Volume 6: Prologue

Part 1

───[The World's Disposal Ground].

It was a place where negative powers from all over the world gathered and swirled around, and one of the "Evil" was humming there.

"Fufun♪, I wonder how I should kill them. Cutting them up is good, but burning them is also amusing… Oh, spraying poison on them sounds interesting too! What kind of screams will they make? I'm looking forward to it!"

One of the Evil talked about such cruel things with a childlike innocence.

His appearance was that of a young boy, with reddish-black hair and odd-eyes of red and blue.

Then, another Evil shimmered by and appeared right beside the young boy. This Evil was a young man with blue-black hair and gold eyes, with a somewhat unworldly appearance.

"──You're in a good mood, aren't you?"

"Hmm? Well, yeah. After all, I can finally kill those Holy, right? I'm so excited that I can't even sleep."

"…If you're that motivated, it'll make it easier for me to ask you."

"Eh? What is it? What's the request?"

The boyish Evil asked about the young man's statement with a somewhat pompous look, brimming with curiosity. The young man smiled at him.

"Be happy. This is your first job. Go and destroy the Regal Kingdom."

"Regal Kingdom?"

It was an unfamiliar name to the boy, and he tilted his head.

"Hmm… Come to think of it, I don't know anything about human countries. Ahahahahaha."

"Sigh… It's not a laughing matter. You should at least know their geography. If you don't, you won't even be able to go there for the task."

"Yeess. …So? What's the point of destroying that country?"

"The Sword Saint is there."

"!"

The boyish Evil's eyes widened at the young man's words.

"It seems that the Sword Saint is now in the Regal Kingdom. Besides, there will be many people gathering in the Regal Kingdom for the upcoming national celebration… how about it? Is this a suitable setting for you?"

"….."

The boyish Evil, who was listening to the young man's words with his face looking down at the ground, now raised his head.

There was───a malicious smile on his face.

"That's amaaaaziinnnggg! What is it? Are you going to give me the Sword Saint? Not only that, but you're even giving me the other humans in that place!"

"Yeah."

"You're not lying, right? If you lie to me, I'll kill you!"

"I'm not lying. What do you say? Will you do this favor for me?"

The boyish Evil nodded with a smile at these words.

"Of course, I will!"

"Phew… that's good. But the attack must be timed to occur during the Regal Kingdom's national festival. Do you understand?"

"You don't have to tell me! That's when many humans will gather, right? Rather, that's the only option! I like it! I like it! It's a slaughter party! I'll make it the best party ever!"

Actually, the boyish Evil was tempted to go for the killings right now, but he restrained himself as he decided to hold out until the time when he could kill a lot of human beings at once.

His excitement was still palpable, but he asked the other Evil about something that had been bothering him.

"But… why did you give this task to me? I thought you were going to kill the Sword Saint."

"Indeed, it is the Sword Saint who was the most likely candidate for killing the Fist Saint to whom I had lent my power to. But that doesn't mean that I have to kill the Sword Saint. I'm… no, it's fine as long as one of us can destroy the Sword Saint and all of humanity."

"Hmm… well, whatever. I'll let you guys think about the complicated stuff."

"We'd like you to use your head, too."

"That's difficult. I'm always trying to think of the most interesting way to kill. I don't have time to think about anything else!"

"…Oh well. Anyway, I'll leave you in charge of Regal Kingdom. We will prepare for the attack on the other countries."

"Okay. So, can I go now?"

"That's fine, but what are you going to do?"

"Eeh? To put on a nice show, of course♪."

"…Well, as long as they don't know you're there, you can do whatever you want."

"Yay! Then I'll be heading there as soon as possible, and then I'll set it up so I can kill all the humans."

The boyish Evil's mind was already focused on killing the people in the unknown place.

"Oh, yeah. Can I borrow some of the Fallen Saints?"

"Hmm? The Fallen Saints?"

"Yeah."

"…That's surprising. I thought you planned on doing this all by yourself…"

"Eeh? That's unexpected, right? You know what? Sometimes it's more fun to do things with several people, you know?"

"I see. Well then…"

The Evil with the appearance of a young man snapped his fingers and a crack in space appeared, and two people emerged from it.

One of them was a half-naked man, showing a slender yet well-trained body. He had short, dark blue hair and sharp eyes. He was carrying a long spear on his back taller than himself.

