The Absolute Godspeed of Infinite Worlds

"Mm~! The air is so fresh, and it's super cool!"

It's the weekend.

The bus is speeding along the highway, with the windows on both sides wide open. The wild wind rushes through the cabin, making the whole vehicle feel incredibly cool.

Stella sticks her head out the window and lets out a joyful shout.

"Stella, watch the traffic rules!"

Ikki quickly pulls her back inside.

"Hahaha, Stella is a princess, so she probably hasn't had the experience of riding a bus, right?"

The person sitting in front of them, Utakata, turns around with his usual warm smile.

"I actually wanted to try it, but my mother and sister always forbid it, saying that a princess must behave like a princess."

Stella, now back in the cabin, still looks a bit unsatisfied. Upon hearing this, she can't help but look dejected.

"Whenever I secretly try to sneak out and give it a go, the royal guards always seem to pop up from nowhere and bring the royal carriage. I never get to ride it..."

"That sounds a bit strange."

Utakata looks confused, but seems to understand to some extent.

It's not a bad thing to want to try it, right? Surely it shouldn't be stopped so many times?

Perhaps that's just how royal families operate.

"By the way, how did you two get here?"

Eiji, sitting on the other side of the aisle, looks over at the pair curiously.

"Uh, we came by bus?"

"I mean, how did you join this group?"

"Oh, Misogi-senpai invited us."

Ikki realizes and answers honestly, "He said we were going to climb the mountain and have a picnic. Stella got really excited and wanted to come, and I couldn't stop her."

Heh.

Two tough guys have been recruited just like that.

"Uta-kun!"

Touka, sitting next to Eiji, immediately glances at Utakata with a stern expression and starts cracking her knuckles.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Touka! Please don't pull my ear!"

Utakata, looking terrified, shrinks back into the corner and lets out a shrill scream.

"Uh… wasn't it like that?"

Stella looks bewildered, her face showing clear disappointment.

"Well, saying it's mountain climbing and a picnic isn't wrong."

The person sitting in the front seat, Kanata, now chimes in.

"However, we are actually here with a mission... We've heard that there's a giant over four meters tall spotted in the Outama training ground, and the chairman asked us to investigate."

"A giant?"

This is news to Eiji as well.

"Exactly!"

Renren, who seems restless, walks back and forth in the cabin, causing dizziness, and then suddenly shouts excitedly.

"It's a giant! An unidentified life form! Isn't that super interesting?"

"They're suspicious individuals, Renren, don't get it wrong."

Kanata cautions Renren, then carefully explains.

"Our purpose this time is to investigate the potential existence of the giant, or the person controlling it, the Blazer. The mountain climbing and picnic are just secondary."

Although there are unique individuals in this world, mythical creatures have never existed.

Many scientists speculate that the legendary beasts in myths, such as divine beasts or magical creatures, were actually ancient wild animals that had awakened Blazer abilities and were recorded in myths after being seen by humans.

The so-called titans, frost giants, and similar creatures likely don't exist; those exaggerated forms are probably just stories passed down incorrectly.

The giant spotted this time, likely four meters tall, is probably the work of a Blazer.

However, as the training session is near, it's not okay to ignore such suspicious individuals, so the matter was handed over to the student council, and to gather manpower, Eiji, Ikki, and the others were brought along.

"That's not bad, huh?"

Stella seems even more excited now.

"Having a mountain climb and picnic is great, and now there's a giant! Are we going full on tokusatsu style here? This is so romantic!"

"Right? Right?"

Renren's face beams with the excitement of finding someone who shares her enthusiasm.

The fifth member of the student council, the inconspicuous Saijou, is driving the car.

The whole bus is in disarray.

"Junior, are you sure it's okay for you to go out so casually?"

After dealing with the troublemaker Utakata, Touka sits back down next to Eiji, her expression still filled with concern.

To be honest, the safest place in the world is probably the Hagun Academy, with Kurono Shinguuji and Nene Saikyo sitting in charge. Even if an attack were to happen, there's no need to worry.

"Don't worry, senior."

Eiji, however, doesn't think much of it. He smiles and says, "There are so many people here, and they're all skilled. Nothing will go wrong."

Out of the eight people, there's one A-class knight, two B-class knights, and two C-class knights, all of whom are quite formidable.

The remaining three are lower-ranked—one D-class, one E-class, and one F-class—but frankly speaking, these three might actually be the most terrifying.

This fully demonstrates how unreliable the "panel" system can be.

Seeing that her junior isn't worried at all, Touka can't say much more, but silently decides that she must protect him.

Kanata looks over at the two sitting together and, in her mind, begins to calculate.

***

The training grounds of the Hagun Academy are located in the deep mountains of Outama, surrounded by hills of varying heights and dense forests, with very treacherous terrain.

By the time they arrive in the mountains, it's already noon.

Luckily, the training grounds are equipped with dormitories and kitchens, and there are people maintaining the place year-round, so everything works, including the water, electricity, and even the internet.

However, since it's such a rare opportunity to come to the mountains, staying in the kitchen to cook isn't as fun.

The group borrows pots and bowls from the staff and brings all sorts of ingredients into the mountains to find a spot by the river to set up camp.

"Speaking of camping, we must prepare curry!"

Touka, the chef in charge of lunch, is the best cook among them.

"I'll go gather firewood!"

"I'll go fetch water!"

"I'll see if there are any wild game around."

"We'll go pick some mushrooms!"

The group cheers and scatters, disappearing into the forest like a bunch of happy huskies.

"The weather is perfect!"

Eiji lies on the grass, peacefully watching the others work hard from a distance.

One of the happiest things in life is being able to relax while everyone else is busy.

The cool mountain breeze brushes against him.

The soft sound of flowing water fills his ears.

Being immersed in it, it feels like all worries are wiped away, and his soul feels cleansed.

Eiji sits up.

He stares at the rushing water ahead, watching the rocks in the middle of the river shine as they are washed by the current, looking pensive.

Rebound, in the end, is the reaction force to an impact. But in nature, rebounds are everywhere. When any two things collide, there's always some force that pushes back.

The key is not how to resist the rebound but how to dissipate the reaction force.

Eiji suddenly has an epiphany, sitting by the river for half an hour.

***

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