Epilogue: The Creeping Silver Malice and Madness

“Fuck! Shit! Dammit! You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” Late at night, Daisuke Hiyama drove his fist into one of the many trees surrounding him. He was standing in one of Horaud’s public parks, and cursing in a low, but vehement voice.

Hatred, fear, and impatience warred within him. He was on the verge of descending into insanity.

“As I thought, you’re pretty shaken up about this... Well, I suppose it’s understandable. Your poor, precious Princess Kaori got snatched away from you by some other man.” Someone called out to Hiyama, their voice full of scorn. Hiyama froze, then let out a sigh of relief as he realized it was the person he was supposed to meet. He clenched his fist and replied through gritted teeth.

“Shut up! Fuck! It... It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Why’s that fucker still alive!? What do you think I tried to kill you for in the first place...”

“Could you at least hang on to your sanity long enough to listen? I’d rather not be found by anyone here. It’d be hard to explain.”

“I don’t have any reason to listen to you anymore... My Kaori’s already...”

The second figure was hidden by the shade of the trees. Hiyama turned to face them and slammed his fist into the tree behind him. He’d only agreed to cooperate with them because he’d been promised Kaori in return. Now that she was forever beyond his reach, Hiyama saw no reason to continue following this person’s orders. Even if they threatened to tell everyone about his attempted murder, it hardly mattered. Hajime himself knew Hiyama was guilty. If he wanted to, Hajime could divulge that whenever he so chose.

However, the figure before him smiled darkly and offered an option he hadn’t considered.

“If she was stolen from you, all you need to do is take her back. Am I wrong? And fortunately for us, I have the perfect bait to lure them in.”

“Bait?” Puzzled, Hiyama repeated the word. The figure grinned and nodded.

“Yes, bait. Even if she chose to follow her heart over following her comrades... do you really think she could abandon her best friends in their time of need? If she knew they were in trouble, what do you think she’d do?”

“You...”

“It would be a simple thing to lure her back here. There’s no reason to get so upset. Though I must say, it was a close call this time... Fortunately for us, things still ended up working out. In fact, you could even say this turned out in our favor. Shall we put the finishing touches on our plan once we return to the capital? When we succeed... your wish will be granted too.”

“......” Hiyama glared at his co-conspirator, though he knew they wouldn’t be fazed by it in the least. As expected, their smile didn’t falter.

While Hiyama wasn’t aware of the details of his accomplice’s plan, he was certain it would end up harming many of his classmates. They would be betraying the people they’d fought alongside for so long. And frankly, what scared Hiyama the most was that his partner didn’t seem to feel any guilt at all.

This is nuts... But I can’t turn back anymore. To get my Kaori back, I’ve gotta do this... I can’t hesitate now. This is all for Kaori. I’m doing the right thing.

Hiyama was too far gone to notice how illogical that train of thought was. The reason he’d been able to do so many terrible things so far was because he’d justified it to himself. He’d done it all for the sake of Kaori.

His accomplice understood Hiyama quite well, which was why they’d picked him to be their pawn. Smiling, Hiyama agreed to the figure’s terms.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll keep cooperating with you. But...”

“Yeah yeah, I know. You’ll get what you want, and I’ll get what I want. Give and take, right? Anyway, we’re almost at the moment of truth. I’ll be counting on your help when we reach the capital.” The figure turned on its heel and faded away into the darkness without waiting for Hiyama’s reply.

A dark flame began to burn in the young boy’s clouded pupils.

Around the same time that Hiyama and his accomplice were having their little talk, a young pair was staring each other down in the moonlight. Unlike Hiyama’s meeting place, they were out in the open, atop an arch-shaped bridge. It spanned a small canal that had been dug between the town’s main street and its back alleys.

There were a few such canals that served the water needs of the many restaurants and inns that dotted the streets. The waning moon was reflected off the gently flowing stream, which illuminated Kouki’s handsome features.

He was hanging his head over the bridge, looking down at the canal below. His pensive expression marred his perfect features, and he seemed a far cry from his normal, bright self.

Tortus’ great hero looked like a small business owner who’d gone bankrupt and was saddled with massive debt.

“You’re not going to say anything?” Kouki said, not taking his eyes off the moon’s reflection. The other figure on the bridge was his childhood friend of 10 years. Shizuku Yaegashi, the other female member of his group.

She had her back to the railing and was looking up at the actual moon. Her trademark ponytail fluttered in the breeze.

Like Kouki, she didn’t take her eyes off the moon as she responded.

“Do you want me to say something?”

“......”

Kouki said nothing. No, perhaps he couldn’t say anything. He was looking down at the canal, but all he could see was that scene of Kaori confessing her feelings to Hajime. She’d looked so nervous, but at the same time, seemed so happy to finally be able to let him know how she’d felt. Even someone as dense as Kouki had to accept that her feelings had been the real deal.

He’d known Kaori for 10 years, but he’d never seen her make an expression like that before. It had been so powerful, so beautiful, that even he couldn’t help but be moved. Now that he’d calmed down enough to think about it rationally, anyway. Her confession had been a bolt out of the blue to him. Even now, when he thought back to it, he felt this indescribable feeling well up in his chest. It was dark and heavy, and threatened to crush him with its weight.

Until that point, he’d always assumed that Kaori would be with him forever. He’d had no basis for it, but he’d never questioned that belief. Loathe though he was to admit it, he’d thought of Kaori as his. In short, Kouki was jealous.

Whether that jealousy stemmed from love, or simply a desire to monopolize Kaori, Kouki didn’t know. All he knew was it felt as if Kaori had been stolen from him.

However, the person who’d stolen her, not that Hajime himself would ever claim to have done such a thing, hadn’t really taken her. Kaori had chosen to travel with him of her own volition. The reality he still didn’t want to accept, his anger toward Hajime, and his own feelings of helplessness that came from challenging Hajime to a duel and losing all whirled around in his head, turning it into a jumbled mess.

And so, he’d tried to distract himself by talking to his other female childhood friend, but he’d been met with a curt dismissal. Unable to think of a reply, Kouki fell silent.

Shizuku shot Kouki a brief glance and sighed. What a hopeless guy. Reluctantly, Shizuku opened her mouth.

“You know, those feelings of yours are completely irrational.”

“Irrational?” That was certainly not what Kouki had been expecting. Shizuku looked at Kouki properly for the first time and elaborated.

“Yes. You know Kaori was never yours, right?”

“Well... Does that mean she was Nagumo’s?”

Kouki was just being contrarian for the sake of it at that point. He knew that wasn’t right, but he couldn’t stop. Shizuku flicked his forehead.

“Ow!” He covered his forehead as Shizuku calmly continued.

“Moron. Kaori’s her own person. She doesn’t belong to anyone. What she chooses, where she goes, all of those are for her to decide. Including who she wants to pledge herself to... It’s always been up to her.”

“Since when? You always knew, right Shizuku?” Even without clarification, his question was clear. Shizuku nodded.

“Since middle school. That was when Kaori first met Nagumo-kun. Though he’d completely forgotten... or rather, he hadn’t even realized they’d met back then.”

“What the heck’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ask Kaori yourself if you really want to know. It’s not for me to say.”

“Then is the reason Kaori was always talking to Nagumo in class because she... well... liked... him?”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“......” Kouki scowled bitterly. Even though it was the truth, he hadn’t wanted to hear it. For her part, Shizuku didn’t really care if Kouki liked it or not.

Shizuku’s lack of sympathy annoyed Kouki, and he started whining to her.

“Why him? Back when we were in Japan, he was a nobody. Just a lazy, unmotivated otaku who wasn’t even good at studying or sports. Always smiling like an idiot. He just did whatever it took to escape the situation he found himself in... He wasn’t even that nice to Kaori... Plus, he was an otaku... I’d never treat Kaori like that. I was always nice to her. I did everything I could for her... so how come Nagumo’s the one with the harem? He doesn’t even respect those girls! Besides, he’s a murderer! He killed that demon, even though she was helpless to resist. There’s something wrong with him! I knew it, it’s just too weird that Kaori likes him. He must have done something to— Guaah!?”

