After enduring several prolonged battles and continuous challenges, Satsuki finally ushered in a genuine period of peace.
The clearest sign of that peace was that she had changed back into her school uniform and returned to campus life.
After all, regardless of everything she had experienced, the role she played in this world was still that of a student.
And in Japanese schools, there was always one major event everyone would encounter—the activity known as the school festival.
The school festival was somewhat similar to an open house in China. In essence, it was a social event meant to showcase one's strengths, and on the day itself, students from other schools would even come to visit.
The content of each school's festival differed, but it mainly revolved around self-presentations by individual classes or clubs, while also encouraging students to develop independence.
For example, students could form groups based on their interests and, during the festival, put on performances, draw live portraits, run haunted houses, maid cafés, restaurants, and so on. Everything was organized and created entirely by the students themselves.
However, if a club failed to attract attention, it faced the danger of being disbanded. For that reason, this event was extremely important to every club.
Throughout the entire festival, it was common for someone to either rise to sudden fame—or suffer complete social humiliation.
Of course, there were also clubs that preferred to remain low-key, or classrooms with no grand ambitions.
For example—Satsuki's class.
Their classroom was covered with reports on the local history of Bunkyō Ward. It was the sort of display that was easygoing yet thoroughly uninteresting.
After all, compared to maid cafés, who would willingly spend time reading entirely unoriginal reports on local history?
As a member of the class, Satsuki was naturally assigned her share of the workload—but for her, this level of local historical research was hardly a challenge.
Leaving aside the fact that she could freely access the library of the History Compilation Committee to obtain firsthand materials most people would never see in their lifetimes, the notebooks and antiques left behind by her grandfather alone were enough for her to recount half of Japan's history with near-perfect accuracy.
However, Satsuki clearly had no interest in that. The Tea Ceremony Club had its own arrangements as well.
As the Tea Ceremony Club's "secret weapon," Satsuki had originally been chosen by the club president to perform.
Though it had been only once—
That day, dressed in a qipao, Satsuki's tea ceremony performance had captured the attention of every member present, causing quite a stir.
Rumors even spread that the Tea Ceremony Club had gained a princess-level figure.
But later, due to her lack of interest and her long absences from classes, the performance had ultimately been reassigned to Yuri.
In truth, before Satsuki appeared, Yuri Mariya had always been the pillar of the Tea Ceremony Club. Her every gesture radiated the elegance and refined speech of a traditional Yamato Nadeshiko. Her slightly tea-colored long hair shone with luster, and despite her cautious personality, she was an eye-catching beauty.
On the day of the school festival.
At ten o'clock sharp in the morning, Satsuki and Erica met in front of Satsuki's house and headed to school together.
Incidentally, there was no trace left of Erica's near-death experience. The incarnation of the Ram had completed the repair of her body within two hours after she fainted that day, and by that very night she had already returned to full vigor.
During this period, the two of them had spent most of their time together. Without ever explicitly arranging it, they both began meeting in front of Satsuki's house. Before they knew it, each assumed that was simply understood—and thus it became reality.
As she passed through the newly built school gate, Erica murmured softly, "In Italian schools, we also hold parties during Christmas and Easter. But they aren't on such a large scale as in Japan. Although organizing something this big requires a lot of time and labor, it also increases the fun. It feels rather nice."
Satsuki smiled faintly in response.
"I can tell. Erica must be the type who enjoys events like this."
Unlike her usual dignified and commanding demeanor, Erica, who now walked arm in arm with Satsuki, wore an expression fitting her age.
"...Though the taste of such events doesn't exactly match my status, as long as the right person is here, they can still become memories worth savoring again and again."
Erica smiled as she leaned closer.
Though it had happened many times by now, Satsuki still wasn't entirely accustomed to such intimacy.
Just as she was about to forcibly calm this Godslayer and restore her usual state—
A rich, fragrant aroma was suddenly caught by her keen sense of smell. As someone with the attribute of a foodie, Satsuki immediately shifted her gaze toward the source of the scent.
Along the road leading from the school gate to the main building, stalls lined both sides.
There were beverage stands selling drinks cooled in ice water. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, grilled squid, crêpes, fried noodles, egg cakes, oden—classic festival foods that someone would always set up to sell. There were also fortune-telling booths, portrait sketching, photography, karaoke, flea markets, and all kinds of other stalls.
