Tanya von Degurechaff, the Major of the Imperial 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion, sat in a pristine marble-white classroom. A calming breeze entered the room through its open windows making the classroom feel cool.
The room was filled with life as students chatted with one another. But Tanya remained alone, a considerable change compared to the previous year. She was silent, deep in thought, analyzing everything that had happened around her.
The students wore dresses as uniforms, with some variations. Most wore almost completely white dresses, while others had white dresses accented with another color, mostly yellow and blue.
When Tanya arrived in this world, she wore a different set of clothes. Her usual military outfit had transformed into a black sailor uniform, a pair of white-feathered angelic wings had grown on her back, and a golden halo floated delicately over her head.
Tanya remained silent and alone in her chair. The more she looked around, the angrier she became. She knew exactly who was responsible for her presence in that place. 'Being X. I swear when I get you.' She knew from a single look that the God she loathed so much was the cause of all this.
The halos. The angelic wings. Students dressed like nuns. Religious undertones. Everything around her made her more paranoid.
Being alone in such a 'hostile' territory only made her more cautious.
'When I woke up inside that train, Visha and I got those halos, and Rerugen and the others were turned into animals. Many of the people living in this city are animals too, but I haven't seen an animal that is a student.' Tanya thought to herself as she tried to piece together the facts she had already gathered. 'I received a notification that I would study at a school named Trinity, and Visha would go to a different one named Red Winter Academy. That's different from last time. And if I didn't get it wrong, some of those students mentioned another being named Gehenna.'
'It seems students are permitted and sometimes expected to use firearms. Being X seems to love his child soldiers. I would expect a lot more chaos because of that, but it doesn't seem like those kids get hurt. Could this halo protect them or something?' Tanya bit her nail as she delved deeply into her thoughts, overanalyzing all the information she had at her hands.
'I've been in this world for three days already. I've come to class every single one of them but haven't seen a teacher.' She continued her train of thought as she looked at the books and cell phones given to her when she was transferred. 'The students just seem to use books and videos to learn. Isn't that unproductive? Learning alone should be less effective overall than being taught by a professor.'
"Tanya?" A kind voice called Tanya's name, bringing her out of her thoughts. It was a voice she knew well. "It's good to see you."
"Emilia?" Tanya said, surprised, as she observed the silver-haired half-elf approach her with a gentle smile. She noticed a silver halo above Emilia's head.
"It's good to know you're well. I was so worried when we got separated. I thought something bad might have happened to everyone." Emilia's eyes focused on Tanya's frame. "Your clothes have changed a lot," She said, tilting her head to the side and looking at Tanya with confusion.
"I don't really understand much of what happened when I ended up in this place. When I woke up, I had this halo, and, well... these wings and clothes," Tanya said, sighing as she rested her head on one hand.
"So, pretty much the same as us. When I woke up, I had a halo floating above my head too. Thankfully, my clothes didn't change like yours did," Emilia said before pausing to recall any other details. "You know, when Subaru saw this halo, he freaked out. He thought for a moment that we had died," she added, remembering how Subaru bombarded them with questions, only stopping when he realized they still had a pulse.
"I see. What about the others?" Tanya asked, curious to know if Emilia's companions were in the same situation as they were.
"Subaru, Puck, Ram, Rem, and Beatrice are all fine. But I haven't heard anything from Roswaal," Emilia said, counting each member of her group on her fingers. "And your team, Tanya? Is everyone alright?" she asked, knowing it wasn't uncommon for Tanya to be alone.
"They're fine. Visha, like me, was turned into a 'student' and got a halo-like ours, but she was sent to a different school and doesn't seem to be enjoying it. Meanwhile, Rerugen and the others were... turned into animals, as strange as that sounds. I sent them to stay with Visha and help her," Tanya answered, glancing around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "But if anything was to go wrong I told her to call me to give her assistance."
Fortunately, most of the students were too engrossed in their own discussions to pay any attention.