The other man wore a black costume which looked somewhat like a ninja from Earth. His mouth was covered with a black cloth as well, and his long green hair was pulled up into a single bun. His eyes, which had the same green, looked very cold-hearted. There were two grass-cutting sickles hanging from his waist.

The two men immediately knelt down before two Evils.

""────Did you call us?""

"Would these two suffice?"

"Yes. They seem to be… the Spear and Sickle Saint, right?"

"Yeah. Although their abilities have been reduced, they are still former Holy. I think it will be no problem."

The two new men who appeared were originally bearers of the Holy title that opposed the Evil. Now, they became the pawns of the Evil, and had come to be called the Fallen Saints.

The two "Fallen Saints" quietly bowed their heads, but they could not stop their bodies from trembling in the presence of the two "Evils" in front of them. The power of the two Evils were so great that they could feel the difference in their abilities.

When boyish Evil, who was aware of the two's trembling, looked at them and smiled wickedly, a new distortion in the place was suddenly created. It was a distortion of space that seemed to ooze darkness, but this distortion itself gradually took shape, and eventually, a single [Monster] was created.

The monster quietly opened its red eyes.

"Gugi, Gugyaa…"

"What?"

"T-that's…"

The two "Fallen Saints" took a precautionary stance facing such a monster. Then, when the monster caught sight of the boyish Evil, it attacked him. However, the boyish Evil, who was being attacked, simply looked at the monster with cold eyes.

"Sigh… This is why I hate newborns. They don't know the difference in ability, they don't fear death, and that's why they're not fun───What a nuisance."

"Gugyiii?"

When the boy's Evil waved away his hand carelessly, the monster was blown away and rolled on the ground haphazardly.

The Spear Saint, who was just staring at the scene in dismay, opened his mouth with a look of surprise.

"T-that monster…"

"Aah, you guys are seeing it for the first time, right? That's an Evil Beast… that is not a part of us."

"So, that's the Evil Beast…"

"That's right."

"Well, they're just the crystallization of our residue. They're not perfect, but they can be used if you train them. There are plenty of them out there, after all. They can be a good fighting force."

"….."

The two "Fallen Saints" could not say anything.

"Sure, they're nothing like us, but if you fight those things, even you might die. Ahahahahaha!"

The two "Fallen Saints" paled at the sight of the boyish Evil's innocent laughter.

The reason for this was because they were now aware that the Evil possessed a large number of these creatures that would probably kill them if they had fought.

No matter how they looked at it, they couldn't imagine the Holy defeating the Evil.

"But you have to go a little easier on it. Or else it will become useless."

"Eeh? Why don't you just heal it?"

"I'd rather kill it than to go through such trouble. But it's also troublesome to kill it. Therefore, I'd just leave it."

"Ahahahahahaha! Y-you're terrible!"

"There are plenty of them out there, afterall."

The boyish Evil, who laughed for a while, told the young man, who was still smiling.

"Then I'll be off for a while. And while I'm at it, could I take a few of those Evil Beasts with me to use as well?"

"Yeah, do what you want. I have high expectations."

"Yes, yes, yes. …Oh hey, you two, what's with your lackluster response…? I'm gonna kill you if you keep that up."

"Oh! I-I'm sorry…"

The boyish Evil threatened the two Fallen Saints, who were still dumbfounded, and left the place. The young man who saw them off also left for his own business.

Only the Evil Beast that was blown away earlier was left behind.

"Guga, Gugyii…"

The Evil Beast was no longer breathing and looked like it was about to die.

But──.

"Gii!? Giii───."

Suddenly, something that looked like a magic circle unfolded underneath the body of the dying Evil Beast, and the magic circle shone violently.

The Evil Beast desperately tried to escape the magic circle, but its body could not move as it wished, and its body became entangled in the magic circle's light. And when the light subsided… the figure of the Evil Beast was no longer there.

Part 2

Meanwhile, at the same time that Evil was taking action, a secret experiment was being conducted in the Regal Kingdom, in the basement of the castle that Lexia and Luna had visited the other day.

A group of people in black robes surrounded a large magic circle were in discussion, each holding a book in their hands.

The people in robes were sorcerers of the Regal Kingdom.

"───How are things going?"

"! Your Majesty."

Then, Orghis, the king of the Regal Kingdom, came down the stairs with a woman in an elegant dress.

The woman was about the same age as Yuuya, with long blond hair curled vertically. Her golden eyes carried a mixture of flamboyance and elegance. The woman, with her strong-willed eyes downcast, was standing behind Orghis.

