The Battle Between the Cait Sith and Cu Sith “Doras Hill is home to many fairies. Of them, us Cait Sith and the Cu Sith, or the dog fairies, are the two tribes with the largest populations and most power. We’ve been fighting for centuries to determine which of us is fit to govern the hill.” With that, Feoras theatrically gazed into the distance. …Even though there was nothing to see over there but a rock wall. Geez, this guy was really hamming it up. “Three years ago, Alan became the king of the Cu Sith. Basically, we’re rivals now and hold the weight of our entire tribes on our shoulders.” “I’m surprised you managed to live together if your relationship’s that tense,” remarked Sucy. He let out a long sigh. “When we fought, it would make Sifla so unhappy. There wasn’t anything else we could do.” “If you know all this, why don’t you just hurry up and go back home to her? If Sifla heard you talking about sworn enemies and fighting and all this stuff, you’d make her so sad.” When I said that, Feoras stubbornly shook his head. “When the two tribes each crown a new king, they must undergo a trial together to determine who the king of the fairies will be. It’s a custom observed for generations.” “Well? What does this trial involve?” “No idea. It hasn’t been written down. When I asked the previous king, he wouldn’t disclose anything. I assume he didn’t want to expose his own disgrace and failure to succeed.” “Oh, so the previous fairy king was a Cu Sith, then.” “No, that’s not quite…” Feoras hesitated. “Well, at any rate, whoever makes it through the trial successfully becomes the fairy king. If either Alan or I become the ruler, it’ll put an end to the fighting between the Cait Sith and Cu Sith. See, this is for Sifla’s sake as well.” Why? I tilted my head, puzzled. I didn’t think Sifla wanted anything like this to happen. “There are many fairies who refuse to acknowledge the new Sifla—just because she’s young. If I become king, I’ll have more prestige, and all the fairies on the hill will have to revere me. No one will be able to say she’s inexperienced if I acknowledge her as our new guardian.” Hmm, okay. So he really was thinking about Sifla. “Sifla’s a fine witch,” he said. “Other than doting on Alan, she’s perfect in every way.” “Oh. You’re just jealous.” I almost rolled my eyes, but Feoras hissed, extending his claws. “Don’t make me sound so childish! If Alan was a worthy fellow, I wouldn’t have to say things like this!” “Why in the world do you dislike him so much?” Sucy asked. He grimaced, looking like he didn’t want to even think about him. “I’ve never seen anyone lazier. He’s always looking for an excuse to not do anything. When the water dish is empty, it’s always my job to go call Sifla. I mean, I was the one who had to gently nudge her and let her know cabbage was poisonous to us! He pushed that task on me! And yet he always claims it’s his job to lay a blanket over her as she naps. On top of it all, he always mocks me by saying I’m too small to do anything…!” “H-hang on a second. You’re not saying you’re at war with Alan for reasons like that, are you?!” “I just want to carry out my duty as the king of the Cait Sith!” Really? Because I don’t believe you at all! I raised a very suspicious eyebrow at him. He came back to himself and cleared his throat. “In any case, that’s how things stand. I’ll return to Sifla after this is settled and not before.” “That’s no good.” I pouted. “She told me both you and Alan are her precious friends. If you two don’t come back to her on friendly terms, there’s no point.” “That may be, young lady,” he remarked. I clenched my fists really tightly, but Feoras just shook his head at me in his overdramatic way. “But in order to protect Sifla and this hill, I must become the fairy king.” “That can’t be right. You’re already the king of the Cait Sith, Feoras. You should be able to make the fighting stop.” “Both tribes have to preserve their honor. It isn’t that easy.” For some reason, I could hear Feoras’s inner thoughts: Not that you’d understand. Oh, I knew that expression. It’s one I really hate. Back when I’d first joined the school, Diana gave me that same look and told me Shiny Chariot was a disgrace to the magical world. But it wasn’t just Diana. All the professors and other students looked at me like that, too. Every time I said I’d come to Luna Nova to follow the steps of Chariot, they all snorted at me in the exact same way. Huh. Good grief. You don’t understand anything, do you? Oh, you silly little fool, they’d said. The only ones who hadn’t were Lotte and Sucy. That’s unfair, I’d said. The students and teachers were the ones who didn’t understand anything. Chariot’s magic show gave me dreams and hope and made everyone in the audience smile brighter than ever before. That was all that mattered. It didn’t matter if Chariot was a so-called heretic, or if I was like this or that. Sifla didn’t care about those little things, either. All that was important to her were her feelings for Feoras and Alan. “Do you have to protect your honor even if it means