Liar, Liar - Volume 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Rashness, Recklessness, and Uncontrolled Mayhem

Friday morning came all too soon.

Today’s Game was scheduled for after class, so I headed right for school, only to be stopped by the exact same crowd in front of the gate again. I recognized everybody in the group—the high-ranking girls in Ohga School uniforms led by Sarasa Saionji. She stood in the middle, shining brighter than the rest.

“Ha-ha! What a coincidence, Shinohara!”

She walked right over upon spotting me, her arms crossed. The other students on the scene watched nervously while chatting with one another. I was already starting to get used to that.

“Yeah, I’m sure it is, Saionji. This is two days in a row, you know. You’re obviously doing it on purpose.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. Ohga School is nearby. Taking this street isn’t much of a detour… Heh-heh! So stop acting so full of yourself, okay?”

“…Yeah, sure. Anyway, I should get going…”

“W-wait a second! You really should listen. Of course, I have no business with you, but I still don’t think you should be in such a hurry.”

Saionji reflexively grabbed my arm as I attempted to leave, pulling it with a notable amount of force. This unexpected move made both of us lose our balance, bringing our faces so close that we almost butted heads.

“??!? …Er… Ahh…”

Judging by how she blushed all the way to her ears, I figured she hadn’t expected this to happen. However, Saionji and I were supposed to be perfect (as far as the public was concerned). Making a mistake like that and then acting so embarrassed about it didn’t fit Saionji’s image.

“…Tssh!”

I did my best to ignore Saionji’s aroma, even as it threatened to dizzy me with its sweetness, and I glared at her. Saionji caught on immediately, dropping her embarrassment and laughing. That’s when the verbal sparring began.

“Heh… Heh-heh… You know, Shinohara, I heard you’re playing another Game today. (G-get away from me a little more. You’re too close.)”

“I sure am. And? Are you scared that I’ll beat your win streak from last year? (N-no, I can’t. You’ve got me by the arm.)”

“Oh, not really. I don’t care about records anyway. But if I have a chance to see you wallow in pathetic defeat, I’ll gladly take it. I’ll be in the audience during the Game later. You better treat that as an honor! (Ughh… All right. But don’t touch me anywhere weird or I’ll be real mad!)”

“An honor? Heh. Sure. I’m excited that a rich, intelligent Six Star girl will be spectating. It’s practically moving me to tears. (What guy would dare try anything in public like this? He’d have to be God.)”

“…! You are truly a despicable person… All right. I’m going to bring the fanciest camera I can find. I need to make sure I capture the moment that creepy grin gets wiped off your face. (Yeah, fair point…but I’m really tired, and it’s all your fault, Shinohara. Take responsibility for it!)”

“Oh yeah? Nice. You’re like my personal photographer. If LNN asks to interview me, I’ll send them to you for photos. (Responsibility? How?)”

“Hmph! Go ahead, bark at me all day while you can. Any article written about you will be forgotten by next week. (Hmm… Well, how about you try to annoy me as much as you can to help wake me up?)”

“Huh. Isn’t that what’s happened to you? (What? Really? Ugh…)”

We loudly argued at each other to keep up appearances while holding a completely different conversation at the same time, one we took part in while moving our mouths as little as possible. That much, at least, wasn’t a problem. But:

Annoy her as much as I can…? She sure isn’t making this easy.

I glanced at Saionji’s face. She wore an excited grin, and it was obvious she looked forward to what I’d say next. One corner of her pink lips curled up, and her arms were crossed in front of her, which accentuated a certain part of her anatomy…

Hmm?

“…? What, Shinohara?”

The fact that I couldn’t help but compare her to Himeji probably had a lot to do with it, but Saionji’s chest seemed pretty small to me. And she had requested I try annoying her. If she nursed a complex about it, then it was a good target…

I guess I might as well try.

“Well, I’m a Seven Star, so it doesn’t matter to me, but if you want to get back in the news, you better start drinking your milk every morning. Your breasts could use the help.”

“ ”

The moment I voiced the words, Saionji’s entire body went rigid. At least, that’s how it seemed initially. Close inspection revealed that her arms were trembling. She still had a smile on her face—we were still before an audience, after all—but resentful hatred burned in her eyes.

“I—I am in the news. Every single day… And I actually pad these out a bit already!”

“Um… Saionji?”

“…! Never mind. It’s nothing. I promise. But thanks for that lovely morning greeting, Shinohara. I think I’m going to have a great day now!”

“Great. That’s good, I guess?”

“It is,” Saionji replied with a snort. She turned around, waving a spiteful arm at me. She turned her attention to the audience for a moment, looking…resentful. Or perhaps the way her brow was furrowed suggested concern. She’d asked me to provoke her, but maybe I had gone too far.

What was I supposed to do?!

I was left thoroughly confused… All I’d done was follow Saionji’s instructions. She’d had no right to attack me. Setting that aside, I looked where she’d glanced at for a moment before leaving.

Was she watching that guy?

My gaze stopped on a male student standing a slight distance from the audience. He wore a gaudy jet-black cloak over his uniform, which gave him a decidedly abnormal air. His grim eyes were fixed on me, as though evaluating my worth. He disappeared into the crowd after a beat, yet his unique presence and the curious way Saionji had reacted to him engrained him in my memory.

“…A guy in a cloak?”

Class 2-A was between periods, so I decided to inquire with Tatara about the boy I’d seen earlier.

“Yeah. A black cloak. I spotted him earlier today. It seems like an unusual thing to wear around town.”

“Oh, right, right! Yeah, Kugasaki does stick out a lot.”

“Kugasaki? So that’s him, huh? Do you know him, Tatara?”

“No, not at all, but Kugasaki’s notorious. Seiran Kugasaki’s his full name. He’s a high school third-year at Otowa School in the Eighth Ward. Just about everyone on the island knows him.”

“Wow… Why’s he so famous?”

“Well…”

“Because he’s a Five Star. With a Unique Star, too.”

Tsuji had sidled up to us when I wasn’t paying attention, and he answered before Tatara could. Tatara scowled at him, but it didn’t stop Tsuji from continuing.

“Kugasaki’s known around the island as the best Otowa School has to offer. He doesn’t stand out as much as you do, Shinohara, but even a Five Star’s a one-in-a-thousand elite. He picked up a blue Unique Star a couple of months ago. A lot of people place him equal to a Six Star now. Plus, there’s a lot of stories about him. Legends, more like.”

“Oh, totally! For example, I heard he’s achieved perfect scores on every single test he’s taken since entering Otowa. Oh, and he’s supposed to be the leader of an unsanctioned city patrol group!”

“Yeah, the Self-Styled Holy Knights. It’s a group Kugasaki founded during his first year of high school. It was nothing big at first, but now it’s got over three hundred members. That’s likely one of the biggest of the unofficial student groups. That Kugasaki practically breathes charisma.”

“Yeah, he looks like a weirdo, but he’s pretty popular. Oh, also, he’s got a pretty funny nickname. They call him the Phoenix.”

“…The Phoenix?”

I raised an eyebrow. Tsuji chuckled.

“Yeah, the Phoenix. Like I said, Kugasaki’s incredibly sharp, so he’s always had a fan base… However, something happened that made his popularity skyrocket. Around this time last year, Sarasa Saionji, who was brand new to the island back then, picked him as her first Game opponent. He was the first guy to lose to her, and ever since…he’s been madly in love with her.”

“Huh? Even though he lost?”

“Actually, it’s because he lost. It was a first for him, and he got totally addicted to the feeling.”

“…”

“You know how every genius has a weird habit? Well, that’s his. Anyway, he’s totally obsessed with the Empress. So much so that despite all of Kugasaki’s achievements, rumor has it that he’s not very well liked at his own school.”

“Yeah, and it’s probably true. Since last April, he’s really only played Games against the Empress. He knows his star total goes down when he loses, too…”

“Right. If he’d just pick someone else now and then, he’d be a Six Star for sure. He’s completely fixated. He doesn’t know when to give up. And that’s what earned him his Phoenix nickname. After hearing all that, you’d probably think Kugasaki’s a nutcase, yet he hasn’t dropped in rank. Why? Because every time he loses to the Empress and goes down to Four Star status, he immediately wins in another Game to return to five. Ha-ha! I feel bad for the Empress, having a freak like him hounding her.” Tsuji shrugged and laughed at the insanity.

“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “That sure sounds rough.” Internally, I was thinking something else entirely.

Seiran Kugasaki’s that talented? …Uh-oh.

That post he’d made, his obsession with the Empress… Seiran Kugasaki was so in love with Saionji’s strength that he repeatedly challenged her to Games. That wasn’t exactly wrong on its own, but I couldn’t let this slide considering the relationship Saionji and I had. If she lost, I’d be done for, too.

Plus, I’m sure Saionji’s a lot more vulnerable without the red star. That’s on me, so I’d like to do something about it…but what?

I fell into deep, silent thought. I could leverage my current position in some way. That wasn’t the kind of action I should take lightly, yet I couldn’t shake the memory of Saionji’s anxious look from that morning.

Hmm. Well, we’re partners now. It’s a hassle, but I guess I should be proactive.

I retrieved my device from my pocket and got to work setting things up.

