Bonus Short Stories

Arifureta Fairy Tales ~Cinderella~

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella. Her mother had died some years past, and she spent her days being tormented by her two older stepsisters. Originally her hair had been a glossy black, but over time it had gotten dirty as poor Cinderella had been forced to do all the housework. Today, too, she toiled under the harsh insults of her sisters.

"Oi, Cinderella! Quit bawling and get to work! Breakfast isn't anywhere near ready, you slacker!" The younger of the two stepsisters, a girl with bunny ears, stalked up to Cinderella and started yelling at her, her bunny ears standing on end.

"Eeek, I'm sorry. I'll get started right away, so please don't yell at me..." Cinderella scurried over to the kitchen. Cooking, fetching water, washing dishes, and getting yelled at for not making the food tasty enough were all part of her duties. Poor Cinderella really had it tough.

Still in tears, Cinderella started preparing breakfast. Just then, her rabbit-eared older sister poked her head in to see how she was doing. She gave Cinderella the kind of glare only a stepsister could and kicked up a fuss.

"Sheesh, you're hopeless, Cinderella! How many times do I have to explain it before you understand!? You have to curl your fingers when you hold the knife or you'll cut yourself!"

"S-Sorry!" Cinderella shrunk back. However, her sister wasn't done yet. She stood behind Cinderella and took hold of her hands.

"How dumb can you get!? Look, I'll do it with you, so pay attention!"

"Eeek, stop! I can do it, so stop grabbing me so hard!" Cinderella's screams mingled with the rhythmical chopping of vegetables. The knife cut down with extreme precision, millimeters from Cinderella's poor fingers. In seconds, the vegetables had been cut into symmetrical pieces, a dark omen of what Cinderella's fingers would likely become if she didn't start getting it together.

Satisfied, the rabbit-eared stepsister went off to handle other tasks, leaving a terrified Cinderella to finish preparing breakfast. She sighed despondently and got back to work, only to be interrupted by a different voice.

"How long do you plan on making your elder sister wait, you doddering dolt!?"

"My apologies, perv—ahem, elder sister. I'll be done soon."

"Be quick about it! Unlike you, I have business that needs attending to!" The elder stepsister started rushing Cinderella, as she was wont to do. Exhausted from the constant labor, Cinderella grew sloppy in her work. The eldest stepsister grinned expectantly. Though it seemed her enjoyment wasn't coming from bullying Cinderella, but rather something else entirely. Indeed, as she hoped, Cinderella was so rushed that as she passed her stepsister by, she tripped.

"Oh no!" The pot she was holding slipped out of her hands, and spilled its scalding hot contents all over her stepsister.

"Aaaaaah!? Oh Cinderella you klutz! You got boiling water all over my face! Could you be any clumsier!? At any rate, well done! Haaah... Haaah..." Cinderella's stepsister covered her face, fell to the ground, and writhed in "agony." She didn't stop insulting Cinderella even as the water burned her skin though. Her anger—and pleasure—were clearly noticeable in her tone.

"I-I'm so sorry, elder sister!" Cinderella trembled in fear.

After that incident, her bunny-ear stepsister came back and ordered her to clean the house. Upon seeing how poor a job Cinderella was doing, she clicked her tongue and started teaching her how to do it better. The same thing happened when Cinderella started sewing, as well.

"You'll hurt yourself if you work like that," her stepsister exclaimed and once again taught her a more efficient method.

The entire time, her other stepsister was hovering close by, rushing Cinderella so that she would screw up in a way that would cause the instigator pain. And every time Cinderella ended up accidentally hurting her stepsister, she would writhe on the ground panting excitedly.

At any rate, Cinderella had a hard life. But then one day, the family received an invitation to a royal ball. It appeared the ball was being held so that the prince could pick out a fiance. Both of Cinderella's stepsisters were completely smitten with the prince. Every time they saw him out on the streets, their hearts started pounding. And this ball was the perfect opportunity to make the prince of their dreams theirs. Naturally, Cinderella was just as enamored with the prince as the others.

"Stepsisters! Please let me go to the party too!"

Cinderella's two stepsisters exchanged glances, nodded to each other, and turned her down flat.

"Absolutely not!" "No way!" They cruelly denied Cinderella her wish.

"Why must you be so mean!? What's so wrong with me going?" Cinderella was being unusually assertive. It appeared she was truly angry. Seeing her desperation, her two stepsisters sighed.

"Is it not obvious? We are worried for the prince."

"Did you already forget how you stalked him before and had to be dragged away by the royal guards?"

I never did anything like that! Cinderella harrumphed and looked away defiantly.

The bunny-eared stepsister bristled. Who do you think had to pay the bail to get you out!?

"Besides, you own no dresses."

"Ugh, you're right..." Cinderella lamented. She owned no pretty dresses like her stepsisters.

"That's your own fault. You're the one who sold them all off to 'pay for the prince's living expenses.' We even told you over and over to save at least one of them for occasions like this!"

