Chapter 5 – The Fallen Wand and the Shrine Maiden

The festival grounds shook with chaos. Golems roared, civilians scattered, and magic blasts lit the sky. But in the center of it all, Sentou Kaji stood, his chef’s hat and gloves discarded, dark energy smoldering around his frame.

Floyd grinned wickedly.
“Finally, show me your true power, Sentou Kaji!”

But Sentou didn’t cast any grand spell. Instead, he walked straight up to Floyd, his golden eyes blazing with fury.

“You want power?” Sentou growled. “Fine. Here it is.”

BAM!

His fist smashed into Floyd’s face. One hit. That was all it took. Floyd spun through the air, crashing into the dirt, coughing blood. The crowd gasped.

Claire blinked in disbelief. “W-wait… he didn’t even use magic?!”

Fubuki wasted no time, rushing forward to bind Floyd with glowing chains.
“Don’t move. You’re under custody.”

But Claire’s focus turned to another figure: Clara Laradam, standing calmly among the wreckage, her violet eyes locked on Sentou.

“What are you doing here… Clara?” Claire demanded.

Clara ignored her, taking a single step forward.
“Show me more of your power, Commander.”

Claire’s breath caught. “C-Commander…?!”

Even Fubuki stiffened. “So it’s true…”

Clara raised her wand. Sentou narrowed his eyes. And then they clashed.

Magic burst across the square—flames against shadows, steel against cunning. At first, they seemed evenly matched, Clara’s precision against Sentou’s brutal force.

But then—bzzt!

Sentou slipped something from his pocket and drove it against Clara’s side. The sharp crackle of electricity lit the air.

“A taser…?!” Clara gasped, body convulsing before she collapsed to her knees.

Sentou loomed over her, his glare colder than steel.
“I told you before. Battlefields are full of tricks. Enemies won’t fight honorably. If you cling to pride, you’ll die.”

Clara winced, struggling to stand. Claire rushed forward, blocking Sentou’s path.
“Stop it, Sentou! That’s enough!”

For a moment, silence fell. Then Sentou pulled out an old, battered wand. His hand trembled as he raised it for everyone to see.

“This thing… ruined my life.” His voice cracked with rage. “Not again. Never again!”

He dropped it. CRACK! His foot came down, shattering the wand into pieces.

Claire’s eyes widened in horror. Clara’s lips parted in disbelief.

“So… you’ve truly thrown away your pride, Commander?” Clara whispered.

Sentou turned, his voice heavy.
“I threw it all away the day I came here. Don’t bother me again… or I’ll bring calamity to that rotten kingdom of yours.”

And with that, he walked off, leaving everyone speechless.

Claire clutched her chest, stunned. Fubuki said nothing, frozen. Clara, shaking, clenched her fists, unable to accept defeat.

Later, in the quiet streets, Sentou rubbed his forehead.
“Wow… I actually pulled that off. Scared them half to death. But… dammit. The stand’s destroyed. What the hell am I gonna tell the manager?!”

His panic was cut short as the temple bells chimed in the distance. At the shrine on the hill, a girl waited—long black hair flowing like silk, blue eyes shimmering beneath her miko robes.

As always, Sentou arrived with a paper bag in hand.

“Here. Your favorite.”

He handed her a warm box of takoyaki. The girl smiled softly.

“You’re late today, Kaji-kun.”

Her name was Hoshimiya Rei—the Shrine Maiden.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, her story with Sentou was about to begin.