"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream~"
"La, la, la, la~"
"Life is but a dream~"
Alice sang cheerfully without a care in the world. Perched on Hirano's lap, she swayed her body left and right, her voice innocent and bright. Completely contrasting the chaotic world outside.
"Wow, that's good! You memorized the whole song," Hirano praised her, visibly impressed.
Crossing the river in the massive tank was taking longer than expected. The hum of the engine and slow movement left both of them bored, especially with most of the others still fast asleep. Since they'd departed at dawn, many were still trying to catch up on lost sleep, snuggled into their personal beds.
Unlike the cramped Humvee from before, this tank was a miracle on treads. Its interior was now expanded with Niikaz's touch—equipped with male and female sleeping quarters, complete with beds and basic furniture. No one even questioned the logic behind it anymore; they just threw common sense out the window and collapsed into comfort.
Everyone, that is, except Takagi.
Still groggy and plagued by a headache, Takagi had finally gotten up to get some air. She stood near the upper hatch, fanning herself and trying to make sense of anything. Unfortunately for her, Niikaz had taken a liking to teasing her and frequently reshaping and redecorating the interior with a casual flick of her fingers. Every new surreal feature added to Takagi's internal crisis.
In a world without fantasy or magic, Niikaz's existence defied logic. And Takagi hated how little of it made sense to her.
"I can sing in English too!" Alice suddenly announced with pride.
"Woah, that's awesome. Let's hear it," Hirano encouraged with a grin.
"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream~
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream~"
"Nice! Now let's do a cover version this time!" Hirano said, grinning mischievously.
"Okay!" Alice responded with energy.
"Cover song...?" Takagi mumbled to herself, confused again. Even if she wasn't interested, she couldn't help but listen in.
Hirano cleared his throat dramatically, straightened his back, and raised a clenched fist into the air as if channeling pure artistic energy. He closed his eyes, taking this far more seriously than anyone expected.
"Du, du, du, du~" he began, singing his own improvised intro.
Takagi stared at him with an expression that could only be described as 'what in the actual hell am I watching?'
Meanwhile, near the driver seat, Niikaz, sitting beside Mr. Maresato, let out a soft giggle. Though she wasn't looking their way, she was clearly listening. Her glowing eyes were scanning through holographic displays as she processed and analyzed various data layers in the air around her, multitasking like it was nothing.
Then came Hirano's "cover":
"Teng, tereng, trenggg~
Shoot! Shoot! Shoot your gun!
Kill them all now!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Life is but a dreammmm!"
"Woah! You're so good, Kohta-chan!" Alice clapped with delight.
"Hey, fatty!" Takagi shouted near to them, smacking the roof lightly with her palm. "You shouldn't teach a kid those kinds of lyrics!"
"Eek!" Hirano jumped, nearly dropping Alice. He shrank slightly, eyes darting nervously as He sweating crazily. "S-Sorry!"
Just then, Mr. Maresato leaned slightly toward Niikaz. "I think we're almost there. We should start waking everyone up."
Niikaz gave a small nod, stood up, and calmly walked toward the back of the vehicle to inform the others, her calm presence contrasting the ridiculousness from earlier.