“Klee, did Albedo teach you all this?”
Glancing helplessly at Kurumi and Seele, who had been pushed away by the sudden academic atmosphere and were now chatting near the lake, C.C. turned back with a deliberately surprised look at the little girl.
After a while of talking, C.C. realized this kid was a genius—though only in one very specific field: explosions, or rather, bomb-making.
She had perfectly inherited the talent of her mother, the great adventurer Alice, and c...
2025-10-03 17:22:09 +0000 UTC
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“Wow! Such a pretty big sister! Hello, hello~!”
The childish yet lively voice made both C.C. and Seele turn toward its source.
What they saw was a cheerful little girl bouncing over in a bright red winter coat.
Klee skipped happily up to C.C. and Seele, waving with a radiant smile.
“My name’s Klee! I’m the Spark Knight of the Knights of Favonius!”
“I ran into this little one while… ahem, clearing out some Hilichurls nearby,” Kurumi &nbs...
2025-10-03 17:21:41 +0000 UTC
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Katou Megumi sat on her bed, leaning against the wall in a pink-and-white striped nightdress.
Fresh out of the bath, her damp hair clung softly to her cheeks, her skin flushed with warmth.
Her face glowed with a dewy freshness, as if the slightest touch might make water bead up on her skin.
Her long legs peeked out from under the hem of her nightdress, skin so smooth and pale it gleamed in the lamplight.
Her ten round toes curled and stretched lazily against the blanke...
2025-10-03 15:45:25 +0000 UTC
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“Come play again when you have time, Rinko.”
Katou’s mother, who had appeared out of nowhere, interrupted the girls’ conversation.
With her warmth and persistence, she left Ohashi Rinko no choice but to end the topic with a forced laugh.
Before running off in a hurry, Rinko only managed to give Megumi a little hand signal—'I’ll call you later.’
“Alright, Mom, let’s head back inside.” Megumi pushed open the gate and walked in.
“Rinko...
2025-10-03 15:41:22 +0000 UTC
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—Toshima Ward, Kami-Ikebukuro 3-chome, No.19
At the street corner, Katou Megumi finally managed to wrestle her phone back from her best friend after promising for the third time that if there was any news about her beloved “Hojou-sensei,” she’d report it immediately.
“You have to tell me right away, okay? If not, Megumi, I swear that bowl of ramen you ate tonight is going to magically add three pounds to you!” Rinko Ohashi pressed, still not e...
2025-10-03 15:40:27 +0000 UTC
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By the time the clock struck nine at night, STARRY had closed its doors.
Aoki boarded the train, swaying with each stop until he finally made his way back to his apartment
The worried tone of Seika’s words still lingered in his ears.
For some reason, during the ride home, an unshakable restlessness weighed on him.
And really—wasn’t it obvious why? These past few days had been nothing but one problem after another.
His past had been dragged ...
2025-10-02 16:38:45 +0000 UTC
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November 30th. Wednesday.
The last day of the month.
Most of his work was already done.
The only thing left was preparing for tomorrow’s live-stream recording.
But aside from that, there was something else—another live concert that had been arranged with KL Productions, a special show that he still needed to prepare for.
So, from a few days ago, Aoki had been busy once again.
That was how this path always went: when it was quiet, the free time stretched...
2025-10-02 16:37:56 +0000 UTC
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When Morax and Barbatos, two ancient friends, reunited at the same table, their appetites naturally exploded.
The dishes piled high at first were now reduced to stacks of empty plates, with only scraps left behind.
What puzzled Nagami most was Paimon.
Her tiny mouth hadn’t stopped moving the whole meal, and by his count, she’d eaten food equal to about a quarter of her entire body size—yet somehow her appearance hadn’t changed at all.
When the meal was done, it...
2025-10-02 16:30:21 +0000 UTC
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‘Keqing, shocked for a hundred years!!!’
As one of Liyue’s Qixing, Miss Yuheng had far more life experience than most girls her age.
Up to this point, Keqing had met all kinds of people, lived through all sorts of bizarre situations, and could proudly claim to have seen it all.
Or so she thought.
Because this—this, she really had never seen before.
Staring at the suddenly transformed Venti—who, after a sip of alcohol, had become a beautiful you...
2025-10-02 16:29:52 +0000 UTC
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As the city lights flickered on and neon signs bathed the streets in color, Tokyo quietly stepped into another night.
They say every spring rain brings warmth, and after a chilly morning cooled by evaporating rain, the night air now felt surprisingly mild.
Megumi Kato walked out of karaoke with her classmates.
After saying goodbye to two friends who still had the energy to go shopping, she linked arms with her friend Rinko Ohashi and headed toward the nearest station.
...
