Chapter 2 - Episode 2: The Start of a Banquet of Pleasure

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Scene: Kaon guild house.

Suzume
W-What's going on? Why does everyone have such scary faces...?

Maho
Shhh... Please, be quiet -- this appears to be an emergency situation.

Maho
There might be a battle. It might be better for you guests to evacuate.

Maho casts a spell.

Maho
Mmm... No good, I tried using reconnaissance magic. It seems like our guild house has been surrounded. If we make any careless movements, we'll probably be sniped.

Suzume
E-Eh? W-W-What do you mean?

Maho
Well, we're under attack. Even though our guild Kaon only partakes in carefree, peaceful activities...

Maho
I wonder who it could be. I can't remember ever being attacked like this. ... Huh?

Kaori
I hear footsteps! How bold, they're coming straight from the front! Okay, I'm going to intercept them!

Makoto enters.

Makoto
H-Hey, wait! It's me, don't attack!?

Kaon
Ah? Makoto, you had me confused, you know? You almost fell victim to my karate!

Makoto
Ahaha... It's a relief to see that you're prepared to attack the enemy, though. If you'd been taking it easy like usual, the enemy could have taken us all out at once, you know?

Maho
Who exactly is this enemy? We don't know what's going on.

Makoto
Um... It doesn't look like I've got time to give you the full story.

Makoto
But first off, it's all my fault! I'm sorry! It's all because I was acting rashly -- I can't make any excuses!

Yuuki
1. "What do you mean..."

Maho
I don't fully understand either, but you don't need to apologize, Makoto. We of Kaon are all in this together, so you can't shoulder this blame all by yourself.

Maho
If this is Makoto's responsibility, then it's all of our responsibilities. So, let's all deal with this together. Now, as soon as you can, please tell us what the situation is.

Makoto
Ah... I thought Okuto's behavior seemed off, so I roughed him up a bit and questioned him. Once I did, I found out the truth behind today's ruckus.

Makoto
Of course, Okuto... His goal was to capture that girl named Muimi, or Noemu, or whatever.

Makoto
But beyond that, he seemed to be wrapped up in another inescapable situation.

Makoto
I already thought that he was going too far just to try to capture this one girl. Setting up a magical land mine, and attacking with so many people... I should have realized that something was off about it back then.

Makoto
Even going as far as recruiting me, a junior who'd barely had any connection with him up until then, just to bolster his fighting force...

Makoto
There was someone pulling the strings from behind, this entire time.

Makoto
To put it simply, Okuto was being used. It seemed like that fool was no match for whoever the mastermind was. Could that person have something on him?

Makoto
The attack on that carriage was reckless beyond belief.

Animated cutscene

Makoto
In any case, there's an even more urgent situation at hand!

Makoto
I got set up!

Maho
Set up? By whom?

Maho
Could that mastermind be...

The wall explodes.

Christina
I heard you talking about me, so I decided to show!

Christina
Pardon me for coming so late at night, but you have a guest!

End of animated cutscene.

Makoto
Whoa? Isn't that over the top, coming in by knocking down the wall!? This person, isn't she with Nightmare...?

Christina
Right, allow me to introduce myself first. My title is that of a knight, but I never quite learned the proper etiquette.

Christina
Consider this a present from the underworld. Carve my name into your minds.

Christina
My name is Christina Morgan. I am the strong, beautiful lieutenant of the illustrious Nightmare.^[1]

Christina
Tonight, I've come to exterminate the part-beast eyesores that have been prowling around the neighborhood.

Christina
So, who would like to be the first to the slaughter? I'll even let you choose the manner and order in which you die? Ahahaha...!

Makoto
You, what do you think you're doing all of a sudden! You've got guts, attacking our guild house -- are you trying to start a war?

Makoto
If you want a fight, then I'll take you! Prepare yourself!

Maho
Please, be patient, Makoto. You mustn't fight, because that's what she wants. That would really turn into a war, wouldn't it...?

Makoto
Don't stop me, Princess! There's no room for discussion here -- all of them are heavily armed!

Makoto
They're all ready to fight! If we don't fight back, we'll be destroyed!

Christina
Ha ha. You're looking lively, dog. Do you want to be the first to die?

Makoto
Hah? Don't get cocky -- if you think you can kill me, then how about trying!?

Maho
W-Wait, I told you not to let her provoke you... Makoto, why must you be so hot-headed?

Maho
Um, Miss Christina? As the guild master of Kaon, I would like to ask what your business here is.

Maho
What exactly are you thinking? Is it not tactless for you to barge into our house and track in so much dirt?

Maho
Nightmare may be a guild serving directly under the imperial house, but... If you thought that we would allow you to do whatever you please, you're mistaken, understand?

Christina
Ah... Ahaha, such courage.

Christina
I admire your courage in facing me without fear, but your way of speaking is wasted on me, see? Save your spit for the heavens!

Christina
As you say, we have the backing of the Empress... whose emblem is right on our uniforms! Justice is on the side of Nightmare!

Makoto
It's useless, Princess. This isn't the time for negotiation.

Makoto
We were set up... Over there, um, Miss Maid? The problem was that you were in the carriage that was attacked.

Suzume
Huh? M-Me? Sorry, is it my fault!?

Makoto
No, it's not your fault. But, the problem is the guild that you're in.

Makoto
You're a member of one of the guilds under the umbrella of the Princess Knights, right?

Suzume
Ah, yes. My guild, the Sarendia Orphanage, is one of the guilds under the Princess Knights.

Suzume
Even though it's in the official documents, in truth, we don't actually have much to do with them.

Makoto
How things are in reality isn't the problem. The problem is... our guild Kaon had a major hand in attacking that carriage.

Makoto
Kaon is under the umbrella organization for beastpeople, the "Animal Garden". You know that, right?

Makoto
The Animal Garden and the Princess Knights are, and have always been, on bad terms. Up until now, there have been small skirmishes here and there.

Makoto
To be honest, things were always one step away from going off. Today just had the effect of turning the embers that had already been burning into an explosion.

Makoto
The attack on that carriage... From the outside, it looks like the Animal Garden attacked a member of the Princess Knights and tried to kill her.

Makoto
That's the short of it. Now, it looks like we were the ones who started the war.

Suzume
Ehh? But the fact that I was on that carriage was just a coincidence...? And it didn't seem like anyone there was targeting me?

Makoto
Maybe, but it was set up to look that way. That group wanted an excuse for war. The attack on that carriage was just a part of their plan.

Makoto
Nightmare is claiming retribution for the attack on one of their comrades... which allows them to attack our guild house.

Makoto
In reality, it looks to the rest of the world that they have justice on their side.

Christina
That's right, aren't you a clever one! Let me hug you and call you a good girl!

Christina
Well, in reality, any excuse would have done just fine, you know? We just used that Okuto person because he happened to be in the right place.

Christina
I'm simply sick of this halfhearted peace! I wanted to start a war, so I just cooked something up, you know?

Christina
To think it worked so easily... It almost feels anticlimatic now! Ahahaha...

Christina
I'm sure that even the god that governs this world would rather see blood and guts than this boring daily life!

Christina
This is fate. Give up and accept it! Together, let's enjoy stretching out this battle to the death!

Christina
It doesn't really matter if you don't want to fight. It'll just be a one-sided massacre! I can still dance even if my partner isn't into it!

Christina
So, my comrades in Nightmare, let out your anger at this long peace! Fill your cups with the blood of these beasts!

Christina
It's the start of a wonderful banquet! Ahahahaha...