Before he could get so heated up that he started misinterpreting reality again, Shizuku hit him with another forehead flick. This time it had the added power of her No Tempo behind it. Kouki glared at her, but she just ignored him. She was getting tired of his bullshit.

“This is a bad habit of yours, you know that? How many times have I told you not to make baseless assumptions?”

“I don’t make baseless assumptions...”

“Yes you do. Kouki, you don’t even know the first thing about Nagumo-kun. Not about what he was like in Japan, or what he’s like now. All of those girls looked happy to be with him, you know that? You’re the one ignoring reality and interpreting things however you want... Even though all you really want is to convince yourself that Nagumo-kun’s some kind of demon who doesn’t deserve Kaori. If that’s not making baseless assumptions, I don’t know what is.”

“B-But... he still killed someone!”

It was a poor argument, but Shizuku still hesitated for a second. After some deliberation though, she came to a conclusion and spoke with conviction.

“Back then, I was planning on killing her too. I just didn’t have the strength to do it. From now on... if we run into enemies like that again, I’ll strike to kill. In order to survive, in order to protect those important to me, I’ll need to do it. I’m not sure if I’ll have the confidence to really go through with killing someone when the time comes, but... Well, at the very least, I tried to kill her too... Do you think I’m a murderer as well?”

Kouki was stunned by Shizuku’s confession. He couldn’t believe his strong, caring, responsible, and above all, righteous childhood friend would even consider killing someone. It was like he suddenly didn’t know her anymore. However, he could sense a shadow of the fear and regret she’d felt from behind her wry smile. In the end, Kouki just silently shook his head.

Shizuku continued talking, her words meant more for herself than for Kouki.

“Of course his transformation was pretty surprising. Considering how he was back in Japan, it’s almost like he’s a different person now. Still, Kaori seemed to think he was the same Hajime Nagumo at the core. And it’s not like he’s completely changed... We can’t forget that he came here to save us. He just killed that demon for us in our stead.”

“Are you saying killing her was the right thing to do?”

“No... I don’t think murder can ever be ‘right.’ No matter the circumstances, murder is murder... I can’t really justify that, and I don’t think anyone should.”

“Then...”

“But you know, I don’t think we have the right to judge Nagumo-kun for it. After all, the reason he did it was because we were too weak to do it ourselves...”

They, who’d just powerlessly watched from the sidelines, had no right to complain. It was their own fault that they hadn’t been strong enough to guide things to a conclusion they’d wanted. They could hardly blame Hajime for his choice when they’d left the decision to him.

When Kouki thought back to how he hadn’t been able to do anything, he fell silent. Shizuku had a point. Hajime was the one who’d saved them. But still, murder is wrong! Kouki scowled again.

Seeing his unwillingness to relent, Shizuku finally talked about all of the things she’d implicitly understood when they’d come to this world.

“You know, I actually like that straightforward and righteous side of you, Kouki.”

“Shizuku...”

“But still, that doesn’t mean you can just assume you’re always right.”

“You want me to doubt myself?”

“Yes. You need a strong will to achieve your goals. But blindly believing in yourself and rushing forward without thinking about anything will warp even the purest of ideals. That’s why you need to learn to think about the situation you’re in, and the people involved at all times. You need to really question whether your will is still ‘justice’ or not. And if it’s not, is it something you still want to do regardless? Sometimes what you want to do isn’t always the objectively right thing to do. In fact, I think living a just life is one of the hardest things to do. Ever since coming to this world, it’s something I’ve been thinking about... After all, even we’ve killed monsters.”

Kouki was shocked. He hadn’t thought Shizuku would have been worried about killing monsters, of all things.

“Kouki. You have to understand that you’re not always right. And sometimes, even when you are, that sense of righteousness is dangerous. Though this time, you weren’t right at all. Just jealous.”

“I-I wasn’t jealous, I was just...”

“You look pretty lame when you try to make excuses like that.”

“......” Kouki hung his head and once again examined the moon’s reflection in the water. This time, though, his expression wasn’t as dark. He seemed deep in thought.

Shizuku heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed she’d stopped him from drowning in a negative spiral of his own emotions this time.

Thinking he probably wanted some time to himself, she quietly started heading back to their inn. Kouki called out to her retreating back.

“Shizuku... You won’t leave me, right?”

“Where’d that come from?”

“Please don’t go anywhere, Shizuku.”

“......”

He was practically begging her now. Had he said those words to any of his fans back in Japan, or the noble ladies here who were infatuated with him, they’d probably have fainted with joy. Sadly, all Shizuku felt was disgust.

He’s probably just depressed over losing Kaori. Shizuku looked down at the shimmering reflection of the moon. The crescent floating on the water’s surface seemed very different from the one she’d been looking at until now.

“I’m not as ephemeral as that moon you’ve been staring at, but... I’m not very fond of clingy guys.” With that, Shizuku walked out of sight. Kouki stared at the alleyway she’d disappeared down for a few minutes before turning back to the moon’s reflection. A certain saying came to mind.

“The moon’s reflection, huh...”

The moon’s reflection is forever out of one’s reach. It meant there were things people could see, like the moon’s reflection, but never make their own. For Kouki, Kaori was the same. Like the reflection he was staring at, he could never make it his.

However, Shizuku had said she wasn’t. In other words, she was still within Kouki’s reach. Though her words right after had been pretty harsh. Kouki smiled bitterly to himself. Why on earth had he spilled his guts out to Shizuku?

Kouki stopped looking at the illusory moon in the water, and stared up at the real one in the sky. The things he’d always believed were within reach felt so very far away now. Sighing, Kouki began to ponder his stern but kind childhood friend’s words.

Whether he changed his attitude or not was all up to him in the end, and so he spent a very long time mulling over his recent experiences.

Three weeks had passed since Kouki and the others had learned of Hajime’s survival and Kaori had left their party.

They had all returned to the capital. There was one very important thing they had to do before they headed out again. Help Kouki overcome his reservations against killing people. If he was to fight in this war, he would need to be able to kill, one way or another. Otherwise, he would likely find himself dead before long.

There wasn’t much time left. Kouki and the others had heard about the events at Ur. It was clear the demons were gathering their forces. The battle would start soon. And so, it was imperative that Kouki overcome his aversion to killing as fast as possible.

He was currently training for anti-personnel combat with Meld and his knights. Ryutarou, Kondou, Nagayama, and the others had all been somewhat prepared to kill, but their resolve had been shaken when they’d seen Hajime blow the demon’s brains out. They accompanied Kouki for his training, wondering all the while if they’d really be able to do it when the time came.

The knights were worried as well. They needed the kids to be ready to kill, but it was meaningless if the mental strain of it broke them.

It was in the middle of this that good news finally reached the castle.

Aiko and her guard had returned. Normally, it fell to Kouki and his charisma to keep everyone in high spirits, but now that he himself was dejected, the other students had no one to turn to. An air of gloom had fallen over the castle. Demoralized from their loss, and still grappling with the issue of murder, the students were on the verge of breaking. The only things holding them together were Shizuku and Nagayama’s calm leadership, and Suzu’s cheerfulness, but they weren’t able to lift the heavy fog that had settled on the students’ hearts. That was why they were all extremely grateful for Aiko’s return.

Shizuku was the first to act when they learned she’d come back. She ended training early and ran off to see her. She wanted to exchange information with Aiko before the other students talked to her. Shizuku was worried their opinions about Hajime would bias her objective viewpoint.

She dashed through the halls of the palace, the jet-black sword she’d received from Hajime dangling at her waist. For some reason, the maids all stared longingly at her when she passed by. Even in another world, Shizuku was more popular with the ladies than the guys. Worse, everyone, including older ladies, had taken to calling her “Onee-sama.”

Shizuku had read reports about Hajime’s exploits in Ur, but she wanted to hear the details directly from Aiko. It was possible her opinion of Hajime could tilt the scales of Kouki’s heart in an undesirable direction. So as always, it fell to Shizuku to make sure everyone was taken care of.

