Chapter 1

This is our win, boy.

……

Well, this result is only to be expected. Our units are worlds apart, after all. The difference between the time and effort we’ve put into studying our craft and honing our skills is that between heaven and earth.

While you’ve been indulging yourselves in frivolous war and political games, we Valkyrie have been in earnest pursuit of our art.

While you’ve been marching in place, we have rushed forth for the sake of our ideals!

And this, here, these are the results of our efforts!

“♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪”

Behold! This is the culmination of everything Valkyrie has worked for! Bow to us, to the magnificent art we have woven!

Become lost in the brilliance before your eyes! You foolish idols who have slacked in your efforts—Bend your knee to us! Kakakakaka!

Well no, it isn’t as if we’ve been slacking, exactly.

I suppose you could say we’ve just taken a detour of sorts.

? I haven’t the slightest idea of what you’re saying. But don’t speak to me so leisurely, Aoba. I haven’t so much as considered forgiving you for betraying me in the past!

Huh~? But everyone else has already built a bridge and gotten over it—They don’t bring it up that much nowadays, you know?

I guess you and Natsume-kun are still upset with all of us in fine, huh?

Even just including yourself in fine is annoying. But Shu-nii-san aside, I’m not exactly angry anymore.

That said, I don’t think we should act as if the past never happened.

All of the emotions, all of the heat born from the tragedies that happened in that past—Shu-nii-san has turned the flames of his anger into art, and I’ve done the same by making it the source of my magic.

That’s all there is to it. It isn’t a matter of who’s better and who’s worse, who won and who lost.

And just like you, Shu-nii-san, I’m also moving forward.

If you haven’t realized that—No, if you’re pretending not to see it… If you still think of me as a powerless child who can’t do anything at all…

You may be boasting your victory now, Shu-nii-san, but you’ll surely be begging for release soon enough ♪

Non! What a vulgar expression! Such a dirty phrase is far too inappropriate for us!

Precisely. If I use an expression like this, you’ll simply refuse to understand. Which is to say, you won’t understand our true intentions. And that’s the magic of it.

? Hey Sora-kun, you know what those guys’re talkin’ ‘bout?

HaHa~ ♪ Of course! Sora’s known about everything from the start, he can figure things out, see~?

Huh??? But whenever Switch an’ Valkyrie are workin’ together, it’s always you an’ me who’re off in the corner not knowin’ a thing about what’s goin’ on, ain’t it?

Fufun ♪ Sora’s grown up a lot, Mika-chan-san!

Fufu. Well, at any rate—let me congratulate you for now. Congratulations on getting past the SS Qualifying Rounds, Shu-kun.

Hmph. As I already said, this is only the natural conclusion.

Not having to trudge through a month’s worth of battles in the Qualifying Rounds, being able to decide in an instant which unit will move on—

It’s very reminiscent of the live tournaments held at Yumenosaki.

It was easy for us to support such an arrangement, which is why we decided to stand on stage in this “winner-takes-all” performance you offered us.

Ahaha, but the general public hasn’t been so easy to sway. It looks like many of them booked reservations at hotels and inns to come watch the Qualifying Rounds.

It’s a shame it’s over so quickly.

I’m sure local businesses were making preparations for the tournament too, but now we’ve gone and made all of their efforts go to waste.

Hmph. But I imagine Switch has some tricks up their sleeves to entertain those disappointed people, yes?

You all are good at dealing with such narrow-mindedness, after all.

……

Anyhow, Valkyrie has proven to be the best, in a way that even the vulgar masses can see.

I’m quite pleased with these results, myself. Around the time of that Antique Market, Double Face accused me of being too weak, too fragile for DreamFests—But now I’ve shown them the truth!

Look at us! We’ve displayed our overwhelming power and claimed victory!

Well, if you’ve poured that much time and money into the preparations for your performance, then no other unit, much less us, could stand a chance against you.

But that’s how Valkyrie usually does things, isn’t it?

HiHi~ That’s why it was easy to tell what would happen ♪

…?

Well, go ahead and brag all you want for now.

It’s not as if I particularly want to hurt any of my nii-sans in the Five Oddballs—This is just the outcome I was hoping for.

However. It looks like you still think I’m a powerless child, so I can only offer my condolences.

…?

The Tohoku region SS Qualifying Rounds have concluded with Valkyrie’s win. But this is where the real story begins.

Ņo͟w,͞ l͠e̷t͢ ́i͏t̛ ̵b̶e͜gin—̷th̢is ҉t́ale ͟o̵f a ̴be͡aut́i͜ful, ͝ar͘ro҉gant sov͘er̸ei҉gn, a̵nd ̸the̛ t̨hree m̷a͘gi͞c̢iáns̸ w͟ho ́e͢nd͘ h̵is re̡i̷gn.

Th̨is̕ ҉tìme,̶ for͠ s͏u̷ré.͢ ̨I’̸l̷l m͠ak̕e sur͞é ̷thi̛s ̀s̷to̶ry ̕ha͠s a h̷áp̸py ̀e͞nd͟ing̸,̧ ͠a̕t ͠an̸y͜ co͞st̷.̸¹