Dad doesn’t understand a thing

<Groove>

That old man doesn’t get anything. He said I couldn’t inherit the title of Shadow IV.
Why!? Shadow II was my grandfather, and the first Shadow was my great-grandfather!
So why not let me take over!?

If you look at history, in feudal dictatorships, the rule is that the eldest son inherits the family line.
Because otherwise, bloody inheritance disputes break out, and the family and territory fall into ruin.

Come to think of it, I heard something similar when I visited Zipang Village.
In the Muromachi period, when primogeniture wasn’t firmly established, war was constant.
It eventually led to the horrific Onin War.
Using internal shogunate conflict as an excuse, powerful lords invaded neighboring lands and shed rivers of blood.
But once the Edo period began, primogeniture institutionalized power succession, and warfare died down.

To secure the solid foundation of Edge Shadow Corporation, I must inherit the name.

That’s why I entered the student council election—to prove my worth.
But that old man, he even opposed endorsing me.

In the end, I managed to pressure key insiders to back me, but that damn Lala—
despite being a demon—had the gall to win thunderous applause!
It pissed me off.

Fine then. I’ll use force. I bring the mic to my lips.

“I’m Groove! Coming up next—my speech! Coming soon!”

Just then, an Edge Guard Corporation stagehand intervenes.

“This is bad! That’ll lower your Karma Points!”

“Shut up! Always whining about points! Are you puppets dancing to the numbers now!?”

Apparently one of the reasons my father refused to make me his successor was my low Karma Points.
I’m so done with those ridiculous numeric indicators.

I storm into the hall.

“Outta the way! It’s Groove-sama’s time to shine!”

The crowd begins to stir. Then, a moment later—
Booing fills the air.

Damn it. I’m an outsider here too, huh? Just like at home. Just like at school.
I’ve had enough. It’s time to wreak havoc.

One of the stagehands comes near. I bark an order.

“Hey! Put up the barrier!”

“For what purpose, sir?!”

“To eliminate the rival candidate—physically. Terminate her life functions. That way, I get elected by default!”

“That’ll get you expelled, sir!”

“Silence! A locked-room murder inside a barrier—if I play dumb, no one will know it was me!
Edge Guard Corporation can cover up something like that easily, right?”

“U-understood…”

The stagehand swiftly pulls a theremin from thin air and plays it.
A green, scale-like barrier surrounds us.

Yes. This will do. No one can get in now.
I just need to dispose of this filthy demon girl staring at me in fear.

“Go, Sharp.”

Glad I brought Sharp backstage.
He’ll finish the girl off with no hesitation. Kukuku…

Suddenly—crack! A sharp, splintering noise.

Impossible. The barrier is soundproof.
No one should be able to break it. No one but Garnet Prince or Cobalt Princess.

N-no way—

“Lala! Sorry I’m late! I was actually watching your speech. Thought I’d surprise you afterward.”

A beautiful girl with blue hair appears, glowing with cobalt-colored aura.
Beside her stands a princely young man in a tailcoat.

Lala spots the intruders and shouts:

“Forlun! Tenuto!”

I’m stunned—but then a chuckle rises in my throat.

“Perfect. These fools just waltzed in, making it easy to pin the murder on someone.
Like ducks marching in with green onions on their backs.”