A memory from not so long ago surfaced in Mahiru's mind, it was her treasured moment. Just the three of them, Noah, Touya, and herself, in the Alden family kitchen. Touya wearing his 'Let me COOK that Tsundere!' apron which was gifted to them by Masha, warming the oven, Mahiru's face covered with flour carefully arranging the cookie dough on the tray, and Noah standing nearby with his usual gentle smile, offering pointers while nonchalantly fixing the disfigured piece of raw dough.
Once the cookies were baked, they'd all sit together on the porch, cocoa in hand, watching the stars as warmth and laughter played in the air.
It was simple. Ordinary. And yet, to Mahiru, it was one of the most precious memories she had.
That bond between the three of them had become their anchor. It was what made both her and Touya want to grow stronger not to chase Noah, but to stand beside him. They wanted to share and accompany him whenever he would go, to walk the same path.
So when Noah left… The pain of loss and helplessness didn't break them. Instead, it became their fire. They trained, stumbled, pushed past their limits, not to prove anything to the world, but to show their big brother that they could walk with him, shoulder to shoulder.
That's why, when Koutaro and the others proposed building a system to simulate Noah, even his younger self both Mahiru and Touya immediately agreed to help. They weren't interested just for curiosity's sake. They wanted to measure their growth. To see how far they'd come. So that the next time they stood before their brother, they wouldn't be chasing after his shadow, they'd be beside him.
And now, on this very field, that moment had arrived.
As the dust settled, the twins glanced at one another. Most of the field had been wiped clean—Noah had taken down nearly everyone. And he? He still stood there effortlessly, not even a single sign of exhaustion. Calm, composed, observing.
"…He hasn't even broken a sweat," Touya muttered.
Mahiru nodded, clenching her fist. "That's exactly why we can no longer hesitate."
They exchanged one final look.
"Then let's go," Touya said.
Mahiru smiled faintly. "to show Onii-chan how far we've come."
----------
Mahiru pulled out the soft ribbon Amane had gifted her. With determination, she tied her long hair into a ponytail.
"Kou-nii," she called out, her usual soft tone turned firm. "I'll be joining Touya. We're going to face Onii-chan head-on."
"Huh?!" Koutaro nearly choked.
"Mahiru-san?" Ayato blinked in surprise.
Amane didn't speak, but his eyes met hers searching, waiting for her answer.
Mahiru gave a small nod as she tightened the ribbon. "Right now, I'm the only one who can keep up with Touya's tempo against Onii-chan's movements. I know I'm not built for direct combat… but I'm still an Alden. I've trained in magic, as well as martial arts with Touya and Onii-chan before. Doing both is something I was born to be able to do."
Koutaro and Ayato exchanged a look, neither knowing what to say but the way she said made it clear: Mahiru Alden wasn't asking. She was declaring.
"...Then do as you will," Amane said softly.
Mahiru blinked, slightly taken aback. She had expected hesitation, a protest, maybe even a gentle refusal. But instead he was the first to accept it.
"Before this all started, I gave you my word," Amane continued, eyes on hers. "As long as I'm standing, nothing will reach you. So don't hold back. Go show your big brother how far you've come. Leave the rest to me."
Mahiru's breath caught for a moment, a blush blooming on her cheeks. "...Amane-kun," she murmured.
"Tch... You've got some guts, Amane," Touya grumbled, eyes narrowing. "Flirting with my sister in front of me? I mean, I was rooting for you, but now... you're making me seriously consider switching sides just to smack you—OW!"
Mahiru smacked his head, glaring. "Stop spouting nonsense and focus on how you're going to land a hit on Onii-chan, idiot!"
Koutaro sighed, his brow twitching. "...You two do realize we're still in the middle of an extremely ridiculous situation, right? And somehow, you still find time to bicker."
Ayato blinked, glancing at him. "...Senpai, is this seriously normal?"
Koutaro slowly looked up at the ceiling as if asking for divine patience, then moved his gaze to Noah who stood at ease, observing them. The moment Noah felt the stare, he simply raised a brow and gave a faint, amused smile.
