Transcendence Volume 2: Awakening

Chapter 39: White Rosario

[September 1, 2023, Monday]

[First Day of the Tsukiyama-Aomori Sports Festival]

"And since then I've been curious about him ever since," Hanako told Karen.

"But you know," She continued as her shoulders slumped. "Even though I've known him for three years, he's always distant."

"I can relate to that," Karen commented. "Natsuki is not only my first friend he's always been distant. There are times he would hide his actual feelings on certain things that anyone else would have told their closest friends."

'First name basis already?' Hanako thought slightly envious of her. "If you think about it, those two are two sides of the same coin given how they act towards us. While they try their best to not hurt us, it's clear that they are still reluctant as if—"

"—they're scared." Karen continued as she looked down becoming more interested in the can of coffee she had bought.

"Ugh screw this," Hanako said in mild annoyance as she finished her fruit tea and threw it on the nearby trashcan earning a satisfied smirk from the girl as it went inside with an audible Clunk!

"I'm not sure about you but I'm sick of zero progress on my relationship, the author isn't that good at writing romance either." Hanako continued as she turned to Karen crossing her arms. "How about we work together?"

"Uh, how exactly are we going to pull that off?" Karen said in mild confusion. "We're on two different schools save for certain."

Eventually, she realized something, they're both daughters of influential members within the school. They can easily think of a way to get strong-arm the two into getting into the Sports Festival.

"But that feels wrong, sure we're rich but won't that push them away that we're using their social status into getting them here?" Karen told Hanako as she went to the trash can to throw her can of coffee. "What? No, I wasn't going to use that method, I mean like we can trade plans on how we can improve our relationship with those two." Hanako said slightly amused from what Karen had thought.

"That's a relief, that's one of the things Natsuki didn't like to our classmates," Karen said with a relieved smile. "Honestly Fuyumori isn't so fond of the idea of using wealth either." Hanako shrugged something that she learned a while back.

"So what do you have in mind?"

[Sunken City of Mahri]

[Tritoth]

"So what brings you to this magical underwater place?" AnriMyzu asked as she hopped along the water as they entered a side entrance to the city.

"Field trip," Hanamiya lied, she didn't trust AnriMyzu even if she had the power to blow away a Sea Bear, or rather it was another reason why she doesn't trust her. She's too powerful to go out of their way to help them.

"Wierd field trip but sure," AnriMyzu shrugged eventually they came upon a barnacle-encrusted set of gates.

"Looks like they're sealed shut," Hanamiya noted as two Archileo staff members walked towards it and began to push it.

"Nothing that a little bit of elbow grease won't do," AnriMyzu said confidently as she walked towards it and began pushing it. To their surprise, the barnacles that got in the way of the hinges began to fall apart as the gate began to slowly open revealing a small tunnel as small lanterns began to light up illuminating the path ahead.

"I know it's a bit too late to ask but is this path even considered safe?" Hanamiya asked as she was tempted to release a mana blast into the hallway to see if someone or something is hiding at the end.