[MashUp] Ch 13: Amagi Brilliant Park

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The bus rumbled past the city limits. Outside, the land grew desolate; inside, the silence weighed thick in the air.

Sento Isuzu sat by the window, her body wound tight like a drawn bowstring.

She forced herself not to look at the man beside her. But his presence burned against her nerves like a hot brand.

Humiliation. Excitement.

Two emotions clashed violently inside her chest.

She had seen his so-called "miracles" with her own eyes, especially predicting a Gacha.

She had also felt firsthand how easily he toyed with her, forcing her to offer up that humiliating condition.

This man was cruel, yes. But his mind… was their only hope.

She had to make him see the amusement park's worth.

She had to make him act willingly.

Isuzu inhaled deeply, suppressing her panic, and forced herself into the composure expected of the royal guard.

"Takuma."

"Before you see it in person, you need to understand its value. Our Amagi Brilliant Park covers more than one million square meters."

Her tone carried pride as she said the number.

In land-starved Tokyo, such a massive estate was nothing short of a miracle.

"Oh."

And that was Takuma's entire response.

He leaned lazily against his seatback, eyes never leaving his phone.

"A million square meters?" He smirked inwardly.

If he remembered right, in the original story there was also a huge southern section, the Secondary Park, left abandoned, that later got sold off by that useless fool Seiya Kanie in the dumbest way possible.

Which meant the total land was closer to two million square meters.

And yet, in Tokyo, with property that size… they were on the verge of bankruptcy?

What kind of idiot management did it take to pull off that "business miracle"?

Like holding a full bowl of food, yet still begging for scraps.

Isuzu winced at his dismissive reaction, but pushed on, ready to highlight the park's greatness.

That was when his hand landed on her thigh.

Takuma's warm palm pressed against the taut curve of her leg. The touch seeped through the thin fabric of her white thigh-high socks. The feel was flawless.

"Mm, softie~"

As expected of someone from a magical land—wearing summer uniforms even in winter.

"!!!!"

Isuzu froze, mind blanking out.

She whipped her head around, brown eyes blazing with fury.

Clack!

In an instant, a decorated flintlock appeared in her hand, its barrel pressed against Takuma's temple.

Her movements were so fast. But Takuma didn't even glance at the weapon.

Instead, his fingers squeezed her thigh slightly, calm and insolent.

And just as her anger was about to erupt, his mocking voice slid into her ear.

"From Shibuya, it's about forty minutes by bus. Not too far—that's a plus."

Isuzu froze mid-action.

"But the bus terminal is more than a kilometer from your front gate."

He kept scrolling through his phone with one hand, the other still kneading her thigh without hesitation.

"And City Hall never gave you a direct stop. Not even a dedicated line."

"That means... You were abandoned."

"A place the city planners gave up on. Traffic will always get siphoned off to shinier attractions nearby."

"If you can't even fix basic transportation, forget about revival."

"That one million square meters you're so proud of? It's nothing but an isolated graveyard."

Isuzu's breath caught.

The anger in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by raw shock.

Of course the higher-ups at the park knew about these problems. But all they ever did was complain and sigh.

Not once had anyone connected the dots so brutally, boiling it down to a single truth: abandoned.

Her hand wavered. She even forgot that his hand was still in her so-called "absolute territory."

Takuma felt her body relax under his palm, a smile tugging at his lips.

He leaned close to her ear, whispering with a laugh.

"Looks like my analysis…"

"…is more tempting than my hand?"

"You want the park to survive that badly? You're really… a boring woman."

"!!!"

Isuzu's face flushed scarlet, hotter than fire.

That line shamed her more than the touch ever could.

Because it was true.

Ding!

"Last stop—"

The bus screeched to a halt.

Isuzu bit her lip, ears glowing red, and stormed off without a word.

Her legs felt weak, unsteady. And worse—her body wasn't behaving right.

Every step, she felt uncomfortably aware of herself.

Takuma followed her at his own pace.

About ten minutes on foot brought them to a strange sight.

On the left stood a dazzling "castle," its neon lights glowing suggestively, drawbridge and spires gleaming.

「Cinderella's Secret Castle」

・Three-hour: from ¥5,800

・Overnight stay: from ¥9,800

・Special services available

On the right was the true entrance to 「Amagi Brilliant Park」

Peeling paint on the fence, rusted iron gates, and a crooked sign.

The word for "Brilliant" had long since gone dark.

Only "Amagi Park" still flickered faintly in the cold wind, clinging to life.

On one side, a lovers' paradise raking in cash. On the other, a children's dream rotting into a graveyard.

Takuma glanced at Isuzu's pale face and chuckled.

He pointed at the glittering hotel, tone sincere: "If you bulldozed the park and built one of these instead…"

"…business would skyrocket."

He half-expected her to draw her gun again.

But instead—she actually thought about it.

Her brows knitted in deep concentration, as though she were seriously weighing the pros and cons of turning the park into a love hotel.

Takuma's smirk faltered.

This idiot…

She was actually analyzing his dirty joke?

Moments later, she lifted her head, speaking in a solemn voice.

"Your proposal is commercially sound. But fundamentally… impossible."

"Considering you're a human-world resident, I won't fault your ignorance."

"But it's my duty to explain."

"Oh?" Takuma feigned interest. "Go on."

"Listen carefully."

"Our survival as magical residents depends on gathering pure emotions from visitors—joy, excitement, delight—and crystallizing them into what we call Animus, human happiness and fun energy."

A faint blush crept over her pale cheeks, though she kept her tone steady.

"Your so-called love hotel… can't generate that kind of energy."

"Heh."

Takuma let out a mocking laugh.

"Sounds like some cult ritual. Living off other people's happiness? Convenient setup."

"This isn't a setup!"

Her voice cracked with anger.

"It's the law of survival for magical beings!"

She hesitated briefly, then added with gravity, as if offering crucial intelligence.

"Did you know, Takuma?"

"Universal Studios. Disney—the largest theme parks in the world…"

"Almost all of them were founded by other magical realms. They're our direct competitors."

"If we abandon our ground and change course, we hand them the market."

"And the result will be… the fall of our nation."

Her eyes burned into him, as if demanding: 'Do you see the weight we carry now?'

She had dismissed his proposal on the basis of survival law.

In her mind, this was principled resolve.

But in Takuma's eyes…

It was pathetic, almost adorably so.

"Fall of a nation?"

He laughed softly, full of scorn.

"Dressing up bad management as some noble tragedy. Are all magical folk this good at moving themselves to tears?"

"You—!"

Isuzu clenched her fists, then let them drop in defeat.

She had no rebuttal.

And Takuma walked on, step by step, deeper into this graveyard of dreams.

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