Koutaro deadpanned. Ayato's jaw dropped. Even Amane looked stunned.
"Senpai… is this actually normal for them?" Ayato whispered.
"Welcome," Koutaro muttered with the fatigue of a man who had long since stopped questioning reality, "to the world touched by the Aldens. Common sense has long checked out since they existed."
Touya and Mahiru awkwardly scratched their cheeks, unsure how to follow the chaos that just unfolded.
"Ahem... Kou-nii, Amagiri-kun," Mahiru began, regaining her composure, "can we count on both of you for support fire? Intervene if things get too dangerous, so we don't lose momentum."
"...Yeah, leave it to me," Koutaro replied with a sigh, giving her a firm nod.
"I'll do my best to keep up," Ayato added, adjusting his stance.
Mahiru gave them a small, grateful nod, then turned back toward Amane. "Amane-kun... I'm counting on you. Watch my back."
Amane offered her a calm smile. "Always."
"Tsk... Ready?" Touya asked, eyes narrowing as he focused ahead.
Mahiru inhaled deeply, steadying the nerves dancing in her chest. Then, she nodded. "Ready."
----------
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly as Mahiru stepped forward, standing confidently beside Touya.
"Oh? So Mahiru finally takes the stage," he murmured, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He adjusted his stance, preparing to move when suddenly, the Force screamed a warning.
Back!
In an instant, Noah spun around. His lightsaber-lux flared to life, ready to intercept. A spatial rift tore open behind him, from Wole-Zain ability and it out came Mahiru's patronus, the Basilisk, its mouth wide open lunging straight for him.
Noah didn't hesitate. In a blink, he disapparated, reappearing in front of Koutaro. His blade was already in motion.
Koutaro met him in a hurry, swinging Signaltin upward. Their weapons clashed in a sharp, thunderous clang.
"Hey there, old friend," Noah said, in an easy going and amused tone. "Still hanging in there?"
Koutaro's cheek twitched. "…Tch. Still have time to act smug in the middle of a battlefield, huh?!"
Taking advantage of the moment the two were bickering, Ayato swept in, Ser-Veresta blazing with heat and power as he brought it down in a deadly arc toward Noah's exposed flank.
Glancing sidelong, Noah with a quick motion, he raised his left hand and using the Force summoned his second lightsaber-lux from his waist. The hilt snapped into his palm, reverse grip, and with a hiss, the blade ignited.
The blue blade met the flaming edge of Ser-Veresta with uncanny precision, the impact sizzling as Noah angled it just right deflecting the attack away from his body.
"Kuh—!" Ayato grunted, forced to recoil.
Noah used the opening to pivot left, slipping past Koutaro and using the momentum to push off. But before he could follow through, a massive greatsword came crashing toward him.
He brought up his second saber just in time parrying the strike with both blades crossed. Sparks flew as the sheer weight of the weapon pushed him back several paces.
"Tch… heavy," Noah muttered under his breath, boots dragging from the floor.
His eyes narrowed.
Noah turned, eyes narrowing as he spotted Mahiru not wielding the greatsword with her hands, but directing it midair with magical control. With a graceful spin of her wrist, the heavy blade rotated, accelerating dangerously fast as it flew straight toward him.
Noah crossed both lightsaber-lux in front of him just in time. The impact reverberated through his arms as the spinning force threatened to break his guard. Sparks flew, the blow forcing him back a few steps.
But Mahiru wasn't done.
She lifted off the ground, gliding effortlessly with a commanding presence. The Basilisk appeared once more, spiraling around her like a guardian beast before lunging toward Noah.
Its ethereal body wrapped around him midair like a serpent. Mahiru's arm moved with it her will and its movement as one. With an upward movement, the Basilisk coiled and carried Noah high into the sky.
Noah's shields flashed yellow.
Then, with merciless precision, Mahiru swung her arm down.
The Basilisk responded in kind, diving from the sky with Noah in tow.
