It was a day in early summer...

I was carrying a mountain of dessert ingredients back from the shopping district at the request of Nina-senpai, who loved cooking. These ingredients were prizes from winning the "Dessert Eating Contest" held in the shopping district.

Nina-senpai, with a bright smile on her face, held the trophy marked [Winner].

"Fuhihit, I ate so many delicious pastries... And got to bring back lots of fresh ingredients too~ This is a win-win no matter how you look at it!" she exclaimed.

Nina-senpai leaned in close and revealed a secret to me, her mischievous smile visible through her ivory-colored hair, styled like a shaggy dog.

"Actually, I’ve been on the blacklist since I won in my first year... but in my second year, I used Selma’s name, and this time I used Frida’s."

I couldn’t help but chuckle, recalling the slightly chubby cheeks of Nina-senpai.

‘She’s a bit on the plump side, but she doesn’t look like she can eat that much... Where does all those pastries go?’

Even world champion-level food fighters from my previous life didn’t look overweight, so maybe Nina-senpai had the same kind of metabolism.

Nina-senpai’s terrifying sight.

Like a scene straight out of an American cartoon, she opened her mouth like a vacuum cleaner and swept in hundreds of pastries... It was something that should be called a level of "gourmand." I learned for the first time that just the sight of someone eating could make a person tremble.

‘Even if this is a game world... to give a cute girl with a bit of baby fat such intense food-fighter attributes...’

I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

“...”

Come to think of it.

This was a game world.

One destined for apocalyptic-level disaster at some point.

And in this world, fate existed.

“...”

Fate.

It was a question I had never seriously considered.

What if...

What if the character who opens the main story, ‘Clara,’ didn’t fulfill her duty and left <Central Prism Academy>...? What would happen?

What if extra-level characters achieved things beyond the [Fate] assigned to them in the main story? What then?

What was the penalty for defying [Fate] in this world?

“...”

Honestly, I didn’t know.

It was only something that existed as a tooltip in the game’s skill traits.

Even if someone told me, an outsider, to dedicate myself to this world’s [Fate]... it was a difficult thing to get invested in. I just got stronger, got to know the characters... and before I knew it, summer was approaching.

“...”

I tried hard to forget about [Fate].

‘Well, even if I don’t step up like Clara, history will continue. Fate or whatever...’

I let those momentary worries drift away and adjusted the sack of sugar that was slipping from my grip, continuing to walk.

The hill road lined with shabby shops.

Usually, I would zoom past on my bike, but today, walking slowly was refreshing.

“Oofta—☆”

Climbing the hill, I soon arrived at the front gate of <Central Prism Academy>. As always, the seniors were waiting for me.

"I'm back~☆"

"Welcome back, Clara!"

"Welcome home~"

Led by Frida-senpai, Nina and Selma-senpai approached. Frida-senpai frowned at the enormous load I was carrying.

"Really! Did Nina really ask you to carry all this alone? That’s why I said we should help!"

"Ah, well... hehe. I didn’t think it’d be this much~"

"It’s fine, it’s fine—☆ This is nothing for a cute porter like me♪"

"Porter?! Nina, did you call Clara that?! No wonder you've been shamelessly working her lately...!"

"No, it’s not like that...!"

Frida-senpai scolded Nina-senpai, but Selma-senpai didn’t care and, while looking at me, mumbled something to herself and adjusted her glasses.

"Hmm... porter... porter? Oh! <I Became the Banished Porter of a Hero’s Party.>...! An underdog story is bubbling up inside me...! The protagonist, who was thought to be a mere porter, was actually in a crucial position in the party...!"

Selma-senpai ignored the hustle and bustle around her and quickly jotted something down in her small notebook.

"Ahaha...☆"

These three lively girls.

Seeing them made me feel like I was home again.

‘...It doesn’t feel strange to call this place home anymore.’

The old, dusty schoolyard.

While the seniors carried the supplies inside, I felt the breeze brush past my back, prompting me to turn around.

“...”

Whooosh—

The vast sky and clouds spread out before me.

The shabby shops nestled below the hill.

Dwarves passing through the street and the distant World Tree.

The summer breeze, tinted with blue, blew through once more.

Whooosh—

The cool breeze, carrying the scent of the plains and the World Tree, marked my first summer in this world as incredibly refreshing. The girls, busy under the sun, stopped to enjoy the coolness. Plants bent to hide from the dew swayed to and fro.

