Multiverse: Library

In the end, the ambush incident faded into nothingness.

The culprit's identity remained unknown, and their methods were nothing special. Even with Claudia calling in the Disciplinary Committee to investigate, there was little hope of uncovering any evidence.

Besides, in Asterisk, such incidents weren't uncommon. Any Festa competitor with a reputation was bound to attract rivals or ill-intentioned schemers looking for an advantage. Even Julis herself wasn't particularly bothered—she simply acknowledged Kaiser and Kirin Toudou for their help before letting the matter drop.

As a result, Ayato Amagiri barging into her room was also temporarily brushed aside, leaving him with a sense of relief.

With the drama concluded and no further entertainment to witness, the gathering crowd began to disperse.

Of course, many had wanted to stay longer—after all, Kirin Toudou, the first-ranked "Keen-Edged Tempest", the second-ranked "Commander of a Thousand Visions", Julis, the fifth-ranked "Glühen Rose", and Kaiser, the thirteenth-ranked "Blazing Star Swordsman", who was rumored to possess the strength of a Page One, were all present. If they lingered a little longer, they might witness something truly interesting.

However, Kaiser and the others had no interest in entertaining spectators. Under Claudia's direction, they promptly disbanded.

"W-Well then, I'll take my leave!"

Kirin was the first to excuse herself, practically fleeing as if unable to stand another moment there.

Julis shot Ayato one last glare before storming back to the girls' dormitory, still fuming.

"Thanks for helping me out back there, Student Council President," Ayato said with a wry smile, offering his gratitude to Claudia.

"It was nothing, really. No need to thank me." Claudia chuckled, covering her mouth gracefully. "I've already contacted your roommate—he'll be here soon to take you back, so you won't accidentally wander into any… strange places again."

"...Thanks."

Ayato let out a dry laugh, clearly embarrassed.

Meanwhile, seeing that there was nothing left to watch, Kaiser prepared to leave.

"I'm heading off. See you around."

With a casual wave, Kaiser turned to go.

At that moment, however, he felt a strong gaze pressing against his back.

He immediately turned around.

"Is something wrong, Kaiser?"

The sight that greeted him was Claudia, looking as composed as ever, her expression filled with mild curiosity.

"...No, it's nothing."

Kaiser scratched his face, confirming that Claudia seemed the same as always—no hint of anything unusual. Yet, for some reason, a strange feeling lingered as he walked away.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment he left, Claudia's usual gentle smile faded into something far more complicated.

"Student Council President?"

Ayato noticed her shift in expression and hesitated before calling out.

"Ah, forgive me."

Claudia snapped out of her thoughts, returning to her usual self. With a calm smile, she looked at Ayato. "You had something you wanted to talk to me about, didn't you?"

"...Yes."

After a brief silence, Ayato nodded.

"It's about my sister."

"I see."

Claudia, unsurprised, simply nodded in understanding. "This isn't the best place to discuss such matters. Let's continue this at the Student Council Office."

Ayato agreed without hesitation.

Elsewhere…

After leaving the girls' dormitory, Kaiser walked along the path for a while before noticing someone waiting ahead.

"Kaiser-senpai!"

Standing in the middle of the road was Kirin Toudou. Seeing him approach, she let out a visible sigh of relief.

"Were you waiting for me?"

Kaiser found her expressions almost too transparent—her emotions were written all over her face. It was amusing in its own way.

"Y-Yes."

Kirin, completely unaware of his thoughts, suddenly looked a little fidgety. Lowering her voice, she said softly, "You helped me earlier… I wanted to thank you in person."

"I didn't expect you to be so serious about this sort of thing."

Kaiser chuckled.

"But didn't I already say it? That level of an attack was nothing to you. Even if I hadn't stepped in, you could've handled it yourself."

"...Even so, I still wanted to thank you, Kaiser-senpai."

Kirin lifted her gaze slightly to look at him—only to immediately avert her eyes again, as if embarrassed. In a hesitant tone, she murmured:

"Back then… choosing to ignore the situation would have been more beneficial for you, right?"

At first, Kaiser didn't quite understand what she meant.

Then, realization dawned.

"You mean, if I hadn't interfered, you might've been injured. And if you were injured, it would put you at a disadvantage the next time I challenged you?"

He saw right through Kirin's thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry!"

Kirin hurriedly apologized, lowering her head in shame. "I know it was a terrible thought to have…"

"It's not that bad."

Kaiser wasn't offended in the slightest. Shaking his head, he replied lightly:

"In the end, I am a challenger looking to take your spot. It's only natural for you to think things through carefully."

"In this city, isn't that just how things work? Almost everyone here is a competitor. There's no shortage of people willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks. The fact that someone just tried to ambush Julis proves that point."

"You're still young. Being cautious is the right mindset. If you were too naive, that would be the real danger."

As he spoke, his gaze naturally drifted downward.

Despite wearing a standard Seidoukan Academy uniform, Kirin's figure was… well, impressive. It almost seemed like the fabric was struggling to hold things in place.

…Seriously, how was that even possible?

Oblivious to the questionable thoughts that had flashed through Kaiser's mind, Kirin finally smiled for the first time.

"Kaiser-senpai, you're really a good person."

And just like that, she handed him a Good Guy Card.

Kaiser wanted to object.

Whether he was a "good person" or not was debatable, but one thing was certain—Kirin was a genuinely kind-hearted girl.

He wasn't just basing this on his knowledge of the original story.

It was her actions that proved it.

As he had said before—

In this city, almost everyone was a competitor.

The logic Kirin had applied to Kaiser also applied to herself.

Julis was the fifth-ranked student at Seidoukan Academy, meaning she was only a few ranks away from first place. She was a potential threat to Kirin's ranking at any moment.

Under such circumstances, the most advantageous move for Kirin would have been to do nothing.

Yet the moment she saw someone trying to ambush Julis, she stepped in without hesitation.

Despite being timid, despite disliking the spotlight, despite having no obligation to get involved.

Despite having an uncle who treated her as nothing more than a tool, someone who would certainly disapprove of unnecessary risks.

She still made the choice to help.

That alone proved just how kind-hearted she was.

Compared to Kirin, Kaiser certainly didn't consider himself a good person.

But—

Seeing Kirin's timid smile, Kaiser suddenly felt like it didn't matter.

"You have a really cute smile."

Kaiser spoke sincerely. "You should smile more often."

Kirin clearly wasn't expecting that.

For a moment, she froze.

Then—

Her face turned bright red.

"C-Cute? T-There's no such thing!"

Now completely flustered, she began stammering uncontrollably.

Moments later, unable to handle the embarrassment, she bowed deeply—so forcefully that even her uniform shifted slightly.

Before Kaiser could respond—

Kirin ran off in a panic.

Watching her retreating figure, Kaiser chuckled.

"She really is an interesting little girl."