-Chapter 3-

            It was currently April. The school term had just started, making this the first month of Kanna Kawagoe’s run as student council president. This also meant it would be the last year where she would be able to attend this unorthodox academy as a student. Kanna’s reasons for joining the student council were varied. She had only just transferred into the academy at the beginning of her first year of high school, two years prior. As a result, her presence was initially seen as strange, and she was ostracized. She suddenly had to fit into a group of people that had become at least passingly familiar with their fellow schoolmates throughout three whole years of middle school. That said, it’s not like the amount of students was small enough to the point where everyone knew everyone, but it made the concept of a “transfer student” feel particularly bizarre, even if it came at the relatively ideal time period of the transition between middle to high school.

            Kanna didn’t really pay the situation any mind at all. After all, she was a pretty reserved person and didn’t go out of her way to interact with others. There was a reason for that, just as there was a reason for her to be here at the school in the first place. And at first, that reason was her only priority. But there’s something to be said about finding a community where you could feel at home. Although Kanna had initially been ostracized, it didn’t take long for her image to change, and for her to be viewed as a valued member of the group, particularly in her own class. The result of this shift came about due to the influence of one particular student.

            “I think I’ll run for president in the student council elections.” declared Yamazaki, an upperclassman who Kanna had gotten to know through her after-school job.

            “You? I do not believe you have the type of leadership skills necessary at all.” Kanna smirked, as the two were walking back to the dorms one summer night. Although Kanna tended to give everyone the cold shoulder, she had slowly opened up to her upperclassman, intrigued by his kind demeanor and laidback personality. This very impression of him is why she couldn’t see him being very fitting of the role.

            “I mean, you never know right? If I win, I could do a ton to make this place even more fun.” Yamazaki grinned as he stared up at the stars in the sky.

            “Being president is not so simple a job, you know.”

            “Yeah, I don’t really like hard work.” he pondered, crossing his arms.

            Yamazaki’s laidback worth ethic had done nothing but annoy Kanna when they’d first met, but now she’d come to have some level of respect for his outlook on things. His sudden declaration had taken her aback at first, but now Kanna couldn’t help but wonder what kind of president he’d be if he did somehow manage to get the position.

            “Why aim for such a position in the first place? It is quite unlike you.” Kanna inquired.

            “Well, if I had to give a reason, it’s because… Well, I love this place.” Yamazaki answered, pausing to answer Kanna. The two now stood under a single streetlamp not far from the dorms.

            “This place is basically my home.” he continued, his face uncharacteristically serious. “It’s a place I want to protect. I think even a guy like me can accomplish something with feelings like that, right? Or maybe I’m just being too cheesy, haha.”

            This was the moment Kanna really began to understand the heart of this upperclassman she’d been interacting with so often. It was also the moment she realized that perhaps she’d taken her presence at Starlight Academy for granted.

            Kanna was here for a reason.

            Said reason is what drove her, and it’s something she took very seriously. But because that was all she had focused on at first, she didn’t pay much attention to the world around her. The space she occupied in the tiny community known as Starlight Academy’s eastern branch was something she had never considered. Befriending Yamazaki was not something she intended at all, but just a natural relationship that emerged through the coincidence of the two working the same job. A cold, detached girl, and a relaxed, easy-going guy who could get along with anyone. By putting this pair together, the future of this school was decided.

            That autumn, the student council elections occurred, and Yamazaki had dragged Kanna into helping his campaign. The two had formed a kind of duo, and they’d gained a fair amount of popularity around the school. It was around that same time when Kanna’s classmates began to open up to her, and soon, the whole class had become comfortable with her. She became a regular go-to for school-related advice thanks to her strict and studious personality, as well as her ties to the student council through her work with Yamazaki. Someone in the class randomly came up with the nickname Kan-chan, and it stuck. Kanna was no longer an outsider in her class, and she reached a point of getting along with everyone.

