Going back to today morning.
My awakening in the morning was so peaceful, and in no way strange or mysterious, so I had no warning of the major incident that I was about to experience.
Again, if I'd later "woken up in a hospital bed", it still might have made some sense.
However, when I woke up, there was even a medusa and a transparent human (?), and I was in a mysterious organization's hideout, and before I realized it, it seems I owed this organization my life, and for some reason my sister had somehow become a member of this group.
...If you're thinking "I've got no idea what this kid's talking about", don't worry.
Honestly I'm the one who's the most confused here.
My sister told me about the incident in full detail, and it was quite extraordinary. We even had a long question and answer session, but in the end I'm still pretty confused.
The only thing I got was that, when I tried talking to these people that my sister calls her friends, they were surprisingly nice.
Actually, it might be because I'd only ever talked to that software with her outrageous personality, that I might have greatly overestimated these guys.
Well, at the very least, the one called Kido seemed like a pretty normal person.
The breakfast she made was delicious, it seems like she has a homely side to her.
If you ignore the fact that she had a scary look in her eyes, she's probably the most decent out of all of us, myself included.
It was certainly quite a suspicious group, but it seems they were willing to help my sister concerning her troubles about her "eyes". Also, at the very least, this was the first time my sister had ever introduced other people as her "friends", and I myself soon felt comfortable around them.
However, the most troublesome was Ene.
When did she get so close to my sister...
She hasn't sent her the data of that treasured image, right...?
Ah...I feel like she might've... I'm scared...give me a break...my dignity as an older brother will...
Feeling worried that I might be exposed the whole time I was at the amusement part, to be blunt I couldn't remember much of what happened while everyone was playing around.
I just, as Ene constantly demanded, rode various rides.
But then again, this isn't bad once in a while, I suppose.
It's been a while since I've experienced something like this.
-
After we left the amusement part, we walked for a while.
But leaving that aside, the girl I was carrying on my back, how long had she been a shut-in? To think that there was actually someone with less strength than me...
"I'm really sorry. I didn't think that she'd get so excited that she'd actually collapse..."
"No, no, it's fine with Shintaro-kun! To carry a girl on his back is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no?"
"Really, since Onii-chan is a good-for-nothing and a 2D otaku, it's really only a once-in-a-lifetime experience, right? Anyways, Ene-chan, the amusement park was so much fun, wasn't it~!?"
"Yeaah! It was incredibly fun! Especially the part where Master threw up, that was the best! I'll send everyone a picture when we get back!!"
"Ooh! Ene-chan you've got good sense~! Well then, I'll send you Mary's treasured image in exchange...."
"Oooooh! Almond-eyes-san is pretty good too...! That's fine with me!"
"St...stop....! Don't show anyone..."
"Hey, if you're awake, walk by yourself Mary. I'm sure Shintaro's tired as well."
"Ju..just a bit more..."
"Ahaha... huh, what's that?"
"Hm?"
"...An accident?"
As we were walking on a small road leading off the main road, we caught sight of a crowd gathering right in front of a small park.
It seemed that the ambulance had just arrived, and the rescue members carried a stretcher down hurriedly, pushing their way through the crowd.
Through the gaps, I saw the figure of a young boy about the same age as me crouching near the middle of the crowd.
With his hands on the ground, he was looking at a young boy who was lying down with worry. I couldn't see quite so clearly, but I'd say the collapsed boy seemed about 10 years old...?
"...He seems young."
"Yeah. I wonder if he's hurt...?"
Kido and Kano whispered.
The boy, although there were no noticeable outer signs, was limp and appeared to have lost consciousness...
However, there was nothing we could do about it.
As we passed through without staring too much, I noticed Ene's strange behavior.
"..!"
"...Ene-chan? What's wrong?"
"...Konoha...?"
"Huh...? What did you say? Ene?"
The young boy was carried to the ambulance, and the young man, accompanying him, got in as well.
The ambulance turned on its siren once again, and left the scene.
"...Little sister! Could you please chase after the person from just now?"
"W-Whaat!? Why!?"
"Please, quickly!! I beg you...!"
"O-onii-chan...!?"
"What's wrong, Ene? Did something happen?"
"...Why, why is he...?"
On the 15th of August at 5 in the afternoon, "Panzermast" resounded throughout the town...
-And so from here, our long, long "first day", began at long last.
