Consoles connected– the two, who pulled pale magic lines on their bodies then ran straight at each other at a tremendous speed– and I jumped between them.
A sharp blade came to pierce me from the right side. Immediately, I moved my right foot around that low stabbing blade and stomped it against the floor to stop it.
Meanwhile, a slash was coming from my left side. I drew my sword while shifting half of my body, and intercept the slash that came from above with Kuki Masamune.
Having successfully stopped both attacks, I exhaled in relief.
“Onii-sama?!”
“Hiiro-kun?!”
Looks like they noticed that I jumped in between their attacks. Had they not applied the brakes, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to stop their attacks… because their attacks are just that sharp.
“Stop it, you two. The fact that I have a fiance is not a lie that either Tsukiori or Rei urged me to say. That’s why, it’s wrong for classmates to hate and fight each other because of a misunderstanding. This won’t make you have a favorable impression toward each other, after all. And besides, this is just a misunderstanding.”
I stared at the blade that stopped just before my neck.
“….”
Are? Why isn’t the anti-magic barrier deployed?
There, I finally understood the current situation and shuddered.
Come to think of it, I, who has a zero score, don’t have permission to use the battlefield. Since I didn’t have the permission to use this facility, even if I stand on the battle line, the anti-magic barrier will not be automatically activated.
In other words, that was dangerous… I almost sacrificed my life for something that wasn’t important… but well, that’s just how Hiiro was, so there is nothing I can say about this.
“At any rate, I first told Lapis about it. And I intended to talk about this to you two at the right time. Both of you must have misunderstood something, making the situation become messy.”
“So it is true that Onii-sama has a fiance?”
“U-un… (a big lie)”
“I can’t believe it.”
Saying that, both of them looked at me with suspicion.
Thinking that I had no choice to reveal it here, I called Snow over the phone.
The white-haired maid who came immediately then startled as she looked at the expressionless Tsukiori and Rei, making her glaring at me with a grudge.
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“Y-yo, honey…”
“Looks like you messed up, darling…”
Despite the unexpected situation, it seems she will continue to pretend to be my fiance. Then, with a stiff smile, Snow embraced my arm.
“…”
“…”
At that instant, the eyes of Rei and Tsukiori became even colder, to the point that the shivering of Snow’s body was transmitted to me little by little. To calm her, I pulled her and hugged her shoulder.
“T-this is my fiance, Snow. She is cute, isn’t it?”
“I-I’m Snow… H-hello…”
Still with a fake smile, Snow and I whispered to each other.
“Are you messing with me, idiot master…! Didn’t you say you will tell Rei-sama about this at the right timing…?!”
“There is nothing I can do about this…! Because the situation has become like this before I knew it…!”
“Look, Rei-sama is so staring at us right now…! She’s staring at us with cold eyes that I have never seen before…! Go say something please…!”
“It’s impossible no matter how you look at it…! I have no conversation repertoire…! The only thing I can say right now is the impression of Lapis’s bento that I ate in the morning–”
“Alright, don’t talk anymore, scum….!!”
“Onii-sama.”
Rei whispered, while her eyes were not smiling.
“Isn’t she our maid?”
“T-that’s… ano… Snow said she will explain it… (looks away)”
“Ahaha… Hiiro-sama is so shy… Of course, you are the one who will explain it….!! (Pinching my arm)”
“What’s wrong Snow, don’t tickle me please…!! (Please, please, please!!)”
“But, as expected, I can’t believe it. There is a questionable sense of distance between you two, after all.”
“Eh?!”
Hearing that, Rei’s face brightened.
“I-is that a lie, Onii-sama…?!”
“…. (Sweating profusely)”
Before I knew it, Tsukiori and Rei were teaming up. Even though they were against each other not long ago, now both of them are lined up side by side to corner us.
Then, with a confident smile, Tsukiori tossed the Right Knight Hunt1 and–
“According to Hiiro-kun’s personality,”
–caught it.
“If everything was really a lie, you wouldn’t be able to do anything if I said 『Show us the proof』 here, right?”
“Onii-sama, is that a lie? That was a lie, right? (With her eyes sparkling)”
“… (Chanting the sacred song in my head)”
“Show us the sight of you two kissing.”
The smiling Tsukiori then whispered to me.
“You are a man and a woman, moreover fiance, so you’ve at least kissed each other, right?”
Sighing, Snow pulled my sleeve as if she had made up her mind.
With her cheeks dyed bright red, Snow clenched the apron of her maid outfit and whispered.
“Hiiro-sama…”
She lifted her face and closed her eyes quietly.
“You owe me one, okay…”
Perhaps this is the end of our lie? (Despair)
Completely cornered, my head feels like it’s spinning. If I don’t kiss Snow here, they probably would never believe the existence of my fiance… However, how about Snow… Snow said she never liked a girl before, but she also never said she likes me…. should we just confess our lie….
