Chapter 80: A New Game Begins

We retreat back to our own booths, the triumphant energy of the morning completely gone. The crowd around LUNA's magical forest is still a massive, unmoving wall of awe. The trickle of fans at our own booths has slowed to an occasional drip. We are last year's news.

Rina and Haruka are both silent, processing the brutal reality of what they have just witnessed. They have been so focused on their own rivalry, on being the two suns in the cosplay sky, that they never even considered the possibility of a supernova appearing out of nowhere.

"Okay," Miki says, breaking the stunned silence. Her voice is calm, analytical, the voice of a general whose army has just been outflanked. She is already on her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. "New intel. LUNA is a major independent cosplayer from Korea. She is self-funded, rumored to be from a very wealthy family, which explains her access to experimental materials and tech. She is known for creating these full, immersive booth experiences at conventions there. This is her official Japanese debut."

"She did not just debut," Haruka says, her voice a low, grudging whisper of respect. "She conquered."

Rina is just staring across the hall at the glowing forest, her expression unreadable. The usual competitive fire is there, but it is mixed with something else: a genuine, profound sense of artistic shock. She has just met her match. Or, possibly, her superior.

The rest of the day is a humbling experience. A few loyal fans still come by, but most of the convention's energy is now focused on the new star. Rina and Haruka go through the motions, smiling for photos and signing autographs, but the triumphant spark is gone.

As the day is winding down and the crowds are beginning to thin, a lull falls over the hall. LUNA, who has been posing for hours, is finally taking a break. She removes her elaborate elven crown, shaking out her long, purple hair. Escorted by what looks like a professional handler, she begins to make her way towards the backstage exit.

Her path takes her directly past our booths.

Rina and Haruka both stiffen, bracing themselves for a confrontation, a gloating remark, anything.

LUNA walks towards us, her expression still serene and distant. Her handler is a few steps ahead, clearing the path. Her gaze sweeps over our area, over Rina's ice palace and Haruka's frozen carnival. Her eyes pass over Rina, then Haruka, with a cool, dismissive indifference, as if she is looking at a particularly uninteresting piece of scenery.

Then, her eyes land on me for a fraction of a second.

There is no wink. No smile of recognition. Her expression does not change. But for a split-second, I see a flicker of something in her eyes, a tiny spark of surprise, before her gaze moves on, cold and uninterested once more.

She glides past us without a word, a queen leaving her court, and disappears down the corridor.

The dismissal is more insulting than any taunt. She does not even consider them rivals worthy of acknowledgement.

Rina and Haruka are left standing in the wake of her cold indifference. They both turn their heads at the same time and stare at me, their expressions identical for the first time in their lives: a perfect, synchronized mask of pure, unadulterated shock and suspicion.

"Did she just- look at you?" Rina asks, her voice full of a dangerous confusion.

"I think so," Haruka adds, her eyes narrowed. "Why would she look at you?"

"I do not know!" I say, my hands up in surrender. "Maybe she thought I was a staff member! Maybe I have a piece of lint on my hoodie! I have no idea!"

The two queens look at each other. The rivalry that has defined their lives has just been rendered obsolete. They have been so busy fighting each other that a new, more powerful player has taken the entire board. The game has changed, and they both know that if they want to stay in it, they are going to have to change with it.