I received a voice chat request from Himeji partway through my lunch break. Following her instructions through my earpiece, I left the classroom for the roof to escape the public eye. The roof was typically closed off (she’d hacked the lock on the door), so we’d be able to speak undisturbed while I was up there.

“First, Master, allow me to outline the upcoming event. The Game you’ll be playing today is called ‘Sturm und Drang.’”

“Right. It’s a one-hundred-meter race, you said.”

“That is correct. The two players start at the same time, and whoever reaches the finish line first wins. It’s very simple, but there’s a twist—there are no rules about how you transport yourself to the goal.”

“No rules…? So I can use a car or a skateboard or whatever else I want? I’m assuming there’s more to it than that, but…”

“Very observant, Master. The record time for this Game is in the one-second range.”

“…What?! One second? That’s impossible.”

“It makes sense that you are surprised, Master. You haven’t been on this island for very long. However, I believe you’re aware that Games on the Academy are accompanied by unique add-ons called Abilities.”

“S-sure… I know that, but…”

Abilities was the catchall term for specialized apps designed to give you an edge in Games. I’d won the Game of Fifty-Fifty the day before via hacking alone, so we hadn’t discussed Abilities at all for that one, but:

“…You’re saying I can use an Ability to beat a guy who can go a hundred meters in a second or so?”

“In essence, I am, yes.” Himeji took a breath. “Abilities can be broadly divided into three categories: attack, defense, and support. Attack Abilities can function as the core of your offensive strategy or interfere with your opponent’s moves. Defense Abilities prevent your opponent from getting in your way, and support Abilities rewrite Game-oriented data or aid your attack Abilities. Players must decide in advance which Abilities they’ll bring to a Game.”

“Okay…and I can have up to three per Game, right?”

“Right. For example, your opponent today will likely use two attack and one support Ability to orient herself entirely for speed. That’s not guaranteed, of course, but we have no record of her using any other Ability set, so I think it’s safe to count on that.”

“You did all the analysis work for me, huh? And I guess that’s what we’re basing our tactics on.”

“Exactly, Master. It will be a choice between prioritizing blocking your opponent or improving your race time. Coming up with the most suitable mix of Abilities for the situation lies at the very core of Games. Read things incorrectly, and it could spell your defeat.”

“…Got it,” I whispered solemnly with a nod. Although it was technically a one-hundred-meter dash, the crux of this match was correctly reading the opponent’s Abilities. We needed to know my opponent’s plan. I wasn’t allowed to lose.

I could come up with a few ideas…but I’m sure I don’t need to.

From how Himeji spoke, I assumed the Company had already devised a surefire strategy. I could weigh my choices after I heard Himeji’s ideas.

She cleared her throat adorably.

“So, regarding our tactics…”

The Fourth Ward’s Principal Athletic Field was a large space for interward events. Two thousand or so passionate spectators occupied the stadium around it. There were enough seats for five thousand, so it could hardly be called a full house, but having so many show up for a single Game was a good indication of how invested people were.

Judging by the uniforms I saw, a lot of people had come from other wards to catch this event. I stood on the field, encircled by the massive audience, facing down another student.

“Three, two, one…zero! Time’s up!!”

“““Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”””

The announcement rose into the sunny sky, answered by an incredibly enthusiastic audience. My opponent wasn’t talking, and I certainly wasn’t. I sighed a bit as I turned toward the source of the voice, a cheerful student with a hand on her headset mic.

“The moment is finally here! It’s time to dive into the main event…but before we do, I want to talk to you guys for juuuuust a little bit longer! Is that all right?!”

“““Yeaaaaaaaaahh!!”””

“Thanks for that enthusiastic reply! Okay, in that case, it’s time for some introductions! I’m Suzuran Kazami, part of the Academy-sanctioned Libra organization!”

“““Wooooooooooooo!!”””

This mysterious girl formed a sideways peace sign with her fingers as she gave her name, then she waved in all directions.

The “Libra organization” she’d mentioned was a large group governed by LNN, the news app Tatara had introduced me to. It was mainly involved in gathering news, covering all the assorted events around the island, and providing daily reports. But Libra had another purpose as well. Namely, pitching in during events like this.

Large-scale Games often required referees and support staffers, depending on the challenge. Normally, the participants would be responsible for finding aid, but Libra occasionally stepped in as well. Since its members helped staff and run an event, they had on-the-field reporting access without anyone getting in their way. And with Games like this grabbing lots of attention, the Libra reporters who worked the mics at these events could apparently become celebrities in their own right.

“Thank you! Heh-heh! You’re making me so ticklish from all the good vibes you’re giving me!”

The girl carrying on in front of me commanded the crowd’s attention expertly.

Suzuran Kazami was a Three Star from the Third Ward, just like Saionji, and thus she wore an Ohga School uniform…at least, in theory. It was so rumpled and worn that it was initially difficult to tell. Her thighs were on full display beneath a skirt cut as short as possible, and there was a band pinned to the top of her right arm that had ACE REPORTER! written on it. Her chestnut-brown hair came down below her shoulders and sprang out at the bottom, undoubtedly because of the cap she was wearing. Her voice and mannerisms were super contrived, but all the dynamic gimmickry worked so well that it was almost miraculous.

After warming up the audience some more, Kazami gave my opponent and me a broad smile.

“Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for! Let’s meet our two competitors!”

Kazami walked past me and up to my opponent. A camera crew adjusted its aim, following her lead. That’s right, given the size of the arena, a full video crew had been deployed for this event. Our Game was being broadcast on the screens placed here and there in the stands, and it was apparently streaming in real time on ITube (short for “island tube”), Libra’s official app. Knowing this, I went in without my earpiece, just in case.

I’m not a fan of being cut off from Himeji… I better brace myself.

I nodded slightly while securing my resolve. Meanwhile, Kazami introduced the challenger.

“First, the Raider! A third-year student from the Eleventh Ward, here’s Haru Urasaka! She’s a Three Star whose hobbies include visual kei music bands and road-tripping, and she’s bringing that punk-rock style to the field today!”

“…Hey.”

The girl across from me hesitated a bit before answering, perhaps overwhelmed by Kazami’s sheer energy. She was dressed…well, dark. Her short black hair had red-dyed streaks, presumably a nod to her visual kei fandom. Instead of a school uniform, she was dressed in a stylish all-black outfit that would fit perfectly in a music venue.

Kazami spoke at length about Urasaka’s bio, eliciting applause from the audience. Then she turned around with crazy, dynamic flair and ran over to me.

“And over here is today’s Keeper, the guy who reached Seven Star status in record time—Hiroto Shinohara! He’s a second-year high schooler at Eimei and a new face on the island who only arrived three days ago! He’s won two Games in two days, setting the entire Academy ablaze with excitement! Will we see more magic from this almighty king today?! All right, Shinohara, tell us how you’re approaching today’s Game!”

“How I’m approaching it? Uh…”

Kazami thrust the mic dangerously close to my mouth and awaited my response. I quietly shook my head and tried to look as serious as possible.

“I don’t need an approach. I’m going to win no matter what.”

“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh! So in his element! So much confidence! The kind of ‘my way or the highway’ arrogance that epitomizes a Seven Star! Shinohara’s not going to disappoint us today!”

Kazami kept on ranting and raving, the excitement making her cheeks red. I cast my eyes aside, acting like I didn’t care at all, although internally, I suffered from how embarrassing this was. I knew I’d regret what I’d said for the rest of my life. This lie forced me to act like a jerk in public.

At least nobody’s making fun of me for it…

“All right! Now I’d like to introduce today’s special guest!”

As if in response to my foolish thought, Kazami raised her hand. One of the doors opened to reveal a female student. She scowled upon catching sight of me, but once she was closer to the mic, she gave us an elegant bow.

“Hello, I’m Sarasa Saionji. I bet a lot of people think it’s a given that Shinohara will win. But as far as I know, there’s no such thing as a true given in this sport. It’s a hollow statement. So I’m looking forward to seeing the result of today’s match, just like everyone else… Heh-heh! Make it a good one, please.”

“““Whoooooaaaaaaaoooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!”””

The excitement was almost frightening. Saionji cut an imposing, charming figure. It was easy to understand why she was so popular. Strangely, she kept her gaze trained on me. I’m sure her speech was meant to deride me. In fact, she looked ready to laugh in my face at any moment.

That girl…!

“Okay! My classmate Sarasa Saionji will be joining me, Suzuran Kazami, in the broadcast booth today!”

Kazami, oblivious to the tension between Saionji and me, gave a signal to the crew filming us, then walked toward my opponent.

“All right, Urasaka, remind the audience what Game we’re playing!”

“Mm… Sure. I challenged Shinohara to a Sturm und Drang today.”

At that, the screens around the arena displayed the Game title, accompanied by a loud booming sound. Kazami looked at them, then turned back to Urasaka.

“Sturm und Drang! So cool! And what kind of Game is it?”

“Well…basically, it’s a short-distance race. We’ll use the track here, and me and Shinohara will stage a one-hundred-meter dash. That’s all.”

“So simple! And sometimes, simplicity is the best policy! Doesn’t that give you a physical disadvantage, though, Urasaka?”

“Not necessarily. Because, you know…in this one-hundred-meter race, anything goes.”

She smirked a bit, and a moment later, our devices and the screens around us displayed the rules for Sturm und Drang.

