“R-right…” In reality, Nayuki Fuyuse had once been a member of the Dame du Lac, the group organizing the King Arthur Succession Battle. That meant she was a sorceress with unbelievable mana. In one of their battles, she’d weaponized these skills and combined them with her swordsmanship to lead Luna’s group to victory. In fact, they owed their lives to Nayuki. She was the reason they could keep up their shenanigans. “Ugh… Don’t you agree with me, Nayuki? Don’t you want Luna to take this stuff more seriously? If she keeps this up, she’s going to find herself six feet under…” “Look at it from another angle. Luna can mess around because she knows she has you. I’m sure she has faith in you, Rintarou.” “Give me a break… Think of the burden this places on my shoulders…” He tousled his hair, looking annoyed, though he didn’t seem all that unhappy. “Geez. Guess there’s no way around it. I’m the only one who can protect King Airhead…and it’s not like I could abandon her now. If she kicked the bucket, I wouldn’t be able to rest easy. Guess I’ve just got to look after her… Oh, well!” “…” Nayuki’s eyes were distant as she watched him with a smile that seemed lonely. “Hee-hee, I’m glad to see you’ve been having fun lately, Rintarou,” she chirped. “…Nayuki?” There was something clearly different about the tone of her voice. When he turned to meet her gaze, he found she was looking straight at him as though she was trying to appeal to him about something. He didn’t feel like Nayuki was teasing or joking around, just purely based on her behavior. Rintarou was flustered in spite of himself… “G-gimme a break. You think I’m enjoying this?” Rintarou looked away, electing to crack a joke to defuse the strange air between them. “Nothing good has come out of joining her faction! She’s been abusing her power, forcing me to attend to her needs around the clock! Frankly, the succession battle isn’t the hardest part—it’s protecting her! Ugh, I should have never taken this job!” “…” “I might not look like it now, but everyone used to be scared of me, you know. That’s because I have powers beyond any human! Obviously, no one dared to step on my toes, because they were too busy whimpering in their boots! “Now, people mistake me for Luna’s apprentice or something! And our classmates are cozying up with me! The student council doesn’t even bat an eye at foisting chores on me! All that gravitas…down the drain! “My luck must have run out the moment Luna set her eyes on me!” Rintarou aired out his grievances. Nayuki looked at him with a tender gaze. “Rintarou… I think you’ll be fine without me.” “…?” “As long as you have Luna…I’m sure you’ll be fine.” This wasn’t their normal banter. Rintarou cocked his head to the side, questioning her strange behavior. “…Nayuki, what’s gotten into you today?” “Huh? Oh…it’s nothing, really. Ah-ha-ha. Sorry for being so cryptic.” She tried to laugh it off, but Rintarou wasn’t the type to let something go so easily. “…No, sorry. I really am. You must still be bothered by the past, huh?” he said. “!” In the past, Rintarou had lashed out at Nayuki when he’d learned she had been part of the Dame du Lac. After all, he had once been Merlin, the oldest and strongest sorcerer in the world, and he’d been tricked into getting sealed away, dying at the hands of a certain member of her organization. This bitter memory from his past life left a bad taste in his mouth about the Dame du Lac. It was hard to do justice to his utter disgust toward her organization with words. “I-it’s not about that! I didn’t mind! I know you have a reason to hate us!” Nayuki denied it, shaking her head furiously. “Didn’t she betray you even though you trusted her? That’s so terrible… I bet you’ll never be able to forgive her…” “I guess. But it was wrong to make an enemy out of the entire Dame du Lac for the tricks of one member. And it was wrong that I took it out on you, like a little kid. I’m sorry.” Rintarou offered a formal apology. However, Nayuki gave him a little smile and seemed completely dejected. Uh-oh… I guess I really hurt her… I can’t say I blame her… I insulted Nayuki and turned my sword on her after she revealed her identity to save us… Dammit. I hate that I’m so immature… What could he do to make up for it? There was one obvious answer that transcended time and space. “Hey, Nayuki…I think of you as a