Peer pressure is terrifying.

It makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do.

Even the kind of stuff you know you’ll regret later.

And for what?

Just so you fit in with other people?

…

What I’m trying to get at is…

I bought the bell choker from the suspicious man’s cosplay store.

Yes, I ended up giving in.

And I regret everything about it.

Now I look like someone’s pet.

It’s the worst.

…

I got used to the Kat outfit because I can’t see myself when I’m wearing it…

But this bell is different!

The constant ringing keeps reminding me of my situation!

Argh!

You know what?!

I’m just gonna put it in my bag and leave it there forever!

I don’t care that I wasted money on it!

That thing does not belong on a maiden’s neck!

…

Now then, Mable’s parents should arrive in about four days or so.

In other words, we still have a few free days left.

Well, since it’s already so hot out and the sand has mostly dried up, it’s time for a beach episode!

Ah yes…

While I was at it, I also bought a one-piece school swimsuit at that cosplay store.

…

Meanwhile, everyone else got bikini.

What’s up with that?!

Grrr, come on Ignis!

Why do you need a bikini when you are so flat?!

Gah!

I have no allies here…

Still, it’s convenient how the dress readjusted its size when I put the swimsuit over it.

One day, I’ll sit down and figure out the specifics of this.

Yep, just another entry in my endless list of things to figure out later.

Of course, I’ll get to it eventually.

But, I have priorities.

And my priority right now is to have fun on the beach!

Mmhmm!

…

Here we are.

There aren’t many people here.

Is it unusual to relax on a beach in this world?

Ignis and Cana seemed a bit confused by the notion as well when I first brought it up.

Hmm, I guess most people don’t have as much free time as the average modern earth person.

Well, whatever!

It’s better if there aren’t many people!

Crowded places are the worst, after all!

Yep, let’s wholeheartedly enjoy this!

…

Umm…

But, now that I think about it, I haven’t swam in years.

How do you do it again…?

Just kick my feet and paddle my arms, right?

Eh, whatever.

I’ll figure it out as I go.

I mean, how hard could it possibly be?

…

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaah! H-heeeelp…!”

“Stop kicking! How am I supposed to pull you out like this?!”

…

Fun fact.

Swimming with an incredibly heavy sword makes you sink fast.

I’m surprised I managed to stay afloat for so long.

Ugh…

I think I flooded half of the beach with my furious kicking and paddling.

All in an attempt to stay above the water’s surface.

…

What?

Put down the sword before going swimming?

Well… obviously!

I’m not that dumb!

I…

I just…

Err…

Forgot about it.

Y-you know!

It’s that moment when you carry around a bag on your back for a long time that you forget it’s even there.

Of course, normal people probably wouldn’t forget about an extremely heavy sword on their back…

But it seems like my boosted strength backfired.

…

Why do I feel like a lot of the Kat outfit benefits are double-edged swords?

Loud sounds stun me because of my enhanced hearing…

Fragnant flowers send me into a sneezing fit…

And now this…

…

Come on now!

This isn’t fair!

When a protagonist gets a power-up, it’s supposed to only be a plus!

Argh!

Damn you, reality!

“So, Nina… can you even swim?”

Stop looking at me with those pitying eyes!

Of course I can swim!

All it takes is kick and paddle a bunch!

Gah!

Stupid non-believers!

I’ll show you what I can do!

Here I go!

I dash forward and dive into the water.

And as soon as I hit the surface, the water floods my nasal cavities and makes me cough uncontrollably.

…

“Nina. Come here, I’ll teach you how to swim.”

This isn’t faaaaair!

In every show ever, people always dive in head first!

But realistically speaking, isn’t that suicide?!

What kind of sorcery do they use to protect their nose?!

This makes no sense at all!

“Okay, hold my hands and lie on the water like this… and then kick your feet to stay afloat.”

I can’t believe I’m doing this…

I’m supposed to be an adult already!

How embarrasing is it that I can’t even swim?!

Grrr!

Stop it, Mable!