I never did anything like that! Cinderella harrumphed and looked away defiantly. In the end, Cinderella went to her mother's grave and wept in despair. As she was crying, she realized she wasn't alone.

"Young lady, why are you so sad?"

Looking up, Cinderella saw a beautiful, crimson-eyed witch standing i front of her mother's grave. She was bedecked in a billowing black robe, and a pointed hat. After a moment of brief consideration, Cinderella decided to tell this strange witch all about her troubles. She poured her heart out about her overbearing stepsisters, her terrible life at home, her secret love for the prince, and her dismay at learning she wouldn't be able to go to the ball. When she finished, the witch sniffled a little.

"There is no fate so powerful it cannot be overturned. A path to salvation must still exist somewhere."

Cinderella stared at the witch blankly, not comprehending.

"Fear not. I will find you a path that lets you attend the ball."

"Miss Witch…" Moved, Cinderella embraced her savior. Curious about why a stranger would lend her a helping hand, Cinderella asked the witch why she was being so kind. In response, the witch lowered the brim of her hat, hiding her expression. Quietly, she spoke of her past. Of how she'd been betrayed by her family and imprisoned for centuries. When she'd finally escaped, everyone she knew was dead. And so, she'd wandered the world alone, a witch without a home. That was why she felt compelled to help others in trouble.

How tragic! I'm so sorry I ever thought I had it bad! I've truly been blessed! Cinderella burst into sobs as she thought that, and the confused witch awkwardly tried to console her. Once Cinderella had calmed down, the witch left, saying that she needed to prepare some things and would return on the day of the ball.

The evening of the ball, some time after Cinderella's stepsisters had left, the witch came to see Cinderella again.

"I got everything." The witch held out a stunning dress and an exquisite pair of glass slippers.

"You're so skilled, Miss Witch! I can't believe you were able to make such beautiful things with magic."

"Hm? I sewed the dress and I bought the shoes." The witch's methods were surprisingly pedestrian. Though it spoke to how kind she was that she'd been willing to sew a whole dress for a stranger.

"We don't have much time. Let's go."

"How are we getting to the ball? Are we taking a pumpkin carriage? Are we?" Cinderella's eyes lit up in excitement, but the witch shook her head, a pitying expression on her face.

A pumpkin carriage? Is this girl okay? She grabbed Cinderella by the collar, then explained her plan.

"We'll be using gravity magic."

"Huh? What does—Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

The two of them sped into the night sky. They arrived not-so-safe and sound at the royal palace, but at least Cinderella was still in one piece. As she'd hoped, Cinderella was able to dance with the prince to her heart's content. She should have been happy, but all she could think about was the witch who'd seen her off with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, Prince! I need to go!" Cinderella dashed off. The prince, still trying to figure out if this was the same girl who'd been stalking him earlier, chased after her. Shocked by Cinderella's rude behavior, her two stepsisters also chased after her. But Cinderella was faster than she looked, and she was able to give them the slip. All the prince and Cinderella's stepsisters found was one of her slippers lying on the palace steps.

"A single glass slipper... this definitely seems suspicious," the prince mused.

Cinderella's two stepsisters nodded in agreement. The three of them started down the steps, but stopped when they heard a voice.

"Miss Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch! Please come out! You're the one that deserves to be at this ball, not me!"

They spotted Cinderella standing a bit further ahead and shouting up at the sky. The prince and Cinderella's two stepsisters watched, confused.

"If you don't, I'll get the whole country to search for you! Me or one of my sisters will definitely marry the prince and become the queen, so don't think we won't be able to do it! I have no qualms about abusing my authority!"

"Please don't..." The witch appeared a few meters above Cinderella and floated down to the stairs. She lowered her hat to try and hide her expression, but Cinderella ran up to her and ripped it off. Just then, the clouds parted and a single ray of moonlight illuminated the witch. The prince was captivated by her stunning figure. The witch, too, seemed smitten with the prince.

Well, I'm sure you perceptive readers can tell what happened next. The prince asked for the witch's hand in marriage, and she naturally said yes. Though there was one condition. Cinderella and her two stepsisters had to also join their family. And so, the witch, the prince, Cinderella, and her two stepsisters lived happily ever after.

*****

Some Things are Better Left Unknown

The calming scent of black tea filled Shizuku's room within the royal palace. A fancy tea set rested atop a sturdy wooden table, and steam rose from the two cups sitting across from each other. The two people enjoying a brief tea break were Shizuku and Kaori. They were finalizing their plans for the trip tomorrow and catching up on what the other had been up to.

"Anyway, it looks I'll be your healer for a little bit again, Shizuku-chan! Don't worry, even if you die, I can bring you back in just three minutes!"

"Please don't talk about resurrection like it's the same as heating instant noodles..." Shizuku smiled fondly. She was glad her best friend had become more confident. Then, as she was taking a sip of her tea, she heard a sudden knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Shizuku called out. The reply came not from the door, but from next to Kaori's ear.

