Chapter 3: United Front
“Ugh…”
It was a short while after my dazzling victory through some clever cheating in the early morning duel. Following the navigation on my map app, I was on my way to Eimei Academy when I stumbled upon a scene that made me grimace.
In front of the school gates, there was a slightly open space where a group of people—clearly not wearing Eimei uniforms—had gathered. There were about seven of them, all girls. Their striking, glamorous presence seemed to draw the attention of passing students, who stopped one after another to watch.
And at the center of it all, arms crossed, stood a red-haired girl whose face was all too familiar.
“…You finally showed up.”
Akabane Rina—or rather, Saionji Sarasa. Just half a day ago, due to a misunderstanding and some crossed wires, this former Seven-Star Empress had confessed an outrageous lie to me.
For consistency’s sake (and to avoid any slip-ups), I’ll stick to calling her Saionji. She raised a hand to quiet her entourage and approached me with deliberate, audible steps. Stopping about two meters away, she flashed a sarcastic smile before speaking.
“Good morning, Shinohara. Did you sleep well last night?”
“…? Oh, uh, I think I got about the usual amount of sleep… What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Oh, nothing at all? I’m not expecting any apologies from you for the fact that I was so frustrated about losing to you that I couldn’t sleep a wink, or anything like that.”
From the moment we met, Saionji made no effort to hide her foul mood. …Still, despite her prickly attitude, her tone was clearly switched to “ojou-sama mode.” Unlike yesterday, she was maintaining her composure while initiating this conversation.
I couldn’t quite read her deeper intentions, but for now, I decided to play along.
“Ha… As if I care. You lost because you were weaker than me, plain and simple. Why would I need to apologize for that? Should I say, ‘Sorry for being more talented than you’?”
“Y-You…! Looks like you’re getting cocky again. You’ll regret those words.”
“Oh? Well, barking about things you can’t even do is the privilege of the weak, isn’t it?”
“We’ll see about that. My creed is ‘actions speak louder than words.’ Don’t lump me in with a one-hit wonder like you.”
“What a coincidence. I don’t want to be lumped in with you either.”
“…Tch.”
Hey, this fake ojou-sama just clicked her tongue at me… What a hypocrite, starting the provocation herself and then acting like that.
From the murmurs I could pick up, most of the onlookers watching our exchange seemed to be motivated by mere curiosity. In reality, “rivalry” was the most accurate way to describe my relationship with Saionji, and so far, no one seemed to doubt that.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Saionji brushed her lavish hair back with a practiced gesture.
“Hmph… Well, whatever. I only came today to assert that ‘I haven’t given up yet,’ so this conversation is over.”
“Hm? Oh, is that so?”
I replied with a tone that sounded slightly let down. And then, in that moment when I let my guard down, Saionji—who had been standing with her arms crossed—shifted her ruby eyes for just a split second. She glanced at my uniform, as if checking something, and then—
“Honestly, how sloppy.”
Without letting her displeased expression falter, she closed the distance between us even more. A ripple of shock ran through the onlookers as she continued in a voice loud enough for them to hear.
“Your tie is crooked. …Hey, could you not devalue the worth of a Seven-Star? I plan to take it back soon, after all.”
With a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, she reached for my chest and deftly adjusted my tie. At the same time, a soft, pleasant fragrance tickled my nose. …Given how we first met, I couldn’t help but feel defensive, but seeing her like this, she really was incredibly cute—
“…Hmm, maybe I should just strangle you with this…”
“Hey.”
Never mind. She’s not cute at all (except for her face). If I ever felt my heart race around her, it wouldn’t be love—it’d be fear. A psychological alarm.
After fixing my tie, she stepped back with a mischievous glint in her eye and said, “Well, see you later. I’ll be secretly looking forward to seeing if you can set a new record for the shortest Seven-Star downfall.”
Having piled on the taunts until the very end, she finally seemed satisfied and turned her back to me without so much as a glance. Her entourage followed suit—after glaring at me fiercely—and chased after her as she headed toward District Three.
Left alone, I let out a cool, dramatic sigh for show, but as I casually lowered my gaze, I suddenly noticed something.
(There’s paper in my breast pocket…? Did Saionji slip it in just now?)
It was a piece of paper, folded four times. The edges were slightly crumpled, probably because it had been forced in. …Ah, I see. The whole thing about my tie being crooked was just an excuse to plant this. True, both of us attract way too much attention. Given that we don’t have each other’s contact info, this was probably the only way she could reach out.
When I checked it later, the note contained coordinates along with this message:
“Come to this location after school, making sure no one sees you. Got it? No tardiness allowed!”
#
“ Yes! Yes, everyone, listen up! I know you’re excited about the grade promotion and class changes, but there’s something important I need to talk about too! Pay attention! Look at the teacher~!”
…A particularly loud voice cut through the noisy classroom, which refused to quiet down.
As silence gradually spread through the room, I stood alone in the hallway, pressing my right hand to my chest and taking slow, deep breaths.
Right after my back-and-forth with Saionji, I had rushed to school only to be greeted by the opening ceremony at the start of the new school year. That had ended in about thirty minutes, and since there were no classes today, all that was left was homeroom.
That was a relief in itself, but for me, this was where the real challenge began.
(Phew… Get it together, me. There are over thirty students in this classroom right now. And these are probably the people I’ll be interacting with the most from now on. …Which means there’s a chance my little ‘lie’ could be exposed at any moment.)
Due to the system where the total number of stars held by students affects the school’s ranking, duels between students from the same academy were generally avoided. But my lie wasn’t just a problem during duels. I needed to stay on guard at all times to avoid slipping up.
“—Okay! It’s quiet now. Thank you! I’m so happy to be the homeroom teacher of this excellent Class A. Let’s work hard together from now on… Oh! Wait, no! Right, the important stuff! So, today, I want to introduce a transfer student to everyone!”
“….”
“Huh? You all already know? U… Well, of course you do! But I’m the homeroom teacher for this class, so it’s my job to introduce him! And so—come on in!”
A cheerful voice called out from beyond the door, and I extended my right hand forward. Without hesitation, I slid the door open and walked toward the teacher’s desk, keeping my gaze steady.
Then, with a confident air, I turned to face my classmates.
(Ugh… As expected, they’re all super curious.)
Without exception, all thirty of my classmates were staring at me. …But unlike yesterday or this morning, almost all of their gazes were positive. Respect, or maybe envy. The surreal excitement of having the island’s only Seven-Star in the same class.
Of course, all of it was based on a misunderstanding, but I accepted it calmly and opened my mouth.
“—Nice to meet you. Some of you might already know, but I’m the transfer student, Hiroto Shinohara. I only arrived on this island two days ago, so there’s a lot I’m still unfamiliar with. I’ll be counting on your help with everything.”
After delivering the prepared words, I lowered my gaze slightly in lieu of a bow. It might have come off as a little arrogant, but probably because many of them had heard about my declaration of war earlier, this much milder greeting was received fairly normally.