friend.” He had to talk about it and open up. It didn’t matter if he was embarrassed or if he felt bad at communicating his feelings. He shouldn’t assume she could read his mind. He had to be honest and say it in his own words. “…R-Rintarou…?” “After all’s said and done, we’ve been together since the beginning—since I arrived here. I spend the most time with you, after Luna. You might not believe me, but…I don’t care that you used to be in the Dame du Lac anymore. “Plus, I never thought of you as a stranger, for some reason…and I…uh…I think I want to keep spending time with you.” Rintarou turned away, attempting to play off his embarrassment by becoming grumpy. “I…don’t mean that in a weird way! I mean, I can’t be the only one to rein in Luna! I need a helping hand!” “…” Nayuki blinked back at him, dazed and confused. “And… I appreciate you, you know?” Rintarou admitted. “…Huh? You appreciate me…?” “I just realized…you’ve been looking out for me from the start…” That was right. When he thought back on it, Nayuki had always been consistent. They’d met immediately after he’d arrived at the artificial island of New Avalon to join the King Arthur Succession Battle. She was the one who had encouraged him to link up with Luna. When Rintarou had broken ties with Luna over an ideological difference, Nayuki had come up with a reason for him to make amends. When an unprecedented enemy had been on the verge of destroying Luna’s group…she had revealed her identity as a member of the Dame du Lac and risked her own life to save them. On top of that, Nayuki was the one who had created an opportunity to control the “devil” inside him. She had been watching over Rintarou the whole time… That was exactly why he was suspicious of her. “…Why do you go out of your way for me?” There was nothing complicated about his question. “So you’re a member of the Dame du Lac. I imagine you know me more than I do myself… You’ve even tried to befriend a brat like me.” “…” “…I really want to know because…I consider you a friend… Why would a decent girl do all this for me? It doesn’t sit right with me…that I have no idea why you treat me so well…” As soon as he said that, Rintarou tried to pretend it didn’t happen by attempting to overwhelm her with word vomit. “B-but I get it if you don’t wanna talk about it! I imagine you have your reasons! I won’t bring it up again!” Nayuki gave him a gentle smile—as if she could read him like an open book. “Am I…one of your friends now? Really?” “Obviously. We’ve fought on the same battlefield, and you risked your life against the same enemy, right? Even if that hadn’t happened, we’re always hanging out and messing around… If we’re not friends, then what are we?” Rintarou was trying to hide his embarrassment by talking to her in a gruff manner. Nayuki stared at Rintarou for a while…before she eventually spoke up. “…Friends, huh…? So we’re friends. I’m your friend…” “Nayuki?” “Mm-hmm, thank you. This makes me so happy…even though I don’t have the right to your friendship… But you think of us as friends… Nothing could make me happier.” For some reason…Rintarou was a little uneasy upon seeing her joyous smile. “Okay, Rintarou… I’ll tell you what. I’ll explain to you who I really am and why I helped you.” He felt his heart skip a beat. “Nayuki… Are you sure? I know I was the one who asked, but you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I wouldn’t bug you about it. I’m not a kid.” “No…I want to tell you. This might be selfish of me, but…I really do want to tell you… I want you to know…” Nayuki took a step toward Rintarou, almost begging him with her eyes. “But I’m scared. I need…courage… The tiniest amount of it.” “…Courage?” “Yes. Hey, Rintarou…do you have some time?” “Hmm…well, school’s over, and I just finished this stupid task, and I haven’t really got anything planned. Guess I do have time.” “Okay. Then…will you go on a date with me—the two of us? Just once…” “?!” Rintarou’s jaw dropped to the floor. However, she seemed so assured and ready for something that he immediately snapped out of it and looked at her. “And then, at the end of the date, I’ll tell you everything… How does that sound?” He had to be sincere if she was being sincere. “Okay, I—” Rintarou didn’t hesitate to try to accept… THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. Someone was sprinting