Blankon Announcement

503: Ultimate Skills, and the Collaboration of the Gods.

The grand drum march and trumpet sounds echoed as numerous circus members swiftly entered the wide stage from both sides, performing a series of rapid backflips.

The waves of backflips from the left and right crossed each other at the center. It’s amazing how they don’t collide.

They continued to bounce around as if they were on trampolines, leaping into the air one after another.

The circus members were dressed in colorful, fluttering costumes, making the stage look like a blooming flower garden.

“It’s incredible how they can move so flawlessly.”

“They must have practiced a lot.”

As I exchanged these casual remarks with Luu, who was sitting next to me, two men appeared on the stage.

One of them began juggling by tossing an apple into the air. The other seemed to be his assistant.

The juggler received additional apples from his assistant, increasing the number from four to five, and eventually up to ten apples flying in the air.

The audience applauded the feat. But the juggler didn’t stop there. He took a knife handed to him by his assistant and began replacing the apples with knives one by one.

In an instant, the ten apples turned into ten knives. Yet, the juggling continued just as smoothly. Wow, that’s impressive.

As I marveled at this, the juggler’s assistant brought out a wooden box containing hand axes, holding them up to show the audience.

Wait, is he going to switch to those next!?

Ignoring the murmurs from the audience, the juggler kept tossing the knives into the air while glancing at the hand axes his assistant was offering, timing his moves.

We stopped talking and watched with bated breath. In the next moment, with a swift motion, the knives were replaced one by one with hand axes. The number decreased due to their weight, but the axes spun through the air.

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. We couldn’t help but clap as well.

“Oh, that’s…”

“Wait, no way…”

The assistant began setting up small logs, about thirty centimeters tall, in a row on the stage. The juggler stood in front of the first log, timing his move. The drumroll in the background added to the tension.

Thunk! The first axe was swung down onto the log, and the man moved sideways, driving the axes into the logs one after another.

After embedding the last axe into the log, the juggler spread his arms wide as if to say, “How’s that?” Another round of applause followed.

“That was nerve-wracking.”

“Yes, I thought he might fail.”

As Luu and I clapped and shared our thoughts, the juggler exited the stage, and a cheerful man on a bicycle appeared.

The man rode around the stage, waving to the audience with one hand, then let go of the handlebars and waved with both hands while riding.

Oh, I used to do that too, I thought. But then he stood on the saddle and began steering with one foot. I’ve never done that. Could I?

Three more cyclists appeared from the wings, making a total of four. Their bicycles crisscrossed the stage without colliding. How do they not hit each other?

Stage assistants brought out what looked like a ramp. Are they going to jump?

One bicycle headed for the ramp, launching into the air, spinning once, and landing perfectly. The other three followed suit, each performing a flawless spin and landing, eliciting applause from the audience.

I had introduced bicycles to this world, but the people here had already mastered them as if they were extensions of their own bodies. Those bicycles weren’t ordinary either; they seemed to have been modified with several suspension-like parts, probably to absorb the shock of landing.

As the four cyclists began circling the stage again, two men with long ropes appeared from the wings.

Grabbing the ends of the ropes, the two men began spinning them. Ah, I see. It’s a jump rope.

“What are they doing…?”

“You’ll see.”

I answered Asia, who was curiously watching the spinning ropes.

Soon, one of the men muttered an incantation, and the ropes burst into flames. Wait, that’s not what I expected…

The cyclists jumped into the flaming ropes, performing small jumps as if they were skipping rope. Well, I didn’t expect them to set the ropes on fire, but it’s still what I thought it was.

How do they even hold flaming ropes? Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be wearing thick gloves. Fireproof gloves, perhaps? The ropes probably aren’t ordinary either.

All four cyclists entered the flaming ropes, jumping in sync rhythmically. After dozens of jumps, they swiftly exited one after another.

Following this, the cyclists left the stage with acrobatic moves.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen! Next up, witness the astonishing feats of strength by the mighty Full Power!”

The ringmaster, wearing a top hat and holding a megaphone, made the announcement. The curtain at the center of the stage opened, revealing the god of strength, Full Power, striking a pose that emphasized his muscles. Here he is, the god of strength.

On either side stood women who appeared to be his assistants, wearing bunny ears. Wait, are they beastmen? Their outfits are straight-up bunny girl costumes, though with skirts instead of high-cut fishnet tights.

I remember showing Zanack-san from ‘Fashion King Zanack’ some Earth fashion images that included something like this. He must have made these…

“Hmph!”

Full Power crouched down, lifted the two women onto his hands, and stood up effortlessly.