hurting her?” My question seemed to have struck a nerve. Feoras’s face crumpled before me. “…I’m not saying I’ll take anyone’s life. If I can just show them the Cait Sith are the rulers of this hill, that’s enough. That’s been our wish for years.” He showed no sign of backing down. Oh no. We couldn’t go back without him, and I definitely couldn’t tell Sifla what he’d said. But what should I say? How could I stop him? I couldn’t think of anything, which was making me panic… Awoooooooooooo. We flinched when we heard a distant howl. It sounded more like a wolf than a dog. “There they are. It’s the blasted Cu Sith,” Feoras muttered. “Follow me. If you’re with me, the other fairies won’t attack you.” “Yeah, that’s fine, but please don’t fight Alan, okay?!” “…Young lady. When we meet the Cu Sith, you’d do well to keep that chatty little mouth of yours shut. Otherwise, you’re sure to come to harm.” “Why?” “The Cu Sith have more ferocious tempers than we do. But it isn’t just them. My tribe has been waiting eagerly for this showdown, and they won’t stand by idly if you interfere. Just don’t expect everyone else to be as much of a gentleman as I am.” Um, you do know calling yourself a gentleman isn’t actually very gentlemanly, right? I could tell it wasn’t an empty threat, though. I mean, the cats would’ve been super-eager to kill us if Feoras hadn’t stopped them. Watching me go quiet, he nodded in satisfaction. “Do behave yourself, young lady. I’d rather not see a cute little girl cry, either.” “…Like I said, I’m not a ‘young lady.’ I’m Akko.” This retort was the best I could do. But seriously, how was a guy who threatened people in any way a gentleman?! Feoras took us deeper into the cave. When we emerged, we were in a place even more spacious than the one we’d left. “Huh?! How?!” I yelled out in surprise. In front of us, we saw a familiar scene. It looked exactly like Doras Hill. The earth was carpeted with the same greenery, and at the center of the mound were boulders exactly like Stone Doras, surrounded by a ring of rugged rocks, further enclosed by the sacred trees and the forest in the distance. When I looked up at the ceiling, I saw a full moon in a starry sky. For a moment, I almost thought we were back aboveground. We weren’t, though. The stars were much farther away from us, and though the moon illuminated everything in sight, its light still seemed a little dull. I didn’t know why, but this moon looked so sad and lonely, even though it was incredibly beautiful. “You’re late, Your Majesty!” All the cats were impatiently waiting for Feoras. Opposite them was a seething crowd of animals—bigger than we were—standing on two legs. It was the group of Cu Sith. “They’re chomping at the bit.” “This time, we’ll settle it for good!” “Show ’em the power of the king!” Openly hostile, everyone was making a racket. Oh no. It really wouldn’t be easy to shut this down. Just then, Lotte shrieked, “Akko! Look!” “Huh? What? What’s the matter?” “Ooh. Oh boy. What’re they doing over there?” Sucy’s eyes narrowed. She was looking in the same direction as Lotte. They were both staring into the group of Cu Sith. There in the crowd, I spotted three familiar-looking silhouettes in a row. That’s… “What the heck?!” Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka had been trussed up and tied to logs. “Something tells me this is gonna get ugly,” mumbled Sucy. “Are those witches fellow conspirators, too?” “Um. I’m not sure if you can call them ‘conspirators’…” Feoras stalked out in front. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing over there?” Amanda yelled back, “What do you mean, ‘what’? We got caught! Duh!” “Hey, you. No talking!” “Whoa. Ow, ow, ow! Don’t get rough!” A Cu Sith pulled on her rope, causing Amanda’s face to twist in pain. I probably don’t have to tell you she was in a foul mood. And, uh, Jasminka somehow had one of the Cu Sith feeding her a snack…? Though there was no telling how she’d tamed him… I just couldn’t believe she still hadn’t let go of her beloved snacks. I mean, I’ve got pretty strong nerves, but I guess Jasminka is no slouch, either. As for Constanze…she couldn’t fiddle with her machines and just looked sullen. Well, her expression never changes, so it’s kind of hard to tell what she’s thinking anyway. “Hey, Constanze. You okay?” “……” Her lips tightened into a straight line, and she quietly stared straight ahead. She didn’t respond, but…she was probably all right. I think. Right? Amanda noticed me and immediately cursed at me. “This is all your fault anyway, Akko!” “Huh? Why?” “You people were acting funny, so we sneaked after you and saw you talk to Sifla, then go round and round Stone Doras. All of it. Didn’t we?” “We did. Right, Constanze?” “……” “No way! Did you guys notice them?” Startled, Lotte and Sucy both furiously shook their heads. That’s Amanda for you. Just what you’d expect from somebody constantly getting through Luna Nova’s security system and stealing their treasures. As for her sidekicks…Constanze’s as silent as a jizo statue, and Jasminka behaves herself