Selene didn't stop laughing even as I pressed the sword against her throat.
Her cyan hair sprawled out beneath her like a fan of moonlight, her body relaxed against the floor as if this was a joke to her.
I clicked my tongue, the ice sword on my hand dissipating into countless pieces scattering like broken snow across her body.
Her grin only widened.
"What? Giving up already?" she asked, head tilted slightly.
She lay there with her arms spread like a martyr, smiling up at me as if she were the one holding the sword.
'She really is beautiful.'
Her face seemed flawless, her skin resembling porcelain—slightly pink yet perfect. She had a smooth jaw and a small upturned nose; her straight eyelashes were as dark as ink, and her eyes were thickly outlined in black.
"Enjoying the view~?"
She teased, voice honeyed and sharp at the same time.
I met her eyes at that moment..
And promptly replied to her words, because honestly, I was, and there's nothing wrong with appreciating a fine piece of art.
The only issue is that particular piece of art might be crazy.
Her long fox ears twitched at my words, causing me to raise an eyebrow. Honestly, they looked really fluffy, as well as her tail.
I needed to know how she knew that it was me. Because if she knows, there's a very high chance that someone else also knows about it.
Her ocean eyes glittered—mischief dancing like fire.
"Hmm~ What could you mean~?"
Not too close—but close enough to show I wasn't playing.
"How do you know?" I asked once again.
Her smile faltered—just for a second.
"..I saw it in a dream," she whispered.
She nodded slowly, her voice turning quite serious.
"You were standing in a sea of ice... surrounded by broken stars.
A throne of frost rose behind you, and blood… so much blood… dripped from your hands.
The sky above you was black, but the moon was especially bright, a glowing white.
And your name—" she stopped, licking her lips—
A breeze slipped through the window, lifting her hair.
"You didn't look scared," she added. "You looked... wrong. Like a mirror that reflects what shouldn't be, and your eyes... were glowing whi—no. It would be more proper to say that they looked like the moon itself."
Her words settled on me like falling ash.
"Then slowly… your lips parted. You started to speak.
You told me what happened.
The events that ruined everything.
It started… with the day you traumatized the Emperor."
I blinked at her words.
"But…" she looked away now, lashes dipping low, "before you could say anything more—I woke up."
There was complete silence as soon as she finished her 'prophetic' dream.
I stared at her for a long moment.
She dreamed that? Or remembered it?
And why did it sound real?
Why did it feel like something inside me recognized it?
'Well... It might just be a passing feeling...'
That aside, there was a way to confirm if her words her true or not.
A judgment scale symbol appeared in my pupils.
『 Judgement Eye (✦ S+ Level Skill ✦) 』
And to my surprise...
She had genuinely seen that, and because of that, I frowned.
'...Might as well check her status. It might give me some hints.'
[Target: Selene Aoki]
[Affinities: Plant & Seduction]
[Sexual Preference: Vanilla]
[Character Preference: N/A]
[Character Type: Dorodere]
[Favorability: 20 (Neutral)]
[Thoughts: I hope he does believe in me. If I want to kill the Emperor and the Star Society, he'll play a big card if I get him in my hands.]
She thought I'd help her.
But because I'd be her ace card.
A weapon she could use.
'Still... both she and I hate both of them, maybe... we could help each other.'
'Other than that... her status doesn't show anything useful.'
I looked down at her again.
That tail, lazily flicking like she knew all my secrets.
She tilted her head, smiling.
"What's that look for, Mister Aestrea?"
"...how far you're willing to go to kill a god."
"Kill a god?" she purred.
"You make it sound so romantic."
She sat up slowly, the shredded remains of vines and leaves coiling around her bare arms like living jewelry. Her long tail flicked behind her—amused, curious, and maybe… just a bit excited.
"And here I thought you'd just freeze me and walk away," she whispered, placing a hand over her heart with a dramatic little gasp.
"How cold of you, Aestrea~"
I didn't exactly answer her words, instead, she continued speaking.
"I know that you hate the Emperor as much as I do, so... let's take everything from the Emperor," she whispered.
Her hand reached forward, fingers ghosting along my jaw.
She smelled really good.
I caught her hand mid-air, gripping her wrist—not harshly, but firm.
