Date A Live Encore - Volume 10 - Chapter 4

Spirit Camping

 There are many reasons for people to travel. 

 Some people travel to unknown locations to increase their knowledge or travel just for new encounters. Some people travel for sightseeing, some go on school trips planned by the curriculum, and others simply enjoy hiking. 

 Of course, there are also people that leave to escape their hometowns and people that elope because of a love deemed unacceptable. Or perhaps— 

 “—Darling! Kotori-san! I found something incredibly disastrous! …Huh? DEM? N-No, nothing like that. I’m going to graduate this month, but because everything got so busy lately, I failed to go on the graduation trip! Waah! This is too much! My desires are going to be insatiable at this rate! H-Haah… P-Please run for it, Darling, Kotori-san…! I feel that you two are suddenly looking delicious… Ooooooooooh!” 

 …The popular idol that burst into their house suddenly said this and attacked the two of them. So the possibility of having to make travel plans wasn’t completely non-existent. 

 In this manner, it turned into a graduation trip for all the Spirits. 

 “Hmm—” 

 Sunshine passed through the small openings left by the tree leaves and landed on the ground. While listening to the sound of flowing water, Shido stretched his body. 

 Surrounded by dense trees, the river was flowing slowly. The sound of insects and songbirds chirping could also be occasionally heard. Although this wasn’t completely natural scenery, for people that had come from the big city, the immersion here felt just right. 

 It may be because it was off-season now, or perhaps this location wasn’t too popular, but there was no one here besides Shido and his group. As if to let his entire body feel this open atmosphere, Shido stood up once again. 

 “It’s not bad to come here occasionally.” 

 “Right. Even if the cause of this is a bit um… well, it’s nice to be able to freely enjoy this.” 

 As Shido said that, his little sister Kotori stood next to him, shaking her twintails as she nodded. She was dressed up in a refreshing T-shirt above culottes, with her favorite lollipop in her mouth. 

 That’s right. Shido and the others were currently at a campsite by a river, which was about a two hour drive from their house. 

 Of course, the Spirits were also involved in Shido and Kotori’s trip. Towards the river, Tohka and Yoshino were happily playing in the water after putting on their swimsuits. 

 It was March now. Even though the season was already spring, it was still a little too early to descend into the river. 

 However, inconceivably, after deciding to travel the temperature began to rise, and the sun now gave the feeling of early summer. 

 It was as if a god in control of this world was considering camping and abnormally changed the weather to suit everyone’s needs. Shido wondered for a split second if it was truly something like that, but Kotori didn’t know anything. He supposed inconceivable things would stay just like that. 

 “Hey! Shido, Kotori! Aren’t you guys coming to play?” 

 “It’s very cool and comfortable.” 

 After saying that, Tohka and the others vigorously beckoned in Shido’s direction. “Oh, I’ll head over soon.” Shido waved back in response and looked around to confirm everyone else. 

 Origami, Natsumi, Mukuro, Tohka, and Yoshino were all playing together. Kaguya and Yuzuru were looking for flat stones by the river. It seemed like they were preparing for a competition skipping stones. On the bank of the river, Kurumi was smiling while looking on at everyone else. Meanwhile, Nia opened an early can of beer. 

 “…Uh, that being said, where is the leading actor responsible for this trip, Miku—” 

 “Kyaaah!” 

 Just as Shido’s voice fell, there was a loud scream coming from the river side. 

 That was Miku’s voice. Miku, who was wearing a swimsuit just like everyone else, looked on at everyone with gleaming eyes. 

 “Innocent angels playing by the clear stream… wow! Ah, is this really the real world?! Could it be that I was sent to heaven by a truck when I wasn’t paying attention?! Hehe, hehe… I can’t stand it anymore! Miku-san, heading out!” 

 Miku cried out as she dove into the river. Then, as the water splashed, Miku gradually pressed forward towards Tohka and the others. 

 “What?! What’s up with that speed?!” 

 “Guh… those aren’t human movements at all…!” 

 “Kiya—!” 

 The Spirits dispersed like tiny spiders. Among them, Natsumi didn’t have enough time to escape and was captured by Miku. It looked just like a poor deer being attacked by a crocodile as it was getting drinking water. 

 Looking on at this scene, Kotori sighed. 

 “Great. It seems that she hasn’t calmed down in the slightest.” 

 “Yeah.” 

 Shido replied after nodding slightly. 

 However, after a few seconds. 

 “…Huh?” 

 Shido slanted his head. A sudden sense of disobedience had struck him. It felt as if his senses had become paralyzed. 

 Well, despite this, there was no doubt this was a cheerful occasion. Shido looked on at the crowd again before letting out a long sigh of relief. 

 “Graduation trip… time flies by so quickly. We’ve already arrived at that time of year.” 

 “Ah, what’s the matter, being so gloomy all of a sudden? It’s not like you’re the one who graduated.” 

 After Shido said those words that were filled with deep emotion, Kotori gave him a somewhat amused and surprised look. 

 “Yeah, but how to describe it… a lot happened this year. Being able to go out and camp with everyone feels like a dream.” 

 “Hehe… well, maybe it is.” 

 Kotori didn’t reply with a joke this time, simply narrowing her eyes and shrugging slightly. 

