Rub rub rub rub~ Scratch scratch scratch scratch~

"Eep! Don’t—don’t scratch my chin! I’m not a cat…"

Scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch~

"Itchy! Ugh… mew…"

Mylora let out a strange little sound, twisting her body and tucking her neck just like a cat— an obedient, well-behaved little kitty.

"Haa… If only I could do this forever (I mean, petting a cat forever)."

She sighed sincerely.

"Eh!? Forever like *this* (meaning the two of us together forever)??"

Hearing it, Mylora completely misinterpreted her words.

"Isn’t this… too sudden?"

"Eh? Not sudden at all. I’ve thought this way for ages."

"*For ages*…"

Mylora’s cheeks flushed crimson, red as a cooked lobster.

Being together forever? That basically meant marriage! Way too sudden! Though the legal marriage age was fourteen, most waited until eighteen—and Mylora was only fifteen!

She opened her mouth to protest—but the words stuck in her throat.

*Together forever.*

*Only marriage makes that possible.*

*But if I lose… Torina will marry someone else.*

*That…*

*No.*

*Absolutely not!*

Mylora couldn’t stand the thought of Torina marrying anyone else. It felt awful. Deeply, deeply awful!

Could Torina’s "forever" comment have been a roundabout hint?

A warning: *If you don’t step up now, we’ll never be together.*

Then…

"I’ll do my best."

"Hm?"

"I’ll do my best—my very best, my absolute best! And then… forever! We *will*—we *must* be together forever!!"

Gripping Torina’s hand tightly, Mylora declared with fierce conviction, as if swearing an unbreakable sacred vow.

"Uh… oh… thank you…?"

"Leave it to me!!!"

With her limited vocabulary but burning passion, Mylora delivered an earnest speech, then marched off proudly, leaving Torina alone on the bed, utterly bewildered, muttering:

"My body pillow~~~~"

———————

———————

The next day, the labyrinth reopened.

It would open three times total—this was the second chance. Those who missed a rune last time would push harder; those who succeeded would deepen their resonance within the labyrinth’s environment. Opportunities like this wouldn’t come again. Failing now meant little hope left for the third round.

Mylora steeled herself completely.

Strangely, she felt calm.

This wasn’t about *wanting* to succeed anymore—it was about *needing* to.

"You’re even more fired up today than yesterday," Patti teased.

"Today, I shatter fate’s chains! My destiny is mine to command!"

"…You really do say weird things sometimes."

"It’s not weird, it’s—" *Huh?*

Her gaze snagged on a young man passing nearby.

Tall, elegant, clad in a fine leather jacket. Golden-red curls tied in a single ponytail. Strikingly handsome.

But it wasn’t his looks that caught Mylora—it was a weird sense of déjà vu.

*He looks kinda like Annawiel… but wrong gender? Maybe a brother or cousin from her family?*

Meanwhile, the golden-red-haired guy—

*(Tch. Ran into them. Hope they didn’t recognize me.)*

【Your disguise is flawless. They’ll think you’re just another male heir of your house.】

*(Fine…)*

Her face transformed by magic potions and makeup, hairstyle altered, body reshaped by top-tier illusion magic—even touch wouldn’t reveal the truth. A discreet cucumber padding completed the illusion. Foolproof.

【Hurry. Position ready. Inside the labyrinth, follow my lead.】

"You’re so noisy…"

【Once the Battle Festival begins, crush Torina Dewell! Make Milora Sistem weep publicly in despair!】

"I don’t *need* to crush Torina. Sounds like *you’ve* got a grudge."

【Don’t overthink. Just go.】

————————

————————

Same as yesterday: at Molly’s command, the labyrinth opened again.

Annawiel teleported near her previous entry point. The same chilling mist swirled around her, monstrous silhouettes flickering within.

【Already pinpointing the strongest rune energy zone. Follow my path.】

"Alright."

This time, Annawiel resisted the system less. It *was* useful—who wouldn’t want an easier path?

【The Stellar Rune is yours now. Milora Sistem will never touch it. Just savor your victory.】

(【Hmph! Milora… I’ll make you regret this!!】)

Meanwhile—

Mylora plunged into the labyrinth, landing closer to the center this time. Instead of rushing northwest, she sat cross-legged, sensing the "Whispers of the World" as Torina taught her.

Maybe the Stellar Rune truly wasn’t hers. But she had to try. If not that… any rune was better than nothing.

Like—

Frost ❄️

In this frozen realm, "ice," "snow," "cold," "stillness"—all concepts sharpened.

Blazing Fire 🔥

The biting cold only heightened longing for warmth.

Back to Stars ⭐️

Thick fog hid the sky. Daylight drowned the stars. But what if the earth beneath her feet was part of the starry tapestry?

*Feel it.*

*Reach out.*

*Listen to the ancient star-whispers…*

…

…

…

"I CAN’T FEEL A THING!!!"

Hours passed. Nothing. Panic tightened her chest. The Stellar Rune was truly lost. She’d already started planning how to cover Torina’s escape—

—*"I want to be your one and only school idol… so you’ll belong only to me, okay?"*—

In that instant, a voice drifted to her.

A girl’s voice. Tearful. Weighted with sorrow.

*(What…?)*

She stood, scanning the mist. No source—but the voice drew nearer.

—*"No one calls my Junna-chan ‘Jun-Jun’… and no one ever will."*—

Still a girl’s voice, but different.

—*"Today’s Kotori is no match for me."*—

—*"This is tough… Go, Nagisa."*—

—*"Will you… form a band with me… for a lifetime?"*—

Voices swirled around Mylora, leaving her utterly baffled.

*What are these weirdly heavy lines?!*

*Did I resonate with some bizarre rune…?*