The audience gasped. Not with his arms—he lifted them onto his palms. The strength to lift one woman with each hand was impressive, but the bunny girls maintaining their balance and smiling throughout were equally remarkable.

“Hmph!”

Not satisfied with that, Full Power raised his hands above his head, holding the two bunny girls high for the audience to see.

“Amazing!”

“This is so fun!”

Linne and Frey were excitedly watching the spectacle. I feel like they could probably do something like that too… Oh, wait, their hands are too small. Never mind.

With [Power Rise] or [Boost], even I could do it… Wait, why am I competing with him?

The bunny girls were set down and exited the stage, returning with a large shield. It was a sturdy-looking metal kite shield.

Full Power took the shield from the bunny girls.

“Hmph!”

With a creaking sound, Full Power effortlessly bent the kite shield in half.

“Hmph!”

He then folded the shield in half again, making it four layers thick.

The audience erupted in cheers at Full Power’s display of strength. He held up the now quarter-sized shield, basking in the applause.

As Full Power struck a pose, showing off his muscles to the audience, dozens of circus members wheeled out a large wagon platform from behind.

It was just the platform—no horses. It was large enough to carry dozens of people, about the size of a large truck.

The members who had brought out the platform began climbing onto it. There were at least twenty of them.

“Hey, no way…”

A voice from the audience echoed my thoughts. For a moment, I thought, “No way,” but then I quickly realized, “But he can probably do it.”

As expected, Full Power grabbed the platform with over twenty people on it.

“Hmph!”

With a grunt, he lifted the platform with both hands, then adjusted his grip to hold it from below. The full weight of the platform now rested on his shoulders, head, and arms.

A drumroll filled the silence. Thunk! With a sound, Full Power lifted the platform high above his head, as if performing a weightlifting feat.

“Incredible!”

“No way!”

“What strength!”

Exclamations of amazement and thunderous applause filled the air. Even our kids were clapping excitedly.

If each person weighed around 50 kilograms, 20 people would total about one ton. I’ve never seen a one-ton weightlifting feat before.

And he still seemed to have Room to spare. He could probably lift even more, but he was holding back, keeping it within the bounds of a circus performance.

“Dad, that guy’s amazing!”

“Hmm, even I might not be able to do that even with [Power Rise].”

Linne, sitting in front of me, turned around and exclaimed excitedly, while Frey, sitting next to her, sounded impressed.

[Power Rise], like [Boost], is a body-enhancing magic that increases physical strength. Even with a child’s enhanced strength, it wouldn’t be enough to match that. Linne’s [Gravity] could probably lighten the platform’s weight and achieve something similar, though.

“Hmph!”

After setting down the platform, Full Power struck a muscle-flexing pose for the audience. Yeah, we get it, you’re strong.

“Hmph!”

Seeing this, Frey, Yoshino, and Linne mimicked his pose. Don’t copy him! You’ll end up all muscly!

“Huh?”

Suddenly, drumming echoed across the stage, and Full Power, along with the circus members and the now-empty platform, exited.

The light, rhythmic drumming was soon joined by trombones and trumpets. Wait, isn’t this song…?

The curtain at the center of the stage rose, revealing a band. The one passionately playing the drums was none other than Sousuke-niisan, the Music God.

As the intro ended, a saxophone began playing a danceable melody. This swing jazz classic was one of my grandfather’s favorite songs.

It was also used in a Japanese movie about high school girls forming a big band to play jazz. The song is a representative piece by a jazz musician known as the “King of Swing.”

As the music played, circus members emerged from both sides of the stage, performing backflips.

All of them were women, dressed in Arabian-style costumes—or rather, what would be considered Mismede-style attire in this world.

Their upper bodies were covered only by chest wraps, and they wore loose harem pants that were sheer, revealing their legs.

At the center of the stage stood Prima-chan, the Dance God.

The dancers began moving to the music, their elegant and alluring dance captivating the audience (especially the men). Me? There’s no way I could stay calm in this situation.

At times light and graceful, at other times slow and intense, their mesmerizing dance held the audience’s attention.

As expected of the goddess of dance. Yesterday, she seemed like the type who didn’t show much emotion, but on stage, her expressions were vibrant and full of life.

The surrounding dancers were also highly skilled, matching Prima-chan’s movements or highlighting her performance with their own.

Before long, the audience began clapping along, and the tent was filled with a wave of excitement.

The collaboration between the Music God and the Dance God had completely captivated everyone.

We were no exception. Even Ende, Nei, and the kids were clapping along to the rhythm. The power of the gods is truly fearsome.

As the gods’ performance ended, the audience rose to their feet, showering the stage with applause. Some were even crying. It’s no wonder—a performance like this is a rare sight.

“That was amazing! I want to sing there too!”