down the hallway. The footsteps were getting closer. BAM! The door to the student council room was kicked in. The girl standing tall in the doorway was… “Rintarou! Are you here?!” …Luna. Who else? “Gah! Luna?! Weren’t you busy getting on the good side of the popular girls at school?!” “Ha! They’re busy hanging out with the hottest guys I could hire using our treasury money! Now they’re all wrapped around my little finger. They’re so simple!” “That’s what you’re doing with our treasury?!” “Oh, forget that! Listen to this, Rintarou!” Luna ran over to his side. Nayuki discreetly opened a path for her, moving away from Rintarou. Luna yanked up the annoyed boy by his shirt collar, shaking him with all her might. “The Ethics Committee has been secretly backing a candidate who’s my direct opponent! Itsuki Amakawa from Class 3! Gifted! Genuine! Good! He’s gained popularity, according to the poll from the newspaper club!” “Whoa. That guy? Looks like it’s finally time to pay your dues.” “Th-this is no joking matter! What’s with him?! I refuse to believe anyone is that perfect! It’s like he was born to lord over us! There’s no king better than me!” “The fact that you ‘refuse to believe’ in upright citizens speaks volumes…” “This is bad… This is real bad, Rintarou! The other candidates are nothing, but Itsuki Amakawa is a real strong contender! He might even overturn my administration…?!” “That would be amazing! Oh, Itsuki Amakawa, I wish you luck!” Rintarou broke into a real smile. “Anyway!” Luna tightened her grip and started to drag him away. “There’s no one in this world who’s got no weaknesses! He has to be wrapped up in some sort of scandal…! And we’re going to uncover it right now! Then we’ll launch a smear campaign! Got it?” “No! That’s horrible! You’re seriously the worst kind of human!” Luna pulled Rintarou along as he continued to defy her. “You might not want to hear it from me, but can’t you fight him head-on?!” he screeched. “What if we can’t find any dirt on him?!” “Oh, you silly rabbit! You don’t find scandals—you make them!” “Do you write for a media gossip magazine or something?!” Rintarou finally shook himself free from Luna’s grasp and jumped away from her. “I’ve got important plans! I don’t have time to humor you today! Do it by yourself!” “Whaaaat?! Nuh-uh! No way I’m going to do it without you! I mean, who else can I blame for these misdeeds, if not you?” “You must take me as a secretary to your politician, Luna, if you think you can blame it on me and corner me into taking my life! I’m done with you!” He really messed up when he’d decided on a faction to join… Rintarou regretted everything. But once Luna started something, it was impossible to get her to stop. Well, what could he do? He had to choose between Luna and Nayuki… His choice wasn’t of any real consequence, but he would have preferred not to make the call at all… Nayuki called out to him. “Um…I wouldn’t mind doing things some other time, so why don’t you go with Luna?” “Huh?! Well, but…we were just about to…” “It’s fine, really. You’ve got to make sure you keep a close eye on her… If you leave her alone, who knows what could happen?” “Uh, you’ve got a point…” It pained him to admit she was right. It was guaranteed that Luna would do something on her own if he left her to her own devices. Someone needed to be her keeper to make sure she didn’t cross any lines…though he didn’t know how useful he could be. “So why don’t you go with Luna for today?” If Nayuki was urging him to do that, he didn’t have room to argue. “Geez…” Rintarou sighed and turned back to Nayuki. “Sorry. Well, about that thing… Would tomorrow work?” “Yeah, that’s fine.” She didn’t seem like she minded, which made him feel worse. He bowed his head in apology. “Sorry… Just when you were ready to talk about it… It’s all this idiot’s fault.” “Oh, that’s not true. I kind of just sprung it on you… Plus, I wanted to be a little more mentally prepared…” Nayuki waved her hand as if to dispel the bad air around them. “So we’ll do it tomorrow. Just the two of us.” “Yeah.” “Hmm? What are you two talking about?” “Shut up. None of your business. It’s between us,” Rintarou snapped at Luna. “Go on. Lead the way.” “Ha-ha! That’s the spirit! There’s my vassal!” Rintarou trudged after Luna. “A scandal, right? What are you scheming?” “I have a plan! Imagine this: The train is full. I’m standing next to Itsuki Amakawa. I whirl over and grab his hand and raise it above my head. ‘He just groped me!’ I scream. ‘Help!’” “You wouldn’t dare. If you do that, I’ll slit your throat—no questions.” “I-it was a joke—a joke! Don’t look at me with your scary eyes… I’m sorry, okay? I’m really sorry… Ow! Ow-ow-ow?! Get away from my neck!” Rintarou and Luna walked over to the council room door, where he paused to offer an apologetic look to Nayuki. “See ya, Nayuki…tomorrow.” And then he left the room with Luna. “Yeah… See you tomorrow.” Nayuki watched after them with a tight-lipped smile. … “…Bad Nayuki,” she whispered to herself, letting her words ring through the vacant room. It was already dark outside, almost evening. School had been over for a while now. Nayuki remained in place after seeing them off…refusing to budge from her spot. “I suck… Why didn’t I…just ask him to come with me…?” Her expression was concealed by the shadows. “Today…was my last chance…” Something about her tone seemed melancholic. The silence was stifling. Darkness seemed to coil around her. Nayuki continued to mutter to herself. “…But this was all for the best, wasn’t it…? I did something inexcusable to Rintarou…to Merlin… To believe that he might have forgiven me would be selfish…” Nayuki snapped up her head as though she had a change of heart. For a little while now, she had felt something creeping up in her soul, looming nearer—the end of these halcyon days, the demise of her ephemeral dream. “Rintarou…Merlin is fine now,” she said as though trying to convince herself. “Rintarou has Luna—a true king to serve. “He’s strong enough to stand against fate now. It’ll all work out. I’m sure of it. “The prediction of the three goddesses won’t come true. “Things won’t go the way that wicked sorcerer foresaw it. “I’m sure they can overcome anything. “And…they’ll be able to save humanity from the Catastrophe…for sure.” She placed her faith in them. Nayuki left the student council room, expression clear as she walked through the dark hallway and released all the mana in her body. She shrouded herself in radiating particles, letting her appearance transform. Her silky black hair changed into a sparkling blue in the darkness. Her kind, black irises flooded with blue, gleaming. Her outfit looked like a thin dress that had been knit from fairy wings. Upon manifesting her power as a Dame du Lac, Nayuki slipped through the entrance…and stepped into the schoolyard. “And—this is something I need to settle by myself. I can’t let anyone else get mixed up in this mess—” She readied herself as she paused in the schoolyard. A woman stood on the sprawling campus, waiting for Nayuki. Hair the same shade of blue, eyes shining azure, and the same outfit. She was the leader of the Dame du Lac, Vivian. Nayuki faced her, placing a dozen yards between them. Without uttering a word, she let her eyes bore down on Vivian, who had been expecting her. “Ha-ha, it’s been a while, Nayuki Fuyuse…or should I say, Nimue,” Vivian said, with an inscrutable look on her face. “…Lady Vivian. You came,” Nayuki replied, seeming as though she had resigned herself. “I knew I couldn’t hide the fact that I undid the binds of my power as the Dame du Lac for battle…after it’s been sealed for so many years…” “Obviously… I imagine you can guess why I’ve revealed myself to you today. Traitor. Harlot. You’ve made a big mess.” As her lips broke into a smirk, Vivian’s glare pierced through Nayuki, eyes turning dark as the abyss. She continued dispassionately. “In the legendary era, you heeded my orders, getting closer to Merlin…and sealing him away, thereby murdering him. I’ll give you that.” “…” “The Dame du Lac weaponize our charm to lead men by the nose and control them… But to think you were the one seduced by Merlin! A lovesick girl scouring the world for the reincarnated form of Merlin, casting Masking to leave our organization? Even I wouldn’t have been able to track him down. After all, who knows where a soul might reincarnate? You were searching for a needle in a haystack.” “…” “You know, if you’d stopped there, I wouldn’t have blamed you. Merlin would have been considerably weakened, seeing how many moons have passed since his death. “It wouldn’t have been a problem if he’d lived as a human. Even if he’d stuck his nose in the