Then one of the robed men opened his mouth.

"Everything is going well. Although I had never imagined that such magic existed…"

"That's only natural───since it summons heroes and saints from other worlds."

The words spoken from Orghis's mouth would not have been missed if Yuuya had been present.

Orghis then took a book from a nearby sorcerer and gave it a quick look over.

"A long time ago… in the world of fairy tales where the recently rumored legendary dragons made an appearance, there was another existence in this folklore. This was the only person who reached the level of god──the Sage. The Sage was said to have created magic based on his experience of wandering into another world once.

"Yes. The Sage recognized the existence of another world and created magic to travel there again. And we've obtained some of his research materials."

"Hmm. And the application of that research is this magic circle…"

Orghis said and gazed at the huge magic circle drawn in front of him.

For a time, many adventurers traveled the world searching for the lost research of the Sage scattered throughout the world, and the many countries fought each other for possession of the knowledge. As time went on, the countries signed a treaty to stop wars to fight over Sage's literature, and it was forbidden for adventurers to seek them out.

However, the pieces that had already been acquired were treated as the treasures of each country. The countries that possessed them were encouraged to study them.

However, the Sage's magic was too powerful for ordinary people to control.

Moreover, the effects of some of them are unknown until they are activated, and some of them are dangerous.

"In the story, it was said that in that other world was developed by an unknown technology that we do not know about, and it was very prosperous."

"Are we so cornered that we have to rely on this unknown technology?"

"…Yes."

One of the sorcerers nodded gravely at Orghis' words.

Orghis also lowered his eyes with a bitter look on his face, but his eyes had a look of determination.

"…But, if we don't do this… we will be destroyed by the Evil. We have no choice but to do this."

"….."

"As Sword Saint-dono is here, there's nothing to worry about, but in many places… the Holy, which were supposed to oppose the Evil, had disappeared. This means that it's possible that they've been defeated by the Evil, or perhaps…"

Orghis frowned as he imagined the worst-case scenario.

From the Sword Saint that he had welcomed to the Kingdom, Orghis had heard about the return of the Evil as well as the disappearances of an increasing number of the Holy.

Of course, the Sword Saint knew that many of the Holy had fallen to the Evil, but it was not disclosed to Orghis because the Sword Saint was aware that it was the Holy's role to fight against the Evil.

After letting out a big sigh, Orghis called out to the woman who was standing behind him.

"…Layla."

The woman called Layla is Orghis' daughter and the first princess of this Regal Kingdom. With her good looks, high intelligence, and strong personality, she is adored by the people. Just like Lexia in the Alceria Kingdom, she is very popular.

Layla responded to Orghis' call elegantly.

"Yes, father."

"We will probably be condemned by the whole world when we perform this summoning… We are trying to bring people from other worlds to help us solve our problems. It's no different from a kidnapping. Of course, by bringing them in, we intend to entertain them with the whole country. If a hero is summoned, we will give him all kinds of beautiful women. And… you may have to be offered as well."

"…I understand."

Layla understood the importance of the magic that was performed here and the cruelty of it. If the summoning fails, there will be no future for the human race in this world, and if it succeeds, people from other worlds will be asked to fight for them.

Either way, there was no choice.

The reason why they still put their faith in this gamble was that no one in this world could fight against the Evil anymore, and they couldn't just sit back and let themselves perish.

The only way for humanity to survive and escape from the hands of Evil was to rely on a new power, even if it meant sacrificing another. Even if they had to commit the great sin of kidnapping a hero from another world and having the whole world be their enemy, they had to do it in order for humanity to continue to live in a world overflowing with positive power.

And Layla had an even more important responsibility.

Originally, the Regal Kingdom was known as the world's leading nation in magic, with its active research in magic. As such, it had succeeded in reproducing some of the Sage's magic, albeit to a limited extent.

And the royal family, who are the leaders of this magic superpower, inherited a high amount of magic power from generation to generation, and Layla, who was said to have the highest amount of magic power, was necessary to activate this magic.

"…This magic can only be activated by you, the most powerful magician in this country. For such a heavy responsibility to be placed on you──."

"Father. I'm fine. So please, don't worry."

Layla smiled gracefully while remaining dignified.

Not only Orghis, but the sorcerers who were working nearby as well, could not say anything. Layla's determined smile was very powerful and beautiful.

In response to that smile, Orghis was taken aback for a while but eventually responded with a bitter smile.

