Abnormal Type-Moon

In the Arena—

Julis's ethereal, noble face was clouded with rare bewilderment.

She had seen the light arrow coming.

But the fact that someone had intercepted it—by hurling a Lux activation core—had completely slipped past her notice.

Her reflexes were swift. In the next moment, her sharp gaze snapped toward the direction from which the arrow had been fired.

But there were too many onlookers. Hundreds, perhaps. The crowd surged around the dueling field like an ocean of faces. Amid that chaos, it was impossible to tell who had launched the surprise attack.

A ripple of unrest spread through the crowd as they began to realize something was wrong.

Anyone with even a scrap of awareness would be able to deduce what had happened just by seeing the Lux core now lying on the ground—smoking, sparking, its circuits pierced clean through by the light arrow. Someone had intervened. Illegally.

The boy who had been filming the match blinked slowly. His gaze drifted toward the red-eyed, white-haired boy standing quietly beside him.

In his footage, he had captured the exact moment the Lux core shot across the screen—and at a very close distance.

His eyes dropped to the sheath hanging at the boy's side.

The Lux core that had been mounted there was gone.

"…Huh. Did I overstep a little?"

Roy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, murmuring to himself as he stared into the field.

In the Arena—

"Kirin Toudou… shall we postpone the outcome of this match?" Julis asked calmly.

Kirin remained motionless, her blade now resting sheathed at her side. Her eyes swept across the arena with icy precision, pausing ever so slightly when they landed on Roy.

Only then did she speak.

"I'd prefer to conclude it now. But I'll yield the decision to you, Julis-senpai."

Julis turned toward her—just two steps away—and unconsciously replayed the final exchange in her mind.

"…No. I lost," Julis said with a small sigh, a bitter smile curling her lips. "Even without that ambush, I wouldn't have gotten my technique off. The match was already yours."

The mental replay was cruel but honest.

In every simulation, she couldn't evade Kirin's blade. Even if she'd unleashed Antirrhinum Majus, Kirin would've closed the distance and ended it before the technique fully manifested.

But that wasn't all.

"…You noticed the arrow, didn't you?"

"I did. Just barely," Kirin nodded meekly.

She had, in fact, seen the incoming arrow.

That's why she had halted her advance.

She had even considered shielding Julis from it—only for someone else to beat her to it.

To react with such speed and accuracy in a crowded space… that wasn't something an average student could do. That person had not only sensed the ambush, but had intercepted it with flawless timing and aim.

She glanced again toward the white-haired boy standing near the edge of the crowd, as if trying to etch his face into memory.

And as if feeling her gaze, Roy looked back at her.

Kirin froze. Her eyes widened, and she immediately turned away.

"…In that case, of course I concede. I surrender."

Julis placed a hand over her Crimson Lotus Badge on her chest.

"Duel concluded," came the mechanical voice from her badge. "Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld has forfeited. Winner: Kirin Toudou."

Both badges—hers and Kirin's—ceased their crimson glow as the emblem's circuits powered down. The duel was officially over.

"Kirin… did you see who attacked me?"

"…No. I'm sorry, I didn't catch them either," Kirin replied, her expression filled with genuine regret.

"…Why are you apologizing?" Julis gave her a slightly bemused look, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Then, did you see who helped me? I really need to thank them."

"Ah! That I did see!"

Kirin perked up like a small animal, nodding quickly. She pointed excitedly toward the edge of the arena.

"They were right over—eh?"

Her expression shifted as she looked again.

The white-haired, red-eyed boy had vanished.

"…Gone?"

"Looking for the guy who saved you?"

The voice came from behind.

It was the boy with the filming gear, approaching with an all-too-knowing grin on his face.

"…Who are you?" Julis asked coolly, her tone sharp and formal.

"…Seriously? Your Highness, could you at least try to remember your classmates' names?"

He scratched his head, somewhere between amused and exasperated, his jellyfish-like golden-brown hair bobbing with the motion.

"I'm Yabuki Eishirou. Your classmate. Maybe jot that down, yeah?"

"…Is that so?"

Julis furrowed her brows, thinking.The name did stir something faint in her memory—vaguely, yes, someone like that was in her class.

"You know who helped me just now?"

"Of course I do! I filmed the whole thing. You do know I'm with the campus news division, right? Wherever there's a duel, that's where I go!"

"I didn't know."

"…"

Yabuki Eishirou fell silent for a moment, clearly struck by the curt reply.

"So, who was it?" Julis asked again, her tone glacial. "Do I have to pay for the footage?"

There was no friendliness in her voice, only cold detachment. Even knowing they were classmates, Julis had no intention of forming any sort of relationship with him.

"…You don't need to pay for that kind of intel," Eishirou replied with a helpless shrug.

He tapped on his device. A thin ripple of light expanded in the air before them as a spatial projection window bloomed into view, playing back the recorded footage.

It showed the end of the duel, the tense exchange—and the precise moment a Lux activation core streaked into view, intercepting the incoming light arrow. In the next frame, the camera panned—catching the boy's face clearly.

White hair. Crimson eyes. Quiet presence.

"That's him?" Julis asked, gaze locked on the screen.

Those eyes—unnatural, piercing—stirred a sharp, familiar ache in her chest.

"Where is he now?"

"Student council president showed up just after the match ended," Eishirou said with a grin, arms folded behind his head. "He left with her. Apparently, he's a special entrant—just transferred in today."

"…Special admission, huh?"

Kirin muttered softly, her head slightly bowed.

"A special transfer this close to the Phoenix Festa... he's probably one of them, then."

"Ninety percent chance," Eishirou said brightly.

"It's July already. Less than a month until Phoenix Festa starts, and the registration deadline's coming up fast…" He turned to Julis, eyes gleaming with teasing curiosity. "Weren't you planning to enter too, Your Highness? Found your tag partner yet?"

"Mind your own business."

Julis's sharp glare made the air drop several degrees.

Eishirou's question had struck a raw nerve—exactly the one he shouldn't have touched.

"…Thanks for the intel," she said at last, her voice as cool as frost.

Without waiting for a reply, Julis turned on her heel and strode off, her cape billowing behind her like the flame of a retreating comet.

Driven by frustration.

By restlessness.

By something she couldn't yet name.

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