In the cool light of early autumn, scattered phoenix tree leaves swayed in the breeze, gleaming with a golden hue. The chill in the air was growing more distinct by the day.
The alarm clock on the bedside table buzzed insistently until the silver-haired girl in bed lifted a slender arm and shut it off. The room fell silent once more.
Her gaze was unfocused, as though she were reluctant to part from her dreams.
This is bad… It's my second day at the new school. If I oversleep now, it'll be a disaster…
With visible reluctance, she released the life-sized hugging pillow she had made herself—featuring her beloved knight onee-sama—and slipped out from under the comforter adorned with the same figure. Her small, smooth feet landed directly on the carpet as she walked to the window. Pulling the curtains open, she let the morning sunlight wash over her face.
After opening the window, a breeze carrying the scent of sweet osmanthus and crisp autumn air rushed in, quickly rousing Origami from the last traces of sleep.
"Why did it suddenly get so cold…"
She murmured softly, uncertain whether to feel pleased or bothered.
When she turned around, her entire field of vision was filled with her knight onee-sama.
Posters covered every inch of the walls. Her desk and shelves were lined with dolls, figurines, and standees—all of them featuring her. Even her alarm clock bore a sticker of the knight.
Origami didn't react at all. She seemed utterly accustomed to the sight. Stretching languidly, she walked calmly out of the room and headed to the bathroom.
To wake up every day surrounded by her knight onee-sama… To fall asleep each night wrapped in that presence…
Origami Tobiichi considered it a kind of bliss.
Standing before the mirror, the first thing she saw was not her own face—but the image of her knight onee-sama printed on her pajamas.
"Good morning, knight onee-sama… I slept really well again last night."
Then she began her morning routine.
First was brushing her teeth. Once her mouth was full of foam, she took a large gulp of water from a cup decorated with knight onee-sama's design, swished it around with a few "glug-glug" sounds, and spat it out—repeating the process several times.
Next was washing her face. She soaked a towel—also printed with knight onee-sama—in hot water and brought it to her face.
Incidentally, this was no ordinary towel. When heated, the knight's armor faded away, revealing a rather stylish and tight-fitting outfit underneath.
Looking at the slightly revealing version of knight onee-sama on the towel, Origami's cheeks flushed faintly. Without hesitation, she buried her face in it.
Then came breakfast. Since she lived alone, Origami had to make not only her own breakfast but also prep her lunch bento in advance.
She had put a great deal of effort into learning how to cook.
If I ever meet knight onee-sama again… would she like my cooking?
Such thoughts often troubled Origami.
Five years ago, amidst a terrifying disaster, the woman who had saved both her and her parents—possessing incredible power and the noble bearing of a knight—left a lasting mark on her heart.
In the five years since, Origami had never forgotten her. She had never stopped searching. She wanted to express her gratitude in person.
Even though words would never suffice to convey all that she felt… she still wished to see her again.
Her parents had died in a car accident four years ago, but during that one year after being saved, she had gained so many irreplaceable memories—things that would never have been possible without that woman's intervention.
Later, Origami joined AST. She knew someone like that knight onee-sama couldn't be an ordinary person—she had to be some kind of extraordinary being. Meeting her again as a regular civilian would be nearly impossible.
Of course, Origami had another reason for joining AST: she wanted to help others. Just like knight onee-sama had protected her, she wanted to protect others from being harmed by Spirits.
Once she was in AST, she learned the truth: the one who had caused the inferno in Tengu City five years ago, and who had tried to kill her and her parents, was a Spirit.
And so was knight onee-sama.
Perhaps Spirits were just as complex as humans. There were righteous, kind Spirits like knight onee-sama… and there were evil ones too. That was what Origami believed.
So after her parents passed, she joined AST.
While eating her breakfast and thinking about knight onee-sama, Origami glanced at the clock—and her eyes widened in alarm.
"It's that late already?!"
She hurriedly gulped down the rest of her breakfast, then dashed back to her room. She changed out of her knight onee-sama pajamas into the girls' uniform for Raizen High School.
Even in her rush, when she passed the couch and saw a knight onee-sama plushie had fallen over, she stopped to prop it back up.
"Knight onee-sama! I'm heading out now!"
Still not wearing her shoes properly, Origami bolted out the door—only to return ten seconds later, face flushed with embarrassment, to grab the school bag she had left hanging by the entrance.
The autumn wind carried the scent of osmanthus as she made her way to school on foot. The walk wasn't long, so she usually preferred not to take public transport.
Thinking of the classmates who had asked her to make knight onee-sama keychains or fanart, Origami couldn't help smiling.
It's so wonderful that there are so many people who love knight onee-sama… They're all such good people.
In her mind, anyone who liked knight onee-sama couldn't possibly be a bad person. She believed that wholeheartedly.
Sunlight glinted off the knight onee-sama badges and charms hanging from her schoolbag.