"Oh, so what happened to Subaru and Puck isn't unique?" Emilia said, the realization dawning on her.
"Something changed with the two of them?" Tanya asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes, Puck somehow stopped being a spirit and turned into a cat demi-human. Meanwhile, Subaru turned into a metal man," Emilia said, her voice reflecting her perplexity at Subaru's transformation.
"A Metal-man?" Tanya echoed in confusion. Most of the male members had been turned into demi-humans, as Emilia had called them, but a robot or anything similar was new to her.
"Yes, his body is now made of iron, but he's still the same person," Emilia explained, trying her best to describe Subaru's transformation.
As Tanya listened to Emilia's description of what had happened to Subaru, she couldn't help but recall her arrival in Kivotos. When she was dropped off by the train, she saw several robots performing mundane tasks while others were clients and she even saw a group that looked like hippies. She couldn't remember the name of their leader, but she vividly remembered how irritating his constant chatter was. "Well, that is certainly unique, but I think I've seen some robots working in various stores on the way to this school. But, going back a bit, where are they?"
"Well, Beatrice is in this school too, but she preferred to head to the library. Puck is exploring the city. Meanwhile, Subaru, Ram, and Rem went to a different school. I think it was Shanhaijing... I can't remember its full name," Emilia said, struggling to recall any other important information for Tanya.
"Shanhaijing you say? That's the fourth school I've heard of. Still, this is very good," Tanya replied, making sure that she would memorize the name.
"Thinking of something?" Emilia asked, curious about Tanya's reaction to the mention of the school.
"Yes. If both of our groups are here, there's a good chance Ainz and Kazuma's groups might be here too, just in different schools like the others," Tanya explained, keeping her reasoning simple.
"I understand. Yes, we should search for them when we have the chance," Emilia agreed, nodding her head.
"But for now, we should focus on understanding where we are," Tanya continued, closing her eyes to assess everything she had seen in this world.
"Well, perhaps we can just talk with our classmates," Emilia said confidently as she got up from her seat and walked toward a group of students. Tanya wanted to speak up to stop her but she remained silent as Emilia did have a point. To stay isolated was a bad idea.
She approached a blonde girl wearing a red jacket. "Hello, my name is Emilia. I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you please help me? I'm new to this school, and I wanted to ask for some guidance on how things work around here," Emilia said, bowing her head politely as she waited for the girl's response.
"Huh, I see the first-year is seeking assistance from their senpai! This is good! After all, juniors should ask their seniors for help," the blonde girl responded with a tone full of pride.
"Yoshimi, really? I don't think you're the one who should be saying this kind of thing," another student, with black hair on the outside and pink on the inside, remarked to her friend while sitting by the window with candy in her hand. Emilia looked at her in surprise, noticing that the girl had four ears, two normal human ears and, above her head, two cat ears.
"Kazusa, are you implying that I'm a child?" Yoshimi turned to the other club member, her face twisted in annoyance.
"Ah, the paths of love and hate meet once more in this world. Truly a beautiful sight," the pink-haired girl mused philosophically, her eyes closed.
"Please, you two, this isn't the time to start a discussion," Airi pleaded, trying to defuse the situation.
"There goes our chance to have a normal conversation with a new student. And really, Natsu, right now?" Kazusa sighed, glancing at Emilia. To her surprise, Emilia was smiling with amusement.
"You don't need to worry about me," Emilia said, still smiling.
"Well, if you say so," Kazusa responded, surprised by how well Emilia took the entire situation. She wondered how she would have reacted to such a start. 'Actually, I'd be fine,' she thought, stealing a quick glance at her friends. She had to admit she'd witnessed stranger interactions before joining Trinity.
"Emilia, is there something troubling you? Are you perhaps lost at how things work in Trinity?" Airi asked, turning to the half-elf, curious about why she had come to ask for help.
"My friend and I," Emilia said, pointing to Tanya, who remained seated, eyeing the group, "we come from outside the city, so we don't really understand how this school works." She bowed her head once more before quickly raising it.
