«I'm pleased to introduce you to another new classmate,» Professor Misaki Yuunami announces.
Standing next to her is a stunning girl with sharp European features, her long red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her two icy eyes pierce straight through him. Her expression is stern, her gaze half-lidded as if sizing up the room like a soldier analyzing the terrain.
Her body is clearly athletic. Her chest is smaller than Yuzu's but still impressive, and her hips and thighs look almost exactly like Rika's. It's as if she's the perfect middle ground between the two Kurotsuki sisters.
«She comes from the most prestigious high school in all of France. Her name is Chantal Carreaux.» Professor Yuunami continues.
The moment he hears that name, Hakuto's eyes go wide and his jaw drops. His face doesn't show surprise—it shows pure terror.
«As the professor mentioned, my name is Chantal Carreaux. I am honored to join the esteemed Tsugumi High School, and I will do my best to meet its standards,» she declares. She speaks flawless Japanese with a light French accent. Her tone is stiff, her posture perfectly straight, like an officer on parade.
So this is the surprise my dad mentioned last night...? That bastard... I swear, when I get home, he's gonna pay.
«Hakuto, are you okay? You look like a U.S. soldier reliving 'Nam flashbacks,» Itsu asks. He clearly notices the look on his seatmate's face.
«Do I look okay to you?!» Hakuto snaps. Professor Yuunami gives him a sharp glare, clears her throat, and gestures for Chantal to sit in the empty seat behind him.
Without hesitation, Chantal walks to her seat. Her steps are straight and precise, like someone on parade. The air around her is heavy with authority and discipline, and every student in Class 2-B instinctively averts their eyes when she looks at them. When her gaze lands on Hakuto, she doesn't pause; she simply scans him with that same cold, analytical stare, then looks away.
Hakuto exhales in relief, his shoulders slumping. He feels like his back is frozen to a slab of ice. Just having Chantal behind him sends a constant chill down his spine.
♡♡♡
«That smug know-it-all... She's been in our class for one day and I already hate her guts!» Rika grumbles, clearly irritated.
It's mid-afternoon. Rika and Yuzu—clinging tightly to Hakuto's arm—are walking home from school. It's their usual routine: the Narkhalis' mansion is only a thirty-minute walk from Tsugumi, and now they're in the final stretch—a narrow forest path that leads straight to their gate.
«Tell me about it...» Hakuto mutters, still lost in thought.
That morning had turned into a full-blown showdown between Rika and Chantal. It was a battle of brains—both racing to answer the teachers' questions faster and more accurately. In the end, it was a tie, leaving the whole class stunned. Until yesterday, Rika was the undisputed genius of Tsugumi. But now? Chantal's arrival is shaking that title.
The only silver lining for Hakuto? Chantal didn't say a single word to him—not even during break. She acted like he was a complete stranger.
«And who's this...?» Yuzu chimes in, completely out of the loop—being a first-year and all.
«Some girl who transferred from France! You should've seen her—so proper, so composed, with that smug 'I-know-everything' face. And... it's her!»
Rika suddenly stops talking. Chantal stands right in front of them, blocking the path. Her icy gaze is fixed on all three of them.
Hakuto gulps as a cold sweat forms on his forehead.
This can't be good.
«At the end of this road there's only our house! What the hell are you doing here?!» Rika shouts, clearly pissed.
Chantal doesn't answer. Her eyes slowly shift, then lock onto Yuzu.
«Get your hands off my boyfriend, you filthy demonic whore.» Her voice is flat, emotionless, but every word cuts like a knife.
Shit... She remembers me. And Dad must've told her everything... We're screwed...
«W-What did you just call me...?!» Yuzu snaps, her voice boiling with rage. In response, she clutches Hakuto's arm even tighter, her massive breasts pressing hard against him. She's clearly more offended by being called a "whore" than by being called "demonic".
Rika, on the other hand, steps back; her legs are shaking.
«W-Who is this girl...?» she whispers, her voice small and trembling.
«It's been a long time, Hakuto... I never thought you'd change this much. We swore eternal love. And now look at you—surrounded by two little whores from N'raeth.»
«W-We never swore anything! And for the record, watch your damn mouth when you talk about my sisters!»
Chantal shakes her head.
«Your sisters...? Don't be ridiculous. They're nothing but two filthy demonic whores. I wonder... did you tell them about our kiss? About the promise of eternal love we made?»
«KISS?! ETERNAL LOVE?!» Yuzu and Rika shout together, their eyes blazing as they glare daggers at Hakuto.
«We were eight! At that age I didn't even know how to spell the word 'love', let alone understand it! And it wasn't even a real kiss!» Hakuto blurts out, his face beet red with embarrassment.
«Damn it... Those two demonic whores must've brainwashed you with their filthy magic. But don't worry, Hakuto—I'll break their spell myself!»
«I told you—never call them that again. Their names are Yuzu and Rika. Don't make me say it twice.» Hakuto's eyes narrow. His voice is firm; his fists are clenched.
«Or what?» Chantal snaps back, the coldness in her eyes turning into a sharp, defiant glare.
In a flash, Hakuto's right arm crystallizes from shoulder to wrist, a massive sword forming in his hand. Its blade shines like a diamond, the hilt trimmed in gold.
His whole body ignites in blazing white flames—the Sacred Flame.
«I'll make you apologize to them... by force!»
Chantal's smirk widens, her eyes gleaming with challenge. Her body erupts in the same blinding white flames. In seconds, the fire gathers in her hand, forming a sword identical to the one Shin had summoned the night before.
«Demonic whores.»