Kasumigaoka Utaha had a particular habit—she enjoyed spending time alone on the rooftop. She liked the stillness, the silence, the sense of isolation. In that quiet atmosphere, she could rest, think, or simply let inspiration flow for her writing.
Today, as always, she went up to the rooftop and sat down at her usual spot near the railing. Her long legs wrapped in smooth black stockings pressed together neatly, hands resting naturally on them. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed two empty bento boxes lying on the ground.
"Someone here?" she muttered softly, scanning the rooftop. The view was unobstructed, no place for anyone to hide—yet she saw no one around. Strange, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she pulled out her phone, opened her editor, and with a faint frown, slipped into her flow of inspiration, tapping away at her draft.
After some time, she stopped, put her phone down, and pulled out a piece of bread from her bag. That would be her lunch for today. Since her family lived far from the school, she rented an apartment nearby to make commuting easier. Last night she stayed up too late writing, overslept this morning, and rushed to class without preparing her usual bento. Bread would do—she had long gotten used to it.
Her eyes stayed fixed on her phone screen, her hand lifting the bread absently to her lips. She bit down—
"Hm?" Her brows furrowed. "Why is it wet?" The bread was strangely damp, as if soaked. She blinked, then noticed droplets splashed across her phone screen as well. Confused, she lifted her gaze to the sky.
A perfect, cloudless blue. Sunshine. Not a trace of rain.
"Is this one of those sun-showers…?" she murmured, lips barely parting.
"Pfft!" A sudden spray of water hit her face and mouth, scattering across her cheeks, her lips, even into her mouth.
"Puh! Puh!" Utaha spat repeatedly, the odd taste lingering on her tongue. A memory surfaced—this had happened once before. The same kind of bizarre situation.
Her body shivered. "D-Don't tell me… ghosts?"
Schools were always breeding grounds for ghost stories: Hanako in the bathroom, wandering spirits in empty hallways. As a novelist with a vivid imagination, Utaha immediately tied together the strange coincidences. Two nearly identical events… wasn't this exactly like the beginning of a haunting?
The more she thought, the more her skin crawled. Her imagination painted pictures she didn't want to see.
She sprang to her feet, not even caring about the dust clinging to her skirt, and bolted for the exit. She didn't want to stay another second.
…
Behind her, Megumi stood frozen, face burning red, hands pressed against her cheeks. Tatsuki's expression was a bit complicated as well.
"…Does this count as the heroines of a rom-com meeting each other in a very unusual way?"
…
Wednesday. Student Council room.
Today, only two people were present: Tatsuki, sitting casually on the sofa, and Kaguya Shinomiya, poised elegantly beside him.
On the surface, Kaguya's expression was calm, dignified, the very image of composure. Inwardly, though, her mind raced wildly. The president is right next to me… should I hold his hand? According to TV dramas, this is when the confession happens, right? Maybe… should I… propose? No, that's supposed to be the man's role… or is it? There's no rule…
Her thoughts spiraled. But I don't even have a ring! Should I ask Ai to prepare one right away?
Having matured through past trials, Kaguya's heart had shifted—no longer just "romance brain," but fully "wife brain." Her mind wasn't filled with daydreams of dating anymore. It was all about one thing.
Marriage! Marriage! Marriage! Right now, this instant!
Tatsuki, of course, wasn't in the habit of reading minds, so he had no idea what storm was raging inside her. He simply had a request.
"Kaguya."
"Yes, President!" she answered instantly, almost snapping to attention.
"…" Tatsuki paused, thrown by how fast she replied. Collecting his words, he continued: "Can you help me find a new building?"
Yes—he wanted a new place. His current house was bursting at the seams. Sure, with his powers, he could expand the interior space infinitely, but a real building still felt more grounded, more practical. And money was no issue.
Kaguya tilted her head. "A house?"
Tatsuki nodded. "Right. Another building. Too many people live with me now—space is getting tight."
"…That's true," she admitted, recalling how many women had gathered around him. At one time, the thought of other women would have filled her with schemes and jealousy. Now, she simply accepted it, determined to coexist. Even so, she conveniently forgot she and Tatsuki hadn't actually made their relationship official yet.
"What sort of requirements does the president have?" She had already pulled out pen and paper, ready to record every detail. Whatever the president requested, she would deliver flawlessly.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Tatsuki listed them: "First, it needs enough units—lots of people will be living there. Second, each unit should be spacious, with plenty of rooms. Some people are used to living together in groups, so they'll need big shared spaces. Third, good location: near shops, good lighting, easy to get around. Noise isn't an issue, I can handle that. Safety and privacy won't be a problem either—I can shield the whole place with my powers. And last thing…" He paused. "Preferably, not many people living there already."
Essentially, he wanted to buy an entire complex. But with buildings of twenty-plus units in prime locations, it was rare to find one mostly empty. He didn't expect perfection, but the fewer existing tenants, the better. Those he could handle individually.
"I understand. Please leave it to me, President. I'll bring you good news soon," Kaguya said with firm resolve, jotting everything down. At the bottom of her notes, she secretly added: Absolutely no men allowed.
She immediately sent the details to Hayasaka on her flip phone.
…
Reading the message, Ai sighed heavily. "Another task outside my job description… I'm going to collapse at this rate."
Still, she adjusted her expression, slipping back into her school disguise—a flashy gyaru girl. A classmate leaned over, grinning. "Hey, Ai-chan, wanna go grab snacks?"
Hayasaka flashed a perfect gyaru smile and struck a playful pose. "OK!"
Inside, though, she was already mapping out Kaguya's "find the building" mission.
…
Elsewhere—
Boom!
Explosions thundered across a cityscape. Fire and smoke engulfed the streets, buildings collapsing in showers of debris. In the skies above, six enormous metallic swords floated, each embedded with a glowing gemstone. Gold, silver, crimson, azure, emerald, and grey light blazed from them, flooding the battlefield.
Among those dazzling colors, two shone brightest—gold and crimson.
This was no ordinary battle. This was a war between the Kings of Authority.
Grey mist spread across entire districts, and from its depths, bullets charged with power fired outward. The man wielding the guns was a rugged, curly-haired middle-aged veteran—Tenkei Iwafune, once known as Seigo Otori. The Sixth King, the Grey King, bearer of "Guardianship."
But the bullets disintegrated harmlessly before reaching their target. The old man standing at the center repelled them with invisible force.
Four against one.
High in the air, a silver-haired man with an umbrella was blasted back by the old man's punches—strikes strong enough to shatter entire blocks. Yet his body remained unscathed.
"Come to your senses, Lieutenant!" he shouted as he was hurled through a building. This was Adolf K. Weismann, the First King—the Silver King. Master of "Immutability" and "Eternity," origin of all Kings, eternal watcher of the skies. His power preserved his youthful form and his immortal life, his authority rendering him unassailable. The old man's devastating blows left him untouched.
And then came the counterattack. Scarlet fire, emerald lightning, and azure energy surged in unison.
The three attackers revealed themselves: Suoh Mikoto, the Red King, embodiment of "Violence" and "Passion," his very aura aflame. Munakata Reisi, the Blue King, embodiment of "Order" and "Control," clad in a sharp blue uniform, power radiating in disciplined waves. And Nagare Hisui, the Green King, embodiment of "Change" and "Revolution," his body sparking with storms of energy.
Together, they pressed against their foe—the white-haired elder draped in traditional garb, his bearing regal and absolute.
Daikaku Kokujoji, the Second King—the Golden King, ruler of "Destiny," the most powerful of them all, sovereign of the earth itself.
The clash of Kings shattered the city around them, their powers colliding like gods at war.
...
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