After a brief sensation of floating, his body was forcefully slammed into the ground. However, amid the intense pain that engulfed his entire body, a strange sense of discomfort crept into Mushiki’s mind. Right. Mushiki and the others were supposed to be in the basement of a building. Even though it was a relatively spacious room, there should be limits. Could he really be blown away at such a distance── “Wha── Mushiki was gasping for air upon opening his eyes. The scenery before him had completely transformed from just a moment ago. All of a sudden, the sky now stretched above his head and ground had transformed into a vast, unobstructed plain. This──wasn’t Fourth Manifestation. In the distance, the nearby town could still be seen. It was a chaotic scene, as if a clay model of the town had been crushed and forcibly flattened. “Oops, did I over do it…….my bad. I still can’t quite adjust my strength.” Zhuyan, who was walking through the sky while radiating dazzling light, twisted a smile from her bright red lips. And then, at the very next moment. “──<Kyokko no Koshirae>!” “──<Versalus>!” From Zhuyan’s blind spot, two shadows sprang forth, attacking Shaun with slashes and electric shocks. ──It was Ruri and Anviet, both of whom had equipped their Third Manifestations. “Oh my……?” However, without even flinching, Zhuyan effortlessly defended against their attacks. No, it might not even be accurate to say she defeneded. The attacks couldn’t even reach her body, being blocked by the layer of light that enveloped her. “I’m surprised. To think you still have that much energy left. As expected of Knights from <Garden>──”
Following after Zhuyan’s voice, the light she was wrapped in intensified, effortlessly blowing the two of them away. “Guh──” “Wha……the!?” The two of them who were slammed into the ground glared at Zhuyan with resentment, kicking off the ground again to resume their attacks. ──However, all of them disappeared before they could even touch her. At this point, it was unclear if she was even trying anymore. The gap in power was overwhelmingly vast. As it should be. They were practically fighting against the world itself. ──As expected, there was no choice but to take back control of the <World> from Zhuyan. However, due to Zhuyan’s previous attack, Mushiki, Kuroe, Sara, and Surya were all scattered. Everyone was injured and lying on the ground in pain. Sara couldn’t grant wishes herself with <Fortuna>’s authority. Someone had to touch her and wish to strip her of the World King’s throne. But at this distance── “──Sara-san!” Then, Kuroe’s voice was heard coming from behind. She was also severely injured and seemed to have difficulty getting up. However, with all her strength, she strained her throat and shouted. “Can you return your consciousness to Surya-san──to your original body!?” “Eh──” A surprising request had arrived. Sara couldn’t help but raise her voice. “If possible, hurry up and do so! Hurry!” “I-I understand……” After saying that, Sara closed her eyes to gather his concentration──and not before long, she collapsed as if she had lost consciousness. Saika’s body, which had lost her soul, was exposed in a defenseless sleeping state.
“…………” Then, as if to match this, Kuroe also lost consciousness and fell to the ground. “Kuroe!? Are you okay, Kuroe……!?” Mushiki suddenly raised his voice. However, even if he wanted to rush over to Kuroe, his body wouldn’t listen. It was just for the damage of the last attack. Ever since Zhuyan stole the World King’s throne, an odd sensation had taken control of his body, making it difficult to move properly. A feel of anxiety filled his chest. He had to move now. Otherwise Kuroe, or rather Saika, was in danger── That’s when it happened. “──It’s okay, Mushiki.” That voice reverberated through Mushiki’s panicked eardrums. “……T-This, voice is……” Mushiki spoke in awe. But that wasn’t unreasonable. That voice belonged to the person Mushiki always yearned for, admired, and sought after. “Don’t worry about Kuroe. That was quite reckless. But let her rest for a while.” A silhouette gently rose amidst the dust. “Ah……ah──” Mushiki unconsciously felt his tears welling up in his eyes. There was no logic or reason. Yet, the heart, the soul understood. Yes, the person standing there was……. The genuine Kuozaki Saika, with Saika’s soul inhabiting Saika’s body. “Saika……san──”
As Mushiki called out Saika’s name while overcome by emotion, Zhuyan, who had been fighting Ruri and Anviet, seemed to notice it too. She glared at Saika and raised her hand towards her. “I said──I won’t let yoooooooou──!” Perhaps Zhuyan was intending to prevent the usage of <Fortuna>’s power. The very space where Saika stood seemed to distort as if being crushed. “Saika-san!” Mushiki screamed at the hopeless sight. However, at the very next moment. “──Hmm? Did you call for me?” While saying that nonchalantly, Saika appeared beside Mushiki. “Huh……!?” “Wha……” As Mushiki and Zhuyan’s surprise overlapped, Saiak chuckled, seeming amused by their reaction. “Why are you so surprised? It’s true there is hardly any magical power left in my body. However, if I use the external magical power skillfully, I can still perform magic like this. The manifestation technique is certainly powerful, but it’s not good to solely rely on them.” Then──Saika glared at Zhuyan. “No, what you’re doing right now can’t even be called a manifestation technique. You’re just swinging around an enormous amount of magical power. Such a waste. The <World> does not exist for that purpose.” “……How generous of you to explain. But how do you plan to close the gap in our magical power──?” Zhuyan narrowed her eyes as she prepared to attack Saika again. However, just before she could, Ruri and Anviet’s attacks slashed from both left and right. “Haah!” “──Oooooh!”