"We work together," I said. "But if you betray me..."
"No. I'll let you live. And make sure you regret it."
Selene's eyes sparkled.
"Mm~ Ice and threats. You really know how to get a girl going."
She stood and brushed herself off, her tails swaying as she turned toward the academy.
"We start tomorrow," she called back.
Then, with a small wink over her shoulder—
"Don't be late, partner~"
I watched her walk away.
And I knew, without a doubt:
This was not the last deal I'd regret.
And she was a weapon I could use.
Until I had no further need for her.
As I walked back through the path leading to the dorms, the cold breeze brushed against my cheeks, but it wasn't the wind that chilled me.
"You were standing in a sea of ice... surrounded by broken stars."
They echoed in my mind like the lingering ring of a bell.
"A throne of frost rose behind you, and blood… so much blood…"
A vision, she claimed.
But it felt like more than that.
It felt like a memory—or even a warning.
"Your name was not Aestrea."
That part hit harder than I wanted to admit.
Because deep down… I knew she was right.
Something was wrong with me.
A part of me was completely twisted apart.
Like a puzzle piece jammed into a space it didn't belong.
I had always chalked it up to the transmigration or to the fusion of both my soul and Aestrea's.
Or even to this bloody world.
But that dream—her dream—told a different story.
And a sky blacker than death.
Not to mention the part of the glowing white moon.
What the hell was I becoming?
[Group Notification: Class Chatroom]
I didn't bother opening it.
Instead, I glanced back at the message.
[Selene Aoki has added you as a friend.]
I accepted without hesitation.
The moment I stuffed the phone into my pocket, I heard footsteps.
I instantly lifted my head, glancing ahead.
There, under the pale lantern light, standing at the edge of the courtyard path, was Ella.
Her long, silver hair caught the wind like strands of moonlight, as she wore a simple academy coat over her uniform, hugging it around herself like a shield against the chill.
Her light blue eyes met mine.
"Aestrea," she uttered my name.
My face instantly broke into a casual smile.
"Yo," I raised a hand, about to greet her properly.
Her lips parted again, and her voice changed.
"...We need to talk."
That froze me mid-step.
Her tone wasn't soft anymore, it was serious.
Something about the way her hands trembled slightly behind her back made the air feel tighter.
"...Sure," I said, adjusting my posture.
She walked a little closer, her eyes never leaving mine.
Then she stopped, not too close, not too far.
"I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time," she began, voice quieter now, but steady.
"Back during the Hunting Festival… three years ago. Do you remember that ambush on the east ridge? The one with the shadow wolves?"
That… yeah, I remembered.
The blood, the howling wolves, and especially... a girl shaking in fear.
And that moment—brief but vivid—when I stepped in, sword drawn, wearing a fox-patterned silver mask.
The Moonlight Swordsman.
"You… you saved me," Ella said, lowering her head. Her cheeks had turned a soft pink, glowing even under the dim light.
"I didn't know who you were at the time. Just this quiet, graceful swordsman who showed up out of nowhere, fought like lightning, and then disappeared before I could even say thank you."
"It was so dramatic, I thought I imagined it. But… when I saw your identity being revealed..."
She looked up, meeting my eyes again.
"I couldn't imagine that I would meet you on the same day that happened."
I scratched the back of my head, unable to hide the crooked grin forming on my lips.
"Yeah... I guess that happens to the best of us."
She laughed again, the sound coming out sweet and airy.
"I can't believe I spent months writing poems about the Moonlight Swordsman, only to meet him at the moment when his identity is revealed."
"...Poems?" I raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Forget I said that!" she waved her hand in a panic, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
She took a step closer.
Her hands gripped the hem of her coat tightly, and her face slowly turned bright red.
I looked at her, sensing the shift.
Her eyes shimmered, but not from tears.
Her pale pink lips trembled as she licked them carefully...
'Wait, don't tell me—!'
Like the world itself had stopped for a heartbeat.
The leaves stopped rustling.
And even the lantern above us seemed to dim.
I stood there, blinking, unsure if I'd heard her correctly.
But her trembling breath…
She had confessed to me.
...Just the last thing, I was hoping that it didn't happen.