2025-10-02 15:28:16 +0000 UTC
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“How is it? Pretty amazing book, right?”
Even though Yamauchi Sakura looked completely drained from reading, she still didn’t forget to watch Yukinoshita’s expression closely.
“Well, considering I’ve only seen the title and haven’t even read a page yet… plus judging by your tortured face while reading, it really doesn’t look like you’re enjoying some ‘amazing book.’”
Yukinoshita spoke quietly, giving her a sideways glance full of disbelief.
Sa...
2025-10-02 15:27:33 +0000 UTC
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After briefly saying a few words to Manager Seika at STARRY, Aoki packed up his guitar and left.
Inside the shop, only Seika and Nijika remained.
Nijika’s eyes lingered on the spot where Aoki had disappeared, but after a while, she drew her gaze back.
Just as she was about to tidy up the counter, Seika spoke up.
“Nijika, your relationship with Aoki… it’s fine now, right?”
She looked at Nijika, a trace of doubt flickering in her expressi...
2025-10-01 17:23:20 +0000 UTC
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On the 26th, a Saturday, an unexpected snowfall had lasted for quite a while.
Only after a thin white layer had settled on the ground did the flakes finally begin to fade away.
The weather turned even colder after the snow, so when Aoki stepped out, he made sure to put on an extra layer underneath his coat.
After his talk with Ryo yesterday, she lingered in his apartment for a while.
Aoki had even prepared himself to cook dinner for her.
But then, around five o...
2025-10-01 17:22:54 +0000 UTC
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The atmosphere suddenly grew silent and heavy, as though the very air had sunk into a suffocating swamp.
Venti swallowed nervously, like a prisoner waiting for his verdict.
‘Did they believe me or not?!’
No—judging from Nagami and Lumine’s expressions, they clearly didn’t believe a word.
But in truth, whether they did or not didn’t matter much.
Those two didn’t need a reason to bully him—if they wanted to, they would.
…Why did tha...
2025-10-01 17:14:44 +0000 UTC
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Just a few days ago, they had been walking hand-in-hand down the streets like close sisters.
Even Keqing herself couldn’t quite figure out whether her feelings for the Traveler carried a faint spark of something… different.
But now, the girl she had grown fond of suddenly showed up with a partner at her side.
Keqing’s heart was thrown into complete chaos.
Faced with the choice between a finely crafted Morax figurine and a plate of golden shrimp balls, Keqing foun...
2025-10-01 17:14:15 +0000 UTC
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Yukinoshita Yukino fought the urge to roll her eyes.
For a split second, she even considered turning on her heel and walking away.
She didn’t call out Yamauchi Sakura on the fact that she had only arrived mere seconds before her.
Instead, Yukino kept her face cold and strode toward her.
Logic told her it was best not to respond—Sakura wasn’t here to show off flashy neon signs; she was here to toy with her.
The more Yukino reacted, the louder this idiot woul...
2025-10-01 16:30:15 +0000 UTC
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“Raise your sword against the stronger! A mystery writer who defies the hierarchy!”
The bold headline flashed across the giant screen, followed by a name—Kono Kenzo (Chairman of the Japan Mystery Writers Association).
“This is the recommendation Chairman Kono wrote for my new book. There are also a few other senior writers who’ll help with promotion.”
Kyousuke said this with an easy smile, answering another one of Yanohara’s questions.
...
2025-10-01 16:28:32 +0000 UTC
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“Right now? You want to… see me?”
Aoki froze for a moment, blurting the words out before he could stop himself.
But almost instantly, he realized—
From Ryo’s tone… and that strange, heavy undercurrent in her voice…
He could more or less guess why she was calling him.
He opened his mouth, ready to ask directly why she suddenly wanted to see him, or at least offer an explanation.
But before he could speak, Yamada Ryo finally answered after a bri...
2025-09-30 17:52:00 +0000 UTC
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Even after the twenty-fifth had passed, Aoki still hadn’t found the so-called “right moment.”
Before that happened, though, he received a notice from KL Productions.
A last-minute change — the radio recording had been switched to a live broadcast.
Since this was news to him as well, Fujita Masahito hurried over to ask for Aoki’s and Kessoku Band’s thoughts.
Kei didn’t really mind either way.
After checking in with the rest of the girls, he replied w...
2025-09-30 17:51:30 +0000 UTC
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Sunlight poured down from the crystal-clear sky like flowing water, and the streets buzzed with life, filled with a festive and peaceful atmosphere.
“Hey, Zhongli, don’t tell me you never kept a little stash of pocket money for yourself?”
Paimon’s face lit up with a mischievous grin as she rubbed her hands together in excitement.
Even though Lumine was now worth a small fortune, Paimon’s money-grubbing nature hadn’t changed one bit.