It looked remarkably lively, and the students were thoroughly invested.
Perhaps because Jōnan Academy also had a university division, the high school festival had been influenced by it.
Satsuki preferred grilled foods, so she headed straight for the takoyaki stall.
The vendor was a young male upperclassman, making Osaka-style Takoyaki. Since the festival had a performative aspect, he demonstrated every step of the cooking process.
He began by cutting prepared octopus legs into one-centimeter cubes... then chopped green onions, cabbage, and shredded red ginger...
Even the batter was mixed on the spot. The ingredients were simple: water and flour. After combining them, he used a whisk-like device to stir, then added eggs and a small amount of seasoning. Once it reached a stretchy consistency, it was ready.
Next came heating the pan, brushing it with oil, pouring in the batter, and adding the fillings...
With deft movements of bamboo picks, the upperclassman skillfully flipped the batter balls. Once they turned golden brown, he placed them into a bowl.
He then spread a moderate amount of mayonnaise and wasabi sauce on top, sprinkled bonito flakes and seaweed powder, and a serving of takoyaki was complete.
Satsuki and Erica each bought a portion—seven pieces each. With one bite, the exterior was crisp and fragrant, while the inside held springy, fresh octopus. The seasoning was perfectly balanced. Even Erica, tasting it for the first time, gave the young vendor a thumbs-up—though not verbally, because in her impatience she had burned her mouth on the hot takoyaki.
After finishing the takoyaki, the two bought a few more snacks and continued down the road for about ten minutes. Passing through a wooded corner, they arrived at a building known as the Japanese-style Wing.
This place could be said to have a certain ill-fated connection with Satsuki—she had previously fought Ena Seishuuin nearby.
However, due to the intervention of the History Compilation Committee, it was as though nothing had ever happened here. Everything now appeared perfectly normal.
That reminded Satsuki of the tachi-wielding Hime-Miko.
She had heard that the girl had mostly recovered. She wondered where she was now—and there had been no word from her about reclaiming the Kusanagi no Tsurugi.
Eating their snacks as they walked, the two entered one of the tatami rooms.
Today, this was the venue where the Tea Ceremony Club would hold its Tea Gathering—and also the destination of their visit.
"Welcome, you two."
Inside the tea room, Yuri was greeting guests who had come out of curiosity while offering Satsuki and Erica an apologetic smile.
—"Lady Erica, Lady Satsuki, I'm sorry. It's a bit busy right now. My shift will end shortly. Please wait a moment."
"It's fine. This is Yuri's personal time. I wouldn't interfere without reason... Besides, it's nearly three in the afternoon—an ideal time for tea."
For some reason, Erica had recently developed an unusual interest in drinking tea. Perhaps she had been reading something strange.
"By the way, Yuri Mariya, you've all changed into formal attire this time."
Satsuki deliberately pointed out the change in clothing.
Most of the Tea Ceremony Club members present were girls, and instead of wearing school uniforms, they were seated in proper kimono.
"Yes. Since it's a formal tea gathering, we have to dress like this."
Yuri's tone carried a trace of shyness.
Most of the time, she alternated between her school uniform and shrine maiden attire. This time, however, they were all dressed in beautiful kimono. To be honest, the other club members did not seem entirely accustomed to such clothing—their tea-pouring movements were slightly stiff.
After realizing this, Satsuki glanced around the venue once more.
The refreshments offered were matcha and traditional Japanese sweets—the sort of things boys usually wouldn't be particularly interested in.
Yet nearly a third of the guests present were young men. Some were male students from Jōnan Academy, others wore uniforms from different schools, and there were even a few older visitors.
Their purpose was self-evident.
As time passed, however, the area where Satsuki and Erica were seated gradually became the most eye-catching spot in the room.
This was not self-conscious exaggeration. It was simply the conclusion their keen senses returned to them.
Erica, at least, was perfectly comfortable with such attention. One could say she was the type who enjoyed being in the spotlight—or rather, she instinctively believed that wherever she went, she deserved no less.
Satsuki, though already accustomed to it, did not particularly enjoy the feeling.
Several people attempted to approach them for photographs. There were even talent scouts from outside the school—or individuals with ulterior motives—asking for their contact information.
Erica skillfully turned them down one by one with refined rhetoric. As for Satsuki, she did not even bother speaking. A single glance from her Tenseigan was enough to make the would-be suitors retreat.