succession battle, he would have died from being so weak. Worst case, we would have dealt with him using our own methods. “If it didn’t cause me any inconvenience…I might have even let the two of you live together if you managed to stumble upon his reincarnated human form… But you helped him regain his original power!” Vivian sounded like she was a court magistrate from hell declaring a guilty verdict. Nayuki accepted it in silence. She was on death row, resigning herself to receive her punishment. “Do you understand the gravity of your actions?! The bastard child should have been sealed away and killed again! Because you reawakened the power within him, the course of fate has changed—to fulfill the doomsday prophecy! How dare you!” “That’s…” “Even after you went through all that to find him…the home-wrecker had already made her way to his side! You unfortunate soul. I can’t even laugh at your circumstances. In fact, I pity you.” “…Master!” Nayuki screeched, unable to endure it any longer. She glared at Vivian. “We were in the wrong! Even if the three goddesses predicted this fate…it doesn’t justify robbing Merlin of a future!” “…What?!” Vivian’s eyes opened slightly. She didn’t expect Nayuki to raise her voice. The Nimue she knew wasn’t the type to assert her own opinion. “Hmph. Dear me. They say love is blind… You’re unable to make any decisions in a calm and logical manner.” This didn’t dissuade Nayuki. She implored Vivian, “I could say the same about you, Master! Why are you letting the Catastrophe happen?! Why are you focused on saving the world after humanity is destroyed?! Are you sure you have your priorities in order?! “We should be trying to prevent the Catastrophe!” “…………” Vivian went silent. “You think I don’t know?! The three goddesses told the Dame du Lac: ‘The Catastrophe will befall humanity soon, and the Curtain of Consciousness will crumble, marking the end for humankind!’ …But they showed us another possible future! “‘Fate can be altered if Merlin serves the true King Arthur!’ Why are you so insistent on eliminating Merlin and reviving King Arthur to save the world after it’s destroyed?!” Vivian’s mien changed. Her ladylike bearing and expression completely dissolved. Her eyes became as empty as the pits of hell, and there was something dark and chilly about her air. “Hee-hee-hee… How strange… With the exception of the three goddesses of fate, I should be the only one privy to the latter part of the prediction, as the one chosen to be the direct oracle… I’d intentionally left that out. How did you hear about it? Where and from whom did you get this information?” “…Uh?!” This triggered a memory to reemerge in Nayuki’s mind. “Hee-hee, Nayuki Fuyuse…or should I call you Nimue? It’s been a while. “Do you wish to see him? Do you want to apologize? Do you want to atone for your sins? “Head to the man-made island of New Avalon, which is nearing its completion. “Yes, the site of the ceremony that the Dame du Lac are organizing behind the scenes. “You will most certainly be able to reunite with him there.” “I’m the one asking the questions, Master! Please answer me! Why in the world would you—?!” Vivian cackled coldly in the middle of Nayuki’s impassioned interrogation. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s because the humans are so weak… It’s because they are fragile and unable to live decent lives without our protection.” “Huh?!” “Why don’t you go over that second prophecy again after cooling your head off? ‘Fate can be altered if Merlin serves the true King Arthur.’ We can ‘alter’ the future…but we can’t prevent it from happening.” Vivian chuckled as if this was checkmate. “‘The end for humankind’ is a certain outcome. Meanwhile, the other prophecy is vague… Who can say what it means? “Throughout human history, the three goddesses have offered a hundred thirty-seven prophecies. And they have only been wrong four times. Can’t you see the initial prediction is practically inevitable? The demise of humankind isn’t preventable.” “But…it’s not absolute!” Vivian ignored her desperate entreaty. “And Merlin is a potential danger… You can’t turn a blind eye to that. You know Merlin is the ‘one who will kill King Arthur.’ He was born with this fate as the bastard of an evil god. That’s why I ordered you to eliminate him in the ancient era. Didn’t you agree to carry out this job?” “B-but…!” “How could King Arthur’s assassin serve the true king? That’s impossible. Even if they’re touted to be heroes, King Arthur and Merlin are humans, when it comes down to it. No human can alter the course of fate. That’s why we need to eliminate Merlin to protect King Arthur in the modern era and save the world after the Catastrophe.” “What?!” Nayuki felt powerless. She realized they would never be on the same page, even if she tried to reason with Vivian. “Stop clinging onto a glimmer of hope… Isn’t it more constructive to prepare to save the world post-Catastrophe? The only one for the job is King Arthur. He will rule over the people as king and help them see this world is their own. That’s the reason for the King Arthur Succession Battle. I’m taking the necessary actions for this world and humanity. It would make my job easier if you understood that. You’re like a dog in heat.” “I…” It was correct in a way. For King Arthur to save humankind, they needed to eliminate the assassin—Merlin. Vivian wasn’t mistaken about that… “But, Master… You’re wrong,” Nayuki said firmly. “Do you need humanity to be destroyed to save it? Will you abandon all possibilities of avoiding that collapse? That’s a faulty argument!” “No. You know nothing about the absoluteness of the three goddesses’ predictions—” “No! You just want to keep controlling and governing humankind yourself!” Vivian’s eyebrow twitched. It seemed Nayuki had touched a nerve. Vivian’s bearing transformed to become even heavier, sharper, and darker. With a cold and cruel gleam, her eyes pierced through Nayuki, murderous. Nayuki kept going as though she were making an indictment. “It’s certainly true that we, as the Dame du Lac, have intervened with the human world to manipulate their fate and future! “We’ve wedged ourselves into international leadership to control the people! I won’t comment on the ethicality of these methods, but we’ve been helping them thrive! So maybe humans are weak! I doubt one could defend themselves against a lower-class monster, and they always seem to go down the wrong path! That’s exactly why we had to protect them with the Curtain of Consciousness—to guide them! “But humankind has evolved over the course of thousands of years! And they’ve started to move away from our grasp. They’ve left the nest, so to speak. Maybe they aren’t totally dependable…and maybe they stray from their paths… But they’ve started to walk on their own—toward a brighter future. “There’s no longer a need for the Dame du Lac! …It’s over! But you can’t accept that! You want to be the queen to rule the world forever… Am I wrong?!” “………” “That’s why you’ll let this world end…! You want to reset humankind so they’re dependent on the Dame du Lac again…! Tell me that’s not true!” “………” “Master…I mean, Vivian, you’re no protector of humanity. Right now, you’re just a pathetic monster obsessed with controlling humans! You refuse to openly discuss the possibility of true salvation! When you disregarded that option, you became a beast! The enemy of humankind!” “Ha—” Vivian started to chuckle… “Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha…ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Her peals of laughter sounded like the warble of the maddened harbinger of calamity. “My… You’ve learned to speak your mind, Nimue,” Vivian observed coldly. Behind her, a pillar of water shot up toward the heavens. It crackled, freezing over, to morph into a mountain of ice. It was Vivian’s specialty—Water magic for fey. “Who would have guessed an airhead would be so proactive…? Back then, I revived you as a half-fey, half-human as a joke—when you were plagued by the immortal coil, reduced to a rag of a human on your deathbed… I’m glad I had you make that vow of silence… ‘To never say anything inconvenient to me in front of others.’ …Even a pawn requires a safety mechanism… Ha-ha-ha…” “Vivian…!” “Your mischief ends here! I imagine you know why I’m in front of you today—to punish an ungrateful traitor with death.” Her body started to radiate tremendous power. Nayuki’s mana couldn’t compare in sheer quantity, in density—in every other way. The handsome woman looked like a looming giant. This was Vivian, the leader of the Dame du Lac, the half-human, half-fey organization. She possessed the power of someone with one foot in the illusory world. “…Gh!” Nayuki released her mana, feeling almost despondent. With a magic chant, she transformed the cold front around them into an ice sword. Her powers were staggering. The other members in the Dame du Lac could never dream of outdoing her. However, her magic didn’t offer her any comfort against Vivian. They were in vastly different leagues. It wouldn’t even be a fair fight. But…if I survive here…if I have a chance at tomorrow…! A certain man of her affections flashed in Nayuki’s mind. She knew she would never get through to him. She knew he would never be hers. But she thought of the smile of the man she’d loved for over a thousand years… Nayuki prepared her ice sword. Vivian chuckled in a relaxed manner. “Oh, Nimue. Did you forget who taught you how to fight with a sword and use magic? Do you think you can win against me?” A menacing nature and enmity radiated from Vivian. Her illusion ballooned to several times her size, threatening to crush Nayuki. “To begin, the ‘Dame du Lac’ originally was a term referring to me. After all, the others were underlings I endowed with my power… You’re just an imitation—an inferior replica.” “…Ah…” Nayuki’s forehead beaded with sweat as Vivian’s force surged over her. She trembled, going weak in her knees. She realized she was going to die here. She was going to be killed. But I can’t lose… I don’t want to die yet…! Rintarou…I…I…! She tried to stop herself from trembling, launching herself off the ground, shrouded in a blizzard, and preparing her ice sword as she started to charge at Vivian. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” she screamed, as if to scold her timid heart. “Oh please.” Vivian chuckled again. “With your brave face, I thought you’d improved. Nimue, is this all you’ve got?” She smiled—cruelly. In the next moment, Vivian manipulated a torrent of water like a tsunami behind her. Its frostiness seemed to pierce through Nayuki, swirling around them. Several thousand ice spears shone above Vivian’s head. … The day after… “Okay, okay, okay! Let’s keep up the good work!” ““““Whoooo-hoooo!”””” During lunch at Camelot High, the classroom filled with the energetic cries of Luna and the acting student council members. “We’re going to continue with yesterday’s campaign activities—handing out flyers about my platform! I’m counting on affiliated students, too!” Luna was instructing them, fired up from the morning. “It helps that Kay and Emma draw the eye.” “Uh-huh! All the students take the flyers, hypnotized by their beauty! It’s very effective!” “Emma is cute, and Kay is cool, and they’re both popular with all genders!” “They’re an impenetrable battle formation, huh?” All gathered in the student council room (aka Luna’s flunkies) were lavishing Sir Kay and Emma with praise. “Ah…um… Luna? Why am I…?” “Let’s just get through this, Emma…” The costumes of the day were racy nurse and pit girl. There were so many grievances. Where would they even start? Felicia got up from her seat. “L-Luna! Do we really get five cents per flyer handed out?” “You got that right! High return! This is your chance to rake in some money!” “Th-thank you so much! We’re forever indebted to you!” “This is amazing, my King! I think we might be able to scrape by for dinner!” Poor Felicia and Sir Gawain were ecstatic, clasping hands in glee. “Yeah. The transfer student and new teacher have been raising the bar.” “I mean, they don’t have any shame! They’ll beg on their hands and knees for students to take a flyer… I would feel too bad to leave empty-handed…” “Uh-oh… I’m starting to tear up…” The student council members regarded Felicia and Sir Gawain with looks of pity. “Rintarou! Have you finished the article for Itsuki Amakawa’s smear campaign?! I want to circulate that with the flyers!” “You’re so bossy! I’m working on it right now…” Rintarou faced a computer, clacking away, as Luna planted her hands on his shoulders and peeked over at the monitor. Even though she was heavy, he let her stay there as he typed. “Oh? Looks pretty good. I shouldn’t have expected less, Rintarou! No lies in sight, just shuffling around the words to totally change the meaning of the sentences—making an upstanding citizen a despicable one! Ha-ha-ha! I love Japanese!” “Someday you’re gonna get what’s coming to you…” Rintarou sighed with dead eyes, as if he’d given up