“...”

Turning away from the wind, I picked up the rest of the load and started walking again. I quickly caught up with the seniors, who had gone ahead.

My body had become much stronger than at the start of the semester.

I was growing stronger each day under the influence of Ether.

Yet, the realm of [Unique Ether] always seemed just out of reach.

‘I’ve fully adapted to [Wave Ether] now... but for some reason, I can’t grasp [Unique Ether]... it feels like I almost understand it...’

The name leading to [Unique Ether].

In the game, it was described as the shape of a soul reaching toward [Fate].

But what this [Fate] was, I had no idea.

‘The shape of a soul... it sounds like some kind of occult nonsense, what are they even talking about?’

Thinking these thoughts, I walked up to the seniors.

Frida-senpai, wiping the dew-like sweat from her forehead, was startled.

"Wow...! Clara, you're really good at carrying heavy things...?"

"Ahaha—☆ It's a cute girl's specialty~♪ That's why I said I’d carry it all☆"

My tone was deliberately boastful.

Frida-senpai chuckled and said.

"But you don’t have to carry all the heavy stuff alone. Even if it’s just a little... sharing the load makes it feel better and lets you keep going longer!"

Frida-senpai’s speech was full of romantic ideals. But the hand holding the sack of flour trembled like a leaf. Sometimes, her sensitivity was too high, and she ended up exhausting herself.

‘She fainted last week because she thought a passing butterfly looked lonely and stood with it under the hot sun...’

Seeing Frida-senpai exhaust herself for her romantic feelings, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her, and offered a light-hearted rebuttal. No matter how worried she was or how much she wanted to help me... she still had to take care of herself.

"B-but... isn’t it better for the strong person to handle such rough work alone...☆"

"Hmph...? So, Clara doesn’t want us weaklings to help, huh—!"

To twist it like that...

Even my pretty filter was starting to malfunction.

I broke into a cold sweat as I carefully chose my words.

"N-no—☆ That’s not what I meant...♪ If the person who’s good at it does it alone, it’ll get done quickly☆"

"Oh no?! Clara’s starting to talk back to me... boohoo... so sad...!"

Frida-senpai pretended to cry, effectively stopping any further rebuttal from me.

In the end, it all came down to emotions.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

‘I know she’s a kind and good person, but... there’s something overly emotional about her... maybe because she’s an art student?’

The banter was almost at the level of a joke.

Nina-senpai came over to my side, subtly carrying the lightest sack of sugar, and joined in.

"Fuhihit... When Frida's like that, just quietly accept it~ She's stubborn and will never be persuaded~"

"I can hear you, Nina...!"

"Ahaha...☆ Well, Frida-senpai is a lady of principles—☆"

"Clara~! You’re just calling me stubborn!"

"Ahaha...☆"

"Don’t just laugh!"

Nina-senpai, looking at us, smiled wryly and said.

"Even if our talks don’t resolve things, once we sit down and eat something delicious together... problems will get solved!"

Selma-senpai shrugged and said.

"Nina... that's only because you're only interested in eating. You’ll get teased if you say that elsewhere."

"No, no~ My opinion doesn’t change~ People's thoughts are similar... it's just their tastes that differ."

Whooosh—

Once again, the summer breeze blew.

It carried away the breath of the present into the past.

Nina-senpai’s bangs fluttered in the passing breeze, colored blue.

Nina-senpai grinned mischievously and said.

"Even seemingly big problems can be solved with just one trigger... Everyone needs a similar excuse~ For me, it’s delicious food... And nobody hates delicious food! So this is the truth of the world—!"

“...”

Frida-senpai heard this and gave a small laugh, her face filled with undeniable mischief.

"Then, if Nina can recreate the taste of the limited-edition cookies from the most famous dessert shop on Golden Street... <Golden Cat>, I might consider it!"

"Fuhihit, that’s quite a difficult order..."

"Oh my—♪ Frida-senpai has suddenly become a demanding lady—☆"

"I’m a refined lady!"

"Fuhihihihi—!"

Nina-senpai laughed heartily, like a witch.

What was needed was a small trigger.

Nina-senpai’s words, which seemed foolish at first glance, surprisingly helped me elevate my Ether state.

Not long after that, I awakened [Unique Ether].

＊

A shattered sign lay on the street corner.

<Golden Cat>

“...”

"Senpai?"

