Eventually, curious, we followed Oshiage down to the ground and found a public bathhouse with steam rising from the chimney. It seems to be one of the few places where people shivering in the cold can rest now. |
![Story ShibuyaSS2.png](/images/3/3a/Story_ShibuyaSS2.png) Shibuya |
"Huhun♪ Oshiage anego is a very cool person who protects 'those kinds of places' for everyone!" |
And so on, Shibuya said this as if it was her own achievement - but at the public baths that Oshiage protects, there were some unexpected children taking a bath. |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Hmm? You're all dressed up as Santa and delivering packages? I don't know, but it looks like fun, lively kinda...?" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Excellent! I'm impressed...! You're doing the best you can at a time when everyone else is going through a tough time! As the captain of the swimming club, I'm proud of club member Udon Thani like that!" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Waaai...♪ [Captaain~]! [Monte Carloo~]!" |
Udon Thani happily rushed over to see her beloved swimming club mates floating in the hot tub. A rare club activity at the Special Steel Squad Academy, everyone at the swim club are always good friends. |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Oh, it's not safe to run in the bathroom, club member Udon Thani! You've got to mind your manners! That's a promise you made to the captain of the club!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"I mean, you shouldn't come into the bathroom dressed like that. You'll get wet from the splashing when you're wearing something so cute." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"That's right! Although I'd love to hug you and do my best to be good to you too! But if I hug you, you'll get wet! If you get wet, you'll catch a cold!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"It's been so cold with the extreme weather and all, lately." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Mhm! This is the kind of cold that can seriously kill you...! At first I was like, 'I'm training for cold-weather swimming!', but I gave up when even the pool started to float on ice!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Ugzahh... Why do you like practice so much? If you can't use the pool, you can't do club activities, so why can't you just take a break until spring?" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"I should, but is there really going to be a spring? It seems like winter is going to go on like this forever though...?" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Haha. That would certainly lead to a drastic decrease in the population of our country." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Mhm. This is not a joke, this is a crisis of national survival." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"However, we are very cold... We can't move to solve the anomaly, and when we go outside, we stop working after five seconds." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Thanks to that, I'm in the public bath all the time with this annoying bugger. It's just my luck that I stopped by the bathhouse after club activities, and I've been alone with this hot, annoying bugger for a long time-" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Uh-huh~. You're always so lovey-dovey, des nano♪" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Udon." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Yes♪" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"If, you say that again, I'll sew your mouth shut." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"No! [Monte Carlo] is too kind to do that!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"........." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Wahaha! She's got one over on ya, Club member Moncarn!" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"...GLWAB, GLUBGLUB!?" |
After submerging Awilda forcefully into the hot water, Monte Carlo made an 'ignore that' notion. |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"More than that. Why are you doing a part-time job like this, Udon? You're from Flamarine too, you don't like the cold, do you?" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"That's true~ But, I have to earn money." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Actually, in order to deal with this extreme weather, a secret weapon is being developed in the Underwater Temple laboratory." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"A secret weapon...? It sounds bad enough, but is it safe for ordinary people like me to hear about it?" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Yes~. [Puerto Rico] wanted to brag about it to everyone, so she advertised it a lot in newspapers and magazines." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"What's the point of 'secret' then?" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"I read that story in the newspaper too! I think they are developing something called 'artificial celestial spheres'?" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Artificial celestial sphere... The celestial sphere is the one that we, the inhabitants of the subterranean world Iris Metro, are familiar with. Above ground, it's called, the Sun." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Amazing! That's a dream! We're going to make a sun!" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Yes~. If we make a sun and float it in the sky, the ground will warm up and the snow will melt~ then?" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Something like that was said by [Puerto Rico]." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Ain't that a clumsy solution then...? The celestial spheres are an ancient relic, like the railway lines, and I don't think it can be artificially recreated so easily." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Still, we have to do it. If winter continues forever, we will all catch cold and die." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"If it's this cold, we won't be able to harvest our crops and our livestock will die... Even if we don't catch a cold, eventually we'll run out of food and we'll be out." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Yeah. Ain't that horrifiying. By the way, the subterranean world is having the same kind of extreme weather, snow is falling all over the country." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"I've heard that some of the celestial spheres have frozen and crashed. To be honest, this is a real global crisis." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Exactly! I felt bad to hear that! Normally this time of year is the Christmas season, so people would have been very excited, wouldn't they?" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Now we have no choice but to stay pumped to live." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Yes. That's why to help pay for the development of Artificial Celestial Sphere - I'm do this part-time job." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Mhuhuh~. The little money I make myself is not enough, though~♪" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"But still. I wanted to do something for everyone I love." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"What should we do, club member Moncarn!? I want to hug the healthy club member Udon Thani and be good to her!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Why don't you just do it...?" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"But if I hug her, I'll wet her cute clothes! But if I don't hug her, I can't tell her how I feel! Hence, as a compromise, I'll hug club member Moncarn instead...!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"GYAAAAAAH!?" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"......♪" |
Udon Thani looked really happy at her fellow club colleagues, but bowed nicely and then turned on her heel. |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Ehehe. I have some work to do, so I will go now." |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Mhm! I'll follow your example and see if there's anything I can do! Now is not the time for us to be swimming around in the water!" |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"Yeah. Even our always fluffy Udon is doing her best for humanity and the world." |
![Story Monte CarloSS.png](/images/3/39/Story_Monte_CarloSS.png) Monte Carlo |
"I'm going to try my best for once then♪" |
![Story AwildaSS2.png](/images/5/53/Story_AwildaSS2.png) Awilda |
"Yes! Let's all work together to overcome this hardship! That's youth! That's what the swimming club is all about...!" |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"Yes." |
![Story Udon ThaniSS.png](/images/f/fe/Story_Udon_ThaniSS.png) Udon Thani |
"I am very, very honoured to be 'one of you'." |