"Oh, you're not from Kivotos? That's rare," Kazusa tilted her head, examining Emilia from top to bottom, but she didn't notice anything particularly unique.
"Well, that explains things. Trinity isn't much different from any other school around here. Read the books, attend classes, join a club, and always carry firearms when leaving school grounds. In rare and troubling situations you might get Sensei to give you a hand," Yoshimi explained, her words dripping with pride.
"There's a problem with leaving school grounds?" Emilia asked, intrigued. Last time, such precautions weren't necessary, but she knew this world was very different from the last.
"Here in Kivotos, conflict is a common occurrence. Trinity, however, is one of the safest schools because of the Justice Task Force. But it's always better to be safe than sorry," Kazusa responded as she started to think of how more peaceful her life had become after joining the school.
"I see. We'll be prepared. Thank you very much," Emilia said, bowing again, this time in gratitude.
"If you need anything else, feel free to ask us, we would love to help," Airi offered with a warm smile.
"Yes, yes. After all, a senpai always helps their kouhai," Yoshimi added, her pride returning as she seized the opportunity to appear more mature.
Emilia waved as she wandered away.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you, Yoshimo?" Kazusa turned to her friend, noticing the satisfied smile still on her face.
"I am! This is a rare occurrence!" Yoshimi grinned wider than ever as she reached into her bag for a piece of cake.
"I don't know what it is, but it's almost like she's caught in a love story filled with tragedy," the pink-haired girl murmured, breaking her silence and interrupting her friends' talk as she observed Emilia's retreating figure.
"For Kivotos' sake, Natsu, I'm just glad you didn't say that while she was still here," Kazusa said, giving Natsu a disturbed look.
As Emilia finally reunited with Tanya, who had been patiently waiting at her seat, she shared what she had learned from the group.
"They were such nice people," She concluded, her voice soft as she hid a kind smile behind one delicate hand.
Tanya glanced up from the books scattered across her table, her eyes sharp and focused. "It seems that way," she replied, her tone measured as she began organizing her school materials.
Emilia hesitated, her gaze dropping to the polished marble floor. "But I'm afraid I couldn't get anything you're particularly interested in. I'm sorry, Tanya."
"That's not a problem. What you learned will still help us, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to give us an entire lecture on every single thing," she said. Her voice carried a calm confidence as she stood up, gathering her book and holding them in her arms. "I think exploring on our own would be better. Want to come with me?" she asked, extending one hand to Emilia.
Emilia met Tanya's gaze, a spark of determination lighting up her eyes. "Yes," she responded firmly as they both made their way out of the classroom.
They stepped into a grand corridor, the air cool and crisp. The walls, made of smooth, white marble filled with decorations adorning them. They reflected the soft light from crystal chandeliers that hung overhead. The floor beneath their feet was equally polished.
Through the large arched windows, they had a view of the school's gardens. Several students stood among the garden paths, their voices mingling with the distant chirping of birds as they conversed, their laughter occasionally drifting up to where Tanya and Emilia strolled.
"This place is pretty, isn't it, Tanya?" Emilia asked, her voice tinged with awe as she walked beside Tanya, her eyes wide as she took in the picturesque view outside.
"Yes, it is… How should I put it… This is certainly the most elegant school I have ever seen in my life. Quite a feat, I'd say," Tanya responded. Unlike Emilia, who strolled casually, Tanya moved with a purposeful stride, her posture straight, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Her time in the military had shaped many of her mannerisms. Her eyes, cold and calculating, constantly scanned the surroundings, her instincts on high alert. Every shadow and every movement was scrutinized, ensuring no threats could emerge without her knowing first.
"Tanya, do you think everyone else is okay?" Emilia asked suddenly, her voice faltering as her face grew more somber, her usual brightness dimming in Tanya's perspective.
