Two days later, the atmosphere at the house felt much calmer than the night before.
The sun had climbed high, shining through the living room windows and reflecting off the still–cool wooden floor.
Ace was getting ready for school while Lala helped Craftbot prepare breakfast.
Ace walked over to the bookshelf he usually used to store various things. He lightly pushed a section of the wall in the corner, revealing a hidden charging port for the Power Sphere that contained Mirrorbot.
"Hm… I think I know how to use this thing."
He created the Gulliver Tunnel, one of Doraemon's gadgets that could shrink objects.
Taking Mirrorbot, Ace rolled it like a bowling ball toward the tunnel. It shrank down to the size of a pendant. He then created a necklace with a pendant capable of channeling Mirrorbot's power, opened it up, and placed Mirrorbot inside.
Satisfied, Ace heard Lala call out from the kitchen.
"Ace! Breakfast is ready!"
"Okay! I'm coming!"
Ace headed to the dining room and sat down to eat.
---
At school, Ace noticed that Masachika looked unusually cheerful.
"Why are you smiling to yourself?" Ace asked.
"Am I?"
"A little. Something good happen?"
"Yeah, something pretty good."
"Is it about Alisa-san?"
"How did you know?"
"We've been friends for a year. Of course I know."
The bell rang, and the teacher entered the classroom to begin the lesson.
---
When the break bell finally rang, cutting through the heavy classroom atmosphere, chairs scraped against the floor as students rushed outside.
Ace packed his books and glanced at Masachika.
"Cafeteria?"
"Obviously," Masachika stood up. "My stomach's starting to riot."
They walked together through the crowded cafeteria. The smell of fried food and sauces filled the air. After grabbing their meals, they sat at a table near the window. As they started eating, a familiar voice called out.
"Mind if we join you?"
Ace looked over to see a black-haired boy carrying a tray.
"Oh, Ichijo," Ace said. "Go ahead."
Raku smiled in relief and took a seat. Not long after, Maiko Shu appeared behind him and pulled up a chair without hesitation.
"Yo. All the tables are full. We'll join you."
"Sure, right Masachika?" Ace said.
Masachika nodded.
They ate casually for a while until Raku started acting uneasy, poking at his karaage with his chopsticks without eating.
Ace raised an eyebrow.
"What's up with that face? You look like you're about to take your college entrance exam."
Raku sighed.
"Ah… actually… I just—"
He swallowed.
"I just got engaged."
Masachika and Shu were shocked, while Ace had already suspected something.
"Congratulations, I guess," Ace said.
"You know my family is yakuza, right?"
All three of them nodded.
"To prevent a war between my family and a rival gang, I got engaged to the gang leader's daughter."
"Sounds like a rom-com," Masachika said.
"Totally a rom-com," Ace and Shu added, nodding together.
"So, Ace, since you're already engaged to Deviluke-san… what should I do?" Raku asked.
Ace leaned back, chewing calmly.
"Like I'd know. And your situation is straight out of an old anime plot. Political engagement. Options are: run away, accept your fate, or come up with some ridiculous solution."
Raku sighed harder.
"The problem is I've barely talked to my fiancée. We only met once. She doesn't seem to like this engagement either."
Masachika grinned.
"So both of you are trapped. Classic."
Shu nodded.
"Usually that leads to drama, misunderstandings, then a happy ending."
"How about Onodera? Do you still like her?" Ace asked.
"I do."
"Not just an engagement drama, but a love triangle too," Masachika muttered.
"What about pretending to be a real couple?" Shu suggested.
"That might actually work," Raku said.
"Oh yeah, Akashi, there's a rumor about you and Suou-san," Shu added.
"What kind of rumor?" Masachika asked.
'Why are you the one getting excited?' Ace thought.
"The rumor says you're dating Suou-san."
"Why would anyone think that?" Ace asked.
"You two are always together."
"Hm…"
"So is it true?" Shu asked.
"Yeah. I'm dating Yuki," Ace said, glancing at Masachika.
"So you're cheating on Deviluke-san?" Raku asked.
"I'm not cheating. They both know."
"Whoa, you must be a harem protagonist," Shu laughed.
"By the way, where is Deviluke-san? You're usually together," Raku asked.
"She's with Yuki. Probably having some girl talk."
"They're probably discussing how to torture you for two-timing," Shu teased.
"…I'm not an M," Ace replied flatly.
"Maybe you'll awaken to it during the torture," Shu said.
Ace just shook his head.
---
After they finished eating, they headed back to class. On the way, Ace spoke to Masachika.
"Masachika, are you mad?"
"Why would I be?"
"You know… because I'm dating two girls."
"I should be mad, but you're my friend, so I'll let it go. Just don't make Yuki cry, or you'll regret it."
"Scary~ Relax, I've already read a book about it."
"A book?"
Ace pulled out a small book titled 'How to Build the Courage to Have Four Wives'
"…Where did you even get that?" Masachika asked.
"At a bookstore I know. Want one? Planning to two-time Alisa-san? She'd get mad if she knew."
"I just want to know what kind of store sells books like that."
"Oh, the owner of that bookstore also wields one of the Holy Swords."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. We can go there sometime," Ace said as he sat down at his desk.
