Bonus Chapter!
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The sun overhead was dazzling, its warmth enough to make anyone feel drowsy.
Despite the upcoming competition, Ikki Kurogane hadn't neglected his daily training.
"I don't have any special talent, so I have to work harder than anyone else."
Swinging his sword, lifting it up, and bringing it back down in one repetitive motion—simple, monotonous, but Ikki repeated it thousands of times each day.
Only when his arms began to feel numb, and sweat trickled down his skin, did he finally end his routine.
"Ikki!"
Seeing him stop, Stella immediately ran over, carrying two bottles of water, but someone beat her to it.
"Brother, you worked hard. Here, have some water."
With a look of pure frustration, Stella watched as Shizuku offered a bottle to Ikki, smugly reveling in her victory.
"Oh! Thanks, Shizuku."
Unaware of Stella's sulking gaze behind him, Ikki took the water bottle, twisted the cap, and took a sip.
Watching him drink, Shizuku put on a coy expression, lightly brushing her cheek as she murmured, "My, my, how lucky you are, Brother. To have such an adorable sister bring you water. So… did you like the 'taste of Shizuku' in the water?"
Pfffft—!
"Eek!!"
Both Ikki and Stella's eyes widened in shock, with Stella's face flushing a bright shade of red.
"Wait… Shizuku, you didn't actually put…!" Ikki stammered, his mind racing. "No, wait! I realized when I opened the bottle that it was sealed!"
"Oh, it was just a harmless little sibling joke! Come on, Brother, no one would do something so shameless as to kiss the bottle first." Shizuku gave him a sly grin, glancing sidelong at Stella, who was still blushing furiously. "Right, Stella?"
"Uh…"
With a stiff smile, Stella tried to subtly hide the bottle she held behind her back.
"R-Right… you're absolutely right. Ahaha…"
"Hm? Stella, what are you hiding back there?"
But Stella's movements were so obvious that, even without Shizuku's prompting, Ikki noticed. Her eyes went wide in panic.
"T-These are just for me! What, can't I buy my own water?!" she huffed defiantly, clutching both bottles to her chest and downing them in quick gulps with tears of defeat in her eyes.
Watching her, Ikki half-opened his mouth, sensing that something was off.
Seriously… does anyone drink two whole bottles at once?
"Alright, Brother, forget about her," Shizuku said, pulling him away. "Maybe she's just that thirsty."
Though Ikki and Stella had already confirmed their relationship, Shizuku still seemed to enjoy throwing shade at Stella whenever she got the chance. She'd even bought a book titled 108 Ways for a Sister-in-Law to Torment the Bride.
Yes… Stella was in for it.
"But back to the point, Brother…"
Shizuku leaned in close, whispering into Ikki's ear. "Don't you think there's something strange going on over there?"
Ikki followed her gaze, where a curious scene was unfolding.
"Souji, it's almost time for lunch. I felt inspired and made extra today," Ayase said, holding out two neatly packed bento boxes. She lowered her head, avoiding Okita's eyes.
"So… would you mind helping me finish it?"
"Hm? I don't mind at all," Okita replied.
"Really? That's great!"
Ayase's face brightened, her cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Oh, and once you've finished, please let me know what you think—like, which things you liked best and which you didn't."
"Sure thing."
Ikki and Shizuku took in the scene from a distance, exchanging glances.
"Is something strange about that?" Ikki asked.
"Brother, don't you think… that Okita and Ayatsuji-senpai seem a lot closer than before?"
"Now that you mention it… I guess they do?"
Only a little? Shizuku could practically see little heart-shaped sparkles between them.
"Hm? What are you guys talking about?"
Stella joined them, inching close, possibly because Shizuku was standing too close to Ikki and Stella felt the need to stake her claim.
"Oh, nothing much. You wouldn't get it, anyway, Stella."
"Hey! Who are you calling stupid?!"
---
As Stella and Shizuku got into yet another spat, Okita and Ayase continued their quiet conversation…
"So, it's decided then," Ayase beamed. "We'll have lunch together, and afterward, you can give me some feedback."
