"...Shit"

On the coast of Donghuang Island, a bloodstained youth with an eyepatch leaned against a rock face, lighting a cigarette and letting it dangle from his lips.

"So... the mission’s done, right?"

After exhaling a plume of smoke and resting briefly, the eyepatched youth stood up and vanished into the snowy night.

Meanwhile, deep within the island’s castle, in a corridor where flames had just dissipated—

"He got away. Well, if he were that easy to catch, he wouldn’t be the Dark Raven. Aaah—time for a good soak in the tub."

Kami Miraishi wouldn’t waste precious energy chasing a rat that slipped away. He was chronically lazy anyway—90% of the church’s paperwork was handled by Shinji Sanmi.

*(Just the Dark Raven... dare to challenge me?)*

Kami Miraishi’s face now wore an expression of pure bliss, as if he were already submerged in warm bathwater.

He was the epitome of secretly indulgent.

"Church Leader Kami!" A voice shouted from behind as someone ran toward him. "The ‘Sword of Stello’ has been stolen!"

Those words turned Kami Miraishi to stone on the spot.

It felt like plummeting straight from heaven to hell.

"What—!? Stolen!? How!?"

*(Could it be...!?)*

The castle had only two exits. Since his side had succeeded, the problem must lie at the other exit—guarded by Shinji Sanmi. Which meant—she’d failed to stop the thief.

"The thief was too strong. Bishop Shinji and we couldn’t hold him."

"Aaargh! This is infuriating! Find every clue and report to me immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

The man before them was nothing like the smug, radiant Kami Miraishi from minutes ago. The ever-smiling church leader’s face finally darkened.

***

At the dormitory building of Holy Carthus Academy of Magic—a campus absurdly vast—red leaves drifted onto pathways. On a wooden bench sat a white-haired boy sipping canned coffee, legs crossed, facing a black-haired girl standing before him.

A chilly breeze brushed past them.

"...’

"...’

After a perfunctory greeting, silence settled between them as usual.

"What have you been up to lately?"

"—Eh, just living fine."

"That’s not an answer."

"After school, I head back to the dorm or help out at the shop. That’s all."

"Shop?"

"A *maid café*,~" he teased, his tone dripping with provocation.

Words like that from Zhiminghan caught Sharkai Bai off guard.

"Huh? Why that shocked look?"

"N-nothing."

"Oh dear, it’s getting late. Guests are coming today. See you."

The girl, unseen for so long, glanced at her watch, brushed past Bai, and walked upstairs.

Everything felt unnaturally smooth.

"Took you long enough. I was about to fall asleep waiting."

The scent of coffee drifted over.

Zhiminghan opened the dorm door to a voice from the living room.

A girl.

Dressed in a black military-style top, long black hair flowing behind her, legs sheathed in black thigh-high stockings.

"Didn’t expect you’d be my mission partner this time."

Zhiminghan set a plastic bag full of groceries on the table, eyeing Qian Nami Shizuru sprawled on the sofa, cradling a steaming mug.

"Spill it. The mission."

"Simple. Act as a middleman. Guard an item until our people retrieve it."

"Understood."

"Huh. Not bad for a rookie. Adapting well."

"Senior Qian flatters me."

Zhiminghan’s gaze flicked to the cup in her hands.

The same brand Sharkai Bai always drank.

"Found it in your cabinet. Liked it, so I made myself a cup. Sorry."

"No problem."

***

Every corner of Holy Carthus Academy breathed pristine comfort.

Cleaning staff and punished apprentices swept the paths regularly.

Piles of crimson leaves lined the roads.

"Man, Holy Carthus is *too* comfy!"

"Mm."

"So Church Leader Kami wants us to recover the stolen ‘Sword of Stello’?"

"Mm."

"Hey hey hey, Thunder God! Stop repeating boring answers! If even Bishop Shinji couldn’t stop them, won’t we get hurt?"

"No."

"Huh? Why? Don’t tell me... you’ve got a secret weapon!?!? C’mon, spill!"

"No."

"Tch! Got my hopes up for nothing!"

"I’m simply stronger than Bishop Shinji."

"Well~ I’ll trust you on that!"

Two figures entered the academy gates—a petite girl in a pink dress chattering nonstop to her companion, and a youth nearly three heads taller. He munched a pork floss bun from a breakfast bag, replying with monosyllables.

Jeliana, the "Beast King" of the New Wing Divine Church, and Tsukune Naji, the "Thunder God."

The memory of Kami Miraishi draping a towel over his shoulder, muttering "I’ll be right there" before slipping into the bath, made Tsukune Naji itch to punch him.

*Does that guy value church relics less than a bath!?*

Their utterly unreliable leader had Tsukune Naji worrying about the church’s future.

Suddenly, Tsukune Naji stopped walking.

"What is it!? Trouble!?"

Jeliana snapped into a battle stance.

"No. Just forgot to buy milk with breakfast."

"...Y-O-U!" Jeliana’s eyes blazed. "I *seriously* can’t stand partners with rigid routines like yours!"

Amid her meltdown, she thrust money into his hand.

Tsukune Naji soon emerged from the convenience store, milk in hand, satisfied.

Church intel placed the stolen relic—the "Sword of Stello"—inside Holy Carthus, carried by a suspicious figure.

"Hey, have you seen the stolen relic?"

"Yes."

"Could you elaborate without dying?!"

"During the clash with the New Wing Church’s Third Wing Angel... it annihilated all their followers in one strike."

"...Scary strong!"

"Don’t imitate me."

"Who’d imitate a *Zombie Face* like you!"

Jeliana and Tsukune Naji strolled through the sprawling campus, chatting idly.

Even with a church relic stolen, neither felt urgency.

As the New Wing Church’s genius twins—veterans of world-scale wars—they were unapologetic, violence-obsessed duelists.