            Eventually, Yamazaki would be declared the winner of the student council election. The following April when Kanna became a second-year student, she formally joined the student council and worked as Yamazaki’s secretary. Yamazaki’s positive energy was infectious, and the student body loved him. His wit and relatable demeanor made his speeches more engaging, and the ways in which he handled school events were always well-received. He became an icon. Someone everyone looked up to. Kanna couldn’t even imagine that the lazy guy she got stuck at a job with could end up becoming so beloved.

            “I have decided. I shall run… for president.” Kanna declared.

            “Whoa, really?” Yamazaki replied, excited to hear it. It was now summer once again, and the two were alone in the student council room, finalizing plans for the school’s summer break.

            “I remember well the words we exchanged last year. When you had shared that this place is a home for you. I think such a sentiment is beautiful… Having a place to call home.” Kanna looked up at the ceiling, as if recalling a distant memory. Yamazaki could only smile at her.

            “You’re so mysterious, you know that?” he said, giggling to himself.

            “How so?” Kanna tilted her head.

            “Ever since I met you, you’ve always seemed, like… a little detached. And I think I get why.”

            “What do you mean?” a puzzled Kanna inquired.

            “This place is your home too, right?” smiled Yamazaki.

            “My home…” Kanna repeated. “… You are correct. Perhaps this place really is a home for me as well.”

            “That’s the spirit! I know you’ll do great… Future prez.” Yamazaki grinned.

            Realizing he was affirming her intention to run for president, Kanna simply smiled and nodded her head.

            “This home we love so much… I shall protect it as well!” she declared, proudly.

            In March of the following year, Yamazaki graduated from Starlight Academy. He would be leaving the east branch, never to return. But regardless, for six years of his life, the place was his home. Kanna, now taking on his position as student council president, would always remember what his presence did for her time here as well. His influence helped her take what could’ve been a dull, monotonous period of isolation in her life, and turn it into a period where she could enjoy herself and find a place to belong. A home.

            Third-year student and president of the student council, Kanna Kawagoe, will protect this place she calls home.

---

            “The culprit behind the recent magic beast attacks on campus… is you!” Kanna declared, pointing at Yuko with the tip of her spear.

            The body of a magic beast impaled by a large chunk of ice limped lifelessly off to the side as a baffled Yuko could only gaze at the girl floating above the water’s surface. It took her several moments to realize what was even said to her.

            “W-wait. Wait, wait wait. President, is that you? What’s going on? What do you mean by culprit? That thing almost attacked me!” Yuko frantically tried to understand the situation and explain herself, but her words fell on deaf ears.

            “Do not play dumb.” Kanna shook her head, descending lower until her feet reached the surface of the moonlit pond, causing a slight ripple. “You are the one who killed the magic beast that had appeared on Monday night.”

            “I… what?!” Yuko backed away, disturbed. “No! It… it attacked me! I didn’t do anything!”

            “So you do remember…” Kanna glared.

            “Huh? No! I only just now remembered! You have to believe me! I don’t know anything about what’s going on right now!” Yuko’s body shook as she screamed.

            “Do not lie to me… Do you take me for a fool?!” Kanna screamed angrily. From her perspective, Yuko’s frantic words only came off as rambling excuses that contradicted the current reality.

            “No… I…” Yuko was speechless.

            “Who exactly are you?” Kanna sternly questioned, approaching step by step atop the water’s surface. “How long have you infiltrated this school? Are you working for someone?”

            “What? Infiltrate…? I don’t… What are you saying?” Yuko backed away. She had no context to understand anything she was being asked.

            “I already told you.” Kanna sighed, stepping foot on actual ground for the first time and point her icicle spear directly at Yuko’s face. “Do not play dumb with me!”

            Yuko was paralyzed in fear. Her eyes crossed as she glanced at the reflection of her face on the surface of the sharp blade of ice before her.

            “Who am… I…?” Yuko had always hated that question. She couldn’t understand why Kanna would ask something like that now.

            “I-I… I’m…” Yuko stammered, trying to get the words out. “I’m… I’m Yuko Maeda!” she screamed, tears falling from her cheek, as she immediately turned around, bolting into the woods of Regal Park.