“Me too! Kaa-sama, me too!”

Sakura and Yoshino, mother and daughter, were the most excited. Calming them down was a challenge.

On stage, new props were being set up for the next act. To fill the time, Sousuke-niisan began playing the piano. Wait, isn’t that the piano from the castle?

The band played a jazzy rendition of the theme song from an Earth anime about a third-generation master thief. Why that choice…?

While the music played, targets with concentric circles and large boards were set up at the edge of the stage. Is it knife-throwing next?

Nope, it’s axe-throwing. Does this circus have some special connection to axes?

◇ ◇ ◇

“Did you enjoy the morning show? After a short break, we’ll begin the afternoon performance. Please wait a moment.”

At the ringmaster’s announcement, a fair number of audience members left. Since the seating was open and not assigned, some might have only bought tickets for the morning or afternoon shows. Others were probably heading to the restrooms or to grab food.

We decided it was a good time to eat as well. Luu piled up several stacked lunch boxes on a large table. That’s a lot!

“Come on, dig in! We’ve got drinks too!”

“Plates are over here, so help yourselves!”

As Luu and Asia opened the lunch boxes, everyone exclaimed in delight. The boxes were filled with colorful, delicious-looking dishes from various cuisines.

“This looks delicious! Let’s eat!”

“Wait, Linne. Wash your hands first, okay?”

“Oh, right…”

Linze created a water sphere in the air, and Linne and the other kids washed their hands in it. The rest of us used hot towels from [Storage] to clean up.

“Alright, let’s eat!”

“Let’s eat!”

Hands reached out, and the food disappeared from the lunch boxes in an instant. Several boxes were emptied in no time. Well, with our family, Ende’s family, and the gods all here, it’s no surprise.

As the empty boxes were cleared away, Luu pulled out more filled lunch boxes from her [Storage] ring. How many did she prepare?

“Mmm, the flavors are so rich. It’s delicious.”

“Nyahaha, this is perfect with alcohol!”

Even Karen-nee and the others were happily digging into the lunch boxes Luu and Asia had prepared. Is drinking allowed here…?

I wondered as I saw Suika holding a bottle of Eashen alcohol, but since other audience members were sipping wine and chatting, it was probably fine.

“It was more impressive than I expected. The circus I saw at Belfast’s castle doesn’t compare.”

“That’s because this circus is extraordinary. The one you saw was probably just a regular circus in this world.”

“That guy lifting the platform was amazing!”

“I loved the illusion magic. It was so beautiful.”

“Yeah, that magic was stunning. I liked it too.”

Linne, Elna, and Alice chatted about the morning performance while holding rice balls. I can use illusion magic too, you know.

The underwater illusion magic that reached the audience was indeed impressive. It felt like being in an aquarium.

Was that someone’s personal magic? Or was it a magic tool? The Doctor might have something like that.

“What’s in store for the afternoon?”

“First, there’s a one-hour stage play called ‘Palace Upheaval.”

Sue asked, and Linne answered while looking at the pamphlet we received at the entrance. A play in the afternoon?

Come to think of it, is Shiatro-san, the Theater God, performing? I heard he’s directing, but is he playing the princess or something…?

A man playing a princess? That’s hard to imagine… unless it’s a comedy.

I tried to picture it but quickly stopped. No way. That would traumatize the kids.

“I’m looking forward to the play.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a live performance.”

Elna and Asia smiled as they chatted. In the future, I didn’t take them to many plays, so I hope they enjoy this one.

It’s a stage production handled by a god himself. It’s bound to be interesting… probably.

But these things depend on the audience’s taste. If it’s too adult-oriented or filled with social satire, the kids might not get it.

Shiatro-san said it would be enjoyable for children, so it should be fine.

“Linze, what’s ‘Palace Upheaval’ about?”

I quietly asked Linze. It’s been performed several times, so it must be a well-known play.

“From what I recall… it’s about a girl from a village who ends up working as a maid in the palace. She gets caught up in various intrigues but faces life with a positive attitude. I haven’t read the script, so I don’t know the details.”

I see. Does she get noticed by a prince, like Cinderella? That sounds like a fun, dreamy story.

“I’m excited!”

“Me too!”

Yae and Frey, each holding rice balls, mumbled through full mouths. They sure eat a lot… Frey’s mother, Hilda, looked slightly exasperated.

Glancing to the side, I saw Ende’s daughters—Mel, Rize, and Nei—also eating voraciously.

The empty lunch boxes were cleared away, and Luu placed new ones on the table with a thud. She’s really prepared for this.

Well, whatever. Let’s enjoy the food for now.

I picked up a piece of fried chicken from my plate and took a bite.