“I bet he pulled all sorts of crazy antics in Ur too. I mean, he’s strong enough to hand out weapons like this like they’re nothing. What do you mean ‘It’s just sharp and unbreakable?’ This katana’s probably stronger than any artifact in the kingdom’s treasury!” Shizuku traced the jet-black sheath as she mumbled to herself. As she ran to Aiko’s room, she recalled the conversation she’d had a few days ago. In order to learn how best to maintain her new sword, she’d visited one of the king’s personal blacksmiths.

For lack of a better term, she’d christened her new katana “Black Blade.”

At any rate, she’d gone to the best blacksmith in the country and showed them the Black Blade. They’d been respectful at first. She was one of Ehit’s chosen warriors after all. However, when they’d appraised her weapon, their manners had gone out of the window. They’d grabbed her shoulders and demanded to know where she’d gotten it from, and whether or not it was something she’d found, or something someone had made for her.

Confused, Shizuku had asked what had gotten the blacksmith so worked up. According to them, the holy sword Kouki was currently using was the only thing that could even compare to the splendor of her weapon. Black Blade didn’t have the same capacity to deflect magic that Kouki’s holy sword did. Nor could it output as much energy. However, the precision of the craftsmanship and the strength of the weapon itself far surpassed that of the holy sword’s.

Furthermore, by pouring mana into it, Shizuku could elongate the katana. More specifically, a 60-centimeter long blade of wind sprouted from the tip. Not only that, she could sprout more blades from the hilt and fire them off like shockwaves.

Even the sheath had additional features built into it. By pouring mana into that, Shizuku could wrap the sheath in a veil of lightning. Then, by pressing a switch, she could fire needles at supersonic speed from the tip of the sheath.

Lastly, since both the blade and the sheath were made of azantium, they wouldn’t ever break, and didn’t require maintenance. All Shizuku needed to worry about was occasionally replenishing the stock of needles in the sheath.

The only problem was there were no magic circles anywhere that Shizuku could use to transfer her mana to Black Blade. Hajime had originally designed this for himself, and he could directly control his mana, so as far as everyone else was concerned, it was just a very hard sword that could cut through anything.

Once their amazement had died down, the blacksmith had actually been rather puzzled over this oversight. Why would the weapon’s creator add all of these amazing features, but then make them unusable?

Their pride as a blacksmith couldn’t let such a defect go unfixed. They’d never be able to make a sword that well-crafted, but they could at least modify this one so it was usable. After three days and three nights of ceaseless work, the kingdom’s best blacksmiths had managed to add magic circles to Black Blade. They’d ignored all other work, and had neither eaten nor slept during that time.

Thanks to their efforts, Shizuku could utilize the full potential of Black Blade. Exhausted, the blacksmiths had all been out of commission for the next few days. But each and every one of them had slept with a contended look on their face.

Shizuku brought her thoughts back to reality as she spotted the door to Aiko’s room. She knocked, but there was no reply. One of the nearby servants explained that Aiko had gone to give her report to the king and not yet returned. Shizuku leaned against the wall and decided to wait.

Aiko finally returned after half an hour. Her mouth was a grim slash, and she was heedless of her surroundings. It seemed she was pondering something serious.

She passed by Shizuku, and the door to her own room, without even noticing it. Wondering what on earth had her so lost in thought, Shizuku loudly spoke up.

“Sensei... Sensei!”

“Hwuh!?” Aiko started and looked around wildly. After a few seconds, she spotted Shizuku leaning against the wall. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

“Yaegashi-san! I haven’t seen you in ages. How are you doing? You’re not hurt, are you? Is everyone alright?” Despite the fact that she was quite clearly struggling with her own problems, she put her students first as always. Shizuku smiled, glad to see that “Ai-chan-sensei” hadn’t changed at all.

The two made small talk for a few minutes before moving on to the main reason of Shizuku’s visit. The two of them went inside Aiko’s room to swap stories.

“I see... So Shimizu-kun was...” A cute claw foot table separated the two girls. They both sipped their black tea and lapsed into thought. Aiko had just finished telling Shizuku what had happened at Ur.

Shimizu’s death weighed heavily on Aiko and Shizuku, too, was saddened to hear of it. Aiko’s shoulders drooped as she thought back to that day. Shizuku didn’t know what to say. Considering how much Aiko valued her students, Shizuku knew it must have been a heavy blow. Even if Hajime’d had a valid reason for killing him.

Still, she did her best to cheer Aiko up.

“What happened to Shimizu-kun is truly unfortunate. But still, I’m glad that you’re okay, Sensei. Thank god Nagumo-kun was around to help you guys.” Shizuku smiled at Aiko, and Aiko smiled back. She didn’t want to burden her students with her own problems.

“Indeed. You know, when we first reunited with him he acted like he didn’t care about any of us, or this world at all... I can’t believe he’s changed so much that he came to save all of you. To think he’s become the guardian of a little girl too... Hehe, I guess his old self is finally starting to come back. Or maybe he’s simply learning to be kind all over again... Either way, I’m glad to hear he’s not as apathetic as before.”

For some reason, a slight blush spread up Aiko’s face as she said that. Shizuku shot her a puzzled glance. There’s something off about her expression. She doesn’t look like that when she’s thinking about any of her other students.

Noticing Shizuku’s gaze, Aiko quickly cut short her reminiscing and cleared her throat loudly. However, the damage had already been done. Shizuku saw the need to probe into this a little further. Her expression wooden, she glared at Aiko. She didn’t want to believe it was possible, but for Kaori’s sake she needed to make sure.

“Sensei. You mentioned that Nagumo-kun saved you from certain death. Can you go into a bit more detail about that?”

“Huh!?”

“I’m just curious how he managed to heal such a fatal wound.”

“W-Well...”

Shizuku had already guessed Hajime had used the same medicine he’d used to heal Meld, but she feigned innocence. Aiko’s blush grew more pronounced. Her eyes darted about the room, and she clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Suspicious. Too suspicious. Shizuku went in for the finishing blow.

“Sensei. Did something... happen between you and Nagumo-kun?”

“N-Not at all! Wh-Why would you even ask such a thing? We’ve got a perfectly normal student-teacher relationship!”

“Sensei. Calm down. I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Ah!”

Aiko started mumbling “I’m a teacher he’s a student, I’m a teacher he’s a student...” over and over to herself. It was obvious she was rattled.

Shizuku’s worst fears had been confirmed. She wasn’t sure how deep they ran, but she was certain Aiko had feelings for Hajime. What on earth did you do to Ai-chan, Nagumo-kun!? Her eyebrows twitched menacingly.

Hajime’s tendency to unconsciously make girls fall for him had become even worse than Kouki’s. The only difference was, Hajime wasn’t as dense as a black hole. Though in this particular instance, it was possible he hadn’t noticed either.

Shizuku looked up at the ceiling and sighed. This was the last place she’d expected to find one of Kaori’s rivals. Maybe I should start spreading rumors about Hajime’s chuuni nicknames after all... Shizuku only just managed to reign her anger in.

The two of them cleared their throats and moved on as if nothing had happened.

“Anyway, Sensei. How’d your report to the king go? It seemed pretty serious from what I heard.” Aiko frowned angrily. Whatever had happened in there, it wasn’t good.

“The Holy Church has branded Nagumo-kun a heretic.”

“What...!? Why? Actually, I can probably guess why, but... aren’t they being too hasty in their judgment?”

Hajime’s strength was unparalleled. His tiny party had wiped out a monster army 60,000 strong. Each of his companions was strong beyond measure, and they all wielded artifacts no one had seen before. Despite which, the Holy Church had decided they were going to oppose him. Shizuku could understand why the nobles and priests considered him dangerous.

However, it was still too reckless to declare him a heretic without even considering the consequences.

Now that he was considered an enemy of the gods, anyone could try to kill him at any time, and it would be sanctioned by the government. It was entirely possible they would mobilize holy paladins, or even the army to purge him, which meant that Hajime would see them all as his enemy, and likely slaughter the lot of them. The nobles and the priests should have realized this danger. And yet, they still chose to oppose Hajime. Their decision baffled Shizuku.

Aiko nodded sympathetically.

“I feel the same way. Besides, Nagumo-kun was the one who saved Ur and its people. I told them they shouldn’t make an enemy out of him just because he won’t follow their orders, but they wouldn’t listen. I thought I’d have more influence with the king after Nagumo-kun worked so hard to make me famous, but it seems that’s not the case.” Aiko looked down and shook her head.