            “You will not escape!” Kanna shouted as she jumped up into the trees, giving chase.

            Yuko gasped for air and panted as she ran through the woods with all of her leg strength. She was probably running faster than she ever had in whole life. She wanted to escape; to get away from everything. She wanted to get away from Kanna, whose incomprehensible accusations scared her. She wanted to get away from the pond, where the traumatic memory of being mauled by an otherworldly beast resurfaced. And she wanted to get away from this entire situation that has been weighing on her mind and stressing her out.

            “Leave me alone!” cried Yuko after realizing she was being chased.

            Unfortunately, despite her best efforts, her speed didn’t help her get far. Kanna, who had been following closely behind, hopping from branch to branch in the trees above, swiftly dropped down in front of Yuko, halting her in her tracks. Yuko couldn’t stop herself fast enough and slipped on the dirt, falling face down into a thicket of leaves and branches.

            “Aaaugh!” Yuko squirmed in pain from her fall.

            “Pathetic.” mocked Kanna, approaching the disheveled Yuko. “You will not escape again.”

            Suddenly, Kanna released the spear she held, and it floated in front of her. Yuko lifted her head just in time to see the blade of ice shatter. Tiny ice crystals fell to the ground as what Yuko had initially thought was a spear began to glow, and a new shape of ice formed at the top, turning into a unique round pattern. Now resembling something more akin to a magic rod, Kanna grabbed the staff and spun it while chanting in some language Yuko didn’t recognize, before slamming it down into the grounded, where a huge flash of light erupted from it.

            Blinded by the light, Yuko covered her face with her arms. After a moment, the brightness had faded and she lowered her arms to view her surroundings.

            “H-huh…? What the…?!” Yuko was speechless as she gazed at the environment surrounding her.

            Instead of the green shrubbery and the dark wood of Rigel Park’s trees, Yuko had now found herself somewhere completely different. The ground beneath her, which was nothing but dirt and leaves a moment ago, was now soft white sand. The night sky above still featured what looked like shining stars, but there were far more than before, and they seemed much closer, with sizes that were all over the place. It was as if the sky were an artificial dome displaying a model of a complex star system, rather than being any kind of real sky. But most bizarre of all were the pillars of sharp ice rising from the sandy ground all over. Yuko looked left and right, but all she saw was a maze of ice pillars, all reflecting her bewildered face right back at her. Meanwhile, in front of her… stood Kanna.

            “This is my Magic Zone. I call it the Ice Planet.” Kanna stated. “There is no escape from this place without going through me. So give up and confess.” She demanded, pointing her staff at Yuko once more.

            “Th-this isn’t real… it can’t be.” Yuko held her head in her hands, unable to process anything happening right now.

            Kanna’s glare began to falter. After seeing Yuko with another magic beast earlier, she had thought it was all the proof she needed to pin Yuko as the culprit. She initially believed Yuko was trying to feign innocence, pretending she didn’t know about any of this. But the more she watched her reactions to the magic she was using, the more she started to realize that it was all honestly foreign and baffling to her. However…

            “You cannot be in the dark on this! That would make no sense!” Kanna shouted, the first hints of doubt coming through in her voice.

            “I don’t know what’s going on at all!” cried Yuko, tears streaming from her face as she curled up on the ground.

            “Huh?!” Kanna was baffled. She kept telling herself that it was an act and not to fall for it. But Yuko was falling apart in front of her, and she honestly had to begin considering a new approach.

            “Did I make a mistake…?” Kanna whispered to herself. “It seems… I must work out a solution later.”

            Realizing something was wrong, Kanna shifted priorities: Instead of confronting her with magic and forcing a confession, she’ll knock her out and take her somewhere else for questioning. Yuko doesn’t seem to be as much of a danger as she originally thought, but she still had to make sure to act with caution.

            In a flash, Kanna dashed behind Yuko and jabbed the back of her neck with the edge of her hand.

            “Kh…!” Yuko let out a small gasp as she toppled onto the ground, losing consciousness.