• Both players must travel the hundred meters between the start and finish lines.

• A referee (Suzuran Kazami of Libra) will give the starting signal. Whoever reaches the finish line first is the winner.

• However, this is no typical one-hundred-meter race. Anything goes—in other words, you can use any method you like to reach the finish.

“…”

I examined the rules one more time and nodded. Himeji and I had discussed what to do already. Nothing could faze me now.

Kazami waved a balled fist in the air. “A one-hundred-meter race where anything goes! So exciting! Way too exciting! Would you tell us why you chose this Game, Urasaka?!”

“It’s basically because I think I can win it… Heh! And Shinohara probably knows this, but I’ll say it anyway. My fastest time at this Game is under two seconds.”

“Under two seconds! It’s almost beyond comprehension! How will our one and only Seven Star respond to this challenge…?!”

Urasaka looked rather proud of her record. Kazami, the mouthpiece for the crowd, brought the mic to me, and I played it cool.

“‘Respond’? Well…I mean, so what?”

“…! Wh-what, so you’re saying you’re faster than me?”

“I guess? Why even bother asking? You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Oh, okay. Stick to your act, I guess. I’m confident no one can beat me when it comes to speed.”

Urasaka sounded relaxed, but she replied with real fire in her eyes.

Honestly, I believed her. She had the guts to challenge a Seven Star to a Game, after all. Unfortunately for her, that didn’t count for anything.

“Well, that’s good news for me. Because I’m sure of my speed, that I’ll beat you, and everything else, too.”

I flashed my most triumphant smile, letting my ego do the talking.

I was ready to start the Game immediately, but we were afforded some prep time. The Libra crew put pin mics on Urasaka and me as they set up an impromptu commentator booth.

By the time Urasaka finished getting her mode of transport ready and donned a sensible riding jacket, I was beginning to regret all my big talk.

“Like the announcer said, my hobbies are visual kei bands and road-tripping. However, I’d like to add one more… I’m good at tuning these, not just riding them.”

She seemed pleased with herself, standing beside her motorcycle. It wasn’t just a scooter; this was a big hunk of iron that could seat three Urasakas comfortably. Presumably, she’d detailed it herself, because it was black from head to tail with flashy red lines running across it.

“L-look at this! We’ve got a snarling monster here, people!”

I kept silent, but I understood why Kazami was so worked up. I’d reviewed Urasaka’s Game history during my strategy meeting with Himeji, but she’d never used a machine as monstrous as this one. She was supposed to bring out her favorite heavily modified e-bike and combine it with some Abilities to maximize its acceleration.

Urasaka played it supremely cool as she took in my and Kazami’s reactions.

“This baby’s making its debut today. I wanted a big audience to show it off.”

“Its first outing! Wow! So you’ve never used this before?”

“Nope. I’m in my final year, and I was born in April, so I turned eighteen last week. That means I just got my full license, so I can break out the big guns now.”

“…Oh? Can you really get a new license that quickly?”

“Uh… Let’s not sweat the small stuff. I have it right here!”

Urasaka hurriedly retrieved her license, pointing at the photo on it. The card seemed real enough, but after I spotted that the printed date of birth in the upper right corner would make her nineteen, it dawned on me. She’d been held back a year at some point. To keep that a secret, this girl had refrained from riding her motorcycle in public for the past year. No wonder we had no record of it.

I don’t think she did this to catch me off guard…but it’s still an unexpected change. Will I be okay?

The strategy Himeji and I had devised wouldn’t be too affected because Urasaka had chosen a different vehicle. However, what if this motorcycle turned out to be special somehow? There was no way to tell.

“…Anyway, with this bike, I can go faster than ever. Shinohara won’t catch me, and neither will anyone else. Today…I’m gonna be the wind.”

With that, Urasaka mounted her motorcycle. She placed her device into a small slot between the handlebars, then popped on her helmet. “Let me get this warmed up,” she said before driving around the track.

To fill time, Kazami took up the mic again. “All right, we’ll be going into the Game very soon! How’s it looking to you, Sarasa?”

“Hmm, well, I think that bike tells the whole story. In a battle of pure speed, Urasaka has a clear advantage. We’ll have to wait and see what Abilities Shinohara will use to counter, but…”

“But?”

“…We’ll just have to be patient. If someone challenged me to this Game, I’d definitely install an Ability that interfered with my opponent. That would be the best bet, and I think it would make it easier to win. Still…I have a bad feeling about this Game. Clearly stating that ‘anything goes’ is a little suspicious to me… It’s like we’re being led on. Maybe that’s just me, though. I’ve never thought too hard about this Game before.”

“Hmm, I see… So we might bear witness to a double cross of some sort? Now things are getting interesting!”

Kazami met Saionji’s cold analysis with her usual bubbly excitement. I couldn’t tell how “interesting” this would get, but Saionji’s commentary was perfectly sensible. The phrase anything goes suggested messing with the opponent. If this was Urasaka’s way of baiting me into trying something, then I had to anticipate she’d respond with a counter.

Despite knowing that, I approached the starting line calmly and on my own two feet.

“Uh… He’s walking?”

“Is—is Shinohara attempting to beat a motorcycle on foot?!”

I would compete with no vehicle whatsoever, confusing the commentators and the crowd. I offered them no reaction, instead watching Urasaka drive around and rev her engine.

According to the Company’s analysis, Urasaka mainly relied on an Ability called Unlock Speed Limit. As the name suggested, it shut off all limiters, allowing her to ignore the top speeds of any car or bike so she could accelerate as much as she wanted. It was a real gray-zone Ability, one that could be treated as a rule infraction if used wrong, but it was a proven performer.

As for Urasaka’s other two Abilities, her default selections in past Games had been Acceleration and Safety Device. Together with Unlock Speed Limit, they formed a classic attack/attack/support trio. The kind Himeji had talked about.

If she goes with that group this time, too, she won’t have a defense Ability, keeping her from responding to anything I try.

While I thought about that, Urasaka returned, having finished her warm-up. She stopped the bike beside me, removed her helmet, and gave me a deliberate sneer.

“Hey. What was that you mentioned about having a bad feeling about this?”

“Saionji said that, not me…although I agree with her.”

“Oh? You’re more perceptive than I thought. You should be worried.”

Urasaka looked down at me from her seat, smiling even harder.

“My Abilities are locked in now, so I’ll go ahead and reveal them to you. I’m using Cancel Interference as a protective measure against you, Shinohara. That’s a defense Ability that cancels any attempt my opponent might make to throw me off. I’ve never used it before, and it’s not all that well known. I figured you wouldn’t expect it from me.”

“…”

“If you researched my past Games, you know my typical choices are all about speed. However, with the ‘anything goes’ rule in place, you’ll definitely try to obstruct me. So if my plan works out, your Ability slots should be full of attack skills meant to stop me, and now they’re pointless.”

“““Whooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”””

The audience, undoubtedly waiting for a big upset, roared with surprise. Urasaka had made good choices. I only had three slots, so picking Abilities meant to counter my opponent’s behavior was always risky. Urasaka didn’t bring it up, but that was the whole reason Cancel Interference was one of the best counter Abilities. However, picking it meant dropping something else, which came with its own risks. It wasn’t worth thinking about the risk when the potential return was victory over a Seven Star, though.

“Shinohara…”

Saionji frowned a little in the broadcast booth. Her ruby eyes stole glances at me, looking anxious. I understood why, of course.

Just sit tight and watch, okay, Saionji?

I faced Urasaka with a smile, and when I spoke, I tried to sound as mocking as possible.

“Those are your choices, huh? Okay. Are we done talking yet? Let’s get this started already. I’ve been waiting so long that I’m getting tired.”

“You… Tch!”

Urasaka fell silent for a bit before clicking her tongue and shoving her helmet back on. Kazami, close by, picked up her mic again.

“All right, it looks like our competitors have wrapped up their preparations, so it’s time to get this Game underway. Are both of you ready?”

“Yep.”

“Mm… Sure.”

“Roger that! All right, we’re all set, everyone! Time for the main event, Sturm und Drang! Which player will reach the finish line a hundred meters away first?! It’ll all happen in an instant—and none of you better blink!”

Kazami ratcheted up the intensity even higher, driving the crowd into a frenzy with her exaggerated affectations and gestures. And then…

“Three, two, one…and…go! Bam!!”

At almost the same moment as the signal, Urasaka’s bike let out a deafening roar as it zoomed off. Presumably, she invoked Acceleration and Unlock Speed Limit at the same time, and those two effects made her jet-black vehicle shoot to top speed in an impossibly short time. It was so intense that the sudden rush of air nearly blew me away.

“Heh… Wow, this’ll be easy!”

The mic inside Urasaka’s helmet picked that up for the world. She and her motorbike roared off, leaving me in the dust and covering the one hundred meters like a bolt of lightning. And although everyone watching was certain she’d be victorious…

“…Huh?”

I couldn’t tell you if it was Kazami, Saionji, or somebody in the crowd who spoke up first. Regardless, I’m sure everyone felt the same about this development. After all, Urasaka’s bike stopped right before the finish line. The handlebars went sideways on her, launching the girl forward. It could have been a serious crash, but fortunately, Urasaka’s jacket puffed out, forming a giant airbag. What’s more, the composition of the track transformed instantly, absorbing the shock of the careening motorcycle.