“Tch……get out of the way!” Zhuyan angrily shouted, releasing beams of magical light at the two. But being <Garden>’s Knights, they skillfully dodged the attack as if to say they wouldn’t be struck by the same move twice. Consequently, Saika took advantage of the same opening created by Shaun to kneel down besides Mushiki. “Hey, Mushiki. It’s been a while since we’ve been like this……hasn’t it.” And then, she said that with a hint of playfulness. Naturally, her expression, voice, and gesture were exactly the same as the Saika that Mushiki knew. “Saika-san……I──” “Whoa, don’t even think about apologizing. You did well. Far beyond my expectations. ……You did great during the battle against Anviet. Well, I wish you’d rather don’t shout things like that too loudly though.” Saika wryly smiled. “──From here on, it’s my role. Let the headmaster show off once in a while.” With that, Saika brought her lips closer to Mushiki’s own lips. “Huh……ah──” “……Close your eyes. I’ll have it returned. ──My magical power that dwells within you.” As their lips touched, Mushiki felt an indescribable softness. The same sensation felt when he encountered the dying Saika three months ago.
“Aaaaaaaaah……!” “Kyaa──” “Grr……!” With a resounding battle cry, Zhuyan swung down both of her hands. The two <Garden> Knights, who had been darting around the battlefield, finally fell silent. “Haha……hahaha……! Do you understand now? This is……the power of a ruler──” With a euphoric expression, Zhuyan’s voice leaked out. ──An incredible sensation. While not understanding the principle or reason behind this, her body couldn’t help but be overflowing with power. If there is such a thing as God, then it must feel like this. A sense of omnipotence without any basis overfilled her brain. It felt like she would dissolve into world if she was just a little careless── “Oh my, you seem to be enjoying yourself. Would you like to dance with me next, Zhuyan?” “────” That voice was like throwing cold water onto her pleasant intoxication. Zhuyan turned to face its source. Floating in the air just like Zhuyan, it was Kuozaki Saika “Oh……that’s right. I have to defeat you…… Ahahahaha. But why? Well, it doesn’t matter. You’re right in front of me……” “……Has your memory turned cloudy? No wonder. You’re forcibly harboring the magical power of the world that you should have reigned in rather than use for combat. “What the hell……? Are you mocking meeee……!?” “Of course not. If anything, else, I’m praising you. You are undeniably a genius. ──You possessed my <World> and could endure it for 10 minutes.” “What did you say……?” Zhuyan felt something warm run down her cheeks. “Ah──?”
For a moment, she thought that it was tears being shed, but──that wasn’t it. The palm of her hand that wiped it was dyed red. “What……is this……” Not just her eyes, but her nose, mouth, and ears were overflowing with blood. Seeing this, Saika lowered her eyes. “What a waste. This is truly regrettable. If you had belonged to <Garden> with high aspirations, it might not have been impossible for you to join the ranks of the Knights.” “Ahahaha! What are you talking about? I am the strongest now. Who would want to be under you──” Just as she was speaking, Zhuyan suddenly stopped. Kuozaki Saika was floating in front of her. And from that body, she was emitting tremendous magical power that was comparable to Zhuyan’s current amount. “What the hell is this power…….!?” She screamed and unleased an attack with all of her magical power, but Saika deflected it while remaining calm and collected. “I will be depriving you of throne of the World King. ──Whether you live or die depends on your possibility.” And with a flick of the wrist, four strokes of the world crest appeared above her head. “The ideas of a young magician are truly interesting. I never imagined that there would be such a use for this.” While saying this, Saika concentrated her vast magical power into the palm of her right hand. “──Genesis of all creation. This, heaven and earth lie in the palm of my hand.” Saika spoke while bathed in the brilliant light emitted by her world crest. “Pledge obedience. I will──” Seeing such a beautiful spectacle, Zhuyan let out a half-dazed voice. “……So pretty……” “──Make you a bride.”
