Happy Birthday, Nagisa-chan!!!
—
Kirihouji Nagisa realized something was wrong when an executive from the T-party, belonging to the Filius Faction, approached her with a serious expression.
“Nagisa-sama…! I have news that Seiya-sama from the Sanctus has been attacked!”
“…Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
For someone who was just going about her usual work, this was extremely bewildering.
‘Seiya-chan got attacked? Who in the world would do such a thing…? With the power succession preparations underway, there’s nothing to gain by targeting Seiya-chan…’
“I heard that the Halo was destroyed—”
“Has Mika-san heard this news?”
“Mika-san, you ask? I’m sorry, but I don’t have information about the situation with Pater…”
“…No, I shouldn’t have asked that. If it’s her, she must’ve already heard. For now, I need to visit Mika-san’s office. Please continue to keep a closer eye on the situation from now on.”
“Understood.”
Nagisa noticed that the student in front of her was looking at her with a strange expression. It seemed like they had something they wanted to say.
“Um, excuse me… Nagisa-sama?”
“Yes. Do you still have something to say?”
“…Yes. It’s just that, you mentioned Mika-san’s office.”
“…? What’s strange about that?”
“I was under the impression that Mika-san does not have a separate office. If I’m mistaken…”
Nagisa paused, confused by what the other person was saying. It was hard to believe that a student from the T-party wouldn’t know that Mika preferred to work in her personal office rather than on the terrace.
“If Seiya-sama really crosses an irreversible river… a temporary T-party host will be elected soon.”
“What?”
“Probably everyone except Pater. No, nearly all the votes will likely be cast for you, so it would be wise to prepare yourself in advance.”
“…Huh?”
Nagisa couldn’t comprehend what was being said. It was a phrase that should’ve been understandable, yet it sounded alien.
‘A temporary T-party host? Why would such a thing be elected? The host is Mika-san, right? This all seems, really, strangely off.’
“Well then, I’ll take care of what I was told to do.”
“Ah, okay…”
Nagisa’s vacant gaze turned toward the ceiling. Everything happening around her was overwhelmingly chaotic and incomprehensible.
The executive from the Filius Faction left, thinking to themselves that Nagisa was too gentle, and that she must be heartbroken.
“…”
After a while of being dazed, Nagisa stood up. For now, it seemed essential to meet with Mika and figure out a strategy.
—
Upon visiting what should have been Mika’s office, Nagisa doubted her own eyes. The space was the same as the office she knew, yet many things had changed.
The desk that Mika used was usually filled with various picture frames, but the desk in front of her was completely empty.
Once she confirmed that Mika’s nameplate was missing, Nagisa began to inch closer to the truth.
“…I see. If it’s Hanako-san, then certainly.”
Thinking this, Nagisa left the room and grabbed a nearby student from the T-party to ask about Hanako’s whereabouts.
The answer she received was,
“…Are you referring to Urawa Hanako? She’s not a member of the T-party; she’s from the Return Club, a problem child who keeps causing unusual antics.”
This revelation finally forced her to face reality.
This is a dream. It doesn’t make sense unless it is.
This place was not her Kivotos.
—
There was one more thing Nagisa had to confirm.
She needed to check on the condition of Mika, the person she loved dearly.
So, Nagisa called for Mika through Momotalk.
Immediately after checking Momotalk’s messages, Nagisa felt all the strength leave her body.
“Nagisa-chan, did you hear?! Seiya-chan…!”
“…”
“Hey, Nagisa-chan…?”
With her face buried in her hands, Nagisa let out a deep sigh and looked up at Mika. Then she lowered her head again.
“Er… has gone… away…”
As Nagisa showed signs of abnormal behavior, the person who called her, Mika, became flustered.
Upon hearing the news about Seiya, Mika was already half out of her mind. The light-hearted tasks she assigned had spiraled into a situation resulting in Seiya’s death, and she couldn’t afford to be in her right mind.
Yet, she had no choice but to confront the Nagisa in front of her.
Kirihouji Nagisa was her long-time childhood friend, and the most important person to her.
“Nagisa-chan, are you okay? First, take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on, okay? This situation is seriously messed up! At least say something rather than keep quiet!”
Hearing Mika ramble on, Nagisa’s spirit reacted. This was not her Mika; this was someone else.
Realizing this, Nagisa decided not to hold back.
“You’re babbling on and on, so stop yapping before I stuff a roll cake down your throat!!!”
“A-ah, okay… Sorry, Nagisa-chan. I’ll be quiet…”
Under Nagisa’s momentum, Mika recoiled, turning into a crumpled mess.
—
Time flew by.
Having roughly grasped the entire situation, Nagisa felt as if she might go mad.
Her loved one, the person she adored above all else, was nowhere to be found.
While someone she really missed but was still annoyingly bothersome was taking the place of her lover.
Seiya, one of her few friends, was missing. With the destruction of the Halo confirmed, Nagisa was to take on the role of T-party host.
“…I hate that I handed this over to Mika.”
“Eh? Did you call me?!”
“No. You must have misheard. Please pass the documents over there.”
Thus, Nagisa found herself overwhelmed with work daily.
While Mika was half-forced into her position, both Nagisa and Seiya used to actively assist her, and on top of that, Mika had an exceptionally capable secretary, Urawa Hanako.
What did Nagisa have in comparison now?
“Ugh… huh?! Nagisa-chan, did you not see a document from the Tea Ceremony Club that came in? I could have sworn I left it right here!”
