The chaos of the day had finally subsided, but the massive, multi-hued tree that ripped through the Greenhouse Tower still cast an ethereal glow over the Babyls Academy grounds.
It was late—well past midnight.
Noir Sullivan, exhausted but driven by a compulsive need to minimize the trouble he had caused, was utilizing the silence of the night. He, along with the two reluctant familiars, the Chaos Lion and the Aether Tiger, was sweeping, organizing, and discretely clearing the mess left by the stream of curious students who had flocked to admire the impossible tree all afternoon.
He was using a mundane broom—the colossal eight wings folded tight beneath his jacket—trying to look as inconspicuous as a person with glowing eyes and an immense aura could. He was meticulous, driven by the fear that if even one shard of glass remained, Kalego Sensei would use it as grounds for his immediate execution.
NOIR: (Whispering to the Lion) "Keep that corner clear. If Grandpa finds out I skipped clean-up, I'll be modeling outfits for a week."
CHAOS LION: (A low, rumbling growl) Pathetic. The King cleans the peasants' mess. What about that lazy tiger
Noir sighed, dragging the broom across the pavement. He was walking backward, focused entirely on a stubborn patch of residual magical soot near the base of the massive trunk.
Simultaneously, Ameri Azazel was exiting the Student Council office building, several hundred yards away, completely engrossed in the latest volume of "First Love Memories." She had managed to convince herself that reading late into the night was crucial "intelligence gathering" on the culture of the "other realm." She was lost in a pivotal moment where the heroine, Sakura, was about to confess to Kenji.
Ameri, usually observant and fiercely alert, was completely oblivious to her surroundings, her immense power temporarily sidelined by her romantic obsession.
The inevitable happened: Noir, walking backward while sweeping, and Ameri, walking forward while reading, rounded the corner of the administration building at the exact same moment.
They collided with a jarring thud.
The impact was enough to knock both of them off balance. Noir, despite his stability, stumbled, and Ameri let out a small, startled cry as her precious volume of "First Love Memories" flew from her hands and landed with a quiet thump on the pavement, pages slightly bent.
They ended up sprawled on the ground, Ameri's perfect composure momentarily shattered.
AMERI: "Wha—! Sullivan?"
NOIR: (Scrambling to sit up, instantly panicked) "President Azazel! Oh my goodness! I am so sorry! I wasn't looking! Are you alright?"
Noir scrambled to his feet. Seeing the legendary Student Council President sprawled on the cold stone, he immediately walked over and extended his hand to her, his natural human instinct overriding his need for secrecy.
NOIR: "Here, let me help you up."
Ameri looked up at him. His immense, transformed frame loomed over her in the pale moonlight, his hand extended in a gesture of simple, unadulterated concern. Her mind, reeling from the sudden shock of the fall, instantly accessed the scenario she had just been reading.
The scene she had been reading—the climactic moment in "First Love Memories"—was a strikingly similar scenario: Kenji and Sakura had collided in the hall, and Kenji, flustered, had offered his hand to help the startled heroine. The caption had read: "A sudden collision... a helping hand... this must be fate! He is using his natural charm to draw me to him!"
Ameri's formidable, highly analytical mind, twisted by the romantic logic of the human manga, instantly began to process the data points:
Data Point 1: The Coincidence. It is highly improbable for the subject of her intense scrutiny (Noir) to collide with her at this exact late hour. Conclusion: This is not coincidence; it is deliberate maneuvering.
Data Point 2: The Action. He immediately offered his hand with perfect, innocent timing, exactly mirroring the key "fatal attraction" moment in the human texts. Conclusion: He is using a perfected romantic gesture to induce a confession.
Data Point 3: The Aura. He is already an obvious outsider, possessing unnatural growth powers and being associated with the forbidden knowledge of "other realms." Conclusion: He possesses specialized skills to influence emotions.
Ameri connected the dots of her elaborate, manga-fueled conspiracy theory. She had found the true nature of the human "ability" and why he was so dangerous! He wasn't trying to destroy the school; he was trying to make her fall in love with him!
A fiery flush spread across her cheeks, not of embarrassment, but of intense, intellectual revelation.
AMERI: (Voice low, intense, and utterly serious) "This maneuver. The timing, the gesture... it is exactly as described in the forbidden texts."
Noir blinked, completely confused. "Ma'am? What are you talking about? Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"
Ameri ignored his question. She quickly scrambled up, ignoring his extended hand, and grabbed the front of his jacket with a sudden, powerful grip. She pulled his transformed face down close to hers, her golden eyes burning with intense, focused certainty.
AMERI: "I understand now! You are attempting to utilize your 'Romantic Influence' ability! You orchestrated this collision, relying on the 'chance encounter' trope to lower my defenses! You are using your forbidden knowledge of the human realm's customs to manipulate my emotions!"
Noir stood there, dumbfounded, frozen in the grip of the Student Council President.
NOIR: (His eyes wide with panic) "Romantic influence? I was sweeping! And I'm just trying to be polite!"
AMERI: (Her breath hitching slightly, seeing only the hero of the manga in front of her) "Do not attempt to deny it! Only a Human would possess such a potent, specialized ability to induce 'First Love'! You are using the most dangerous power of the other realm on me!"
Her expression was a complex mixture of intellectual triumph, intense suspicion, and a very confused, heart-pounding anticipation inspired by the manga's romance. She had not only confirmed her theory that humans existed but believed she had accurately deduced their primary offensive capability.
She looked him straight in the eye, her grip on his collar tightening as she delivered her conclusion.
AMERI: "I know your secret, Sullivan. You are from human realm!"
Noir, utterly horrified that his most crucial secret was shouted in a midnight courtyard due to a minor collision and a shojo manga, could only manage a choked whisper:
NOIR: "Oh, come on!"