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They walked out of the school's main gate and walked side by side through the central park surrounded by trees covered with fallen leaves.

The season was already approaching winter, and it could have started snowing at any moment.

The land is originally blessed with enough rainfall to form forests.

It was inevitable that rain would turn to snow as the temperature dropped.

Winter is just around the corner. The air in the city is cold.

And even as they walked through the central park, there was a chilly, tingling atmosphere.

Mimuru, who was usually so vigorous in her speech and behavior, had lost her energy, and her ears were twitching restlessly, as if she were checking on her best friend next to her.

On the other hand, the beauty walking next to her kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, her elegant mouth clenched into a straight line. Her whole body was giving off an atmosphere that told people not to talk to her.

"Hey, Shina. We should talk to Nozomu after all. It's not good to keep silent."

After a long period of silence, unable to bear it any longer, Mimuru finally opened her mouth. The content of the conversation was about the problem her best friend was facing.

The current Shina was under the influence of the [Soul-Sealing Chains] after the blood contract she made with Nozomu, and it was difficult for her to use her magic properly, let alone spirit magic.

As for Shina, it was a secret that she had intended to keep hidden for a long time. However, her great-grandfather and her prospective fiancé, who visited her at the opening festival, made it known to Mimuru.

Since then, Shina's best friend has been giving her hard time, telling her that she should talk to Nozomu about it at every opportunity.

"Mimuru, didn't I already tell you? I can't put any more burden on him now..."

However, Shina dismissed Mimuru's suggestion in a single word.

Shina had previously been told by her best friend to tell Nozomu about the problem she was facing, but even then, this elf girl dismissed Mimuru's advice flatly.

She even tearfully pleaded with the impatient Mimuru to stop trying to talk to Nozomu herself.

"You call it a burden, but I think it's worse if you keep quiet about it. And It would be even worse if everyone found out about it later!"

Mimuru, too, backed down for a moment in the face of her best friend's tears. But after some time had passed, she had made up her mind again, and today she showed no signs of backing down even when Shina tried to talk her out of it.

She showed an angry expression on her face, with her tail standing on end and her fur bristling up.

"Usually you thoroughly hide anything that might cause you to catch fire, but why only at a time like this do you have such a good argument..."

"I guess that means you also think that what you're doing isn't really a good idea."

"…………"

Shina was caught off guard by her own words, which she had intended to use as an excuse, and she involuntarily fell silent.

Mimuru was usually so careless in her own words and actions that she seemed to have no sense of her own thinking, and she repeatedly got what she deserved, but there were times when she showed an unusual level of sharpness and rationality in her thinking when it came to love.

Shina involuntarily averted her eyes from her best friend, but her behavior provoked Mimuru even further.

"Don't look away! Hey, Shina. This is your chance. If it's now, you can slip in between the two of them."

Despite her teasing words and actions, Mimuru had always been supportive of Shina's feelings for Nozomu.

Her best friend, who was so uptight and somewhat in a desperate life, and the trouble brought on by her vengeance.

Although their relationship was at one point cracked when Tom, her lover, was hurt, in the end, a stronger bond was formed between the two.

A boy named Nozomu Bountis was the trigger that led to this.

Contrary to her flippant behavior, Mimuru felt indebted to Nozomu, and she wanted her best friend to find happiness, even if it might seem like it was none of her business.

Mimuru's head was always all about love, but that was why she would not compromise in any way on that path, and she could not overlook her best friend's behavior of trying to keep her happiness away from herself.

"... I don't really care about that kind of thing. In the first place, I didn't come to this academy for such things."

As if to escape from Mimuru, who was looking straight at her, Shina quickened her steps even further.

She did not want to talk any more. It was an action that truly expressed her feelings.

Therefore, Mimuru did not back down.

She grabbed Shina's hand as she was about to leave, and tried to force her eyes to look back at her.

"... Could it be that you're scared?"

"... What do you mean?"

"To fall in love with someone. To keep pursuing the person you love. To give up everything for the sake of the person you love. The very act of falling in love."

Mimuru's sharp words pierced her heart from behind.

Her heart was pounding wildly. In contrast, her hands and feet turned cold, as if she was suffering from frostbite.

Shina gulped down her spit to endure the shaking of her body, and denied Mimuru's words with a trembling voice.

"No, that's not true."

"That's a lie. Because, Shina, you are running away. You're running away from telling the people you love that you love him."

"... I don't understand what Mimuru is talking about."

Shina tried to shake off Mimuru's hand as if she was brushing off a cobweb.

However, there was no way that Shina, with her slender arms, would be able to break free of Mimuru's hands.

On the contrary, Shina's resistance, which was out of character, made Mimuru more determined.

