"Woohoo~~ Exploring the universe is truly exciting~"
In front of the Dimension Gate of the Great Cosmic Workshop, Tenjouin Fubuki, dressed in a casual Hawaiian short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with a camera hanging from his neck, greeted Flame Sword and Crystal.
"Hahaha~~ How has everyone been lately!"
A few Spirits laughed and returned the greeting.
Although they didn't meet often, Tenjouin Fubuki was always good at making new friends, and he got along well with Flame Sword and the others.
If only they could surf and drink together, their relationship might be even stronger.
Compared to Tenjouin Fubuki, Marufuji Shou seemed a bit nervous. Already not very tall, his slight hunch and hand covering his chest due to nervousness made him look even smaller.
However, thanks to Fubuki's banter, it relaxed the overall mood somewhat.
But, the destination is the universe after all...
"No need to be so nervous." Tenjo Hikari noticed Marufuji Shou's anxiousness. He raised his hand and said, "Even though it's the universe, it's essentially still the Spirit World, so even if you're really standing in the vacuum of space, you don't need to worry about running out of oxygen or exploding from the pressure."
A simple reasoning: robots made by Tierra weren't built to aerospace standards but could still return comparatively intact to the Great Cosmic Workshop. Most damage came from local Spirit battles as "collateral damage."
So there really isn't much to worry about.
Of course, since it's a universe-level space, you still need specialized transportation. That's why Tenjo Hikari chose to pilot the Ugly Ship: convenient, fast, and operated in real-time by Tierra.
In summary, it's safe, usable, durable, and mass-producible—
As mentioned earlier, Tierra never liked replicating parts of his own body, but the effectiveness of the Ugly Ship was just too good. He made three of them, and the spare one could be used for various tasks like calculations and transport.
Now, it's time to "board."
Marufuji Shou listened to Tenjo Hikari's words, understanding he was being reassured to calm down—and even Senior Tenjouin, in his own way, was comforting him. So, after taking a simple deep breath, he decided to board.
Seeing this, Tenjouin Fubuki smiled and followed into the Ugly Ship.
What he saw entering wasn't like the space shuttle cockpits in fantasy films, but rather a simple small room.
"Eh—" he instinctively made a surprised sound.
"Haha, Senior Fubuki, if you want to see a cockpit, you won't find one." Tenjo Hikari laughed, explaining that the Ugly Ship was unmanned, and even if it were a spaceship, Spirits and spaceships are different concepts.
This "Ugly" is a simulated Spirit created by Tierra using his power. It's mainly a Spirit, designed internally by Tierra according to human living space standards, essentially a single-person "motor home."
Thinking of it like this, when nothing much is happening, you can travel through various Dimensions in the Ugly Ship, which can be quite relaxing.
Once comfortably seated, Wan Rong activated the Dimension Gate, enveloping the entire Ugly Ship in a green glow.
"Won't it be a bit cramped?" Marufuji Shou still seemed nervous.
"No worries; once we reach the Spirit Dimension, we can enlarge it."
Oh—
Marufuji Shou recalled some Spirit-related knowledge taught at the academy and nodded quickly.
That's definitely logical.
Passing through the green tunnel of the Dimension Gate, the Ugly Ship dropped into a vast, empty starfield. With a crisp snap of the fingers, the Ugly Ship instantly expanded, growing as large as the surrounding stars.
Not far away, a golden beam just swept past, whooshed, and hit the Ugly Ship. Marufuji Shou grabbed his head and screamed, "Waaahhh," as the Ugly Ship shook from the impact, retreating significantly. When he regained his senses, they had already been knocked out of their previous star zone.
Marufuji Shou quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead, taking deep breaths for a while, feeling suddenly alive again.
"Wow—"
On the other side, Tenjouin Fubuki's camera automatically ejected a photo. He held the card, shaking his head slowly, and whispered in awe, "What an oppressive bombardment."
He looked out the window again.
Outside, the stars sparkled, their light shimmering in the cosmos. Battleships and warships exchanged attacks among the stars, shining like a beautiful painting.
"Click, click—"
He raised his camera, continuously pressing the shutter as if possessed, muttering...
"The next issue of the magazine will definitely sell like crazy!!"
Marufuji Shou also gazed at the starry sea. The dazzling galaxy reflected in his eyes, making him momentarily forget his nervousness, only feeling how immense and beautiful the universe truly is.
Spirit World... can it be this beautiful too?
Tenjo Hikari also gazed out the window, finding himself relaxing for once.
Despite the surrounding chaos of artillery, with Tierra, there's no need to worry about the artillery. Taking the time to enjoy the cosmic scenery up close is quite delightful.
He looked back straight ahead.
He saw many familiar faces.
Not only the "Drytron" they came to find but even the "Ursarctic," which had crossed paths before.
And it wasn't just these two Spirit systems; there were also Kozmoll, B.E.S., and other familiar Spirits. Among them, what caught Tenjo Hikari's eye the most was the "Orbital Hydralander."