Come to think of it, I'm running low on blank badges at home… and I need more thread too. Better stop by the store after school…
If she wanted more people to fall in love with knight onee-sama and understand her charm, then Origami would have to work even harder.
The only regret was… she hadn't seen knight onee-sama even once since leaving AST.
But she only let herself feel discouraged for a few seconds before straightening up again.
Hard work pays off. If I just keep trying, I'll definitely meet knight onee-sama again! Don't give up, Origami Tobiichi!
Before that fated reunion arrived, she had to keep polishing herself—to become someone worthy of standing before her.
While she was lost in thought, the school building came into view. But a red light stopped her at the intersection.
Origami stared at the traffic light for a while before letting her eyes drift away idly. That's when she spotted a suspicious-looking man.
He wore a hood and kept his head down, furtively glancing around at passersby.
Then he crept up beside a woman who was on the phone.
A pickpocket!
The moment she realized it, Origami's gaze sharpened.
The hooded man stealthily pulled a wallet from the woman's pocket. Keeping his head low, he adjusted his hood and began to walk away.
No one said a thing. Perhaps they hadn't noticed, or maybe they had—but chose to remain silent, thinking it wasn't their problem.
"You there! You stole that lady's wallet!"
A hand suddenly grabbed the man's wrist. He froze for a moment, startled, but when he saw it was a silver-haired schoolgirl, his face twisted with anger.
"What the hell are you saying?! Let go of me—don't get in my way!"
"Still trying to deny it? I saw it with my own eyes. You took that woman's wallet. Hand it over!"
The man tried to yank free—but was shocked to find her grip far stronger than he'd expected.
Their commotion drew attention. Even if no one had noticed the theft before, now all eyes were on them—including the woman who had just realized her wallet was gone.
Origami called out, asking someone to phone the police. Panic overtook the man's face. Realizing he couldn't delay any longer, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folding knife.
"You forced me to do this!"
He looked like a cornered beast, snarling as he lunged toward Origami with the blade.
But before he could even register what happened, he was slammed to the ground. Pain shot through his back as he hit the pavement hard, dropping the knife.
"You're not going anywhere. Give it up."
After all, Origami had been a top member of AST—Japan's specialized anti-Spirit unit. With the rank of Sergeant, she had mastered every form of hand-to-hand combat.
This hooded man had picked the absolute wrong target.
A man in the crowd stepped forward with a phone. "I already called the police—they'll be here soon!"
"Thank you," Origami said with a nod, handing the wallet back to its rightful owner.
Just as she was about to stay put until the police arrived, a man with a video camera suddenly burst out of the crowd.
"Wait! It's all a misunderstanding!"
He claimed they were filming a social experiment to test public apathy. The hooded man was supposedly an actor, and the "knife" was just a prop.
"See? It's plastic."
He handed it to Origami—sure enough, it was a toy.
"Huh? W-Wait… this was a show?"
Her sharp gaze quickly turned into flustered confusion. She bowed repeatedly to the man she had tackled.
"S-Sorry, sir! I didn't mean to—!"
"Haha, it's alright, young lady. You did the right thing."
The cameraman smiled warmly. "You were the only one who stood up and took action. Honestly, you put us adults to shame."
"N-No… It wasn't that impressive…"
Origami scratched her cheek, clearly embarrassed.
If it had been knight onee-sama standing here… she definitely wouldn't have ignored it either.
That was why Origami had acted.
"Don't sell yourself short. This wasn't our first test—but you're the only one who's ever stopped the 'thief' and succeeded."
Then he added, "We'd like to feature you in a special interview, to inspire others. Do you have time?"
"Eh? But… I have school."
"Ah, right. You're a student. That was careless of me… Here, take this." He handed her a business card. "If you ever feel like doing the interview, give me a call."
"Umm… okay."
Caught off guard by his enthusiasm, Origami reluctantly nodded.
She left shortly after, not forgetting to explain the misunderstanding to the arriving police.
The cameraman apologized to the crowd, then began to lead the hooded man away.
People, now satisfied by the drama, began returning to their routines. Life resumed.
But as the two walked through the crowd, the cameraman suddenly slipped.
Smack!
"Ugh!"
He crashed hard to the ground.
Before he could get up, a calm, flat voice cut through the air.
"With acting skills like that, why not go into theater instead of stealing?"
Standing before them, hands in her hoodie pockets, was Melusine.
Her molten gold eyes swept indifferently over the shattered "camera."
"Not just the knife… even the camera was fake. Origami's still too naïve."
Clearly, the man had been a real thief. The "social experiment" was just a backup plan in case one of them got caught—an accomplice appearing with a camera to cover for him.
Exposed, the two men dropped the act and lunged at Melusine.
They had no idea they'd just picked a fight with someone even more absurdly powerful than Origami.
By the time the police arrived, they found two unconscious men stuffed inside a trash bin—and Melusine quietly standing watch beside it.
After watching the thieves get hauled away, Melusine glanced in the direction of Raizen High School, then turned and walked off without a word.