Just one unreliable old friend.
And a terrifyingly excessive workload.
Day by day, Nagisa grew wearier. Initially, Mika helped with enthusiasm, but at some point, she began wandering off instead of helping Nagisa.
Though Mika must have had her reasons for it, Nagisa felt like Mika was just being Mika again.
‘If anything, maybe I should be thankful for her helping more than I expected… but still.’
The Eden Treaty.
Surely, it was the agreement her other-world Mika had worked hard to negotiate. Here, Nagisa found herself taking on that role.
So, while she dealt with the endless work, she vowed to endure and wait for the day when she could reunite with her love again. Then, a certain girl caught her eye.
Shirase Azusa.
Thanks to Mika, she had been incorporated into Trinity from the Arius Faction, but originally, she was a student from the place called Arius Branch.
‘How on earth did Azusa end up studying at Trinity?’
Once Nagisa detected suspicious circumstances, her actions were swift.
Upon checking Azusa’s student records, she discovered that someone had used dubious means to transfer Azusa to Trinity.
And there was only one person in the Trinity General Academy who could have done that.
‘Mika-san, what on earth are you thinking…?’
What kind of connection existed between this Mika and Arius that led her to scheme such things behind the scenes?
Mika had no way to shake off the suspicion that began to rise within Nagisa.
She was unaware that Nagisa was tailing her and, in fact, had no room to care about that.
Mika continued to maintain contact with the Arius Branch while deceiving everyone and plotting a grand plan to overturn everything with a single opportunity.
—
“…That’s all.”
“…You expect me to believe this? Me?”
“But it’s true. Not a single detail is omitted.”
The new semester began, and having to repeat her third year in another world, Nagisa glared at the materials laid out before her.
She didn’t want to believe what was contained within; however, if her secretary’s words were true, it was all fact.
The conclusion pointed to by the evidence of the situation was simple.
Misono Mika was conspiring with the Arius branch while avoiding everyone’s scrutiny.
“Nagisa-sama, may I ask what you’re planning to do?”
“…For now, leave it be.”
“What?”
“The moment we wrongly touch this, Mika-san will walk down an irreversible path. A cornered rat tends to bite cats; can you imagine what a cornered Mika-san would do?”
Nagisa’s words left her secretary speechless.
“Mika-san… sigh. She’s my long-time friend. And I don’t want to stand by and watch my friend go down the wrong path.”
Thus, Nagisa chose to confront Mika directly. In a private room with no one else present except the two of them.
“Ahaha, Nagisa-chan? What’s going on all of a sudden? I was just about to go shopping with the kids…”
“Oh really? It seems you’ll be missing that appointment today. Unfortunately.”
“Wha—?!”
Seeing Mika blink in surprise, Nagisa licked her lips with determination.
What she was about to do was an enormous gamble. If done carelessly, the entire game could fall apart in an instant, risking everything.
But it was something she had to do.
“Mika-san, are you planning to betray Trinity?”
“Huh? Nagisa-chan, what do you mean? That I would betray Trinity… Ahaha! That’s ridiculous, it makes no sense!”
“Isn’t it?”
“Of course I wouldn’t! Nagisa-chan, what made you think of such a strange thing? If I were to betray, it would mean I’m joining those horned creatures from Gehenna… Ugh, just the thought is horrific!”
Nagisa silently gazed at Mika. Recognizing the tension in the atmosphere, Mika’s smile began to fade.
“Mika-san, I didn’t say a word about you planning to partner with Gehenna.”
“But if it’s a betrayal, isn’t it? If it’s for Trinity, it can’t be called betrayal. Besides, apart from Gehenna, all academies are all pretty much the same. Who would betray Trinity while looking away from those kinds of creatures?”
“…”
Hearing Mika’s plea, Nagisa’s expression hardened.
“Arius Branch. You’re in collusion with them, aren’t you?”
Mika’s eyes widened in disbelief at Nagisa’s words. So surprised that she started to open and close her mouth, Mika sighed deeply.
Then she said:
“Nagisa-chan, breakfast is ready!”
“…Huh?”
Nagisa realized that she was no longer in the private room but back in her own bedroom.
‘…Does that mean it was all a dream? It felt so real!’
The sweet aroma of French toast stimulated her senses. Thinking those past months in the unfamiliar Kivotos were all just a dream, her body felt completely drained.
“Nagisa-chan, what are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Seeing Mika peek her head through the door, Nagisa belatedly realized her eyes were moist.
“Um, huh? Nagisa-chan, why are you suddenly crying?!”
“Oh, it’s nothing… really.”
“Huh. You saying it’s nothing when you’re crying like that makes no sense, okay? You have to tell me what’s going on. I might be able to help… or even if I can’t, I’ll try to help somehow.”
With a determination to assist no matter what, Mika pressed her face closer to Nagisa’s.
Nagisa, in turn, raised her hand and gently cupped Mika’s cheek.
It was her Mika.
This was definitely her Kivotos.
“I just had a strange dream. A dream where you weren’t by my side, Mika-san.”
“Wah—?! That sounds truly horrifying… I can see why you’d cry.”
“…Yeah, it does.”
Nagisa couldn’t tell if it was a dream or truly another Kivotos that existed.
However, there was one thing for sure.
“Mika-san, can I have a hug for a bit? Just for a moment would be fine.”
“Hmm… That’s an unusual request for you. Okay! I’d love to!”
The time spent without her Mika felt incredibly lonely and solitary, indeed.