It wasn't a difficult request, so Okita nodded, only to find herself suddenly hoisted up by a group of cloaked figures carrying scythes.
Before she could react, she was dragged into what looked like a courtroom, where a black-robed figure with a large "F" on their hood hammered a wooden gavel repeatedly.
"Silence! Silence! This is a solemn trial!"
Okita stared in confusion for a few seconds before realizing. "Is this… the FFF Inquisition?!"
"Exactly! We are the Heretic Interrogation Corps—the FFF!"
"Wait, why are you even here?"
"No mere dimensional wall could stop our crusade against heretics!"
The gavel slammed down again.
"Enough talk! You know the charges against you! Bring forth the evidence!"
The head judge waved, and another black-robed figure slammed a massive stack of papers onto the table.
"Why is there so much of it?!"
"Silence, heretic! Your crimes are as follows!" The judge held up the first sheet. "One! A girl made you a bento! Two! You've been on dates with a girl! Three! You've held a girl's hand! Four! You've hugged a girl! Five! You're often seen with more than two beautiful girls around you! Six! You live and eat with a girl…"
By the sixth count, the judge seemed lost for words.
Even Okita herself hadn't realized… her life was actually so enviable?
The jury box, filled with black-robed figures wielding scythes and torches, glowed ominously as their eyes flashed red.
The judge burned the stack of evidence in dramatic finality, then slammed the gavel down once more as if pronouncing the ultimate judgment.
"Torture! Death! Repeated execution!"
Okita wasn't sure if their torches and scythes could actually kill her… but who wanted to be executed for no reason?
She was a Servant, after all. There was no way a bunch of students, even ones dressed in intimidating black robes, could overpower her, right?
Just as she reached for her sword, a rope seemingly appeared from nowhere, binding her tightly to a chair.
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't break free.
No way! She wasn't particularly strong, but this rope was practically bargain-bin stuff, and she still couldn't break it?
"This… isn't looking good."
The mob of black-robed figures closed in, their scythes gleaming ominously. For the first time in a while, Okita felt a chill.
Was this really it for her? The great Okita Souji, felled not by a curse from a thousand-year-old mage or the world's greatest swordsman, but by… a mob in black robes?
Wait… Wasn't it Baobhan Sith who defeated that ancient sorcerer?
Oh well. Details.
As Okita's mind wandered in the midst of her impending doom, one of the robed figures suddenly raised a hand.
"Wait, President!"
The judge, apparently the president, turned to look at him.
The robed figure jogged up to the president and whispered in his ear.
"President, I think we made a mistake. This person… she's a girl."
"Hm?"
The president squinted at Okita.
Suddenly, all the robed figures turned their eyes toward her, and under hundreds of stares, Okita began to feel uncomfortable.
Luckily, the discomfort didn't last long before the crowd burst into a frenzy.
"Wait! She really is a girl!"
"So… did we grab the wrong person?"
"What should we do? Should we grab the one who gave her the bento instead?"
"You idiot, that was a girl too."
"A girl giving another girl a bento? Doesn't that mean…?"
"Yuri! Yuri! All hail yuri! Long live yuri! YURI FOREVER—!"
The figure chanting "Yuri Forever" was immediately pummeled by those around him, with shouts of "If all the girls turn yuri, how are we ever supposed to get a girlfriend, you idiot!" filling the air.
"Silence! Silence!"
The president's gavel struck again, and the rabble quieted down instantly.
"Ahem! Since the defendant is female, she is not a heretic and is exempt from our FFF Inquisition's sentence!"
"I hereby declare the final decision—NOT GUILTY!"
"Release her!"
And then… Okita awoke in her bed.
That's right; everything that had just happened was a dream.
More like a nightmare, really.
As she woke, Okita realized that she was being held tightly, like a hug pillow, by Edelweiss.
So… was being tied to the chair in her dream because of this?
Stretching out her arm to the nightstand, Okita grabbed her student handbook, intending only to check the time.
But when she opened it and saw the tournament lineup, her drowsy eyes sparkled with newfound excitement.
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