"Sigh… Really… You are a strong girl. This makes me pity the man who will take you as his wife."

"Of course. It's only natural that the man who marries me should be a strong man. That's why the man who is summoned… has to be as strong as a hero…"

"Then, there's no way you're going to find a marriage partner in this world… No, come to think of it…"

"Father?"

Suddenly, Orghis remembered something, and Layla tilted her head.

"No, during the meeting with the princess of the Alceria Kingdom the other day… I can hardly believe it, but… it seems that there is a person who is followed by the legendary dragon."

"Wha!? I-is that true?"

"Looking at Princess Lexia's reaction, I don't think it's a lie… but it's hard to believe that the legendary dragon exists in the first place. However, the earthquake that shook the earth during that time was unusual. Some folklore says that it was originally sleeping in a valley said to be near the Alceria Kingdom. It is said that the dragon had awakened and was tamed by a man."

"N-no way… So, what is the name of that man?"

"Yes. I believe he was called Yuuya…"

"…That name sounds quite unfamiliar."

"Yes. I've never heard of that name around here either. It's not a common name in the Alceria Kingdom either, so he must be someone from another country. However, it is said that this person is the fiancée of Princess Lexia. But I don't know if this is true or not."

"Sigh…"

"But if there were such a man, he would be a suitable husband for you, and more importantly, we could count on him in the fight against the Evil."

Layla, who had been listening to Orghis, shook her head.

"Father. Certainly, if such a man existed, I would gladly give myself to him. But this is impossible."

"What?"

"In the first place, the legendary dragon is said to have been defeated by the Sage in the Sage's mythology, isn't it? I doubt it even existed."

"That's… but based on Sage's research materials, he created magic as such. Perhaps the legendary dragon also existed?"

"That's exactly the reason. This means that the story of the Sage who defeated the rampaging legendary dragon in the fairy tale is also true, right?"

"…I guess that's true too."

"Sure, the earthquake and the roar were unusual, but I don't think it was because of the legendary dragon. A legend is still just a legend. So I think it's probably an Ancient Dragon."

"I see. But even if it is an Ancient Dragon, just the thought of having one around is a threat."

"That's true… but according to what father said earlier, isn't that man already engaged to Princess Lexia?"

"Umu. That's what Princess Lexia said… but judging from the reaction of the girl who was escorting her, it's doubtful that they are really engaged. Most importantly, when the princess of the Alceria Kingdom becomes engaged, there should be a big announcement."

"That's… I guess that's true."

"He's a mysterious person. But at the national festival, he's going to have a match with the Sword Saint. We should be able to evaluate him there."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Yes. Let's enjoy the national festival to our heart's content."

"Yes. After that, we'll perform this magic───."

In the Regal Kingdom, a great plan was being implemented based on a strong conviction.

Part 3

The story is once again set on the Earth's "Ousei Academy."

"Phew… I really studied hard today!"

"Well, studying is what students are supposed to do anyway."

The classes were over for the day, and Kaede stretched in an exaggerated manner. Looking at her friend, Rin laughed in amusement.

"Uuh… yes, I know that… but for me, it's always better to be moving around…"

"But the test is just around the corner. If you get a failing grade, you won't be able to participate in club activities, will you?"

"Noo! I don't want to hear about the test!"

Rin laughed again at Kaede, who was covering her ears and shaking her head.

"Geez… I'll have to look after you more."

"T-thank you very much for your help…"

Kaede, who had always relied on Rin to help her study when a test was approaching, bowed her head honestly.

"Yes, yes… By the way, is it okay if you don't go to your club activity?"

"Ah, yes! I've got the day off. So I can play as much as I want!"

"Isn't this when you should go home and study?"

"R-Rin-chan, you're so mean!"

Kaede shivered at Rin's teasing words.

Then Rin spotted Yukine, who was about to leave the classroom.

"Oh, are you going home too, Yukine?"

"Oh, Yukine-chan, if you're going too, let's go home together!"

Yukine was surprised for a moment but then shook her head.

"…I have a club activity today."

"Eh?"

"Oh, you're in a club now, Yukine?"

The two of them widened their eyes as they realized that Yukine was participating in a club activity for the first time.

"Yukine-chan, weren't you in the going home club before?"

"…Yes. But I recently found a club activity that looked interesting, so I joined it."

"Really? What club is it?"

"Occult Research Club."

""Occult Research Club?""