“Great. Thank you, Shinohara-kun.”
The one who spoke to me was the young female teacher who had been standing by the podium, smiling the whole time. With her chestnut short bob and soft waves, she had a somewhat college-student-like vibe. Turning to the students, she twirled her index finger and continued.
“And so, as you all probably guessed, the transfer student is none other than Shinohara Hiroto-kun. Shinohara-kun, if you have any troubles, don’t hesitate to ask for help, okay? And—oh! Everyone, don’t just be overwhelmed and say, ‘Wow, amazing!’ You need to use this as motivation too! Let’s all push each other to grow as Class A! Eii, eii, oh~!”
“‘Ooh—!’”
In response to the teacher’s rallying cry as she thrust her hand into the air, many—but not all—of the students followed suit with cheers. It wasn’t just for show, either—after all, this was Class 2-A. At Eimei Academy, where classes were divided based on the number of stars, this was the room where the most outstanding students of our grade gathered.
According to data Himeji had looked up for me, the current average star count for the class was 2.97.
Considering that nearly 60% of the island’s star distribution was made up of one-star and two-star students, reaching this number at the start of the second year was an astonishingly good result.
(So… in theory, every single person here is ‘above’ me.)
And yet, some of them were looking at me with sparkling eyes full of respect. Others wore complex expressions mixed with rivalry and curiosity.
“….”
To avoid the worst-case scenario where all of that turned into mockery, I steeled myself once more.
Despite the many unique aspects of Academy Island, the rest of homeroom proceeded in a fairly standard manner. There were brief announcements, distribution of schedules, and the typical self-introduction time that comes after class changes. …But then things got a little weird. As is common with transfer student events, someone suggested showing me around the school, which was fine. But for some reason, they decided to hold a mock duel tournament to choose my guide.
And get this—even our homeroom teacher joined in, along with every other classmate except me.
Watching this crazy spectacle for nearly an hour—while internally feeling a bit overwhelmed but maintaining a super-cool “Let’s see who’s worthy of guiding me” demeanor—the final matches finally concluded.
“—So, let me introduce myself again. I’m Tatara Kaede! I’m the class representative for Class A. So, Shinohara-kun, feel free to call me ‘Iinchou’… W-Wait, huh!? Now that I think about it, we haven’t even decided on this year’s representatives yet!? W-Well… for now, let’s just say I’m the prospective class rep, okay!”
“No, c’mon, the lineup hasn’t changed much, and anyway, you’re pretty much the only one who’d want the hassle of being class rep, Tatara-san. …Whatever. I’m Tsuji, Tsuji Yuki. People tend to mistake me for a girl if you use my first name, so I’d prefer if you called me by my last name.”
“Got it, I’ll remember.”
Walking down the hallway just outside the classroom, I committed the conversation between the two ahead of me to memory. According to Himeji, “You can look up info on lower-ranked people on your device,” so as a Seven-Star, it would be problematic if I didn’t know about my classmates.
So—one of them was Tatara Kaede, a lively girl with a cheerful impression. Energetic, bright, and with a smile that suited her cute face, she seemed like the type to wear her emotions on her sleeve. Every time she reacted with big gestures, her ponytail bounced behind her.
The other was Tsuji Yuki, a androgynously beautiful boy. He seemed aware of it himself, but with his delicate features, he could easily be mistaken for a girl if he weren’t wearing the boys’ uniform. He was also a bit shorter than Tatara, giving off a vibe that older people would probably like.
“Man, I’m really glad.”
With a genuinely happy gesture, Tatara clasped her hands behind her back and suddenly said this.
“I’ve been looking forward to showing you around all morning since I’m the class rep, Shinohara-kun. But then everyone tried to butt in and take over. I was so shocked!”
“No, no, it’s not like they were trying to steal it or anything. You’re the talk of the island—the transfer student who took down Saionji Sarasa on his first day. The Empress who was said to be undefeated until graduation. It’d be weird if people weren’t interested.”
“? Really? Maybe so. …Oh, does that mean I did something bad to everyone?”
“Why are you getting down about that? It’s fine. You won, after all. If anything, we have an obligation to live up to your expectations, Shinohara-kun.”
“…Yeah, you’re right. Okay—then, Shinohara-kun, if you have any questions, we’ll answer anything!”
Saying this with full confidence, Tatara placed a hand on her ample chest. I looked back at both of their faces—without letting my gaze drift downward, of course—and gave a small nod.
“Sure. In that case… can I ask something pretty fundamental?”
“Fundamental… Got it! Um, Shinohara-kun, actually, this galaxy started out really, really small. But then, boom! It exploded! That’s what they call the Big Bang—”
“Stop. Tatara-san, stop. If you start with the beginning of cosmic history, we’ll be here for days. …Hey, Shinohara-kun, when you say ‘fundamental,’ do you mean like an overview of the whole academy, not just a tour of the school?”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean.”
I answered succinctly. Tsuji looked up at the ceiling as if recalling something and said,
“Hmm, right. Then let’s start with the basics of basics. Private Eimei Academy is located in District Four of Academy Island. It has everything from elementary to university level, with a total student population of about twenty thousand. Just the high school division alone has nearly nine thousand students. It’s known for having a strong elite focus, and in recent years, it’s consistently ranked within the top five schools. Even without any bias, I’d say it’s quite a prestigious institution.”
“Huh… So, are there any unique features specific to this place?”
“Well, I’d say the biggest thing is that the principal encourages duels within the school. Of course, they’re just mock ones that require approval, but at Eimei, it’s normal to settle even small decisions with a duel. People use them to test new abilities or refine the rules… It’s all about constantly honing your skills, you know?”
“Exactly! That’s how it is! Like, the cafeteria at lunch is amazing…? If you can’t win a duel, you can’t even get in line, and to buy the most popular yakisoba bread, you have to win a multi-person duel designed by the lunch lady!”
“…Huh.”
I nodded as if I understood, but inwardly, my cheek twitched. Seriously? Starting tomorrow, I might need to bring my own lunch if I don’t want to go hungry.
Anyway, while listening to all sorts of stories, I let Tatara and Tsuji show me around the entire school building. Classrooms for first to third years, special rooms like the library and infirmary, and even the gym and schoolyard— they introduced me to every facility I could think of.
And now, as we neared the end of the tour, the topic had shifted almost entirely to me.
“—Hey, hey, that duel yesterday was amazing, right?”
Walking right beside me, Tatara clenched both hands excitedly and leaned in close, unguarded.
“I wasn’t there, so I only saw it later on STOC, but… it was such a huge deal! They said Shinohara-kun won after a five-hour epic battle and made the Empress cry and beg, ‘I won’t oppose you anymore, please forgive me!’ while kowtowing!”
(…Huh? W-What’s that? Whose crazy story is that… Wait, mine!?)