 But that was similarly understandable. After all, until last month, Shido and the others had been fighting a battle with their lives on the line. 

 Despite the hardship, though, they still won. The present peaceful life was based on great sacrifices and losses. Thinking of it like that, it made this peaceful time feel even more precious. 

 Shido’s thoughts seemed to have been passed on to Kotori. She smiled as she stood up. 

 “—Then, we must make even better memories.” 

 While saying that, Kotori slowly took off her t-shirt. 

 “—! Hey, Kotori—” 

 “What are you worried about? I’m wearing a bathing suit.” 

 As Shido wanted to reflexively look away, Kotori stretched out her hand while revealing a teasing smile. 

 “Alright, you come too, Shido.” 

 “…Oh.” 

 Obviously, he should have known that Kotori was wearing a swimsuit underneath her clothes, but he still looked away for some reason. Shido, who felt a little ashamed about this incident, grabbed Kotori’s hand and moved towards the river where everyone else was. 

 He didn’t know how long they had been playing. After pulling Natsumi and Miku apart, everyone was playing in the water—although what had occurred just a few moments ago was similar to a horror movie scene. The Yamai sisters organized a round of skipping stones (ending up with a battle between Tohka’s power and Origami’s skill). Kurumi and Nia enjoyed fishing together (incidentally, Nia was already drunk at that time and fell asleep after eating the fish). 

After returning to the place beside the river where he had left his luggage, Shido checked the time with his mobile phone, then stood up and straightened his back with his hands against his hips. 

 “Now then… it’s almost time to prepare for dinner.” 

 “Ooh, dinner?! What’s on the menu today?!” 

 Right as she heard the word dinner, Tohka asked with glimmering eyes. Shido replied while pointing to the car. 

 “Since going camping is a rare opportunity, why don’t we have barbeque? The charcoal and grill are already prepared, so we can season the fish we just caught with salt.” 

 “What?! We can eat the fish we caught?!” 

 The light in Tohka’s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she leaned forward. Then, while closely nuzzling up to Tohka, Miku pouted in dissatisfaction. 

 “Ehh, it’s too early. I still want to play with Darling for a while.” 

 “Although there is still a lot of playing to do, not starting the work in the kitchen now would mean preparing too late. You don’t want to miss dinner, do you?” 

 “When you put it like that…” 

 While speaking, Miku coquettishly teased Tohka’s neck. Tohka twisted her body as if she was tickled. 

 “Besides, the tent isn’t set up, right? That needs to be done before it gets dark as well.” 

 After Shido finished speaking, Kotori, who came ashore from the river, nodded in agreement. 

 “Right. Many people are setting up tents for the first time, so it’s better to start early. Modern tents are relatively convenient to set up, but only compared to their predecessors.” 

 “I’m very skilled at this.” 

 “…Aah, um, as expected of Origami.” 

 Kotor bitterly smiled as Origami gave a thumbs up. Origami was a Wizard from the Japanese Self-Defense Force Anti Spirit Team. It wasn’t surprising that she would have received such training. 

 Despite having said that, with the number of people here, it would still be very difficult to set up a tent large enough for everyone to sleep. Shido nodded as this decision was made. 

 “Then I’ll go prepare dinner, so everyone please help set up the tent.” 

 “Huh? But to do that alone…” 

 Kotori said as she raised her brow. Shido smiled and brushed away that concern. 

 “It’s fine. I’m used to building a grill and using a burner.” 

 “Uh… well, maybe that’s right.” 

 As Kotori whispered with her arms crossed, Miku raised her head as if thinking up something. 

 “Yes! The preparations for dinner are left to Darling and we are responsible for setting up the tent! Yup! Come along everyone!” 

 After saying that in a matter of fact manner, she reached out to grab everyone’s hands. 

 “Ah, wait a minute…” 

 Kotori felt something troubling, but couldn’t keep up with Miku’s momentum and was helplessly pulled away. 

 “…? What’s up with Miku?” 

 Shido, who was now left alone by the riverside, slanted his head over Miku’s sudden change in attitude. She looked dissatisfied mere moments ago, so what led to the sudden shift in mood? 

 There was no more time left for him to wonder, though. Shido walked over to the car to begin preparing the barbeque. 

 “Mnn… there should be no problems here.” 

 While grabbing onto Tohka and Kotori’s hands, Miku, who brought the Spirits over to a leveled portion of the ground, smiled after arriving at a location where Shido could no longer see them. 

 The Spirits looked on in surprise at Miku. 

 “No problem… are there really not any problems?” 

 “We need to set up the tent, right…? Then we should head to the car to first bring the things over…” 

 Natsumi and Yoshino tilted their heads as they spoke in turn. But as Miku’s smile deepened, she raised her index finger. 

 “Actually, I have a proposal…” 

 “…?” 

 The Spirits looked at each other in dismay. Seeing everyone like this, Miku explained. 

◇◇◇

 Then, after some time had passed— 

 “—Thanks for the meal.” 

 “Thanks for the meal!” 

 As if responding to Shido’s command, the Spirits gathered around the grill and pressed their hands together. 

 “Alright, let’s start grilling. Because charcoal fire is fierce, be careful not to burn it.” 