"Then you do admit that you like Nozomu. So you are running away from him, but you still like him, right? Of course you are. Otherwise, you would not have done the blood covenant ritual. That's what such stubborn Shina was trying to say, isn't it?"

"So what!"

In response to Mimuru's vehement words and actions, Shina raised her voice.

"Yeah, you're right. Certainly, I'm attracted to him. But what am I supposed to do!? I can't help him any more than this!"

She did not tell Nozomu what the blood covenant ritual meant to the elves.

An act that she hoped would give Nozomu the opportunity to learn spirit magic. At the same time, she did not want to put a mental burden on him at this most difficult and important time.

However, that act had a more negative impact on her than she had anticipated.

Right now, Shina could not sense Nozomu's presence through the path. In fact, she could no longer even sense the presence of the spirit, perhaps due to the gradually increasing influence of the [Soul-Sealing Chains].

Previously, Shina had lost the ability to contract with spirits due to the trauma of losing her sister, but she had never lost the ability to sense the presence of spirits at all.

Now, however, she was unable to sense even the small spirits lurking in the shadows on the side of the road.

Although the path had been closed before by his unique ability, at that time, even his presence did not disappear. But now she could not sense even a fragment of that connection.

(I can't feel anything anymore...)

Up until now, she has never wavered in her feelings, even when Lisa and Irisdina would get agitated.

This was because she had a "contract" with Nozomu, a bond that no ordinary human being could ever form.

This bond gave her the pride of knowing that she could always be of help to Nozomu, and the comfort of knowing that he was always next to her.

But now the benefits of the power of that contract have been completely reversed.

The sense of assurance that had always lit up her heart has been turned upside down, transforming it into something that plunged her into anxiety and loneliness.

She could no longer sense the spirits that had been with her since childhood, nor the person she loved. This was fatal for an elf who lives under the soul connection of a contract.

Moreover, she had once lost her connection with the spirits and regained it.

Having lost and regained something precious, the sense of loss when it was lost again was extraordinary.

It brought Shina an intense sense of helplessness, and along with the guilt of not being able to tell Nozomu about the blood covenant ritual, it caused her to feel extremely depressed.

"'The current me can't be of any help to him ... If anything, I'll be dragging him down."

"That's why it's not good! Because it didn't convey anything to Nozomu!"

On the other hand, Mimuru's voice became even louder in response to Shina's words.

These words speak volumes because Mimuru has always been vocal about her feelings and conveyed them to the people she cares about.

From her point of view, Shina's actions were completely against what she had done. It would be more hurtful for the other person to be kept at a distance without being made aware of it. After that, the distance between them will grow wider and wider, and in the end, the distance between them will be so wide that they will never be able to recover it.

If one were to calm down a little and think about it, one would understand.

However, the current Shina has fallen into a state of powerlessness and guilt, and is unable to objectively look at herself and her surroundings.

"Rather than the current me, Irisdina-san and Lisa-san are more-..."

A negative mind would perceive everything in a negative way.

The same was true for the relationship between Nozomu and Lisa.

The woman who has regained her bond with him and herself who has lost it. Such an image of herself inevitably made her feel miserable.

"Why are you bringing up those two!? What happened in their past is none of Shina's business! You love him, don't you!? Regardless of the contract or the fact that you lost your power, if you love him, tell him you love him! Don't run away!"

And then, the worst sight flashed into Shina's eyes

"~……"

"That is Nozomu and... -huh, ehh!?"

A long bench was placed at the edge of the central park. There are two persons, a man and a woman, wearing the uniform of Solminati Academy.

Judging by the fact that the clothes they are wearing are Solminati Academy uniforms, it is clear that they are students of the academy, but the problem is that they are the man and woman that Shina had mentioned earlier.

Furthermore, Lisa sits on the lap of the flustered Nozomu, cupping his cheeks in her hands and bringing her lips close to his so that their bodies are in close contact.

Shina's eyes widen.

Her vision whirls around and her mouth goes dry in the blink of an eye.

"~......!"

What followed was intense anger.

Her mind which had been so negative just a few moments ago, suddenly reversed itself, and her stunned gaze became tinged with the color of fury.

It was definitely a feeling of jealousy.

Elves rarely feel jealousy toward their partners, as long as they are deeply connected to the person they truly love in the depths of their souls.

However, the current situation has left her with a sense of loneliness that ordinary elves rarely experience.

And the feelings of jealousy spread quickly through her weakening mind.

Perhaps noticing Shina's gaze, Lisa quickly pulled away from Nozomu before she could let her lips touch his.

She snatched a few of the bells that Nozomu was holding, and with a smile, she waved her hand at him and disappeared into the bustling streets.

"This is ... that the two of them are ... -eh, Shina!"

Shina chased after Lisa, ignoring the voice of her best friend coming from behind her. Mimuru also rushed after her best friend, who ran off.

