Shizuku’s transfer had been decided the very day Rebecca visited the office.
Norman negotiated with the headmaster of Evergrace Academy, and the matter was settled. By the next day, Shizuku was enrolled. Though she’d made up her mind to return, even she was surprised by how quickly things moved. Whether it was because the headmaster took the situation seriously or because Norman was just that good at negotiations—
—to Shizuku, none of that mattered.
She’d come back to Evergrace to uncover the truth behind the ridiculous rumors about Sisel.
If that meant diving into the twisted little sandbox of rich girls, so be it. But—
“…Ugh. So annoying.”
Actually attending classes was a different story.
Shizuku was currently in the academy’s fencing hall.
Sitting in the corner in her uniform and hoodie, she scanned the room.
The spacious gym had several long mats laid out, where her classmates—dressed in fencing gear—swung foils. Among them was Rebecca, the girl who’d visited the office.
Come to think of it, I might’ve done this before.
She vaguely remembered practicing footwork and basic thrusts, but never actual matches.
“Haaah…”
She didn’t want to participate, but the headmaster had made it a condition for her return.
“I am participating, you know. Just… in my own way.”
She hadn’t even changed clothes, just sat in the corner. But technically, she was present.
Maybe she’d sleep through lectures later. Just as she entertained the thought—
“Excuse me.”
“……”
“…Excuse me.”
“……”
“Are you listening, Cra—Teardrop-san?”
“………I told you not to talk to me.”
Looking up, she saw a girl with red hair styled in vertical rolls—the very picture of a refined young lady. Shizuku didn’t recognize her but figured she must be a classmate.
“You… aren’t participating in class?”
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
“How would I know when you refuse to speak to anyone—even the teachers avoid you!”
“Hah.”
Great. More trouble.
Shizuku hated people in general, but noble girls were the worst.
Status games, factional disputes, backhanded insults, bullying—all par for the course. She’d avoided other students during her last stint here for the same reason.
“So?”
“Teardrop-san, may I have a word?”
“Tch. I’ve been saying no this whole time.”
The corner of Shizuku’s lips twisted up.
As she had expected, she thought.
“Let me guess—complaints about my attitude? Sarcastic remarks about my ‘participation’? Or maybe just general disdain for my transfer? Pick your favorite.”
“…Teardrop-san.”
The girl sighed.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“………Hah?”
The unexpected question drew a dumbfounded noise from Shizuku.
“If something’s wrong, you should rest in the infirmary. If you’re hesitant to tell the teachers, I can speak to them for you.”
“…………”
“Teardrop-san? Are you sure you’re alright?”
“………N-no. I mean—haah. I’m… fine.”
“Oh, I see. Then I’ve overstepped. Forgive me.”
With a polite bow to the stunned Shizuku, the girl walked away.
The redhead exchanged glances with a chestnut-haired girl, whispering something. Shizuku had expected complaints or snide remarks, but their soft smiles held no malice.
“She seems fine. That’s good,” drifted from their conversation.
“…………Hah?”
A classmate had just… genuinely worried about her.
Shizuku was still processing this alien experience when a cheerful voice echoed from the gym entrance.
“…Ugh. Seriously?”
Cklares had just walked in.
“Well, well, everyone! How are we doing today?”
Her usual bright smile in place, she strolled forward—
one hand gripping a cane, the other inexplicably holding a long stick.
The reaction was immediate. Students abandoned their foils, flocking to her.
“Lady Cklares! Good day!”
“Kathy, good day! You’ve been working hard, I see.”
“Thank you for letting me sample your new confections the other day!”
“Patricia, you’ll make a fine wife someday. Let’s do it again!”
“Senpai! The hand cream you recommended is amazing!”
“I’m glad. Anne, your hands are lovely—take care of them.”
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Cklares responded to each one with perfect grace. The teachers made no move to stop the interruption, simply watching.
After several minutes of exchanges, she crossed the gym—
“Hey there, Shizuku-chan. How’s class?”
—and stopped in front of Shizuku.
“Just hit an all-time low,”
“You seem lively as ever.”
“Tch…”
Even as Shizuku clicked her tongue, Cklares’s smile didn’t waver.
“If you’re just spectating, does that mean your investigation’s already done?”
“Hah? It’s barely started. Don’t make it sound so simple.”
For a split second, Cklares’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“Hmm. I suppose that’s possible.”
Nodding to herself—as if reaching some conclusion Shizuku couldn’t follow—she continued,
“In that case, why not join the others? Fencing might be fun.”
“Hard pass. Don’t you have your own classes to attend? Must be nice, skipping like this.”