Zhuyan’s consciousness sank into darkness after being struck by this attack. ◇ In the sky, the brilliant multi-colored light flickered. Seeing this, Mushiki realized that Saika had won. “Ugh……hah……” Mushiki groaned softly as he stood up. Although his body still ached, he was able to somehow moved after Saika recovered her magical power. Come to think of it, it might have been due to possessing Saika’s magical power connected to the world that caused such a pain in his body. ……Well, there’s also the possibility that Saika’s kiss had filled him with overflowing energy. “Nii-sama……are you okay?” Holding onto her shoulder and dragging her feet, Ruri approached him. She was no longer clad in her Third Manifestation and was instead wearing a battered maid uniform. “Yeah……somehow.” “You’re covered in wounds. Does it hurt? Are you okay? Do you want me to lick them?” “No……I’m fine. Ruri, are you alright?” “Sort of……wait, isn’t that Kuroe collapsed over there? She’s not moving at all……” Ruri worriedly looked at Kuroe, who had collapsed in the distance. Mushiki broke out in sweat, unsure of how to reply. The contents inside Kuroe──in other words, Saika’s soul, had returned back to Saika’s body. Therefore, Kuroe shouldn’t be moving, but it wasn’t like he could tell Ruri the truth either. “──Don’t worry about Kuroe. I guarantee she’s fine.” As Mushiki was thinking what to say, a voice resounded from above. “Saika-san!” “Are……are you okay!? Are you injured!?”
Mushiki and Ruri raised their voices simultaneously. Before they knew it, Saika had appeared right in front of them. Saika responded with a wry smile to their reactions. “Ah, no problems whatsoever.” “Thank goddesss……” Ruri breathed out a sigh of relief. It seemed she was no longer worried about Kuroe. As expected, after all Saika had just reassured her that everything was fine. There couldn’t be a more reassuring reason than that. “But that was surprising. To think that the real Witch-sama would come to our aid. So, your soul moved from Mushiki’s body to your own, right?” “Ah, right. Think of it as something like that.” Saika causally nodded in response to Ruri’s question. From an outsider’s perspective, there was no signs she was lying. Mushiki truly believed so. “It seems Zhuyan has also survived. That’s some impressive vitality.” “Really……? But what was that power near the end? With that much magical power, one could conquer the world…...” “Maybe so. There are still many things we don’t know about Destruction Factors.” Saika said that evasively and then she let out a small sigh. “All that’s left……is the final task.” “Final task──” Ruri repeated Saika’s words as if mulling over what she had just said. Right. There was still one last thing for Saika to do. “Sara──” “……An.” When Anviet approached and called her name, Surya──or rather Sara, looked up and responded.
A slightly mature tone and melancholic expression that didn’t match the face of a small girl. Having Surya’s looks was surely confusing, but this was indeed Anviet’s beloved wife, Sara. “……It seems to be over.” “……Yeah.” When Anviet said that, Sara sadly smiled. It was as if she was fully embracing the fate that was awaiting her. The damage caused to the world by the Mythologia <Fortuna> was immense. Considering the wishes of Anviet and Zhuyan had just been granted, it was likely that there was something happening in this world that wasn’t observed yet. “……<Fortuna> is too dangerous. We absolutely have to erase it.” “That’s……” “──You are exactly correct.” As Anviet was unable to respond, a voice came from behind them. Looking back, they saw Saika, who was accompanied by Mushiki and Ruri. No offense to Saika, but at that moment he looked like an ominous grim reaper to Anviet. “Destruction Factors must be vanquished. All the more so if they’re mythical-ranked.” “……Yes.” Sara solemnly nodded and slowly stood up. After a brief silence, she began to softly speak. “……I’m sorry, An.” “……What are you apologizing for?” “You found out, didn’t you? The request I made to Witch-san from back then.” “…………Oh.” Anviet replied with a deep sigh. “……Don’t worry. I’m aware now that I’m not someone who can throw away his life so easily.”