(What-, what are you up to, what are you thinking!)

Driven by the feelings of jealousy swirling in her chest, Shina weaved her way through the crowd.

(Even though he's at a critical moment right now!)

Her thoughts were already incoherent and incomprehensible.

While telling Mimuru that she should stay away from Nozomu, she opposed the girl who was trying to close the distance with him.

However, she was unable to notice such a thing due to her narrow-mindedness caused by jealousy.

In the meantime, Shina has caught up with Lisa.

No, Lisa turned into an alley and stopped to wait for Shina and Mimuru.

A little later, Mimuru caught up with them.

"I'm not sure if it's bad timing or what. Peeping isn't a good thing to do. Don't you think so, Shina-san?"

Lisa, who had noticed Shina and Mimuru peeping at her from the beginning, turned around without showing any particular agitation.

Shina glared at Lisa, who had a smug expression on her face, revealing her feelings of jealousy.

Why are you trying to distract Nozomu? She put such feelings into her gaze and struck Lisa with it.

Lisa, on the other hand, dismissed Shina's silent protests with a smile and rang the bell in her hand.

It was the bell that Lisa had snatched from Nozomu. Shina's gaze turned even more fierce as she watched.

"This bell was made by Nozomu. You're jealous, aren't you?"

"... I'm not impressed."

"About what exactly? I just told someone whom I love that I love him. It's better than being reserved about it."

"You're not going to distract him..."

"I would never do that. He was about to lose track of himself again, and I was just giving him a little advice."

Lisa continued with her words, "Well, it's true that I wanted to kiss him, and if I could have wished, I would have rented a private romantic room for us to share and sleep together."

Her tone of voice spoke in a joking manner. However, Shina sensed that Lisa was really hoping that her words would come true.

With jealousy swirling deep in her heart, she bit her back teeth involuntarily. Her cheeks stiffened and the sharpness of her eyes increased.

Lisa was puzzled by Shina's unusual behavior.

From her point of view, the elf girl in front of her was the closest to Nozomu, and she thought she was the smartest and most understanding of him.

"Can't you see? He was obviously getting impatient. Maybe his training with that old man isn't going as well as he thought. At least, that's what Nozomu believes"

"I know that. That's why..."

I know that without being told. Therefore, Shina did what she could do.

She performed the blood covenant ritual, which is sacred to the elves, and arranged for him to be able to sense the presence of the spirits.

But as a result of that act, she literally lost everything she had.

The sense of insecurity and loneliness that came back to her like a wave quickly calmed her raging envy, and now, in turn, froze her heart.

"So what?"

As Lisa turned her questioning eyes on Shina, the elf girl crossed her arms as if hugging herself and looked away. As if she was trying to escape Lisa's gaze.

Shina's gesture of turning her head away made Lisa suspicious.

"It's weird. I thought you and Nozomu were a lot closer than me and him."

"~……"

A shadow shot across Shina's face. Lisa's eyes, which had spotted the shadow, were as sharp as those of a cat that has found its prey.

"But it looks like I will be able to catch up with you. You're in the lead right now, but you seem to be more flustered than I thought. Or is there a reason you can't take the initiative?"

Reasons for not taking the initiative.

The moment she heard those words, the shadow that shot across Shina's face suddenly darkened.

"I guess I'm right on the money. To be honest, I'm aware that I'm being unfair. In fact, I'm grateful to you and to Irisdina-san."

Lisa was neither heartless nor ungrateful.

After the battle between Ken and Nozomu, who had been captured by the Abyss Grief, she was nearly crushed by guilt over the comatose Nozomu.

At that time, it was Irisdina who reprimanded her and Shina who provided what could be called a glimmer of light.

Lisa is grateful to both of them.

However, there is one thing she still does not want to give up.

She wants to become a great adventurer. And if she could, she would like to once again pursue the unknown on this continent with him.

That is the driving force that drives her today. A never-ending flame of passion lit deep in her heart. That was the reason why Lisa Hounds would not give up.

"Even so, I don't want to regret it this time, my dreams, my love ... Well, if you can't stand to watch it happen, then feel free to take the initiative, okay?"

The red-haired girl quietly and persuasively uttered those words to Shina.

So, she blasted Shina with a declaration of war, who was still in hesitation.

Behind her provocative smile, she was hiding her gratitude.

And then, with a somewhat complicated expression on her face directed to the silent Shina, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the alleyway.

Mimuru also gazed at Shina, who was unable to say anything, with a somber expression on her face.

At that moment, a hoarse voice, filled with some dignity, flowed through the alley.

"Shina..."

"Triforium-sama... Why are you here?"

In a corner of the alley where no one was supposed to be.

As if a fog had lifted, two elves appeared in front of Shina.