“Yeah, I heard that too. And apparently, you had another duel this morning? They say you restrained a student from District Nine with ‘invisible arms,’ squeezing them tight… That’s terrifying, right?”
(Exactly! Because it’s all exaggerated!)
Facing the two of them, who looked at me with a mix of awe and respect, I screamed internally. …But since this was their image of a Seven-Star, I couldn’t easily deny it, so I settled for a vague response.
“W-Well, something like that might have happened… By the way, where do you two get this kind of info? It’s not just word of mouth, right? Is it some kind of island SNS?”
“No, it’s a bit different. We use STOC, but there’s an even more convenient app!”
Saying this, Tatara pulled out her device and unlocked it with practiced ease. Then she tapped an icon with the logo “LNN.”
“‘Librarian Net News’… It’s a news app published by Librarian, an official organization on Academy Island. Updates are irregular, but it condenses all sorts of events happening on the island. The content’s pretty interesting and popular, too!”
“Huh, there’s something like that?”
Genuinely impressed, I peeked at the screen Tatara held out. It listed several articles, with the latest one reading:
“Shockwave!! The Empress Falls in the New Year Opening Match. The Victor: A Seven-Star Transfer Student!?”
“On the morning of April 6th, a historic showdown shook District Three of Academy Island. Saionji Sarasa of Sakura Academy—aka the Empress—had her undefeated streak challenged by a new generation’s king.”
(Omitted) “Probably no one present fully understood what happened. Shinohara Hiroto cornered the Empress with such skillful tactics and ultimately snatched victory. At first, even I couldn’t believe my eyes—but the tears gleaming in Saionji Sarasa’s fallen gaze eloquently testified to her defeat.”
(Omitted) “And this morning, he reportedly defeated another student. The opponent (who wished to remain anonymous) told our magazine, ‘I was so terrified my senses went numb.’ ‘I couldn’t move. I was too scared to even tell if I was touching my device.’”
“As for the transfer student himself, information remains muddled. Theories abound: that he’s the heir to a conglomerate rivaling Saionji’s, that he’s a spy sent by some country, or that he’s an outlier who conquered the urban legend of the underground game. None of these rumors have been verified, but stay tuned for future articles!”
“….”
Staring at the overly dramatized news article, I froze for a moment. Took a deep breath, and then couldn’t help but think:
(Y-You… You’re making things worse!!)
What is this!? Who even wrote this!? The hype and embellishment are so over the top it’s incomprehensible. If this is how people are learning about what happened, no wonder Tatara and the others have such wild ideas.
But—calmly speaking, was this a disadvantage for me? Not at all. If anything, it was a tailwind. This kind of hype would skyrocket my notoriety, but for someone claiming to be the strongest, it was excellent publicity.
So… I guess I have no choice but to accept it.
Letting out a breath tinged with complicated emotions, I shook my head slowly as if to brush it off.
#
“—You want me to disconnect communication for a while?”
After school—or rather, a while after school had ended—I had finished the school tour with Tsuji and Tatara and was now heading toward District Three while contacting Himeji.
“Yeah. You’re still picking up sound from my end, right?”
“Yes. Just in case something happens to you, Master, I’ve been keeping the line open, apologies for the intrusion. Also, I’m standing by. I can even see your back right now.”
“Oh, then that’s part of it too… For now, can you just leave me alone for a bit?”
“….”
There was a long silence from Himeji on the other end of the device. …Honestly, this was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn’t want to treat her, who was so devoted to me, so coldly.
But what I was about to do was something even Himeji couldn’t overhear.
“So… sorry! I can’t explain the details, but I promise I won’t do anything weird!”
“…I understand. What an unreasonable Master you are.”
“R-Really!?”
“Yes. I’m a reasonable maid, after all. However… as far as I know, there aren’t any red-light districts in District Four. If you’re looking for that kind of facility, I recommend heading to District Five, but if you just need a cheap hotel, there are some nearby—”
“No, no, it’s not like that. Really, it’s not! Please don’t tease me.”
“…Then it’s fine.”
Her voice carried a slight pout as she muttered this, and I apologized again, saying, “Sorry.” Soon, I heard a soft exhale from the other end.
“Understood. …This time, it’s for real. As you wish, Master. However, I won’t be able to provide any support temporarily, so please be careful.”
“Yeah, of course. You should be careful on your way back too, Himeji.”
“Huh? O-Oh, yes. …Um, th-thank you.”
After a brief pause, as if caught off guard, Himeji said this and ended the call. …She’d probably already stopped any tracking or audio surveillance, too. I had no way to confirm it myself, but I had no reason to doubt Himeji.
Alright, I nodded to myself and launched the map app on my device.
—For some reason, the location Saionji had specified as the meeting spot was absurdly hard to find.
Roughly speaking, it was near the border between Districts Three and Four. Access by any form of transportation was terrible, and it was in a remote area with little foot traffic. And yet, the place wasn’t even on the main street. It was tucked away in a back alley, behind a secondhand bookstore, down a hidden staircase behind the shelves— an incredibly out-of-the-way spot.
As I slowly made my way there, I was already starting to regret following her invitation.
(This is bad… I might have made a mistake. Coming to such a deserted place, and with instructions to make sure ‘no one sees me’—this has trap written all over it. Probably, her allies are waiting for me downstairs, right? Oh man, what do I do? Should I call Himeji for help now… or just run? But if the bookstore owner is in on it, I’m screwed…)
My thoughts spiraled endlessly. …But before I knew it, I had already reached the bottom of the stairs. The basement level. Looking up slowly, I saw a heavy, unadorned door looming imposingly before me.
Was this Saionji’s base?
(I-It’s giving off a seriously ominous vibe, but… I’ve come this far, so I have no choice but to go in.)
Steelning myself despite my nerves, I reached out a trembling hand. With a loud click, the door slowly began to open. Inside, I half-expected to see a gang of thugs brandishing iron pipes and grinning menacingly—but instead—
“…Huh?”
It was a surprisingly stylish café.
Some kind of hidden speakeasy concept, maybe? The lighting was dim, but colorful aroma candles burned everywhere, filling the room with a faintly sweet scent that eased the tension in my body.
It felt like I’d stumbled into another world—fantastical and uniquely atmospheric.
And then—a waitress in uniform popped out from the shadows.
“Welcome☆ Are you dining alone today, sir?”
“Uh, no… I’m meeting someone. They might already be here.”
“I see☆ Understood. Right this way, please~.”
With a fluffy, cheerful tone, the waitress led me into the café. I hadn’t even mentioned the name of the person I was meeting, but she didn’t seem to need to ask. Probably because, aside from me, there was likely only one other customer here.
She guided me to a two-seater table at the back of the shop.
With a graceful bow and a “Please take your time~☆,” she left. Sighing, I turned to face the table—and, as expected—
“You’re late. …Idiot.”
There sat Saionji Sarasa, sipping an iced coffee with a slightly sulky expression.
