Chapter 31: Ghosts in the Ring

Thankfully, Nagisa regained consciousness shortly after collapsing.

“…Oh my, you’re awake?” I said.

“Huh…? Why… am I lying on Kaoru-san’s lap…?” Nagisa mumbled, clearly unaware of why she’d fainted.

Sensei, knowing that Hanako, Azusa, and I had gone to “rescue” Nagisa, cast a suspicious glance our way. “Hanako, you’re sure you don’t have any guesses about this…?”

“Fufufu, nope~ ‘Logically,’ I can’t think of any reason for such a symptom,” Hanako replied with a meaningful smile, deftly deflecting to spare me another lecture.

“You—what did you do to the Tea Party’s host this time?” Mine demanded, arriving from the Relief Knights to escort Nagisa to the infirmary, her glare piercing.

“Hmm… I’m not sure myself,” I said, feigning innocence.

“…I’ll be watching you,” Mine warned.

After a careful examination, Mine concluded that Nagisa’s collapse was likely due to exhaustion from handling the coup’s aftermath, finding no evidence to pin on me.

Honestly, I didn’t expect her to be this traumatized.

Once the commotion settled, Sensei finally addressed the matter she’d tried to bring up earlier.

“Phew… Kaoru, if you’re free, could you spare a moment now?”

“Fufu, of course, Master. What’s the matter?” I asked.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet… and a story I want to share.”

What could this be about?

Shortly after, Sensei brought me to Trinity’s ancient library, introducing me to a student who was both unexpected and, in a way, familiar.

“Ugh… another overwhelming person…” muttered Kozeki Ui, a character I’d adored in the original game for her quirky personality and strong performance.

“My precious space is being invaded… ugh…” The gloomy bookworm, wearing black horn-rimmed glasses and surrounded by fragments of ancient texts spread across the table, lamented in a barely audible voice.

“Hmm…” I murmured, too absorbed in the surprising revelation to pay much attention to her complaints.

Sensei’s been worrying about my supposed ‘amnesia’ this whole time.

Feeling renewed respect for the woman beside me, always acting for her students’ sake, I repeated the clue Ui had uncovered at Sensei’s request.

“Light rings… Indeed, my halo might’ve been called that, fufu.”

I gazed at the faint lavender ring floating behind my head, reflected in Ui’s hand mirror, matching my hair color.

Sensei nodded seriously and asked, “Kaoru, does that term spark any memories?”

Memories? Everything I told you when we met is all I know about Itokonoue Kaoru.

“No… but it feels oddly familiar. Like a faint, unforgettable sensation from a dream long ago, fufu,” I said, sidestepping the truth.

“I see… Still, it seems there’s definitely a connection to your world,” Sensei said, slightly disappointed but encouraged by the link.

Ui’s discovery was significant to me too.

The term “light ring” was unmistakably the Project KV developers’ attempt to rebrand Blue Archive’s “halos” in their ill-fated game.

That it appeared in Trinity’s ancient texts suggested some intended connection between Project KV’s world and Kivotos.

Or at least, that runaway writer from Project KV snuck in some related lore…

I inwardly tsked, recalling how Project KV’s initial PV had teased “a story we already know” before the project collapsed within a month.

Turning to Ui, I thanked her.

“Fufu, thank you for finding this, Ui. It’s been a big help.”

“Uh, um…” Ui mumbled, blushing slightly, avoiding my gaze as if unaccustomed to gratitude.

“It’s… the best I can do for now… If I find more similar stories, I’ll let you know…” she added.

Wow, she’s even cuter in person.

Despite her earlier grumbling, her willingness to help revealed a kind heart beneath her gloomy demeanor.

Unable to resist, I reached out and gently patted her dark hair.

“Hehehe, you’re such a good girl, Ui.”

“E-Eek…?!” Ui yelped, her face turning beet red as she let out a bizarre squeak.

She actually made that sound?

Sensei, looking mildly exasperated, cleared her throat.

“Ahem, Kaoru, that’s enough. You’re making Ui uncomfortable.”

“Oh my…?” I blinked.

Sigh… you’re still so oblivious, Sensei muttered, seemingly misinterpreting my actions again.

“Anyway, thank you, Ui. I’ll count on you going forward.”

“Y-Yes…” Ui stammered.

I just patted her because she was cute…

Feeling a bit wronged by Sensei’s misunderstanding, I was about to protest when she changed the subject.

“By the way, Kaoru, you know about the upcoming Eden Treaty signing ceremony, right?”

She brought up the event that, in the original story, marked the start of the Eden Treaty’s latter half—a moment fast approaching.

“Yes, I heard it’s being held at the old cathedral at Gehenna’s request,” I replied.

“Exactly. I’ll be attending as an observer for the General Student Council,” Sensei said, then smiled and made an offer.

“Kaoru, would you like to come along? I checked with the council, and they said we could arrange a spot for an attendant.”

“Oh my, as your attendant, Master?” I asked.

“Yes. You’ll need to decide which school to transfer to soon, right? The signing ceremony will have students from Gehenna and other schools outside Trinity. It’d be a great chance to get a feel for their atmospheres, which could help you choose.”

As expected, another selfless offer for a student’s benefit.

“…”

“Kaoru?” Sensei prompted, noticing my hesitation.

I couldn’t respond immediately.

Her proposal had sparked a serious concern.

In the original story, a hypersonic cruise missile from Arius hits the Eden Treaty summit.

Sensei would be safe, protected by Arona in the Shittim Chest, but the other students there would be incapacitated by the weapon’s devastating power.

And, frankly, I had no desire to get hit by such a terrifying attack.

…Should I try to avoid that missile?