“According to my guards, rumors of ‘The Fertility Goddess and her Holy Knight’ have already started spreading through the land. To the people, declaring him a heretic is the same as declaring me one. That’s why I’d thought my words would carry some weight with them. But they still passed down that decree. Now that I think about it, it’s strange. Ishtar-san was always a devout believer, so his behavior is understandable, but there was something off about the king and his nobles when I was giving my report...”

“That’s certainly worrying. What could they possibly have been thinking... At any rate, our problem now is who they’re going to send to kill Nagumo-kun. Considering how strong he is, they only have one option.”

“That’s right! They’ll probably...”

“Ask us to do it, yep. But there’s no way I’m doing that. I like living. Just the thought of fighting Nagumo-kun sends shivers down my spine.” Shizuku shivered, and Aiko gave her a sympathetic smile.

Aiko knew she needed to tell everyone what Hajime had told her about the mad gods that ruled this world, and what his true goals were, before Ishtar tricked Kouki into fighting Hajime. She had no proof, though. It was possible Kouki and the others wouldn’t believe her. After all, they’d fought on thus far thinking the gods would send them home if they won the war.

However, the truth was that those gods were twisted psychopaths who reveled in watching people suffer. Their only hope of returning home lay in conquering the labyrinths and finding the hidden lairs of all the Liberators. Unfortunately, that was a hard tale to swallow.

Will they believe me? Or will they think I’m just spouting nonsense and keep fighting like they have been until now? Either way, Aiko had to at least persuade the students not to trust the Holy Church too much. She’d had her own suspicions, but Hajime’s tale, and their current attitude had convinced her.

“Yaegashi-san. There’s one other thing Nagumo-kun told me. He didn’t want to tell anyone else because he thought they’d just get angry at him for saying it.”

“What... was it?”

“Well, it has to do with the gods the Holy Church worships, and what Nagumo-kun’s true goal is. There’s no proof backing up any of it, but... I think it’s important that I tell everyone. Could you gather everyone tonight... No, by this evening?”

“That’s... No, forget it. I could get them all right now if you want?”

“No. I don’t want it to seem suspicious. It’s better to wait until a time we’d all be together anyway, like dinner. That way we’ll be able to pass it off like we’re just trying to catch up with each other.”

“I see... Alright then. We’ll do it at dinner.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before parting ways. Neither of them knowing what would happen between then and dinner.

The sun was just beginning to set. Aiko strode through one of the castle’s deserted hallways. Its cold stone walls were painted a brilliant orange by the sun’s dying rays. The dark shadows that lay over the areas not lit by the sun contrasted beautifully with the light.

Aiko was admiring the sunset when suddenly she heard footsteps. She came to a stop, wondering who it was. She looked in front of her and saw a female figure hiding in the shadows. The figure was standing in the middle of the hallway, her back ramrod straight. She was wearing the traditional garb of an Ehit priestess.

She spoke in a beautiful, but eerily inorganic voice.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aiko Hatayama. I have come to collect you.” The woman’s robotic voice sent chills down Aiko’s spine.

“Umm, nice to meet you? What do you mean you’ve come to collect me? I was just about to go eat dinner with my students.”

“I’m afraid your plans have been changed. You must accompany me to the temple.”

“Huh?”

The woman stated it as a command, not a question. She stepped out of the shadows, and Aiko got a good look at her for the first time. Aiko gasped when she saw who it was. Her supernatural beauty left Aiko awestruck.

Silver hair that scintillated in the sunlight, striking blue eyes, and an ageless appearance that made her seem like both a mature woman and a little girl at the same time. She was the perfect embodiment of feminine beauty. She was tall for a woman, almost 170 centimeters. Aiko had to crane her neck to look up at her. Her skin was like fine porcelain, and her limbs were slender. Her breasts were modest, but not small. They fit her frame perfectly.

However, her face was utterly expressionless. So much so that it seemed like she was wearing a mask. She had the kind of beauty that stirred artists, but at the same time, she seemed entirely artificial.

The woman continued speaking.

“My master is displeased with what you are attempting to do. They would find it much more... interesting, if your students continued down their current path. Thus, I must remove you from the game board until events have run their course.”

“Wh-What are you...”

The woman took a few steps forward. Aiko took a few steps back. The woman’s priestess robe rustled and her eyes glimmered. A second later, a haze descended upon Aiko’s consciousness. She instinctively focused her mind, like she did when she was trying to cast magic, making the haze disperse.

“I understand now. You truly are worthy of the title ‘goddess.’ To think you could repel my charm. Very well, I suppose I shall have to take you back by force.”

“S-Stay back! Wh-What are you after!?” Aiko began chanting a spell. However, before she could finish, the woman closed the distance between them and slammed her fist into Aiko’s solar plexus.

As she felt her consciousness slip away, Aiko could faintly make out the last words the woman said.

“Fear not. I won’t kill you. You are a very precious pawn. Plus, your abilities may be required later in eliminating that irregular.”

Hajime’s face flashed in her mind. Even though she knew there was no way her voice could reach him, she tried to warn him before her consciousness was completely swallowed up.

Nagumo-kun!

“Hmm?” The woman picked Aiko up as easily as she would a feather and threw the teacher over her shoulder. She then turned around, looking behind her suspiciously. After a few minutes of careful scrutiny, she walked up to one of the guest chambers and opened the door.

She made sure her footsteps could be heard clearly, then stomped over to the closet. Without a moment’s hesitation, she threw its doors open.

However, there was no one inside. The woman tilted her head in confusion, and once more examined the room. Eventually, she decided it must just have been her imagination and headed out of the room.

Once she was gone, a tiny whisper echoed through the silent room.

“I have to... tell someone...” There was still no one in the room. However, the faint sound of footsteps could be heard going in the opposite direction the woman had left in.

A few seconds later, silence filled the room once more.

Extra Chapter: Kaori Shirasaki, Age 17. Specialty: Shock and Awe

The first time she’d ever seen him was in a busy street filled with people. On that day, she’d had to go to the supermarket one city over to get groceries.

She’d been staring at her text messages and going over the long list of ingredients. Kaori’s mom was an exceptional cook, but the spices she needed to make her dishes could only be found in specialty markets.

Still, in return for going out of her way to get obscure ingredients, Kaori got to eat three-star meals every single day. It was hard to find places that stocked the things Kaori needed sometimes, but it was kind of fun to go exploring and see new places.

Besides, Kaori never could say no to her mom. Not that she ever wanted to, anyway. After all, her mom was so nice. Plus, she was elegant and beautiful and everything Kaori idolized. Though when she got mad, she turned into a demon. Whenever she glared at Kaori, it felt as if she were being swallowed up by some monstrous beast. Even her father couldn’t stand up to Shirayasha, Kaori’s mom. In fact, it was almost pathetic how easily he capitulated to his wife’s demands. Just what was it about her mother that was so scary? I feel like it’d be dangerous to probe too deeply into that. Kaori spotted the supermarket that was her destination. At the same time, she heard someone yelling in the distance.

“Hey granny. These are vintage jeans, you know that? Do you have any idea how much they cost? An apology won’t cut it, old hag! You better pay me back for this!”

“Really, I’m so sorry. I’ll pay the cleaning costs, so please...”

“Didn’t you listen to a word I said!? No amount of dry cleaning can fix this!”

Kaori turned to see what the commotion was. A terrified young boy was hiding behind his grandmother, who was continually bowing her head to a group of what appeared to be university students.

The university students seemed to be threatening the poor old lady. To be honest, they seemed more like delinquents than students.

The boy’s takoyaki had spilled to the ground, and a very tiny amount of the sauce had splashed on the delinquent’s “vintage” jeans.

Kaori understood what must be going on. It’s not like the delinquents were being very subtle about it.

“What should I do... The right thing to do would be to save them, right?” Kaori mumbled to herself.

But maybe his jeans really are as expensive as he’s saying. If they are though, why would he wear them in a busy street like this? Besides, normally you wouldn’t ask someone to compensate you if it’s just an accident. Regardless, they were in the wrong for terrifying such a little boy over something so trivial.