---
After the dismissal bell rang, Lala approached Ace.
"Ace! Yuki, Miko, and I are going to Kamiyama-san's bookstore. Want to come?"
"Sure, I need to talk to Kamiyama-san anyway."
They waited at the school gate for Yuki and Miko.
"Sorry for the wait!" Miko said as she ran over.
"No worries~" Lala chirped.
A few minutes later, Yuki finally arrived.
"Sorry I'm late."
"Alright, since everyone's here, let's go!" Lala said, walking ahead.
"So we're really going to Kamito-sensei's bookstore?" Miko asked.
"Yup! I go there sometimes to read fun stories," Lala said.
"Ace, Lala said you're pretty close to Kamito-sensei. Is that true?" Yuki asked.
"Yuki, you can drop the polite act. It's just us here."
"What do you mean, Akashi-kun?" Miko asked.
"Yuki acts like the perfect princess at school."
"Hey! Don't expose my secrets so easily!" Yuki protested.
"See? Her true nature's showing."
"It's because you exposed it! Now Miko's going to use it to blackmail me!"
"I wouldn't do that," Miko said calmly.
---
They arrived at the bookstore 'Fantastic Bookstore Kamiyama'
(I just remembered the name of the bookstore)
"This is the place. Let's go in," Lala said as she opened the door.
"Mei-san, I'm here!" Lala called.
"Hm? Oh, Lala. Mei's out right now," said Touma, who was organizing books on the shelf.
"I see."
"Excuse us," Yuki and Miko said as they entered with Ace.
"Oh, you brought friends, Lala?"
"Yeah, they wanted to meet Kamito-sensei. Is he here, Kamiyama-san?"
"Ehehe… Kamito is my pen name, Lala," Touma said with a small laugh.
"Kamito-sensei, please sign my book!" Yuki begged.
"M-me too!" Miko added.
"Of course."
"Kamito-sensei, how do you know Ace?" Yuki asked.
"Hm… He helped me out when I was dealing with something. That's all."
"Kamito-sensei, about Swordsman in Wonder World—"
"It'll be released next week."
"But Lala already has volume three. That's unfair," Yuki complained.
"Oh, that's because I work with him, so he got it earlier too."
"Ace wrote a novel?"
"You didn't know he was a writer?"
"He never said anything."
"You never asked," Ace replied.
"How was I supposed to know?"
"Kamiyama-san, about the heirs of the Gremory and Sitri clans. I'm working together with them. Is that okay?" Ace asked.
"Why ask about that?"
"Well… I'm still new, so I thought I should report it."
"As long as it doesn't cause trouble, it's fine."
Yuki and Miko heard Ace talking with Touma.
"Ace, what were you talking about?" Yuki asked.
"About the devils in Kuoh City."
"Ace, why are you talking about supernatural stuff with Kamito-sensei?!" Miko cried.
"Huh? Because Kamiyama-san is also a member of Sword of Logos."
"Haaah?!" They both gasped.
"So Kamito-sensei is part of Sword of Logos too?"
"Yeah, I am. Looks like you've told your friends about the supernatural, Ace."
"They were involved in that school incident."
"I see… In that case, allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Kamiyama Touma, known as the writer Kamito. I'm the Swordsman of Fire of the Sword of Logos."
"Swordsman of Fire?!"
"Kamiyama-san also wields one of the Holy Swords."
"O-oh… so the author I admire is involved in the supernatural too."
"Yep. My novel 'Swordsman in Wonder World' is loosely based on my own experiences."
"What?!"
"Hahaha, look at your faces," Ace laughed.
Touma chuckled.
"Relax," he said, slipping his pen into his pocket. "Outside of my job as a swordsman, I'm still just a normal bookstore writer."
---
After some light conversation, Yuki and Miko browsed the shelves and bought a few books. When they left the shop, the sky had turned orange and the evening air was cool.
"Okay, let's go home," Lala said cheerfully.
"By the way, what's the title of your novel? I'll buy it when it comes out," Yuki asked.
"Lord of the Mysteries."
"Oh? What genre?" Miko asked.
"Mystery and supernatural."
"Alright, I'll get it when it's released."
They all went their separate ways.
---
Later, Ace stood in the basement before a mirror and stepped straight into it.
"Hm… so this is Mirrorbot's power. It's like Charlotte Brûlée's Devil Fruit."
Inside the Mirror World, everything was reversed like a reflection.
"System, this mirror world won't collapse when I'm not inside it, right?"
[Yes, host. Technically, the mirror world is a separate dimension from the real one.]
"So I can store things here?"
[Yes, but similar to the real world, you still need to return to the location where you placed them to retrieve them.]
"Is there any time difference between here and the real world?"
[No.]
"Alright. Then let's create robotic versions of all Mirror Monsters, starting with Dragreder. System, teach me how to build it."
After reading the instructions, Ace began crafting. With Craftbot's help, Dragreder was soon completed.
"Finally done. That took way longer than Fenghuang Down."
[The Dragreder is much larger and longer in size.]
"For today, Dragreder is enough," Ace said, stepping out of the mirror in the basement.
"It's already 3:30 a.m. I'll sleep for a bit."
Ace headed to his room, and as he glanced at the mirror, he saw Dragreder flying inside the mirror world.