Night.
At the top floor of one of the girls' dormitories in Seidoukan Academy.
This was a single-person dormitory, not only spacious but also exquisitely decorated with a blend of simplicity and luxury. Even the small items casually placed around revealed the owner's refined taste.
The faint sound of running water came from the adjacent bathroom, where someone was taking a shower.
Roy sat alone by the bed, his mind replaying the events of the day.
His conversation with Fan Xinglou had ended in success.
This was inevitable because everything he had said was the truth.
However, since he couldn't provide immediate proof, Fan Xinglou didn't fully trust him yet.
The good news was that she had agreed to his request without hesitation.
In fact, she had seemed almost eager—her gaze so intense it felt like she wanted to devour him on the spot.
Roy suspected that even if he hadn't brought it up, Fan Xinglou would have proposed it herself.
Though Fan Xinglou belonged to Jie Long, training Roy—who was affiliated with Ginga—posed a significant problem. If the conglomerate found out, they would surely come after him. But Fan Xinglou had assured him she would handle it, so Roy wasn't too worried.
Which brought him to the next question.
If he really were to bring Fan Xinglou—and a certain Crimson Princess who had been present at the time, thinking she hadn't been noticed when she had actually been exposed long ago—to the world of Type-Moon, how could he make sure they settled there permanently?
The best solution, of course, was to have them adapt to the rules of the Type-Moon world.
The Crimson Princess was one thing—her figure was top-tier—but Fan Xinglou… Well, Roy shuddered at the thought.
"I need to think of another way!"
Roy quickly shook his head, forcefully dispelling the bizarre images from his mind.
Just then, the bathroom door creaked open.
Claudia stepped out, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Her skin, flushed from the hot water, glowed a delicate pink, and a faint steam still rose from her body. With every movement, glimpses of her fair thighs and the soft curves of her chest were revealed.
Under the dim lighting, her figure appeared both ethereal and elusive.
She walked over and sat down beside him on the bed.
A long silence stretched between them.
Today, she had learned many things—answers to questions that had plagued her, including the truth behind the Invertia phenomenon and Roy's origins.
But most importantly, the secret she had kept buried deep in her heart had been uncovered by Roy.
"...I'm sorry."
Claudia let out a heavy sigh, her voice tinged with guilt as she apologized.
"What do you have to apologize for?"
Roy's expression darkened as he looked at her, his face unreadable.
Claudia couldn't meet his gaze, her shame making her avert her eyes.
"For going after Bujinzai without discussing it with you first."
"..."
Roy fell silent.
He reached out, cupping her chin and turning her face back toward him, forcing her to look into his eyes. His gaze burned with intensity.
"Of course I'm angry about that. But there's something else, isn't there?"
"...I went there intending to die."
Claudia's cheeks flushed slightly under Roy's unwavering stare. Her eyes darted around, as if unable to withstand the weight of his scrutiny.
"No."
Roy cut her off firmly, his voice resolute.
"What angers me most is your refusal to open your heart to me!"
Roy's gaze locked intently onto Claudia.
"I've asked you repeatedly what your wish is, yet you always evade the topic or simply refuse to answer. If it were something trivial, I wouldn't mind. But this kind of wish—if you want to die, I'll gladly accompany you!"
Claudia's eyes widened abruptly, her face a picture of utter shock.
I want to die, you know?
Not kill enemies?
You'd come with me?
What does that mean?
Roy's words short-circuited Claudia's mind, leaving her at a complete loss for how to respond.
Yet, how should she put this?
She had fully expected that upon returning to the dorm, Roy would scold her harshly—berate her for not valuing herself, call her wish selfish and foolish, accuse her of disregarding the feelings of those who cared about her.
Never had she imagined Roy would react like this.
He completely accepted her wish.
Even offered to join her in fulfilling this selfish, foolish desire.
"Listen well, Claudia. I won't tell you this wish is foolish, nor will I say you're ignoring my feelings or Julis's. You've always been strong-willed—you must have your reasons for making this decision."
Roy's crimson eyes remained steady and focused as he regarded her.
"Just... next time, I hope you'll share everything with me. Let me accompany you!"
If there is a next time.
Watching Roy's earnest expression as he seriously proposed joining her in death, the torment and guilt in Claudia's heart melted away like frozen rivers meeting spring warmth.
Her chest filled with the gentle heat of early spring.
Claudia's emotions suddenly grew complex.
She was special.
From the moment of her birth, she was destined to be extraordinary.
As the daughter of a corporate executive, she had attracted too much attention since childhood.
She grew up conforming to her parents' expectations—her mother wanted a refined young lady, so she suppressed her personal desires. Even when she could easily obtain what she wanted, she never used her privilege.
Born as a Genestellar, she was destined never to become an executive. Bearing her father's expectations as a deputy, she strove to excel as a Genestellar—training normally, winning the Phoenix Festa normally.
She didn't particularly enjoy combat.
But she didn't dislike it either.
She simply lived like a puppet, fulfilling her parents' wishes without complaint, objection, or refusal—because they expected nothing less.
She thought this was normal. It wasn't.
As elementary school ended, her father wanted her to enter Asterisk City for advanced training as a Genestellar. Accompanying her working mother there, she intended to observe the city and its students' way of life.
During one duel, she saw Pan-Dora.
The student holding Pan-Dora looked listless, with sunken eyes and a sallow complexion, as if she hadn't slept well for days. Despite wielding an Orga Lux, she suffered a crushing defeat against an unranked student. After losing, she even broke down in tears in front of countless people, utterly humiliated.
At that moment, she saw Pan-Dora smile at her.
***
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