While the strategists on Yuta's side were debating fiercely, Rikka's side… the atmosphere was a bit strange.
When Totsuka and Maki pushed open the door to Club room, they found the lights off. Rikka was sitting alone in the center of an LED light magic circle on the floor. The light tubes were still on, emitting a blue glow that illuminated the pitch-black room, which was otherwise lit only by moonlight.
And Rikka was meditating there.
Maki had a tiring day. Due to her desire to perform, her physical endurance that truly surpassed ordinary people, and her warm heart, she had never been able to refuse helping others. She helped them finish many tasks they couldn't complete in a short time, then, under the gazes of a large crowd exclaiming, "So amazing!", she tossed her hair and left gracefully, leaving only the name "Brilliant Gale" to circulate among the students.
She was a bit tired at the verdandi, and didn't turn on the lights when she entered Club. She collapsed onto the floor on the spot.
Totsuka, on the other hand, was very active at the verdandi. As a junior high student, her tasks were much lighter than those of the high school students. She hadn't done much work, so she naturally had the energy and inclination to play with Rikka again. Looking at the unmoving Rikka before her, Totsuka's chunibyo words were nonstop.
But she found that Rikka truly remained unmoved, as if she hadn't heard anything, and continued to meditate on her own.
Thus, the bewildered Totsuka eventually sat down on the magic circle carpet as well, attempting to find the reason her Master had entered such a deep meditation.
But chunibyo is chunibyo after all. If Rikka hadn't been upset, she wouldn't have meditated for so long; that would be quite boring.
The carefree Totsuka naturally couldn't hold back and began to constantly bother Rikka, wanting her Master to play with her again. She tried poking her palm, stroking her hair, and even blowing air into her ear, but she couldn't awaken Rikka. This was very strange, death…
"Could it… could it be that time has stopped, death?!"
So Totsuka also struck a strange pose, holding her whip with both hands and standing on one leg. It looked very difficult, but Totsuka was able to remain perfectly still… We can never imagine what kind of training these chunibyo children undergo to be able to perform the actions from their settings.
But… Totsuka then realized it wasn't the case, so she silently ended her pose, wanting to understand what had truly happened. She didn't notice that Ikenouchi Maki, who had been lying on the floor, suddenly relaxed her body… She had truly thought time had stopped and had also remained still.
Facing Totsuka's continuous movements, Rikka could only exit her meditative state and waved her hand, signaling Totsuka to sit down. As a subordinate, Totsuka naturally obeyed, also wondering what was wrong with her Master.
After dutifully kneeling down, she found Rikka placing her hands on her shoulders. To Totsuka's confusion, Rikka silently embraced Totsuka…
Eh?!
Totsuka, in Rikka's embrace, felt something awaken deep within her heart. Just one hug made her feel completely flustered, and her mind started to wander…
And what made her even more imaginative was that after Rikka released her, Totsuka saw shyness and allure on Rikka's face.
Could it be… could it be that Master truly…
"Master, you can't! Totsuka is Master's subordinate! Such feelings cannot arise, death!
Ah, but the more forbidden something is, the more it excites people. That is also a common truth in the world, death!"
"Ah?! What, what?!"
Even Maki, who was beside them, got up, looking at the two with a face full of astonishment. Goodness, her Master had once accidentally let slip that this twin-tailed girl was a yuri, but she never expected Evil King's True Eye to be one too… Could it be!
Ooh~~ So exciting~~
But Rikka wasn't thinking so much. She only hugged Totsuka to find that warmth and the sense of security that intoxicated her… No, she didn't feel it in this embrace with Totsuka. Sure enough, it still had to be Yuta…
Then, under Totsuka's somewhat lonely gaze, Rikka released Totsuka and slowly walked to the window, looking at the incredibly bright moon in the sky.
Her heart finally found some peace.
"Totsuka, I've fallen for Yuta."
"Huh?"
"Hmm?!"