            “Unbelievable…” sighed Kanna. “Was she really just an ordinary student? But that makes so little sense… I shall figure this out later.”

            Kanna released her staff, wherein it disappeared after floating for a moment in midair. Kneeling down, Kanna began to lift up Yuko’s unconscious body.

            “For what reason was she out there again anyway…?” Kanna wondered. Although she had indeed intended to confront Yuko soon, it came as a shock to spot her at the pond again while on patrol, especially so late at night, and with another magic beast to boot.

            “Truly bizarre…” Kanna muttered, now having Yuko hoisted onto her back. “Well then. I suppose I shall dispel the Magic Zo-…. Hm?”

            Kanna realized it in a moment, but was too slow to react.

            “Gya-….! Aaaugh…!” Kanna couldn’t breathe. Why? Because Yuko’s hands had wrapped themselves around Kanna’s throat.

            “Hehehe… hehehehe…!” a low, husky laugh escaped Yuko’s lips as she squeezed the neck of her prey.

            Kanna immediately jabbed her elbow into Yuko’s stomach, and just barely managed to break herself out of her grasp before kicking Yuko away at full force. Her powerful kick knocked Yuko some distance away, sending her crashing into one of the pillars of ice, causing it to break apart from the impact.

            “Gwaaaugh! *cough* *cough* *gasp* Guh… Y-you…! You!!” Kanna was furious. After desperately catching her breath, she shouted with as much animosity as she could muster toward her foe. She knew something was wrong and immediately regretting showing Yuko any amount of sympathy.

            Surprisingly, Yuko didn’t seem particularly hurt after crashing into the ice. Broken shards lay at her feet all around the ground, and some scrapes and cuts were visible on her skin, but regardless, Yuko stood up as if it were a mild inconvenience. At that moment, she lifted her face and looked directly at Kanna.

            “What…?!” Kanna was confused.

            Kanna has had several interactions with Yuko Maeda before now. She had become familiar enough to know her face well. Of course, people had plenty of other defining traits as well, but Kanna was confident in being able to remember a face.

            So why was the face staring at her right now so unfamiliar?

            “Wh-who are you?!” was the only thing Kanna could think to ask, when confronted by the tired, deadly glare of the person in front of her who she’d thought was Yuko Maeda. After asking the question, Kanna squinted her eyes to get a more focused look.

            It’s not like Yuko’s facial structure had totally changed, it’s just the expression was something so different from what she had been used to seeing on Yuko that the person in front of her “felt” like a different person. Upon realizing this, Kanna felt a bit silly over the question she asked, but just as she started to think that, her foe has opened her mouth.

            “Who am I…?” the deep-voiced Yuko repeated. “Yuko Maeda… is probably not the correct answer.” She continued, staring at her own hand, which she opened and closed as if fascinated by the marvel of being able to move her own body.

            Kanna was speechless. She didn’t understand what was happening. But the one thing she realized above all else was that the person standing in front of her was “different” than who had been there just moments prior.

            “I see. The one on that camera feed was you.” Kanna spoke, as she once again materialized her staff, reforming its blade of ice, and holding a defensive position with the spear.

            The “Yuko” in front of her paid little mind to the weapon, and instead casually walked over to one of the pillars of ice.

            “So this is me…” she muttered quietly, looking at her reflection curiously.

            “Tell me…” Kanna was growing impatient. “What are you intentions?” she asked sternly, still in a defensive position.

            “My intentions… The reason I’m here now...” the other Yuko began, turning to face Kanna once again. “I suppose… it’s to kill you.”

            It took Kanna a moment to register what’d just been said to her, and in that moment, the other Yuko was already lunging straight at her. But Kanna was ready, and blocked the attack with the base of her staff before launching another kick at her assailant.

            Anticipating this, however, the other Yuko swiftly jumped out of the range of the kick, and began a roundhouse kick of her own as gravity pulled her down. He leg connected directly with Kanna’s side and launched her directly into a pillar of ice nearby, causing it to shatter.

