In one of the classrooms of the Clock Tower.
As the bell signaling the end of class rang, Lord El-Melloi II, standing at the podium, concluded his lesson. "Alright, that's it for today's class. Your assignment is to use the knowledge I've taught you today to create a simple magic formation. That shouldn't be a problem for you all."
"Got it! Teacher London Star!"
"Flat, shut up!"
That single sentence silenced the blonde young man in the front row. Lord El-Melloi II then turned his gaze to a blonde girl packing her bag in the corner of the classroom. "Also, Sajyou, you don't need to do this assignment. There's another task for you. Come to the office after class."
Sajyou—Sajyou Ayaka—heard her teacher's words, nodded expressionlessly, grabbed her bag, and left the classroom first.
As her figure disappeared, murmurs began to circulate in the classroom.
"She's still the same as always, that Sajyou. Always the first to leave after class."
"I've never seen her interact with anyone… Has she always been like that?"
"No, two years ago, she wasn't like this. Well, her situation's a bit complicated."
"Don't tell me she has a boyfriend—ngh, ngh, ngh!"
A student had barely gotten half that sentence out when two others beside him quickly covered his mouth. After anxiously glancing around a few times, they released their hands, their faces showing relief. Then, they looked at the student with slight annoyance.
"I told you, you can't just say stuff like that. Who knows, you might get nabbed by the Department of Policies."
"Huh? Why?"
"You just enrolled this year, so it's understandable you don't know. But you've heard about the Clock Tower nearly collapsing two years ago, right?"
The student nodded. "Does that have something to do with Sajyou?"
"That was caused by the big shot backing Sajyou. Apparently, she's considered the lover of an incredibly powerful figure. He's so protective of her that even the Lord's pride gets overlooked."
"Wow~~ That's seriously impressive. No wonder someone as beautiful as Sajyou doesn't have a single suitor."
"After all, no one wants to get taken out out of nowhere, right?"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the hallway outside the classroom.
Hearing such conversations carried by the wind spirits, Ayaka let out a slightly exasperated sigh.
The rumors were getting weirder by the day. Two years ago, they weren't this outrageous. Back then, the Magi avoided her out of fear that Naoki would drop the moon on them. But in just two years, the rumors had morphed into this.
"Who's his lover… that idiot who never came back, not even once, in two years."
Thinking of the person she hadn't seen in nearly two years, Ayaka felt a surge of irritation. Before leaving, that guy had promised to come back when he had time. But he never returned, making her feel like a fool for waiting.
Even if he had something terribly important to do, there's no way he didn't have a single moment of free time in two years, right?
Most likely, he'd forgotten about her.
If she could, Ayaka really wanted to teach him a lesson when they met next. Though she probably couldn't beat him, she could at least land a couple of punches now.
It should be noted that over the past two years, because of Naoki's absence, some world-threatening issues that Zelretch had once asked him to handle had partially fallen to her. That old man even called it enhancing her feminine charm to compete.
Fighting dark organizations, confronting ferocious artificial creatures, rescuing valuable imprisoned Magi… how could experiences like that enhance feminine charm? They only boosted her combat skills.
Oh, and her wilderness survival skills and foreign language proficiency too.
And every time there was a task, Zelretch would have an intermediary inform Ayaka—namely, Lord El-Melloi II.
The office he mentioned after class wasn't his own. It was Zelretch's.
It was a room in the entire Clock Tower that only a select few could enter. Ayaka was one of them, though she didn't particularly want to be there.
Casually, she arrived at the familiar office door. After knocking twice, she pushed it open and entered. Standing in the dimly lit room, Ayaka looked at the old man seated behind the desk. "Is there another task for me to complete this time, Wizard Marshal?"
"Yes, it's in your hometown, Japan. A place called Misaki City."
Without turning around, Zelretch, with his back to Ayaka, spoke while flipping through a book in his hands.
Misaki City.
Ayaka had faint memories of that place's name. It was a city similar to Tokyo. However, she hadn't returned to Japan in years, so she didn't know the current situation in Misaki City.
"What's happening in Misaki City?"
"Tatari, or you could say Walachia, one of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, might appear there in a day or two. Though if left alone, it would vanish on its own, this time the situation is a bit special."
Zelretch said as he closed the book in his hands. "This time, Tatari won't just affect this world."
"You mean, parallel worlds will be affected too?"
"There's a slight problem with the world's axis. It's not a huge issue, it can still be fixed, but it takes time. As long as Tatari appears, that fix can't be completed."
That was indeed a somewhat troublesome situation.
If it was just this world, it wouldn't be a big deal. But if parallel worlds were affected too, the consequences were unimaginable.
"I understand. I'll head to Misaki City tomorrow."
"No need to rush. I didn't call you here just to send you to handle this issue—frankly, whether you go or not doesn't matter. Even without you, Tatari shouldn't be able to do much."
"Huh?" Ayaka was taken aback.
What… did that mean? Then why did Zelretch call her here?
"The parallel world affected is, well, a bit special… it's the parallel world where that kid is. You understand, right?"
That kid—there was only one person Zelretch referred to that way.
Ayaka's face briefly showed surprise, but she quickly calmed herself. "Natsukawa… and then? You're saying this because—"
"I'd be pretty annoyed if my subordinates couldn't focus on their work. After all, useful assistants like you are rare. If you're not in good condition, your work efficiency will be quite low."
"So, go meet him. After all, it's been two years since you last saw each other, right? Consider it a vacation for you."
"Huh—?!"