Tanya paused for a second, thinking of each group's quirks before answering. She knew their skills well and how adept they were at adapting to their environment. But a small linger of doubt remained in her mind, knowing this world held far too many unknowns for a certain answer. The fact that nearly every student had their own firearm and that magic didn't seem to work here only heightened her concerns. "I believe they'll be fine. Though I do worry about how Kazuma's group might adapt to this situation with their usual antics."
"Everything seems so uncertain… But I need to let go of my worries. The people here seem very nice, and I believe that wherever the others are, they'll meet great people too." Emilia's expression brightened again, her usual optimism returning as they neared the locker area.
Before they could reach their lockers, Tanya and Emilia noticed four girls approaching them, all dressed in black. Tanya immediately recognized the attire. They were nuns. Since arriving at this school, she had seen several girls wearing these nun dresses, though some had variations. One of the nuns before her now wore a unique variation.
The girl leading the group stood out from the others. Her dress was more ornate, with intricate decorations that extended to her headdress. Her silver hair bore a striking resemblance to Emilia's.
The nuns moved with an air of complete serenity, their expressions radiating pure kindness.
As they drew closer to Tanya and Emilia, the leading nun waved her hand, her smile warm and eyes closed in a gesture of genuine affection. When she opened her eyes, they briefly focused on Tanya with a hint of confusion before returning to their normal, calm state.
Without saying a word to either girl, the nun continued on her way, her entourage following closely behind as they passed by Tanya and Emilia.
As the nuns moved away, Tanya watched them intently, her eyes tracking their departure before she turned back. Did she notice something off about me? I'd better keep an eye on her later, Tanya thought to herself.
"Is something wrong, Tanya?" Emilia asked, concerned by Tanya's silence.
"It's nothing. Let's get my gun," Tanya replied, her tone steady. She walked over to her locker and carefully retrieved her Mondragón rifle. The weapon felt familiar and reassuring in her hands as she meticulously inspected it, her eyes narrowing as she examined every detail.
She had left it unattended for too long in a place she didn't trust, and now she felt a sense of relief as she confirmed that it was in perfect condition.
Meanwhile, Emilia stood a short distance away, her hands trembling slightly as she reached into her locker. Inside was a small silver pistol, a weapon that had appeared on her lap upon arriving in this world. The cool metal felt foreign in her hands. Its weight was a constant reminder of her inexperience. When she first touched it, she had no idea how to use it, but Subaru had patiently taught her the basics. Even so, she still felt a sense of inadequacy as she handled the weapon.
She glanced over at Tanya, watching with admiration as the girl swiftly and expertly checked her weapon's functionality. Emilia looked down at her own pistol, which seemed dwarfed by Tanya's rifle. "Tanya, I'm sorry to ask, but could you teach me how to use this?" Emilia asked as she approached the small blonde girl.
"Yes, I can teach you, but perhaps later. If we run into trouble, I'll handle it myself, so there's nothing for you to worry about right now," Tanya replied, removing the magazine from her rifle and inspecting each round of ammunition with an incredible amount of care. "All is good. I'm ready to go."
Emilia nodded, taking one last look at the gun in her hands before walking alongside Tanya.
The two made their way through the beautiful courtyard of Trinity School. As they moved among the many students, they saw various groups and individuals, but much like in class, they were largely ignored. The sheer size of the school made them seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
"All set! Time to head to Millennium. No way I'm missing the chance to get a Peroro Engineer this time," Tanya overheard one of the girls in the crowd say as she passed by. The girl had a white bird-shaped backpack slung over her shoulder, with a large tongue playfully hanging out of its mouth. Tanya didn't know what the girl meant by "Millennium," but she made a mental note to remember the name.
"Cath Palug, you can't hide from me! Come on, let's fight!" Not far away, a girl with a star-shaped halo was wandering around with her weapon raised, seemingly searching for someone with a lot of enthusiasm to start a fight. This was one of Tanya's worst fears when she first came to this world. Give little girls the power to carry and utilize firearms as they see fit. No child should have or be able to do such, but who was she to assert such a thing?