“Fufu……you’ve grown up, An.” “I’ve been adult for a long time now.” After saying that, Anviet slightly blushed as he recalled the incident from the training facility. “……No, I did mess up quite a bit.” “I love that side of you as well.” “……Don’t be silly.” Sara gave a smile as Anviet pouted his lips. Then, Sara quietly continued. “……I’ve been scared all this time.” “Scared……?” When Anviet asked, Sara nodded slightly. “……Since accidentally obtaining <Fortuna> a long time ago, I’ve blessed with a lot of good fortune. My father’s business thrived, our house got bigger, and my once frail health improved. And then──I even got engaged to Prince Svarner who I had long since admired.” “Wha……?” Sara smiled mischievously. “……Fufu. Didn’t you know? I knew about An long before we met. So, when our marriage was decided, I felt like I was on cloud nine.” But then, Sara continued. “In the middle of my happiness, I sometimes felt uneasy. If this marriage was only brought about by <Fortuna>, maybe An only fell in love with me because of the power of the ring……? That’s why I ran away from Witch-san 100 years ago. I thought that if I lost that ring, An might not love me anymore.” “How foolish……!” Anviet strained his brow with wrinkles and squeezed those words out of his mouth.
“I can’t accept that. Even if our meeting was due to good fortune, I won’t let anyone deny my feelings for you……!” “An……” As Sara anxiously looked into Anviet’s eyes, Anviet tightly hugged Sara’s small body. “……In the 100 years without <Fortuna>, there wasn’t a single day I forgot about you. The woman I love is you, Sara. Only you, for my entire life……!” “Ah──aah──” To those words, Sara’s voice trembled as she hugged Anviet back. ──And after some time had passed. Sara, who had soaked Anviet’s chest with her tears, slowly pulled away. “Thank you, An. I no longer have any more regrets.” Then, she turned to face Saika.” “I’ve kept you waiting, Witch-san. ──Please.” “……Alright.” Saika nodded quietly and unfolded her arms. “Sara, can you manifest the power of <Fortuna> like you did a 100 years ago.” “……Yes. I’ll give it a try.” After hearing that, Sara closed her eyes to concentrate. Then, accompanied by a faint glow, what appeared to be a white crest and white robe emerged on Sara’s body. ──Without a doubt, this was the same manifestation Sara had hen assimilating with <Fortuna> a 100 years ago. “This is……Third Manifestation……?” “Not exactly, but it’s similar in nature.” Saika narrowed her eyes in response to Ruri’s question. Then, she held her hand towards Sara, causing a world crest to appear above her own head.
“Now then──shall we begin?” After saying this, Saika touched Sara’s body with her hand, which was now enveloped in magical power with brilliant colors. “……!? Witch-san──” At that moment, Sara’s eyes widened in surprise. One beat later, Anviet also realized. “Kuozaki, you……!” Saika was trying to save Sara rather than kill her. A single bead of sweat trickled down her cheek, For Saika, this was an experience she had felt in a long time. But that was only natural. After all, she was attempting to forcibly sperate a human who had once merged with the Destruction Factor. “……100 years ago, it was impossible for me──” Almost unconsciously, a voice tinged with regret leaked out from her throat. “But……for the current me, perhaps──!” She wasn’t just talking about the power or experience cultivated over the past 100 years. Right now, this very moment inadvertently brought about by Zhuyan was crucial. ──Saika had forcibly ripped Zhuyan from the World King’s throne. However, that didn’t mean Saika had once again taken her place as the World King. Right now, the World King’s throne was vacant──and the <World> was in a state without and administrator. Of course, there was no telling what kind of impact this would have on the <World>. Saika needed to return to the throne as soon as possible. But this critical situation also presented another phenomenon.