“You know, guys…”

After witnessing all of this unfold as I’d predicted, I decided to speak up as I began to walk, still well behind my opponent. I wasn’t speaking to Urasaka, who probably wasn’t in any shape to respond. The words were meant for the world at large.

“Did you think a Seven Star wouldn’t see through her switch-up?”

“What—what do you mean?” Unsurprisingly, Suzuran Kazami was the one to respond. “Because I have no idea what’s going on. I—I want an explanation!”

“Oh, don’t worry—I’m planning to give one. Listen, as Saionji said, this Game’s loose rules allow for a lot, and a player’s first thought would be how they could trip up their opponent. There’s definitely merit to that. But isn’t knowing that already enough to work with?”

“‘Enough’…? How’s it enough, Shinohara?”

“What I’m getting at is that imagining things—dealing with maybes and probablies—that stuff doesn’t matter. An Ability that’s not well known? She’s never used it before? So what? My job is to cover any potentiality. I’m a Seven Star. I’d never lose a match like this.”

I strolled leisurely toward the finish line while recalling my conversation with Himeji during our strategy meeting a few hours before.

“Master, for today’s match, I suggest installing three Cancel Cancellers.”

“…Huh?”

“Cancel Canceller. It’s an Ability that temporarily neutralizes your opponent’s defensive Abilities.”

“Oh…okay. That sounds fine…but three?”

“Yes. We will fill all three of your slots with the same Ability. Ms. Urasaka is a Three Star, so if she uses a defensive Ability, it’ll be at Three Star strength. Your One Star Abilities won’t be able to do anything against that.”

“Okay, but I thought the key to a Game was deducing your opponent’s strategy and creating a setup to deal with it. This sounds like a pretty extreme approach to—Wait… Oh.”

“Have you figured it out, Master? That’s right. As long as you have the Company on your side, you don’t need to worry about balancing your Abilities at all. With sufficient interference, Kagaya and I can hack in a solution. Essentially, the only threat to you is Cancel Interference. There’s no need to consider anything else.”

Right from the start, we treated Cancel Interference as our main concern and focused on addressing that alone. Whether Urasaka was likely to use that Ability or not didn’t really matter. If we shut that down, all our Company-engineered cheating would work. Thus, I placed Cancel Canceller, level one, in all my Ability slots.

That sealed our victory, more or less…but that alone wasn’t going to be quite enough. Just like last time, if I wanted to establish my lie as the truth, I needed a perfect cheating method and a performance that ensured nobody suspected a thing. The Company had set things up perfectly, and now I had to do my part. It was time to reveal my (fake) hand.

I grinned, calculating the best way to stand for excellent camera coverage. “The first Ability I took was Cancel Canceller, level seven. That allowed Force Stop in my second slot to work without fail.”

“You understood exactly what your opponent would do and devoted two Abilities to stopping her? That’s actually pretty impressive. What about your final slot, Shinohara?”

“My last one? Take a look for yourself.”

“Huh?”

I was finally about to reach Urasaka. That’s right—maybe Saionji had picked up on it, but there was still one possible way we could lose this Game. What if we stopped the bike, but Urasaka just ran for the finish on foot instead? I’d be unlikely to catch up, so we’d needed to take measures.

Like I said, however, the answer was already plain for all to see.

“If you don’t understand, I can explain it to you. My third Ability was Safety Device, targeted at Urasaka. I’d feel terrible if my opponent was injured.”

“““Whaa…?!”””

…That was a lie. In truth, we’d installed that heavy airbag in her jacket to pin her in place.

Regardless, I crossed the finish line with an easy smile on my face, never even breaking into a jog.

“Wow! That was just incredible, Shinohara!”

A little time had passed since my Game with Urasaka. The crowd was starting to slowly disperse when Kazami, eyes all aglow, found me and started shaking my hands violently up and down.

“It was magnificent, even! We got so much great footage, and the viewer count was through the roof… This was such a success, I’m about to have a nosebleed just thinking about it! I love you, Shinohara!”

“Thanks. It was a given that I’d win a Game like this one.”

“S-so cool… Hey, can I use that quote in our coverage?! ‘He declared that his win was guaranteed, his unflappable smile providing the perfect look for the man atop the lofty peak. Shinohara is less a pure hero in white and more a bloodstained villain from the depths…’ Something like that!”

Oh, right, Libra publishes on LNN, doesn’t it? Well, fine.

Saionji stood beside Kazami, arms loosely crossed. She was clearly peeved, or at least that was how she presented herself. I sensed the relief in her expression, though.

“Hmph… Congratulations on three in a row, Shinohara.”

“You don’t look very glad for me.”

“Because I’m not. In fact, I’d hoped Urasaka would run you over and end it right there.”

“…”

“…You could at least respond, Shinohara. It was a joke, you know.”

I scowled. “It sure didn’t sound like it, coming from you…”

By the way, Urasaka had left the athletic field long before. She’d lost, but showing off her new ride in public had seemed to satisfy her regardless. I was just about done with my post-Game responsibilities, so it was about time I returned…

“Ahhhh-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!”

…to my dorm. However, a loud, high-pitched laugh ripped across the now-silent field. A large plume of smoke jetted from one end of the stands, and a silhouette leaped from them to land on the ground. While the smoke cleared, the figure threw his cloak back and approached. I recognized this guy; I’d seen him that morning.

This was Seiran Kugasaki, the man in the dark cloak. It was fair to call him a pretty face, at least. He wore a permanently smug expression, and his bangs suited it well. However, the most striking thing about him was definitely his attire. The collar of his black cloak was raised, and he wore a bandage covering his right wrist. When he used his left hand to push his silver-framed glasses up, I saw a symbol on it. He was the personification of what a middle schooler a generation ago would have considered a cool fantasy character.

He came to a stop right in front of me.

“Hello, Seven Star! It’s an honor to meet you. My name is Seiran Kugasaki, though I won’t ask you to remember it. I’m sure it shall be etched into your memory soon, whether you wish for it or not. It is the name of the man who will bring you to your knees, after all.”

The stagy gesticulating, that unique manner of speaking… Kugasaki brandished his long cloak around as he spoke, maintaining a thin smile on his face while delivering his antagonistic greeting.

“…Oh, really? And what’s this man want with me?”

“How nice of you to ask! There is something I wish to discuss with you.”

“Discuss…?”

“Indeed. You see, I saw the strangest post on STOC a few hours ago. It claimed that you are a more suitable rival for my goddess than I am. It was so hilarious that I nearly shattered my device’s screen right there. Alas, but I am a composed man, so I did not. Instead, I came here to watch your Game, and let me tell you, I haven’t been so impressed with a performance by anyone besides my goddess in a very long time. And that is why I wish to challenge you to a Game. Prove to me that your goddess-defeating power is no mere stroke of fortune!”

Kugasaki’s eyes briefly flicked in Saionji’s direction from behind his glasses. However, they swiftly returned to me with full force. Saionji was presumably accustomed to dealing with the full brunt of this guy’s passion, because she only let out a troubled sigh.

I, meanwhile, pretended that nothing was amiss.

I never expected he’d reach out to me so soon.

Deep down, I’d been considering this eventuality. Kugasaki had been bound to drag me into a Game eventually. After all, I had written tons of anonymous posts on STOC to provoke him before my Game against Urasaka. I hadn’t expected him to react so quickly, but I was responsible for him showing up to confront me.

My primary reason for going to such lengths was to peel him away from Saionji. I could only do that because I was the new Seven Star who had beaten her.

“Hahhh… Okay. So you’re here to take me on, then?”

“That’s right. More accurately, I want to prove that I’m superior.”

“If that’s meant to be a joke, I’d appreciate it if you made it more obvious for me. Hmm… I don’t mind accepting, but only under one condition.”

“…?! Whoa, Shinohara, what are you—?”

“A condition, you say?”

A horrified Saionji tried to interject, but Kugasaki ignored her and gave me an intrigued look.

“Yeah. As it stands, I won’t get anything out of accepting your challenge. I know I’m not allowed to turn down requests, but I can choose the order in which I take them, and I have over fifty lined up right now. If I prioritize all of them, I can delay yours as long as I want.”

“Yes, you certainly can… How clever of you. So what is your condition?”

“If I heard you right, you want to compete to see who’s worthy of being the Empress’s rival. I say whoever loses this Game forfeits the right to challenge Saionji ever again. If you agree, I’ll gladly accept your request.”

““Wha…?!””

My sudden, outrageous demand made Kugasaki’s and Saionji’s eyes go wide, particularly the latter’s. Saionji gawked at me with her mouth half-agape. Kugasaki recovered first.

“Y-you! Are you toying with me?! My goddess is a holy, divine presence! She is not at all the kind of person to be involved in a wager!”

“Oh? Well, never mind, then. Find someone else to Game with. I gotta say, I’m surprised. You seemed pretty sure you’d beat me, so why would you think of it as a wager at all? Oh well. Running just proves you never had the resolve for this to begin with.”

“…!”

As I heaped on the needling, I could see Kugasaki’s lips twitch. Anger and irritation spread across his face. A few seconds later, he shut his eyes hard and thrust his right hand toward me.