But even if helping is the right thing to do... I’m scared... Kaori stood stock still, unable to take a single step forward. The more she thought to herself she needed to save them, the more she grew terrified of the delinquents. Her mind focused on their dyed hair, the familiarity with which they shook the poor grandmother down, and the intimidating glint in their eyes. Her legs began to tremble.

“S-Someone...” Kaori frantically looked around, looking for someone to turn to. She knew it was pretty pathetic of her to beg someone else to help, but that was all she could think of to do.

However, while there were a few other curious onlookers, all of them seemed unwilling to even meet her eye, much less step in.

I suppose I don’t have any right to blame them. After all, I’m doing the same thing.

“O-Oh, I know. I’ll call Shizuku-chan... and Kouki-kun and Ryutarou-kun.” Kaori suddenly remembered her friends, who were much more used to these kinds of conflicts than she was. She pulled out her cell phone and began dialing Shizuku’s number, but before she could press the call button, the situation grew worse.

“Hmph, I’m getting tired of this shit. Just hand over your wallet, you hag. I bet you don’t have enough money on you to pay for this. We’re gonna go to the bank so you can transfer me what I need. I need your wallet to make sure you don’t try to run away.”

“B-But...”

“Hey, it’s your job to clean up the mess your little brat made! You better not be trying to talk your way out of this!” The delinquents were planning on squeezing the old lady for everything she had. Kaori began to panic. She looked around frantically, and nearly forgot about her phone call.

“Shizuku-chan... won’t make it in time. I-I have to do something about this myself!”

Kaori continued repeating the same thing over and over, while making no actual progress. It’s just so scary. I’m terrified, but... they say women are made of courage. When you’re not sure what to do, start by taking a step forward! Just as Kaori was about to do what Shizuku and Kouki were always telling her not to, something else happened.

“Umm... Don’t you think asking for her wallet is a bit much?” A boy walked up to the group of delinquents. He was about the same age as Kaori. She didn’t recognize his uniform, so she guessed he went to one of the schools nearby.

Kaori put down the foot she’d raised and once again began to stare.

The boy seemed ordinary in every way. He didn’t seem dazzlingly charming like Kouki, nor was he built like a bear, like Ryutarou. The only thing that stood out about him at all was his troubled smile. It seemed to Kaori that he’d have to be pretty brave to smile under these circumstances. Despite all of that, Kaori couldn’t take her eyes off him.

“Huh!? You’ve got nothing to do with this, so scram before I beat your face in!”

“Uh well, I guess you’re right that I don’t have anything to do with this... b-but you know... I think it’d be best for everyone involved if you just took the cleaning fee and left it at that...” Though he seemed pretty scared himself, the boy wedged himself between the old lady and her harassers. He bowed deeply to the delinquents.

He was purposely being evasive in an attempt to defuse the tense atmosphere. However, all he succeeded in doing was make the delinquents even madder.

“Fine then, you pay for her. It’ll cost 10k for the cleaning.” To that, the boy gave a simple reply.

“Sorry, I don’t have the money.” Despite his evasive attitude, his reply was surprisingly direct. Kaori actually found it kind of cute.

The delinquent grabbed the boy by his collar and lifted him up. The boy’s face paled, and sweat began pouring down his forehead.

He tried to talk his way out of it, but the delinquent just angrily thrust him to the ground. The delinquent looked even angrier than before. Kaori had seen Kouki and the others get into plenty of fights. She’d seen those kinds of eyes before, and she knew from experience what the delinquent was going to do next.

She opened her mouth to yell out a warning, but before she could—

“Gah!” The boy grunted. The delinquent had already started kicking him. As she’d thought, he was someone who had no compunctions about using violence.

The old lady tried to help the poor boy up.

“It’s okay, you’ve done enough,” she said softly as her grandson sobbed silently.

However, even the onlookers couldn’t ignore such a blatant display of violence. A few of them had pulled out their cell phones to presumably call the police. At least, Kaori hoped it was the police.

That’s right, the police! Why didn’t I think of that!? I’m so stupid! She’d gotten so used to Kouki and the other jumping in and resolving problems by force that she’d totally forgotten that the police were what normal people relied on for help.

God, I’m an idiot! While Kaori was lamenting her own uselessness, the boy looked up at his attackers. His expression was so serious that Kaori momentarily forgot about the predicament he was in. She couldn’t be sure, but it felt like the temperature rose a little even though it was still midwinter. Things progressed rapidly after that.

Grimacing in pain, the boy opened his mouth.

“Please, can’t you be satisfied with just the cleaning fee? If not, I have another solution in mind.” Kaori’s eyes went wide with surprise. Is he planning on fighting them? Maybe he’s actually really good at martial arts or something?

The delinquent was thinking the same thing, and his lips curled up into a sneer.

“Oh, you wanna go? Fine, bring it!” The lead delinquent cracked his knuckles menacingly. He was more than ready for this fight. However...

“I’m truly sorry for all of the trouble I’ve caused!” The boy interrupted him by apologizing at the top of his lungs. He then prostrated himself before the delinquent in an exaggerated fashion.

“The hell?” The delinquent, who’d been expecting a fight, was at a loss for words. He was so stunned that he actually took a few steps backward.

Everyone on the street stopped to stare. It wasn’t every day that you saw someone prostrating themselves on the street.

It was the first time Kaori had seen something like this too.

Heedless of the attention he was attracting, the boy continued yelling.

“Please, find it in your heart to forgive them! I know this poor boy and his elderly grandmother ruined your precious jeans by accidentally spilling sauce on them! I know it’s a fiendish act that deserves nothing but the most horrific retribution!”

“Huh? Uh, wait, I-I mean...” The delinquent faltered. Even for someone as shameless as him, it was embarrassing to hear a “simple accident” be referred to as a fiendish act. The effect was multiplied by the fact that the boy was kneeling at his feet.

However, the boy’s eloquent apology didn’t stop there.

“In truth, a million yen, no even five million yen, no even ten million yen wouldn’t be enough to make up for the wrongs we’ve committed upon you!”

“T-Ten million!? Now hold on a second, I never said it cost—” The delinquents started backing away. Even the old lady and the onlookers were surprised by the boy’s sudden outburst. However, that was exactly what he wanted. The situation grew more chaotic.

“Still, this poor old lady cannot possibly hope to pay such a price. She has to pay off the huge debt her late husband left her. Though her neighbors all vilify her for being a demonic old lady, she works hard every day just to save up enough money to see her grandson once every year! Can you imagine how much blood, sweat, and tears went into that single ball of takoyaki that young boy spilled!?”

No way!? That old lady really has to deal with all that!? The other onlookers, and even the delinquents seemed shocked. In truth, the old lady herself seemed just as confused.

“Umm, actually, my husband is still alive. And he’s not in debt...” She didn’t deny the part about her neighbors vilifying her, though.

Before she could argue any further, the boy continued.

“So please, I beg of you! Show mercy to these poor souls! Forgive them for their transgressions, I beseech youuuuuu!” His voice resounded throughout the street.

Everyone present was likely confused as to what exactly was going on.

However, the boy’s speech was effective.

The delinquents were bright red with embarrassment. I almost feel bad for them. The boy’s actions had made them out to be some sort of exaggerated villains from a cheap B-rated drama. If they tried to shake down the old lady under these circumstances, they’d probably have their social lives destroyed.

“Y-You’re sick in the head, you weirdo! What do you even know about this old lady, anyway!” Of course, they tried to clear their names. However, before they could get more than a few words out, the boy interrupted again.

“I’m truly so very sorryyyyyyyyyyyy!” Kaori didn’t think his voice could get any louder, but it did. It sounded so heartfelt, too. He was kneeling and everything.

“Sh-Shut up! Let’s go somewhere else and—”

“Please, anything but ten million yen! You’ll kill this poor lady!”

“Hey wait, I never asked for that—”

“Please, please, I’m begging youuuuuuuuu! Have mercyyyyyy!”

“Shut up! Just shut the fuck—”

“Mercyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!” The delinquent grabbed the boy by the hair and forcibly tried to pull him up. When that didn’t work, he kicked and spat at him, but that had no effect either. It was like the boy was glued to the ground. Finally, the delinquents began to panic.

