Shinomiya Kaguya: "Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora——"
Amamiya Natsuki: "Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda ——"
"...Fujiwara!"
Kaguya bit her lower lip and turned to glare at the girl behind her who was mimicking her with exaggerated sound effects.
"No more talking."
Fujiwara Chika covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide and innocent. "It's just… Kaguya-chan, your expression was so serious, I thought I'd lighten the mood a little…"
Just now, Kaguya Shinomiya had lost five consecutive rounds.
And not just lost—each was a devastating, total defeat.
"One more match," she said, turning toward Amamiya Natsuki.
A fire blazed in her wine-red eyes.
As a prodigy, Kaguya had always carried a fierce competitive streak. Whether it was academics or anything else, her motto had always been: Either don't do it, or be the best at it.
Same character.
Fair and square.
A level playing field.
And yet she lost—five times in a row—without even putting up a fight.
Unacceptable.
There was no shame in losing.
But if you didn't fight back?
That was shameful.
Which meant only one thing:
She had to win it back—no matter what!
"I'm done playing," Natsuki replied, shaking his head.
If they kept going, Kaguya was going to unlock some tragic hidden achievement: 'One Hundred Consecutive Losses.'
And given how prideful she was, she might just cry in secret.
Kaguya frowned slightly, about to insist, but Natsuki cut her off:
"If we don't head back now, we'll be late for class."
"Huh? Already?" Chika, who had been enjoying the show from the sidelines, quickly checked her phone.
"Kaguya-chan, we gotta hurry! Class is about to start!"
"…"
As much as she wanted to keep fighting, skipping class was out of the question.
Kaguya exhaled softly, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and said in her usual composed tone:
"Let's go."
The three of them left the game center, jogged the whole way back, and managed to return to school just before class began.
The day passed quickly.
When the final bell rang, signaling the end of school, Fujiwara Chika walked up to Kaguya with a proud salute.
"Kaguya-chan, I've already spoken to my friends," she said brightly. "We can start whenever you're ready!"
"Wait." Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "What did you tell them?"
Chika puffed out her chest. "Of course, I'm finding a hundred friends to help you complete the mission!"
Natsuki could only sigh inwardly.
Scary.
Just how terrifying was this girl's social power?
It's been less than a month since the semester began, and she could already rally a hundred friends on short notice?
Was she planning to conquer the entire school?
"…Your friends," Kaguya said, frowning slightly. "That might not work."
"Eh? What do you mean?" Chika asked, blinking in confusion.
Natsuki explained, "They're all classmates, right?"
"Yup!" Chika nodded.
Natsuki continued, "See, Kaguya-san is… kind of scary at school."
"Excuse me?" Kaguya looked up, crimson eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Ahem." Natsuki quickly changed his words. "I mean, she's the Flower on the Mountain."
The flower that blooms high on the cliff—so beautiful, but so far out of reach.
"To most students, she's unreachable. When they see her, they back away like mice spotting a cat. If you suddenly ask them to duel with her, they'll probably hesitate or even panic. That hesitation could disqualify the fight as a 'fair match.'"
Family background, beauty, aura…
You couldn't see them, but they were real—and they mattered.
"Of course, that's just a theory," Natsuki added. "We won't know for sure until we test it. Chika, pick someone and try."
"Leave it to me!" Chika swept her eyes across the room and locked onto a short-haired girl who hadn't left yet. "Nagisa-chan, over here!"
Natsuki looked over.
The girl with short hair—Kashiwagi Nagisa—was the same student who had caught him and Kaguya in a compromising position yesterday.
"Eh? Chika-chan's calling me?"
Nagisa pointed at herself uncertainly.
"Yup, it's you! Come over here!"
"…Okay."
But when she saw Kaguya standing next to Chika, her expression instantly stiffened. Her face paled.
She walked over hesitantly, glancing sideways at the ice sculpture girl the whole time.
"Nagisa-chan, do you have any club activities today?" Chika asked.
"No…"
"Perfect!" Chika clapped her hands. "I need a favor."
"W-what is it…?"
"Kaguya-chan wants to fight. You'll be her opponent!"
…Opponent?
Nagisa flinched. Her face went even paler, mist forming in her eyes.
She wasn't an opponent—she was a target! A witness Kaguya was going to eliminate!
I saw them doing something weird yesterday… I thought I got away with it… but now I'm gonna get silenced?!
"I'm sorry!" Nagisa bowed deeply, a full 90 degrees.
"Kaguya-san is so amazing, and I'm so weak—I don't even qualify as a practice dummy! Please let me go!"
"…"
In the end, the short-haired girl still followed the trio out of school.
She had no choice. Kaguya's icy gaze was terrifying—no one dared say no.
They walked in silence the whole way.
Before long, they arrived back at the game center.
"I told you already," Chika said, walking ahead of the group. "We're just inviting Nagisa-chan to play some games. Stop being so tense!"
Nagisa finally relaxed a little. This wasn't an abandoned warehouse—it was a bright, open arcade. Not so scary after all.
There were more players here now than in the morning, but it wasn't crowded. The machines they had used earlier were unoccupied, so Kaguya sat down right away.
"Nagisa-chan, sit next to Kaguya-chan," Chika reminded her.
"…Okay."
Natsuki turned around and went to get coins from the staff.
By the time he returned, Chika had finished giving a quick rundown of the controls. She clenched her fist in encouragement.
"Nagisa-chan, just play a round with Kaguya-chan. That's it!"
"Um… what happens if I lose?" Nagisa asked nervously.
Natsuki handed her a coin and said gently, "Don't worry. There's no punishment. Kaguya-san is just addicted to fighting games and wants someone to play with."
"Stare—"
A cold, piercing gaze immediately cut toward him.
Kaguya was not pleased.
What do you mean I'm addicted to games?!
Just you wait. I'll win those matches back eventually!
"…I see." Nagisa let out a relieved breath, inserted the coin, and entered the match.
The game started.
And then it ended.
Quickly.
"I'm sorry. I'm too weak," she said, bowing her head. "This is my first time playing this kind of game…"
"It's okay to lose," Chika said cheerfully, handing her a can of juice. "Here, have a drink and relax."
Then she turned to her friend.
"Kaguya-chan, did the mission progress?"
Kaguya shook her head slightly.
She had won the match—but the task bar hadn't moved. It was clear that this still wasn't considered a fair fight.
"Ugh, we're really stuck." Chika pouted and turned to Natsuki. "Natsuki-kun, what should we do now?"
Natsuki paused, thinking.
Then his eyes landed on a group of nearby kids.
He narrowed his gaze.
"…Kaguya-san, brace yourself."
He pointed ahead.
"Your legend is about to begin—among elementary school students."