"...It's me." Kaori shrieked and jumped backward. She hurriedly turned around and saw Yue's head poking out of one of her teleportation portals. Yue smiled in satisfaction, then mocked poor Kaori.

"What a cute scream... Kukukuku."

"Yue! Why do you keep pulling such childish pranks!? Sheesh!"

Yue widened her portal, revealing Tio and Shea standing behind her. The three of them stepped into Shizuku's room, while Shizuku looked blankly from her angry friend to these collected newcomers.

"Um, what's going on?"

"She's always like this, Shizuku-san. Yue-san's been playing pranks on Kaori-san ever since she learned how to teleport. She finds Kaori-san's reactions funny."

"It is only around Kaori that Yue lets her childish side show. In a way, you could say they're rather close. Though they're also always at each other's throats, too..."

"I can't imagine Kaori getting in a fistfight with... Well, it looks like she's doing it now, so I don't have to imagine anything."

Indeed, Kaori was currently attempting to pinch Yue's cheeks and getting continually rebuffed. Shizuku watched the spectacle with a lonely gaze. She'd never seen her best friend so much as snap at someone. At first she'd been worried that Kaori wouldn't fit in with her new group, especially since all the girls were her love rivals, but it appeared that had been a needless worry. While Shizuku was glad that Kaori could manage without her, it also made her a little sad. In order to distract herself from her feelings, Shizuku cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"So, what are you all here for?"

"Mmm. I wanted to ask Kaori to use restoration magic for us."

Shizuku tilted her head quizzically. Apparently, Yue wanted to see what Hajime had been like in the time before he'd fallen into the abyss. As restoration magic was capable of restoring events of the past, and Kaori was the most skilled at using it, Yue was asking Kaori to help her recreate the Hajime of the past.

"Wow, so magic like that exists too," Shizuku marveled.

Kaori puffed her chest out with pride, then started boasting.

"Ehehe, I knew all that training would pay off one day. Want to test it out here to see if it works? You'll be able to see what me and Shizuku used to do when we stayed in the same room!" Kaori was getting a little ahead of herself, but she didn't realize it. Without considering the consequences, she cast her restoration spell. Images of the room's past overlaid themselves over everything like a hologram.

"Wow, you really can recreate the past."

"Look, there's Shizuku-san. She's lying on her bed reading a book." Like Shea said, an ethereal version of Shizuku was lying on the bed. She had her legs stretched out and was leaning against the headboard, reading.

"Th-This feels a little embarrassing..." Shizuku blushed as she watched the past version of herself lounge around. Little did she know, the truly embarrassing things were yet to come. The holographic door was flung open, and a maid rushed into the room. Past Shizuku was startled, then stiffened up when she saw who the person wearing the maid uniform was. As did everyone else in the present room.

"O-Of all the scenes it could pick, why did it have to be this one!? Hawawa, I need to hurry up and cancel the—"

"I won't let you! I'll use my own mana to keep it going!"

"Yue!?"

The person wearing the maid uniform was none other than Kaori. Though she tried to cancel the restoration spell, Yue continued to feed it mana, keeping it active. Kaori grabbed Yue by the collar and begged her to stop.

"Shea!"

"Aye, aye, ma'am!" Shea pulled Kaori back and pinned her arms. The scene continued playing out, and past Kaori walked up to the room's mirror, not even noticing that past Shizuku was there.

Present Shizuku smiled at the sight and mumbled.

"Ahhh, this is from back then."

Bereft of allies, Kaori was forced to helplessly watch as her past self tried to stick her boobs out and pose sexily in front of the mirror.

"W-Would you like my services, Master?" Past Kaori winked. Everyone silently watched her with wicked grins on their faces. Meanwhile, present Kaori looked like a withered husk.

"Don't look at me..." she mumbled silently, too exhausted to even yell. She watched as past Shizuku bolted out of bed and ran out the door yelling, "Nagumo-kuuuuun! You won't believe what Kaori's doing!"

Yue and Shea both turned to present Shizuku.

"Good job, Shizuku."

"Shizuku-san, you're more evil than you look! I like it! I like it a lot!"

Their gleeful praise didn't take any of the sting out of Kaori's reproachful glare. Shizuku looked away uncomfortably, and the scene faded out of existence. After that, they dragged a half-conscious Kaori with them to the places Hajime had frequented in his short time at the castle. Now that they'd had their fill of Kaori's dark past, it was time for what Yue had originally come for. Their first stop was the library. Hajime had supposedly spent a lot of time studying there. Still looking like a dead fish, Kaori wearily cast the spell.

"Look, it's Hajime-san! Wow, his hair's completely black!"

"Old Hajime looks so cute. Old Hajime looks so cute. Old Hajime looks so cute—"

"Y-Yue snapped! I will admit Master's old appearance is indeed cute, but... Wait, Yue! Get away from him!"