The longer they stayed there, the worse things got for them. Now even the old lady was playing along, hiding her face and trembling. Things would come to a head soon if someone didn’t do something.

In the end, the delinquents relented.

“Shit, forget it, I’m done here! Let’s head home!” The lead delinquent ran away as fast as his legs would carry them.

“Wait, H-Hide-chan!?” His two lackeys followed after him.

An awkward silence hung in the air. No one wanted to be the first to move, but eventually, the kneeling boy rose to his feet. He ignored the multitude of stares directed at him and grabbed the old lady’s wallet off the floor. He turned to face her and handed it back.

“Th-Thank you,” she stammered. Her smile seemed a little stiff.

“Sorry for turning it into something awkward. Anyway, I’m gonna go home now, bye!” With that, the young boy dashed off into the crowd. The old lady reached out to stop him, but before she could say anything he was gone.

“That was one amazing kid...” The crowd began to disperse, but Kaori remained rooted to the spot. She was looking in the direction the boy had run off in. She could feel a slight warmth blossoming inside her chest.

“And then, and then, you know what he did, Shizuku-chan? He just ran before anyone could say anything... Hey Shizuku-chan, are you listening to me? You haven’t said anything for a while...”

“I’m listening, I’m listening. This is the tenth time you’ve told me about the amazing kneeling boy, you know that right?”

“Not amazing kneeling boy, Shizuku-chan, Amazing boy who kneeled in the street! You make it sound like his kneeling was what was amazing.”

“Ah, my mistake. Sorry. Anyway, Kaori. It’s 2 AM, and we have school tomorrow. I get that you’re excited, but could you please stop now, for my health’s sake?”

“What? No way. It’s already this late!? S-Sorry, Shizuku-chan.”

Kaori looked at her clock in surprise. She couldn’t believe she’d spent so long talking to Shizuku. When she’d gotten back home, she’d felt this burning desire to tell someone about what she’d witnessed. And since Shizuku was Kaori’s best friend, she was the natural first choice. It had been 10 PM when she’d called. Four hours had passed while she repeated the same story over and over.

She felt guilty for keeping her best friend up for so long.

“Mmm, it’s fine. I’d like it if you don’t tell the whole story an 11th time, but... I get that it’s important to you. Hehe, but you know, I never thought I’d see the day you’d be this interested in a boy... I can’t even count how many guys’ hearts you’ve broken by now. I guess your spring has finally come.”

What’s Shizuku-chan talking about? And why does she sound so happy? Kaori easily imagined the grin that must have been on Shizuku’s face.

“Shizuku-chan, what do you mean? I’m not a swordsman like you, why would I be breaking anyone’s anything? Also, it’s still winter.”

“Kaori. In a way, I’m kind of happy you’re this much of an airhead. Also, just because I train with swords doesn’t mean I’m actually hurting people, alright!? Please stop assuming I go around killing people like some kind of maniac!”

Oops, I made her mad. Still, what exactly is she trying to say?

“Haaah... Whatever, I get it now. You’re just not aware of it. Well, he is your first, as far as I know... And it’s possible it’s not even really a crush yet... Anyway, you should take a good hard look at your own feelings. Granted, considering how dense you are, you might not be able to figure it out after all. As your friend, should I just lay it all out for you? Hmm...” Shizuku started mumbling to herself.

Did Shizuku-chan just insult me?

“U-Umm, Shizuku-chan?”

“Huh!? Ahem... Uh, where was I?”

Now that Shizuku was paying attention again, Kaori could bring up the other thing she’d called Shizuku for. For some reason, she felt embarrassed to ask. She could feel the heat rising on her face. Why is this so embarrassing?

“U-Umm... there’s somewhere I want you to go with me...”

“Oh, what’s this? No need to hesitate. We’re friends, right?”

Bolstered by Shizuku’s words, Kaori continued.

“Thanks, Shizuku-chan. So uh, could you come with me to that boy’s school tomorrow?”

“Que?”

Why’d she suddenly start talking in Spanish?

“Like I said, could you come with me to his school tomorrow? I, uhh... want to talk to him... A-And maybe see if he’d want to be friends.”

Oh no. My face is definitely red. Why’s this so embarrassing? Kaori started banging her feet on her bed. She then wrapped herself in her blanket and started rolling around. After a minute of silence, Shizuku finally responded.

“Now hold on just a minute here. You met the guy today, right Kaori?”

“Yep. I wish I’d had the chance to talk to him.”

“If you didn’t even talk to him, how do you know what school he goes to?”

“I looked it up, duh. I just made a list of all the middle schools in the area and checked to see which one had his uniform.”

“......”

Shizuku-chan’s really smart, so how come she couldn’t figure that out? And why’s she not saying anything now? Maybe she’s just really sleepy?

“Earth to Shizuku-chaaan. Sorry, are you tired? Should I call back later?”

“Ah, um, sorry. I just saw a side of you I didn’t think existed...” Shizuku cleared her throat.

“Anyway, I’m fine with it. We can go together. I’m used to you jumping headfirst into things without thinking by now. But you don’t even know his name, right? How are you going to find him?”

“He’d probably be annoyed if we went around the school asking for him, so... I was thinking we’d just wait by the front gate until he comes out. If we can’t find him there, we’ll try waiting at the place I saw him today.”

“You’re starting to sound like a stalker... Though I guess that’s really all you can do if you don’t even know his name.”

Come on Shizuku-chan, I’m not a stalker. Though the more she considered her actions, the more Kaori realized she was beginning to act like one. Anyway, that’s not important right now.

“Y-Yeah. If I’d known it would be this hard, I would have taken a picture of him when I had the chance... I’ll make sure to get one next time I see him.”

“Please don’t.” Shizuku’s voice was surprisingly stern. After that, Kaori heard Shizuku muttering to herself.

“Shit, I never realized my best friend was a natural at this...”

Wow, I’ve never heard Shizuku-chan curse. Is she really alright? Maybe I should hang up and let her sleep.

“Anyway, let’s go to his school tomorrow. I’m definitely going to find him and a-ask him to be my friend. And then, we’ll start hanging out on our days off, and maybe I’ll even get to go to his house... Ehehe. Shizuku-chan, I’m gonna do this!”

“It’s too late to stop her now. Mysterious kneeling boy, I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do.” Shizuku apologized to the nameless boy whose life would soon be turned upside-down.

Shizuku-chan’s definitely acting weird today. I really should let her sleep. Sorry, Shizuku-chan.

A year had passed since that fateful day that Kaori met Hajime.

In that time, she spent time with her friends as usual. Getting wrapped up in Kouki’s crazy antics, getting Kouki wrapped up in her crazy antics, and so on. Her final year of middle school was nothing if not hectic.

She spent a great deal of her time waiting around Hajime’s school hoping to meet him, but in the end they never met.

Kaori herself didn’t understand why she was so obsessed with him, but she knew she didn’t want that to be only time she ever saw him.

As time passed, she grew to regret not calling out to him when she’d first seen him. Or at the very least, not taking a picture of him. God, I’m such an idiot.

Shizuku made sure to accompany Kaori every time she went Hajime-spotting. Shizuku couldn’t afford to leave Kaori alone when she became like this. She knew from experience Kaori would just rush headlong into everything without even thinking. When Kaori had tried to tell Kouki and Ryutarou about the incident, Shizuku had stopped her. And so, their attempts to discover the true identity of Kaori’s mystery crush remained a secret between the two of them.

Unfortunately, a year passed without Kaori ever finding him.

It was spring now, and she was a high schooler. Today was the day of her entrance ceremony.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Their petals fluttered through the air as Kaori made her way to her new school. She was a little disappointed at being unable to meet the boy she was searching for, but she was still excited to start her new life as a high schooler.

“Kaori, what are you doing? If you don’t hurry, we’ll miss the entrance ceremony.”

“Ehehe. Sorry, Shizuku-chan, I spaced out watching the cherry blossoms. They’re so pretty.”

“Heh. I know what you mean. I could watch them for hours too.”