Your ‘oh, she’s so cute’ face doesn’t make it any better!

“You’re doing great Nina! Just like this!”

Ugh…

I feel like a little kid being taught how to swim by her mom.

Me, who can slay ogres on her own is in THIS kind of situation…

I think I’ve hit a new low…

Argh…

…

Now that I think about it, Mable was also there when I couldn’t move and needed to change my clothes, wasn’t she?

In other words…

She has been the cause for all of my most embarrasing moments thus far!

I get it now!

It’s all your fault!

You are the source of all evil!

Damn you!

I’ll get my revenge one day!

Just you wait!

…

Ahhh…

Lying on the beach, enjoying the warm sun…

Swimming?

Pfft…

I’ll let the kids play around in the water!

A proper adult should just relax nearby while keeping an eye on them!

That’s right.

I didn’t give up on learning how to swim or anything of the sort.

I simply decided to relax while enjoying the sun…

…

Even though I can’t feel any heat because of the heat resistance of the dress.

And I can’t really take it off out here in the public.

…

Argh!

What happened to my dream vacation?!

This was one disappointment after another!

Why do things never go the way I want?!

Look at them, having fun and splashing water at each other!

Grrr!

I bet someone staged all of this!

Y…

Yes!

That must be it!

First, they used rain magic to ruin the first day!

T-then hired that cosplay shop keeper…!

A-and then…

Made me forget… how… to swim…?

…

I’m so pathetic.

I can only blame everything on others.

Seriously…

What’s wrong with me?

Ugh, I bet the curses I absorbed are corrupting my mind…!

…

I’m doing it again.

Just calm down, me.

I only need to-

“GYAAAH!”

Huh?

Was that Ignis?

Hmm?

Why is a giant blob of water looming over them?

Or rather, why is some water sticking on Ignis and Cana and pinning them to the sand…?

Oh wait…

That’s not water, is it?

Sticky and gooey…

That’s…

That’s a slime, isn’t it?

Hmm, seems like those few people who were here are long gone already.

Did they run from the slime?

Or did they simply leave when I wasn’t paying attention?

“Take this!”

Oh, Mable’s punch gouged out a nice chunk out of it.

…

But it regenerated right away.

Well, what a thing to behold.

A monster who can survive Mable’s punch.

Bleh…

I bet Ignis could have fried it in one shot.

But not when she’s stuck under all of that gel…

…

Hmm.

Won’t those girls suffocate like this?

I guess I’m gonna help them.

…

What a funny timing.

I JUST activated this form.

Cat soul+ (Tiger soul on)

Yep, this…

Argh, goddammit…

I’m gonna feel terrible after this…

Oh well…

Let’s deal with it.

Stand up.

Sigh.

Jump forward.

Hello there sir slime.

You may have pinned down my teammates and rendered Mable’s skill useless…

But there is absolutely nothing you can do about me.

So…

Do me a favor.

And evaporate.

I get close to it and drive my claws straight through it before releasing blaze magic.

An explosion of steam momentarily blinds me.

But after a brief moment, all that’s left of it is a magic stone lying in the sand.

“Gmmghgmmghmmm!”

As well as a pair of girls covered in slime.

Sure.

I’ll get rid of that too…

Just don’t move.

Or I might evaporate you by accident…

Oh wait…

You can’t really move right now, can you?

Well, whatever…

…

Ugh, is that the joke?

Is this all I can ever do in my life?

Fight monsnters?

Am I punished for trying to have fun?

…

Even though Kat told me to have fun…

This isn’t fair…

“There there… you did a good job… it’s gonna be fine…”

Stop rummaging through my hair, Mable…

It’s not helping…

…

Ugh…

Seriously, this tiger soul…

It has the worst drawback of all, and yet, blaze magic is so powerful…

The ability to evaporate anything related to skills and magic…?

It’s basically an instant-kill move for slimes who are made out of pure magic…

And moreover…

It just…

It SOUNDS like that kind of ability I will have to use one day for a greater purpose…

I’m not looking forward to that day.