 Shido continuously used the tongs in his hand to put down the bite-sized pieces of vegetables and meat, as well as hastily arranging the star ingredient, fresh fish, on top of a rack. Accompanied by a sizzling sound, the smoke rose and the smell of barbeque wafted. 

 “Ooh… it smells so delicious!” 

 “Haha, doesn’t it? This is the advantage of a charcoal fire.” 

 Tohka’s eyes shined as her nose twitched. Seeing this amusing look, Shido couldn’t help but smile. 

 Although it took a bit longer than originally planned, thanks to the assistance of Tohka, Yuzuru, Kurumi and Yoshino, the preparation of the ingredients was successfully completed. 

 It was now around 7:00 PM. Even though the time period had just transitioned into evening, their surroundings were already as dark as midnight. 

 If it wasn’t for the campfire Shido had just started and their high-powered electrical light, they likely wouldn’t be able to see each other’s faces even when standing next to each other. 

 However, living in this sort of unreliable environment every now and then served as a seasoning to embellish their marvelous lives. There were no walls, no dining table, and no floors or ceilings; they had only a simple folding chair. The smell of charcoal pervaded the surroundings. This type of mix and match without the elements of daily life made this place feel like a slightly different world from the distant past. 

 After a while, the ingredients on the grill were cooked. As soon as Shido said, “Okay, now it should be almost done,” the Spirits eagerly moved their disposable chopsticks. 

 “Yum! It’s delicious, Shido!” 

 “Ho, could this be… the power of hellfire itself? What fondness I have for this. It ought to be appreciated more.” 

 “Admiration. It is very delicious. Perhaps it has something to do with the location.” 

 The Spirits tasted the meat and vegetables with great delight. Shido smiled as he placed additional ingredients onto the rack. 

 “Eating out in the wilderness will certainly make it taste incredible.” 

 “Mun. Could it perhaps be due to eating dinner together with everyone?” 

 “Aah, that may also be the reason.” 

 As Mukuro said while munching on the bite-size pieces of vegetables, Shido nodded and replied. 

 “…Hm?” 

 At that moment, Shido slightly frowned, as there were two Spirits that hadn’t moved their chopsticks at all. 

 One of them was Nia, who was taking a nap after a can of beer. 

 The other one was Natsumi, who was sitting on the folding chair in an extremely exhausted manner. Incidentally, both her clothes and skin were dirty for some reason. 

 Although Nia was nothing unusual, Natsumi’s appearance would make someone feel uneasy. Shido took a step closer to get a better view of her face. 

 “Natsumi, are you okay?” 

 “…Huh? Ah, it’s nothing… I’m just a little tired…” 

 Natsumi shook her shoulders and raised her face. 

 “Aah… well, you did have to do the unfamiliar work of setting up a tent after playing so much in the river. It must have been exhausting.” 

 “…No, the tent is…” 

 “Huh?” 

 After hearing Natsumi half-whisper that, Shido slanted his head. Then, Natsumi suddenly became quiet. 

 “—Shido.” 

 At that moment, a voice called out to him from behind. Shido turned around to see Origami standing there. 

 “Can the ingredients here also be grilled?” 

 “Hmm? Aah, of course they can.” 

 He replied like that as he walked around the grill. 

 Along the way, he seemed to feel that Origami and Natsumi had made eye contact with each other, but it must have been just his imagination. 

 “Come, the night has just begun. I have prepared yakitori and grilled rice balls. And with these iron plates, stir-fried soba noodles are also an option, no?” 

 “Wha…? We can have even something like that?!” 

 “Ara, ara. Be careful not to eat too much now.” 

 “Meow… yakitori…?! Nia likes yakitori the most…” 

 After hearing what Shido had said, the Spirits grew more excited. Nia, who was still napping in her chair, also nodded, beer can in hand. 

 Looking on at this, Shido bitterly smiled and placed the next batch of ingredients on the grill. A different fragrance spread around, stimulating the appetites of the Spirits that had already eaten. 

 In this manner, the first day of this graduation camping trip reached very late into the night. 

 After everyone had their fill of the barbeque, they either talked around the bonfire or looked up at the night scenery of stars that could only be enjoyed outdoors. 

 Even though the darkness of the night would bring about an instinctual fear, having just a small source of light does wonders in bringing people together. Even though Shido didn’t intend for the graduation trip to be camping, the peaceful immersion spending time in this darkness made Shido realize once again that this was a great place for a travel location. 

 “—Phew…” 

 He didn’t know how much time had passed, but Mukuro began to yawn a little. 

 “Haha, we sure did do a lot today, so it’s normal to be tired.” 

 “Mun… no such matter. Muku is still wide awake.” 

 Despite Mukuro saying that, she still rubbed her weary eyes. 

 Shido took out his mobile phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. It was now 10:00 PM. It was only natural for Mukuro, who usually goes to bed early and wakes up early, to be sleepy around this time. Shido got up from his chair and stretched slightly. 

“Then, I’m going to sleep; I’m also a little tired. You set up the tent in the open area, right?” 

 —Right then. 

 “…!” 

 The moment Shido said that, all the Spirits snapped to attention. Even Mukuro, who was sleepy just a moment ago, suddenly had an expression of being wide awake. 

 “Huh? Did I say something strange?” 

