Release Princess Mika!

Chapter 3: I never wanted to wear an armband.

It didn’t take long before Nagisa regained consciousness. As soon as she realized she was lying on Mika’s bed, she quickly sat up, straightened her clothes, and then proceeded to tidy up the bed, which was quite cute.

“Ahem.”

Nagisa cleared her throat before approaching me, who was sitting next to the desk chair, looking at my phone.

“Internet news?”

“I was just checking if there was anything useful for me. It seems like I never kept a journal or anything. I even went through the pictures on my phone, but nothing really stands out.”

“I see.”

Glancing at Nagisa, I noticed a complex expression on her face. I faintly heard her muttering, “Did she really lose her memory? Searching the internet for news... that’s not like Mika at all…” The distance between us wasn’t far enough for her words to be missed, but her confusion seemed to cloud her thoughts.

“Mika-san, do you remember anything? Anything at all?”

“Yeah. And to be honest, I didn’t even know my own name. Thanks to you calling me Mika-san, at least I learned that much.”

“I see… Well, my name is not Nagisa-chan, but Kirifuji Nagisa. Your name is Misono Mika. Sigh, how did things turn out like this…”

“Misono Mika… Hmm, I don’t really know that name. But since it was saved as ‘Nagisa-chan’ here, I guess that was your nickname, right? I’ll just keep calling you Nagisa-chan from now on.”

There was no immediate response from Nagisa, who seemed lost in deep thought with a somewhat uncomfortable look on her face. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking.

In the silence that followed, I finished reading the article I had been looking at. When I saw Kaiser Corporation mentioned, I thought it might be a useful article, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. The recent news on Abydos seemed more useful, as it tied into the beginning of the main story.

While skimming through the news, I did learn something useful. It appears that the student council president hasn’t gone missing yet. If such a big event had happened, the article would have been about the disappearance itself or the aftermath. This means I’m definitely possessed in a period prior to the original story.

I could probably confirm the exact timing with Nagisa. Our age, grade, and social position would surely come up in conversation soon.

As I read further, I recalled that Mika had been secretly making plans for a year before the events of the original story began.

Since Mika plays a significant role in the main plot, I knew the direction I chose would have a big impact.

But one thing’s for sure: I don’t want to end up like Mika in the original story. While Mika grows and evolves as a character, the thought of following that path feels suffocating.

Honestly, watching our favorite character suffer and fall apart was heartbreaking, and now that I’m in her shoes, all I want is to avoid that future at all costs.

I’ll need to find a way to align with the original story’s direction or even improve upon it, without drawing too much attention to myself. That’s definitely not going to be easy.

“Nagisa-chan, it seems like there’s a limit to what I can find on my own. I hate to ask, but could you help me?”

“Mika-san, there’s no need to ask. It’s only natural for a friend to help someone they’ve known longer than anyone else when they’re in trouble.”

Wow, Nagisa’s kindness really shines through. As expected, her eyes don’t lie.

I feel like the Trinity... no, the Hyeomrinity Academy is guilty of turning this sweet girl into a hopeless skeptic.

Though I suppose Mika also contributed to that in her own way, it wasn’t intentional, so there’s some leniency in that.

Hmm...

Anyway, it’s clear that Mika has her flaws, but she’s not a bad person. And above all, she’s so pretty that it makes everything forgivable.

Honestly, I could probably say “I’m pretty!” with all sincerity—her beauty alone makes up for everything. That’s enough, right?

“Let’s start by quickly covering some basic knowledge. I’ll explain about Kibotos, the student council, and other major Academies, so you’d better memorize this first.”

From there, Nagisa’s explanation marathon began. After a solid two hours of explanations, I had essentially become a great sage of this world.

...Of course, I’m joking. Most of the truly important things had already been covered in Blue Archive, so I already knew most of the details.

I did learn a few new things here and there, but I paid more attention to the small details that didn’t seem as important.

“According to what you’ve said, I’m the leader of the Pater faction, one of the largest factions at Trinity Comprehensive Academy, right?”

“Well, opinions are divided on whether Gehenna or Trinity is the bigger faction. You’ve always hated Gehenna, so it makes sense you’d think Trinity is bigger.”

“Gehenna... Hmm. I don’t really know much about it. But just hearing the name makes me feel... uncomfortable. I don’t like it.”

If anything, Mika’s extreme dislike of Gehenna was probably the trait that worked the most negatively on her. She never really gave a solid reason for her hatred, so it was almost like an irrational aversion.

As for me, I’m not sure if it’s because of the possession or not, but hearing the name Gehenna gives me a faint sense of discomfort, though I can suppress it. At least it’s not as extreme as Mika’s hatred.

This likely ties into the mysterious nature of all the female students in Kibotos. Many believe Mika’s mystery stems from the archangel Michael, who is known for casting Satan, the evil dragon, to the earth. Given that the majority of Gehenna’s students are demons, it’s no surprise that Mika would harbor such strong feelings of disgust toward them.

Come to think of it, can I even handle my own mystery? The halo above my head is still intact, and I feel energized, so my physical abilities seem fine. But whether I can handle the sort of psychic powers Mika uses in the game... I’ll have to find out later. Since students in Blue Archive often engage in battles, it would definitely help to be prepared with some offensive power.

In fact, Mika’s primary role in the main story is based on her combat abilities, so if I can’t fight well in this body, it might cause some problems.

If the power of Kenzaki Tsurugi, the head of the Justice Department at Trinity, is diminished, it’s not hard to imagine other variables arising. So, it’s crucial to have a comparable level of strength.

The problem, however, is that I’m not exactly well-trained. I don’t even know how to shoot a gun, yet here I am, possessing Mika’s body, which has the strength to easily overpower most students. Maybe it’s luck, but given the circumstances, it seems like a stroke of good fortune. Though I can’t exactly say I’ve had much luck with this possession.

“Trinity’s student council has a unique structure compared to other Academies. It originates from the founding of Trinity Comprehensive Academy. During the time when various factions were constantly in conflict, the leaders of the Pater, Sanctus, and Filius factions met to hold a tea party, and now, all the faction leaders serve as student council presidents.”

I felt a bit bad for Nagisa, who was explaining this with so much passion, but since I already knew most of it, I just nodded along, occasionally observing her.

Her appearance, combined with the special Academy uniform from the tea party, was like a work of art.

Thankfully, Nagisa didn’t notice that I was indulging in my own little fantasy while she continued with her explanation.

“So, Mika-san, as the leader of the Pater faction, you hold one of the three student council president positions at Trinity. By the way, I’m in the Filius faction, and though she’s not here, Seiya Yurika is in charge of the Sanctus faction. Ah, I think it’d be a good idea to inform Seiya-san about Mika-san’s memory loss as well.”

Hmm. I hope she doesn’t realize I’m lying. The chances of her figuring it out seem low, since Seiya’s powers don’t include mind reading.

“That way, the current host of the tea party can make plans to handle the situation where no one is able to perform their duties.”

“Host?”

“Oh, I missed that part. The student council presidents take turns leading the tea party, and during their term, they hold the most power. And the current host of the tea party is...”

Wait, what? What are you talking about, Nagisa? This wasn’t mentioned in the original story. Why are second-years just casually taking the student council president positions?

“It’s Mika-san.”

At this moment, it was my turn to nearly faint. Of course, thanks to Mika’s ridiculously good health, I didn’t actually lose consciousness, but it was certainly a disappointment.