“Running? Me? Never. As a Five Star leader of the Self-Styled Holy Knights, I would never flee from you. I will say it as many times as necessary, Hiroto Shinohara. I accept all your conditions, so accept my challenge!”

Kugasaki’s voice nearly cracked, but he managed to give his resolute declaration. It was a heroic performance, one truly worthy of the fantasy protagonist persona he presented.

“Heh… You’re on. I’ll prove how far beyond you I truly am, you weakling.” I smirked triumphantly at Kugasaki.

“I’m so sorry!”

“…”

It was around nine in the evening.

After acting cool and accepting that request, I left the athletic field and returned home. However, the moment I opened the door, I went on my hands and knees before Himeji. No one forced me to; I just thought it was the only responsible approach.

What had I done? Well, I was only supposed to keep annoying Kugasaki. As a One Star, I had almost no chance of defeating him. Basically, I’d accepted a Game against him without Himeji’s permission. And our match was on Sunday, two days from now. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the final straw for her.

“…”

Himeji eyed me without a word. I was too busy pressing my head against the floor to see her facial expression, but I’m sure it was full of disappointment, perhaps with anger a close second. Making Himeji feel that way filled me with regret.

Then, without warning, I heard footsteps. I raised my head a little, only to find Himeji closer than before, staring at me.

“…I would like to ask you a question, Master.”

“Huh? Um, sure. Ask as many as you like.”

“Thank you very much. So…you’ve had your head against the floor for a while now. Why are you apologizing? I would like to know the reason.”

“The reason? Isn’t it obvious?”

“No, it’s not. This is a very, very important point.”

Himeji looked more serious than I’d ever seen her. She wasn’t asking why I’d picked a fight with Kugasaki, or why I’d added the condition with Saionji to the Game. She only wanted to know why my head was against the floor. I didn’t understand why that took priority in her mind, but I decided to reply as earnestly as I could.

“The reason I’m apologizing is simple. I literally just finished a Game, and now I’m causing more trouble for you and the others. My opponent is dangerous, and there’s no time at all to prepare for him… I’m really sorry! I totally regret this, so please, help me any way you can!!”

I started pressing my head against the floor again as I listed off frenzied excuses. I was already using the Company for my own ends, but I didn’t want to give its members more work than necessary. I had no grudge against Himeji and the rest of the team. But…I was still the one who had agreed to go through with this, I was the one who wanted to keep Kugasaki away from Saionji to protect our lies, and I was the one who had taken action to that end. There was no walking away from it now. I had to do all I could. Everything. Including…

“I…I’ll make dinner tonight, okay?!”

“Dinner is ready to be served already, Master. I prepared a Japanese menu tonight.”

“Thank you! Then…the cleaning! Let me do the cleaning!”

“I have already completed that. The floors will remain spotless, no matter where you decide to grovel.”

“You’re too perfect! Okay, uh… I know! I bet you’re tired and stuff, so I’ll give you a shoulder massage!”

“No, no, I’m used to this. Besides, a maid can hardly ask for that from her master. I do appreciate the thought, however.”

“Ugh… Is there nothing I can do? I’ll lick your shoes if I have to. Oh, but we leave our shoes at the front door. Then…maybe I can lick your socks?!”

“Th-that’s a little too deviant, Master! I’d like you to end this line of conversation immediately, please!”

Himeji blushed and took a step back, rubbing her thighs against each other. Yes, a male high school student licking a maid’s knee-high socks would be pretty messed up. In fact, it would probably be worse than licking her shoes.

Himeji pouted, but her eyes remained on me. Both hands gripped her skirt. “Um… I’m sorry, Master, but do you know what the term pride means?”

“Huh? Um…sure, but pride won’t let me keep this lie going…”

My head had come off the floor, but I was still on my hands and knees. I was plenty serious about what I’d said, too. I still had some pride, of course, but there were too many things at risk to bother with that.

“…Hahhh.” Himeji let out a quiet exhalation. “Ignoring your deviant ways for the time being…this is something of a relief to me.”

“A relief? How so?”

“If you were apologizing because you’d given up on your next Game, if you came to me saying sorry because you’d lose in two days despite all our help, I would’ve abandoned all hope for you. I might have grown angry, or cursed myself for not being able to help.”

“…”

“But that wasn’t the reason you gave. If this hands-and-knees groveling is merely shamelessly, selfishly asking for our help despite all the trouble it’ll cause, then my response is a given.”

Himeji looked at me with her clear blue eyes. Then she brought her right hand to her chest, bowing in an almost breathtakingly refined motion.

“There is no need to apologize. I am here, my master, to make you win.”

“Huh? So…”

“Yes. There is no need to cook dinner, or lick my socks, or whatever else. I will always be with you, Master. However, I do need you to understand that your next Game will be incomparably more difficult than any you’ve played so far. No matter how much we prepare, I doubt I’ll be able to guarantee victory for you in advance. Are you still willing to believe in me?”

“Ah…”

Himeji inclined her head, her silver hair swaying a little. Not to copy what she said, but my response was a given.

“…Yes. Of course.”

The next morning, I waited for someone at the roundabout near School Gate Station. It was early on a Saturday, but this was still the largest rail station in the ward, and there were a decent number of people around. Most were weekend travelers or just those looking for a distraction. No one paid attention to me.

“I guess the disguise is working.”

Himeji had given me something of a makeover. Nothing too intricate, really, but my hairstyle was a lot wilder, and I had a pair of designer sunglasses on. My plain jacket was something I’d brought from mainland Japan. I’d been sticking to my uniform recently, so this hopefully made me look pretty different.

“…I always thought a disguise was more about glasses and a mask, though…”

That might have worked in Tokyo, but it’d only make me more conspicuous on the Academy, so Himeji had tossed it out. And she had probably been right to do so. There was no better evidence than the guy walking by me with his hoodie zipped all the way up and the hood pulled completely over his head. Only his mouth was visible. People were bound to pick that guy out in a crowd immediate—

“Shinohara?”

When the hoodie guy got close to me, I heard a whisper in my ear. It was a familiar voice—Saionji’s. She must’ve been trying to go incognito like me. That gray hood concealed her red hair and ruby eyes pretty well. Her sweatshirt was nearly longer than the shorts she had on. Passersby might think it was the only thing she had on.

“Oh, good, it is you.” She lifted her hood a bit to reveal her face. “I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I got the wrong person.”

“Huh…? Why would that happen? I told you where I’d be.”

“Yeah, but your hair’s all different. You don’t look like Shinohara at all.”

“It wouldn’t be a very good disguise if I did. I didn’t recognize you at all, either. You seem far more different than usual compared to me.”

“Oh, you think so? Heh-heh! Do you like girls in hoodies?”

“No. I think you look more like a criminal than anything.”

“Hmph! No wonder you can’t get a girlfriend, Shinohara.”

Evidently, Saionji didn’t appreciate my response, because she turned away and began to walk off. That felt a little unfair. How could I call her cute when her face was almost totally obscured? She looked fine under the hood, but that had nothing to do with the sweatshirt.

Regardless, I followed her. Saionji’s bare legs were more visible than when she wore her skirt. The image of them burned itself into my mind, despite my attempt to banish the evil thoughts.

“Hey…,” Saionji called, her voice nearly a whisper. “Shinohara… Yesterday, um, did you do that for me?”

“…What’re you talking about?”

“You got Kugasaki to challenge you to a Game and added that condition.”

“Oh, nah. Nothing like that. I goaded him into it, but only to protect my lie. It doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I guess that’s fine. Hahhh… You seriously just do whatever you want.”

Saionji sounded as though she didn’t believe me one bit. Her voice and that sigh indicated she was more exasperated than angry.

“Don’t you know how talented Kugasaki is? I assumed you wanted to help me out of danger. If you lose, then all of this will be a wasted effort. You’re really stupid, Shinohara. Really stupid. I was so surprised yesterday that I couldn’t even say anything.”

“I…I have nothing to counter that with.”

“I’m sure you don’t. Bet you regret it now, don’t you? Heh-heh…”

As I hung my head apologetically, Saionji’s voice softened a little. Suspicious, I looked up and found she was peering at me. She kept her hands behind her back, and an impish grin peeked from underneath her hood.

“I was stunned. I thought you were stupid for agreeing to the Game. I even told myself I was done with you, but…I was also…just a tiny bit glad. So…um, thank you, okay?”

This was a surprising amount of honesty for Saionji. She prodded my chest with a finger. The point of contact turned hot. I was too preoccupied with worrying if she’d sense my pounding heartbeat to look her in the face.

“You…you don’t need to thank me. I already told you that I agreed to Kugasaki’s challenge for me. When you’re in danger, I’m in danger, too.”

“…You know, when you beat around the bush like that, it almost sounds like you’re trying to propose.”

“What?! Th-that’s just your arbitrary interpretation!”

“Don’t throw it back at me. So is that, um…is that what you want for us?”

“?!”

This out-of-the-blue question almost made me forget to breathe. Saionji’s cheeks were red when I looked at her, yet she kept her ruby eyes pointed straight at me.

“Er… Anyway!!”

I couldn’t stand the tense atmosphere around us after a moment, so I shouted to steer our runaway conversation back on course. I resented doing so because it felt like I’d lost some kind of competition. Saionji was fanning her face with both hands, though, so the heat must have gotten to her. Perhaps this could be judged a tie…whatever it was.

