Section 8: To the Castle Tower!

(Inhaaale)...

SAVE ME, PUPPYYY!!!

Hey! HEY! Urushut up!

Aah, the reverb! The reveeerb! Stop that! You are wasting your breath!

I feel like...like...like a damsel in distress!

(Squee) I've waited so long... I can finally cross that off my bucket list!

Wait, you're HAPPY about this!?

Yes, I am!

Because, you see, I know for SURE that my Puppy's already on the way to save me!

...Is that so? It's really kawaii how you trust him so implicitly.

But none of that matters with the guardian of Csejte. I mean, just look how big it is!

You couldn't be more wrong, Batty!

These days, it's all about the three Cs: cute, compact, and comforting!

This is an age where small reigns supreme. People are all about indie flicks, not giant blockbusters.

They want simple, pick-up-and-play casual games, not those massive, time-sink, AAA RPG games!

...Is that what you think? You really don't understand us shut-ins!

Whereas I can tell you, from a position of strength and authority, that I have nothing BUT time on my hands, so I will always go for that time-sink AAA RPG!

And if it has a hardcore mode, or is a roguelike? Even better!

... ...

... ...

We really don't agree on anything, do we!?

Nope.

Keh heh heh, time to climb!

I see you're in high spirits, Nite-Brite.

So we're going to climb...that, hm? I think I feel a headache coming on.

Well Master, shall we

Hold it.

Since I can fly, I believe it would be best if I carried my pilot candidate.

Don't worry, I'll take good care of him.

Hmm. Yeah, that makes a certain kinda sense.

Good. I promise your flight will be first-class all the way.

You're welcome. It will be my pleasure to show you the thrill of soaring through the sky on steely wings.

？！

Now, what am I going to do...

Perhaps attach yourself to my CEO morning star as I hurl it skyward?

That'll impale me!

So? I thought you were into that sort of thing.

Don't be absurd. Impaling someone else is one thing, but I have no intention of allowing myself to be impaled.

At any rate, there's no possible way I can climb with that. I suppose I'll have to use my old torture orb.

What do you mean?

Why wouldn't it carry me after I decided I wished to ride it?

Keh heh heh! Spoken like a true ruler!

This? It's a torture orb.

Yeah, we heard. What the hell IS it?

A ball of energy filled with my desire to torture others.

That is deeply unsettling...

？！

Now then, I'd better attend to myself as well. Torturers!

S'up.

？！

I wish to ascend Castle Csejte. Therefore, I order you all to form a human ladder!

'Kaaay.

They certainly aren't very polite, are they, Master? By the way, where did these people come from?

Now now, an empress must keep her secrets!

All right, form of a ladder!

There, now I can make the climb easily! Upsy-daisy!

I shall be on my way too.

Wait, sorry. Hang on just a moment, please.

What about Cleopatra? What happened to her?

How would I know? She's most likely sulking in her pyramid.

Besides, there's way too much overlap between us anyway!

If you say so.

Then let us be on our way. We shall begin our hostile takeover of Mecha Eli-chan Mk. II!

Amazones Next Day Delivery High Jump!

I'm afraid that's just an ordinary high jump, CEO.

Okay, here we are.

I see this route is guarded, just like last time. It would be nice if we could catch our breath...

...but it looks like we'll need to defeat them first, if we're ever going to get back to the whole Halloween thing!

Pumpkin Pie Housewarming Party!

What are you talking about...

I was just trying to maximize these leftover resources.

Want some?

Don't worry, Master of Chaldea. Food is not harmful to humans so long as they vomit it back up. Unless it's poisonous. Or perhaps sufficiently caustic.

I see. But then, wouldn't your communications be a major security concern?

？！

Why do you keep your hands open like that?

That's...a good question...

That's just what it's like in the world of venture capitalism. You're probably just trying to grab something that isn't visible.

Guess break time's over. Might as well get back to wall-climbing.

Hup!

I must have been visualizing my quarterly earnings success so vividly that I

Come on, we're leaving. Get ready, and be quick about it.

Grr...