 Just as Shido was puzzled over this sudden change in mood, the Spirits all got up and divided themselves into two groups. 

 “W-What’s wrong…?” 

 Confused, Shido frowned suspiciously. Then, Miku stood up with a smile. 

 “—Ufufu. While Darling was preparing dinner for us, we played a game for a bit.” 

 “Game?” 

 As Shido asked, Miku replied back with a “that’s right” before continuing on. 

 “If everyone sleeps in a tent, there won’t be enough space. Therefore, we decided to use Amidakuji to split into pairs, with each team building ‘the greatest sleeping places they can.’” 

 “Hey…” 

 Unexpectedly, they even did this sort of thing while Shido was preparing the ingredients. Shido rounded his eyes and stroked his chin. 

 That being said, there was no way for everyone to sleep in a single tent, so naturally, multiple beds would be needed. A team competition could be an interesting solution. 

 “So next, each group will introduce their sleeping quarters in turn and let Darling choose which one he thinks is best.” 

 “Aah, so that’s how it works.” 

 After listening to Miku’s explanation, Shido nodded. 

 However— 

 “And then, tonight, Darling will have to sleep with the group that he chooses.” 

 “…Huh?” 

 Shido’s body froze the moment he heard Miku say those words. 

 “…Um, what did you say just now?” 

 “I would like Darling to stay overnight in the place you think is best.” 

 Miku winked as she said that; it seemed that Shido didn’t mishear her. He quickly shook his sweaty head. 

 “No, no, no! Isn’t that strange?! If you’re using multiple tents, wouldn’t you normally just leave one aside for the men?!” 

 “Eh, that would be boring… and our slender hands have done their best just to prepare the sleeping quarters we have now.” 

 “No, didn’t your real intentions leak out just now?! Anyway, this won’t do. This isn’t an option—” 

 At that moment, Shido suddenly stopped talking, and the Spirits stared on at Shido with desperate eyes. 

 “Ugh…” 

 It was troubling being looked at like that. After worrying about this for a few seconds, Shido let out a deep sigh. 

 “…Fine, let’s take a look first.” 

 “…!” 

 As soon as Shido said that, the Spirits suddenly perked up—and at the next moment, the flames of conflict were reignited in their eyes. 

◇◇◇

 “Um… first up is Tohka and Yuzuru’s group?” 

 “Umu!” 

 “Consent. Please give us lots of comments, Shido.” 

 After Shido finished speaking, Tohka and Yuzuru both exaggeratedly nodded, walking over to the open space as if to guide him. Shido followed them as he moved forward in the dusky night time road. 

 Soon after, Tohka and Yuzuru stopped and turned on the lights. At this moment, the open space surrounded by darkness was instantly illuminated, revealing the tent that was built there. 

 “Ooh!” 

 Looking on at such a scene, Shido couldn’t help but widen his eyes. 

 There were tightly tied ropes attached to stakes that were firmly driven onto the ground. The bright yellow tent was so beautifully built that it didn’t look like it was done by a novice at all. 

 “This is great. The tent is firmly held, and the technique is much better than mine.” 

 As soon as Shido gave his honest praise, Yuzuru smugly replied. 

 “Naturally. For Yuzuru who defeated Kaguya in our outdoor survival duel, this construction is nothing. Tohka also quickly picked up on the steps and contributed a lot.” 

 “Umu! I didn’t expect it to be prepared so quickly. The tent is really awesome! But that’s not all. Go inside!” 

 Tohka patted her chest as she said that. Shido nodded and knelt down to climb into the tent. 

 “Oh, this is…” 

 The interior of the tent was tightly insulated with another layer. Even though it was warm during the day, the temperature may drop at night. Shido couldn’t help but feel grateful for such thoughtful consideration. 

 “I see, so even the inside is very reliable. This is really good.” 

 “…? What are you talking about? Please look at the pillow side of the sleeping bag.” 

 “Huh?” 

 It seemed that Tohka still had highlights that she wanted Shido to see. Shido followed Tohka’s instructions and looked at the pillow next to the sleeping bag: there was an unnaturally large pile there, covered up with cloth. 

 Shido raised his brow in suspicion as he lifted up the cloth. What caught his eye there was the large amount of snacks—notably, a great amount of chocolate. 

 “T-This is…” 

 “Umu! It’s a midnight snack!” 

 As Shido asked, Tohka crossed her arms and loudly replied. 

 “…Fufu, how about it, Shido? If you choose our tent, even if you get hungry at night, won’t it be okay?” 

 Tohka lowered her voice with a somewhat sordid look on her face. It seemed that Tohka also realized that she was attempting something foul. He could see a mix of excitement and slight guilt in her expression, as well as the pleasure of trying to seduce Shido with material goods. 

 “Haha… I see. That is pretty good.” 

 Shido smiled bitterly with a hint of shame. However, he was still full from the barbeque. To be honest, it was difficult to imagine his stomach getting hungry again so quickly. 

 “—Stop. You don’t think it’d be just this, do you?” 

 However, it didn’t seem to be over yet. As Shido was about to leave the tent, Yuzuru blocked his way. 

 “Huh?” 

 “Criticize. This is a tent—a place for sleeping. Don’t you think the most important thing would be the feeling of lying down?” 