For a while, neither of us said anything.
Sitting across from her, I took a sip of the lemonade I’d ordered earlier and glanced up. She twirled her straw with slender fingers, looking away with a huff, and muttered:
“…This place, you know, doesn’t have any rank-based entry restrictions, but it’s basically a secret base no one knows about… No one will find us here. If another customer comes in, that waitress will let us know, and besides, no device signal works from any seat here.”
“I see. That’s… convenient, yeah.”
“Right? It’s perfect for secret meetings. …Ahem.”
Saionji coughed pointedly, her face suggesting she wanted me to say something. But after some hesitation, I decided to stay silent. …Our relationship—starting from yesterday’s first meeting, our reunion, and this morning’s taunts—was just too delicate. She was probably feeling the same way, which was why we were stuck in this probing standoff.
After five minutes of exchanging—or not exchanging—glances,
The first to crack was Saionji.
“Grr… Ugh, fine! Why are you just sitting there quietly, Shinohara!? I went to all this trouble to set this up, so you should be the one to start talking!”
“H-Huh? What are you talking about? Aren’t you the one who has something to say?”
“What’s with that attitude? Making a girl wait this long and then saying something like that!”
“This long…? How long did you even wait? I mean, sorry if I—”
“It’s true! You better apologize properly! Making me wait seven and a half minutes is a grave offense!”
“W-Wait, that’s just a margin of error, isn’t it? ‘Meet after school’ doesn’t mean seven and a half minutes late is a big deal, right!?”
“Of course it is! Besides, I was late because of you!”
“Because of me…? What do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying that today, I had to deal with so much trouble because of you! Everywhere I went, every person I met, it was always ‘yesterday’s duel, the Seven-Star fall, Shinohara’s first black mark’—ugh, enough already! I’m not your toy!”
“S-Sorry about that… But you know, I’m in a similar boat. Winning against you has caused me a lot of trouble too.”
“Trouble? How much trouble? If it’s less than mine, I’ll be mad.”
“Comparing levels of trouble just feels pointlessly petty, but if I had to say, it’s easily ‘my life might as well be over’ levels.”
“Another exaggeration—wait, no, it’s not an exaggeration, is it, considering the Saionji family. …Sorry about that?”
“…Honestly, I kind of wanted you to deny that!”
#
After forcing out those words, I leaned over the table, then slumped back into my seat, exhausted. I took a sip of lemonade to calm myself.
Across from me, Saionji—who had also been standing up just moments ago, just like me—was now seated again, sipping her iced coffee. She propped her cheek on one hand, giving me a sidelong glare. …No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t the posture of a proper ojou-sama. Probably because, right now, she wasn’t trying to play the part of “Saionji Sarasa.”
“Haah… Well, whatever.”
Letting out a small sigh, she pushed her glass aside and began to speak.
“So, let’s get to the main point. …Hey, Shinohara. I promise I’ll talk about my side later, but first, could you tell me about your circumstances?”
“Huh? Well, sure, but… I pretty much told you everything yesterday, didn’t I?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Yesterday, I wasn’t calm at all, and halfway through, my mind went completely blank. So, I’d appreciate it if you could go over it again.”
“…Well, if that’s what you want.”
Nodding once, I explained how things had come to this point. How a series of coincidences led to my victory over Saionji in the duel. How, to avoid punishment, I used the Red Star’s effect to fake my rank. And how, even now, I was still playing the part of a Seven-Star “strongest” character.
Saionji listened intently, her gaze fixed on the table. Even after I finished, she remained silent for a while, but eventually, she shook her head slowly with a deep sigh.
“Haah… No good. I tried escaping reality for a night, but it doesn’t seem to have been a dream.”
“Yeah. For you, it’s probably more like a nightmare, unfortunately. …But you know, I’m in the same boat as you—I got dragged into this too. At least understand that much.”
“Yes, yes. I’m not so vile as to doubt you after letting you talk this much. That duel was an unfortunate ‘accident’ for both of us. That work for you?”
“…Yeah.”
She still seemed a little dissatisfied, but it appeared she was willing to accept my side of the story. However, she suddenly furrowed her brows, tilted her head slightly, and asked:
“But… hey, Shinohara, why did you choose that path? If you’d just apologized honestly, maybe you could’ve gotten off with just being expelled from the island. Pretending to be a Seven-Star until graduation? That’s just plain crazy, isn’t it?”
“Uh… well, yeah, it is.”
To be precise, whether I’d “gotten off with just expulsion” was dubious. If I trusted the principal’s perspective, no matter which path I chose, I wouldn’t be able to return to a normal life.
But that wasn’t the most important information. The real reason I stayed on the island was different.
“Don’t tell anyone, Saionji, okay? The truth is—I’m looking for someone here on this island.”
“Huh…? So, to meet that person?”
“Yeah, something like that. They’re my childhood friend. We haven’t seen each other in years, but I’m certain they’re here. Actually, I came to this island chasing after them in the first place. I applied to several schools here for high school entrance exams, but I failed all of them. It took a year of waiting before I finally got accepted as a transfer student. So, I have no intention of returning to the mainland until I find them… That’s all. It’s not some grand reason.”
“…If you really believe that, I don’t think you’d go through all this trouble, though?”
“Urk…”
Saionji fixed me with that sharp, judgmental stare. …She had a point. We were separated when we were young, and I’ve wanted to reunite with her ever since. I barely remember her name or face, but her existence is firmly etched in my memory.
Enough that, to meet her, I could convince myself to use cheats and tell lies that would make the entire Academy Island my enemy.
“Still… even so, in this situation, finding someone is probably out of the question for a while.”
“True. For the time being, anything you do will draw attention, so it might be better to lie low. …But as a thank-you for sharing, I’ll give you one piece of good advice. If—if you ever become a real Seven-Star, you’d gain the authority to access all the information on the island. Including the student database, of course. Hehe, then finding someone would be a breeze, wouldn’t it?”
“No, ‘real’… Come on, Saionji…”
I couldn’t help but let out a sigh tinged with exasperation. “Real” or not, I was already deceiving the system and holding the highest rank, so there was no way I could gain more stars by winning duels. It was a hypothetical on top of a hypothetical, but… I suppose I could keep it in the back of my mind.
“So, then. —Based on what you said yesterday, you’re not ‘Saionji Sarasa’ but ‘Akabane Rina,’ right? What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. I am indeed Akabane Rina, but publicly, I’m known as Saionji Sarasa. I use the name Sarasa and attend school as Sarasa.”
“Why would you… No, how is that even possible? Even if the Red Star can trick the data, people don’t just swap identities that easily, do they?”
“Well, normally, no. But Sarasa’s case was a bit special. …You see, the Saionji family has a long-standing policy of not letting their children out much. Until the year they graduate middle school, they’re basically confined, and they only start attending school from high school. Whether it’s about pure cultivation or keeping them sheltered, I don’t know, but that’s the rule.”
