“Welcome to our sanctuary~”
Guided by her, we passed through the door—and the blue sky vanished in an instant.
Even the children, without realizing it, were now captivated by the new surroundings.
Amidst it all, Tsukumo alone scanned the area with an unimpressed look.
“Eh, this isn’t that special.”
Her blunt remark made me chuckle wryly.
She wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t all that different from Notre-Dame de Paris or Cologne Cathedral.
Wooden pews, grand stained-glass windows, statues of angels lining the walls, a central altar—
after being dazzled by the White Scales of Cyclic Protection Prim-Libra, it was understandable she’d feel underwhelmed.
Honestly, as a fan, I got it too. The Sky Corridor appeared far more often as a setting in Watayume, so the impact there had been stronger.
Still, this sanctuary had its own unique traits.
I was about to explain that to Tsukumo when the tour guide beat me to it.
“Alright, everyone! This concludes our group tour with the Winged Guardians, Excia~”
As expected, disappointed murmurs rose from the kids.
I held back my own reaction—
because I already knew what was coming next.
“Hehe, just wait a little longer~. Next, we’ll treat you all to a sacred hymn performed by the Winged Guardians, Excia~”
A hymn. Normally, that would mean a religious song, like a psalm.
But not here.
Let’s be clear: the White Scales of Cyclic Protection : Prim Libra is a military order.
In terms of my past life’s Japan—ignoring minor differences in definition—the closest equivalent would be the Self-Defense Forces.
And the “choir” Libra referred to? Essentially a military band.
Every nation, every era, had them—units meant to boost morale or serve as PR for the military. Libra was no exception.
If anything, given how each Winged Guardian, Excia was practically an idol-like figure, their role here was even bigger than in a typical army.
There were even jokes like, “If you wanna join the Excia now, singing or playing an instrument is a must.”
—And of course, as a fan, I’d consider it mandatory too…!
Putting it formally, Watayume was still a manga at heart.
And having strong musical elements only made it even better as otaku content.
Though, considering Lux’s natural talent, the sheer effort required, and the expectation to master singing or instruments… What kind of hellish path is this? The bar was absurdly high.
But seeing angels like Hinata-chan, I couldn’t help but respect them.
The fluffy-haired guide (who had surprisingly good diction) explained all this in simple terms (minus the otaku parts).
Then, the surrounding angels quietly faded away—leaving her behind.
Hinata-chan waved lightly at me before leaving, while Rui glared daggers as she retreated.
Just then, I noticed another crowd gathering on the second floor.
It was a group being led by the deputy branch head, Isana-san, and others.
Unlike the Excia, these people were dressed in conspicuously expensive attire.
They were probably dealing with the “dispute with the patrons” the Shinazu Dori had mentioned.
Man, Isana-san really has it rough…
At that moment, Tsukumo beside me suddenly went, “Oh!”
and started bouncing excitedly, waving her hands.
—At Isana-san’s group.
“Wha—!?”
I grabbed her wrist in a panic.
She turned to me with a pout, and I leaned in.
“Hey, hey, HEY! This isn’t some ‘Wow, it’s that angel from earlier!’ situation, got it!?”
“Hmph, but—”
“No buts! That’s the deputy branch head you’re waving at!”
Tsukumo stayed silent, pointing at the second floor with her free hand.
Just as I was about to yell “Stop!”—my vision was filled with Isana-san smiling back at Tsukumo and waving.
—Huh? What’s this angelic kindness…!?
Dressed in a maid outfit (??), her gentle wave was enough to melt anyone’s heart. Who wouldn’t be moved? No one, that’s who.
—So kind! Love her! I voted for her in the popularity polls!
Then, Isana-san’s gaze slid toward me, standing beside Tsukumo—
“——!?!?”
The moment our eyes met, she whipped her entire head away.
“Oh… So this is female supremacy in action…”
I slumped in despair while Tsukumo stared at me, puzzled. Then—
“Staaare…”
An intense gaze prickled at me. I turned to find three unexpected people.
A lively, confident-looking girl. A girl studying me like a specimen. And a timid boy glancing our way hesitantly.
“…………Hm?”