 “Well, that’s true…” 

 As Shido replied, Yuzuru and Tohka gestured to each other with their eyes and left the tent. Then, followed by the sound of clothes changing, the two of them entered the tent again. 

 —Wearing furry pajamas with ears attached to the hood. 

 “Wha…?!” 

 When did they have time to prepare such lovely pajamas? Although the degree of exposure wasn’t high, the fingertips revealed from the sleeves and thighs protruding from the hem of the skirt caused Shido’s heartbeat to accelerate. 

 “How about it, Shido?! Furry pajamas!” 

 “Temptation. If Shido falls asleep between Yuzuru and Tohka, he will surely have a good dream.” 

 “No, between you two would—” 

 Shido’s brows twitched as he took a step back, overwhelmed by the momentum of these two. He then noticed three warm sleeping bags lined up in the tent. 

 “Uh…” 

 Originally, he wanted to avoid thinking about it as much as possible, but choosing this tent meant staying the night here. Although there was a sleeping bag here, sleeping so close to Tohka and Yuzuru would be— 

 “…” 

 As Shido thought this over, his face suddenly grew hotter for some reason. Shido shook his head to shake off the delusions in his head and left the tent. 

◇◇◇

 “—Come on, it’s our team’s tent next.” 

 “Mun. Then, Nushi-sama, please come over here.” 

 Those words came from Kotori and Mukuro. They proceeded to an open area with confident looks before stopping shortly afterwards. 

 Then, as Kotori manipulated her phone, the dazzling lights installed there came on and brightened up the surroundings. 

 “Wow…!” 

 Shido’s eyes couldn’t help but flinch when faced with brightness incomparable to ordinary electrical light. That wasn’t the only surprising point, however; at the center of that light was a towering tent that was five times larger than the previous one. 

 “W-What is this…?” 

 Seeing this overwhelming prestige, Shido was left stunned. 

 The loose outline shaped by the white cloth was reminiscent of a nomadic yurt or huge circus tent. The entrance was also very spacious, to the point where he could guess what was inside before even entering. Three large beds were radially arranged around a small stove placed in the center. It was like a guest room in a luxury hotel. This felt like something used in the so-called glamping more than anything else. 

 As Shido was left in a daze, Kotori smiled and lifted up her hair. 

 “How is it? The design concept is an evening in Bali. In order to have an elegant evening, we tried to create an exotic atmosphere.” 

 “Mun. Not only that. Please come in and see, Nushi-sama.” 

 Mukuro grabbed Shido’s hand with a look of excitement. Shido, who was left in a daze, walked into the tent without any response. 

 “Now, if you will, Imōtogo-san.” 

 “Okay.” 

 Kotori responded to Mukuro’s request and operated her phone. 

 Then, accompanied by a buzzing electrical sound from somewhere, part of the tent’s ceiling opened as gleaming stars appeared in front of everyone. 

 “How is it? It is possible to gradually fall asleep while looking at the stars. Muku begged Imōtogo-san to help arrange it.” 

 “A-Aah… this is amazing…” 

 As Shido said that in a low voice, Kotori grinned as if confident of their victory. 

 “Right? Designing these structures is very hard.” 

 “Uh… I have a question…” 

 “? What?” 

 “Was this tent really built just by the two of you?” 

 “…Isn’t it obvious?” 

 Kotori deliberately looked away as she gave that reply. It was obvious that she had consulted with <Ratatoskr> for this. 

 “…Is that true, Mukuro?” 

 “Mun… O-Of course. Imōtogo would never make a call for assistance…” 

 “—! Mukuro!” 

 Kotori covered Mukuro’s mouth in a panic… While this ought to be taken for granted at this point, it seemed she did indeed ask for assistance. 

 Although it was impossible to evaluate it with the same benchmark as Tohka and Yuzuru’s tent, the rules didn’t say that getting assistance from others wasn’t allowed. Shido carefully thought that over as he walked over to the next tent. 

◇◇◇

 “Hmm, the next one is…” 

 “Ufufu, it’s our turn next.” 

 “Please give us your advice…!” 

 “Shido-kun will surely be captivated.” 

 After Shido left Kotori and Mukuro’s tent, Kurumi and Yoshino, the latter of whom had the rabbit puppet Yoshinon on her left hand, awaited him. This was another rare combination. 

 “Over here.” 

 In this manner, Shido was taken to a place near the junction between the clearing and forest. The electrical lights were already turned on, illuminating the surroundings. Tables and chairs were placed underneath a wide tarp, creating a very elegant space. Although the layout of the table was fairly simple, there was still a tea set present. Also, each chair was equipped with either a cat or rabbit-shaped cushion. 

 “Oh, this is great… but where’s the place to sleep?” 

 Shido looked around and slanted his head. That’s right. It was a wonderful space, but all he could see were chairs and tables, not any tents or sleeping bags. 

 “Ah, about that—” 

 Kurumi picked up the electrical light and shone it next to the tarp. 

 There, Shido saw two objects resembling black cloth tied between the trees growing there. 

 “Is that… a hammock?” 

 Yes, it was undoubtedly a hammock. Rather than the netted version for taking a nap, it was the type that wrapped around the entire body like a sleeping bag. 