Tanya and Emilia decided to ignore the girl and quickened their pace, trying their best to stay as far away from any trouble the girl might start.
It didn't take long before they finally ended up reaching the school entrance. "Alright, let's pick a street and go. We'll survey our surroundings for a bit and decide what to do next," Tanya suggested.
"Yes," Emilia agreed, as they both stepped out into the night, ready to explore the unknown.
The two strolled through the streets of Trinity, moving calmly through the neighborhood.
Much like inside the school, Halo students were roaming around outside, many of them carrying weapons on their backs.
However, unlike the school, the streets were populated by humanoid animals and automatons. These beings, much like the students, were civilians of the district and made up the bulk of its workforce. From restaurants to stores, the workers carried on with their lives as if nothing was out of the ordinary. This left Tanya feeling dumbfounded.
'How is it that no one bats an eye at the fact that I'm a child carrying a gun in the middle of the street? There's no war here. I suppose they're used to seeing other students like this, but still, doesn't anyone wonder if it's safe for a bunch of children to be carrying firearms?' The more Tanya thought about the world around her, the more she felt it was some kind of sick joke created by Being X, or perhaps something even worse.
"Everyone seems so happy working together. This is so nice," Emilia remarked, watching the daily lives of the civilians with an enthusiastic smile.
"Did you notice anything?" Tanya asked, curious to know what Emilia was saying.
"Oh, I'm sorry. No, I was just observing how everyone seems to get along here... as equals," Emilia replied, carefully watching people go about their lives.
"I've never heard you talk about something like this before. I guess it's related to your world. Subaru mentioned it a little, but I don't think he fully understands it the way you do," Tanya responded, continuing to survey the people alongside Emilia.
"My world is a good place, with incredible people. But it has a lot of room for improvement," Emilia said with a tired sigh, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she turned slowly to Tanya. "And I want to do my best to achieve that."
"It's a very noble cause, but a challenging one. I'm sure you already know that."
"Yes. I was just happy to see something so close to what I strive for right in front of me." Emilia said as she stopped to observe her surroundings and looked forward to their path.
Tanya nodded, but before they could continue the two were surprised by a loud, thundering sound just from some blocks away from them.
A sound Tanya was all too familiar with from her time on the battlefield. Gunfire. As she looked to the horizon, she saw a small car speeding toward them in a frantic, uncontrollable manner. Inside the car were four students wearing bike helmets.
"Tanya, what is this?" Emilia asked, concerned.
"Trouble. Get behind me," Tanya replied, quickly raising her rifle. She tried to aim at the driver, but the car was swerving wildly as it was being hotly pursued by another vehicle. As the chaotic situation unfolded before her, Tanya's mind raced with doubt.
Emilia quickly moved behind Tanya, trying to mimic her movements as she raised her weapon. However, it always felt wrong, so different from using her magic. The situation left her feeling inadequate.
Should she take the shot? What if the car in the front isn't at fault? What if I miss it because without my magic everything needed to be more manual? All passed through Tanya's mind in an instant as she adjusted her aim trying to follow the chaotic movements of the car.
But before she could take any other action a slender and decayed figure quite literally crowled in front of Tanya and stood on her way.
The figure was a girl wearing a black sailor dress with red stripes. Her hair was a tangled mess, reaching the ground, and even had some stones and dirt stuck on it. Above her head was a halo, unlike any Tanya or Emilia had ever seen. It was blood red and appeared almost liquid, with parts of it even dripping onto the ground below. Her skin was pale, almost like a deceased corpse, and she carried a pair of shotguns in her hands. She stood her ground in the middle of the street as the car sped toward her.
"She's going to get hit," Tanya whispered to herself, watching in horror as the car hurtled closer to the girl. "GET OUT OF THERE! IT'S GOING TO RUN YOU OVER!" she shouted.