Regardless, why was I going to the trouble of meeting with Saionji (even disguising myself to do so) this early in the morning, the day before my fateful Game with Kugasaki? Well, naturally, it was so she could help with my strategy. Our entangled lies meant we had a strong coconspirator thing going, which was no doubt why she’d agreed to see me today…

“Shinohara, you’re not working out your tactics alone, are you? You’ve definitely got some kind of cheating team helping, right?”

“It’s a support team, not a cheating team. It’s called the Company.”

“Same thing… That team’s a problem for me. I don’t want the truth of my lie spreading around so easily.”

Saionji restrained her words a little, but I understood her worry. The Company devised the strategies for my Games, and Saionji cooperating with me all but revealed her true self to them.

I lightly shook my head. “Actually, I don’t know very much about them, either. But their leader told me something…”

“What?”

“It was something like ‘Master, are you in contact with Miss Sarasa Saionji? If so, please bring her home tomorrow. I’ll make sure the other members of the Company aren’t around.’”

“…W-wow. The fact you make your team call you ‘Master’ is so mind-blowing, I’ve already forgotten whatever it was you said.”

“I don’t make her do it! She does it voluntarily!”

It still felt weird, honestly. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it.

“I’ve never actually talked about you with her. She was the one who suggested out of nowhere that I should ‘bring the Empress over.’ We need a device with at least Six Star access to get any information on a Five Star like Kugasaki, and you’ve definitely competed with him more than anyone else.”

“I definitely understand your reasoning and all…but why does this servant of yours know that you and I are connected? Did you…?”

“I didn’t tell her. I’m never telling her any of that…but she knows, somehow. I don’t know a lot about the Company. The way she explained it, I think she’ll tell us once you come over.”

“If I come over, you mean. But all right.” Saionji sighed, making her exasperation with me evident. Then she pointed her right index finger at me. “I’ll join you at your place, all right? But, and I’m sorry for this, I’m not taking this disguise off, and I won’t do any talking. If I sense anything dangerous, I’ll leave and remain a mystery to your little crew forever.”

“Sure. That’s fine.”

“Mm. Oh, don’t you dare call me Akabane, all right?”

I chuckled a bit at that and shrugged. “I won’t, Miss Sarasa, I won’t.”

“Welcome home, Master… And good afternoon, young lady.”

Himeji greeted us upon our arriving at the mansion—a silver-haired, blue-eyed maid in the middle of this huge entry hall. The sight was akin to that of a living work of art, and I had to resist swooning, even as I said hello back. I took a peek at Saionji beside me. I still wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. Himeji had told me she’d explain everything once Saionji was here, but I was totally lost for now. My maid wore her usual cold, detached expression, and Saionji stood trembling, face concealed beneath her hood.

Wait, why is she shaking?

“Saionji? Hey, what’s up with yo—? Whoa?!”

“…!”

The moment I leaned down to speak to her, Saionji’s hand shot out to grab mine. She pulled me so that we both faced away from Himeji and then gave me a hard look.

“Wh-why? Why is that girl here?! Tell me what’s going on, Shinohara!”

“Um, what do you mean?”

Too close, too close, too close, nice smell, but too close…

My brain was distracted, but I did my best to reply.

“Didn’t I tell you? She’s the head of the Company.”

“Wha…?”

Saionji fell silent, her eyes wide open. I took a moment to turn around, only to find Himeji totally unaffected, as though she’d expected this response.

“Um… Himeji, do you happen to know who this is?”

“…I do. I have worked for the Saionji family in the past, you see. My longest stint with them was spent in service of their young lady—the real Miss Sarasa—so Miss Rina and I are acquainted with each other.”

“Oh? So you mean…”

“Yes, I am one of the few people who know about Miss Rina’s lie. It’s why I requested you reach out to the Empress in the first place, Master. I could tell from the context that the two of you aren’t enemies, at the very least.”

“I…see.”

Now it made sense. Saionji’s secret, her subbing in for the real Sarasa Saionji, was highly guarded information. But the nature of the lie meant that the Saionji family’s important servants had to know the truth. Since Himeji was privy to that information, I guess it was no surprise she’d predicted how things would turn out between Saionji and me, two deceivers guarding each other’s secrets.

“…Mm.”

Once I reasoned all that out, Saionji finally nodded, accepting her fate. Then she quietly turned around and flipped her hood back with both hands, releasing her long hair.

“Um,” she began while striding up to Himeji. “It’s been a while…huh, Yuki?”

“Indeed. Nearly a year has passed since we’ve met in person.”

“A year… Yes, I guess that’s right… Doing well?”

“Physically speaking, yes. Mentally… Well, there’s been ups and downs.”

There was a weird distance to their conversation. I couldn’t guess at why from my spot on the sidelines, but the phrase a year helped clue me in.

The real Sarasa was kidnapped one year ago, right? I don’t know how much of that story to believe, but maybe it’s all genuine?

This talk made a lot more sense if so. The weirdly awkward atmosphere remained a mystery, but I was sure it was better not to pry.

“Thank you for coming, Miss Rina. Normally, I would offer a more formal welcome, but sadly, we lack the time, so I’d like to get straight to business. Please follow me.”

“Ah… Okay,” Saionji replied, nodding.

Himeji spun around coolly, and Saionji followed. I kept pace a few steps behind, still wondering what had happened between them.

“This is the Game that Mr. Seiran Kugasaki, Five Star and Unique Star holder, requested.”

We were in the theater room with the lights dimmed. Saionji and I were on the sofa, and Himeji stood beside the screen, speaking in her usual calm voice.

“The challenge is Self-Styled Game #27. A rather bombastic title, but simply put, it’s about collecting cards and playing numbers against your opponent.”

“Collecting cards…and playing numbers?”

“Yes. The first thing to note is that Self-Styled Game #27 is divided into two phases. The first one is the Collect Phase. During it, players will search the Fourth Ward for holographic cards with values between zero and nineteen. The object is to build a hand of up to five cards.”

“All around the ward? So we’ll be physically walking around, looking for cards?”

“That is right. You’ll be using the map app on your device. Once the Game begins, card locations will be shown on your map. When a player travels to that location, they will obtain that card.”

Himeji’s explanation was accompanied by a simple animation on the screen. If I understood right, I’d see card coordinates on my device, go to one particular location, and acquire the card. That sounded simple enough.

“Okay, what’s the other phase?”

“The second phase of Self-Styled Game #27 is called the Reveal Phase, where you use the cards you earned in the Collect Phase to battle your opponent. Each player will select a card from their hand, and whoever plays the one with the higher number wins the round. This will continue until both players run out of cards. Since your hand maximum is five, you must win at least three times to beat Mr. Seiran Kugasaki.”

I gathered my thoughts as I listened to Himeji. Basically, the Game involved collecting cards around the ward, then using them in a number-based battle. The rules didn’t sound all that tricky.

“What if both of us go after the same card? Whoever reaches it first earns it?”

“That is correct. A card disappears once obtained by a player. Now for some further detail. There are twenty cards in total, numbered from zero to nineteen, but not all the numbers and locations will be revealed at the start of the Game. At first, only a random five will be shown, and then one more will appear every five minutes. This means it will take over an hour before we’ll know where every card is.”

“Hmm… So it’s that kind of setup. Speed’s going to count for a lot, I guess,” Saionji said, speaking up before I could. She was right. Only a few cards were visible at a time, and each was first come, first served. Kugasaki and I were bound to run into each other.

“All right,” Himeji continued, “I’ve covered all the rules, but before we commence our strategy meeting, there’s one thing I need to tell you. This Game will pit a Five Star against a One Star—and while Games between these ranks have occurred before, no One Star has ever defeated a Five Star. Not ever.”

“Huh…? Not even once? But the Academy’s been around for over twenty years…”

“Not even once. That serves to demonstrate how absolute the ranking system is on this island. It’s set up to reward talented players with better weapons. When two competitors are separated by four ranks, there are no miraculous underdog wins.”

“I…I get that, but still…”

“Yuki’s right.” Before I could give much of an objection, Saionji cut in, sighing. She fixed me with her ruby eyes and went on in a calm voice. “Do you remember Variable Control, Shinohara? I used it in your first Game.”

“Huh? Oh, sure. You used it to cut my turn time down to one-tenth.”

“Right. But that Ability’s meant for more than cutting time limits. It lets you adjust any of the variables that might pop up in a Game. That includes the numbers written on those cards. And with Kugasaki’s rank, I bet he can up the values of his cards by a combined total of thirty. He might distribute those extra points to all his cards to strengthen his hand or throw them all on one to create a card value beyond nineteen.”

“Beyond nineteen… Yeah, that would make it tough to win.”

I hated to admit it, but Saionji was certainly convincing. Variable Control was a general-purpose Ability, so I had access to it as well, but with the difference in stars, I’d never beat Kugasaki in a direct duel. No wonder you never saw major upsets in Games.

“All right,” Himeji said once Saionji and I stopped talking. “That’s the outline of our situation. Lower-ranked students are inherently saddled with an overwhelming disadvantage. They have the ability to choose the Game, which is meant to compensate for that weakness to some extent. However, in your case, Master, you don’t have that luxury. To be frank, your chance of winning Self-Styled Game #27 is less than one percent.”

