Chapter 44: A New Choice
“Isn’t Alice’s response too quick!?”
Nagi, feigning unconsciousness, secretly grumbled.
She thought she would at least face a near-death experience before being saved!
But the reality was that not only did she not bleed, but she could also say she was completely unharmed.
At most, she was just shocked.
How could this outcome allow Kanade to truly understand the negative consequences of being “belligerent”?
So, Nagi steeled her heart and forced herself to remain unconscious.
She fully showcased her acting skills as a “genius child star,” lying as still as a corpse.
However, Alice misunderstood Nagi’s reaction.
Thinking that she had failed to control her attack, resulting in Nagi falling unconscious from the impact of magic.
Thus, she brought her to the branch of the Special Environment Management Association (SEMA).
SEMA, fully known as the Special Environment Management Association.
On the surface, it is a public welfare organization dedicated to governing and protecting the world’s environment.
In reality, it is one of the strongholds composed of ability users.
The building of the SEMA branch located in Kawano City displays a hexagonal design resembling a beehive.
It seems to emphasize its ecological and environmental philosophy.
At the same time, both the exterior and interior tones of the building are white, giving a stronger impression of a “hospital” or “research facility” rather than an environmental public welfare organization.
As a small and remote city, Kawano City cannot host too many personnel from SEMA.
Here, the highest level of ability users is only C grade.
After encountering an incident involving “Crown Grades,” they transferred Alice, who appeared to be “B grade” on the surface but was actually an “ACE,” to this location.
In the original work of “Star Draw 2.”
Ability users in SEMA are classified by the strength of their powers into levels.
From ACE, A, B, and so on down to E, there are a total of six levels.
Additionally, there is a well-known hidden level “S grade,” exclusive to the “protagonist.”
For players encountering “Star Draw 2” for the first time, the protagonist’s first invitation to join the ability user organization occurs after high school.
But this is misleading.
As the storyline progresses, it will be revealed through memories.
The protagonist’s first invitation was during junior high, and the one who invited him was one of the heroines, “Alice Astrea.”
Moreover, this is not related to whether the protagonist enters Alice Astrea’s personal route.
It is an event that happens in every route.
There are no options for players to choose from.
In the original plot, at the time when the protagonist finishes the second year of junior high, both the protagonist and Alice Astrea have feelings for each other.
Upon learning of Alice Astrea’s identity, the protagonist accepted the invitation to join SEMA in order to assist her.
However, as an ordinary person, there exists a gap in strength between the protagonist and the elite Alice Astrea.
Soon, Alice Astrea would have to leave Kawano City due to another mission, bidding farewell to the protagonist.
But before leaving, they made a promise to each other—
“How can this happen!”
Nagi shouted inwardly.
How could the child I painstakingly raised be taken away by some unknown person that appeared out of nowhere!? As a father, I absolutely do not agree!
Even if you are Alice, this golden-haired, dual ponytail loli, you can’t take my Kanade!
…
…
Inside the SEMA building, in the medical room for guests.
After being comprehensively examined, Nagi, still unconscious, lay on a clean single bed.
Kanade changed into a fresh set of clothes.
He remained by her side, his eyes losing focus.
He silently gazed in Nagi’s direction.
Until Alice walked in and broke the silence.
“The results are in; Nagi is fine.”
Alice was in a clean white shirt and skirt, and she had put on colored contact lenses, making her appear more mature than when she wore her school uniform.
Hearing this, Kanade finally felt the weight lift from his heart.
Just thinking about what would happen if Nagi really died because of him made Kanade feel as if he had fallen into an extraordinarily cold and dark abyss.
“Thank you, Alice…”
“Don’t mention it. As the only one on-site who had received training, I bear the primary responsibility.”
Alice comforted him.
“Nagi should wake up fine after some rest.”
“Before that, is Tsukimi or DD available?”
Kanade, unable to ease his worry for Nagi, declined Alice’s suggestion to talk in another location.
He did not want Nagi to wake up alone in a completely unfamiliar place.
Reluctantly, Alice stayed to continue the conversation.
To prevent Nagi from seeing DD, who might wake up at any moment, Alice chose not to make it manifest, and DD’s words were communicated through Kanade.
“Do you know what this is, Tsukimi?”
Alice took out a talisman of jade color, embroidered with a black-gray fox.
“This was found on Nagi.”
Although there was no magical reaction from it.
However, under the detection of SEMA’s specialized instruments.
This talisman retained the aura of “authority,” obviously linking it to the incident involving “Crown Grades.”
“This is a talisman from the Byakurei Shrine… right? This color…”
Kanade was surprised to learn that Nagi had a talisman from the Byakurei Shrine.
But he quickly remembered that Nagi had gone to the Byakurei Shrine to pray during the cursing period, so she probably obtained this talisman then.
“Byakurei Shrine…” Alice silently noted this name.
“Now, this is only my assumption. If Tsukimi finds any part of my hypothesis unreasonable, feel free to add on.”
Alice compiled all the clues at hand and arrived at a conclusion.
“First point.”
“The target of the curse by the evil spirit was not Tsukimi at first, but Nagi, which is why she went to the shrine to pray and got this talisman.”
“Although Tsukimi said that because you wore a talisman with extraordinary power, you were not harmed by the curse, you don’t have a talisman on you.”
“So the real cursed person is not you.”
“Once Nagi, who has the talisman, was unharmed, the curse shifted to Tsukimi, who was closest to her.”
Alice extended a finger, speaking with a firm tone.
“Second point, this part is uncertain.”
“DD’s… aura is very similar to that guy’s; you should be beings of the same origin…”
“It craves DD, and it’s clear your powers are not on the same level.”
“So the reason DD is with you is to hide?”
“A talisman with extraordinary powers, the curse from the evil spirit, and the fantasy monster from the double body urban legend…”
“DD and that guy are connected to this shrine, right?”
Throughout her speech, Alice kept her gaze fixed on Kanade’s eyes, trying to glean more information from them.
From her first point, she almost gathered the answer from Kanade’s reactions.
For the second point, she noticed several surprises on Kanade’s face.
Alice concluded that both Kanade and Nagi just happened to be ordinary people caught up in this.
Moreover, Kanade was very kind and brave, concealing the truth to protect Nagi.
At the same time, his decisiveness in using abilities and fighting fantasy monsters…
This child has great potential.
“That’s my hypothesis. Since there’s no evidence to support it, I won’t write a report to submit.”
Finally, Alice summarized.
“Alice… thank you…”
Kanade felt that no matter how many times he thanked Alice today, it wouldn’t be enough.
“And I want to say one more thing to you, Tsukimi… No, please let me refer to you as… Kanade.”
“Kanade, would you be willing to join SEMA together with DD?”
“Me?”
“Kanade, you have immense talent. If you join SEMA and receive training, you will surely become an incredible talent in the future.”
“But at the same time, I hope you understand that this is not something I’m forcing. Even if you refuse to join, I won’t disclose your identity to SEMA. You can continue to live a peaceful daily life. I swear in the name of Alice Astrea.”
“Yet, I still hope you can fight alongside me, Kanade.”
Alice repeated once more.
Kanade, burdened with guilt and confusion for almost causing Nagi’s death,
Looked at the serious-faced Alice before him.
Facing this invitation.
He must—
—Accept the invitation.
