"My heart would never flutter for those who needlessly hurt others!"— Mitsuri Kanroji, Demon Syer

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  "Since you've all prepared gifts for the Spirit Festival, I 't be biased," Roy said, taking out a neckce.

  It was a ruby neckce with a cute cat engraving.

  "Happy Birthday, Cire," he said, handing it to her.

  Cire's eyes welled up with tears.

  It had been years sinyone had said those words to her.

  The st time she had heard them was from her sister.

  Every year, on the Spirit Festival, her parents, her sister, and the local residents would gather at their castle frand birthday day ball.

  Cire would wear a beautiful dress, and the table would be filled with her favorite cakes and delicious food.

  And at night, she would sleep with her sister, who would return from the Diviual Institute just for this day.

  Those were Cire's happiest memories.

  She threw her arms around Roy.

  "Thank you! I love it," she said, taking the neckd putting it on, her smile radiant.

  "Close your eyes, Roy," she then instructed, her face flushed.

  Roy, knowier than to question her, closed his eyes.

  He felt Cire leaning closer and mischievously opened his eyes.

  Seeing her with her eyes closed, her eyeshes fluttering, he couldn't resist.

  He captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

  After a while, he released her.

  Cire was dazed.

  "And here's one for Scarlet." Roy took out another cat-shaped neckce, a bit different from Cire's but equally beautiful.

  "Thank you, Roy-sama!" Scarlet excimed, accepting the gift and then, to Roy's surprise, kissing him on the lips.

  He was taken aback by her boldness.

  Just then, a knock came from the door.

  Seeing Cire still dazed, Roy got up to a.

  "Ri? What are you doing here?"

  It was indeed Ri.

  She peeked into the room, then, seeing that Cire wasn't paying attention, grabbed Roy's hand and pulled him away.

  "e with me!"

  Roy, gng at the still-dazed Cire, could only let himself be dragged away.

  'Cire is going to be furious when she wakes up,' he thought with amusement.

  Ri led him to her room and had him sit down, theo the kit.

  Roy knew what she to. He just hoped it wasn't cake. He had already eaten enough sweets for one day.

  "Carol, what's Ri's Spirit Festival gift?" Roy asked the maid, who was tidying up the room.

  "Eh? Roy-san, you know about it?" Carol asked, surprised.

  "I received a lot of Spirit Festival gifts today," Roy expined with a chuckle.

  "I see. But my dy's gift is special. You'll love it!" Carol decred fidently.

  She was gd that Ri had listeo her advid prepared a unique gift.

  "Oh? Is that so?" Roy was intrigued.

  After a while, Carol was called to the dining room.

  Roy wao follow, but Carol stopped him.

  He waited curiously.

  'What are those two up to?' he wondered.

  But he didn't peek.

  Finally, Carol returned, her face flushed. "Roy-san, you e in now!" she announced.

  Roy followed her to the dining room.

  "Whoa..." He gasped as he saw Ri.

  She was lying on the dining table, her body adorned with various sweets and fruits.

  'This girl is really something,' Roy thought, impressed by her boldness.

  "Stop staring! I'm embarrassed," Ri mumbled, her face crimson as she closed her eyes.

  "Well then, I'll dig in."

  Roy picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

  Carol peeled grapes ahem to him.

  This was truly a life fit for a king.

  After enjoying this unique Spirit Festival experience, Roy gave Ri and Carol their gifts.

  He was then shooed out of the room by the flustered Ri.

  Roy shrugged as he looked at the closed door.

  Despite her bold as, Ri was still quite shy. ust have vinced her to do this.

  He walked down the hallway of the girls' dormitory.

  Many girls, seeing him, their eyes lit up.

  They surrounded him, holding out chocotes and cakes.

  "Roy-san, please try my cake!"

  "And my chocote! I made it myself!"

  "Get out of the way! Roy-san should try my cheese first!"

  "Is that even cheese? It looks like charcoal!"

  "What?! You dare insult my cheese?"

  "So what? My cookies are much better than yours!"

  ...

  The girls chattered excitedly, crowding around Roy.

  Roy sighed, feeling a headache ing on.

  Just as he was about to teleport away...

  "What are you all doing here? Go back to your rooms!" a anding voied.

  "It's Ellis-buchou!"

  "Too bad. Now Roy-san won't be able to try my cake."

  "I was going to invite him to my room. He could have anything he wanted."

  "You're so bold! But that does souing."

  "After all, he's the Night Demon King. He wouldn't refuse, right?"

  ...

  Ellis blushed, hearing their gossip. "Go back to your rooms! Stop causing a otion!" she scolded.

  The girls relutly dispersed.

  "Roy, are you alright?" Ellis asked, approag him.

  "Of course. It's o be so popur," Roy replied with a chuckle.

  "Um... could you e to my room?" Ellis asked shyly, her face flushed.

  "Is something the matter?"

  "Just e with me!"

  Ellis grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

  Not again...

  He had just been dragged away by Ri.