Himeji sounded reluctant to tell me that, but we both knew there was no point hiding it. She was right. Functionally, I was a One Star, and Kugasaki was one of the more talented Five Stars. To an outsider, this probably seemed like the battle of the century, but in actuality, I was marching to my death. No matter what kind of strategy we came up with, Kugasaki could employ an Ability that would ruin everything.

I felt myself growing uneasy. But…

“…So it’s not a guaranteed loss.”

“That’s right. It’s an impossibly slim chance…but I don’t think it’s zero.” Himeji took a deep breath. “If this were a normal match, your best move would be to prepare for a very apologetic press conference the moment the Game was agreed upon. But you, Master, are in an extremely unusual position—you’re a fake Seven Star. The very peak, at least on the surface. Regardless of the truth, as far as Mr. Kugasaki is concerned, you are above him, and thus I’m sure he is thinking the same thing we are, that there’s no point staging a Variable Control bout with you, since he believes he’s of a lesser rank.”

“Oh, right. Do you think he’ll try something during the Collect Phase?”

“He is very likely to, yes. In fact, this entire Game revolves around the Collect Phase. It’s easy to pay more attention to the Reveal Phase since that’s when you’re directly competing with each other, but if both players go in assuming a bout with Variable Control, then the actual reveal of the cards will be little more than a ceremonial bonus. It won’t even be a psychological battle, because the phase will largely be decided by the level of an Ability. And I doubt Mr. Kugasaki will take that sitting down.”

“Sure. It’d be like him sitting quietly and handing over the win. He’d never do that.”

“Exactly. And we’re going to use that against him. We know he intends to attack us, so we’ll block his actions and delay his card collecting. Meanwhile, Master, you’ll collect the largest numbers you can find and build the ideal deck to win even if he uses Variable Control. That…is the only way. Hacking into a Five Star’s device externally is impossible. If Mr. Kugasaki enters the Reveal Phase with a strong hand, you can consider yourself defeated.”

Himeji delivered the cruel truth in her dispassionate monotone. Despite having known all this already, I was still stunned into silence. Under normal conditions, I would lose this Game ninety-nine times out of one hundred. Yet we were still trying to beat Kugasaki.

“…Hmm. So the next step is figuring out what Kugasaki will try.” Saionji, who’d fallen into thought, lifted her face. “To block him, we’ll need some insight into his strategy.”

“As a Six Star, you can see his Abilities, right? Could we use that to narrow down which ones he’s likely to pick?” I asked.

“Mmm. Typically, yes, but…one thing I can tell you is that Kugasaki always uses an Ability called Emergency Call-Up.”

“…Emergency Call-Up?” I repeated.

“Yes,” Saionji said, raising a finger. “It’s kind of a symbol of Seiran Kugasaki’s Five Star strength. It’s limited to Four Stars and up, and as the name implies, it allows the user to bring in assistants during the Game.”

“It gives you someone to help?”

“Right. Normally, it’s against the rules for a third party to join or interfere with a Game. However, anyone brought in by Emergency Call-Up counts as a participant. They’re free to do whatever they want in the Game, and they’re even allowed to bring a single Ability along.”

“An Ability, too? Mmm… I see.”

That was a lot to deal with. Kugasaki’s Emergency Call-Up would bring in an ally who had another Ability. Using one Ability to gain another essentially meant Kugasaki’s total was still three, but the extra body would definitely give him flexibility. He could also use an Ability he hadn’t brought, albeit indirectly. That made his tactics more difficult to anticipate.

“You could call it a kind of tactics camouflage,” I said.

“That’s true. However, he’s not allowed to bring in just anyone. There’s a whole extensive request process… Remember that Kugasaki’s weirdly popular, though.” Saionji sighed.

The Self-Styled Holy Knights was an unsanctioned organization with over three hundred members. Kugasaki was its founder and leader, meaning he had three hundred different options he could choose from. It was unfairness on a scale like none I’d seen. I bit my lip in consternation, and Saionji gave me a little smile.

“There’s no need to be so down. Emergency Call-Up is a problem…but you can also pretty much ignore whatever’s in his third Ability slot.”

“Oh… I can?”

“Yeah. You’ve probably heard from someone that Kugasaki’s got a blue star, right? That gives him access to a limited Ability called †Jet-Black Wings†. And I don’t know if he likes it a lot or just can’t get rid of it, but ever since he obtained that color star, he’s always slotted †Jet-Black Wings† in.”

“Saying we can ignore it sounds hasty, though. It’s a Unique Star, so it’s definitely strong, right?”

“Don’t be so sure. You already saw it for yourself. That white smoke, the fancy sound effects…those are the effects of †Jet-Black Wings†.”

“…”

“…I understand if you’re wondering how such a buffoon could be a strong opponent, but he is, and there’s no helping that. It’s better not to think too deeply about it at all.”

Saionji’s expression was hard to gauge. It sounded like she had a lot of experience with this skill. Undoubtedly, it had given her trouble in the past.

“It’s safe to say which Abilities Kugasaki will use: Variable Control, †Jet-Black Wings†, and then something else via Emergency Call-Up. As Yuki said, winning means dominating the Collect Phase, so I’m sure that ‘something else’ will be an attack Ability to help him during that portion. We can count on all of that, I think.”

“Hmm. Hey, what would you do if you were going up against Kugasaki?” I asked.

“I put some thought into that earlier… A GPS spoofer might come in handy.”

“A GPS spoofer?”

“Yeah. In this Game, you obtain cards by traveling to specified coordinates, right? So I’d probably install Control Position Data. It can change the perceived location of your device to anywhere you like. Set it to a card’s coordinates, and you can pick up high numbers without actually going anywhere.”

“…?! That’s a real Ability?!”

“It’s restricted to Five Stars and up, but yeah. And I think you can only invoke it five times per Game. However, your deck’s limited to five cards anyway, so that’s fine. Kugasaki prefers simple approaches to his victories. He’ll definitely try something like that. As an alternative, he might employ a Search Ability to learn where all the cards are right away, although that might not be too realistic. Knowing the placement of each card and its value would be one thing, but a Search Ability would only tell you the former.”

“And that’s bad? Knowing where all the cards are sounds like a pretty key advantage.”

“But the Game field is too large. Remember, it covers the entire Fourth Ward. You could spend all day walking and still not cover it all. Traveling from card to card without knowing where the strong ones are is super inefficient. The cards go up to nineteen, so the ones from zero to nine are essentially worthless. I figure both sides will wait until the numbers are revealed on the map. That being the case, a competitor would prefer an Ability to get to a card the moment it pops up.”

“Ohh…”

I let out a deep breath, regarding Saionji with awe. She seemed so standoffish when we spoke in public, but once she entered Empress mode, she became so weirdly cool that I couldn’t help but be charmed. There was something unfair about it.

Anyway, we knew Kugasaki was liable to pick an offensive Ability like Control Position Data or something similar. If he did, it would leave him no room for defensive Abilities. He couldn’t prevent us from interfering with him, so attacking him, even if only a little, was a good plan.

“Himeji, are there any attack Abilities available to One Stars that would be useful?”

“Well…”

Himeji lowered her head. When she lifted it after a moment, her silver hair bounced slightly.

“In these conditions,” she said quietly, “I think your best option is Display Bug.”

“Display Bug… Can it mess up Kugasaki’s screen somehow? Could we change the card numbers on his display, or feed him fake coordinates?”

“That falls into the realm of its intended purpose, yes, but you can’t expect performance like that at level one. At best, you could do something like change the final number in a set of coordinates. That would be enough to trip up our opponent’s plans, however.”

“Mm… I see.”

I could tweak the displayed card locations on Kugasaki’s screen. If he tried invoking an Ability like Control Position Data, he wouldn’t find any cards, at least not for a little while. Buying some extra time didn’t sound bad to me.

I nodded in understanding, and Himeji’s clear blue eyes fixed themselves on me. “As for the rest of your Ability set… It’s a standard move, but I think adding Luck is a good idea. That will make it more likely for larger numbers to pop up close to you. It won’t be incredibly effective since you’re technically a One Star, but it matches up well enough with our strategy.”

“That makes sense. And then we round it out with Variable Control in the third slot, right?” asked Saionji. “It won’t perform as well as his, but it’ll still boost your hand a little. But unlike Luck, it’ll show precisely what values were changed, so it could expose the fact that your Abilities are really weak.”

“Ahh… Well, I think I can talk my way out of that.”

Some onlookers might doubt me, but I could cover for that with an adequate performance. We didn’t have any better ideas, anyway.

“…All right. Now let’s go over the process we’ll use.”

Things were finally starting to fall into place in my mind when Himeji raised a finger to get my attention.

“During the Collect Phase of Self-Styled Game #27 tomorrow, I and the rest of the Company will make every effort to support you. In the meantime, Master, you need to invoke Display Bug to block Mr. Kugasaki’s moves and Luck to hopefully collect as many high-number cards as you can. With the level difference in Variable Control… Honestly, it’d be best if you could acquire all cards with a value of fifteen or higher.”

“All of them? I understand why you’d say that, but it sounds…”

“…Impossible?”

“Do you think it isn’t?”