Shizuku stood next to Kaori and looked up at the blossoms. Her ponytail swayed gently in the breeze. Though she was just a high schooler, Shizuku’s mature expression made her seem like an adult. It seemed to Kaori that Shizuku had really grown up in the past year.

“So pretty...” Kaori mumbled.

“Yeah, they really are,” Shizuku replied while looking up. Kaori smiled. I meant you, dummy.

“Not the trees. I meant you, Shizuku-chan. You look like a goddess.”

“Wh-Where’d that come from?” Shizuku looked away in embarrassment. Her face and ears were bright red.

Oh, she’s blushing. How cute.

Kaori was starting to grow a little worried. Even though Shizuku was so beautiful, she still hadn’t ever had a boyfriend, or even a crush. At first Kaori had thought Shizuku might have had feelings for Kouki, since they’d known each other for so long, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. It’d be terrible if Shizuku-chan got duped by some playboy because she’s too inexperienced. As her best friend, I need to warn her.

“Alright, Shizuku-chan. You better listen up.”

“Kaori, who are you trying to imitate this time?”

“This is serious, girl! Anyway, you’re cute, Shizuku-chan. And really beautiful. Now that we’re in high school, boys are going to be all over you. But my dad taught me that all boys are wolves. You need to be more careful or you’ll get tricked by some boy who’s only after your body! Got it!? You need to watch out for any boy that tries to talk to you!”

“Kaori, do you know what a boomerang is?”

Where’d that come from?

“It’s that thing that comes back to you after you throw it, right?”

“That’s right. It’s that thing that comes back to you after you throw it. And your words right now are a boomerang.”

Huh? How come Shizuku-chan’s looking at me like that? Shizuku swept her gaze around the courtyard. Kaori looked around too, wondering what she was talking about. A bunch of students had gathered around the two of them. Most of them were male. Whenever Kaori’s gaze swept past one of them, they’d hurriedly look away.

“It’s been like this the whole time. Seriously, there’s a limit to how defenseless you can get. You should be more careful yourself, Kaori.” Shizuku grabbed Kaori’s cheeks and pulled on them.

“That hursh, Shizuku-shan! Shtop iiiit.”

“I can’t help it, your cheeks are too soft. I didn’t think there’d be this many people at the gym already, but I guess you’re just a people magnet. You sheltered, air-headed little girl.”

Shizuku continued toying with Kaori’s cheeks until Ryutarou finally came to get the two of them. Quite a few of the onlookers had nosebleeds by then, but a little blood loss was a small price to pay for the heavenly sight they’d been treated to.

Finally, it was time for the entrance ceremony. Shizuku, Kaori, and Ryutarou were all in the same class, so they sat next to each other. Kouki was as well, but as he was the freshman representative, he had to give his speech first.

“Do you think Kouki-kun’s nervous?”

“I doubt it. Kouki’s never been nervous in his life.”

“Yeah. He gave the middle school opening speech too, so he’s used to it.”

Shizuku and Ryutarou don’t seem worried at all. Guess I can’t really imagine anything making Kouki-kun nervous either. He’s always brimming with confidence. Plus, he’s our leader. And he was popular with the girls even in middle school. He’s probably so used to dealing with crowds now that he could give this speech in his sleep.

The principal finished his speech, his wig nearly falling off multiple times, and Kouki took the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers. The entire auditorium shook from the force of the girls’ voices.

“I-I expected something like this... but it still amazes me every time.” Shizuku watched the proceedings with a wooden expression.

I totally get how you feel. It was like they had suddenly stepped into an idol concert. The fanaticism of Kouki’s female fans was certainly at the same level as idol fans.

Naturally, Kouki responded to the adulation with his trademark dazzling smile. He wasn’t perturbed by the cheers at all.

Eventually, the cheers died down and Kouki began his freshman address. His fans hung on to his every word. It was like he was the head of some cult.

Halfway through his speech, Kaori heard some of the boys mutter to each other.

“Dude, look. That guy’s straight up sleeping through all of this.”

“I know people sleep all the time during stuff like this, but I can’t believe the noise didn’t wake him up... He’s one heavy sleeper.”

Someone slept through those cheers!? Kaori turned around to see who it was. The boy sitting directly behind her blushed when his gaze met hers, and he hurriedly turned away. Kaori smiled at him, mentally apologizing for startling him. The smile sent the poor boy’s brain into overdrive. I didn’t know someone’s eyes could roll that far back into their head.

After exchanging the required amount of pleasantries, Kaori turned her attention to the boy sitting one seat further back. When she saw who it was, she gasped.

“Ah.” Her heart skipped a beat.

The boy lazing in his chair with his arms folded across his chest was the same one she’d been searching for.

“It’s him.” Kaori’s gaze was glued to him. She’d spent a whole year looking for him, hoping to talk to him again. And there he was, sitting right behind her.

Oh my god, my heart’s beating so fast. I’m pretty sure everyone else can hear it too. Kaori zoned out Kouki’s speech. The rest of the world faded away, and all that remained in her sight was the boy. All other sounds vanished. Her senses were focused only on him.

“Kaori. Earth to Kaori. Hey!”

“Hwuh!?” Kaori found herself forcibly brought back to reality. There was another round of cheering that was so loud it hurt Kaori’s eardrums. Looks like Kouki-kun’s speech is over.

The girls were going absolutely crazy. The auditorium once again came into view. Kaori noticed Shizuku-chan was shaking her shoulders.

“Hurry up and turn around! The teachers are glaring at you! Plus, that poor boy will die of blood loss if you keep looking back any longer!”

“O-Oh, okay.” Kaori reluctantly tore her eyes away from the boy and turned back to the front.

Wow, that other kid really has a massive nosebleed... Wait, now’s not the time to be worrying about that. Shizuku-chan’s right, the teachers are all staring at me.

“What’s gotten into you?” When the teachers finally stopped glaring at them, Shizuku turned to Kaori and whispered in her ear. Kaori clasped her hands over her chest and tried to calm the wild beating of her heart. Still a little flustered, she turned to Shizuku.

“U-Umm, he’s here. He’s here. What do I do, Shizuku-chan?”

“He? Who’s he... Wait, no way? That he? Where!?”

“Behind us. Two rows back, the boy who’s sleeping.”

Shizuku turned around skeptically. She doesn’t mean the kid with the nosebleed, right? The boy, thinking Shizuku might have an interest in him too, hurriedly straightened himself up, blood running down his face all the while. The boys sitting next to him gave him a look of pity.

Shizuku ignored the lot of them and spotted the sleeping boy sitting another row back.

“That kid who’s sleeping through all this noise is the one you’ve been looking for?”

“Y-Yes. I’m sure of it. What do I do, Shizuku-chan? If he’s sitting that close to us, that means he’s in the same class, right? What do I dooo!?”

I feel like my heart’s going to fly right out of my chest at this rate. There was a mini-Kaori jumping for joy inside her head. Do miracles like this really happen in real life? I spent a whole year looking for him and now he’s just sitting behind me... The world was cruel and kind in equal measure.

Unable to control her swelling emotions, Kaori grabbed Shizuku’s arm and started tugging on it.

The two of them were talking in hushed voices, so Ryutarou hadn’t heard what she’d said. He looked at them in bewilderment, wondering what was going on. Everyone sitting around them, and the teachers that had been glaring at Kaori earlier, looked to see what the commotion was.

However, Kaori was too preoccupied to notice.

Shizuku smiled and gently patted Kaori’s head to calm her down.

“Good for you, Kaori. As for what you should do, obviously you should ask him ou— Ahem, ask him to be your friend. Spend these three years of high school with him and make as many memories as you can. Basically, just get closer to him.” Shizuku’s words helped calm Kaori down.

She began envisioning what it would be like.

Going to school together with him. Making pointless small talk about what they’d eaten for breakfast, or if they’d finished their homework on time. Based on what she knew of him, the boy seemed pretty laid-back. He’d probably not put much effort into his appearance and come to school with bed hair and crumpled shirts.

We could eat lunch together every day. I could even make him lunch... and then after school we’d walk around town and just spend time together. It’d be nice to go to cafes and stuff every day, but I don’t have the money for that. Plus, what if people mistook us for a couple!? Kaori’s heart began to race as she thought of the years that were to come.