The sudden statement stunned Totsuka and dumbfounded Ikenouchi Maki. The two exchanged glances, frozen in place, at a loss… Love? Is it romance? I don't understand!
The unique romantic obtuseness of chunibyo.
"Could it be, are you a fake Master? After Morisummer, even Master has a fake now?!"
Facing Totsuka's questioning, Rikka merely turned her head, lifted her eye patch, revealing her signature golden eye.
"It's the real deal."
The dumbfounded Totsuka realized that her Master… seemed to have been taken.
"Then… that means… that… Master, you, you feel for Dark Flame Master…"
"In love?!"
The word "love" was like Rikka's weakness, suddenly making her face flush crimson. She turned her head away but did not deny the fact, nodding to the bewildered Totsuka and the approaching Maki…
Totsuka instantly exploded!! She grabbed her whip and immediately modified it, replacing the sandbag at the end of the whip with a meteor hammer. This was the Thunder War Hammer User's true combat stance! Now… her first enemy was the Dark Flame Master!!
"Master, Totsuka is going somewhere at the verdandi. Please excuse me, death!"
"Totsuka…"
"Don't stop me, death! As a subordinate, I must find the scoundrel who stole my Master's heart and teach him a lesson, death!"
Looking at the trembling Totsuka, Maki went up and restrained her, trying to calm Totsuka down. She mustn't actually go and fight. Her Master had instructed them to bring the two together.
The two who were struggling turned their heads and saw Rikka with a bewildered expression… She was also at a loss. On the rooftop then… Yuta had already intended to… but then this happened…
"What… should I do?"
Totsuka instantly quieted down. As a subordinate, while protecting her Master, she also had to help her Master solve problems, right?
"Master, you once said that it was precisely because of Dark Flame Master that you were able to protect Evil King's True Eye until the verdandi, death… I believe your strong feelings must have already reached Dark Flame Master, death."
"Hmm… I know, but I don't know what to do at the verdandi…"
"What?"
"In the afternoon… Yuta… Yuta tried to con… con… to me…"
"Ah?!"
That exciting?!
Ikenouchi Maki immediately perked up her ears. She had only arrived less than half a semester ago, so she wasn't very familiar with Rikka. Since Rikka didn't come to her, it wasn't really appropriate for her to go and ask, was it?
But Rikka was stammering, unable to say the words 'confess' no matter what, she was dying of anxiety… The somewhat impatient Ikenouchi Maki couldn't stand it, and without caring about politeness, she immediately got up.
"But… because… because of certain things, it was interrupted, so I thought, should I…"
"So, you're worried about that?"
Ikenouchi Maki's participation gave Rikka more confidence. More people, more wisdom!
"Takanashi-chan, you don't have to worry. Since Togashi confessed to you once, there will definitely be a second time. You just need to wait…"
"But… but what if there isn't…"
"Master! Dark Flame Master must have felt your feelings and will definitely take action, death!
Evil King's True Eye is the strongest, it will definitely go smoothly, death!"
"Hmm…"
The three of them silently looked at the bright moon in the sky. The moon was so bright tonight…
Just as Rikka's heart had settled down a bit, the door behind them was suddenly pulled open.
The three turned around and saw Yuta, his face flushed and his body somewhat stiff, appearing at the doorway. The moment Rikka saw Yuta, her body also stiffened, and a crimson flush quickly spread across her face.
"Rik… Rikka, I have something important I want to talk to you about… Let's go back first."
"Hmm…"
Rikka's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but she still clutched her chest and obediently followed Yuta out.
"Master… Master…"
Totsuka was swinging her meteor hammer so fast it was almost a blur, but being held back by Ikenouchi Maki, she could only watch helplessly as her Master followed that Dark Flame Master…
Ikenouchi Maki, while holding Totsuka back, secretly reached out and weighed Totsuka's meteor hammer… Goodness, it was real. Although the spikes weren't sharp, it was truly made of metal…
So scary… Good thing I held her back, otherwise, tonight's happy occasion might have turned into a funeral.