“We’ll have to see. I just told you that we’ll make every effort to support you. And when I say ‘every effort,’ I mean we’ll show no mercy or discreteness. For example, tonight I’m going to contact Kagaya, our electronics expert, and have her break into the map app to replace the data with a fake map. Users won’t be able to tell, but we’ll move all coordinates slightly out of place. No one will find any cards by simply following the map. We can’t hack into a Five Star’s device, but the app itself is run by the island’s staff. We can use the Saionji family’s influence to break in.”

“…”

“Mr. Kugasaki won’t be able to rely on Control Position Data. He’ll need to physically search for cards instead. The coordinates will only be slightly off, so he’ll still obtain the cards if he gets close enough to their locations; however, Self-Styled Game #27 is played across a vast field. Mr. Kugasaki doesn’t have a driver’s license. He’ll need to rely on public transit… Unfortunately, all the buses and trains he’ll take tomorrow will be offline for inspection. For some reason, they’ll all be out of service.”

Himeji’s expression hardly changed at all as she wove this incredibly complex web of underhandedness. Her clear blue eyes shone 50 percent brighter than usual. She seemed so vibrant. Yet she hesitated after giving her plan outline.

“I’m sorry, Master. Um… Is this troubling for you?”

“Huh? What’re you talking about?”

“I know what I like, but I also understand that cheating is generally frowned upon. It’s a little late to say this, I realize…but I’ve never heard your opinion on the Company’s actions, Master.”

“Ah, right…”

Apparently, my silence had made her think I wasn’t a fan of cheating. Honestly, I was amazed by it all, and keeping quiet had been my mistake. I met those blue eyes that watched me searchingly.

“Himeji, I can’t speak for anyone else, but cheating or not, it’s all the same to me. If it keeps my lie safe and gets me closer to my goal, then fine. I’ve got no issues with you at all. You always help me out, and your whole rundown was seriously cool. Anyway, er…that’s how I feel.”

“Oh… All right. Good.”

Himeji smiled a bit, looking more confident. Beside me, Saionji whined, “Who calls a girl cool when they’re trying to compliment her?” but I’d meant every word of it, so I didn’t care.

Himeji cleared her throat. “R-regardless, that’s how tomorrow will go. I’m afraid that even if everything proceeds well, our chances are still worse than a coin flip. But there is a possibility for us to win.”

“Right. Variable Control, Luck, and Display Bug…I think that’s a good combo. Probably about the best Shinohara has right now.”

Saionji’s affirmation came as a relief.

“Really? That puts my mind at ease a little. Can I say something, Himeji? Display Bug is a general-purpose Ability officially released by the Academy. Would it be possible for the Company to create an Ability with the same effect? Then it might be able to help during the Reveal Phase, too.”

“It’s certainly possible…but I’m not sure it would amount to much. Like I said, Self-Styled Game #27 is mainly fought in the Collect Phase.”

“Right, but a little extra insurance couldn’t hurt.”

“…All right. If you say so, Master.”

Himeji sounded doubtful, but she accepted. She closed her eyes for a bit, mulling over my request, then approached me as though remembering something. She stopped before my spot on the sofa, toying with a lock of hair with a finger as she leaned down. When we were in such close proximity, my heart would race no matter what happened.

Himeji’s face practically touched mine as she whispered, “By the way, Master…you haven’t installed your general-purpose Abilities yet, have you?”

“…! N-no, I haven’t dealt with them yet…”

“In that case, please take out your device. You can access the Academy’s official store via the bottom left icon on your home screen…”

Himeji brought a finger near my screen to lead me through the specifics. She was standing over me and looking down at such an angle that our foreheads nearly met. Her hair tickled my arm. If I looked up, her chest, wrapped in that maid uniform, would be right there to greet me. There was no way I could risk lifting my eyes.

“…Master? Are you listening?”

“Y-yes! No! I wasn’t!”

“Please try to… I’ll start at the beginning again.”

Himeji frowned slightly as she reviewed the installation process for general-purpose Abilities. Banishing all distractions from my mind (for real this time), I successfully followed along.

“All right, Master; that’s perfect. I’ll work on your Display Bug request later. At most it should only require a few hours. I think that rounds out our strategy.” Himeji’s smile lasted only a moment. By the time she stood and moved away from me, it was gone. She bowed gracefully. “I will report back to Kagaya and the others about what we discussed. It wouldn’t do to risk them overhearing Miss Rina’s voice, so I will go to another room.”

Himeji left, my device in her hands. I was just about to stand up and stretch when Saionji grabbed my arm. Curiously, her cheeks were red.

“Hey! Wait a minute, Shinohara! What—what was that?!”

“Whoa! You scared me… What was what?”

“That! That thing just now! Your exchange with Yuki…it felt so dirty to me. Is that the kind of relationship you have with her?!”

“Wha—?! Don’t be stupid! Of course not! She was just teaching me how to use my device!”

“B-but…she was so close to you. She wouldn’t even go near a man before. And now she’s getting so close… It was practically like you were kissing!”

“It’s not ‘practically’ anything!!” I protested, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “If I had to guess, she’s just trying to get over that fear because she’s supposed to serve me. There’s nothing inappropriate like what you’re suggesting. I admit we’ve gotten closer since my first day, but…”

“Th-there! You see? Exactly as I suspected! Ugh… You’re always like this, Shinohara!”

“…Why are you so upset over it?”

“I’m not!!!” Saionji shouted, broadcasting her foul mood.

I’d like to mention that all her arm grabbing had her a lot closer to me than Himeji had ever been. It was a pretty big sofa, but she sat right next to me, so we were constantly touching. She really needed to pay more attention to what she was doing. (I was acting calm, but my heart was racing.)

“Hmph… You know, Shinohara…” Saionji had been pouting a moment earlier, but now there was something different to her voice. “I know you’ve got a lot to consider right now, but…um, are you mad?”

“Mad? At you? Why?”

“W-well, I mean, if I wasn’t around, you’d never have to compete in a Game against Kugasaki, right? It’s mostly you getting what you deserved, but I think I’m just a tiny bit at fault, too… So I wanted to ask.”

She stared at me with those ruby eyes, anxiety plain in them. I felt obligated to shake my head, though not because of her worry.

“I’m not angry at all. Besides, we’re partners in crime, and Kugasaki’s our common enemy. It’s only natural that I’d want to eliminate him.”

“Okay, but… How do I say this…?”

Saionji was considering her words far more than usual. She looked pretty lost. I had seen her this way during our secret meeting three days before, too—that little detectable sense of conflict before she revealed her whole story. That slight hesitation.

“…I’m sorry. Never mind.”

After a good half minute of ruminating to herself, Saionji opted to keep her mouth shut. That worried me somewhat, but trying to pry the words out of her wasn’t worth it. I just said, “All right” and left it at that.

Shortly after that, Himeji returned.

“…I’ve finished speaking with the Company. I will work out your transport and how we’ll stay in contact during the Game with Kagaya later. For now, we have our outline for tomorrow. Thus, I think we’ve reached the end of what Miss Rina can contribute. However…”

“What?”

“Well, it’s five thirty. Admittedly, that’s a little early, but since you’re here…would you care to join us for dinner, Miss Rina?”

When it came to cuisine, there was no denying Himeji’s talents, in both quality and speed of preparation.

“Zzzzzz…”

“Has Miss Rina fallen asleep?”

Approximately half an hour after Himeji began cooking, Saionji went to the dining room with me and promptly passed out in her chair, head on the table.

“Yeah. I guess all this thinking tired her out. Are you ready? I can wake her up.”

Himeji quietly shook her head. “No, that’s all right. It’ll take a while longer.” She watched Saionji with something like conflict on her face.

After wavering about whether to ask, I decided to go for it.

“Himeji, why did you avoid her? You’re acquainted but haven’t met in a year. Ah, sorry. You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want.”

“…”

Himeji said nothing for a few seconds. Instead, she circled around the table to Saionji.

“No, I’m not the one avoiding her. It’s more Miss Rina. Actually, I suppose I should just call her Rina.”

“…You two were that close?”

“Yes. Rina and I are the same age, and we used to see each other daily. We were best friends. She, Sarasa, and I.”

“But she started avoiding you?”

“That’s right. It began a year ago… When Sarasa disappeared, Rina suddenly became distant. She wouldn’t even look at me when we talked.”

I couldn’t detect any anger or sadness in the tone of Himeji’s voice. I didn’t know if she was bottling it up or if that was just how things were now. It still felt sad to me, though.

“It’s just a feeling, but I think Rina is hiding something. A secret other than her posing as Sarasa, I mean. One she’s keeping from the Saionji family and me. Rina’s a smart girl, so I can’t figure out what’s going through her mind. I can’t help. And that’s…a little frustrating. That’s why it’s hard for me to smile around her.”

Himeji smiled at Saionji as she spoke. Then she reached out with her right hand and gently ran it across the other girl’s long red hair.

Her blue eyes moved to me.

“This has nothing to do with the Game or the Company. It’s just my own selfishness.”

“…”

“But if…if you could stand by Rina’s side, Master…if you can be with Sarasa Saionji and Rina Akabane as well…then please protect her for me. I know how stubborn she is, but deep down, she’s a really weak girl.”

Himeji smiled a little. But before I could respond, she turned and left for the kitchen.