"Taiyaki?"
At the moment, Okita Souji and Edelweiss were standing in front of a small food cart.
White flags with the words "Taiyaki" fluttered on both sides of the cart, and two red lanterns hung from the front, separated by a fabric banner with a red koi fish painted on it. The only menu consisted of small slips of white paper, each with a flavor written in bold kanji—red bean, custard, and so on—lined up near the cart's sole serving window.
Inside, an older man wearing a white headscarf was at work, though "young man" felt too generous and "old man" seemed a touch too much.
Staring up at the characters on the red lanterns, Edelweiss looked back at Okita. "What is this? Is it tasty?"
"I've heard of it before, but I've never actually tried it."
"Eh~~? So, you haven't had it either?"
Curiosity piqued, Edelweiss tugged Okita along, eager to try taiyaki for herself.
"You go first, Okita."
"Why? It's not like I need to get one just because you're trying it."
"Well, you've never had it before either, right? Come on, stop asking questions and pick whatever flavor you want!"
Choosing a flavor was harder than it seemed, given Okita's inability to decide.
Finally, she settled on custard.
"Custard for you? Then I'll try red bean."
With taiyaki in hand, they found a nearby bench and sat down to take a break. They weren't tired, of course, not by any ordinary standard—neither of them would wear out from walking all day. It was more the feeling of "I should be tired by now."
"Mm! Delicious!"
Edelweiss took a small bite and broke into a blissful smile.
"What do you think, Okita?"
"Hmm…"
Okita took a small bite as well, chewing slowly as if carefully weighing each flavor.
"It's… alright, I guess."
"Really?" Edelweiss looked skeptical. "Let me have a bite of yours."
Okita offered her taiyaki, but Edelweiss didn't take it with her hands; instead, she opened her mouth, waiting expectantly.
"…What are you doing, Edelweiss?"
"Feed me," Edelweiss pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "You were so quick to feed that little bird this morning, but not me?"
"You're still hung up on that?"
Just how much resentment did she harbor over that bird…?
"Can't believe this—grown adults and still wanting me to feed them…"
Meanwhile, a bus was trundling along in its lane.
A man seated by the window, feeling bored, took out his phone and began scrolling through the news.
Right away, he stumbled on an article about the princess of Vermillion getting romantically involved with a "troublesome delinquent."
"Seriously?"
After a few moments, he lost interest and tried to move on, but nearly every story was related to the scandal. Frustrated, he put the phone away to look out the window instead.
Suddenly, something flew past him, shattering the window beside him, then the opposite one, leaving him diving for cover.
After a moment of tense silence, he dared to lift his head.
All he saw were the shattered windows and the mess of broken glass.
"...Ah, an unfamiliar ceiling…"
Okita's gaze remained unfocused as she stared up at the ceiling for a long time before finally reaching for one of the apples scattered around her, biting into it without even washing it.
…Damn it. It's a soft apple, not the crispy kind I like.
"I almost forgot: other than weight, Edelweiss hates it when people talk about her age."
Lucky me—getting sent flying five blocks instead of sliced in half.
Was it five blocks? Or four?
The memory of getting hit was a little blurry...
---
As Okita and Edelweiss continued their wandering, noon approached.
Okita's match against Ikki Kurogane was scheduled for the afternoon, and Akaza Mamoru had pulled out all the stops, renting out a massive arena and arranging for the fight to be livestreamed.
"Edelweiss, my match is in a bit. How much longer are you going to drag me around?"
"Alright, alright, just one last stop with your dear sister."
So, wherever Edelweiss went, Okita followed.
Gradually, they found themselves entering a small forest, with fewer and fewer people in sight.
But even that wasn't enough for Edelweiss, who continued to lead them deeper into the woods.
Okita followed in silence.
"Isn't this far enough, Sister?"
Finally, Okita stopped, prompting Edelweiss to stop as well.
"Yes… I suppose this is far enough."
Edelweiss was facing away from her, so Okita couldn't see her expression.
"Will you tell me now, Sister?"
Okita kept one hand in her pocket, her eyes serious as she asked, "Where are you taking me?"
"Anywhere," Edelweiss replied without turning around. "As long as it's not to the arena. You can go anywhere else."
Edelweiss was clearly trying to control her tone, keeping it distant, as cold and unyielding as the eternal winds atop Mount Eiger.
"What do you mean?"
Something was off, and Okita's body tensed, ready to react to whatever might happen next.
"You don't understand? Then I'll make myself perfectly clear."
Edelweiss finally turned to face her, and once again, that suffocating aura—like an unyielding force against the entire world—fell over Okita, making her vision blur for a moment.
"Okita, you… are not allowed to compete in the Seven Stars Sword Art Festival."
This wasn't good… Edelweiss was serious.
It wasn't just her overwhelming aura; it was that look in her eyes.
Over the years, Okita and Edelweiss had sparred more times than she could count.
Okita had thought she'd begun to close the gap between them, little by little…
"Looks like it hasn't closed at all, huh?"
She almost forgot, Edelweiss wasn't some static NPC in a game who stayed the same as the player leveled up.
Edelweiss was the most gifted swordswoman in the world, someone who became the strongest by accident while trying to lose weight.
If Okita had grown stronger in their battles, it was only natural Edelweiss had also grown in ways she hadn't even noticed.
---
If you notice anything that feels off, just let me know—I don't mind fixing things up.
Oh, and don't forget to sit up, grab some water, and take it easy while you're here. No rush, right?
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