I put my hands on Snow’s shoulders. And while thinking about what to do, I slowly brought my lips to her face, until–
“Y-you can’tttttttttttttttttttttttt!!”
–Lapis came to intervene.
Surprised, Rei, Tsukiori, Snow, and I stiffened.
Subsequently, Lapis shouted with the same vigor.
“A-actually I also like Hiiro! Romantically!! T-that’s why I don’t want them to kiss in front of me!!”
Lapis, what the heck are you saying… But then, I finally realized her intentions.
“I see, Lapis… I’m sorry I never noticed your feelings. In the first place, even if I am suspected, I don’t have to do an indecent act such as kissing in public. The love between me and honey is eternal after all.”
“T-that’s right. Exactly what Darling says.”
Snow slowly separated herself from me.
And with her face becoming bright red, Lapis moved her hands in panic.
“I-I understand your feelings! I also like Hiiro, after all! Of course, you would never acknowledge his fiance! B-but, these two are undoubtedly lovey-dovey fiancees! They even kissed in front of me before!”
“No, it’s not like I have been looking at Hiiro-kun with that kind of eyes…”
“Me too. Onii-sama is Onii-sama whom I respect….”
“T-then, doesn’t that mean you don’t have to forcibly doubt them?! Let’s just shut up and bless them! Hiiro also said we don’t have to forcibly distance ourselves from him, after all! Right, Hiiro!!”
“O-ou, of course!”
Tsukiori and Rei looked at each other and nodded.
“I am not satisfied with that, but… since the fiance is Snow, whom I am familiar with, I have no intention to doubt Onii-sama’s judgment.”
“Well, I’m going to involve myself with him as usual from the beginning.”
No matter how you look at it, they don’t believe I have a fiance. Even so, maybe because they decided to stop doubting for now, the two left the battlefield peacefully.
By the way, by the time I jumped in, the unamused crowd was already gone. Thus, in the center of the unmanned battlefield, a load was lifted off our shoulders at the same time, and we looked at each other.
“Lapis, you really saved us… thank you very much.”
“It’s fine. This is originally the seed I sowed… And I thought it was strange to force you to kiss her like that.”
“But, are you fine with that? Those two still misunderstand that Lapis likes me, you know?”
“I’m sure it would be fine if we go with the setting that I have been rejected and am giving up. And I don’t really mind what those two think of me.”
“… Hiiro-sama.”
With my sleeve pulled, Snow takes me to the corner of the hall.
“I think it’s better to tell the truth to Lapis-sama.”
“Eh?! Why?!”
“I think Lapis-sama is faintly aware that this relationship is a lie, and both Tsukiori-sama and Rei-sama are still in doubt. Because, firstly, I can’t back you up if something happens in the school since I am a maid, and a certain ahobakamanuke-sama2 doesn’t understand a woman’s heart at all, so I think it’s better to ask for Lapis-sama cooperation…. Of course, there is a risk.”
“Is that ahobakamanuke me…? And what do you mean by a risk…?”
“Because Lapis-sama is, undoubtedly, in love with Hiiro-sama.”
Hearing that, I subconsciously laughed.
“Don’t worry, that’s impossible.”
“….”
“That’s impossible, right? (Anxious)”
“Did Hiiro-sama really think that Lapis-sama stopped that kiss to help you?”
“You, stop saying such a disturbing thing!!”
Snow smiled as she tapped my shoulder.
“Why not just make all of them fall for you? I will gladly accept them except for Rei-sama.”
“No, you, really, shut up… I’m seriously thinking about what to do now… We’re still fine… my Yuri… my Yuri will start here…”
When I muttered, Lapis peeked from behind.
“S-sorry, but I heard what you two said… the fiance thing, was a lie…?”
“Yes, it’s a lie. I am very sorry for my lie-spitting master.”
“No, wait, you, how can you admit it easily–”
“I see.”
Lapis smiled and squeezed her hands tightly.
“So it was a lie… I see…”
“Like that, I’d like to ask Lapis-sama to back master up… Because due to unforeseen circumstances, this Sanjou Hiiro-sama can’t get along with a girl.”
“Ah, so it was like that… Come to think of it, some things indeed happened with the Sanjou family a while ago… Maybe that’s the reason you made such a lie to Rei and Tsukiori…?”
“T-that’s the gist of it. Un.”
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“If that’s the case, please say it earlier! If Hiiro is in trouble, of course, I will back you up! Leave it to me!”
With brightened eyes, Lapis took my hand.
“For the time being, I hope Lapis-sama can help Hiiro-sama during the orientation camp.”
“Gladly! Leave it to me, Hiiro!”
Gently wrapping my hands with both of her hands, Lapis smiled as she brought herself closer.
“I will do my best for Hiiro!”
“…”
Dear God of Yuri. Perhaps, I am already checkmated.