Abnormal Type-Moon

It took him a while to realize.

His imaginary pocket still held a large chest full of gold and jewelry—he was far from being short on money!

Damn it, it must be because those two money-devouring beasts back in Fuyuki City had traumatized him so badly that frugality had practically become an obsession.

This was all the fault of the Aozaki sisters!

"Let's go eat too. Julis and Kirin are over at Procyon Dome, so we probably won't be able to meet up with them."

The domes in Asterisk City were quite far apart, and with the overwhelming number of tourists right now, trying to meet up would likely make them late for the afternoon match.

"We can just eat here."

Claudia's smile deepened.

"Here?"

Claudia stood up and opened a storage compartment, pulling out a massive package nearly the size of a person's embrace. When she unwrapped it, it turned out to be an enormous bento box.

"Actually, I prepared some bento!"

Heh.

Julis and Kirin wouldn't have been able to prepare something this thorough, right? There was no way they could have had lunch alone with Roy like this, right?

Truly, barging in and seizing the chance to team up with Roy had been the right move!

"This bento… is way too extravagant…"

Roy stared at the Australian lobster in front of him, its massive claws still twitching even in death, and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

In both his lifetimes, he had only ever seen this thing on TV. The sheer price and quantity of this bento were unbelievable.

"As long as you enjoy it. Here, say 'ah'—"

Claudia smiled as she held out a spoon.

Roy didn't bother being coy and casually accepted her feeding.

This feeling was nostalgic.

The last time someone had fed him like this was back on that mountain, when Jeanne had taken care of him while he was blind…

"I get the feeling you're thinking about another woman?"

Claudia's voice, inexplicably subdued, snapped Roy back to reality.

"Claudia?"

Roy looked at her in surprise.

"It's just the two of us here. Just for now, can't you keep the world in your mind all to myself?"

Claudia leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder. She was light, almost weightless, but there was a strange fragility in her words.

"Or… is that too greedy of me?"

Her voice carried a hint of unease, as if afraid he might confirm her fears.

"...No, not at all. Sorry."

After a moment of silence, Roy straightened up and snatched the spoon from Claudia's hand.

"One good turn deserves another. Here, say 'ah'—"

Claudia sat up straight, blinking in surprise as Roy fed her with a completely serious expression.

Then she burst into laughter, her eyes brimming with amusement, before obediently opening her mouth.

The two took turns feeding each other, stretching what should have been a quick meal into nearly an hour.

But Roy couldn't shake off a growing sense of unease.

Claudia's reactions weren't normal.

Yet, he couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was off.

Truth be told, he didn't know much about Claudia to begin with. His understanding of her was limited to her achievements at Seidoukan and the fact that her mother was a high-ranking executive in Ginga.

It wasn't that Roy hadn't tried to learn more about her.

Instead, Claudia seemed to have wrapped herself in a protective shell, always concealing her true thoughts.

Ding!

Shortly after lunch, the doorbell rang.

"Is anyone inside? The next match's participants need to enter!"

The two quickly packed up their lunch boxes, grabbed their belongings, and headed for the door.

The preparation room door opened.

Outside, apart from the cleaning automatons, stood three beautiful young girls—Okita Souji and Stella Vermilion, one of the pairs competing in the first match of the afternoon, along with Sylvia, who had come to cheer them on.

Seeing Roy and Claudia emerge, Sylvia and Stella both froze momentarily.

Claudia, noticing Sylvia, also paused briefly before smiling and nodding at her, then walked past the group and left the preparation room.

Sylvia watched their departing figures, then glanced at the food waste in the room's trash bin.

Something wasn't right.

She knew Claudia.

After all, they were both student council presidents of their respective academies and had interacted occasionally. In Sylvia's understanding, Claudia, though gentle on the surface, was someone no one could truly get close to. Unfamiliar people only saw her polite smile, while those who knew her better recognized the cold detachment hidden beneath it.

For Claudia to have a private meal alone with a male in a room like this was almost unthinkable.

She turned to look at Okita Souji.

Seeing her still wearing an expressionless poker face, as if she hadn't given it any thought, Sylvia felt a slight relief.

Perhaps Souji hadn't developed feelings for Roy... or maybe not. Souji was the type who never showed her emotions, making it hard to guess what she was really thinking. Sylvia honestly couldn't tell.

"This might get complicated..."

Sylvia had a vague sense that this situation was gathering all the elements for a stomach-churning drama.

That afternoon, the second match at Sirius Dome.

"Unbelievable! It's over in just one strike!"

"Their opponents were ranked 30th and 41st from St. Garellworths Academy! Yet against these two unranked students from Queenvail Girls' Academy, they couldn't even last a single round!"

The audience erupted in uproar, countless spectators leaping to their feet in shock.

The two students in Saint Galahadworth uniforms stared in disbelief at their shattered badges on the ground.

Across from them.

Stella Vermilion stood majestically, gripping a golden greatsword, while Okita Souji held a katana, her expression icy cold.

Neither was using a Lux weapon, yet both had defeated their opponents in a single encounter, using just one move each!

The match duration: five seconds again!

"These two are reportedly special admission students from Queenvail Girls' Academy. While Stella Vermilion doesn't have any notable achievements, Okita Souji displayed remarkable skill during the terrorist attack at Sylvia Lyyneheym's concert a month ago. Now we see why—this level of skill is truly extraordinary!"

"What an astonishing result! Although slightly less impressive compared to Roy's previous match where he defeated two ranked opponents in just five seconds, these two competitors are still top-tier—undoubtedly possessing the strength to contend for the championship in this Phoenix Festa! It seems the question of who will claim victory in this Festa remains wide open!"

"Ohhh!"

Roaring cheers surged like tidal waves throughout the arena.

The audience's anticipation had reached its peak.

The suspense over who will win this Phoenix Festa is far from over!

***

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