”
“Marshmallows! I see, it looks like Asahi can eat those!”
Due to various enhancements, Asahi’s body had limited internal space, and her digestive system was significantly simplified. Thus, she could only consume easily digestible light snacks.
Ringo had thoughtfully prepared something that Asahi could eat. This attention to detail was commendable.
“Then let’s all give it a try!”
◇◇◇◇
After gathering around the bonfire and enjoying some lively chatter, they eventually moved inside the tent.
The temperature and humidity were quite high, fitting for a tropical climate. Eve doubted she could sleep soundly in such conditions.
Therefore, the interior of the circular bungalow tent was air-conditioned.
“Oh, it’s cool!”
“What is this!”
“Glamping!”
“This is glamping!”
“Glamping?”
The Five Sisters seemed to recognize the term, their faces lighting up as they dove onto the beds. Eve, unfamiliar with the term, tilted her head in confusion.
“Glamping. It’s a portmanteau of glamorous and camping.”
Inside the bungalow were a table, a sofa, a refrigerator, and a large bed.
The furniture was completely unrelated to traditional camping.
“We considered a standard tent, but the conditions weren’t ideal, so we arranged for this instead.”
“Wow.”
Eve imagined it was probably different from typical camping, but it looked fun nonetheless, and she nodded in agreement.
A single layer of fabric separated them from the outside world, and even from within, the sound of the waves could be heard. If they opened the curtains, they could observe the outside through transparent vinyl.
Under the canopy covering the artificial beach, they couldn’t feel the rain, but Eve wasn’t seeking that much. A faux outdoor experience was more than enough. She didn’t want a grueling adventure.
“This looks fun. I’m starting to feel a bit excited.”
Ringo, standing behind her, beamed at the Commander’s interest. By the way, there were also plans for staying overnight on the ship’s deck (Plan D) and on a deserted island (Plan I), but experiencing nature directly had been deemed too high a hurdle and was shelved.
“Sister, sister! Asahi desires a lap pillow!”
“Oh, me too!”
“Me too!”
“Alright, alright. Let’s move to the sofa.”
Whenever Asahi was around, a delightful pile of fox girls would form. Asahi’s loyalty to her desires led the other girls to follow suit, becoming more affectionate. Even Ichigo, who was usually reserved, would cling to her, showcasing the formidable Asahi effect.
It was a given that Asahi would end up being restrained by Ringo when she got carried away.
As they continued to frolic, a sound of pouring rain suddenly filled the air.
“It’s a squall. It should stop within thirty minutes.”
“Hmmm, hearing the sounds of nature like this is refreshing.”
“Usually, we’re in the sunroom.”
“It might be my first time being outside during a squall.”
The sound of rain hitting the crystal canopy and the deep rumble of the ocean filled the air.
The girls huddled together on the sofa, surrendering themselves to the soothing noise of the rain for a while.