Utaha Kasumigaoka had a habit.
She liked to spend time alone on the rooftop. It was quiet, peaceful—perfect for thinking, resting, or writing when inspiration struck.
Today was no different.
She arrived at the rooftop as usual and sat in her usual spot near the fence. Her legs, wrapped in sleek black stockings, rested neatly together, her hands folded atop them.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two empty lunch boxes lying on the ground.
"Someone's been here?" she murmured, scanning the open space around her.
But there was no one in sight.
Shrugging it off, she pulled out her phone, opened her writing app, and furrowed her brows as she began to type, riding the wave of sudden inspiration.
A short while later, she paused.
Reaching into her backpack, she took out a piece of bread—her lunch for the day.
Her home was far from the school, and to avoid long commutes, she rented an apartment nearby. But after staying up late writing last night, she'd overslept and rushed out this morning without preparing a proper lunch.
Bread would have to do. She was used to it by now.
Without taking her eyes off her phone, she brought the bread to her lips and took a bite.
"Hmm?"
Her expression shifted in surprise.
"Why does the bread feel... wet?"
It tasted oddly like water. She glanced at her phone and noticed several droplets on the screen.
Frowning, she looked up at the sky.
It was perfectly clear.
"A sunshower?"
Just as she whispered the words—
"Pah, pah, pah!"
A sudden splash of water struck her face and even got into her mouth.
Utaha coughed and spat a few times, her face twisting in confusion. The taste was... strange.
Then a chilling thought hit her.
Wait. This happened before.
"!!!"
Panic flashed in her eyes as her body tensed.
"No way... Is it a ghost!?"
Her imagination, vivid from years of writing, spun into overdrive. Rumors often floated around campus—urban legends like the ghost girl Hanako in the bathroom.
And now, two strange, similar incidents?
Her heart raced.
Utaha jumped to her feet. She didn't want to stay another second.
Not even caring about the dust clinging to her skirt, she bolted for the door, fleeing the rooftop.
Nanashi stood nearby, holding the blushing Megumi in his arms.
His expression was unreadable.
"Does this count," he muttered to himself, "as a... unique way for the heroines to get to know each other?"
Wednesday
Student Council Room
There were only two people in the student council room today.
Nanashi sat on the sofa, while Kaguya sat beside him—elegant, composed, and dignified as ever.
Yet in truth…
The president is sitting right next to me… Should I hold his hand?
She recalled scenes from romantic dramas—wasn't this the part where they'd naturally take each other's hands and exchange shy glances?
Should I… propose?
No, no, isn't the guy supposed to be the one to propose?
Wait, there's no rule against it, right?
Ahh! But I don't even have a ring! Should I ask Ai to get one now?
Underneath her calm exterior, Kaguya's thoughts were spinning into chaos.
Ever since she completed her "final stage" of emotional growth, her love-brain had fully evolved into a wife-brain.
Her mind wasn't just filled with thoughts of love anymore.
Now, it was marriage.
Get married! Get married! Get married!
Right now!
Of course, Nanashi had no way of reading minds. He had no clue what storm was brewing inside Kaguya's head.
Still, he had something important to ask her.
"Kaguya," he said.
She answered instantly, "What is it, President?"
"…"
Her quick response left him briefly stunned.
He gathered his thoughts and said, "Can you help me find a building?"
Yes—he was looking for a place to move.
His current house didn't have enough space.
While he could technically use his spatial abilities to expand it, a real, physical house felt more grounded—more like home.
And money wasn't an issue.
He might as well just buy a new place.
"A house?" Kaguya blinked, surprised.
Nanashi nodded. "Yeah, I'm planning to buy another building. There are just too many people at home now—it's starting to feel a little cramped."
"Too many people… that's true," Kaguya replied thoughtfully.
The thought of all the women currently living in Nanashi's house made her realize just how crowded it must be.
Once upon a time, she would've gone out of her way to exclude them all.
But now… she chose to get along with them instead.
Though she hadn't fully come to terms with it yet, she and Nanashi still hadn't officially confirmed their relationship.
"So, what kind of place is the president looking for?"
She had already pulled out a pen and notepad, her expression serious and focused.
The president's request had to be fulfilled flawlessly—no exceptions!
Nanashi stroked his chin as he began to list his preferences. "First, there need to be enough units. A lot of people will be living there."
"Second, each unit should be spacious, with multiple rooms and enough shared space. Some people are used to living together."
Leone and the others, for example—seven of them—were already used to sharing rooms. But right now, even housing two or three per room felt a little tight.