  But he was curious about what kind of Spirit Festival gift Ellis had prepared.

  ...

  ...

  Ellis led Roy to her room and into the dining area.

  "Please wait a moment," she said before rushing to the kit.

  "Even a serious Knight has a cute side. I wonder what she's prepared," Roy mused, waiting patiently.

  Soon, Ellis returned, carrying a tray.

  She was dressed in a dark blue maid outfit with a white apron, her long skirt adorned with frills. A small maid headband pleted her look.

  Roy's eyes widened. Ellis had transformed into a maid.

  'She looks beautiful,' he thought.

  Ellis approached him, her face flushed, a dowray.

  She lifted the lid, revealing an assortment of small pastries and a pot of hot tea.

  "I'll dig in then," Roy said, reag for a pastry.

  "Wait!" Ellis stopped him.

  Roy looked at her curiously.

  Ellis bowed slightly. "Master, would you like to eat first... or take a bath... or perhaps... have me first?"

  "..." Roy stared at her, dumbfounded.

  He hadn't expected such suggestive words from the usually serious and posed Ellis.

  Her ued boldempted him.

  "Is... something wrong with what I said?" Ellis asked shyly, averting her gaze.

  "Ellis, who taught you to say that?" Roy asked, his curiosity piqued.

  "Um... Reishia and the others taught me. Is it wrong to say that?" Ellis fidgeted nervously.

  Reishia? The Knight with the braided hair?

  "It's n, but you only say that to me," Roy said with a chuckle.

  "This is the first time I've said that... and I won't say it to anyone else," Ellis assured him.

  "Good." Roy nodded in satisfa.

  "So, Roy, what would you like to do first?" Ellis asked.

  "Ahem... let's eat first," Roy replied, though he was tempted to say "have you."

  After enjoying the pastries, Roy gave Ellis her gift a her room.

  "Roy, you're finally out!" Fianna excimed, seemingly having waited for him.

  Indeed, Fianna had arrived ter than Cire.

  When she went to Roy's vil, she was told that he had goh Cire.

  She then waited outside Cire's room but was dragged away by some of the youudents.

  By the time she mao escape those gy girls, Roy had already been taken away by Ri.

  She was fuming.

  She had tried to catch him after he left Ri's room, but a crowd of love-struck students blocked her way.

  And just whehought she had finally caught him, Alice whisked him away.

  Fianna was going crazy.

  Now that she had finally caught him, she wasn't letting him go.

  "e with me!" she decred, pulling Roy along.

  Roy was used to being dragged around by girls.

  Fianna led him to her room and then straight into her bedroom.

  "Um... Fianna, where are the snacks you prepared?" Roy asked, fused.

  "I don't have any!"

  "Then why did y me here?"

  "To give you my Spirit Festival gift, of course!" Fianna replied, pulling him towards the bed.

  "What is it?" Roy asked curiously.

  Fianna leaned closer and whispered in his ear, her face flushed. "It's..."

  ...

  A week passed quickly.

  The day of the team battle arrived.

  The members of Team Scarlet gathered at the "St."

  This was one of the few gates to the Elemental Spirit World within the Ordesia Empire.

  A rge crowd of students had gathered to watch the match.

  Today's battle was between Team Scarlet, ranked first in the academy, and Team Velsaria, led by the so-called stro Elementalist.

  A rge s was set up he gate, allowing the students to watch the Bde Dan the Elemental Spirit World.

  This s was also used by the academy for research purposes.

  It was the test teology exclusive to Areishia Spirit Academy.

  Besides the students, the members of the Sylphid Knights were also present.

  Cire, as the leader of Team Scarlet, reviewed their strategy o time.

  "Ellis, you're the best at close bat, so you'll be our vanguard."

  "Yes, I'll definitely pierce a hole in my sister's Elemental Waffe," Ellis decred with determination.

  "I'll take down that fortress girl," Ri added, referring to Velsaria's teammate with the rge shield.

  "I'll provide support with my defensive abilities and ritual dances," Fianna chimed in.

  The three of them would handle offense, support, and defense.

  Cire, who rofit in all three areas, would adapt to the situation ahe team.

  She khat individually, none of them could match Velsaria's strength.

  But as a team, they might have a ce.

  Moreover, although Velsaria's teammates were all skilled—uppercssmen from the Sylphid Knights—they were essentially a team formed just to meet the required number of members.

  They likely hadn't had much time to practice teamwork.

  And they might not even be coordinated with Velsaria, their leader.

  "I'll just be a spectator then," Roy said with a shrug.

  "A spectator?" The girls were fused.

  "It means I'll just watch," Roy expined patiently.

  "Don't worry, Roy. We defeat Velsaria even without your help," Cire decred fidently.

  Her ret increase in strength had boosted her fidence.

  "That's right. We will win," Ri agreed, flipping her hair.

  "Go! You defeat my sister!" Ellis cheered, extending her hand.

  Cire, Ri, and Fianna pced their hands on top of hers.

  "Let's do this!" they shouted in unison, their auras fring with determination.

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