Yep, that figures. I knew it. Though I kind of feel like I’ve already had this exact dream. Is this déjà vu?
“It’s been a while, Maria Campbell,” said Katarina, the corners of her mouth turning up in a sinister smile.
“Lady Claes, I had heard that you were exiled from the kingdom... What are you doing here?”
“That’s right, thanks to you, I was exiled... But I’ve returned. Returned to take my revenge against you!”
As Katarina grinned, Maria started to look frightened. Cezar then stepped in front of Maria, as if to protect her.
“Sorry, but this woman is mine. I won’t let you so much as scratch her.”
“Tee hee, do you really think an outsider like you can stand against me, now that I am a Wielder of Darkness? Cerberus, come forth,” cried Katarina.
Then the narration displayed the line “From out of her shadow, there emerged an enormous wolf,” on the screen, and a giant version of Pochi appeared.
Now that I’d seen this, I was absolutely certain—this was exactly the same dream I’d had before. Why am I being shown the same event? I want to see a new one. I only get so many of these dreams, and you’re showing me reruns? This is such a waste!
“Okay, if I can just defeat Katarina here and turn her over to the authorities, I’ll complete the route,” said Acchan. Even this line was exactly the same as the last dream I’d had about her. What a pity.
In the next screen transition, I saw Pochi—aka Cerberus—lunge at Cezar, who met the wolf in battle with his sword.
“Prince Cezar!” cried Maria, unleashing her Light Magic on Pochi—I mean, Cerberus.
Cerberus flinched at this attack, and fled back to Katarina’s side. This made Katarina scowl dramatically.
“You all attack them too. Finish them!” After she said this line befitting one of the leaders of an evil organization, inexplicably, some guys who looked like stereotypical evil henchmen appeared and attacked Cezar and Maria.
Oh, so Katarina didn’t come alone. More importantly, when was she promoted to a leadership position in this evil organization?
But the underlings Lieutenant Katarina had unleashed were quickly taken down by Cezar. It looked like none of them were strong enough to oppose him.
Lieutenant Katarina scowled dramatically once more.
“Grr, now you’ve done it. If this is what it’s come to...”
After delivering this line that any representative might make—or a certain villainous bacterium I remembered from the anime of my past life—she whipped out a black staff.
Ah. But Katarina in the game doesn’t have a skull on her staff, so I guess I’m winning in terms of villainy style points, I thought as I watched Katarina take her staff...and unleash some kind of black magic from it! So Katarina in the game actually knows how to use Dark Magic! She’s far better at it than I am, since I can only absorb it.
However, even when Game Katarina attacked Maria with all her might, her darkness was pushed back by Maria’s Light Magic, until she found herself enveloped in light and forced to kneel on the ground.
It looks like Katarina has been defeated. Although...
“Are you all right?” some people who looked like officials asked out of concern for Maria, conveniently turning up only after all the fighting was settled.
Seriously, you guys, you were too slow! Cezar and Maria already defeated them all.
The authorities took Katarina away, and a lovey-dovey exchange began between Maria and Cezar. Moments later...
“Oh my, Maria,” said a voice, which turned out to be Maria’s mother, holding a shopping basket.
It seemed that this whole event had taken place near Maria’s family home. After a brief exchange with her mother, Maria said, “This is someone very special to me,” introducing Cezar.
Then Cezar announced, “I would like to start a happy life with Maria.”
This really was the end of the Cezar route.
Yep, yep, how nice. Congratulations, Cezar and Maria, and farewell, Katarina. On no account should you ever do anything wicked again.
This was surely the final game event that could take place while Cezar was in Sorcié to study.
I wonder when this is set to take place. If I heed this warning and make sure I don’t go there during that event... Will that be enough to make sure they’re okay? But since Game Katarina acted like a lieutenant in the evil organization, maybe they’ll just send someone else in my place. In that case Maria and Cezar will still be attacked...
“Katarina, Lady Katarina.”
As I heard someone’s voice calling me, I opened my eyes and snapped to attention to see a familiar face in front of me.
“Sophia?”
“Indeed,” replied Sophia with a smile. Then, frowning slightly, she said, “I beg your pardon. You looked like you were having a nightmare, so I woke you up.”
“No, no, I shouldn’t have been sleeping on the job, so I’m glad you woke me up. Thanks.” If left to my own devices, I might have gone on sleeping all afternoon. “Wait, huh? What are you doing here, Sophia?”
“I came here to help out today, and decided I’d come and see how you were doing when I finished, Lady Katarina.”
My friends Sophia and Mary sometimes came to the Magical Ministry to help out. It would appear that this was one of those days.
“I thought that Miss Maria might just be out of the office for a while, but could this in fact be her day off?” asked Sophia.
“Yep, she said she’ll be visiting family today. Yesterday, she told me she’s been so busy recently that she hasn’t found the time to go home, and she was looking forward to finally getting to visit,” I said in answer to Sophia’s question, as the scene from the game I’d just watched in my dream, and my thoughts from that moment, surfaced in my mind.
The event occurred during Cezar’s study trip, Maria was visiting her home for the first time in a while, and Katarina, apparently an evil lieutenant now, appeared with underlings in tow. Then I recalled how a man had appeared in front of Maria who gave her the same uneasy feeling that Dark Magic did. An indescribable feeling of anxiety took hold inside my chest.