“The headmaster put me in charge of supporting you. What do you say, Shizuku-chan? Since we’re here, why don’t we have a little sparring session?”
“No. Never done fencing.”
“Oh? Didn’t you take basic lessons?”
“Did I? I don’t remember. At all.”
“Perfect.”
“Hah?”
“That’s why I brought this.” She raised the long stick. It could function as a weapon, but—
“Just a flagpole from the drama club—no cloth attached. But for class, it’ll do.”
“If you’re serious, you’re an idiot. If it’s a joke, it’s not funny.”
Saying that, Shizuku stood up.
Thinking it would be troublesome to get tangled up in a fight, she walked past Cklares
“Oh? Scared of losing?”
Shizuku froze.
“Well, I can’t blame you. Norman-sensei drilled me personally in swordsmanship. A shut-in like you wouldn’t stand a chance.”
With an exaggerated shrug, Cklares shook her head.
“My bad, Shizuku-chan. I’ll just head back—”
“Wait.”
Shizuku turned, thrusting out her hand.
“Hmm? What’s this?”
“The stick.”
“Oh?”
“Don’t get cocky, Miss Popular. I’d hate to embarrass you in front of your fans.”
Her lips twisted into a smirk.
“You’re not the only one Norman trained. Let me remind you.”
“Hehe. Shizuku-chan… you’d have fit right in at the old academy.”
●
Tension filled the gym.
All eyes were on the two girls facing each other.
One was Cklares Aeristep—the “Fairy of Evergrace,” known to everyone at the school. She was a special senior who responded to the students’ worries and consultations every day. At Ever Grace Academy, which had strict school rules, she was allowed to modify her uniform and was even exempt from attending classes.
And the academy’s top fencer.
The other was Shizuku Teardrop, who’d just returned.
Gripping the flimsy stick like a seasoned fencer, Shizuku stood ready.
“Rebecca, would you give the signal?”
“Y-yes! …Teardrop-san, is this alright?”
“Whenever.”
Rebecca took a breath.
“———Begin!”
●
The moment the match started, Cklares stepped forward.
Her movement was simple yet razor-sharp—honed through repetition. Though the practice foil she’d borrowed had a blunted tip, a direct hit to a vital spot could still cause serious injury.
So she aimed for Shizuku’s throat.
“Eek!”
Gasps erupted. The underclassmen imagined the foil piercing Shizuku’s neck— But it never happened.
“Hah—!”
Shizuku darted forward, spinning to evade the thrust. Using the momentum, she swung the stick in a wide arc toward Cklares’s shoulder.
“Whoa!”
Cklares flicked her wrist, deflecting the stick upward with a sharp parry. Even with the lightweight stick and Shizuku’s small frame, the centrifugal force sent Cklares back a step. She barely reset her stance before Shizuku’s next strike came—another spinning slash.
“Round and round you go~”
“And you’re painfully straightforward. Funny, for someone so twisted.”
The dry sound of impact continued amidst their exchange of words.
Shizuku wielded a slender rod, deftly rotating it using the back of her neck, her sides, elbows, and fingertips. Her attacks weren’t thrusts but rapid strikes utilizing centrifugal force—swinging slashes and downward blows. By dramatically evading attacks with spinning motions, she seamlessly transitioned into counterattacks.
“You’re not moving like someone who’s been a shut-in.”
Cklares smirked as she unleashed a triple thrust at Shizuku’s face, throat, and solar plexus.
“You’re one to talk! For a young lady, you sure pack a lot of murderous intent!”
Shizuku dodged the first strike by tilting her head, avoided the second by stepping back, and for the third, she sank low while spinning forward—evading and advancing simultaneously. Cklares had closed the distance in a half-kneeling stance, making it awkward to thrust with her foil. Worse, she had also begun rotating her rod, initiating another slash.
She’s good at controlling the distance, Cklares thought.
Shizuku constantly adjusted her grip along the length of the rod, using both her own movements and the rotation of the weapon to fine-tune the spacing. When attacking, she gripped the end to maximize centrifugal force; when evading, she held the center for compact maneuvering.
Well then—
“Let’s get a little rough, shall we?”
Cklares’s smile deepened as she rose from her low stance and lunged toward Shizuku.
“Hey, parry this!”
“!?”
With a flick of her wrist, Cklares tossed the foil from her right hand to her left while raising her right arm.
The anti-air move lasted only an instant—
but in that instant, Shizuku froze in shock.
Seizing the opening, Cklares caught the foil in her left hand in a reverse grip and—
“Hah!”
—brought a hammer-fist down toward Shizuku’s face.
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