Both Yue and Shea grew excited upon seeing Hajime's old appearance. Yue was so enraptured that she tottered toward Hajime's hologram like a butterfly floating toward honey. On the other hand, while Tio did find Hajime's old appearance cute, she much preferred the caustic, blunt personality he had now. There was something else that caught her attention, however.

"Oh? Is that perchance Kaori I see in the distance?"

Everyone looked in the direction Tio was pointing, curious. Someone was staring at past Hajime from behind one of the bookshelves. Though most of her face was hidden by books, it was unmistakably Kaori. She didn't do anything, and just silently monitored Hajime's movements. Everyone shrunk back, afraid.

"I-It's not what it looks like. I swear, there's a good explanation for this!" Kaori desperately tried to clear her name, but the fact that she followed Hajime every time he moved to a new bookshelf did a better job of explaining than her words ever could. To be honest, it was a little scary.

Afterward, they also tried using restoration magic in Hajime's old room. This time, they were treated to a scene of Hajime pouring over books at his desk late at night. Like before, Kaori was silently observing him, this time through the small gap underneath his door.

Other scenes showed Kaori interrogating the maids on Hajime's daily activities, or talking to Hajime about his favorite things even though Hajime had never told her. Everyone turned to present Kaori. Covered in cold sweat, she averted her gaze.

"So this is what a real stalker is like. Scary..."

"It was actually kind of horrifying, seeing Kaori-san constantly follow Hajime-san with that creepy grin on her face."

"Kaori, I know I have no right to say this... but you should have some self-respect."

"Kaori... I'm sorry. I can't back you up this time."

In tears, Kaori screamed.

"I'm sorry! Even I admit it looks kind of creepy!"

*****

Making Good on Your Promises

On a dark night with barely any moonlight, two girls dashed across an empty plain. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, but they knew they couldn't stop or their pursuers would catch up to them.

"Ah!"

"Suzu! Are you alright!?"

They were running through the rocky field near the imperial capital, which meant that footing was bad. One of the fleeing girls, Suzu Taniguchi, tripped over a fallen pebble. Using her supernatural agility, the other girl, Shizuku, grabbed Suzu before she fell.

"Shizushizu, I'm done for. You have to escape alone!"

"Don't be ridiculous! We're getting out of this together!"

Seeing Shizuku's determination, Suzu mentally berated herself for being so weak, then willed herself to her feet. Unfortunately, her resolve meant little.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Shizuku and Suzu both shrieked. They whirled around, and a grizzled old rabbitman appeared from the darkness... It was the Haulia's chief, Cam.

"C-Cam-san! Please stop this!" Shizuku hugged Suzu, who was trembling in fear, and begged for mercy. However, Cam simply grinned and shook his head.

"Do you think we would ever defy our boss' orders?"

"I don't... dammit!"

"Sh-Shizushizu, it's not like you to curse! Get a grip!"

Shizuku's ponytail swung back and forth as she shook her head, tears spilling from her eyes.

Oh no, she's too far gone. It's all up to me now!

"Shizushizu... I'll protect you! Don't look down on the hero party's strongest Barrier Mast—" Before Suzu could even finish her sentence, there was a slight whoosh, and a blow dart embedded itself into her forehead.

"Suzu!"

Suzu's eyes rolled back in her head, and she fell limply to the ground.

"H-How dare you do that to Suzu! I'll never for—" Shizuku, too, was silenced before she could finish. A pungent smell wafted into her nostrils, and she looked up to see Cam waving a fan and his bunny ears at her.

"C-Cam-san. What ish…" Shizuku's eyes rolled back in her head, and she too fell limply to the ground.

"Mission complete. I'll bring the targets back to you, Boss."

Hajime's loyal rabbits scurried about in the dark. As for why they, the warriors who had toppled the imperial capital in one night, were chasing down Shizuku and Suzu, well—

"Hajime-san, I know you're mad at them for laughing at you when dad and the others told everyone their painfully embarrassing nicknames, but did you really have to go so far?"

"Y-Yeah, Hajime-kun. We still need to warp all the Haulia back to the sea of trees, so let's just leave it at this, okay?"

Hajime turned to Shea and Kaori, then responded in a flat voice.

"I always make good on my promises." He had promised to punish Shizuku and Suzu back when they'd first met Par and the others, and Hajime was the kind of man who was as good as his word. He definitely wasn't doing this just because he'd been so embarrassed he'd never forget that incident for the rest of his life or anything.

Kouki and Ryutarou tried to object as well, but when they saw the look in Hajime's eyes, they thought better of it and looked away.

Shizuku and Suzu were left defenseless. And so, Hajime meted out their punishment.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah this is soooooo embarrassing! My skirt's way too short, you can see everything!"

"Just kill me now."