Both Kaede and Rin were surprised by the unexpected club.

"I-I really thought it would be the light music club or something…"

"No, Kaede. That sounded like she's a member of a band or something, but isn't that a bit prejudiced?"

"I-I wonder?"

"…Well, I didn't know there was an occult research club."

Yukine tilted her head curiously at the two's reaction.

"What? …Is it really that strange? The occult is interesting, you know?"

"R-really?"

"What is it about it, by the way?"

"…It's a place where you can study phenomena that don't exist in real life?"

"I-I see."

Then Yukine suddenly thought of something and approached the two girls.

"…Since you're free, would you like to come to visit?"

"Eh?"

"…Actually, we don't have many members, and even though I joined the club, it's about to be closed down. So we need new members."

"N-no… I'm already a member of the track and field club…"

"Hmm… I think it's interesting."

"Eh, Rin-chan?"

Kaede rolled her eyes at Rin's reaction.

"Well, I'll give it a try!"

"…That reasoning is acceptable. Why don't you just visit once and see for yourself? I got some interesting literature just today."

"Really? I'm curious."

"Ugh…"

"Hmm? Are you scared, Kaede…?"

"O-of course I am! The occult is about ghosts and devils, right?"

"…Yes."

"See! How can you not be scared?"

Rin, feeling a bit mischievous at Kaede's frightened appearance, told her with a smile.

"Well, that's okay! Just listen to me today!"

"Eh, Rin-chan?"

"…Hmm. Then I will guide you," said Yukine.

"Wait, wait, wait! I didn't say I was coming──."

"Hmm? For the test, I will be accompanying Kaede in her studies, so you can accompany me to the club, can't you? You see, the test is coming up soon, right?"

"Ugh!"

Kaede groaned in pain when she was struck there.

"Now, let's go!"

"…Yeah. This way."

"Uuh! Rin-chan is really a demon!"

Kaede was half crying, but she followed behind Rin and Yukine.

＊＊＊

Kaede and the others arrived at one of the empty classrooms in a place they don't usually frequent.

"…This is the Occult Research Club's clubroom."

"Ugh… the atmosphere feels a bit gloomy…"

"You're just worrying too much about that, you know?"

"I wonder…"

Despite the hesitation between the two, Yukine opened the door to the classroom.

"…Please come in."

When they entered, there was a space with a different atmosphere, with straw dolls, insect specimens, and a large pot filled with a strange colored liquid. There were also books on the desk, some written in Japanese but also others written in various other languages.

Rin looked around the room with admiration, as the atmosphere of the club room was more organized than she had expected.

"Hee… it's better than I expected."

"Ri-Ri-Ri-Rin-chan!?"

"Kaede, are you afraid…?"

Because of fear, Kaede grabbed the hem of Rin's clothes and shivered, but Rin couldn't help but laugh.

"By the way, what are you going to do today?" Rin asked Yukine.

"…This."

In response to Rin's question, Yukine took out a book from her bag and showed it to Rin.

"What's that?"

"…I found it in my favorite secondhand bookstore. It's a book about devil summoning."

"De-de-devil summoning?"

"Hee, that sounds very occult."

Rin laughed brightly at Kaede, who was about to faint. Yukine opened the book and explained while looking through it.

"…I bought this, did some research at home, and bought some materials today, so I'm going actually to draw a magic circle."

"Y-you're going to draw it?"

"Hmm? Well, it seemed that there were no senpai or other members of the club around. Is it okay to do that without permission?"

"…It's fine. There are only a few of us, to begin with, but each of us can research any field that interests us. My interest is in devils and stuff like that."

"I see."

Yukine moved her desk to the edge of the classroom and laid a large piece of paper on the empty floor. She then drew a magic circle on the paper with a red magic marker, referring to the book on devil summoning she had picked up from the secondhand bookstore.

"I thought you were going to use some kind of blood to draw the magic circle, but it's just with the magic marker?" said Rin.

"B-b-b-b-blood!?"

"…I think it's… not a problem."

"That's very appropriate…"

"…Because it doesn't really have to be followed exactly."

"The world is tough, after all."

In Yukine's words, Rin shrugged her shoulders. Kaede was so shocked at the idea of using blood to draw magic circles that she stopped thinking.

In the meantime, Yukine finally finished drawing the magic circle.

"…It's done."

"Let me see… well, I have no idea what's drawn here, though."