as long as she’s eating snacks. So maybe their silent sleuthing wasn’t so unexpected. But still! We hadn’t noticed them at all?! “It looked like you’d stuck your noses into something, so we thought we’d get in on the fun. That’s why we followed you, anyway. But when we looked away for a split second, you just disappeared into thin air. There wasn’t anything else we could do but sneak around the stone nine times, too. But even after we went down the stairs, we still couldn’t find you.” Amanda scowled as she spoke. “And when we were wandering around, Fido and his friends grabbed us.” “They may have circled in the opposite direction from your group, Akko.” Feoras spoke, looking appalled. He probably hadn’t even dreamed they’d be subjected to a stream of intrusive witches like us. “If you circle clockwise nine times, the stairway leads to our home. However, if you circle widdershins, the stairway that appears leads to the home of the Cu Sith.” “Huh. Is that so?” Amanda’s eyes were round. “I mean, the three of us circled it in midair on brooms. Guess we weren’t paying enough attention to the direction.” “What?! You’re lucky the professors didn’t yell at you.” “Heh. Don’t underestimate my ultra-high-speed broomsmanship.” I didn’t get why she was boasting. Like, come on, not the time. “Feoras. We know what you’re plotting.” The Cu Sith who’d been standing guard by Amanda stepped forward. “You intend to get the witches on your side and steal a march on us. We won’t let that happen, and we’ve captured your spies. Pity.” “Oh… Those girls have nothing to do with me.” “Don’t lie to us! You even have witches by your side!” “Well, yes, but… Good grief. This has turned into a real nuisance.” Feoras wearily drew a deep breath as he dealt with the enraged Cu Sith. I looked back at the dog fairies and their long, glossy dark-green fur. They were all drawn up to their full heights, and since they were larger than the Cait Sith, their presence made more of an impact. Though they were wearing clothes, you could really tell they were beasts! Their thick fangs looked pretty sharp, too. …Yeah. I’m glad we met Feoras first. “Say, Feoras. Is Alan that pompous one?” “No, that’s not him. Do you see the sleepy one yawning in the back? Yeah, the one in the cloak. That’s Alan.” He gestured with his chin at a drowsy-eyed Cu Sith bigger than the others. In the same way Feoras was the only one wearing a hat, Alan was the only one wearing a bright-red cloak. He didn’t look the least bit regal, though. In fact, he was biting back yawns and totally uninterested in our conversation. “You’ve got to be kidding. That’s him?” “I know what you’re trying to say. He has absolutely no dignity. Believe you me, I know how you feel. He’s astonishingly lazy, a real sloth! Even talking is too much work for him. But he’s sharper than anyone else, and when he feels like it, he can move more nimbly and jump much higher than others of his kind. You’d probably lose your lives in an instant.” “I told you, quit threatening us like that.” “Well, it’s the truth.” With that, Feoras stepped forward. “Alan. The day has finally come.” Alan yawned without a care in the world. He really didn’t seem tense at all. “Congrats on your coronation, Feoras.” “…I suppose I should thank you. Now we’re officially mortal enemies.” “You’re just as, uh, how should I say this? Just as…energetic as always.” “Stop talking about it like it has nothing to do with you. You came here for the same reason I did, didn’t you? To the site of this sacred trial.” “Nah. Everyone else kind of just brought me here, that’s all.” Alan was languidly lying down, as though he’d gotten tired of standing on two legs. When I looked closer, I saw he was on a sled. And another Cu Sith was pulling its rope. Wait. Did he have them drag him here? Seriously? How lazy can you get?! I totally forgot all about Feoras’s warning and dashed forward. “If you don’t want to fight, you really don’t have to. Listen, Alan—want to go back to Sifla with us?” Alan’s heavy eyelids rose very, very slowly. “You’re Akko?” “Yep! I’m Sifla’s friend. I came to get you two for her.” “I heard from those other witches. You’re an odd one, aren’t you? I mean, this isn’t even your problem to solve. Wow, I’d never help out with something involving so much work.” He really was talking as if this didn’t concern him. “I don’t want to make Sifla cry, either, and I’d really love to go home, but…,” he started. “Then let’s—!” “But the others won’t let me, you know. I don’t want to get yelled at. It’s such a bother.” Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Talk about irresponsible. Feoras scrunched his face. “That’s the sort of fellow he is. Give it up, Akko. Our battle’s inevitable.” “Look! Like I said, if you two fight, you’ll make Sifla sad. You can’t do that to her!” I even stamped my foot for dramatic effect, but he still chose to ignore me. Alan roused himself just a little. “In that case, why don’t we do this? You undergo the trial with us.” “…What do you mean?” “Think about what you’re saying, Alan!” Feoras snapped. But Alan wasn’t fazed at all, giving us a great big yawn. “There’s nothing odd about that, is there? It isn’t written anywhere that the Sith are the only ones who can attempt the trial, and I didn’t hear a thing about it from the previous king.” “Don’t split hairs! It’s obvious if you use common sense!” “‘Common sense’ changes depending on what the standard is,” he murmured. “You want to settle this, Feoras. But this little witch doesn’t want the two of us to fight. And I don’t want to do anything requiring effort. In that case, she should just become the fairy king. Then she can order us to stop fighting, and we can go back home to Sifla.” Wait. Seriously. What’s he even talking about? My mouth was hanging wide-open, and I couldn’t keep it closed even if I tried. Well, apparently, both the Cait Sith and Cu Sith were in complete agreement for once. They were all equally dumbfounded, staring and staring and staring at Alan. “Well? That way, everyone gets what they want. Don’t you think it’s a great idea?” “You just don’t want to move around!” “You’re right. That’s what I’ve been telling you this whole time.” Feoras ground his teeth audibly. “I really hate this side of you…!” “Well, I don’t hate the way you get all worked up like that. But it can be a pain to deal with sometimes,” Alan maintained, breaking eye contact with Feoras’s burning glare. You know, I was finally starting to understand how Feoras felt, just a little. Alan was way too laid-back. “So, basically…,” said a voice. Sucy had raised her hand, next to Lotte, who was busy fretting and worrying. Sucy was the only one here who looked unruffled. “The three of you—Feoras, Alan, and Akko—will undergo the trial, and one of you will become the fairy king?” “That’s right. Well? It sounds fun, doesn’t it?” “You’re on.” I wasn’t the one who said that! It was Amanda. “Hey, Akko, take him up on it. If you don’t, I will.” “Wha—? Are you serious?!” “Heck yeah I am. Hey, get this rope off. I can’t do anything.” Struggling, she aimed a hard kick at the Cu Sith guarding her. Wait. Me? Become ruler of the fairies? For real? That’s— That’s just…an incredibly exciting opportunity, isn’t it? Alan’s eyelids drooped drowsily, but he saw right through me. “So what do you say, little witch? Do you accept this challenge?” he teased. “It’s Atsuko. My name’s Atsuko Kagari.” I rolled up my sleeves, pumped to get started. “And fine. I’ll take you up on that!” “What? Akko, wait!!” “…I knew she was gonna say that.” I could hear Lotte shriek behind me, and Sucy’s shoulders slumped even further. But I just lifted my index finger. “On one condition. Lotte and Sucy will participate with me. Because we’re a close-knit team, three hearts beating as one!” “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!” “…Like I keep telling you, we’re just roommates.” “Do as you please. If you’d like, the captive witches can join you, too.” “We were gonna join anyway! There’s no way we’d shut up and watch. Right, guys?!” Amanda looked to the others for agreement. But Jasminka was just gleefully eating her snack, while Constanze looked as sullen as ever. “See?!” She puffed out her chest, but… Uh, a-are you sure? “I like your spirit. Well, give it your best. Either way, becoming the king of the fairies is the only way you’ll ever return to the outside world,” Alan said with a laugh, clearly entertained. I nodded decisively. “Oh, we’ll show you.” “That settles it, then.” “…Saying whatever you want, every last one of you. I’m always the one who has to clean up after you!” Feoras growled in a low voice and glared at Alan. “There’s only one fairy king. What makes you think we’re allowed to do this as a team?! This trial’s meaningful because you win by your own strength—” “Yes, yes, yes, yes. I got it,” Alan interrupted. “You go right ahead and do that. But how others choose to participate is up to them.” “…Whatever! But since you’ve decided to take part in this, you’d better not cut corners, Alan!” “It’ll be fine. It’ll be totally fine. I’ll be serious about it. Yaaawn.” “Wake up!” Oh, Feoras. He’d completely forgotten about his coolheaded persona. As they watched their king childishly stamp his feet, the Cait Sith were stunned. But the same could be said for the Cu Sith. They were looking at Alan in weary amusement, and I could almost hear what they were all thinking: Oh, our king’s just suggested something ridiculous again. Feoras stalked up to him and snatched the rope of the sled from the attendant’s paws. Then, pulling up Alan’s comparatively larger body, he headed for Stone Doras. Only when he reached the top of the hill did he finally reclaim the dignity of a king. He made his grand proclamation before the crowd. “We shall now begin the trial of the fairy king! Only the participants shall stay here. As for the rest, let us be. When we’ve settled this once and for all, you shall know the results!” Alan’s eyes went round at the sight of such feverish intensity, but he just mellowly murmured to himself, “Seriously, where does all that energy come from?”
Chapter 6
19 min read