These kids… I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere…
[They’re saying weird stuff…]
[No common sense, huh…]
[Looks dumb…]
Bitter memories flashed in my mind.
I staggered back, putting distance between us.
“Y-You guys… from the Centennial Festival Satanalia…!?”
They were the ones who’d mercilessly mocked me and Hinata-chan (while I had to hold her hand!) before vanishing into the crowd.
“Hm? You know them?”
Tsukumo tilted her head, glancing between me and the trio.
The boy stepped forward as their representative and pointed at me.
“The idiot who held hands with a girl and spouted nonsense.”
“Now that you mention it, this guy’s mouth was nasty…”
Maybe don’t let him represent you…
I tried to explain properly, only to see Tsukumo blinking at me in confusion.
“Niisama, you really can’t go anywhere without getting involved with girls, huh?”
“That’s not true at all?!”
After my earnest, heartfelt explanation, Tsukumo nodded vaguely.
“Mhm, mhm, got it, got it.”
“You definitely don’t… do you?”
Still unsatisfied, I felt a tug on my sleeve.
The timid yet brutally frank little shi—ahem,
the boy was staring at me and blurted out.
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“Casual kindness toward women is the first step to hell, you know?”
“———”
I shuddered.
His eyes held the desiccated color of withered figs.
—What kind of eyes does this kid have at his age…!?
Wh-What kind of past did he…? Behind him, the two girls were whispering.
Curious, I strained to listen.
“Hey, you’re standing way too close to Yuu.”
“You’re one to talk. You were all over him earlier.”
“I—I wasn’t…!”
“I know you were playing around in the confession booth.”
“~~~! You’re the one who—!”
I shuddered again.
—They’re acting out a daytime drama at this age…!?
They looked about as old as Hinata-chan when I first met her. Are kids this mature nowadays…?
Still reeling, I looked back at the boy.
Our eyes met.
“———”
—W-What a profound gaze…
He must’ve long accepted the suffering caused by his past kindness.
The aura he carried was on another level…
“—Listen, mister. Casual kindness toward women is the first step to hell.”
“Guh…!?”
The wisdom struck again.
Having just recalled the countless deviations from the original story caused by my past self being kind to Hinata-chan, it hit way too close to home.
As I writhed, the boy gave me a pitying smile.
“Tch. Get better.”
“S-Sensei…?”
Then—a sound like falling stars chimed through the air.
Drawn by it, I turned toward the front of the sanctuary.
At a glance, the White Scales of Cyclic Protection : Prim Libra’s sanctuary looked no different from the ones in textbooks.
No wonder Tsukumo was bored.
But there was one key difference.
At the very back of the central altar—an open space.
The front half was an open space.
The back half held wind and percussion instruments.
Like an orchestra’s stage.
From both sides, the angels (minus the fluffy-haired guide) entered.
Of course, Hinata-chan and Rui were among them.
And the outfits they wore now weren’t their usual uniforms—but nun habits.
—GYAHH!! (omitted)
…And thus, the Winged Guardians, Excia had transcended angels, looped back around, and returned as nuns.
For them, this was the formal attire for hymns and performances.
Showing us alternate outfits with nun habits first…? Watayume, you god-tier series…!
—AND THEY’RE SO CUTE!! (omitted)
The instrumentalists took their positions. Hinata-chan and the choir stood before them.
And at the very front—one girl stepped forward.
The conductor, wearing a sister’s habit slightly more ornate than the others’, wore it with perfect grace.
Lui Utsurugi stood with her back to us, simply existing in that space.
That alone was enough—she was unbearably beautiful, captivating every eye in the room.
In this sacred chapel, she was the most untouchable thing of all. And then, she raised one hand.
Like the hush after water is struck. Or silence so deep it almost hurts the ears.
The chapel fell into a stillness so complete that no metaphor could do it justice.
The children, who had been laughing and playing so energetically just moments ago, now held their breath, frozen in anticipation.
Every single one of them leaned forward, almost comically, their gazes locked onto that slender hand raised on the podium.
And then—
The moment her arm swept down, and all the sound rushed forth at once—
The world seemed to brighten, turning utterly transparent.
That was when I realized it.
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