"I-i-i-it is really okay, isn't it?"

"It's okay. You just need to calm down…"

"…Anyway, once we have this magic circle, all we have to do is read the spell on it."

"That's pretty simple, huh?"

"…Devils need to be summoned by humans to come to this world. So the simpler the process, the easier it is for them to be summoned by humans."

"Hee? Is that so?"

"…I think it is."

"You're just assuming that…"

Rin was involuntarily taken aback by Yukine's confident assertion. However, Yukine didn't seem to be particularly bothered by this, and stood in front of the magic circle and began to read the spell in the book.

"───"

Even Kaede, who had been scared before, looked at Yukine as she read the spell in a serious expression.

And then───.

"────!"

And then she opened her eyes and read the spell out loud.

"….."

"….."

No change occurred in the magic circle. Yukine closed the book quietly and nodded her head once.

"…Well, I guess I can't summon it, can I?"

"Eeeeehhhhhh!"

"…You're so honest, aren't you?"

Kaede and Rin were amazed and dumbfounded by the fact that Yukine was so straightforward.

"…This kind of thing is good because it's unknown. It's not so romantic when you can figure it out."

"T-then, what's the point of researching it…?"

"…Anyway, I failed this time. But it was fun, and I enjoyed the atmosphere, so it's okay. I didn't bring any other books to try, so that's it for today's experiment."

"Huh. It ended so quickly. Is today's club activity over then?"

"…Yeah."

"Well, since we're here, why don't the three of us hang out and then go home?"

"…Okay."

Rin decided to make plans for the rest of the day, and the three of them decided to go out together, and Kaede was finally able to relax.

But───.

"Yu-Yukine-chan, Rin-chan…"

"Hmm?"

"What's up?"

"T-that's…!"

Kaede, who seemed to have noticed something, pointed in that direction shakily. Rin and Yukine also looked in the direction of the finger pointing.

""Eh?""

To their surprise, the magic circle drawn with a red magic marker had begun to emit a mysterious light.

"W-what's going on here?"

"…Amazing. This book is real…"

"That's not the point!"

"I-it's bad, Rin-chan, Yukine-chan! The light is getting more intense!"

Kaede started to panic more than before, but even Rin did not expect this situation and started to panic.

"Yu-Yukine! What kind of devil did you say you were summoning?"

"…I don't know. But I drew a magic circle that can summon the most powerful devil in the book."

"I knew it…"

Rin's cheeks twitched at Yukine's response.

If what Yukine says is true, then the devil that is about to be summoned is a powerful being. Even the mere idea of a devil being summoned is a serious matter, but when it's a powerful devil, it's a disaster.

However, ignoring the three of them, the light of the magic circle increased, and finally, the entire classroom was filled with light.

"Ugh!"

"It's so bright…!"

"…I wonder what will appear."

"You have to be more serious, Yukine!"

When the light finally subsided, Kaede and the others fearfully opened their eyes.

"…T-that…?"

"That is…"

"…It's strange. There's nothing there!"

There was nothing, not even a devil-like figure, in the magic circle where the light had settled.

"Yukine. Can we see the devil properly?"

"…We should be."

"Ah, Yukine-chan?"

Yukine nodded at Rin's words and approached the magic circle in question without hesitation. And she tried to touch the magic circle and lifted the paper on which the magic circle was drawn, but no changes occurred.

"…Yes. It glowed that much, but it seems to have failed. Too bad."

"W-what do you mean by too bad…?"

"Well, I was surprised when the light came out of nowhere, but I guess I can understand the disappointment."

It's a shame that Yukine's experiment failed, considering that they might be able to meet an unknown being, even if the word "devil" conjured up fear. For a few more moments, Yukine reread the book and checked the magic circle she had drawn, but she could not confirm the devil's existence, so she finished cleaning up and left the club room this time.

"I was afraid of what would happen, but this was a unique experience."

"I was really scared, though…"

"I'm sorry! I'll buy you an ice cream or something now."

"Ugh… Then I will forgive you."

"Sorry… you had to wait."

"No, I didn't mind waiting. Let's go."

The three of them had already forgotten what had just happened and were discussing their plans to have fun. At that moment, Yukine felt a vague sense of discomfort that she couldn't put into words and looked around.

"…..?"

"What's wrong?"

"…No, it's nothing."

No one noticed that there was something wrong with──Yukine's shadow and that her eyes were red. Thus, various incidents were occurring in three different places at the same time.