Yes, the one standing here was Kuozaki Saika at the peak of her strength, who didn’t have to use her magical power to maintain and manage the <World>. “Saika-san……!” From behind, Mushiki called out with his voice carrying a hint of concern for Saika. “Let me assist with my <Hollow Edge>──” “──Don’t. There the chance that it might cancel out my spell.” “……Damn it……” Mushiki contorted his face in frustration. Catching that in the corner of her eye, Saika’s lips relaxed slightly. ──Could it be that he regretted being useless? “……Don’t make that face. After all, it’s you who gave me this option to choose.” “Eh……?” Mushiki’s eyes widened. Yes, it wasn’t just power and circumstances that changed in the last 100 years. However, Kuga Mushiki had said this. At that time, he faced a future version of Saika who boasted far greater power than himself. ──If it’s Saika, she wouldn’t do that. “Geez, I completely bought into it. Even though I’m not that kind of person.” Saika clenched her teeth as sweat dripped down, and then she placed even more strength into her hand. “Ah……aaaaaaaahhhh……!” Sara let out a painful scream. It was no wonder. She was forcibly trying to tear away the Destruction Factor that had fused together with her existence. The pain alone must have been unbearable. “Be strong in your heart! I can’t pull it out with external force alone! Reject <Fortuna>!” “Sara…...!”
Anviet tightly grasped Sara’s hand. Sara squeezed it back with a pained expression. “A ……n……” Sara’s eyes assumed an empty hue. Saika frowned. ──At this rate, it seemed Sara’s spirit wouldn’t be able to endure. Even if she separated <Fortuna> from Sara, it would be pointless if Sara’s mind broke in the process.” Something. Something else was needed. A power to repel <Fortuna>── “──It’ll be okay.” “…………!?” At that moment, everyone held their breath at the voice coming from Sara’s lips. From the tone of voice, it was clear this wasn’t Sara. “Sur……ya?” Anviet uttered in a daze. Then, Surya said with a gentle smile. “──Mama, Su can help──” “…………!” At that instant, Saika’s eyes widened from the sensation she felt. It was clearly different from before. The true form of <Fortuna> which had fused with Sara’s soul could now be distinctively grasped. With this, it might actually be possible to remove it. But at the same time, this also indicated something else. “Don’t do it, Surya. If you do that, you’ll──” “……! Surya!” Anviet must have noticed too. He cried out while gripping her small hand. But Surya slowly shook her head. “Su……maybe was born a little too early. That’s why──”
She spoke while gently smiling. “Papa, Mama, please make sure to give birth to Su someday──” ──Surya’s voice vanished. “Ugh……!” At the same time, Saika’s hand pulled the embodied Destruction Factor <Fortuna> from Sara’s soul── Wrapping it with a minuscule Fourth Manifestation, she crushed it in the palm of her hand. ──Light filled their surroundings. In the midst of this fantastical sight, Mushiki supported the exhausted and collapsing Saika from behind. “Saika-san──” “……Even the world’s strongest magician is left dumbfounded.” Saika, looking at her battered palm, spoke as if spewing out those words. “……In the end, I couldn’t do anything on my own.” As if in response to Saika, an intense quake shook the area. ──As if the <World> was seeking its master. “……It looks like we’re out of time.” Exhaling a thin breath, Saika lifted her chin and looked into Mushiki’s face. “……Do you resent me?” “Huh?” “With <Fortuna> destroyed, soon the damage and its wishes granted will be reversed.” Saika spoke with a distant look in her eyes. What she meant could be quickly inferred. It meant that Mushiki and Saika’s separate bodies would become one again.
“……Until now, I might have been able to truly separate your body and mine. But I──” “Saika-san.” Mushiki interrupted Saika. “It’s because you tried to save Sara-san that I wanted to help you.” “……Phew.” Saika lowered her gaze and let out a small breath. As if to say replying with anything more would be in bad taste. “Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now. ──Give my regards to Kuroe.” “Yes. I’ll be sure to pass it on.” “Oh──come to think of it.” “Yeah?” As they were enveloped by the light, Saika uttered her last words in whisper. “──My ring finger is a size 8.”