 “Yes, it is. Although it looks unreliable at first glance, sleeping off the floor is warmer than being in a tent.” 

 “I tried lying down, and it felt very comfortable.” 

 “Yes, Yoshinon also could sleep soundly in this~” 

 “Hey…” 

 Shido spoke while trying to open the hammock that had been converted into a sleeping bag. The texture was unexpectedly firm, and the feeling of lying there was far better than expected. 

 “This is very interesting. Indeed, it’s a feeling one can only experience while camping. But…” 

 “…? What’s wrong?” 

 After hearing Shido say that, Yoshino blinked. Shido scratched his face while continuing on. 

 “No, I was wondering why there are only two hammocks. Even if I chose here, I couldn’t sleep together with you…” 

 “—Ufufu.” 

 Shido’s words came to a halt halfway through, because at that moment Kurumi smiled and wrapped her hand around Shido’s shoulder. 

 “Because we aren’t skilled enough, we could only provide two hammocks. Therefore, if Shido-san chooses this place, you will have to share a hammock with Yoshino-san or I…” 

 “…Haah?!” 

 Shido couldn’t help but let out a strange cry. However, Kurumi didn’t care and simply whispered. 

 “Come, be together with Yoshino-chan.” 

 “Y-Yes…!” 

 Yoshino, who looked very nervous, placed her hand on Shido’s other shoulder. 

 “—Fu.” 

 The pair breathed into Shido’ ears at the same time. 

 “…?!” 

 The sudden stimulation caused Shido’s eyes to roll back as he stumbled towards his next destination. 

◇◇◇

 “—Fu, so you’ve finally arrived, Shido. You’ve kept us waiting.” 

 “The finale is here!” 

 Next to greet Shido was the Kaguya and Miku pair. The two of them smiled fearlessly, assuming a figure skating duo pose. 

 “…? What’s wrong, Darling?” 

 She likely noticed how Shido’s face was still flushed and he was covering his ears. Shido hurriedly shook his head, despite Miku’s look of confusion. 

 “…! N-No, it’s nothing. But how about your tent? I don’t see anything…” 

 As Shido said that, Kaguya and Miku smiled and changed to another pose. 

 “Fufuu, I’ll leave that to you, Kaguya-san.” 

 “Understood.” 

 Kaguya, having accepted Miku’s request, turned around. 

 In this manner, Kaguya (who had assumed a new pose) raised her hand to the sky and snapped her fingers. 

 “Appear from the darkness! Camping—!” 

 In that instant, a ray of light appeared behind Kaguya. Accompanied by a muffled sound, something huge was approaching. This was— 

 “A-A recreational vehicle?!” 

 A huge car with a van-like appearance. 

 A recreational vehicle, or RV, was quite literally a car used for camping. Kaguya and Miku seemed satisfied with Shido’s reaction, and opened the door respectfully as if to introduce the inside of the car. 

 “O-Ooh!” 

 There were tables and simple beds in typical RV placement. There was even a TV and refrigerator, and of course, the sleeping bunk was impeccable. 

 “Kuku, how about it? The perfect living environment, wouldn’t you choose our team?” 

 “Fufu, if you choose now we’ll even give you the right to use the bed on the driver’s seat.” 

 “Is there even a bed there? Actually, wait, does this even count?! Wasn’t this supposed to be a tent competition?!” 

 As Shido couldn’t help but yell, the two of them simply shrugged. 

 “Did we ever say that it had to be a tent?” 

 “Right… isn’t this called an RV…?” 

 “I don’t understand what you are talking about. This is a monster summoned from the barrier constructed by a blood pact between Miku and I.” 

 “No, no, no, obviously it would be impossible to set this up in this setting! By the way, was that Miku’s agent I saw sitting in the driver’s seat before?!” 

 After Shido yelled again, Kaguya and Miku simply feigned being naïve by shrugging once more. 

 It turned out it was probably because of this hidden tactic that Miku proposed such a game. In fact, despite considering it devious, Shido had to admit it was still a little tempting… no matter how old they were, boys would always have no resistance against mechanical vehicles. 

 “Really…” 

 Now that something like this had occurred, nothing afterwards could be surprising. Shido walked in the direction of the last team with a helpless smile. 

◇◇◇

 …But that expectation was destroyed within a few minutes. 

 “…Um, Origami, Natsumi, what is this?” 

 Arriving at the last team, Shido couldn’t help but be utterly shocked at the sight of Origami and Natsumi’s sleeping place. 

 But that was completely normal. After all, what Shido saw was neither a tent nor a car, but rather a home. 

 Home. Right. A home. There were no other words to describe this. Using the trees that originally grew there, it had walls and even a roof. Generally speaking, this wasn’t something that could be built in two or three hours. Shido wondered for a moment if it was made with Natsumi’s <Haniel>. 

 However, that wasn’t the case. The cut down vines and trees, along with the tempered clay walls, denied the presence of any extraordinary intervention. More importantly, the atmosphere reflected the craftsman spirit of the two. 

 Perhaps noticing that Shido was trembling, Origami and Natsumi silently nodded. 

 “We worked hard.” 

 “…I thought I was going to die.” 

 “It was a great effort to finish exceeding expectations.” 

