"Two Oreo crush ice creams and one strawberry sundae, please." Matou Yuu slapped money on the drink cart counter. "And a bottle of mineral water."
Minutes later, a tall young man and a small girl walked side by side along the amusent park's tree-lined path. Tiamat obediently held Matou Yuu's hand while scooping strawberry sundae with a tiny spoon. Matou Yuu absentmindedly ate his Oreo ice cream. Halfway through, they naturally swapped desserts.
From afar ca ear-splitting screams and a howling gust of wind. Tiamat Lily looked up; her previously calm pale-red star-like eyes suddenly sparkled with excitent and curiosity.
"That's the 'Dessert Python'—one of Arica's fastest catapult-style roller coasters."
Matou Yuu glanced at the project description on his phone map and explained calmly, "Maximum vertical drop of 139 ters. Hydraulic catapult launch reaches over 200 km/h in seconds."
After reading the specs, his outwardly calm face twitched uncontrollably.
It wasn't that he had a fear of heights… Statistically, roller coasters are among the world's safest amusent rides. They deliver intense thrills and dopamine with almost no fatalities.
Yes… almost none.
Still, as a human being, who wants to ride sothing that shoots you skyward, leaves your organs floating in zero gravity, and then plants the terrifying thought "What if the safety harness fails?" in your head?
Even when reason insists it's perfectly safe, primal fear of falling makes the heart race.
Matou Yuu, who had originally planned to "help out," instinctively recoiled the mont they reached the ride's lowest point.
"Scared?"
A clear voice ca from right beside him. Tiamat stood on tiptoe, trying to pat his hair, but her small stature made it impossible. She settled for gently placing her tiny hand on the back of his and stroking it.
"Don't worry… leave everything to Mama." Tiamat Lily comforted him sincerely.
Matou Yuu's silence spoke volus. Now that things had reached this point, even if he swallowed his pride and admitted he couldn't handle the stimulation, it was too late—or would disappoint her too much.
Besides, it was the weekend; popular rides had two-to-three-hour waits. The park might even close before they boarded.
Yet, as with Murphy's Law, the more you worry, the more likely it becos real.
Strangely, when they reluctantly reached the entrance and prepared to queue, the winding path that should have been packed was completely empty—no tourists at all.
"You two are really lucky. You made it just in ti for the last day shift before regular maintenance."
Inside the ticket booth, the staff smiled, quickly tore two ticket stubs, and handed them over.
Is this a good on…? Matou Yuu smiled without a word.
Three minutes later he sat in the front row, thoroughly uncomfortable. He checked the safety lock on his body—sturdy-looking, yet he had the sinking feeling it might pop open any second—so he gripped the handrail tightly.
Beside him, the blue-haired loli's expression hadn't changed since sitting down. For a god who could manifest at will, this level of physical motion was nothing.
A sharp countdown alarm blared beside his ear. Matou Yuu felt as if he'd been shoved into a rocket silo—vision blurred, then a violent upward thrust slamd him against the seatback. Scenery on both sides warped from sheer speed; screams vanished into the howling wind.
…
After the roller coaster they tried several gentler rides. Before they realized it, the sky had darkened.
Snowfield City—unlike ordinary cities—was built in western Arica beside the desert. The climate here was brutal. Dayti temperatures could hit 40°C under the scorching sun, yet the mont the sun set, heat fled rapidly.
Even though it was still early evening, the once-dry breeze now carried a chill.
"Having fun today?" Matou Yuu asked with a smile while walking the main street, holding the blue-haired girl's hand.
Tiamat nodded excitedly, but when she glanced back at the towering roller-coaster tracks, her bright red eyes still held a trace of unfinished business.
"I want to play more…"
"Let's save the roller coaster for next ti… The park's about to close anyway, right?"
While she spoke, Matou Yuu's gaze unconsciously swept the surroundings. He frowned.
The vast amusent park was utterly deserted—no visitors anywhere. Popcorn and hot-dog stalls that should have been busy had vanished long ago. Under the azure sky, gray mist had crept in, and the desert night's distinctive cold filled the air.
This was Snowfield City's largest amusent park. Normally at night it would host grand fireworks and illuminated parade floats, packed with tourists.
But now…
Silent.
The silence was eerily complete, stirring an indescribable unease. The desolate scene reminded him of the horror movie Silent Hill.
Sothing's wrong… It's like the entire area was cleared out.
Matou Yuu's heart pounded like an alarm. He turned sharply to the blue-haired girl beside him. "Tiamat—!"
BOOM!!
Thanks to his upgraded D-rank magic perception, Matou Yuu's hair stood on end. He sensed a massive, suffocating source of magical energy plumting from the sky at supersonic speed!
"Watch out!"
No ti to think—he acted on pure instinct, sweeping Tiamat into his arms and diving toward the nearby flower bed.
Rumble!!!
The instant they left the spot, the ground they had stood on was obliterated without a trace. Like a black teorite carrying an endless curse, it crashed down!
Amid the deafening explosion the earth collapsed; a violent shockwave hurled rubble and dust skyward.
From deep within the smoke and dust, a giant silhouette over 2.5 ters tall slowly rose. Eyes covered by rough cloth, an aura of vengeance and hatred—as if gushing from the depths of hell—radiated from its entire body. The enormous, intimidating bow in its hand clearly announced its identity.
The greatest hero of Greek mythology—Alcides. At the sa ti, a monster completely corrupted by the black mud, burning with vengeance!
…
Almost simultaneously, deep underground in Snowfield City's secret command center, Faldeus sat with fingers steepled, silently watching the main monitor and the demigod figure symbolizing the "Avenger."
He lounged in a wide leather chair and elegantly stretched his stiff shoulders.
"Have all civilians been evacuated?" he asked for confirmation.
"Yes, sir. This afternoon, after the target entered the park, the outer security forces took control of the amusent park in advance on the pretext of a ti bomb, exactly as ordered," the agent replied promptly.
"Excellent."
Faldeus's lips curved in a playful smile. He slowly raised his right hand and snapped his fingers gracefully.
"Then everyone—"
"Let's begin."
…
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