Just thinking about it made her happy. These are definitely going to be the best three years of my life.

Oh wait, there’s still one big problem...

“Wait a second, Shizuku-chan! What am I supposed to say to his parents!?”

“How’d you jump to that already!? I get that you’re excited, but you’re taking this fantasy way too far! Are you planning on marrying him or something? Are you going to spend the rest of your life with him? But hmm, as for how to introduce yourself to his parents... Ah, wait, I can’t start assuming this is a done deal! You can’t, Kaori! You need to plan your future carefully if you want a happy family!”

Shizuku-chan’s lost it! How can she say such embarrassing things in public!?

“Shizuku-chan, I just want his parents not to hate me, since I’m going to be his friend...”

“Huh!?”

“Sh-Shizuku-chan, your imagination is a little too overactive.”

“Wha—!?” Shizuku curled herself into a ball and started rocking back and forth. Her ears were bright red, and she was hiding her face with her ponytail. I just want to crawl into a hole and die right now.

“What the heck have you two been whispering about this whole time?” Ryutarou stared at the two of them with an exasperated expression. Kaori looked up at him, then followed his gaze and saw one of the teachers grinning demonically at her.

Her first day at school began with her getting a long lecture in the staff room.

Around a year had passed since that fateful day.

And Kaori’s wish had been granted. She’d gotten to spend time with Hajime Nagumo.

Though it wasn’t in the same form as she’d imagined back at the entrance ceremony. Hajime was an otaku, which meant he spent all his free time playing video games, watching anime, or reading manga, so Kaori hadn’t had any opportunities to see him outside of school.

And even in school, he’d always come in right before the bell. Then he’d sleep throughout the day, waking up only after the final bell rang, leaving Kaori no time to speak with him even in school.

Well, at least now I get why I couldn’t find him even though I spent so much time waiting around his middle school. He’d left for home right away each time, so Kaori was too late to catch him.

On the few occasions Kaori did manage to pull Hajime into a conversation, it would always be about the most trivial things. Though it pained her to admit it, she wasn’t really friends with Hajime at all. In fact, they were hardly anything more than just fellow classmates.

Plus, whenever he talks to me, Hajime-kun has this nervous expression on his face... and his eyes keep darting about... It feels like he’s always trying to end the conversation as fast as possible... and he’s always looking at the people around us and not me...

“Nagumo-kun won’t talk to me...”

“If the other guys heard you say that, they’d be crying tears of blood.”

As always, Kaori went to Shizuku for advice. Honestly, I’m amazed there’s a guy out there who can resist Kaori’s charms. This calls for a different approach.

“How about you become an otaku too, then?” Such was the advice Shizuku had for Kaori. And so, Kaori decided to visit the store Hajime had mentioned the next day.

However, things didn’t go according to plan. There were too many things in the store, and Kaori couldn’t make heads or tails of any of them. All she learned from her visit was that there were a lot of anime girls with their panties visible. Though she’d been too embarrassed to get a proper look at any of them.

“Shizuku-chan, based on what I learned... I think I need to show my panties to Nagu—”

“Do not.” Shizuku sternly pulled on Kaori’s cheeks.

Yeah, I guess that is a bit much. He’d probably think I’m just a pervert. I might even get arrested.

“Just tell him you’re interested in anime and video games, and ask him for recommendations or something. After that, you can talk to him about his favorites.”

That makes sense. The following day, Kaori put Shizuku’s advice into practice and tried to talk to him about his hobbies.

At first Hajime seemed surprised, or rather suspicious, but Kaori’s persistence finally won him over. He began talking to her about his favorite shows and games.

As time passed, Kaori developed a natural interest in them herself, so she became well versed in the culture. Unfortunately, Shizuku got dragged into that world with her. Including the times where Kaori accidentally tried to buy visual novels, or hentai anime, or h-manga.

Well, “accidentally.” A growing girl like Kaori did have a passing interest in such things after all.

And so, the first half of Kaori’s second year of high school passed. She’d gotten a lot closer to Hajime in that time, and she continued concocting absurd plans to close the distance between them in one go while their idyllic days passed by. Until that fateful day where the entire class was transported to another world. Their daily lives were turned upside-down, and the students began their new life in this cruel and unforgiving world.

Kaori still didn’t like to think back on the day they’d been summoned.

She was full of regrets about the things she should have done back then. At the time, they still hadn’t been aware of the dangers that they faced. Everything felt like a fairy tale. They got to meet a real king, and a princess, and they all had ridiculously strong magic. Honestly, they’d been kind of excited.

Everyone except Hajime, at least. He alone hadn’t been blessed with any amazing skills or a powerful job. Kaori had been conceited back then. She’d felt like she was the only one who understood him, the only one who could help him when no one else would.

If she could go back to the past, she would’ve slapped herself for being so dumb. It was all my fault. If I hadn’t been so full of myself, I could have helped Hajime before it was too late!

Of all the students, only Hajime had realized how dangerous this world was from the start. The reason he’d studied so hard even though he had no special talents wasn’t because he wanted to get back at his bullies. It was because he’d known.

He’d known that death was a real danger in this world.

While everyone else had enjoyed playing the part of the hero, Hajime alone had been learning how to survive. He was the only one who’d resolved himself.

Resolved himself to do what needed to be done, if the time came. To keep going, even when his legs were trembling in fear. To putting his life on the line if necessary, all for the sake of making it back to Japan.

He, more than anyone, had understood. After all, he was that kind of man. And I should have understood too. It was that side of him that attracted me in the first place.

When that poor lady and her grandson were being tormented by those college students, he’d been the only one to step in. While Kaori had been shaking in her boots, he’d had the strength to defend them. It was his greatest strength, but also what made Kaori worried about him.

She’d known. She’d known.

When everything was looking hopeless, who had been the first to step forward? Hajime. He’d been just as terrified as everyone else, but he’d had the resolve to take on the most dangerous task. Because there’d been people counting on him to protect them.

But because I hadn’t realized that, I’d thought everything would turn out fine. Even though I had no basis for thinking that, I thought I’d be able to protect him. And because of my arrogance, I lost him.

Kaori remembered everything about that moment. How Hajime’s hand stretched out one last time, grasping at nothing, before he tumbled into the abyss. It was then that she had learned the true meaning of despair.

But miraculously, Hajime had survived. And she’d been able to see him again. He hadn’t come back alone, though. By his side had been a golden-haired, crimson-eyed beauty.

Kaori had been able to recover from the shock of losing Hajime once because Shizuku had been there for her. And because she’d been driven by the desire to see Hajime’s fate with her own two eyes. She’d taken her regrets, her anger, and her sorrow, and turned them into an ironclad will. She swore not to stop until she saw the truth for herself.

However, after his return, everything changed. It was as if Kaori had lost him a second time. Hajime had transformed into a merciless monster that killed without hesitation.

And he had a woman who loved him with all her heart by his side. She was someone who had the confidence to stand by him no matter what kind of person he was.

Kaori’s heart was shattered this time. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even understand herself, much less Hajime. All she could do was watch as events moved along, and he made preparations to leave again.

Ironically, it was her rival that woke Kaori from her stupor. Yue’s harsh words were the catalyst that helped Kaori realize what it was she really wanted.

Her implication that Kaori wasn’t even worth her consideration stoked the dimming fire within Kaori’s heart. Yue’s disdain angered Kaori more than even she realized. She wasn’t going to lose to this rude little girl, especially not when it came to Hajime. Insults she could take, but she refused to let Yue hold on to the title of the person that loved Hajime most. Plus, it wasn’t just that. Once Kaori looked at Hajime again with a clear mind, she realized he hadn’t really changed that much at all. There was a little girl who adored him like a father, a bunny girl who clearly loved him with all her heart, and even a perverted older lady who seemed happy to stay by his side.

It was then she realized what she needed to do.

Her feelings hadn’t been a lie after all.

She could hold her head up high and charge forward with all her might.

She could tell him the words she’d wanted to say for so long.

“I love you.”

You better prepare yourself, Hajime-kun. I won’t let you escape this time!

Shirasaki Kaori, seventeen years old. Her specialty? Shock and awe.

Siti Dara

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.