Hajime had forced the two of them to change into Haulia clothes. The same ones Shea usually wore. Since they'd laughed harder than everyone else, he'd made their punishment the most extreme. Suzu desperately tried to pull the hem of her skirt down with one hand while covering her modest breasts with the other. Teary-eyed and red-faced, she looked cute even to the Haulia, who were used to seeing their women wear such outfits. On the other hand, Shizuku didn't even bother to hide her charming, beautiful figure, which could give even Shea a run for her money.

"Just kill me now." Her eyes were empty and devoid of emotion. She looked so pitiful that no one could bring themselves to look at her. A number of flashes filled the room.

"Shizuku and Suzu's punishment, taken at the outskirts of the imperial capital... There, all labeled now."

Hajime grinned wickedly as he took photos with his specially crafted artifact and labeled each one. Kouki and Ryutarou yelled at him, calling him a demon. The Haulia sang his praises, saying things like "You're amazing, Boss. You don't even show mercy to women!" And Yue and the others just watched with troubled expressions on their faces. However, Hajime didn't notice any of it, as he was far too busy having fun.

*****

Arifureta Magic Academy ~Christmas Showdown~

The academy grew busier as Christmas drew near. Today, all of the students were gathered in the auditorium for an emergency assembly. To their surprise, it was Aiko, not chairwoman Tio, who came out to greet them. Upon seeing her grimace, the students' expressions stiffened.

"Everyone, I have bad news. Santa Claus has been sent to the hospital by one of our students."

The students groaned in unison. Incidentally, Santa was real in this world. He was a wealthy multi-billionaire who went around giving presents to all the good kids on Christmas Day.

"Fortunately, his life isn't in any danger. There is, however, another problem. His reindeer have gone on strike and are nowhere to be found!"

To be fair, their boss had just been hospitalized. It was understandable that they'd want the time off. The school's beleaguered student council president raised her hand and spoke up.

"Ai-chan-sensei! Please tell us who exactly is responsible for injuring Santa!"

Who's the bastard who piled even more work on me during the holidays!? I'll fucking kill him! Both the teachers and the students shivered at the intensity in Shizuku's gaze.

Overwhelmed, Aiko gave in and confessed in as roundabout a manner as she could.

"A-According to the public safety committee member who was at the scene, the culprits' confession were as follows: 'All I wanted was to do was cosplay as Santa, ride on his reindeer, and tell Hajime that I'd be his present this Christmas. If those pesky flies hadn't gotten in the way, Santa wouldn't have gotten hurt,' and 'I could not forgive her for trying to get ahead of the rest of us. I never expected that she would dodge my breath or that Santa would be the one sitting behind her...'"

So it was Yue-sensei and Chairwoman Tio! All the students thought simultaneously.

"A-At any rate, there's only two days left until Christmas! We need to find and capture all the reindeer by then! These are the wanted posters Santa-san gave us!" The projector whirred to life, and the wanted posters appeared on the auditorium's large screen.

WANTED—Dasher of the Fierce Antlers. His tackle has the force of a battering ram, so be careful.

WANTED—Prancer of the Trampling Hooves. His kicks can shatter steel, so be careful.

WANTED—Dancer of the Elusive Tails. His breakdance kicks have killed hundreds, so be careful.

WANTED—Vixen of the Gilded Tongue. His honeyed words have lead many to ruin, so be careful.

WANTED—Thunder Brothers Donner and Blitzen. The Lightning Fields they create can scorch anything, so be careful.

WANTED—Cupid, the Matchmaker's Eyes. One look into his eyes and you will be his forever, so be careful.

WANTED—Comet, the Hurtling Flash. His dash leaves sonic booms in his wake, so be careful.

WANTED—Rudolf of the Divine Nose. He has a complex about his nose, so be careful.

Are they supposed to be monsters or something!? the students silently bemoaned.

"They can be a little rambunctious, but I'm sure you kids can handle it! Please work hard to restore our school's honor!" The students could tell Aiko was desperate, so with a weary sigh, they agreed to help. Two days later, on Christmas. While everyone else was enjoying time with their family or lovers, Kouki and Ryutarou lay wrapped up in bandages in the academy's infirmary

"Ryutarou, you alright? You've been moaning an awful lot."

"Barely. You look even worse than I do Kouki. Your face's a mess."

It looked like a truck had run over Kouki's face, while Ryutarou had no unbroken ribs left. Suzu, Eri, and Shizuku all looked like hell as well. Surprisingly, Kaori and Shea were lying down as well. Kaori had buried her face into her pillow, while Shea was wrangling with her bandages and screaming.

"I'll get you next time," she bellowed.

Practically no student had escaped this affair unscathed. Santa's reindeer had been so powerful that it was hard to believe they were mere animals. Eventually, Hajime had gotten tired of being led around the nose by them and turned the entire battlefield into a wasteland with his Hyperion. He'd given them one final warning, claiming he'd kill them if they didn't surrender. Had he not done so, the entire student body may have been wiped out.