            “Gah!” Kanna spat, having just barely softened the impact by coating her other side with ice before the kick made impact. Dispelling the ice from her own body just a moment later, Kanna’s staff glowed and she pointed the blade at the other Yuko. In that instant, the shattered fragments of the ice pillar that were scattered across the ground floated upward, before being flung toward the other Yuko like a reign of bullets.

            An attack like this cannot be dodged so easily!

            Kanna thought to herself, as the fragments of ice flew toward their target. However, something she couldn’t have expected suddenly occurred.

            “Hah!” the other Yuko shouted, holding her palm out toward the flying shards of ice. A dark, purpleish glow emanated from her hand when suddenly, shockwaves resonated in the air in front of her, causing every single fragment of ice flying toward her to plummet to the ground in an instant.

            “Gravity magic?!” Kanna shouted, in shock. “Impossible! Are you a dark magician?!”

            “Heh.” the other Yuko chuckled as she pointed her palm toward Kanna. With that, Kanna’s staff suddenly felt like it had weighed a ton, and Kanna was forced to drop it.

            “Damn it!” realizing that she was fighting another magic user, Kanna knew things were about to get a whole lot tougher. As soon as her staff slammed into the ground, she dashed to the side, and made sure to maintain a distance from the other Yuko.

            Gravity and weight manipulation are traits of dark magic: one of the two rare elements totally outside of the standard ranges of magic affinity. Running into such a magic user in a place like this is ridiculous!

            Kanna’s mind was racing a mile a minute trying to formulate a plan to deal with this situation. In all of her years using magic, any opportunities to even see dark magic used in person, let alone practice with a user of the craft, have been very few and far between.

            “Hmm…” the other Yuko lowered her hand, the faint purple glow dissipating from it as well. She then crouched, and began to dash toward Kanna.

            “Gh!” Kanna grimaced, before jumping backwards far into the air, dropping down into the maze of ice pillars to keep from her opponent’s line of sight.

            However, the other Yuko didn’t stop, continuing to dash toward the direction she’d seen Kanna fall, smashing to bits any ice pillars blocking her way.

            “How ruthless…” Kanna whispered, running around between various pillars, using her hearing to get a grasp on what direction the other Yuko was coming from. After gaining a sizable distance from the rampage, Kanna kept a firm grasp on which ice pillars were shattering where, and then kneeled down to the ground. A light blue aura emanated from her hand and into the ground around her. Staying focused, Kanna continued to carefully track the other Yuko’s location and always face in her direction. After a few moments, she could tell that the rampage had turned toward her direction.

            “Right this way…” Kanna muttered under her breath, sweat dripping from her brow. The sound of shattering ice grew closer and closer, until…

            “Got you!” Kanna shouted, placing more force onto the ground as the light of her aura flashed brightly.

            “Nnh?!” the other Yuko gasped, as new, sharp spears of ice shot up from the sand below. In that instant, the other Yuko’s skin and clothing were pierced. Deep red blood splattered across the clear surface of the ice. With that trap sprung, Kanna dashed forward to make her followup move.

            “Deep freeze!” Kanna shouted, her voice echoing across the vast wasteland of ice. She now stood in front of her injured foe and pointed her glowing palms directly at her. With that motion, the ice that had pierced the other Yuko began to expand, clinging to her body, and slowly encasing her limbs in ice. By the end of the whole process, the other Yuko was trapped in a huge block of ice that restricted both arms and both legs.

            Kanna stood by, staying on guard as she watched her frozen enemy. The other Yuko struggled a bit, but was naturally unable to move her arms or legs. After struggling a bit, she seemed to realize the situation and gave up on trying to move or break though the ice. Upon realizing this, Kanna let out a sigh of relief.

            “Finally… I have finally caught you.” Kanna muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She had to perform some of her most precise magecraft without the use of her staff, so her stamina had been heavily drained. But to her, it was worth it in order to finally catch the culprit behind the magic beast attacks. The other Yuko merely watched her in silence.

            “Now that I have you restrained, let us converse, shall we?” Kanna said, carefully approaching her half-frozen captive. “What are your intentions? Why have you been releasing magic beasts in this place? You know the people here have no means to deal with such monsters!”