Every time Lumine handed...
2025-09-30 17:46:14 +0000 UTC
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Of course Lumine could sense the chaotic stream of thoughts running through Nagami’s mind.
She only shrugged nonchalantly, blinking with an innocent look on her face.
Her white dress, lined with golden embroidery, looked ethereal yet elegant.
Two long white ribbons fluttered behind her swan-like neck, and her tall white boots with golden trim gave off a dashing air.
Beneath the hem of her dress, her long, slender legs were pale as snow and strikingly beautiful.
2025-09-30 17:44:17 +0000 UTC
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Kyousuke lifted his eyelids and instantly counted the people in the hall: fifty-six.
That was five more than the number Kisaki’s report had listed.
Among them, the most familiar faces belonged to Kinokuniya, a major bookstore chain he had worked with several times.
Of course, the company president wouldn’t show up in person for something like this; instead, they sent employees from the department in charge of new book acquisitions.
The owners of smaller bookstores ...
2025-09-30 16:09:41 +0000 UTC
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The short chat with Tsuchiya Ryouta was the only interruption that morning.
After that, classes went smoothly.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, who hadn’t seen Hojou Kyousuke all day, clearly missed him.
Not only did she keep bombarding him with questions in class, but even at noon—when Kyousuke asked to leave—she tried every possible way to keep him there.
‘Sigh… I can understand why a teacher would favor an outstanding student, but Hiratsuka-sensei is a little too cl...
2025-09-30 16:09:06 +0000 UTC
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Everyone below listened with rapt attention.
Sure, they all knew the basics of how to respond, but none of them could pull it off with the kind of effortless smoothness that Kyousuke displayed.
Even in an official Kendo 8th-dan exam, you wouldn’t see this kind of zanshin (lingering spirit).
The old masters were strong, yes, but they simply didn’t have the raw speed and power that Hojou possessed.
Some members had even bought instructional DVDs from famous ...
2025-09-30 16:08:36 +0000 UTC
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The 21st.
Overcast skies.
The kind of weather that feels like it could snow any moment.
People say that when sadness reaches its deepest point so deep you don’t even realize you’re sad anymore—it’s no longer a sudden tidal wave.
True sorrow is more like a tide: constant, quiet, soaking into every corner of your life.
Ijichi Nijika couldn’t say exactly when she became certain of her feelings.
Maybe it was that day when Aoki-senpai looked straight a...
2025-09-29 17:38:13 +0000 UTC
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Pretending to be strong is something most people do.
Maybe it’s subconscious, maybe it’s unintentional but sooner or later, everyone’s done it.
When it came to the discussions online, to say Kei didn’t care at all… wasn’t entirely true.
The truth was, words like “orphan” or “grew up without parents” didn’t wound him.
He understood that things like your birth or background aren’t something you can choose.
So, no matter wha...
2025-09-29 17:37:11 +0000 UTC
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Paimon floated beside Lumine, sneaking nervous glances at the oversized sunglasses hiding her friend’s face. Her voice still carried a trace of fear.
“Lumine… we’re really not going to stop that singing bard?”
She glanced back toward the city gates, half-expecting to see a certain green figure lurking there—but nothing.
Lumine had always teased her by calling her “emergency rations,” but now Paimon was starting to wonder if Miss Lumine might actually use<...
2025-09-29 17:24:58 +0000 UTC
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A horde of Abyss Heralds closed in, their ghostly forms surrounding Nagami and Lumine.
Off to the side, Miss Aetheria and Miss Wendy watched them with predatory eyes.
“Lumine, Nagami—remove our curse now, and we’ll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise…”
Aetheria’s icy gaze swept over them.
Her long hair, scattered across the ground like flowing water, lifted without a breeze, writhing like the claws of a vengeful spirit.
A terrifying aura surged out from...
2025-09-29 17:24:17 +0000 UTC
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Thirty million yen.
That’s about what it costs for a school just two hours away from Osaka to make a trip to Koshien.
A little farther, and the price shoots up to fifty million—or more.
It’s so much money you might think the coach is pocketing some, but in reality, that’s only the entry fee, the cost just to show up for the opening match with the mindset of “play once and pack up.”
Every victory after that? Lodging and meal expenses rack up all ove...
2025-09-29 16:30:11 +0000 UTC
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The Next Morning
Although Kyousuke still had plenty of matters waiting for him to handle, as the top student of his grade he knew well that a student’s real duty was attending school.
So, without hesitation, he left the bustling world outside behind and decided to head to class.
“Wow~ Kyousuke, you’ve really grown up,” Hojou Mikiko chuckled softly from the entryway steps. “I still remember when you were little, you used to say your dream was living...
2025-09-29 16:29:26 +0000 UTC
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