The reindeer may have possessed monstrous strength, but they still had their old animal instincts. And those very instincts had told them Hajime was serious, so they'd quietly surrendered. After that, he'd forced Yue and Tio to apologize, ostensibly bringing the case to a close.

And so, on Christmas, most of the students lay groaning in bed. Just then, the window popped open and a figure hopped inside.

"Merry Christmas."

"N-No way..." Kouki groaned, while Ryutarou punched himself to make sure he was actually awake. The other students all looked on in shock. Hajime had just come inside wearing a Santa costume. He might have been frowning, but he was really wearing the outfit!

"Mmmm, Merry Christmas. Sorry for all the trouble."

"My apologies, dear students, and Merry Christmas."

Now the students were even more shocked. Yue and Tio had entered behind Hajime, wearing reindeer suits. In fact, this was the first time any of them had seen Yue look even mildly embarrassed. Quite a few of them found her outfit so cute they succumbed to nosebleeds.

"This is one of the things Santa asked us to do if we wanted him to forgive us. I'd have to play Santa, while Yue-sensei and Tio would be the reindeer."

Eyepatch Santa pulled a bundle of presents out of his Treasure Trove, and for once the students felt like all their suffering had really been worthwhile.

*****

Even Though I'm the Princess

The morning after the Haulia defeated the empire, Liliana sat in her room and sighed to herself.

"What seems to be the matter, Princess?" Helina asked. As Liliana hadn't even been conscious of her sigh, she was a little taken aback by her maid's question.

"You seemed to be worrying about something, what with the sighing and all," Helina added.

"Huh? I sighed? Um, I was just thinking about the events of last night, really..."

Upon hearing her vague response, Helina nodded in understanding.

"I see. So your head was full of thoughts of Nagumo-sama, then."

"Whash are you talking about?" Though Liliana managed to keep her expression neutral, she couldn't keep herself from slurring her words, nor could she stop the blush that crept up her face.

"I know it's a bit presumptuous of me to give advice, but I think you should go for it, Princess!"

"I have no idea what you're referring to!"

"As far as I am aware, he's your first love. I can understand why you're so nervous. However, I'll say it again. Just go for it! Your rivals are too strong for subtleties to work. Unless you act aggressively, you won't stand a ghost of a chance against them! Show him the mettle of a princess, Liliana-sama! Hurry up and go get him already!"

"Calm down, Helina!"

Both girls were panting heavily now.

"My apologies. It's just, you've always put your duties as a princess first for as long as I can remember, Liliana-sama, so I was just so glad to see you finally acting like a normal girl for once…"

"Ugh, I didn't want anyone to find out, Helina..." Liliana hadn't been planning on telling anyone that she'd fallen for the walking bundle of unreasonableness that was Hajime.

"Pshaw, everyone who saw you at that ball already knows, Princess. You wore your feelings on your sleeve."

"W-Was it really that obvious?"

Helina nodded, a huge smile on her face, which only made Liliana blush even harder.

"Regardless of how things go, unless you try to woo him a little more he'll likely forget you even exist. Tell me, are you truly alright with that?"

I... really don't want that to happen. Liliana shook her head.

"B-But, how am I supposed to woo someone in the first place? Err, not that I plan on wooing Nagumo-san, since I'm a princess and all, but just for reference."

"Understood, Princess. Allow me teach you everything I know."

Liliana watched her maid bow to her with a mixture of trepidation and hope in her heart.

Thirty minutes later, Liliana found Hajime working on transmuting something.

"Umm, Nagumo-san? What are you working on?"

"Hm? Princess? What do you—" Hajime paused what he was doing and turned around. What he saw left him speechless. Beside him, Yue and the others were also at a loss for words.

"L-Lily!? Why are you wearing our school uniform!?"

Liliana was indeed wearing a perfect replica of Kaori and the others' school uniform. A blazer and short skirt, black socks, and loafers. She even had a replica of the school badge.

"I-I just found it by coincidence in my luggage, so I thought I'd try it on."

What kind of coincidence leads to that!? Hajime thought to himself. In truth, Helina had long suspected Liliana might need a uniform like this and had sewn a replica just in case. Liliana pulled a fake student notebook out of her pocket and started reading through it. After confirming the contents, she steeled her resolve and did a quick twirl in front of Hajime.

"H-How was that?"

Yue and the others instantly realized what was going on. This girl wants to join the fight! The fight over who got Hajime, of course.

"I really don't know what to say..." Realizing the slight change in the atmosphere around Yue and the others, Hajime decided to play it safe. Disappointed, Liliana once again looked through her student notebook.

"Ugh, do I really have to do this?" Liliana looked nervous and peered over her shoulder as she said that. From behind the door, Helina gave her a thumbs-up. Blushing, Liliana slapped her cheeks, resolutely untied her ribbon, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of her blouse.

