Stella nodded atop me, satisfied. “Mm-hmm, this works. You can’t think of anything perverted with me just standing like this.”
“So each time we fly, I get to be stepped on by Stella... What a gift!”
“How does this make you happy?! Pervert!”
“Because I love everything about my idol, obviously!”
“NMMMM!”
Stella stomped on my face with her bare feet. The soles of a tsundere...what bliss. I also loved the curves of her thighs, which just barely hid her underwear.
It wasn’t long before we heard an exclamation of surprise.
“Stella Millesia?!” came a voice from down and to the side. There were girls wearing Stella’s uniform riding their staves. Apparently we had caught up to her classmates.
“No way! Stella’s flying!”
“She isn’t skipping class like usual?”
“Why is she standing on top of her staff like that...?!”
All of them voiced their shock at seeing Stella one after another. She looked down at them, standing boldly.
I took this chance to whisper. “Stella, Stella.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you say something to them? You can cast miracles now, so they shouldn’t have any reason to avoid you. You might be able to be friends now.”
As cruel as it was, it made sense that Stella would be ostracized for her inability to use miracles in a world where miracles dominated everything...but things were different now.
I wanted Stella to have a fun school life. One where someone would wake her up if she overslept. One where she didn’t eat alone. One where she had friends. And most of all, I wanted to see my idol get along with her pals!
Stella seemed to hesitate, but ultimately nodded.
“Surprised that I can cast miracles now?” she declared, arms still crossed. “Well, you’ve got a lot more of that coming. The Goddess finally gave me a Great Spirit—one higher ranked than anything most of you will ever see in your whole lives!”
Huh? Those weren’t the lines I had in mind.
Stella’s classmates were all staring at her with blank expressions, prompting Stella to chuckle to herself. “But listen. If you insist on being my friend now that I have a Great Spirit, go ahead and ask. I’ll consider gracing you with my presence. Be grateful!”
Holy cow, she’s so awkward! Fatally awkward! But that’s a tsundere for you!
Everything Stella just said translated purely and cleanly into, Please be my friend. But that wasn’t how it came out. She was just...peak tsundere. As a fan of tsunderes myself, I’d like to clench my fists and writhe in bliss, but it seemed I had no allies among her class.
A murderous rage emanated from the girls.
“There’s no way you would ever get a greater spirit, Stupella. O Spirits of Fire, grant me blazes to burn mine enemies away. Ignaria Sein!”
“I’d rather die than be your friend. O Spirits of Earth, grant me stone to smite mine enemies. Terararia Sein!”
Their chants overlapped with those of many other students. A barrage of fireballs and rocks came shooting toward Stella.
“Eeek! But why?! I wanted to be friends...!”
“Tsunderes are by nature bad at communication. Their words are distorted by embarrassment, and so one must strive to parse them correctly. However, only those who love tsunderes can master the techniques necessary for deciphering their language, and so it is their fate to endure unending traged—”
“Enough with the explanations! Run, run, run! Winaria Sein!” Stella cried, and I hurriedly asked the Wind spirits to speed up. They did, but the classmates kept attacking her one after another. Dodging everything would be impossible.
Feeling a sense of danger, I yelled, “Stella! Defense!”
“Defense?!” she exclaimed back.
“Anything will do. Form a wall of stone, or blow it away with wind, anything...!”
She had spent so much of her life unable to cast miracles that it wasn’t in her instincts to use them to protect herself.
“Um, O Spirits of Earth, uh, the Goddess granted a holy shield to the sav— Eek!”
A fireball flew by and grazed her hair, prompting her to interrupt her chant. My gut would have twisted if I had one.
Now, I was fully willing to admit that Stella’s phrasing was poor. Still, this should’ve been an argument of words, not fireballs! Blasting her with miracles at the slightest provocation was just too much.
Unforgivable. I will eliminate all those who threaten to hurt my idol!
Miracles couldn’t be cast without Stella chanting, but I had power of my own. I started muttering to myself as she resumed her chant.
“Deus est mors.”
Dark energy formed on my forehead. This was divine power capable even of killing witches. If I was to be grateful to the Goddess for anything, it’d have to be this.
I could only sneer in perfect laughter as I saw the rain of attacks coming our way...
“The Goddess granted a holy shield to the savior. Terararia Sein! Stones thrown by those aiding the witch all failed to reach the savior. Terararia Sein!”
“Stella, the attacks stopped. Use this chance to escape!”
“Heh?” Stella said. She lifted her head, which she’d been cradling while chanting to the best of her ability.
Not a single fireball or stone remained. Her classmates were looking this way in a daze.
No wonder—a mysterious beam of black energy had shot out and obliterated each of their miracles. Anyone would be surprised.
Stella’s own jaw had dropped, but she quickly snapped to her senses and began chanting.
“Winaria Sein! Winaria Sein! Winaria Sein...!”
RUN, RUN, RUUUN!
We ran the Wind spirits at full throttle and blasted away at the speed of light. None of her classmates could catch up.
✦ ✦ ✦
＊＊＊
“Splendid, just absolutely splendid! I am so completely, positively moved right now...!” Professor Elyena exclaimed. It was the end of class, and she was shedding exaggerated tears in front of everyone now that we were back. “Not only has Stella finally learned to cast miracles after suffering for so long, but she even arrived back sooner than anyone. No doubt the Goddess has smiled upon your efforts, Stella. Everyone should do well to learn from her and remain diligent in their studying!”
Stella was facing the ground, overwhelmed by being showered with praise in front of everyone. She wasn’t used to being praised.
Keep piling it on. I wanted to see Stella blowing steam out of her ears.
Her classmates wore conflicted expressions. Quinza in particular seemed displeased, and even clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Professor Elyena wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, then faced Stella directly. “With that said, Stella. I must now give you your penalty.”
“...Wha? M-My penalty?”
“That is correct. Stepping upon one’s staff is an unthinkable act. Do you not understand it is your lifeline as a saint? We do not permit students to stand upon their staves.”
“B-But I had no choice! If I flew normally, I wouldn’t be able to get married...”
Stella’s incoherent protests fell on deaf ears. Professor Elyena continued, a smile on her face. “As penalty, you will need to deliver a ten-page report by tomorrow after school.”
“Ten pages?!”
“As for the subject... It can be the Pandemonium Era. Aha!”