The girl slowly turned her face toward Tanya. Her face, like her hands, was as pale as a corpse, and she wore a creepy smile with her tongue sticking out of her mouth. As her eyes locked onto Tanya, she didn't speak words; instead, a series of grunts escaped her lips.
"Is this girl a zombie or something?" Tanya asked herself, perplexed as her eyes focused on the strange girl.
The girl continued to stare at them, seemingly oblivious to the car that was now just a few meters away. Just as Tanya had feared, the car hit the girl, but to both Emilia and Tanya's surprise, the impact didn't send her flying. Instead, she latched onto the car.
With inhuman strength and durability, the girl held herself on the hood of the car, her plan going exactly as intended.
"GYAAAAAAAAH!" she shrieked, her eyes locking onto the bandits with a terrifying smile growing on her face.
"AAAAAAH! IT'S THE MONSTER FROM THE JUSTICE TASK FORCE!" the driver screamed, terror evident in her voice as she recognized the figure before them.
"Deal with her fast! We already have too much trouble back here," one of the bandits in the back seat shouted as she continued firing at the car pursuing them.
"This is bad. Being chased by Captain Hasumi is already bad enough," the other bandit in the front muttered, raising her firearm toward the Task Force member. She unleashed a burst of bullets in her direction.
The officer was struck several times on her chest, but she didn't feel a thing. Instead, her smile widened. With one hand, she raised her shotgun, aiming it at the girl who had just attacked her.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" she cackled as she pulled the trigger. The pellets flew, hitting the bandit squarely in her torso and knocking her out.
"Oh no. Oh no," the pilot cowered in fear as the officer turned her crazed gaze toward her.
The officer let go of the car's hood, and the speed propelled her toward the broken window, damaged from the gunfire. The glass shattered completely as she crashed through it, landing inside the car.
"WE'RE SO DEAD! PLEASE, I HAVE A PET ROCK TO TAKE CARE OF!" the driver screamed in complete terror as her entire body trembled.
"Damn it," one of the bandits in the back cursed as the officer from Trinity Academy landed beside her.
"When we were about to become big shots," the other bandit on the back seat echoed as she fumbled to reload her weapon.
"KYAHAHAHAHA!" Before either of them could react, the officer's red shotguns were already aimed at both of them. Laughing maniacally, she pulled the triggers, taking them out instantly.
"I'LL STOP! PLEASE, SPARE ME!" the driver shouted as she realized she was now alone, defenseless against her adversary. She slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden halt. Desperate, she flung open the door and sprinted with her arms flailing in the air toward the Justice Task Force vehicle that had pulled not far from her.
"PLEASE SAVE ME FROM HER!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face beneath her helmet. "Please, Captain Hasumi, you can throw me in prison just get me away from her!"
The Vice-Captain of the Justice Task Force Hasumi said calmly, stepping out of her car with a face of pure serenity. Like her captain, she had long black hair and a red halo floating above her head, though she was taller, and her wings were healthier. As she approached the bandit, she quickly handcuffed her and spoke in a gentle, reassuring voice. "Alright, alright. You're under arrest," this was something that the bandit desperately needed at that moment.
"Yes, ma'am, I promise I will never try to do a heist like the Masked Mizugi Gang did," the bandit said with eyes of pure happiness, hastily making her way to the Justice Task Force car and climbing inside without a second thought. Any barrier between her and the "monster" was welcome.
"A great job as always, Tsurugi," Hasumi said as Tsurugi kicked the back door of the car with immense force launching away. She exited with the three unconscious bandits in her arms. Hasumi bowed respectfully as Tsurugi approached.
"What about the goods?" Tsurugi asked, shaking the unconscious girls in her arms trying to get an answer.
"I believe the money they stole from the bank is in the trunk," Hasumi replied, but before she could investigate further, she was interrupted by approaching footsteps.
"I can check," another member of the Justice Task Force offered eagerly, making her way to the bandits' escape vehicle.