            The other Yuko merely stared at Kanna with her usual tired, blank expression.

            “Answer me! What are you planning by using those beasts?!” Kanna shouted, frustration starting to set in. After a moment, the other Yuko finally opened her mouth once more.

            “I told you. My only intention right now… is to kill you.” she muttered in a quiet, detached voice.

            “That is not what I am referring to! I mean the incidents before… Huh?” Kanna paused, stunned. Something was wrong. Kanna began to take several steps back, because…

            The ice was melting.

            “I’ve already told you...” The other Yuko began, reaching a wet leg out through the soft, melting ice. Surrounding her body, a dark aura pulsated, dancing like the flicker of a small flame.

            “Impossible… Fire magic?” Kanna muttered in disbelief.

            “My intention is to kill you. Anything else you’re asking me about…” the dark Yuko continued, stepping forward, totally free from her ice prison. “I don’t know, and don’t care.”

            “H-Huh? But…” Kanna couldn’t find any words. She struggled to process anything happening in this moment.

            How the hell is she using fire magic?! I thought she was a dark magician! No magician should be able to utilize an attribute outside of their range of affinity! This makes no sense at all! And what is this about not knowing?! Is she not behind the magic beast incidents after all? That cannot be! There can be no other culprit! Ugh, forget that for now. This situation just went from bad to worse!

            Kanna was an ice magician. Naturally, a magic user specializing in any type of fire or heat-based magic would be the worst matchup imaginable for her. Kanna was baffled. She made no mistake in her decision-making, even as the situation took this unexpected turn. She carefully made use of her “Ice Planet” Magic Zone, analyzed her opponent’s moves thoroughly, and came up with the best strategy she could to overcome her foe. So how did things turn out like this?

            Based on the skill displayed so far, if she has experience with fire magic as well, then I stand no chance. Even if I have more experience, it cannot compensate for the overwhelming disadvantage I have against her magic. Unfortunately, I have to abandon the situation and come up with a new plan.

            As the murderous Yuko slowly approached, Kanna had thought quickly and made her decision to flee.

            “Magic Zone dispel!” Kanna shouted, raising her hand to the sky. In an instant, the dome-like sky and its many lights shattered. The surrounding environment that had once been sand and ice as far as the eye could see was soon replaced with nothing but the quiet park at night; dirt, trees, and shrubbery all around.

            The sudden scene change caused the other Yuko to pause for just a moment, and in that instant Kanna jumped backwards a huge distance.

            “I’ll catch you!” whispered the murderous Yuko as she crouched down, prepared to give chase, when…

            “Gh?!” a hand had sharply jabbed the back of her neck, causing her to lose consciousness and fall, much like what happened to the regular Yuko prior. As she fell to the ground, the menacing aura surrounding her began to dissipate.

            Moments later, Kanna had returned to the scene.

            “Thank goodness.” she said, sighing. “I was unsure if she could still be rendered unconscious while in that state. Thankfully, you understood the situation after I dispelled my Magic Zone.”

            “I figured something must’ve gone wrong inside.” Kanna’s partner replied. “You were in the zone for quite a while. I know you prefer not to keep it up too long because it’s such a drain on your magic.”

            “Things quickly became complicated.” Kanna grumbled. “I had to perform some intense magecraft without my staff, on top of maintaining the zone. It has been ages since I was forced to push myself so hard.”

            “Seriously…?” the partner was taken aback, glancing at the unconscious Yuko on the ground.

            “I shall take her for now.” Kanna said, moving to lift Yuko’s limp body. “You can continue the patrol, or stand by. I leave it to your discretion.”

            “Understood.” her partner replied, vanishing back into the darkness of the woods.

            “Okay, Yuko… Let us go, shall we?” Kanna looked at the unconscious girl with a complicated expression, and began to carry her off somewhere.

---

            A lantern with a faint, orange glow hung from a wooden ceiling. Moths danced around the light as it flickered at irregular intervals. This was what entered Yuko Maeda’s line of sight as she opened her eyes.