A crash echoed across the field as Noah was slammed into the earth with explosive force.
"...Kh!" For the first time since the match began, Noah winced.
His once pristine shield, glowing calmly at the start, now shone a strained, bright red.
The entire field fell into a stunned silence, as the realization sank in Mahiru had almost landed a decisive blow.
Then the Force screamed again, danger. His instincts roared in warning. If his shield took one more hit, it would collapse.
Noah immediately dodged left, evading a deadly sword slash from Touya. The extended prana blade cut through the space he had just stood in. But Touya didn't follow up. Instead, the Urm Manadyte embedded in Wole-Zain shone ominously.
Noah's eyes widened.
Suddenly, spatial tears erupted around him, distorting the air. They struck his shield from multiple angles.
"Tch—!" He leapt backward, flipping midair as more tears opened along his way. Each step he took widened the distance between him and the twins, finally giving him space to reassess.
He glanced at his shield and froze.
Cracks ran along its surface. Deep, branching cracks from Touya's last assault. The precision, the coordination with Mahiru's earlier attacks, had pushed the shield's threshold beyond what he expected.
Noah's expression hardened. That… he didn't see coming.
—--
"Th-this is…?! A crack?! Noah-kun's shield cracked?!" Minami jumped to her feet, pointing at the field below in disbelief.
"No way…" Kaori gasped, hands covering her mouth. "He's never taken this much damage before!"
"Could it be… they really might pull it off?" Alya murmured, her voice trembling with excitement. "Will Nii-san actually get hit for real?!"
Masha gripped the fabric of her dress tightly, heart pounding. "Everyone…"
"Big brother…" Nahida whispered, her hands clasped in front of her chest like a quiet prayer.
Meanwhile, the Alden elders watched in silence, expressions unreadable. Yet in their gaze was something warmer, pride. They were here to see for themselves just how far the three had come.
Even the livestream chat exploded in waves:
「 [CRACK DETECTED] WE GOT DAMAGE!! 」
「 IS THIS IT?? IS THIS THE MOMENT?! 」
「 THEY'RE ACTUALLY PUSHING HIM BACK!! 」
「 MAHIRU MVP!! 」
「 TOUYA WITH THE W!!! 」
「 NOAH-SENPAI IS ACTUALLY IN DANGER?! 」
Excitement built fast but no one cheered just yet. The fight wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
—-
Noah watched as the cracks in his shield slowly began to heal. He glanced at Mahiru and Touya, his siblings, expressing focus and determination. Beside them, he caught Koutaro's expression of hope.
That alone was enough to spark a mischief in his heart.
"Hey, Touya!" he called out with a grin.
Touya, already mid-stance, stopped and narrowed his eyes. "…What?"
"How about we raise the stakes a little?" Noah said, that same teasing grin stretching wider. "If you land a clean hit on me… I'll give you a reward."
"…What kind of reward?" Touya asked, cautious.
Noah tilted his head thoughtfully, then snapped his fingers. "How about… a silver-haired Russian wife?"
"…Huh?" Touya froze.
Koutaro stumbled, Ayato choked, and Mahiru blinked in disbelief.
At the commentary booth, chaos erupted.
"Pfft—!"
"Alya-chan!!"
"Emergency! Alya's combusting!!"
"Medic?! We need emotional support over here!"
"Awawa!! Hang in there Alya-chan!!"
"So," Noah continued, pretending not to notice (though he very clearly did), "What do you say, Touya? Motivated now?"
Before Touya could recover, Mahiru exhaled in the driest tone she could muster, "Onii-chan… A silver-haired Russian wife? Touya could get that even without your help."
If he only realizes it, she added in her thoughts.
"Mahiru?!" Touya turned, betrayed.
"Kyaaa!! J-just w-what are you saying Mahiru??!!" a certain silver-haired, half-Russian girl screamed from the commentary booth, red-faced.
Noah simply rubbed his chin. "Hmm. That's true…"
"Nii-san!!!"
