Hiratsuka Ryosuke turned to look at Shinka's triumphant face. She hadn't said a word, but her expression said everything. See, my Guardian Knight! I found a fairy, and she will be the Forest Mage's future comrade.
Ryosuke decided he would just pretend he didn't know her.
Then he heard a chorus of surprised shouts from the students around them.
"Ah! It's the Forest Elf!"
"We found her! And the 400-year-old Mage, Lady Mori!"
"Huh? Who's that boy next to them?"
"Could it be... that man is the legendary and mysterious 'Guardian Knight' from our organization?"
"Wow, that's amazing."
The last remark came from a girl. Though it was a sound of awe, it was completely devoid of emotion. Her voice quickly blended in with the other students' exclamations. The buzzing of their chatter was like the noise of mosquitoes when you've forgotten to light the mosquito coils before going to sleep. It constantly swarmed Ryosuke's mind.
They were shouting a name that filled him with shame. His stoic expression almost broke. He was holding it in with all his might. An organization? What organization?
He didn't need to think too hard, because he knew who was behind this. The source of it all... Ryosuke took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, then lunged forward. He grabbed Nibutani Shinka's shoulders tightly with both hands and shook her violently.
"I told you not to call me that in front of other people! How many times do I have to say it? If you do it again, I'll confiscate your precious notebook. Do you understand?!" he said, gritting his teeth.
Shinka's ponytail whipped back and forth, her eyes rolled back in her head, and her voice came out in gasps. "I... I understand...!"
Ryosuke let go and watched Shinka gasp for air.
He had been wrong. He was so, so wrong. If he could go back in time, he would never have meddled to save Nibutani Shinka. If he hadn't saved her, he wouldn't have this shameful chūnibyō nickname. And if he didn't have this shameful chūnibyō nickname, he wouldn't be in this situation.
The Guardian Knight of the Forest Mage? Heh. You're a menace, Nibutani Shinka!
"Yo, isn't that Shinka?" Hiratsuka Shizuka and Nishimiya Shoko had caught up to them.
Shinka, who had just recovered, saw Shizuka and froze. She instantly switched from her chūnibyō mode to her normal, gentle self. She was ready to greet Shizuka with a sunny, radiant smile.
"Shi..."
"Huh? I feel like I've seen this pretty older sister somewhere before," Yamada Elf muttered, then her eyes widened in realization. "That's right, Mori Summer! Isn't that the 'Iron Fist Demon' you told me about?!"
Yamada Elf's soft words made Shinka go silent and completely break down. Her radiant smile froze on her face, and a cold bead of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Shizuka-san, if I say this is all a misunderstanding, will you believe me?" Shinka tried to explain, hoping to salvage the last of her dignity.
Finding a comrade like Yamada Elf had been a blessing. Seeing her childhood friend Ryosuke after school was also a blessing. Two blessings combined should have made her even happier. So why is this happening?
Shizuka smiled radiantly, feeling as comforting as a spring breeze as she walked toward Shinka, her white coat swaying. "'The Iron Fist Demon?' What's that, Shinka-chan~?"
Oh no, I'm going to die.
Shinka's face turned pale. She tried to make one last, desperate effort to save herself. She gave her childhood friend a pleading look. Ryosuke, save me!
Wait, what do you mean by that step you just took back? I saw that!
"Take this, little girl!" Shizuka instantly moved behind Shinka, squeezing the sides of her head with her fists and starting to twist.
Shinka yelled in pain. "Ah! I'm dying, I'm dying! I'm sorry, Shizuka-san, I'll never do it again!"
Shizuka let go. She only wanted to teach the little girl a lesson for talking about her behind her back. What's with this 'Iron Fist Demon' nickname? It's so mean. I'm actually a very gentle person, you know?
Shizuka turned to Ryosuke, her face still smiling. "Ryosuke, I have a meeting at my school tonight. You don't need to make dinner for me. If you don't feel like cooking, you can go eat at this little girl's house. I'm sure she'd love that."
Shinka seemed to have forgotten what Shizuka had just done to her. She nodded her head rapidly, like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, yes! Ryosuke, come to my house for dinner!"
"Alright, thanks for the meal," Ryosuke agreed.
