Published: September 10, 2025
Correction made on 2018/4/1.
Partial revision on 2017/9/3.
“Arisa~?”
“You’ll catch a cold, you know?”
In the backyard of the Isolated Island Palace, Tama and Pochi watched worriedly as Arisa, dressed in a white lined garment, stood under the waterfall.
“You’re going to be late~!”
“The teacher will get mad at you.”
Both of them had finished getting ready for school and had come to call Arisa.
“I’m skipping school today, so tell Mia for me.”
“Playing hooky~?”
“A shut-in is dangerous!”
Tama and Pochi were astonished at Arisa’s declaration to skip school voluntarily.
For the two who had just started attending and were enjoying school immensely, it was unbelievable to take a day off without being sick.
“It’s fine! Today there’s something even more important.”
“What is it~?”
“We want to know.”
“You heard that Master is performing a ritual at the Duke’s Capital during breakfast, right?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Tama and Pochi nodded in response to Arisa’s words.
“In case of emergency, I’m doing water purification ritual to sharpen my spirit and catch Master’s SOS with the ‘Familiar Power~’.”
“Can Tama do it too~?”
“Pochi will catch the SOS too!”
Reacting just as expected, Arisa smiled wryly and shook her head.
“You two have a different role later on. Leave today to me and go to school. Your ride should be arriving soon.”
“Ah! Yes!”
Remembering China, who came to pick them up every morning at the Little Pendragon Mansion in the Royal Capital, Pochi and Tama panicked.
“You’re heading out~?”
“Arisa! If you get in trouble, tell Pochi immediately!”
“Okay, okay, have a good day~”
The two hurriedly headed toward the Teleportation Gate as Arisa waved her hand in her usual calm manner.
“Alright then—”
Once the two disappeared from sight, Arisa returned to a serious expression and slapped both cheeks sharply.
“—Alright, fully focused.”
Closing her eyes under the waterfall, Arisa directed her mind to the thin line connecting her to her beloved Master.
She had an instinct that if spatial magic communication failed, this would be her only reliable link.
◇
“Nyu?”
Riding on the school carriage, Tama straightened her back and looked around.
Her radar-like ears twitched subtly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nyu—”
Tama tilted her head in response to Pochi’s question.
It seemed the premonition she had today was something beyond words.
“Mia-sama, is something wrong?”
At the same time, Mia, also in the carriage, looked puzzled.
“The spirits are quiet—”
Usually, the spirits whispered gently, but now they were as silent as insects scared by a beast.
Feeling an ominous premonition, Mia leaned out the carriage window and looked up at the sky.
“—The castle?”
To Mia’s eyes, it seemed the spirits surrounded the castle.
More precisely, the spirits inside the castle appeared to be trying to flee.
“Mia-sama, is something wrong with the castle?”
“Hmm, it's nothing.”
Mia shook her head at the worried China.
She concluded that it was probably the cherry blossom dryad throwing a tantrum causing the spirits to evacuate.
◇
“This is... the Holy Relic Animated Armor.”
In the garage of the Royal Castle, Princess Sistina looked up at the Holy Relic Animated Armor.
The unspoken words were likely, “Satou made this.”
Beside her were her bodyguard Zena Marienthal and her friend Lady Karina Muno, both gazing at the armor with sparkling eyes.
Although both knew this was a replica, the mere fact that it looked exactly like the legendary Holy Relic Animated Armor made it an object of admiration.
Answering Princess Sistina instead of the two moved with emotion was an old man who approached, leaning on his staff.
“Yes, King’s Highness has authorized the activation of the main engine, so today we plan to conduct the activation test.”
The head of the Royal Research Institute informed Princess Sistina.
In this garage, the kingdom’s brightest minds—including the Thirty-Three Staves of Shiga and golem researchers—had gathered to study the Holy Relic Animated Armor.