"Oh no, I tripped," she said in a clearly rehearsed voice, and stumbled toward Hajime. With a sigh, he dodged out of the way and grabbed her by the back of her collar. Then, he lifted her up like one would a cat, and shook his head. As always, Hajime had no respect for a maiden's heart.

"P-Please wait, Nagumo-san! Helinaaaaaa, what am I supposed—" Unfortunately, Helina was nowhere to be found.

"Look, Princess. I'm busy right now, okay?" A portal opened up beside him as he said that, and Liliana looked at Hajime in disbelief. Surely he wouldn't?

"Go play with your maid for a bit," he said, then unceremoniously chucked the princess through the portal. She landed right on top of Helina after she fell through it.

"Sniffle... Even though I'm a princess... he still treats me like this... Oh, and Helina, don't think you'll be getting away with this!"

Liliana's remorseful and resentful wails echoed through the imperial castle's halls for quite a while.

*****

Be Careful How You Use Spirit Magic

Hajime walked down the halls of the royal palace, glancing about as he went.

"I can't find Yue and the others anywhere... Man, where'd they go?" Unable to find the people he was looking for, Hajime stopped and scratched his cheek. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he suddenly remembered something and pulled a metal plate out of his pocket.

"I forgot I made a new communicator with spirit magic... It's still just a prototype, but let's test it out." One of spirit magic's spells, Soul Resonance, worked in a similar way to Telepathy. Unlike Telepathy though, it was extremely difficult to intercept or eavesdrop on. That was why Hajime had made a new artifact that utilized it instead. Hajime poured mana into the plate to activate the artifact.

"Hm? What's this? The mana inside it keeps expanding... Wait, crap. At this rate it'll go berserk—" A blinding flash of light engulfed the hallway.

"You leave for Haltina tomorrow, right? Be careful, Shizuku."

"Thanks for worrying about me, Yuka. Take care of everyone here, alright? You're basically our leader while we're gone."

"I'm not really the leading type. Well, as long as Nagayama and the others are here, we should be fine, but... Hm? Nagumo?" Yuka broke off and looked up at the person approaching them. The two girls thought to call out to him, but hesitated when they saw how strange he was acting.

"Oh no, what do I do? This probably happened because someone used spirit magic, but... to think things would end up like this."

The person in front of the two girls was unmistakably Hajime Nagumo. It was obviously the same boy who wrapped arrogance and irrationality around him like a second skin. And right now, he was fidgeting like a nervous child. Shizuku and Yuka exchanged confused glances. Somehow, Hajime seemed rather feminine. Before they could say anything, Hajime suddenly blushed and started poking himself.

"So this is what a boy's body is like... what Hajime-kun's body is like... It's so hard Gulp..." Hajime gulped and looked down at his own crotch.

What on earth is that strange, disgusting creature? Shizuku and Yuka thought simultaneously. Unable to watch any longer, Shizuku squeezed out her courage and called out to Hajime.

"U-Um, Nagumo-kun?"

"Sh-Shizuku-chan!? And Yuka-chan!"

Seeing Hajime light up like that and speak to them in such a friendly and excited manner sent shivers down their spines.

"Thank goodness! The truth is, I have a bit of a problem right now and I could... Umm, Shizuku-chan? Yuka-chan? Why are you guys backing away?" Hajime walked toward Shizuku and Yuka, tears in his eyes.

"C-Calm down, Nagumo. You've just exhausted yourself from working too hard, so just stop right there for now!"

"Nagumo-kun, let's go see Kaori, okay? She'll be able to fix you right up, I'm sure!"

Shizuku and Yuka took one step back for every single step Hajime took toward them.

"Huh!? Oh yeah, I'm Hajime-kun right now! It's okay, you two! I'm Kaori!"

Shizuku and Yuka exchanged glances. Then, after a moment's delay, they turned on their heels and ran.

"Waaaaaait! Why are you running away from me, Shizuku-chaaan, Yuka-chaaaaaan!?"

"Eeek, he's coming after us! Someone help! Nagumo's gone crazy!"

"Kaoriii! Where are you!? We need you to fix Nagumo-kun!"

"Like I said, I am Kaori! Stop running away from me!"

"Sorry, but you're creeping us out too much, so we can't!"

Hajime crying was such a horrifying sight that Shizuku and Yuka couldn't even bring themselves to turn back.

Kouki and Ryutarou had headed out into the city to stock up on supplies for the journey ahead. As they passed by a side street, Ryutarou looked and saw something that puzzled him.

"Hm? Isn't that Yue-san and Shea-san over there?"

"Huh? Oh, you're right. What are they doing in a place like—" Kouki trailed off. The scene unfolding before him was so surreal that his thoughts ground to a halt.

"You fucking perverted dragon. What were you doing with Yue's body!?"

"I-I just acted on instinct! Please forgive me! Her body was just so pretty that I couldn't help myself!"