Final Chapter: Are You Looking Forward to the Future? “──So you were here, Sara.” That night, Anviet called out to Sara, who was gazing at the stary sky. This was the balcony of Anviet’s room in <Garden>. Both the stars overhead and the city lights below were sparkling and glistening. “An……” Sara slowly turned around. Her eyes were swollen with tears. ──Even after successfully eliminating the Destruction Factor <Fortuna>, Sara, who had been assimilated, was able to survive. When thinking about it, this was an exceptional ending that would be unthinkable under normal circumstances. However, because of this, Sara had lost her beloved daughter whom she had shared joys and sorrows with for such a long time together. Even after finally trying to calming down, she was still crying ever since. “……Sorry. To still be so distraught.” “……No. I know what it’s like.” Anviet gently shook his head. Even Anviet, who didn’t know of his daughter’s existence until recently, felt a gaping hole in his heart. It wasn’t difficult to imagine the pain that Sara had to endure. After a long silence, Sara began to speak. “Witch-san had said. ──Surya, that child is something like a pseudo-personality created by my wish from a 100 years ago.” While saying that, she looked up to the night sky again. “As long as the information about that child is engraved in my soul, that child hasn’t truly disappeared. ──Someday, I have to properly give birth to that child. When I considered it like that, I thought now wasn’t the time to be discouraged forever.” “──Is that so?” Anviet nodded while saying that.
Then, Sara walked slowly towards Anviet and clung onto him. “So……please. Let me be like this until morning comes. I’m sure I’ll be fine by then.” “……Ah.” Anviet agreed as he hugged back Sara’s tiny body. ◇ In classroom 201 of <Void Garden>’s central school building, Mushiki was drawing lines on a piece of a paper with a ruler. “48.2mm──” Then, after carefully cutting the paper into long strips, he rolled them up and glued the tips together. Mushiki stared at the ring-shaped paper with a serious gaze of a dedicate craftsmen. “I see……” “What are you doing?” “Whoa!” A voice suddenly called for him from behind. Mushiki’s shoulder shook as he dropped the paper ring onto the desk. “Kuroe……please don’t startle me like that.” But Kuroe didn’t care much for what Mushiki had to say and instead curiously dropped her gaze onto the ring. “And this is?” “Ah, I tried making a size 8 ring.” “……What on earth could that be for?” “In order to stimulate my brain, I thought it would be best to have a full-scale version.” When Mushiki said that with a clear, innocent look, Kuroe half-closed her eyes in silence.
“I’m glad Mushiki-san seems to be having fun.” “Ah, yes. Much obliged.” “Do you understand the word sarcasm?” “Huh? Of course.” “…………” As Mushiki nodded, Kuroe sighed as if she had given up. A few days after the elimination of Destruction Factor <Fortuna>, <Garden> was returning back to normal. The damage to the world caused by <Fortuna> was marked as having never occurred, and the wishes granted by it also disappeared. Mushiki and Saika’s bodies were also fused again and Saika’s soul was once again housed in Kuroe’s faux body. The girls who were wearing maid outfits as if it was totally normal had also returned back to their usual uniforms. ……Incidentally, he heard that Hildegard, who had made the wish to change the girl’s uniforms into maid outfits, was busy working in her room once her wish came true, so she ended up not seeing a single girl in a maid uniform. Somehow, it was a little pitiful. “Hm?” Then, Mushiki’s eyebrows swayed towards the direction of the entrance. Ruri was hiding behind classroom door, watching what was going on. “……? Ruri, what are you doing over there?” “……!” Ruri trembled after hearing Mushiki speak up, and she pointed her finger at him with a flustered look. “D-Don’t get me wrong, Mushiki! What happened last time was because of <Fortuna>’s authority, something like that……those feelings were just because of that!” “……? O-Okay.” Mushiki nodded as if pushed back by her momentum. To tell the truth, he really didn’t understand what Ruri was saying. But that reply seemed satisfactory to her. Even though Ruri had a complicated look on her face for some reason, she briskly walked towards Mushiki and Kuroe.
