This world was a world of two dimensions—a realm of anime, light novels, and impossible beauty.
Here lived a yuki-onna who would save a dying person in exchange for nothing more than a few bills and a warm meal.Here walked people like Yukinoshita Yukino, the untouchable "ice queen," who believed that by extending a hand to those in need, one might gradually change the world.
But the same world also held the yellow-haired delinquents who threatened and manipulated others for their own gain…and the girls who endured humiliation and coercion without ever finding the courage to resist.
In the end, whether in this two-dimensional world or the one he'd once called reality, it was always the same story—one side radiant and glamorous, the other stained in shadow.
Still, Hikigaya Hachiman had never expected that even something like the "Elf Princess Support Arc" would actually exist in this anime world.
When he'd met Vignette, he hadn't been that shocked.Demons, angels—fine. Those were just overpowered beings on a higher rung of the food chain.But this "support" thing… this was something else entirely.It was, frankly, ridiculous.
Hachiman stared blankly at the figure stepping gracefully out of the car and walking toward the school gates—the Elf Princess herself.
Her eyes shimmered like crystal dew, bright and impossibly clear.Her delicate, flawless face glowed faintly under the morning sun, skin so pale it seemed to reflect light.Golden hair, smooth as silk, flowed down her back like a river of sunlight, swaying gently with each step.
She was the picture of elegance and nobility—and yet this ethereal princess needed someone else's help?
"System, are you sure this world follows the plot you said it would?"
He couldn't help but mutter the thought inwardly.
Technically speaking, this "Support Series" wasn't dangerous. It wasn't a combat story.But the supporter, on the other hand, often faced serious risk.
Because supporting the princess required relentless, physically exhausting effort—on a frequency and intensity level that defied common sense.Even in the realm of anime, it was absurdly high.
Before worrying about dying of overexertion, though, he had a more immediate problem:How was he supposed to begin this so-called "Support Quest"?
There was no "Support App" in this world, and the system hadn't given him any instructions.Was he supposed to just… walk up to Ailith Tia Edellrind, the Elf Princess, and say, "Hey, I'm here to support you"?
Not only would that sound insane, it would probably get him decapitated by her knightly escort, Aigis Tia Edellrind, before he finished his sentence.
The moment the two elves appeared, the once-orderly crowd of students instantly erupted into chaos.
Fortunately, the Disciplinary Committee had plenty of experience handling unusual situations. Within moments, they'd regained control, splitting the crowd to open a path for the princesses to pass through first.
Hachiman and his companions—Kaede, Suzune, and Vignette—didn't rush in.Instead, they stood off to the side, chatting casually while they waited.
The "support system" seemed to exist because of this world's declining birthrate, which was ridiculous enough on its own. But Hachiman couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that next would come hypnosis apps or time-stop devices.
…No, that had to be overthinking it.
Time-stop abilities belonged in adult doujin plots, not real-world settings like this one.Sure, they were convenient for "servicing the fanbase," but that kind of power didn't make logical sense in a world where the demon realm and the heavens both existed.
This world had rules.There was no way such overpowered, nonsensical devices could appear here.
His thoughts drifted, and his gaze slid toward Vignette standing quietly beside him.The shock he'd felt upon first meeting her last night had faded, replaced now by a strange sense of reassurance.
Still, if he were to pick the real powerhouse in this world, it wouldn't be Vignette.It would be that lazy angel—Gabriel Tenma White—or even more so, her older sister, Gabriel's Guardian, Tenma Gael White, wielder of the so-called Hand of God capable of ending worlds with a flick of her fingers.
From what he remembered, Gael often used her clairvoyance to secretly watch over her sister's misadventures on Earth.Which meant, technically, anywhere near Gabriel was probably the safest zone on the planet.
If only he knew where Gabriel lived…If she happened to be staying in the same apartment complex as Vignette, his neighborhood would instantly qualify as an "Area of Divine Protection."
"Mm?"
Vignette suddenly noticed Hachiman's unwavering stare.Her cheeks flushed pink, and she bit her lip nervously before glancing down.
Why… why is Hikigaya-kun looking at me like that again?
Could it be—like Kaede had teased—that he actually liked her that way?
Then… what should she do? Would rejecting him outright be too harsh?
Vignette, being a demon, had never once considered the idea of falling in love here in the human world. Her first instinct was to refuse.
But Hachiman hadn't confessed or said anything even remotely romantic, so she couldn't exactly reject a confession that didn't exist.Still, she couldn't very well blurt out "You're not allowed to like me!" either—that would be way too arrogant.
Love wasn't something one could control.She knew that much.
So she stood there—unable to accept, unable to refuse—quietly lost in the confusion swirling in her chest.
Meanwhile, Kaede, completely oblivious to the silent tension beside her, was happily chatting with a few girls from her class.
They were still giddy from the moment earlier when the Elf Princess, Ailith, had passed by and graced them with a soft, graceful smile.Every one of them agreed—it was exactly the kind of serene, regal aura they imagined from fantasy novels.
Suzune, however, noticed everything.
Expressionless as always, she said nothing, merely watching.Her eyes shifted between the three standing in front of her—her sister Kaede, her childhood friend Hikigaya Hachiman, and the transfer student Vignette who had just moved in next door.
Her gaze lingered there—calm, unreadable—weaving silently among the three like the faint toll of a bell.
(Sound effect: rin—…)