Shea stared coldly down at Yue as she kicked her in the stomach. Kouki and Ryutarou's jaws dropped open. Both Yue's strange fetishes and Shea's sadistic streak were something they'd never seen before. Moreover, they'd never seen Shea torment at all…

"Ugh, thanks to Yue's automatically healing body, being kicked brings me no pleasure... She heals right away. I swear, it's like torture! Her body does not suit me in the slightest!"

"Thank god, you masochistic freak."

"However, I must say! Seeing the normally gentle Shea glare at me with such cold eyes is a rare and exquisite experience! I cannot get enough of it! Haaah... Haaah...!"

"Tch, so you can find pleasure in any situation, huh? I better hurry up and do something before this pervert ruins Yue's body."

Yue was on the ground, panting, while Shea clicked her tongue like a certain other boy often did. The sight was so shocking that Kouki and Ryutarou simply averted their gaze and hurriedly walked away.

"Let's pretend we never saw that."

That was the day the two of them learned a valuable lesson. Never make a rabbit angry. No matter what. Incidentally, Shea was currently enjoying herself in Tio's body. She flew high up in the sky screaming, "Yahoooooooooo! This is awesome!" It seemed Shea wasn't the least bit bothered by the fact that she'd swapped bodies with someone.

Suzu, Taeko, and Nana were on their way back from the training grounds when they spotted Kaori in one of the hallways.

"Ah, Kaoriiin!" Suzu waved her hand and called out to her in a loud voice. Kaori turned to the three of them and nodded quietly.

"...Hi."

Kaori seemed somewhat different from usual, but the three girls paid it no mind. The four of them started walking back to their rooms together, and Nana eventually started talking.

"By the way, Kaoricchi, your new body's amazing! It used to belong to someone named Noint, right? You were cute before, but now you have like this, divine beauty inside you too."

"I can't believe you were willing to change bodies just for Nagumo-kun."

Kaori's lips split into a grin before she replied.

"It's for the man she loves. This much is to be expected."

Wow, that's some deep devotion. Seeing all three of them at a loss for words, Kaori chuckled. There was something oddly mature about her expression. And she seemed to be oozing an unusual amount of sensuality to boot.

"Y-You feel different somehow, Kaorin..." Suzu gulped. The atmosphere grew a little weird, so Nana tried to crack a joke to bring things back to normal.

"Is it because you did, you know, those things with Nagumocchi?"

"What do you mean by 'those things?'"

That wasn't the reply Nana was expecting. She stiffened, then blushed. Though she, Taeko, and Yuka had been known as some of the more wild girls in their class, the three of them were surprisingly pure. Suzu and Taeko blushed too. After a bit, Kaori smiled seductively and spoke.

"Hajime was delicious." With those parting remarks, she walked off. Suzu and the others remained rooted to the spot, too stunned to even respond.

Shortly afterward, the body swapping incident brought about by Hajime's spirit magic artifact going out of control resolved itself when the artifact ran out of mana.

"Eeek, you're acting like a disgusting creep! Return to your senses, Nagumo! What are you trying to do to us!?" Cornered, Yuka collapsed into a crying heap while Shizuku said "I hate this Nagumo-kun" over and over with soulless eyes.

"Huh? Who the fuck are you calling a disgusting creep? You wanna go?" Suddenly, Hajime returned to normal, and he went back to yelling angrily at people.

"He's back! Nagumo's back!"

"The world's been saved!"

Yuka and Shizuku clung to Hajime and wept tears of relief.

Meanwhile, in another location…

"Shea, you've got guts squeezing my head like this."

"Hweh!? Why am I grabbing you like this, Yue-san!?"

Yue's angry voice echoed through the tiny alley they were in. Shea's ears folded over timidly as she awaited her punishment. A second later, lightning rained from the sky, terrifying the nearby residents.

Meanwhile, in yet another location…

"Ah, Suzu-chan, Nana-chan, Taeko-chan! Hey, listen to this. Something terrible just happened to me. I was... Wait, what's wrong?"

Kaori's three friends were acting odd. At her voice, though, they snapped back to reality.

"Kaorin, you climbed the stairs to adulthood before us! You left us all behind!"

"Kaoricchi... No, I suppose I should call you Kaori-san now."

"Forget that, we should be calling her onee-sama! You don't mind, do you Kaori-oneesama!?"

Who on earth was in my body!? And what did they do!?

For some time after, all three of them called Kaori onee-sama and treated her with reverence. It garnered more than a few odd looks.

Meanwhile, high up in the sky...

Tio regained consciousness, only to realize she was free-falling. Then, she slammed into one of the capital's buildings and lay twitching atop its roof.

"Owww! What in heaven's name just happened!? I can feel an indescribable pleasure spreading through every inch of my body! Haaah... Haaah... I have no idea who was using my body before, but you have my heartfelt gratitude for leaving me with such a wonderful reward! Thank you!"

Naturally, when Heiligh's residents found her, they called the city watch on her.