 The words of those two caused Shido to scream. 

 “No, how did you come up with such a thing?! Are you pioneers?! This isn’t at the level of sleeping for just one night! Why did the two of you go this far?!” 

 As Shido yelled that, Origami blushed and Natsumi laughed indifferently. 

 “I was thinking about the possibility of sleeping with Shido.” 

 “…I, well, I was only following the trend…” 

 “Your talents should be used elsewhere!” 

 Shido straightened his back as his screams echoed under the night sky. 

◇◇◇

 …After reviewing the five groups’ tents (or, well, some of them couldn’t be called tents), Shido and the Spirits all returned to the central area at the same time. 

 Shido’s throat felt sore, but that couldn’t be helped. He was basically screaming nonstop for the second half of the review. 

 “—Now, you have seen them all.” 

 Kotori said that while crossing her hands together. Although her tone was just as calm as usual, the lollipop in her mouth was swaying slightly. 

 “A-Aah…” 

 After Shido gave that halfhearted reply with sweat dripping down his face, some of the Spirits adopted confident or nervous looks. 

 “Kuku, then choose. Which one does Shido want to live in the most?” 

 “Ufufu, of course it’s the hammock between me and Yoshino-san, right?” 

 “Shido, I could extend the choices to include juice as well as snacks…?” 

 Like this, everyone put forward their conditions and awaited the results of Shido’s decision. Shido gulped as he pursed his lips in a worried manner. 

 —At that moment. 

 “Hold on! Why am I the only one being excluded?!” 

 As if to break everyone’s tension, a voice rang from somewhere. 

 “What… t-this voice is…?!” 

 “Where’s it coming from?!” 

 “—! Look, over there!” 

 Yoshino pointed behind Shido, and everyone’s eyes turned in that direction. 

 Over there was— 

 “…What are you doing, Nia?” 

 Nia was in her sleeping bag, lying in the middle of the floor just like a caterpillar. 

 “I didn’t even know everyone was setting up tents. Leaving me aside as the only one without a place to sleep… that’s too crafty. Openly pushing me out! Specifically excluding me from any team…” 

 Nia tried to get up as she let out a hilarious cry. However, because both her hands were still in the sleeping bag, she failed to maintain her balance, and soon fell onto the ground again. 

 In response to this, Kotori sighed. 

 “…We asked you when we were dividing up into teams, but you fell asleep drunk.” 

 “Eh, really? Ahaha… I didn’t notice at all.” 

 Nia responded with a smile as she tried to stand up again, but sure enough, it was difficult for her to maintain her posture. She fell onto the ground again and rolled away, disappearing into the darkness. 

 “Waaah! Someone please stop me—” 

 After a pause, there was a sound of a grunt before it turned silent. Shido smiled bitterly as he looked on at everyone. 

 “…Um, can one of you guys take her in?” 

 Everyone helplessly nodded. 

 “Well, one thing at a time. Shido, can you tell us the results of your decision?” 

 “A-Aah, that’s right.” 

 Shido coughed to recover his thoughts, looking on at everyone again as he started thinking. 

 In the beginning, Shido only planned on looking at everyone’s tents, but seeing how everyone’s effort exceeded his imagination, he couldn’t just leave it at that anymore. Avoiding making an evaluation would be too disrespectful to them. 

 That being said, Shido also couldn’t just outright choose the one he liked the best. 

 First up was Kurumi and Yoshino’s hammock. That one was ruled out. Sleeping like that was inherently problematic and he didn’t know what would happen from sharing a bed. 

 Similarly, Tohka and Yuzuru’s team also couldn’t be selected. Although it had the impression of being well done, it would be very detrimental being caught in a narrow space between those two wearing those outfits. 

 Kaguya and Miku’s RV and Natsumi and Origami’s house both had enough space, but the people present made him feel uneasy. Leaving Kaguya and Natsumi aside, he had no idea what Miku and Origami might do at night. 

 That left the only real option as the Kotori and Mukuro group. The space between the beds was sufficient, and more importantly, Kotori was his younger sister and Mukuro was a part of his family. It wasn’t a problem to sleep in the same place. Shido raised his head as he made his decision. 

 “Where I want to sleep is—” 

 But, as Shido was about to give his decision. 

 “—Ugh!” 

 Suddenly, the ground roared as the place where Shido and the others were at shook violently. 

 “What…?!” 

 “E-Earthquake…?!” 

 “Everyone, calm down! There’s nothing nearby that will fall! Lower your posture and wait for the vibrations to stop!” 

 Kotori gave her instructions to the distressed crowd. Everyone followed the instructions and squatted down. 

 Finally, the earthquake subsided as the night returned to a calm state. Shido tremblingly stood up and looked around for everyone. 

 “I-Is everyone okay?” 

 “Y-Yes, we’re alright.” 

 “That was scary…” 

 Everyone helped each other up while talking. 

 At that moment, Yuzuru frowned, seemingly realizing something. 

 “Shiver. Is Nia okay?” 

 “Ah—” 

 As Yuzuru said that, Shido widened his eyes. Nia had just rolled away in her sleeping bag beforehand; she had probably shifted to the river because of the earthquake just now. 

 “Hey, Nia?! Where are you?! Reply if you can hear me!” 