“Huh…”
“So, naturally, Sarasa hardly ever left the house. The only people who knew her face were immediate family members of the Saionji household. Really, just a handful. Family, their closest servants, and me—someone who was allowed to meet her as part of her ‘friend slot’ from way back.”
“‘Friend slot’? What’s that?”
It was a term I’d never heard before, but maybe it was standard among the upper class.
“Hmm, I don’t really know the details either… but probably something like, ‘Isn’t it weird to raise someone without any exposure to peers their age?’”
“Ah… Yeah, I can kind of imagine.”
“Right? Well, anyway, the Saionji family was looking for ‘friends’ Sarasa’s age, and that’s how I got chosen. After all, I was exceptionally talented even back then.”
With a proud “Hmph,” Saionji puffed out her chest (though it wasn’t very big).
According to her, she had originally been invited to Academy Island because of her extraordinary talent. By the time she enrolled in elementary school, she already had the academic ability to graduate from high school, so she never attended school, instead participating in a remote ability development program offered by the university in District Zero.
And, of course, she graduated at the top of her class.
Apparently, at the age of ten, she achieved the theoretically highest possible score, and there’s even a legendary story about how the other participants, losing confidence, deleted their accounts en masse.
“W-What? That’s insane…”
“Hehe, right? You think so too, don’t you!? See, Shinohara, you get it! Hey, hey, don’t hold back—you can praise me more, you know?”
“No, it is impressive, but that smug face of yours is seriously annoying.”
“Urk… W-Well, excuse me! Usually, no matter how much I’m praised, it’s always about Sarasa, so I rarely get recognized for myself. Plus, I always have to say things like, ‘Oh, it’s nothing much (humbly)’ or ‘I’m relieved my efforts paid off (angelic smile),’ and so on.”
“…Ah. Yeah, I can kind of relate to that.”
I was still a newbie at lying, only two days in, but I could think of plenty of examples—like my performance during the duel or how I dealt with my classmates. Suddenly, Saionji, pouting with her lips pursed, felt oddly relatable, and I hurriedly shook my head.
“S-So? I get that you’re friends with the real ‘ojou-sama,’ Saionji Sarasa. But what happened after that?”
“? That part’s simple. Since no one outside knows what Sarasa looks like, with the Saionji family’s cooperation, anyone could pose as her. I wasn’t attending school either, so hardly anyone on this island knew my real identity as Akabane Rina.”
“…I see. So next is the reason. From what you’ve said, your lie is officially sanctioned by the Saionji family—it’s a lie they’re all in on, right? Why are they doing this?”
“Um… Uh, well, that’s…”
“…Hm?”
To my straightforward question, Saionji responded with an oddly hesitant reaction. She glanced at her fingers, furrowed her brows, and looked down. After about ten seconds, she finally steeled herself and met my gaze with her ruby eyes.
What she said next was… shockingly intense.
“You see—Sarasa has been kidnapped.”
Summarizing the story she began to tell with a weary expression:
Apparently, the ojou-sama—the real “Saionji Sarasa”—had been kidnapped.
It happened a little over a year ago. The young lady suddenly disappeared. The servants noticed immediately and searched frantically, but she was never found. According to the Saionji family’s investigation team, kidnapping was the most likely scenario, but there were no statements from the culprit, and the situation was completely deadlocked.
Then, a few days after Saionji Sarasa went missing—on the day before last year’s entrance ceremony—
Akabane Rina made this proposal directly to the head of the Saionji family, the highest authority on the island:
“How about this—I’ll take Sarasa’s place.”
“It’s impossible that Sarasa would disappear without saying anything. Nine times out of ten, this is a third-party kidnapping. But if the culprits won’t make a move, there’s nothing we can do… So, we shake things up from our side.”
“I’ll attend school as Sarasa. The Saionji family—and by extension, the entire Academy Island—will keep her disappearance a secret. That way, no matter what they’re after, the culprits will panic and make their next move. They’re bound to.”
“Please, let me do this. …I’m Sarasa’s closest friend.”
Though her voice trembled slightly, her gaze and resolve remained firm as she made her case.
The chairman, Saionji Masamune, hesitated for a long time but ultimately accepted her proposal.
“…In the end, that plan fell through, and Sarasa still hasn’t been found.”
Closing her long explanation with a languid tone, Saionji forced a self-deprecating smile and tilted her head slightly, gauging my reaction.
“So? That’s why I’ve been lying all this time. Why it couldn’t be exposed. In short, my lie is the Saionji family’s lie. If it’s uncovered, it wouldn’t just be me who’d face backlash—the whole Saionji family would too. For a lady to be kidnapped and not recovered for over a year… They’d be torn to shreds, probably. Academy Island only has special autonomous rights because the Saionji family has the power to justify it. If that premise collapses, the island’s very existence could be at risk.”
“….”
“…Shinohara? Hey, say something, will you?”
As I remained silent, Saionji leaned forward, her expression tinged with impatience. She was probably expecting me to be shocked or sympathetic after she revealed the main “circumstance” of the day.
Ah… At least, I understood the reason behind her situation. It was far more serious than I’d imagined, and now, winning that duel made me feel even more guilty. That feeling was genuine.
But—in the next moment, the words that slipped out of my mouth were completely different.
“…Doesn’t suit you.”
“…Huh? Sorry, Shinohara, I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”
“No, I said… it doesn’t suit you.”
“Wha—!?”
Saionji’s eyes widened in shock, her jaw dropping at my unexpected response. Facing her, I continued in a tone that sounded almost apologetic.
“I’m not trying to provoke you or anything. I’ve been curious about your situation since yesterday, and the story you just told is way more intense than I imagined, so I’m honestly a bit freaked out. But—”
“…But?”
“When you talk about it so seriously, it just makes me… really itchy.”
“Y-You think you know anything about me!?!”
She pointed a trembling finger at me, her eyes nearly brimming with tears.
If I had to say what I knew about her, it was nothing… but given how our interactions had consistently lowered her opinion of me, this reaction wasn’t surprising. More than that, a simple doubt arose. “Pretending to be a substitute to lure out the kidnappers”? Was that story really true? She didn’t strike me as someone with such noble intentions.
…Well, for now, let’s set aside the emotional stuff.
If I broadly believed what she said, it boiled down to this—the real “ojou-sama,” Saionji Sarasa, was kidnapped a year ago, and Saionji had been acting as her stand-in to rescue her. The key factors that made this seemingly absurd swap possible were “cooperation from the Saionji family” and the Red Star. And that’s why Saionji had no choice but to defend her Seven-Star status.
After all, if a Colored Star holder lost a duel, they’d definitely lose that special star.
And the downside of the Red Star was the “lie settlement.” Its negative effect was that any lies told by the previous owner would be revealed to the next holder. In other words, Saionji had been fighting continuously under the risk that, if she lost even once, her secret—that she wasn’t the real Saionji Sarasa—would be exposed.