“……In the end, did your body end up reverting back to the same before the incident started?” And then, she lowered her voice so the surrounding students couldn’t hear them. “Yeah. Unfortunately.” “……Was that really a good way to end things?” “What do you mean……?” “It’s not like we’re always going to running into a cheat-level item that can grant wishes. It’s certainly dangerous, but I think it may have been possible to get better results depending how it’s used.” “That’s……” It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand that feeling. Ruri wouldn’t want to use the power of a Destruction Factor. But at that moment, with all the options at hand, it wasn’t unreasonable to think, “Am I really doing the best that can be done?” However, Kuroe shook her head as if to dispel those notions from Ruri and Mushiki’s worries. “──Of course. At that time, we each did everything that we could.” “Kuroe……” Ruri said her name with deep emotion before eventually agreeing with, “……You’re right.” “Come to think of it, what happened to Sara-san?” “Since I can’t leave her to the outside, Knight Anviet has become her legal guardian, and she will be transferring to <Garden>’s middle school. If I recall, she should be starting today.” “Ah, is that so. ……But, is that really, okay? Even though she had assimilated with a Destruction Factor, whether or not she has the talent for magic is a completely separate matter.” “If you’re concerned, would you like to go see her?” “Huh?” In response to what Kuroe had said, Mushiki and Ruri involuntarily exchanged glances. ◇
“……Hmm?” When Mushiki’s group arrived at <Garden>’s middle school building, there was already a previous visitor there. “Anviet-san?” “…………!” When Mushiki called out his name, Anviet, who was peeking into the classroom through the gap in the door, trembled his shoulders. Somehow, it reminded Mushiki exactly of Ruri from earlier. “Y-You guys……why are you here!?” “That’s our line.” “Did Knight Anviet also come to check on Sara-san?” When Kuroe said that, Anviet let out a “Ha!” as his voice turned inside-out. “Who’s doing that! I just got lost while walking for a while……!” Incidentally, <Garden>’s middle school was in the eastern area, quite the unnatural place for a high school teacher like Anviet to wander into carelessly. “You’re not being honest.” “Are you worried that Sara-san will become popular with her male classmates?” “Ah.” “You……!” Anviet’s cheek popped out a blood vessel. But by then, he was interrupted by the teacher’s voice echoing in the classroom. “Yes. ──Everyone, please be quiet. I’ll be introducing a new friend who will be studying magic with you starting from today.” “…………!” Anviet quickly reacted by turning his attention back to the door. The others soon followed suit, peeping in the classroom through the opening in the door. ……It was a little cramp for four people, but that couldn’t be helped.
Then, in front of the classroom, they saw Sara, who was wearing the middle school uniform of <Garden>, with a shy smile on her face. “I’m Sara Svarner. Nice to meet you all.” While saying that, she bowed her head. To both that appearance and name, the students quickly became restless. “Svarner……?” “Wait, could she be from the rumors……?” “But, wasn’t the first name……?” It seemed the rumors of Anviet, a teacher with a secret love child, had spread to the middle school as well. Before long, a female student shot her hand straight up as if to ask a question. “Hey! Sara, are you Anviet-sensei’s daughter?” “No, I’m not.” Sara firmly answered. In response to that, the students whispered, “Well, it was just a rumor after all……” However. “──Rather than daughter, I’m his wife.” Sara said that with her cheeks faintly dyed red. As the classroom erupted into noise, Anviet, who was listening on, violently coughed. It appeared his life was about to get even more turbulent.
Afterword Long time no see, this is Tachibana Kōshi. King Propose Volume 4 Golden Colors Maiden has been released. What did you think? I hope you enjoyed it. The new character Surya is on the cover this time. Her white and red outfit is super cute. I requested the hairstyle be a French braid for her so that it matches with Anviet. When the current version came out, my editor and I both said, “F-French braids can be like this……!?” I had a hard time deciding on the motif of the costume this time, but after playing the association game I based it of the image of a wheel and finally settled on a race queen motif. When coming up with this idea, I remembered thinking to myself, “This is it……!” However, if possible, I wanted to also see Anviet on the cover. Cause look at the illustration for Anviet’s Third Manifestation. Too cool. I would like to do my best so one day I can have Anviet’s pectoral muscles drawn in color. And finally, the manga adaptation of King Propose, which was announced around volume 3, has started serialization on Gangan ONLINE! The art is drawn by Kurio Nemo-san and the composition done by Shishito-san. The quality is very high, so please check it out! Well, this time again, we were able to publish this book thanks to the efforts of various people. Thank you, Tsunako-san, for another wonderful illustration. I think Surya’s hairstyle is quite the innovation. Kusano-san, thank you again for another cool design. I’m excited to see what the numbers will be like on the covers each time. To my editor, thank you for your help every time. Thank you all so very much. And the same goes to all the people involved with this book, including those in editorial, publishing, distribution, and sales. And lastly, to you for picking up this book right now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope to see you again for King Propose Volume 5. March 2023 Tachibana Kōshi.