"Hehe, then I want you to make your sukiyaki! I'll call my mom now to have her buy the ingredients!" Shinka said, pulling out her phone and dialing.
By this time, Shizuka was already in her car, holding the steering wheel with one hand and waving a cool goodbye to everyone with the other. The engine roared, and she sped away.
After making sure Shizuka was gone, Shinka turned and grabbed Yamada Elf by the collar.
"Yamada Elf! Can't you read the room at all?! You sold me out!" she said, full of resentment.
Emily knew she was in the wrong. She had been shocked by what Shinka had just gone through. But she quickly recovered. "My apologies. I was just gathering intel on the demon. We are both beings of light, and we must unite against evil."
"You're right, Lady Elf. Next time, I'll use my newly developed 'Genetic Piercing Lightning Spear' to seal that demon."
By creating a common enemy, it was easier to unite a disorganized group. Yamada Elf had used this tactic perfectly, and the two quickly made up.
Ryosuke glanced at Nishimiya Shoko and saw a deep-seated envy in her eyes. She was envious of the playful banter between Shinka and Yamada Elf. This was something she had never had before.
Ryosuke knew that having a male friend like him wasn't enough to solve all of Shoko's problems. If he was the only one, he would be no different from her mother, forcing his own ideas onto her and causing her to lose herself in the process. His promise to her mother was to help Shoko grow into a healthy, normal girl. To do that, he would need the help of others.
People influence each other. A kind, peer-aged girl becoming Shoko's friend and providing female friendship could slowly fill the gaps that Ryosuke, as a male, couldn't. The most reliable and close female friend he had was his childhood friend. Ryosuke waved Shinka over.
"Ryosuke, what is it?" Shinka asked, her hands behind her back, hopping a few steps to stand in front of him and tilting her head. Perhaps because she had just been disciplined by both Hiratsuka siblings, her behavior was now more like a normal girl her age.
This is a mistake. Shoko's right here. It's probably not a good idea to talk about this in front of her. Just as he was struggling with how to speak, Shinka surprised him.
A lightbulb went off in Shinka's head. She connected Ryosuke's earlier glance at Shoko to his silent call. She understood.
"I see. You can leave everything to me, my Guardian Knight!" Shinka said, standing on her tiptoes and placing her hands on Ryosuke's shoulders with a grand, righteous look.
This is Ryosuke's way of making up for the psychological damage that the demon, Hiratsuka Shizuka, caused me. He wants to bring me a new comrade so that Lady Mori's light can illuminate more lost souls and fight an evil even worse than darkness.This is the understanding he and his Guardian Knight share! The bond that only childhood friends have!
He doesn't need to say a word. Just a single action, a single look, is enough for me to understand his meaning.
Ryosuke was confused. I haven't said anything. What do you understand? Can she hear my thoughts? Is this the kind of understanding only childhood friends have?
Nice, Shinka! You're the best! Everything is in the silence.
He looked at Shinka with a grateful expression, not bothering to correct her for calling him "Guardian Knight" in front of others again.
But what Shinka did next left Ryosuke completely bewildered.
In reality, Shinka walked over to Shoko, unzipped her bag, and took out a thick, black notebook. She opened it to a blank page and scribbled for a moment before closing it. She cleared her throat. She held the notebook in one hand and extended the other to Shoko, making an inviting gesture. She spoke to Shoko in a sacred, ethereal voice.
Shinka's nonsensical words sounded like a celestial melody to Shoko.
"Ahem, Dark Grimoire, Chapter 1, Section 4. A lost angel will one day encounter a mage. As the numbers of the people of light increase, they will eventually triumph over the endless darkness."
"Lost Angel, Nishimiya Shoko, who has lost her power, heed the spirits' call and join the ranks of us people of light!"
Shinka stood with her back to the setting sun. The twilight glow illuminated the side of her face, and a powerful, world-brightening light suddenly appeared behind her.
And the blinding light made Ryosuke's vision go black.
I'm sorry, Shinka. I overestimated our understanding. What are you even doing? Are you trying to infect Shoko, who is as pure as a blank sheet of paper, and turn her into a freak like you?!
NIBUTANI SHINKA!