Hajime, still staring at the clouds, grows introspective. Clearly he feels desolated, he is oblivious to all the craziness around him. Half terrified of heights, he searches for a distraction.

  Hajime (thinking):

  “I don’t know why I feel like I’ve lost something important… By any chance, is it my soul?”

  Valiant: “What are you murmuring about hero?”

  Hajime: “Yeah… I guess I did lose my soul at some point, but no… that’s not what this emptiness that drowns me is.”

  Valiant: “What is a soul anyway?”

  Hajime: “Something every living being has… yet I feel like that sentence is very wrong.”

  Valiant: “You’re not making any sense, Hajime.”

  Hajime: “Imagine you have a truly terrible boss. That’s it—no redeeming features. Does that boss have a soul?”

  Valiant: “Yes, he does have one. What are you getting at?”

  Hajime: “No, no… a truly terrible boss doesn’t have a real soul. That’s why they’re terrible GPS-san.”

  Valiant: “What about an idiotic boss?”

  Hajime: “I guess they do have a soul, but at the end of the day, they’re still terrible.”

  Valiant: “Doesn’t that mean the idiotic boss doesn’t have a soul either?”

  Hajime: “No… they do have a soul. Their idiocy redeems them in a pitiful sort of way.”

  Valiant: “Then do you have a soul?”

  Hajime: “I don’t know the answer. I feel like it’s been sucked dry… and that’s probably related to the emptiness I’m feeling.”

  Valiant: “Are you missing a lover by any chance?”

  Hajime freezes on that word.

  “Lover… lover… love… I don’t think that’s it.”

  Valiant: “Any favorite shows?”

  Hajime: “Favorite shows… yes—Eureka! I’m just bored out of my mind!”

  Valiant: “I can project the shows you like directly into your vision via the system interface.”

  Hajime: “I have a system?! Sweeeeet!”

  Valiant projects a screen showing Magical Nexus Girl, ripped straight from Hajime’s memories.

  Hajime is pacified once again.

  Announcer-san:

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Thank you everyone for the likes and shares during our massive commercial break! Now, pay attention!”

  “In this corner, the undefeated group that has drunkenly won every Ponzi scam—Grunhildad of the Strawberry Shortstacks!”

  A small dwarven woman storms back into the ring with a posse of drunken assistants.

  Announcer-san:

  “And in this corner—the first contestant from the Kunlad Continent in over one hundred years! A cold, graceful beauty beloved for her mysterious charm and elegance! Everyone, please simp for—Xian XUUUUUU!”

  A cold beauty descends into the ring atop a flying sword decorated with ice-cream advertisements.

  Announcer-san: “Now!, A few words from the contestants!”

  Grunhildad:

  “I don’t know why your clout is so mysterious and honestly, I don’t care. You’re competition that needs to be assimilated. Why don’t you sell your assets to me and join the winning side?”

  Xian Xu: “No.”

  Grunhildad: “……”

  Xian Xu: “……”

  Grunhildad: “Anything else?”

  Xian Xu: “No.”

  Announcer-san:

  “Everyone, take positions!

  Advertise the day away!”

  They stare at each other. No one moves.

  Epic music roars through the stadium.

  Five full minutes pass.

  Finally, one of Grunhildad’s companions whispers:

  “We checked if she had any companies we could seize… there’s absolutely nothing.”

  Grunhildad: “What about the Kunlad Continent? We have a subsidiary there, right?”

  “Sure. We’ll can call them now.”

  The ringing of an orb echoes through the stadium.

  Someone finally answers.

  A gaunt dwarf, tears streaming down his face, cries out:

  “Finally! Management has come! Please save us!”

  Grunhildad: “What’s happening?”

  Dwarf: “The cultivators are refusing to drink our beer! We don’t know why!”

  The view pans out—miles of cultivators watching Xian Xu’s advertisements, some throwing beer straight into the sea.

  When the ad finishes, a beam of blue light erupts across the continent and streaks toward the arena.

  The beam strikes Xian Xu.

  She transforms.

  A gigantic blue advertisement lotus blooms behind her, symbolizing the Dao of the Kunlad people.

  With teary eyes, Grunhildad kneels.

  “I concede… I cannot compete against this.”

  Xian Xu: “Un.”

  Xian Xu wins by doing nothing.

  Thus, we learn once again:

  Anything that comes from the Kunlad Continent will dominate in disproportionate quantities.

  The space warps into something horrific. Demons of depraved androgyny dance perfectly to soulless pop music. The display could confuse an entire generation—but beauty is not lost on the infiltrators, who raise ceremonial glow-sticks and pamphlets.

  Everything is ready.

  The mastermind, Alphonso-sama, steps through a poster-like portal.

  “I really love what we’ve done with the place. Here—have a rose.”

  Blue roses scatter over the crowd's of fervent fans and groupies.

  “It’s good to have the stage! Now everyone, make room for the band!”

  An entourage of demons pours through the portal.

  Their foothold in paradise is easily secured.

  Moooooooh…

  (There goes Master.)

  Zeus looks to the sky. Hajime is gone.

  Moooooh…

  (Shit. What do I do now?)

  He wanders the stage, dropping golden ad-plops as he goes.

  Mooooh?

  (What’s that over there?)

  He sniffs the backstage.

  MOOOOH!

  (Smells bad. Must avoid.)

  Zeus continues his lonely patrol.

  Moooooh…

  (I’m lonely. Come back down soon.)

  Caladblock, half-possessed, roars:

  “Finally! Get me out of here—take me to the elevator!”

  The Adless march obediently.

  She whispers obsessively:

  “I’m coming for you, my dear… This won’t take long, I promise.”

  They reach the elevator.

  The button doesn’t respond.

  Caladblock:

  “This damn elevator has been nothing but trouble to us! Work—NOW!”

  The Adless press the button repeatedly.

  Nothing happens.

  A small maintenance ad furtively appears.

  Caladblock snaps:

  “Fucking bullshit. I WILL NOT BE DENIED!”

  She injects miasma directly into the elevator, the screams of machinery echoing through the dungeon.

  Good news, everyone!