 Shido placed his hands near his mouth as he shouted. 

 After a while, a reply came from the distance. 

 “Hey, over here! Save me!” 

 That was Nia’s voice, no doubt about it. Shido and the others looked at each other and grabbed their flashlights to head that direction. 

 But then— 

 “…Huh?” 

 After arriving nearby, without stopping, Shido’s face was marked by confusion. 

 But it couldn’t be helped. The Spirits who ran alongside Shido also all had the same look. 

 After all, a huge tent stood in front of everyone’s eyes. 

 …No, Shido couldn’t immediately tell if this was a tent or not. While some elements of it were clearly a tent, the other half could be regarded as a big car or house. 

 That’s right. It was impossible to believe, but the tents, house, and camping vehicle set up by the Spirits had all integrated together. Incidentally, Nia’s sleeping bag was hanging on the roof like a moth worm. 

 “T-This is… everyone’s tent?” 

 “Because of the earthquake just now…?” 

 “No way! Impossible! If it was broken down, perhaps, but how could it be coincidentally put together like building blocks—” 

 “…But it’s actually like that.” 

 “…” 

 Faced with Natsumi’s remark, Kotori could only remain silent. 

 That being said, Shido could also understand Kotori’s mood. Such a thing would be impossible normally. There was a complete sense of balance as everyone’s tents were mixed together. 

 And, unbelievably, the framework of the tent hadn’t collapsed at all. The interior was also beautifully integrated, with beds lined up sideways. 

 This was a miraculous phenomenon that would be unbelievable unless seen in person, almost like a god that could freely manipulate this world really existed and said, “If you want to choose a tent, you might as well sleep together.” 

 “Fu…” 

 As the Spirits widened their eyes in surprise, Tohka alone let out a voice and entered the tent. After that, she touched her surroundings to confirm the condition of the tent. After nodding, she got into the sleeping bag near the middle. 

 “Wait… Tohka, this is dangerous! Come back!” 

 “It’s fine. It doesn’t look like it’s going to collapse. Moreover, everyone’s tents are together now, so we can only sleep here.” 

 “N-No, so you’re saying…” 

 Kotori frowned while looking troubled, but Tohka didn’t care and patted the sleeping bag next to her. 

 “Come in too, Shido. Your special seat is here!” 

 “Huh? A-Aah—” 

 For some reason, after Tohka said that, Shido had the strange impression that there wouldn’t be any issues, so he entered the tent and stood beside Tohka, and the other spirits followed him in. 

 “I can’t ignore this. Shido must be by my side.” 

 “Ara, ara. The tent has become one. Then, it must be decided by another method, correct?” 

 “No, it could be dangerous—ah, forget it…! All members gather! The sleeping positions will be decided through a finger guessing game!” 

 “Kya! This result is too good! Even though it’s not clear how, everyone sleeping together is the best! Thank you Buddha-sama, Darling-sama—!” 

 And just like that, a commotion started inside the tent. 

 Incidentally, outside of the tent, “…Hey, guys? Did you forget about me?” The rescue of this sleeping bag moth worm was done after they decided their sleeping positions. 

◇◇◇

 After turning off the lantern, the only light that remained in the dark forest was that of the moon and stars. 

 Although a guessing game had been used to determine the positions, the darkness meant he had no idea who was nearby. 

 As everyone laid down, there were the screams from Natsumi being attacked by Miku, Shido’s groan after feeling Origami’s breath near him, and Kotori’s roar after noticing this incident, but soon after everyone fell asleep, and the surroundings fell into silence. 

 Right now, there were the sounds of insects and owls coming from afar. From time to time, he could hear some sounds of sleeping as well as Nia’s snoring. 

 But rather than silence, it felt as if there were no problems left in this darkness. 

 “…Hey, Shido. Are you still awake?” 

 Suddenly, a voice came from nearby, and Shido’s eyelids jumped open in surprise. 

 “…What’s wrong, Tohka? Can’t sleep?” 

 Shido turned to Tohka with a relaxed expression and replied in a whisper to not wake anyone else up. 

 Despite the guessing game used to determine positions, Shido and Tohka were nonetheless sleeping in the same position as Tohka originally wanted. 

 “Hehe… so you’re awake after all. I don’t know why… I just had a feeling.” 

 After saying that, Tohka faintly smiled. 

 “Today was so much fun. Playing by the river and playing by the sea are entirely separate experiences, but enjoyable, and the taste of barbeque was the best. Setting up tents with everyone was a good memory too.” 

 “Haha… that’s good. Even if this is technically Miku’s graduation trip, I’m glad that everyone could come along.” 

 “Muu… really, it was so much fun. If only I could come here again…” 

 “Well, for sure. Now that DEM’s gone, we can come back whenever we want. Let’s do it together with everyone again.” 

 “…Un, yeah.” 

 “…?” 

 Shido titled his head slightly. Because of the darkness, he couldn’t see Tohka’s expression, but he could hear a little sadness in her voice. 

 “What’s wrong, Tohka?” 

 “…No, I’m fine. I just couldn’t sleep because I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Good night, Shido.” 

 After saying that, Tohka turned the other way and stopped talking. 

 Although Shido had some questions about this, because of his intense sleepiness, he fell asleep without asking them.