Chapter 343: Scorching Beach

Where has the tropical beach, which was supposed to be there just a moment ago, disappeared to? Haruna and Chinatsu, who opened the door of the changing room, tilted their heads just as Touko did. The scene that unfolded in front of them is strange in every way.

「Haruna, beyond this door…」

「Yep. There should be a beach, right?」

「Oh, so I wasn’t wrong. I’m relieved!」

「This is not the time to be relieved. It’s a crazy situation there….」

It’s just the exact opposite of the tropical paradise. The blue and transparent sea has turned into boiling water and is emitting steam. Also, the color is somewhat closer to red than blue. If the sea is red, the lights on the ceiling, which used to produce a blue sky, are also out of order. The sky is so red that it would make you think that it’s the sky of hell.

The beautiful beach is also in a terrible state. The white sand has been transformed into hot sand that emits high temperatures everywhere. It’s so hot that it makes you want to ask whether the floor heater had failed to regulate the temperature. If you stepped on the sand with your bare feet, you’d probably end up with more than just a burn.

「At this rate, he’s going to be cooked…. We can’t put him into the water since it’s only boiling water around here. Hund-kun, I will heal you with light magic, so hang in there!」

It seems that the hot sand has reached the level of a hot iron plate, and the collapsed Hund is being treated by Deris with his magic. Even though he’s a Great Demon King, he can’t stand this scorching hell as someone who lives in the sea. Just before he turned into a seafood barbecue, Hund Lind is somehow saved.

「D-Deris-san! Should I help too!?」

「Oh, Haru and Chinatsu! Before you worry about others, you should worry about yourself first! If you step on this scorching beach without any measures, you will end up like Hund-kun!」

Chinatsu tried to rush over, but Deris stopped her. Haruna also stopped her by grabbing one of her arms.

「Chinatsu-chan, it’s reckless to go to Shishō’s place with your bare feet. You should think of this sandy beach as a hot iron plate.」

「Ugh, you’re right…. Thank you for stopping me, Haruna.」

「You’re welcome. If there’s a dying person in front of you, you always prioritize that over yourself, Chinatsu-chan~. That’s also your good point, but you have to choose the right time and place!」

「You’re right….」

「Hey, it’s good to reflect on it, but we have to think of a way to cross this scorching beach. Lily-shishō is complaining with her eyes that it’s too hot and told me to close the door. Before she throws a knife, let’s go to Danna’s place for the time being.」

When Touko pointed to the inside of the changing room, there was a figure of Lilyvia who glared at her. The air conditioning keeps the changing room at a reasonable temperature, so if they leave the door open, it’s no wonder if she gets angry. Still, they have to set foot on this scorching beach. Maybe this is what between the hammer and the anvil means.

「Should I use Alma Divine Bless on all of you? If it’s just simple heat, I think it will protect your feet.」

「No, I will put my ki on my feet. If I don’t overcome it with my own power, it seems that she will scold me later and that’s troublesome.」

「If Touko-chan will do that, then I will try to do it on my own. If I kick the air, I’ll be able to go there without touching the ground.」

They’ve decided on the plan. They are going to overcome this scorching beach using their own power.

「Then, I’m going first!」

「Ah, Haruna! That’s unfair!」

It’s not really a competition, but Haruna and Touko are racing to reach the goal named Deris. Haruna is jumping in the air using Air Kick Skill, and Touko is running on the hot sand while wearing ki on her feet. Haruna started first, but in terms of pure speed, Touko is better. If this is the case, it will be a good match by the time they reached Deris.

「Alma Divine Bless. Let’s see… yep, no problem. Lily-san, I’m sorry for the trouble.」

「Don’t worry about it. Judging by what’s going on outside, I’m sure Nell did something. Instead of apologizing, just close the door quickly! Alezel’s modest chest will melt.」

「It won’t!」

「Ahaha….」

「Chinatsu-chan, I will go there later. Ah, that’s right. Zex-sama is vulnerable to heat depending on the body, so it would be nice if you could pay attention to him even a little.」

「Yes, I think he’s okay. It looks like he went to change his body a while ago. Besides, there’s someone who’s in trouble more than that….」

「I see, then that’s a relief. I can change my clothes slowly.」

「I-I see…?」

It seems that there’s only Zex inside Zeta’s mind now. She has no ill will, but it’s too pitiful for Hund. With a gloomy feeling, Chinatsu took a step on the sandy beach and closed the door.

(Uwaah….)

It means that the cool breeze from the changing room was completely cut off, and she moved completely to the scorching beach dominated by hot air and flames. With just standing there, she can’t stop sweating all over her body. If she were to wear normal clothes, her clothes would have been soaked in an instant. Even though the barrier can block the damage, hot things are still hot.

「… There’s a fire pillar rising over there, but that’s not the court, right? Yep, that’s not the court. I have a bad feeling about that, but I’m sure that’s not the court.」

「Hey~, Chinatsu-chan~?」

「You’re late!」

The two, who have arrived at Deris, called out to her while waving their hands. As Chinatsu told herself over and over again, she walked toward Nell, who’s standing next to Deris with a smiling face. Unfortunately, Chinatsu’s premonition usually comes true at times like this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

「It’s the court after all….」

「What’s wrong, Chinatsu? Are you that happy? Well, I was the one who made it after all. I know how you feel about it! Let’s rejoice together!」

As soon as the girls arrived here, Chinatsu collapsed to the ground. I know how you feel, but if you carelessly touch the sand, you will receive damage even if you wear a barrier. Get up, Goddess Chinatsu! …… Yeah, I can guess why Chinatsu is like this. It’s probably because she saw Nell’s beach volleyball court.

The court lines, which were difficult to see, were replaced with bright red flames so that you could grasp them at a glance. Not only by sight, but you also can feel the distance by the heat. You can see Nell’s kindness in this. If the court lines are flames, the net in the center is also made from a special flame. The fire pillar, which is definitely higher than the real net, is over three meters high. I was told that the net was set to match the physical ability of the Great Eight Demons, but I guess it’s appropriate. Still, it’s very hot, so if you get too close to the net, you would end up destroying yourself. Touching the net is out of the question.

「In addition, the scaffolding is covered with this hot sand, and the sea is boiling…. There’s no safety zone. No matter where you go, it’s hell.」

「Lily-shishō is unreasonable, but Chinatsu also has it hard, huh.」

「So this is beach volleyball…. I see! I got fired up!」

Haru-kun, are you sure you’re not misunderstanding something?