“So, when you thought I’d figured out your lie, you tried to silence me… and ended up spectacularly backfiring.”
“Ugh… W-Well, I had no choice! Your declaration of war didn’t seem like an act at all. And yet, to think you were some newbie who didn’t even know how to use his device… Argh, if I’d known, I never would’ve done that!”
Snatching the straw from her glass, Saionji gulped down the remaining coffee in one go. But whether it was the bitterness or the volume, she soon started coughing lightly, “Keh, keh.” …So, reluctantly, I handed her my half-drunk lemonade.
“Huh?”
For a moment, Saionji looked back at me with a puzzled expression, but eventually, she accepted the glass with one hand. She swapped out the straw for her own, lowered her gaze slightly, and took a few small sips.
By the time the amber liquid was gone, she had completely calmed down.
“…U-Um, that… Th-Thanks.”
“No… It’s nothing.”
Right after that exchange, an awkward silence settled in. …If our only goal was to share our circumstances, we should’ve been done here. There was no reason for Saionji to linger, and it wouldn’t be a problem to call it quits now.
But—I stopped myself from acting on that thought.
If this were the end, I wouldn’t understand the meaning behind what she said when we parted yesterday: “Don’t lose until then.” …The conversation wasn’t over yet. And I had a pretty good idea of what it was about.
“…Hey, Saionji. I noticed something.”
“Something you noticed…? What is it?”
“You’ve lost the protection of the Red Star now. So if someone checks your profile, they’ll find out you’re not ‘Saionji Sarasa.’ But you’re still a Six-Star. As long as the Academy Island star management system is inviolable, only a Seven-Star can access a Six-Star’s info—and since I’m a fake Seven-Star, your lie hasn’t been exposed yet. Is that the right understanding?”
“Except to you, that is. Well, yeah.”
“So, in short, you’re still safe for now. I have no reason or plan to expose your lie to anyone else. But if I lose to someone—if my lie gets exposed—what happens to you then?”
“Oh, that. …So, you finally noticed.”
Saionji let out a small breath as she spoke, her expression still tinged with dissatisfaction. But rather than blaming me, she just seemed tired.
“Exactly. When you fall from being a Seven-Star, that Red Star will go to someone else. And that ‘someone’ will learn not just your lie, but mine too. Because the downside of the Red Star—the ‘lie settlement’ effect—means that all the lies of the previous owner are revealed to every subsequent holder.”
“That’s how it works… Man, that’s a crazy penalty when you think about it.”
“Don’t act like it’s someone else’s problem… Hey, Shinohara, do you really get it? Just so you know, the reverse is true too, okay?”
“…Reverse?”
“Yes, reverse. Meaning, if my lie gets exposed, you’ll be in trouble too. Because if it becomes known island-wide that I’m not really the Saionji family’s ojou-sama, the principal in District Four won’t have any reason to protect you. The only reason you have to be a Seven-Star is because I’m Saionji Sarasa. …Right?”
“!? N-No… You’re not wrong.”
To be precise, the principal wasn’t protecting me—he was using me. But either way, Saionji was correct. The whole reason I ended up claiming to be a Seven-Star was to avoid drawing the Saionji family’s attention. If that premise disappeared, the principal’s motivation to support me would drastically decrease.
“…Haah… Why, why does it have to be like this…”
Saionji slumped onto the table, her voice filled with resentment, perfectly mirroring my own feelings.
Because, in short—our lies were now entangled. If my lie was exposed, so would hers. If her lie was exposed, so would mine. …And that wasn’t all. The reason we both wore such complicated expressions wasn’t just that.
We both realized it—the best course of action in this situation.
“In other words, if we sort it all out… this is how it is. The situation is as bad as it can get, but we’re both just barely hanging on by a thread. We haven’t taken any fatal damage yet.”
“Yes, that’s right. As long as you remain a Seven-Star, the Saionji family will probably keep watching quietly. …But if either of us loses a duel, it’s game over. Even without a duel, if our lies are exposed in any way, it’s instant destruction. And… to make things even worse, our lies are completely linked.”
“Seems that way. Not only do I not want my lie exposed, but I also don’t want yours to be either.”
“Same here. If your lie gets out, I won’t be able to hide mine either.”
“…So, in the end, there’s only one answer.”
“…Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, as frustrating and unbelievable as it is… you’re right.”
Saionji’s affirmation was reluctant, her expression painfully ambivalent.
Yes, that’s right… I hated it too, more than anything, but in this situation, the correct move was undoubtedly to team up. Me, faking my star rank, and Saionji, faking her identity. Since neither of us could afford to expose the other’s lie, we could become “accomplices.” Not friends or allies in any positive sense, but at the very least, we couldn’t be enemies. Forming such an “alliance” was possible.
““……””
I glanced at Saionji with a face full of bitterness, and she returned a similarly exasperated look. Our eyes locked for about ten seconds before she let out a resigned sigh.
“Ugh… If only you weren’t here, none of this mess would’ve happened.”
“No, that goes both ways. If I hadn’t run into you, I wouldn’t be dealing with this headache either.”
“Hmph. …Well, what’s done is done, so no helping it. Hey, Shinohara, let’s at least exchange contact info for now? It’d be way too inconvenient if we didn’t.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
We lightly tapped our devices together, swapping IDs. …With that, today’s business was finally concluded. Saionji still didn’t look particularly happy, so I figured it was best to make a quick exit.
“…Ah.”
Just as I stood up, Saionji, still seated, let out a small, sudden sound.
“Hm…? Did you say something just now?”
“…N-No, it’s nothing big… Or rather, I’m just mentioning this out of obligation, but, um…”
“? …O-Oh, yeah?”
“W-Well… Let’s get along from now on.”
Turning her face away from me with a huff, she raised a hand resting on her knee and gave a slight wave. Watching that unexpectedly endearing gesture, I replied with a wry smile.
“Yeah—likewise.”
#
In the end, I parted ways with Saionji and left the shop just as the sun was beginning to set.
Even though it was still technically within District Four, the location was just far enough from my dorm that I didn’t get back until past 7 PM. Himeji, who happened to be “just casually” sweeping the entrance, greeted me with a relieved smile that nearly made me mistake her for an angel.
Anyway—after all that, I’d finished dinner and was now basking in the pleasant afterglow, enjoying a relaxed evening. Himeji sat diagonally across from me, still in her maid outfit, poring over some study materials, while I stared intently at my own device.
“Hmm…”
“…Is something wrong, Master? Leaking such a voice that screams for attention.”
“Huh? No, that wasn’t my intention… I’m just, you know, steeling myself for something.”
“Steeling yourself…? For what, exactly?”
Himeji asked in her cool, clear voice, her silver hair swaying gracefully. I nodded slightly and, though already a bit nervous, managed to force the words out.
“Yeah. Of course… it’s about ego-searching.”
—Ego-searching. Or rather, ego-surfing.