on life. He couldn’t resist her influence. “All right, let’s get moving! To our victory!” ““““To our victory!”””” “Is this some kind of cult? Idiots! All of you!” Rintarou screeched, head buried in his hands as the students remained in high spirits. They started to gather their belongings to begin their tasks for the day. “Oh, Luna,” he called out. “Something has been bothering me all morning.” “What?” “…Have you seen Nayuki?” “Hmm? Nah-you-key?” Luna tilted her head to the side. “Um… We haven’t seen her all morning. Is she out sick today?” Rintarou asked. He was going to bring it up earlier, but he’d been so consumed with work for the campaign that he kept missing his chance to ask her. “…Have you heard anything?” “Then…will you go on a date with me—the two of us? Just once…” “Yeah…see you tomorrow.” He didn’t think he would take back his response…but for some reason, he felt a pang of regret. Luna blinked at him. “Um… Uh… Rintarou? Who’s ‘Nayuki’?” “Haaaah…,” Rintarou sighed. Loudly. “Stop playing dumb. Have you heard from her or not?” “Um, like I said… Who is ‘Nayuki’?!” Luna raised her voice, which dampened the room’s excited vibe. “…Huh? Do you hear yourself? I’m talking about Nayuki Fuyuse. You know the one.” “Nah-you-key Foo-you-seh… Who is that? Can you stop joking around?” “…Hey. Cut it out. You’re starting to get on my nerves.” Something was wrong… Rintarou was starting to babble as if to ward off this uncanny feeling. “She’s your student council’s chief secretary! What? Don’t tell me you have dementia.” “The chief secretary?! We haven’t had a chief secretary since—wait, huh?” Luna stopped midway through her sentence, cocking her head to the side before turning to the members of the student council. “Uh, guys? …Who is the chief secretary again?” “Huh? Come to think of it…” “Luna is the president. I’m the vice president. Mihashi is the chief of general affairs. Rocky is chief of PR. Rinsha is chief of audits. Um, and then…” They started to rattle off their own positions… “The chief secretary…? Who is that?” “Hmm? Uh… Maybe the secretary is absent? Or maybe we never even had one?” “B-but there’s no way. You appointed all the positions when you got elected, President Luna…” “Hmm…?” Nayuki Fuyuse’s name never came up. There was an awkward silence. Rintarou didn’t get the slightest hint that they were trying to prank him. “Hey…Felicia. This is weird…” Rintarou was drenched in sweat as he turned to her. “Um…I’m sorry, Rintarou. I don’t know a ‘Nah-you-key Foo-you-seh.’” “What’s wrong, Rintarou? Did something happen to that girl?” Felicia and Sir Gawain were acting the same way. Starting to gather that something was wrong, Rintarou whipped over to Sir Kay and Emma. However, they apologetically shook their heads, signaling they were just as lost. “Hey, wait a sec…” He felt as though the ground were crumbling away under his feet and he was floating. Eventually, Luna decided they were wasting precious time. “Maybe I slipped up and never appointed anyone? It’s fine. I’ll take care of it when I’m reelected. Say, Rintarou, do you want to be the secretary?” “Fat chance! I mean, that’s not the problem here!” Rintarou shouted. “…What’s going on? This can’t be happening… Why have you completely forgotten about Nayuki…?! What’s up with you guys?!” “Why are you digging in your heels?! Is there something wrong with you?!” Rintarou felt chills as Luna glared at him. “…Why don’t you give me more details about this ‘Nayuki Fuyuse,’ Rintarou?” “Huh?” “It’s obviously a girl! You have the honor of serving the best lord in history and you’re cheating on me with some other girl? I-I’ll never forgive you!” “…” “Well, I guess we’re not dating! You’re free to be with anyone you please! I don’t care at all! But I’m your lord! Which means…you need to ask me for permission… Uuuugh!” Luna must have misunderstood something, because she was glaring at him with tears in her eyes. “—Gh!” Rintarou sprinted out of the student council room, ignoring her. “Rintarou?!” “W-wait! What in the world is going on with you?!” He heard her yell from behind. “Hey… What kind of sick joke is this…?!” In his haste, Rintarou parted the students walking down the hallway. “…Nayuki… What happened to you…?!” He wasn’t directing his question at anyone in particular. There was no one around to answer it anyway.
Chapter 51
31 min read