With more room to breathe, things would definitely feel more comfortable.
"As for the location," he continued, "it should have shopping malls nearby and good access to public transportation. And lots of natural light, too."
He wasn't concerned about noise or disturbances. With his abilities, he could adjust vector parameters and aura flows as needed.
In fact, he could even apply spatial protection now, so privacy and safety weren't issues at all.
"And finally…" Nanashi paused. "It should be as empty as possible."
His goal was to purchase the entire building—but it was rare to find a 20+ unit building in a good location that was completely unoccupied.
Still, even if it wasn't fully vacant, it would be fine—as long as most of it was.
He could handle the rest on a case-by-case basis.
"Understood," Kaguya said with a confident nod, quickly jotting everything down.
And on the final line of the note, she scribbled:
No men allowed!
Without delay, she flipped open her retro phone and sent the list of requirements to Hayasaka.
…
Hayasaka stared at the incoming message, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion.
"The young lady is making me work outside of work again… I'm tired too, you know!"
Frustrated, she sighed.
If the young lady didn't take care of her soon, she might have a mental breakdown.
Still, once her face returned to its usual blank calm, curiosity sparked in her eyes.
Find a house?
Could it be that the young lady was planning to move?
Impossible. The Shinomiya family mansion already had more than enough space for her.
"Ai-chan, wanna hit the store?" a girl dressed like a flashy fashionista suddenly asked.
Hayasaka—currently disguised in a similar 'gyaru girl' style—flashed a perfectly in-character smile and gave a casual gesture. "OK!"
This was her undercover identity at school.
She had memorized everything about Kaguya's preferences—every last detail.
Boom!
Bang!
Smoke filled the air.
Flames blazed everywhere.
Explosions echoed through the city.
Buildings crumbled one after another, rubble and shards of glass flying through the air.
And above it all, suspended in the sky—six colossal, otherworldly metal swords.
Each blade shimmered with a different gem, glowing in radiant colors: gold, silver, red, cyan, green, and gray.
But it was the golden and red swords that shone the brightest.
A full-scale battle raged through the city.
A war of kings.
A thick gray mist blanketed the battlefield as powerful bullets tore through it, fired from within the haze.
On the edge of the chaos walked a man with curly hair and a gun.
His name was Tenkei Iwafune, once known as the Seigo Ōtori.
He was the Sixth King, the Gray King, and the Director of "Guardian."
The bullets he fired targeted an elderly white-haired man—but as the projectiles approached, they shattered instantly against an invisible barrier of aura.
Within the heart of the battlefield—
Four against one.
A man with long silver hair and an umbrella flew through the air, enduring the heavy blows of the white-haired elder's fists.
"Wake up, Lieutenant!" he cried, voice strained with urgency, as a punch powerful enough to flatten a house hurled him backward.
Yet his body remained completely unscathed.
This man was Adolf K. Weismann, the First King—the Silver King, bearer of the Authority of "Invariability" and "Immortality."
The origin of all kings.
The watcher of the sky.
His ability granted him absolute constancy—control over gravity, eternal youth, and undying life.
Eternity was his very nature.
That's why the elder's devastating attacks couldn't harm him.
The moment Weismann was knocked back—
A trio of elemental assaults surged forward:
Fiery red flames.
Crackling green lightning.
A blast of cyan energy.
All converging on the white-haired elder at once.
Three attackers joined the fray.
Suoh—with fiery red hair and a short-sleeved shirt, his body ablaze in searing flames.
He was the Third King, the Red King, wielder of "Violence" and "Passion."
The leader of the Red Clan: Homra.
Next to him stood a man with flowing white hair and a white robe, surrounded by a torrent of lightning more fierce than any storm.
The Fifth King—Green King, bearer of the Authority of Change and Transformation. Hisui Nagare. Leader of the hacker/mercenary clan Jungle.
The Fourth King, Reisi Munakata, had neatly combed blue hair and wore glasses. Dressed in a long, formal blue coat, his appearance matched his title well.
He was the Blue King, the embodiment of Order and Control, and the Chief of Scepter 4, the 4th Branch of the Family Registry Division under the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau.
But now, they were all facing a single man—the one even the united strength of five kings could not subdue.
The man had white hair and a beard, a darker complexion, and wore plain yet elegant and dignified robes. His presence alone was suffocating.
His name: Daikaku Kokujoji.
The Second King, also known as the Gold King, bearer of the Authority of Destiny.
The strongest of all kings. The ruler of the earth.