            “Good, you have awoken.” a nearby voice spoke. Turning her head to see who was there, Yuko caught sight of the student council president, Kanna Kawagoe.

            “Ms. President…? Where am I?” asked a somewhat disoriented Yuko, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve and rising from what appeared to be a couch.

            “This is a storage shed located in Rigel Park.” answered Kanna. “I brought you here after what happened.”

            “After… what happened…?” repeated Yuko, trying to organize her thoughts and pin down what she could remember. Suddenly, images of a strange beast being skewered by ice entered her mind, as well as the distinct memory of a girl floating above the water in the pond.

            “Wh-what…? What was… all that?” Yuko brought her hands to her head, frightened. The outlandish memories didn’t seem real at all. Even after remembering them, Yuko couldn’t believe those fantastical mental images so easily. Just as she was beginning to panic, she felt another hand on hers.

            “Calm down.” Kanna said, with a hint of gentleness behind her usual cool demeanor. “We can work things out together. You need not fear me.”

            “B-but, you…” clearly nervous, Yuko looked Kanna up and down. Right now, Kanna was wearing her usual school uniform. The strange frilly armor from her memory was nowhere to be seen. Seeing her expression, Kanna realized what must’ve come to Yuko’s mind.

            “My magic armor, do you remember it? How much do you recall?” Kanna asked, still gripping Yuko’s hand.

            “Y-yeah, I remember that… You killed some kind of animal… And then pointed that spear at me… And I was so scared.” still trying to process everything, Yuko began to tremble.

            “You have my apologies, Yuko Maeda. I am truly sorry.” Kanna bowed her head to Yuko.

            “Ms. Presi… dent…?” whispered Yuko, on the verge of tears. Kanna lifted her head, and watched Yuko closely.

            Yuko was lost. Scared not only by the strange event she now recalled, but also by the continued lapses in her memory. Something was clearly wrong, and Yuko didn’t understand what was happening to her, or around her.

            Kanna, on the other hand, had started to form several basic theories for the current situation. Seeing the scared girl in front of her helped to confirm that something very wrong is going on, and that Yuko Maeda was, more than likely, just another victim of some sort.

            Several moments later, Yuko had begun to calm down enough to speak with Kanna in more detail.

            “The last thing I remember is running away from you. You asked who I was, so I yelled my name and ran…“ Yuko answered, after much thought.

            “Interesting.” Kanna noted. “That was still a little while before you actually lost consciousness.”

            “So once again, I’ve lost some memories…” Yuko gripped the hem of her skirt, staring down at the ground in frustration.

            Kanna merely watched, quietly, deep in thought.

            What should I say here? I cannot tell whether it is a good idea to inform her of the details of her counterattack. I am certain that even though the one who fought back at me was Yuko Maeda physically, that person was not Yuko Maeda mentally…

            “Ms. President, um… Can I ask you something?” Yuko faced Kanna with a pleading expression.

            “Of course, what is it?”

            “That… what did you call it? Magic armor? And the way you floated above the pond… That weird animal… What was all that? It was all so unbelievable.” even with what little she remembered, these key moments stood out to Yuko as incredibly bizarre, to the point where she at first doubted her own sanity.

            “Of course.” Kanna sighed, knowing she would have to explain herself eventually. “Normally, this information would never be shared with an outsider. However, I made a grave error, and appeared before you in that state due to my own mistaken assumptions.”

            Yuko merely tilted her head in response. She realized that Kanna was saying she had some kind of misunderstanding about her, but at this point she wasn’t sure what. The orange glow of the light continued to flicker in the dark storage room.

            “You see, the situation is somewhat complicated…” Kanna began. “I suppose I should start with myself.” With that, Kanna rose from the chair she had been sitting in. Gracefully, she bowed to Yuko, and then gave a salute.

            “My name is Canah Crygahl, member of the Second Special Task Force of the Alviquan Royal Knights. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

            “…” Yuko was speechless.