After drinking a few cups of tea, Yuri's shift finally ended.
When she joined them after her duty, she was still wearing the same kimono as during the tea gathering.
Aside from drawing excessive attention, there was nothing particularly unusual about it.
The three of them went to watch theatrical performances and band concerts, comedic skits, friendly matches held by sports clubs on the field, as well as various exhibitions and booth performances inside the school building.
Following the flow of the crowd, they eventually headed toward the most popular location.
At times like this, the size of the crowd was a measure of strength. Thanks to the Tea Ceremony Club's strategy of having everyone wear kimono, their number of guests had greatly increased compared to previous years. But compared to the packed scene before them, it was nothing.
—"Eh? I don't remember this place being this lively last year."
Yuri was somewhat surprised at the long line of people stretching ahead.
It did not take long for them to discover the reason.
A Chinese-style cat-eared maid, dressed in a sleeveless qipao with a lace-trimmed apron and a pair of cat-ear accessories on her head, was holding a stack of flyers and enthusiastically promoting something.
Erica casually accepted one of the flyers. Printed in large mixed Chinese and Japanese characters were the words: Chinese Cat-Eared Maid Café · Yum Cha Fusion House Now Open.
The promotional text and illustrations featured adorable cat-eared maids combined with a soft, otaku-style aesthetic—hovering right on the edge of suggestiveness. It was full of two-dimensional memes and tropes, directly striking at the hearts of devoted fans.
At least a third of the people present had clearly been drawn here by that very flyer.
"Oh? That must be Lu Yinghua's newly opened shop. He once mentioned to me that he planned to pursue business cooperation in Japan. I never expected him to move so quickly—or to see him participating in a school festival."
From Erica's tone, it seemed she had crossed paths recently with the Hong Kong young master who suffered from gynophobia.
Though cautious and guarded around real-life beauties, he was deeply enamored with two-dimensional characters. The young master of the Lu family truly had a contradictory personality. Still, given the sort of master he had, it was already impressive that Lu Yinghua had grown up relatively normal. Not developing outright fear of women would have been difficult.
That said, the business idea was undeniably successful. The bustling scene inside far surpassed any of the snack stalls or drama clubs they had seen earlier. It could only be described as a sea of people.
Guests streamed continuously into the classroom. At the entrance stood a cat-eared maid calling out queue numbers, and a long line extended outside the door.
Since the café provided free snacks and charging stations, quite a few people had even taken out their phones, playing online games while waiting in line.
The desserts were Chinese dim sum delivered directly from the Akihabara "main store." Responsible for brewing Chinese tea and serving customers was the Chinese Cat-Eared Maid Squad.
They wore qipao rich in Chinese flair—far more daring and high-slit than the one Satsuki had worn before.
With delicious food, beautiful attendants, and an adorable, down-to-earth style, it was easy to understand why the queue was so long.
The Chinese Cat-Eared Maid Squad had been dispatched as full-time staff from the Lu family's maid-themed amusement park in Hong Kong. The customers, it seemed, assumed they were simply female students from the school.
While they waited, Yuri's phone rang. She quickly took it out to check.
It was a call from Hikaru. Since they attended the same school, Hikaru wanted to find her sister and tour the festival together.
With Erica and Satsuki's agreement, Yuri informed her of the location of the Chinese Cat-Eared Maid Café and told her to come here.
Ten minutes later, the second daughter of the Mariya family arrived.
Hikaru bowed politely to the two of them with manners entirely unlike those of a sixth-grade elementary student.
"Good afternoon, Lady Erica, Lady Satsuki."
Erica smiled. "Good afternoon. Hikaru, how has your internship in Nisshō been lately?"
"Everyone in the Kuhōzuka family has been very kind to me. Considering the inconvenience of travel, they even arranged a dedicated car for me, so I can commute back and forth each day without delay."
Originally invited by the Kuhōzuka family as a candidate for the Western Heavenly Palace Hime-Miko, the urgency of requiring her abilities had disappeared after the seal of 'Bimawen' was forcibly broken.
Moreover, after Erica made it almost publicly clear that Mariya Hikaru belonged to her, the Kuhōzuka family completely abandoned any lingering intentions toward the girl.
The three chatted casually as the line gradually advanced. After nearly half an hour of waiting, it was finally their turn to enter the café.