Arch looked down at Foxxy, who actually seemed to be taking the question seriously for once. The snake-fox sat on its haunches, its golden eyes darting from the rushing water of the river to the jagged, treacherous shoreline of the canyon.
"Hey, Foxxy. Got any ideas?" Arch asked, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "Are we going to keep our feet dry and follow the bank, or are we going to use the water as our own personal transportation ship? What do you think?"
Foxxy tilted his head, his ears twitching. He looked at the river—which was moving fast enough to be dangerous—and then at the rocky ground, which was filled with sharp obsidian shards and thick, thorny briars.
The snake-fox let out a low, thoughtful whine. He walked to the very edge of the water, dipped a paw in, and then looked back at Arch. He let out a sharp bark and flicked his snake-tail toward the center of the current, then mimicked a "swimming" motion with his front paws.
"Gurarararara! So you're a fan of the lazy route, too?" Arch laughed, his red eyes crinkling. "Water it is. Why walk when the planet can move for you?"
Arch didn't just jump in. He wasn't about to get his freshly cleaned clothes soaked again. He extended his hand, the blue glow of his ROOM expanding to cover a ten-meter radius.
"Tact."
A massive, flat slab of driftwood that had been snagged on a rock rose out of the water, shaking off moss and silt. Arch levitated it onto the main current, then used his Inu Inu no Mi to flash-freeze a layer of black ice over the
wood, making it smooth, waterproof, and incredibly sturdy.
"All aboard, Foxxy! The SS Pretty Boy is setting sail!"
Arch hopped onto the makeshift raft, landing with the grace of a cat. Foxxy leaped up behind him, coiling his tail around Arch's leg to stay secure.
As they hit the main current, the raft took off like a shot. Arch stood at the front, his long white hair whipping in the wind, his hand resting on the hilt of an invisible blade. To anyone watching from the cliffs above, it would look like a divine spirit was surfing down the mountainside on a block of ice.
"This is the life," Arch shouted over the roar of the water. "No hiking, no sweat, and a front-row seat to the end of the world."
Arch scrambled for a second, patting his attire. "Wait! My phone! System, where's my phone?!"
The System didn't miss a beat. With a speed that defied the laws of physics, the screen of the interface flickered, and the smartphone materialized directly into Arch's outstretched hand.
"Okay... that's what I'm talking about!" Arch grinned.
He didn't waste another second. He pulled the Ram Skull Mask over his face, the black horns curving back into the wind. He held the phone out at arm's length, the camera lens capturing the epic backdrop.
The video was breathtaking. Arch stood perfectly balanced on the shimmering ice platform as it surged down the rapids. Behind him, the jagged canyon walls blurred into a tapestry of dark stone and emerald moss.
The lens caught the spray of the water as it caught the light, turning into a mist of diamonds. In the center of the frame was Arch—the "Goddess" in white silk, capped by the intimidating, ivory-white ram skull. Even with the bone mask hiding his face, the way his body moved with the rhythm of the river made the whole scene look like a dark fairytale come to life.
"Look at this, Foxxy!" Arch shouted over the roar, tilting the phone to capture the snake-fox coiling at his feet. "This is going to break the internet—if the internet even exists in this world!" Such s beautiful river exists.
The video captured a moment of pure, majestic harmony. It didn't matter if he was in a bone-shrine or a rushing river; Arch had a terrifying ability to make every environment look like it was designed specifically for him.
The scene went absolutely ballistic as the river seemed to surge with a new, frantic energy, as if the water itself were a loyal subject desperate to carry its royalty with honor. The ice platform didn't just float; it carved through the rapids like a carriage of glass, the river acting as a liquid silver road for the "Goddess" in the white ram mask.
Arch held the phone steady, capturing the way the spray parted before him. "Gurararara! Look at this, Foxxy! Even the river knows who's the captain!"
Suddenly, the narrow, jagged canyon walls fell away, opening up into a massive, shimmering basin.
They emerged into a wide, peaceful body of water—a hidden pond tucked away. It was the kind of place where, in a kinder world, families would have picnics and fishermen would cast their lines into the emerald depths. The water here was stable, the violent currents of the mountain river settling into a gentle, rhythmic pulse.
Directly ahead, Arch spotted a long, weathered wooden bridge that stretched out over the water. It wasn't just a crossing; it was a rustic port.
Dozens of small old wooden boats were tied to the pilings, bobbing softly in the wake of Arch's approach. The bridge connected the water to a well-beaten dirt path that vanished into the thick forest line on the far bank.
This was clearly the "Front Door"—the transition point where travelers left their boats behind to venture into the deeper Kibi woods or toward the unknown
Arch didn't slow down. He stood tall on his ice platform, the Ram Skull catching the sunlight, his white hair billowing like a flag of war. And if any fisherman or guard standing on that bridge, it would look like a myth was manifesting right before their eyes.
"That's the bridge," Arch whispered, his red eyes scanning the port. "And that's where we park this thing."
As the ice platform glided toward the docks, Arch did one final slow-motion turn for the camera, his hand resting on his hip, the perfect "Goddess" pose against the backdrop of the serene lake.
"End of the line, Foxxy," Arch said, his voice dripping with an excitement and satisfaction...
ARCH: now.....then.....
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------- to be continued-------