A small voice came from beside me.

Lota looked at me with worried eyes.

I responded with a reassuring smile, as if to say not to worry. When I turned my head back, the dessert shop the seniors had mentioned came into view.

‘I never thought I’d actually end up in front of that shop.’

The pitiful sight of <Golden Cat>.

Even though the luxurious exterior was shattered in the aftermath of the fight... it still couldn’t hide its original sophistication.

While I stood there, gazing absentmindedly at the shop, Freya, who had been scouting around, approached me.

"T-there are snake tattoo thugs guarding the front... I think we’ll need to break through..."

"Okay—☆ Got it♪ I’ll do my best~☆"

“...”

“...”

After a moment of silence, Freya nodded heavily.

"I-I called you here, so... I can’t say much... But don’t you regret not staying with the main force of <Gjallarhorn>... Or going to your juniors, or finding a safer way with [Azure White Spear]...?"

"Hehe, I told you—♪ Those kids are strong enough to handle it now—☆ I’ll prove that I’m no longer the [Faded Spiral]—♪"

“...”

"If I get hurt or become a hindrance, I’ll never... I’ll never step forward again—☆"

Because I spoke so earnestly, even Hilde accepted that we would each do our best in our respective positions.

She stepped up to confront the student council president Frau, who had reappeared.

‘What’s needed is... to correct all misconceptions caused by my actions and to honestly approach everyone... Honestly, I’m anxious too, but if I don’t give it my all now, I feel like I’ll never be trusted again.’

I looked Freya and Lota straight in the eyes.

"I swear on everything... I’m okay. I’m sincere."

“...”

“...”

"I want to resolve the issues facing the academy city, my juniors, Hilde... and my friends as best as I can—☆"

The beastmen’s eyes were as clear as the surface of a gem.

When they were startled or frightened, it was obvious.

This was also evident in the eyes of the two catgirls standing in front of me.

‘Perhaps the arrogance of the noble kids was also a shield to hide these traits of the beastmen...’

Not that I intended to be lenient with them.

Thinking this, I looked into the trembling eyes of Lota and Freya and spoke.

"Let’s begin."

"Yes... [Eternal Wheel], deploying for local activation, standby..."

Freya summoned a large spinning wheel, ready to attack at any moment, while Lota quietly climbed onto my back and said.

"Will it be okay...?"

"Of course—☆"

“...”

Squeeze—

Her arms wrapped tightly around me.

The chant echoed in the air.

[Why carry a greatsword when your back aches, use it as a mirror instead.]

I grasped the cat-shaped greatsword that materialized in mid-air. Along with its lingering warmth and tingling emotions, I felt Lota’s anxiety.

“...”

A fleeting thought crossed my mind.

‘Was there ever a character who could sense others’ Ether attributes and emotions like this?’

...

I didn’t know.

One thing was certain.

Having met Hilde, Urdr, and the seniors... my [Fate] had changed, diverging from that of ‘Clara’ in the game.

Letting these thoughts drift through my mind, Freya and I charged toward the snake tattooed beastman girls advancing ahead.

Tatatatata—!!

The girls with snake tattoos turned to face us.

Their faces showed shock and hostility.

"Who are you?!"

"Ah, [Purple Wheel]?! Why?!"

"Attack!! Attack them!!"

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Hundreds, thousands of red spearheads.

A barrage of attacks rained down.

Even the elite unit of <Aesir Girls’ High School> was forced to retreat by this assault.

Despite hearing the word “okay” repeated endlessly.

But for some reason... I was certain we were going to be okay.

“...”

And surprisingly.

We managed to break through dozens of beastman girls and slip through the back door of the <Public Bana Boarding School> library.

＊

The secluded library of <Public Bana Boarding School>.

The main base of the Exploration Faction, which seemed most shabby.

The back door was tightly sealed with several layers of magic, and there was a sign that read:

[No Visitors Allowed]

Freya knocked on the door. It seemed to be completely locked with a magic skill.

Knock, knock.

"Open the door, you crazy people... your leader is here..."

Then a timid voice came from beyond the door.

"D-don’t say such nonsense... You’re good at imitating voices... O-our library director would never hang out with people... If you have business, write it on a note below... If you’re with the noble faction, go away..."

Creak—

The seal loosened slightly.

It opened just enough for a piece of paper to pass through.

“...”

“...”

“...”

This was unexpected.