Chapter 63 Peace Negotiation, Part ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Ku-ku-ku-ku-ku… Wahahahaha! Kanata, I really— whoa!”
The ground collapsed beneath Tsubasa’s feet, cutting his laughter short as the earth swallowed him whole.
…What’s happening?
Miyako froze, panic locking her limbs as the world shifted before her eyes.
Why… why is this happening?
Just moments ago, Kanata and Tsubasa had looked like two old friends reminiscing in peace. Miyako had relaxed, believing the negotiation would succeed. Then, without warning, Tsubasa had turned his blade on Kanata.
She still couldn’t understand why.
Before she could react, the ground caved in again. Kanata vanished first—and now Tsubasa was gone too.
”Ah… a-ahh… what’s going on?”
”Mya-ko! Snap out of it!”
How long had she been standing there? It felt both endless and instant. When her senses returned, Maya was gripping her arm, pulling her into a sprint.
”Eh— Maya-chan?”
”Mya-ko! Do you understand what’s happening?”
Miyako gave a shaky nod as they ran.
”Then put up a barrier!”
She reacted instinctively, casting a Magic Barrier around them. The Empire soldiers charging in were thrown back as if struck by an invisible wall.
”Keep running!”
Still gripping Miyako’s hand, Maya dashed forward, maintaining the barrier. Miyako fired several flame bullets behind them for cover. The unsuspecting soldiers took the blasts head-on, bursting into flames and scattering their formation.
”El-san! Sakura-san! Millie!”
They joined up with Millie and Princess Sakura, who were still fighting the Golem Tsubasa had summoned. Maya and Miyako helped knock it back, then retreated together.
”Maya, what’s happening?” El asked, issuing orders while keeping her focus on the field.
Amisa, Saria, and Rena had also regrouped after being ambushed by Human forces—but they were now nearly surrounded.
”I’m sorry, I don’t know either! All I do know is the negotiation failed, we’re about to be trapped, and Kanata-kun was swallowed by the ground!”
”…Escape routes?” El asked calmly.
”Four o’clock looks weak—wait, Ogre forces?”
”So they’ve finally arrived,” Princess Sakura said, hefting her battle axe. She turned toward the Ogre army approaching from that direction.
Those Ogres were the troops she had kept hidden as a precaution.
”El-dono, our pact ends here,” Sakura declared.
”Sakura…”
”With Kanata-dono gone, the pact means nothing. From this moment, the Ogre Tribe fights for its own freedom. Do as you will.”
Without another word, she marched toward her warriors.
The Ogres clashed with the Human soldiers, breaking the encirclement and opening a path to escape.
”Princess Sakura… you have our deepest thanks! —What are you waiting for? Move!”
El bowed once toward Sakura’s back, then shouted to Maya and the others, charging through the gap.
Amisa, Saria, and Rena followed.
”Big sis, are they going to die back there?” Rena asked as they ran.
The question snapped Maya and Miyako back to the present.
Right now, they had only one priority—get to safety.
Maya forced herself to focus.
Kanata had fallen into the earth, but her Collar of Subjugation remained intact. If he were dead, the geas woven into the collar would have broken. That meant he was still alive.
If he was alive, they could save him—but only if they survived first. That was why El had chosen to retreat.
”El! This way! Jump on! Mya-ko!”
”Got it… dark mist!”
At Maya’s call, El and the others gathered around her. Miyako cast the spell.
Dark Mist—normally a low-level magic that shrouded the area in darkness, blocking vision and confusing enemies. But this time, its purpose was different: to wrap them in shadow.
”Shadow Jump!”
Millie grabbed Maya’s right hand; Miyako held her left. Amisa and Rena clung to her waist, Saria latched onto her legs, and El perched on her head like a cat.
A blink later, they were in the fort’s backyard.
El immediately took off to rally the defenses.
* * *
…Where am I?
Darkness surrounded him.
”Ugh… that idiot Tsubasa, what was he thinking…”
It wasn’t pitch-black; after a moment, his eyes adjusted enough to make out shapes.
”A dungeon…?”