"Alya-chan, stay with us!!"
"Kyaaa!! Noah-kun's shipping them LIVE on air?!"
"Good for Alya! Alden-senpai approves!"
"S-Shut up, Chitose!!"
"…Are they seriously having this conversation mid-fight?"
"...Welcome to the Aldens."
Peanut gallery please be quiet.
"Just give this idiot a different reward," Mahiru grumbled, thumb pointing at Touya.
"You do realize I'm right here?" Touya muttered, his cheek twitching.
"I understand!" Noah nodded sagely. "Then I'll find you additional wives!"
"Pfft!! Nii-chan?!" Touya shouted.
"Yes!... Eh?...... Eeeeh?!! W-Wait—" Mahiru looked stunned.
"Nii-san"
"Sc-scary! Your expression is so scary Alya-chan!!"
"C-cold?! Why did it suddenly get cold?!"
"A-Alya-chan… please calm down.. Noah-kun is probably joking….. Mostly… I hope…"
"Probably."
"EEEIIIIIIII?!"
"Yosh! Settled then!" Noah said cheerfully. "Let's wrap this up, shall we?"
And just like that, the fight resumed with chaos, matchmaking, and all.
—-
"NII-SAN!!! GO CRUSH TOUYA!!!" Alya cheered from the commentary booth, slamming the desk with such intensity that even the mic winced.
"…Alya-chan," Masha sighed, giving her sister a half-amused glance.
"Wow… she's gone full cheer squad," Minami whispered.
"She's not even trying to hide it anymore," Chitose giggled.
"Poor girl," Elena murmured, watching Alya with a hint of maternal sympathy. "Noah really got her worked up."
"Hmm? What do you mean, Mama Elena?" Nahida asked, tilting her head from Masha's lap.
Elena smiled, gently stroking Nahida's hair. "Well… your brother Noah is probably around 80% serious when he said he'd get Touya some wives."
"EHH?!" Nahida, Minami, Chitose, and Kaori gasped in perfect sync.
Masha trying not to smile. "It wasn't just a random tease. Noah-kun was pushing both of them. He wanted Touya to notice Alya-chan properly. That's why he specifically said 'Silver-Haired Russian Wife.' At the same time, he knew Alya-chan would react if she thought someone else was after him."
Elena let out a quiet chuckle at Masha's explanation. "Noah always doted on Mahiru and Alya. Entrusting them to someone else isn't something he takes lightly. So seeing that Alya likes Touya, even though she keeps denying it, he wanted to pair them together, because to Noah, Touya is someone he deeply trusts, someone he knows capable of protecting the hearts of both Mahiru and Alya."
"And Alya-chan…" Masha sighed gently. "She's always been a bit too confident that no one would dare approach Touya because of her. But she's also never made a real move herself. Noah-kun gave a little push like suggesting there's a rival might be just what she needs to wake up."
"....That's true," Chitose added with a knowing grin. "Everyone already assumes they're a couple with how they act with each other. No one dares to come in between them."
"So basically~" Minami chimed with a singsong voice, "It's just like what happened when 'Hanabi Marionette' popped up outta nowhere and made Masha-chan panic over Noah~"
"That was a horrifyingly wonderful time," Kaori said, eyes dead with a strained smile. "Noah-kun was basically ascending to heaven daily from Masha-chan's barrage of affection. The pouts, the puppy eyes, the bashful glances, the lunch time 'aah~' moments, the hand-holding…..."
"STOP!! STOP!! PLEASE JUST STOP ALREADY!!" Masha shrieked, burying her face into her hands, her ears, neck, and face all glowing red.
"She even baked cookies with little hearts on them," Minami added with a smirk. "With his name iced on top."
"NOOOOOOOO!!" Masha's muffled scream spread through the booth.
Nahida blinked and looked up thoughtfully ignoring the chaos around her. ".......So big brother was trying to get sister Alya to increase her affection output… and also make brother Touya finally notice her feelings?"
Elena smiled warmly. "Perfectly summarized, sweetheart."