"Thank you, Mashiro. I appreciate your hard work. Tsurugi and I will secure the prisoners and call the Reminal Knights to tend to their wounds. They may be terrible criminals who disrupt the peace of Trinity's soil, but as members of the Justice Task Force, we must uphold the law," Hasumi concluded, pulling out her phone to make the call.
Two blocks away, Emilia and Tanya watched the entire situation unfold in stunned silence.
They had seen the officer get hit by the car and then hold herself on it far beyond them just to rapidly incapacitate and capture all of the criminals in a small time frame.
Emilia didn't know much about firefights, but what she had just witnessed was far more intense than anything she had ever seen Tanya do.
Tanya, on the other hand, was deep in thought, trying to make sense of what she had just seen. 'Wait, are students the police force too? What's wrong with this place? How dysfunctional is this? Please don't tell me students are the political leaders as well. Tanya felt a migraine building with every passing second. Wait a second. This could be good for me. If students hold this much political power. Well if that is the case this makes things a bit better.'
"Emilia, let's go. I've learned a lot from this," Tanya said as she grabbed Emilia's hand and began to drag the half-elf girl along.
"Ugh, you did?" Emilia asked, both confused and curious about what Tanya had discovered.
"Yes, I'll explain everything to you in a better place."
Church Of the Sisterhood
Sukuraku knelt in Trinity's church, bowing her head for her daily prayer.
'Why did I feel something so strange when I looked at that girl?' she wondered, recalling the small blonde girl she had seen while walking through the school corridors. 'Now's not the time to dwell on that.'
She closed her eyes and began her prayer, but to her surprise, the darkness behind her eyelids began to take shape, twisting into a vision.
In her mind's eye, she saw the girl she had passed in the corridors of Trinity standing beside her, dressed in the garments of the Sisterhood.
Startled, Sukuraku quickly opened her eyes and looked around. "What was that?" she muttered to herself as she stood up abruptly. "Did I just have a vision? Maybe I imagined it…
No, it felt too real." She sighed as she made her way to the door. "If only Seia were here."
Library of Trinity
Ui sat uncomfortably in her chair, glancing over her shoulder every few minutes.
Usually, she spent most of her time alone in the library, with occasional visits from other students and Hinata, who would drop by to spend time with her. But things had changed two days ago.
Now, a small girl has started visiting and staying in the library almost constantly. She always sat silently, engrossed in her book. She had long, twisted ponytails that resembled drills, a bright pink halo, and blonde hair.
The girl read slowly and calmly, without even acknowledging Ui's presence.
Ui wasn't sure how to feel. On one hand, she appreciated the girl's quietness, but deep down, the silence made her uneasy. She was certain the girl had given her and Hinata a judgmental look when Hinata visited the previous day or at least, she thought so.
'Is she a spy? No, even worse, a spy from the Sisterhood, just waiting for me to slip up so she can take me prisoner… or worse,' Ui thought, her paranoia growing with each passing second as she continued to monitor the girl.
"What are you looking at?" the girl finally asked, her voice laced with irritation at Ui's persistent gaze.
The question shattered Ui's fragile composure, and she quickly, almost cowardly, turned her look away, devastated by the confrontation.
'Why did things have to turn out this way?'
Author's Notes
Hello again. This chapter was a little late. It was ready when I started posting the fic, but some exams delayed my grammar check. The next one is ready as well, but after that, I believe the fic will slow down since it usually takes me about a month to finish a chapter.
This chapter marks a bit of a change in the story's setup compared to the previous one. The Konosuba team will be the only group that stays fully united throughout. The other groups will be divided across different schools, which opens up more possibilities for stories in each district and gives me greater freedom to move the groups around. However, this doesn't mean that Tanya won't interact with her squad or that Emilia won't interact with Subaru and the maids, they will, and quite often. I just decided to do such because I feel overall the possibilities to work with the story will be far greater.
Feel free to share your thoughts on the chapter. Personally, I felt it was a bit weaker compared to the last two.