Kanata looked around slowly. Stone walls enclosed a dead end.
Kanata studied his surroundings.
Faint moss glimmered between cracks in the stone walls, the only light source down here. Even after his eyes adjusted, he could barely see beyond an arm’s reach.
Still, a narrow path stretched forward.
He sighed. “Guess I’d better check my gear first.”
He patted himself down, checking for any changes. Everything felt in place—his clothes, his armor, the pouch at his waist. Relief washed through him.
That pouch was a magic item—small on the outside, but roomy as a full storage chest inside. For short expeditions, it held more than enough.
”Rations… if I’m careful, maybe two weeks’ worth.”
He lit a lantern from the pouch, flooding the stone corridor with a warm, flickering glow. Under the light, he sorted his supplies: a dismantling knife, flint and tinder, a few sticks of firewood, several potions, a compact cooking set, bedroll, and a canteen that refilled itself with mana. Emergency rations, too.
He’d packed for exploration. It paid off.
Water wasn’t a concern—the enchanted canteen would last as long as his mana did—but living on rations alone wasn’t ideal.
If I can find something edible in this dungeon, that’d help…
He tucked everything neatly back into the pouch and stood.
”Alright. Time to move.”
He didn’t know where he was, but staying put wouldn’t change anything. Lantern in hand, Kanata stepped forward into the dark.
* * *
When Tsubasa opened his eyes, his head throbbed.
”Huh? Where am I…?”
Stone walls surrounded him. “A dungeon?”
Then he noticed something strange. “Why’s there a lantern here?”
He blinked, confused, at the faint light beside his feet.
”Oh, you’re awake.”
A voice came from nearby. Footsteps approached, and Kanata crouched beside him.
”Kanata… why are you here?”
”What do you mean, ‘why’? I’m your friend, aren’t I?”
”Friend? You and me?”
Kanata’s shoulders slumped at Tsubasa’s skeptical tone.
”A-ah… I’m kidding. Of course we’re friends. Best friends, even!”
”…That’s kind of creepy when you say it like that.”
”Hey, that’s harsh!”
Kanata laughed, and after a moment, Tsubasa found himself laughing too. The tension melted away.
* * *
Tsubasa was born the only son of the Ninari Conglomerate family.
His grandfather rejoiced at the long-awaited heir and immediately began an intense, almost obsessive program of education.
Tsubasa responded to every expectation, excelling at everything placed before him.
His mother, on the other hand, often sighed that she’d wanted a daughter. She delighted in dressing her young son in girls’ clothes—handmade, every one of them. Watching her sew so effortlessly, Tsubasa absorbed her skill without even realizing it.
Even as a child, he showed a rare talent for learning. A glance, a few words—he could mimic almost anything. But as he grew, he began to understand his own limits.
He could do most things well—no, very well—but he couldn’t surpass those who had devoted their lives to mastery. He lacked the perseverance of those called geniuses.
Since he reached high standards without effort, he never learned how to push himself. He could always be second or third best. Being first required drive he didn’t possess.
And so he gave up trying.
What his grandfather thought of that, he never said. The old man simply continued to teach, shifting from depth to breadth—broad, shallow lessons in every field.
To the patriarch, Tsubasa’s gift wasn’t raw brilliance but versatility.
He believed the Ninari Conglomerate, which he had built with his own hands, didn’t need a prodigy. It needed someone who could understand the whole picture and make balanced decisions. Tsubasa was perfect for that.
To Tsubasa himself, his grandfather’s “education” was just another way to kill time in a dull life.
Then one day, a marriage proposal arrived.
The partner was the daughter of an influential Diet member.
And in that world, “meeting” usually meant “engagement,” unless disaster struck.
Her name was Shijo Maika—daughter of Shijo Yuuto, a man whispered to be Japan’s next prime minister, and great-granddaughter of Ono Taizo, a retired but still powerful political broker.
Compared to them, the Ninari Conglomerate was outclassed. Refusal wasn’t an option.
All the more reason he couldn’t hide his gender identity issues.
When they finally met alone, Tsubasa decided to tell her the truth.
