"Sorry to keep you all waiting, the restroom was a bit far… how's everything going?"
Hifumi greeted me with a bright smile and called out, "Sensei? While I was gone, did everyone build sandcastles?"
"Well… about that… we did…" I hesitated, then couldn't help but glance to the other side. "But it's a little… different from what I imagined…"
Curious, Hifumi followed my gaze, only to be left speechless by the sight.
A colossal sandcastle, like a two-story building, stood majestically on the beach.
Azusa and Mashiro were now standing atop the walls, looking down on us from their elevated position, with expressions that screamed 'this is only natural.'
"Whaaaaat!?" Hifumi exclaimed in disbelief. "Azusa-chan!? Why… why is it so huge!? And wait, how did you even make it like this!?"
All I could say was that Tsurugi put in a lot of effort, a huge effort.
Azusa explained confidently, "The requirement was a 'sandcastle'. A castle is a fortress. That means walls that won't collapse no matter what kind of attack they take."
"Yeah, that may be true, but you messed up somewhere else, didn't you!?"
"Besides, building this fortress is just right," Azusa continued. "This coast has no cover, no trenches. That made me uneasy. With this, we can resist enemy attacks and protect sensei. Don't worry, Hifumi."
"I agree," Mashiro nodded. "It's also a structure that makes it easier for our side to snipe in return. I think it's perfect."
Hifumi was shocked. "Mashiro-san!? Mashiro-san, are you infected too!?"
Wrong. She's always been like this, it's just that here, she happened to be on the same wavelength as Azusa.
Now, Mashiro looked completely delighted as well.
"Is this… suitable for photos…" Hifumi muttered, troubled. "Couldn't we make something cute and smaller instead…"
"No," Azusa said firmly. "Considering enemy attacks, this is the minimum size. Anything smaller would be unsafe. You don't want sensei to get hurt, do you, Hifumi?"
"Eh? Of course not! But… this is made of sand, right!?"
Mashiro smiled softly. "I care about the material being sand, but if it can be built this high, that's fine."
It seemed the two of them weren't even on the same channel.
Anyway, for now, we gathered everyone near the giant sandcastle, and I took some photos.
"This should be fine…"
Looking at the photos afterward, Hifumi gazed at the two standing guard atop the sandcastle and sighed, "Ah, haha… in unexpected places, with unexpected people, unexpectedly sharing the same passion…"
"Well, isn't that fine too?"
"Yeah, I guess," Hifumi added with a laugh. "Still, attacks or enemy raids… on such a peaceful beach, what are the chances?"
Though her words sounded like a flag, I nodded in agreement.
Even if it's made of sand, as long as there's no unstoppable interference, this sand fortress could be as unbreakable as the friendship between girls.
Suddenly, a whistling roar cut through the air, followed by a tremendous crash, and smoke spread around.
Then, gunfire erupted.
"Enemy spotted!" Mashiro shouted. "Three o'clock, multiple swimsuit delinquents!"
"See," Azusa said, "the enemy attack came just like that."
Hifumi was speechless.
It was the same gang of delinquents from before, looking for trouble again, now reinforced and seeking revenge.
Naturally, with Azusa and Mashiro as elites and Tsurugi as our secret weapon, the delinquents were easily driven off.
However, during the battle, the sandcastle, already not very sturdy, followed the fate of Hifumi and Tsurugi's smaller sandcastles and collapsed.
"It can't be helped. Everything is fleeting, all tangible things will eventually disappear."
Azusa looked at the ruined sandcastle. "That's why we fight. As long as we keep fighting, one day we'll encounter something invisible, yet real and not just an illusion."
She glanced at me, then quickly looked away as if shocked by her own words.
She knew saying this in public would be embarrassing.
Mashiro seemed to agree, nodding. "Right. Evil is everywhere. We must always be ready to fight it. One day, we'll find the justice in our hearts!"
But I thought, given Mashiro's unique sense of justice and obsession, and how her fondness for me is growing daily, what she just said would now sync with Azusa again.
In other words, to strengthen the friendship between Azusa and Mashiro, I might have to sacrifice a tiny bit of loyalty…
External forces can make a sandcastle collapse instantly, or hold it steady like a mountain.
Hifumi looked thoughtful. "Ahaha… I'm not sure I understand what you two are talking about anymore…"
Azusa smiled, a mix of pride and encouragement. "That's fine. Hifumi will understand someday."
"Ugh… I hope so."
Is it possible… that Hifumi actually arrived first?
"Oh, Tsurugi-san, what do you think?" Hifumi asked the key person of this mission cautiously.
Tsurugi let out a chilling laugh, clearly very pleased.
Every time I realize Tsurugi's language skills are improving, I don't know whether to be happy or worried.
"Ah, by the way, even though we made the sandcastle, we haven't done the sand bath yet…"
"For that," I picked up the camera, "I've already taken the photos."
"Hmm? Really? When? Did one of us do a sand bath?"
Hifumi looked puzzled.
I handed her the photos while explaining:
"These are precious photos of Tsurugi helping delinquent girls with a sand bath. Making new friends on the beach is part of the summer experience."
Hifumi's mouth twitched as she took the photos. "…Sensei, I don't think this is a sand bath. You just buried people in sand…"
I feigned amazement. "Is that so, Tsurugi…"
"Wait! It is a sand bath! Definitely a sand bath!"
Having been stopped from using her Tsurugi weapon, Hifumi patted her chest in relief. "Then… shall we move on to the next activity?"