NOVPUBKagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who disembarked at the next stop, hurried back to school on foot, and of course, they were late.
Fortunately, the teacher on duty that day was Teacher Yamazaki, whom they had become accustomed to during the Sword Dao competition. He didn't give them too hard a time and let them into school after a few words of admonishment, even sparing them the need to be listed on the absentee record.
Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian parted ways in the stairwell, as their classrooms were on different floors.
When Kagura Hikaru slid open the rear door to enter the classroom, he saw a short-statured girl standing next to the podium, standing on tiptoes with her back turned as she wrote her name on the blackboard.
On seeing him enter, the teacher on the podium just glared at him. Kagura Hikaru got the hint, promptly shut the door, sat down quietly, and began to take out his textbooks from his backpack.
Meanwhile, the girl beside the podium finished writing her name, turned around, and Kagura Hikaru, putting his textbook down, looked up to see the eyes of the girl who just happened to look his way.
He was immediately stunned, his brain paused for half a second before it began to race, spiraling into immense confusion.
Because the girl standing next to the podium had a face very similar to Komori Ai's...
No, that was absolutely her!
With her delicate and cute appearance resembling a full-sized doll, her black hair highlighted with strands of pink stood out especially. She wore a decorative black choker around her neck and an oversized school uniform that didn't fit her properly. She had taken off her jacket and tied it around her waist, and deliberately rolled up her skirt above her knees.
"Yoohoo! I'm Komori Ai, just came from the countryside, please be good to me, Mina~"
Komori Ai, speaking with a strange accent and adorably on tiptoes, raised her right hand high and grinned as she said this.
"Ah, so cute!!"
"Is Ai-chan a grade skipper? How old are you this year!"
"Woohoo, my heart's been shot!" 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
"Darn, my solo pick changed again, sorry, President Ayakoji...!"
The high school students in the classroom, both boys and girls, were as though struck by a beauty bomb, a scene of total chaos.
In a corner, Kagura Hikaru quietly covered his face with his hand.
What on earth was she thinking!!
"Thank you very much, Mina! Grandma was right, people from Tokyo are truly kind," Komori Ai pretended to wipe tears, acting fragile, pitiful, and helpless.
Unaware of her inherently chaotic nature, the youngsters shouted "Ai-chan is cute, nye!" and happily welcomed the new transfer student.
Yes, transfer student.
"Cough cough, as everyone can see, from now on Komori Ai will be a fellow classmate."
The teacher's gaze moved through the room and then seemed to be caught, as if by something dirty, stuck on a seat near the classroom's back door. Pointing at a boy sitting in a corner, they said, "Kurosaki-kun, you and Komori Ai will switch seats."
"Eh? Me?"
Kagura Hikaru's deskmate was astonished, pointing at himself.
He was sitting peacefully, why did he need to move?
"Yes, you, move to the empty seat over there," said the teacher with a wave of their hand, seemingly having made a final decision.
The boy, clearly puzzled, nonetheless followed the teacher's instruction, got up, and moved his stuff to a new spot.
Komori Ai, on the other hand, hopped and skipped over to the corner with her backpack on her shoulder. She flashed a smile at Kagura Hikaru and sat next to him, playfully bumping her thigh against his under the desk.
Seeing her triumphant look, Kagura Hikaru raised an eyebrow.
This little demon had just managed to loosen his tongue that morning, and here she was causing a scene.
But it wasn't wrong, after all. Moving forward, Komori Ai had to solidify her role as his "little sister," and staying home without attending school wouldn't pass for normal.
Seeing that Kagura Hikaru didn't show any signs of reproach but simply turned his head away impassively, Komori Ai smiled even more smugly, like a fox that had stolen a chicken. She kept shaking her leg against Kagura Hikaru's until he grew irritable and gave her a stern look, at which point she finally settled down.
Their little antics were clearly observed by the classmates next to them, who showed curiosity. Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, who had been paying attention to them since Komori Ai sat down, had their expressions change and emotions churn differently in their eyes.
Who's this kitten? Pretty cute, kill.
Stealing my man, kill.
Simple yet explosive murderous intentions focused on Komori Ai. She didn't seem to mind, boredly propping her chin up to watch the blackboard. Kagura Hikaru sitting next to her, however, became an accidental casualty, getting sliced up and down by angry glares until it felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, shifting uncomfortably in his seat several times.
Eventually, it was a relief to reach the end of class. Then Kagura Hikaru saw both girls stand up swiftly and stride towards him, bursting with fury. In that moment, he felt as though he could see "Ora Ora" and "Muda Muda" written behind them.
So cocky, so fierce! So damn domineering!!
Seeing a new enemy, an adversary, the expressions on both girls' faces were extremely vicious at this moment!
It was not fear, nor was it jealousy. With Komori Ai's looks, at best, she was on par with them, and certainly not enough to make such prodigies feel ashamed and self-degrading.
What really made them feel as though they had been slapped across the face, as if their spring pouch had been brutally kicked, was Kagura Hikaru's attitude!
He didn't reject her.
He didn't refuse her!
You guys, damn it, what the hell are you flirting with! Such alluring crap!
Anger, wildness, insanity, resentment, urgency... Hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry hurry.
At this moment, Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko were completely overwhelmed!
It wasn't until Kagura Hikaru stood up and gestured, "Let me introduce her, this is my closest 'sister'."
The resentment melted away like ice and snow.
The two girls revealed warm, slight smiles.
"So that's how it is. But how come we've never seen her before?"
"She was studying back in her hometown; I've only just brought her back."
"Oh, sorry, I introduced myself late. Little sister Komori, I'm Kiryu Hina, just call me Hina older sister."
"I'm Ayakoji Chiyoko, just call me Chiyoko directly."
"Hehe, hehehe, hello two older sisters, the young lady here is honored, hehe."
Kagura Hikaru watched the two high school girls who were just moments ago at daggers drawn, now conversing naturally and amiably with Komori Ai as if he had forgotten the fleeting encounter with her in Sendai, and he didn't even mention the difference in surname between Komori Ai and Kagura Hikaru.
This is a 'lie', this is a special ability that transcends ordinary humans, a method unique to Komori Ai for integrating into society.
A lie requires countless other lies to perfect.
Kagura Hikaru taking the initiative opened the way for her, and naturally, Komori Ai's ability would spread to everyone around him, until she flawlessly played the role of 'Kagura Hikaru's sister' to the end.
And this was exactly what Kagura Hikaru hoped for.
He had always wished that Komori Ai could have a normal life, not trapped in his shadow, visible only to him.
It was too lonely, and... too dangerous.
If he were to die, Komori Ai would once again be alone. What would she become then?
Kagura Hikaru instinctively wanted to prevent that uncertain future, so he shamelessly slapped a collar and chains on Komori Ai, using her trust to bind her to himself, to continue even after death.
He didn't tell Komori Ai about the prophecy of death.
Komori Ai still wholeheartedly believed that they could become a family and live happily ever after.
But that was impossible.
Watching the three girls chatting happily in front of him, Kagura Hikaru's eyes were gloomy and unclear.
Time passed slowly in their precious daily life.
A week later, Kagura Hikaru collapsed while running in PE class, losing consciousness for a whole ten minutes.
Even though he insisted he was fine, no one believed him.
The school urgently notified his parents, and he was subsequently taken to the hospital for an examination, but nothing was found.
The moment he stepped out of the hospital after the check-up, Kagura Hikaru knew his days were numbered.
Because the seventh maximum level skill finally emerged.
A new power was born.
It was no exception, unstoppable.
Within just one hour, it had ground Kagura Hikaru's psyche to the edge of collapse in the worst possible way.