He expected disgust, or at least polite rejection. That would end the arrangement, and he could go back to his quiet life.
Instead, Maika smiled.
”If you like women, that’s fine, isn’t it? As long as your body works normally, you can still have children.”
Tsubasa froze.
”Besides,” she added with an airy laugh, “if you’re willing to be my accomplice, I don’t mind helping you either.”
The revelation hit him harder than any insult.
That Maika was calm—almost amused—and that she was… Kanata’s sister.
In truth, Maika and Kanata weren’t related by blood. That was why Maika felt free to imagine a future where she could stay by Kanata’s side.
But soon, she noticed another woman hovering around him—a figure from Tsubasa’s own past. Kitahara Sayaka. His first love.
He’d met Sayaka years ago, when his grandfather had brought him to a formal party. Children of their age were rare at such events, and so they’d naturally grown close. Before long, he’d fallen for her.
But once Tsubasa began to wrestle with his gender identity, that tender affection grew confusing. When they met again at school, he didn’t know how to act around her and quietly kept his distance.
Now that same Sayaka seemed to have fallen for Kanata. The thought sparked a small, painful flame of jealousy.
And then came Maika’s proposal.
”Why not change the arrangement?” she said sweetly. “Let Sayaka take my place as your fiancée. Then you and I can both be with our first loves, can’t we, Tsubasa-sama?”
It was an appealing offer. Too appealing. But part of him refused to believe Kanata and Sayaka were actually together.
He didn’t answer then. A few days later, he happened to see them together on the rooftop, sharing lunch and laughter.
”…”
”To be honest,” Tsubasa said now, his voice low, “I was jealous. I felt betrayed. That’s why I agreed to Maika’s plan.”
Kanata scratched his head. “Even so… jealousy’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?”
”I know. Sayaka told me you two weren’t actually dating. She just wanted to know what it felt like to have a boyfriend.” Tsubasa exhaled, almost laughing at himself. “But jealousy doesn’t care about logic. When I reached out to Maika again, she arranged an engagement meeting with Sayaka in no time. And since it came from the Shijo family, the Kitaharas couldn’t refuse—unless they wanted a full-blown scandal. I knew it was dirty, but I couldn’t stop it.”
”Not very like you,” Kanata said gently, “but that just means you really cared.”
Tsubasa nodded faintly. “Yeah. But when that whole incident happened right before the meeting, I figured it was karma. Still, I promised myself I’d protect Sayaka, no matter what. Then I saw you take even that role from me, and something inside me broke. I thought—if Kanata disappeared, everything would make sense again. So… will you disappear for me?”
His voice turned calm, almost kind. But the killing intent that surged around him was unmistakable.
”Wait! Stop! You’ve got it all wrong!” Kanata spread his hands, stringing invisible threads in the air around them—just in case he had to restrain him. “First off, Sayaka’s first love wasn’t me. It was you.”
The murderous aura flickered and faded. Tsubasa froze. “What…?”
”It’s true,” Kanata said firmly. “The day you saw us on the rooftop, we were talking about you. She told me about the first time she met you. Said you were wearing a pale pink dress.”
Tsubasa’s breath caught. He remembered. His mother had stayed up all night sewing that dress for him. No one else could’ve known.
”Sayaka said that the little girl in that dress was adorable—and that she couldn’t get her out of her mind. Even after she found out that girl was actually a boy, her heart still raced whenever she thought of you.”
Kanata paused, watching Tsubasa’s stunned expression. “So yeah. She’s been carrying that crush ever since.”
It made sense now—Sayaka’s quiet blushes, her awkward laughter. Kanata had felt a strange irritation at the time. Jealousy, he realized now. Maybe he wasn’t so different from Tsubasa after all.
”But there’s more,” Kanata said. “Sayaka knows about your struggle too.”
Tsubasa jolted. “She—she knows!?”
”She does. Honestly, I learned not to underestimate how fast girls share information.”
That made Tsubasa shiver. “That’s terrifying…”
Kanata grinned. “Anyway, Miyako asked for help, so with Setsugekka’s cooperation—and a little dungeon magic—I made this.”