            She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t understand. Was it a joke of some kind? Was she serious? Yuko could only stare in confusion.

            “Right. That alone does not explain much for someone like you, does it?” Kanna sat back down, softly chuckling at herself. “That was, however, the genuine introduction I would give another in this situation.”

            “I’m sorry. I don’t understand…” Yuko said, apologetically.

            “It is no issue. I do not expect this information to be easy to grasp.” Kanna waved her hand. “Also, despite giving you my true name, please continue to refer to me as Kanna, or Kawagoe, or Ms. President. Whatever you would prefer.”

            “R-right, um… Can I call you Kanna?” Yuko pleaded.

            “Of course.” Kanna nodded. “Now then, where to begin…”

            Bringing her hand to her chin, Kanna began thinking about the best way to express her situation to Yuko.

            “So, um… You said you’re a knight of some kind?” asked Yuko. “And what is Alviquan? It all sounds kinda strange, like something from a fairytale.”

            “I suppose it may come across as something like that.” Kanna smiled, amused at the comparison. “But it’s more like… Hmm… How about this? Yuko, have you heard of the parallel world theory?”

            “Um… maybe?” Yuko pondered thinking back on where she may have heard the phrase before. “Actually, I may have seen some discussion posts talking about that on the school internet. Some people were talking about a popular science fiction book that dealt with it!”

            “Right, I think I know the book.” Kanna nodded, remembering the book that had become popular around the east district about a year prior. “That book was a work of fiction, but it did address a hypothetical concept that has been discussed among people for years, I believe. You see, one variation of the parallel world theory is the many worlds interpretation. This is the version that book made use of.”

            “Many worlds interpretation…? Sorry, I didn’t read the book myself, can you explain it to me?” Yuko asked.

            “Hmm… Let us use a real world example. Yuko, what did you have for breakfast this morning?”

            “This morning? I ate with my friend Chisa. I just had bread with jam.” answered Yuko after thinking it over.

            “Is there any other breakfast food you would often choose to eat?” Kanna asked.

            “Um… Well, I do have rice sometimes.” answered Yuko, not sure what this line of questioning was getting at.

            “Okay.” Kanna clapped her hands. “On Wednesday, April 26^th, you had bread for breakfast.”

            “Right.” Yuko nodded.

            “Now, hypothetically, what if there exists another world where you chose to have rice for breakfast instead on Wednesday, April 26^th?”

            “Huh?” Yuko tilted her head in confusion.

            “That kind of thinking is one of the basic ideas behind the many worlds interpretation. Every decision made by someone could result in a new world in which that decision was made. In a sense, all possibilities are real, and have occurred in one world or another.”

            “Right…” Yuko folded her arms. “I kind of get it… I think?”

            “Okay.” Kanna nods. “To be clear, I personally do not know how realistic that theory is either. No one truly understands the full extent of the secrets of the universe.”

            “Then why even bring it up?” asked the confused Yuko.

            “I did so because it is one of many possible explanations for the existence of this place where I am right now.” Kanna stated, looking Yuko right in the eyes.

            “Huh…?” Yuko blinked.

            “At one point, thousands of years ago, something must have diverged.” Kanna continued. “As a result, this parallel world, with a totally different history from the world I know, came to exist.”

            “Wait, so, you mean…” Yuko began to understand what Kanna was saying.

            “From your perspective, I suppose it may be the other way around.” Kanna continued, placing a hand to her chest. “Indeed. I am not of this world. I come from a parallel world, home to the Kingdom of Alviquan.”

            “No way…” Yuko was taken aback. At first, Kanna’s claim seemed unbelievably outlandish, but slowly, things began to click into place in her mind. The bizarre creatures unlike anything she’d seen before, Kanna’s strange abilities that Yuko had seen when Kanna exterminated one of said creatures. Those otherworldly memories that caused her to doubt her sanity upon waking, it turns out, do indeed have to do with otherworldly forces after all.

            And Starlight Academy east branch’s student council president, Kanna Kawagoe, was a resident of that other world.

[Chapter 3 END]