The night festival was bustling, and with so many people drinking, it should have been incredibly noisy. And yet, there was this unsettling silence—a chill that seemed to crawl right down my spine.
I knew exactly what the cause was. It was the pressure radiating from Zwei-san. She was walking exactly three steps behind me, glaring at the back of my head without blinking, just as she’d promised.
Why did she hate me so much? Wait... did she actually hate me? Thinking back, it wasn't like she'd ever explicitly said so.
I’d only just met her, but she seemed like the type who wouldn’t hesitate to speak her mind bluntly. If she didn't like someone, she'd say it.
In that case, maybe she was just the type to give people a chilly reception until she got to know them. Perhaps if I actually tried to strike up a conversation, it might go surprisingly well.
I tried to push aside the facts that someone in a leadership position wouldn't normally be this rude to a stranger and that she was currently boring holes into my skull with her terrifying gaze. I had to try.
Here goes... I’ll put my communication skills to the test and give her my best smile.
"Z-Zwei-san, do you ever get so focused that you lose track of your surroundings?"
"Yes."
"A-Actually, I have a similar habit. What a coincidence."
"Is that so?"
"...Yes."
"..."
"..."
The conversation was dead on arrival! Between her piercing stare and that flat, monosyllabic tone, there was absolutely no room for follow-up. Was this the limit of my social skills? Just as I was about to give up, Raz-san, the communication monster herself, looked over at us.
"Wow, Kaito-kun-san, that's incredible! You and Zwei-neechan are already such good friends!"
"..."
Could someone please explain to me exactly which part of this looked like "good friends"? This was a textbook "snake staring down a frog" situation! I looked toward Acht and Eva, hoping they’d jump in to help, but they just kept their eyes averted.
I was at a total loss. I hadn't struggled this much with a conversation since the first time I met Shiro-san.
Back then, Shiro-san at least hadn't been glaring at me, so I’d managed to bumble my way through it... but Zwei-san's eye pressure was so overwhelming that I just couldn't make any headway.
If only I could find some kind of common ground...
As I walked along, lost in thought, a loud, angry shout suddenly rang out.
"What did you say?! You're just a brainless War King lackey who's only good for swinging your fists!"
"You're the ones who are always skulking around in the shadows!!"
I turned toward the noise to find a fight breaking out. Raz-san, Acht, Eva, and I all looked toward the commotion, but Zwei-san’s gaze never wavered from me. She was so focused on her "monitoring" that she didn't even seem to hear the shouting.
"...They're at it again. The War King's subordinates and the Phantasm King's subordinates..."
"Those guys really are like cats and dogs... Hey, it'll be a pain if we get dragged into it. Let's get out of here."
Eva and Acht muttered with exasperated sighs. It really did seem like the two factions couldn't stand each other.
I agreed with Acht; it was best to leave before things escalated. But just as I was about to move... it happened.
A War King's subordinate threw a liquor bottle, which a Phantasm King's subordinate promptly crushed. A single, tiny stray drop of alcohol from the shattered bottle splashed onto Zwei-san’s cheek.
It was a minuscule droplet, so small it was a wonder she even noticed. But for the first time, Zwei-san finally looked away from me. She reached up and touched her cheek.
She brushed her cheek with her gloved hand, brought her fingers before her eyes, and began to tremble violently.
"...Ah... Ahh..."
Zwei-san wasn't the only one who changed. The other three suddenly looked as though they’d witnessed the end of the world.
"T-This is bad. This is really bad..."
"Raz-nee!! Contact Big Sis Ein immediately! We can't stop her on our own!"
"I-I know!"
What on earth was going on? Even the ever-cheerful Raz-san had turned pale with panic.
I stood there, the only one confused by the situation, as Raz-san pulled a bow from thin air and fired an arrow into the sky.
Almost simultaneously, a thunderous roar shook the air.
"You bastards! How dare you... How dare you defile the body bestowed upon me by Chrome-sama!? Every last one of you! Do not think a single shred of your flesh will remain in this world! I'll kill you all!!"
"—?!"
Zwei-san's face twisted into an expression so terrifying she looked like a demon straight out of hell. She’d completely snapped.
She radiated a rage so intense it felt like the very atmosphere was vibrating. Just as she was about to charge the terrified subordinates, Ein-san materialized directly in front of her.
"Stand down, Zwei."
"Out of my way, Ein!! On my supreme body created by Chrome-sama! On this ultimate body where not a single speck of filth is permitted! Those pieces of trash dared to...!!"
"I know you take pride in the body Chrome-sama created for you, and I know you wear those gloves constantly to keep it pristine. However, if you lose control here, you will reduce this entire area to ash. Chrome-sama wouldn't want that, would she?"
"Guh... You expect me to suppress it? This rage that's scorching my very soul...?"
At the mention of what Kuro would want, Zwei-san bit her lip, her eyes still bloodshot with fury.
"Endure it. Besides... Kaito-sama is frightened."
"What?! Ah..."
At Ein-san’s next words, Zwei-san turned back toward me with a look of pure shock. But I wasn't frightened; I was just hopelessly confused.
It wasn't that her anger scared me. Everyone has things they hold dear, and I didn't intend to judge her or shrink away because she was protective of herself.
No, the reason for my confusion was the emotions I was sensing from Zwei-san.
Up until now, her magic power had been suppressed, making it impossible for my Sympathy Magic to pick up anything. But now that her control was slipping due to her rage, her feelings were flooding into me.
As she looked at me with that troubled, frantic expression, I felt a tidal wave of emotion. It was confusion, panic... and an overwhelming, almost crushing amount of affection. Wait, what?
Dear Mother, Father—I honestly thought Zwei-san hated me. That’s why, when I felt that staggering flood of goodwill pouring from her, I was left completely and utterly confused.