It’s the act of searching for your own name, nickname, or related works—usually on SNS or similar platforms. Creators or artists might do it for promotional purposes, or to gauge fan reactions. That’s the general understanding, anyway.
Of course, I wasn’t doing it for either reason, but my situation was probably closer to the latter.
“…Gulp…”
Swallowing hard, I slowly opened my eyes, which I’d kept shut until now.
What gradually came into view was the search term “Shinohara Hiroto” and countless posts containing it—2,471 in total. If you included variations like just “Shinohara” or “transfer student,” it easily exceeded 10,000.
There was no way I could read them all, but here’s a sample of what caught my eye:
“That transfer student, what’s his deal!? The new semester’s been wild from the start!”
“Shinohara Hiroto or whatever, he’s so annoying it’s not even funny. Another delusional jerk, huh?”
“Wait, wait, did you hear? Did you hear!? Shinohara-sama’s already got his second win! Amazing!”
“To the guy who was preaching the ‘Shinohara Hiroto is actually weak’ theory—your face must be red now. You watching this?”
“Whether he’s weak or strong, if he pisses me off, he pisses me off.”
And so on—positive, negative, all kinds of opinions were flooding in.
…That’s why I suddenly decided to ego-search: to see these reactions firsthand. To understand how my actions were perceived by those around me. In terms of getting raw, unfiltered info that knowledge alone couldn’t provide, STOC was the best tool for the job.
—However.
Unfortunately… I was only slightly better at hiding my emotions. I wasn’t some “unshakable mental fortress” who could brush off any criticism.
“‘Forgot his name, but the new Seven-Star gives off major chuuni vibes, and I’m here for it’? Well, that’s not too ba—‘I hate Shinohara’s smug, pretentious smirk, disappear already’!? Gah… N-No, but there are people saying, ‘That transfer student has an aura, he might take over this year’—‘Shinohara Hiroto is trash, lol’!? T-That’s harsh! They even remembered my full name!”
“Oh, I see. So that’s what this is for. Indeed, it’s wise to keep tabs on your public reputation, Master. We might consider information manipulation in the future… Oh, here’s a poll: ‘Who do you think is more deserving of being a Seven-Star: Shinohara Hiroto or Saionji Sarasa?’”
“Whoa! And the results are!?”
“Well… Um. …I’m sorry, Master. I should’ve checked the results before mentioning it.”
“Damn it!”
I dramatically looked up at the ceiling while Himeji apologized, averting her eyes.
Still… as an excuse, the Empress had reigned as the absolute top ranker for a year, holding Seven-Star status. I’d heard she was showered with respect and admiration, so it was less about me and more that she simply had a lot of supporters.
Among the timeline posts, I spotted some alarming ones like “You defiled my goddess…?” or “Defeat doesn’t suit her.” They gave a clear sense of just how popular Saionji was. …Though, honestly, seeing stalker-level comments like that was kind of creepy.
“Anyway… ignoring the poll results, it looks like the reactions are about fifty-fifty between positive and negative.”
“That’s how it appears. …Still, you don’t look so good. Is something wrong?”
“Uh… well, don’t these kinds of things tend to stick in your memory when they’re critical? Probably because the negative comments are written with stronger language.”
“…Then, perhaps you shouldn’t have ego-searched in the first place.”
Himeji said this with a tone that was either mildly exasperated or concerned. I appreciated her sentiment, but I shook my head gently.
“No, I think I’ll face this kind of criticism plenty more in the future, so I want to get used to it early. You know, I can’t keep running away forever, right?”
“Is that so… Understood. It seems Master has a surprisingly masochistic streak.”
“Your wording! No, that’s not it—it’s not like I enjoy the mental damage or anything. It’s just an incredibly important source of info.”
“I understand, but… let me rephrase. It seems Master is surprisingly serious.”
After a graceful sigh, Himeji returned her gaze to her device. She set aside the materials she’d been working on earlier, clearly ready to help me with this task.
—Then, suddenly, Himeji let out a small “Ah.”
“Master. I found a post that might be concerning.”
“Here,” she murmured, handing me her device. The display was almost identical to mine, but the design details were slightly different.
The logo in the top left corner was different too—it read “Under STOC.”
“This is, as the name suggests, the ‘underbelly app’ of STOC. It’s officially licensed and operated, but devices with three stars or fewer can’t access it. Due to its nature of attracting only higher ranks and offering high anonymity, it tends to draw people with a strong sense of elitism—or rather, ambition and combativeness—making it more intense than regular STOC.”
“I see… Wait, three stars or fewer can’t access it? Then, Himeji, you—”
“? Didn’t that vixen tell you? Himeji Shirayuki’s current rank is four stars.”
“F-Four stars…”
I parroted back in shock. …That was high. Since I was posing as a Seven-Star, it didn’t hit me as hard, but four stars put her in the top 10% of Academy Island.
Well—anyway, if Under STOC was an app inaccessible to lower ranks, there was no helping it. I leaned in to peek at Himeji’s device.
“Um…?”
“Here it is. This post from about an hour ago. Shall I read it? ‘But the guy Shinohara whatever beat this morning was just a two-star, right? All this hype is ridiculous—it’s normal. More like, he’s probably a total jerk for bragging about beating weaklings. To put it mildly, he’s scum.’”
“!? G-Gahhh…!”
Himeji fixed me with an ice-cold stare, delivering a scathing insult. Her expression hadn’t changed much, but the gap between her usual devotion and this made the damage hit me like a truck. …For a while, I pressed a hand to my chest, trembling, until Himeji bowed apologetically from across the table.
“I’m sorry, Master. I realize I got carried away. Please don’t make that pitiful face—it might awaken a new hobby in me.”
“Stop. Seriously, stop.”
“I’m joking. …But what I wanted to point out is the danger of this post. If you get labeled as a ‘Seven-Star who only hunts weaklings,’ it could cause serious trouble.”
“O-Oh… I see.”
For a second, I thought she’d suddenly developed a sadistic side, and I panicked.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I checked the post Himeji found again. …Indeed, even if my victory was flashy, my opponent this morning was significantly weaker. If I kept targeting low ranks, criticism would pile up fast, and there was no guarantee it wouldn’t turn into suspicion.
“…For reference, how did Saionji do last year? In terms of opponent ranks, I mean.”
“The Empress? Within the publicly available data… she averaged over four stars.”
“Wha… O-Over four stars!? You’re kidding, right!?”
“I understand your shock, but it’s true. …In her case, she knew one- and two-stars were no match, and high-rankers challenged her almost like it was a rite of passage. This kind of result makes sense. At one point, there was even a rumor that ‘losing to Saionji Sarasa boosts your luck.’”
“What’s that? Scary.”
It was almost godlike reverence. …Well, that girl was undeniably cute, at least in terms of looks. Add her “ojou-sama mode” and perfect personality, and it’s no wonder people were devoted to her.
“…Anyway.”