He pulled a small bottle from his pouch, holding it up with a flourish. “Ta-da! Feminization potion!”
He even imitated the voice of a certain blue robotic cat from an old anime, shaking the vial dramatically.
”You’ve got to be kidding me…”
”No joke. Tested it on the Otaku Trio. Works perfectly. It’s not a temporary transformation either—you’d actually become a girl. I was planning to offer it as a peace token.”
Tsubasa swallowed. “What’s the price? What do you want in return?”
”Huh?”
”For the potion! What’s your goal? Don’t tell me—you plan to turn me into a girl and then…!”
He clutched his chest protectively and backed away.
Kanata sighed. “I told you—I’m not into guys!”
He tossed the vial underhand.
”It’s a peace offering. I want your Double Wing faction to be a bridge between your kind and humans. We’ll keep to our own business, but if you’re interested, we can open trade routes. Maybe even form a military alliance someday.”
”Understood!”
Tsubasa nodded sharply, uncorked the vial, and drank it in one gulp.
—
Tsubasa-kun—turns into a girl!?
A friend reborn as a girl… and Kanata’s still a guy. What could possibly go wrong?
Notes:
• Tsubasa – A classmate, and a gift holder of Creator. He has an androgynous charm, popular yet approachable, bonds with Taichi’s group. The only son of the Ninari Conglomerate family.
• Miyako – Quiet library girl with golden hair, intelligent and book-savvy, occasional silent companion to Kanata.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
• Maya – Cheerful brown-haired girl, naturally charming and social, Kanata’s classmate and morning conversation neighbor.
• Millie – A desperate female knight, sheds pride for survival, her trembling pleas and fiery spirit captivating Kanata’s interest. Captured on Chapter 19, when squad raiding the dungeon.
• Sakura – Sent with her Ogrekin tribe in Angula’s Aaren Plains war, Sakura was captured with Annamira’s 18th Squad. Meeting Kanata, she boldly claimed the role of his “Second Consort~desuwa”—an Ojou-sama whose teasing elegance hides a cruel, playful edge.
• Amisa – Fallen Demon noble of Grayladd, joined Angula’s Aaren Plain campaign with maid Saria , captured with Rena, Annamira, Sheila; spared by Kanata, now loyal aide with maid Saria, calls him “Master/Big Brother.” Reminder: ex-heiress turned submissive servant.
• Rena – A silver-blue haired commoner drafted for water magic. Brave but naive, she tried to save Annamira and was recaptured. To spare others from ogres, she volunteered first as a slave. Her trademark is the imouto archetype, calling Kanata “Onii-chan” in her shy-yet-clingy water-mage way.
• Saria – Former maid of Grayladd house, captured with Amisa in Aaren Plain campaign. Unlike her mistress, quickly submitted to Kanata after capture, now serves as his devoted aide and handler for Amisa. Reminder: loyal maid, pragmatic in survival.
• Maika – Daughter of Yuuto and Karen, Kanata’s half-sister, mentioned postscript as a rich, yandere girl with a crush on Kanata. From a powerful family, she’s possessive and willful.
• Ono – Ruthless elder statesman who forces Yuuto’s marriage to his granddaughter to secure power. Sees people as tools, focused on control and political gain.
• Yuuto – Kanata’s estranged father, a Diet Member who aids Yoriko then marries Ono’s granddaughter under pressure. Guilt-ridden yet ambitious, he hides behind politics.
• Kitahara – Sayaka’s Family Name.
• Saya – Orphanage sister of Maya and Miyako, later adopted into the wealthy Kitahara family for a political marriage. Holds rare Gift Princess Knight (Valkyrie): versatile fighter-leader with light magic, stronger than Morita’s Commander. Quiet in Class A but bound by childhood oath to protect Maya and Miyako. Torn between duty as Kitahara heir and hidden first love for Kanata.
• Sayaka – Athletic blonde with sharp presence, expert in multiple martial arts, Kanata’s lunch-time sparring partner and admired distant figure.
• Setsugekka – Trio of Yukishiro Kotono, Tsukikage Maria, and Hanasaki Haruka.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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