As I marveled at Saionji’s legend, Himeji, sitting diagonally across, let out a small breath. She shook her shimmering silver hair a couple of times and fixed her deep blue eyes on me.
“You can treat the Empress’s stats as an outlier for now. Compared to past Seven-Stars, they’re clearly abnormal… So, don’t rush, Master. It’s enough to include a duel against a four-star or higher once every few matches.”
“Right… But isn’t that a bit underwhelming?”
“Huh?”
“As you can see from the STOC posts, I’m inevitably compared to the Empress. Even if I don’t need to worry about it, the people around me will definitely bring up ‘numbers.’ Since I can’t compete on quality, I’ll have to make up for it with quantity—so, Himeji, if you’re okay with it, how about accepting another duel tomorrow?”
“…Hehe, hahaha. I’m delighted. I never imagined you’d suggest that, Master—yes. I think that’s a good idea. Winning three days in a row from your first day as a transfer student would make an impact strong enough to rival the Empress. …Just a moment, please? I’ll sort through the duel options right away.”
With more enthusiasm than usual, Himeji’s lips curved into a pleased smile. …I’d noticed it last night too, but when duels were involved, she seemed unusually eager. Her energy was high—almost bordering on a slight sadistic streak.
Well, for me, that was nothing but a blessing.
“♪”
(—Wait, humming!? What’s this, unconscious!? U-Uh, it’s super distracting… but maybe I should pretend I didn’t notice. …She’s oddly cute like this.)
I thought she was calmly staring at her device with a cool expression, but in reality, she was swaying her slender frame slightly, humming happily in her frilly maid outfit.
There were plenty of things to comment on, but since Himeji looked so happy, I decided to let it slide.
#
For now, we only finalized accepting the duel, leaving the finer details and strategy meetings for tomorrow—that night.
Lying in bed with my eyes closed, I let my thoughts drift hazily.
“Today was eventful too…”
From the early morning duel to my clash with Saionji, my first day at school, meeting my classmates, the secret meeting at that mysterious café, the soul-crushing ego-searching, and selecting the next duel—it was a packed day. The most memorable part was probably my interaction with Saionji.
“She still seems to be hiding something… but still, being accomplices, huh.”
I sighed faintly with my eyes still closed. …What a bizarre relationship. Saionji was last year’s “absolute champion,” and I was the new “strongest” who defeated her. On the surface, we had to keep up a fierce rivalry, but behind the scenes, we needed to secretly protect each other’s lies.
“Haah… Oh, right.”
Muttering with a sigh, I slowly sat up.
Now that I thought about it, I’d exchanged contact info with Saionji, but I hadn’t sent her a single message yet. It wasn’t like I had any urgent business, but she was (supposedly) an ally going forward. A little courtesy probably wouldn’t hurt. So,
“It’s Shinohara. Just a greeting for now. …By the way, how much can I say here?”
I sent a message with a casual question thrown in. Thinking it might be too plain, I considered adding a stamp—when I noticed the “Read” notification pop up almost instantly.
“…Oh?”
Surprised, I blinked. Right after, a reply from Saionji came in without delay.
“You’re so slow! What were you doing all this time!? Getting my ID and not contacting me right away is common courtesy, you know! Ugh… Also, you don’t need to be too cautious about chats on this app. It’s heavily protected, and I’m using a fake account anyway. …But, just in case, could you avoid using my name? Stick to ‘Miss’ or something.”
“Got it. —So? Why are you mad? Contacting you anytime should be fine.”
“No way! I was fidgeting, wondering when you’d message me, waiting the whole time!”
“Huh. …Waiting? Why? Did you have something urgent?”
“Wait, wait, forget I said that, cancel it! Um… Right, I was watching a movie. Watching a movie, and waiting for your message on the side. Well, to be precise, it was more like a side project of a side project.”
“Then I have no reason to be scolded… Also, are you sure you should be up this late? If the ojou-sama character shows up late, it’s no joke.”
“It’s fine. I’ve been doing this for a year, after all. If anything, you should go to bed early. Like I said, if your lie gets exposed, I’ll get dragged down too.”
“That’s my line. You blabbed it to me in an instant.”
“If something like that special case happens again, I’ll go get an exorcism… and I’ll drag you along.”
“Sounds good. Assuming my lie hasn’t been exposed by then. …Oh, by the way, there’s something I wanted to ask. I saw this on STOC earlier—a post about ‘my goddess’ or whatever. Is stuff like that common?”
“M-My goddess!? Oh… Kugasaki, huh. Well, yeah, pretty much.”
“Danger level?”
“Danger level? You mean like stalking? Nah, nah, it’s not that. They are obsessive, and it’s super annoying, but it’s all about duels. …Wait, are you worried about me? Hehe, well, of course! It’s only natural to be anxious about whether the cute me might be targeted!”
“No, that’s not it. I just felt bad for anyone who admires you if they knew your true nature.”
“Hmph! What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. …Anyway, I’m going to sleep. Don’t stay up too late either, okay?”
“Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, I’m getting sleepy too—good night, Shinohara.”
With a composed message and a stamp attached, my conversation with Saionji wrapped up. I set my device aside, lying back down, and pressed the back of my hand to my forehead with a sigh. …Phew.
“An unbalanced alliance, huh… Man, I hope this works out.”
Musing on such trivial thoughts, I finally drifted off to sleep.
Please tell me, Himeji-san
Part 2
Game
What is a Duel Like?
What Kind of Rules Does It Have?
Academy
On Shikijima, the most common scenario for stars to be awarded involves students, known as “Game Masters,” challenging others to duels to steal their stars. This is referred to as a “Duel”.
Basic Rules of a Duel
– Game Rule ①: “Duel”
The most fundamental rule is that a “Duel” can only be initiated against an opponent of a higher rank. Depending on the outcome, the victor gains one star, while the loser loses one star. However, there are nuances: if a one-star student loses, they may pay a penalty in island currency instead of losing a star. Additionally, students with five or more stars can only gain stars by defeating opponents of an even higher rank. Various other detailed rules also apply.
– Game Rule ②: “Duel” Content
The challenger decides the content of the “Duel”. This rule ensures the fairness of the star-stealing system. If the higher-ranked defender were allowed to dictate the terms, star transfers might never occur. For similar reasons, defenders cannot reject a “Duel” challenge. If a student has a pending challenge but fails to participate in a “Duel” for a week without special circumstances, they will automatically be demoted.
– Game Rule ③: “Duel” Abilities
Each participant in a “Duel” may bring up to three “Abilities”—special apps designed to gain an advantage, commonly known as “Duel Apps.” Once selected, these “Abilities” cannot be changed during the “Duel”.
Game
Based on the data, Master is currently at seven stars, meaning you cannot dictate the terms of a “Duel” and will not gain stars regardless of victory. However, in truth, being at one star, you can only equip the bare minimum of “Abilities”, placing you in a desperate situation.
