-Spiritual Kinship- 2nd half

Chapter 26 - King's rule

"Ooh!" Tohka exclaimed in awe as she studied the interior of the palace along with the Yamai sisters and the others. But that was to be expected. Currently, they were located inside the lavish party hall within the royal castle.

They had relied on Kotori's inspiration and finally succeeded in surmounting the guard of the castle's gate. Despite that however, the guard was still profoundly dumbfounded when he saw them. He gave them a look of suspicion, but that was all.

"Ah, everyone please don't wander off too far. If you go out of the flames range, your true self will be revealed. Especially you Tohka. Bringing a katana to a VIP party is anything but reassuring." Kotori informed as she raised the torch

"Umu! Understood!" Tohka replied with plenty of vitality.

However a few seconds later, next to Tohka, the Yamai sisters were about to defiantly charge out of the flame's limit range when Syouji and Shidou grabbed them before pulling them back.

"Oh no you don't! Stay back here Kaguya!" Shidou said that with his hand firmly grasping Kaguya's shoulder. 

"Yuzuru. Where do you think you're going? You should stay by my side." 

"S-Sorry Shidou... I was about to do something reckless." Kaguya shifted her gaze downwards.

"Apology. I will exercise caution and stay near Shuuna-san hereafter." Yuzuru said in a disheartened manner. 

At that moment—

"Ah? Syouji, it's you!" 

Syouji turned his head towards the voice that called out to him as his sights went up towards the grandiose staircase. Over there was a magnificently dressed girl that had beautiful blond hair and deep pink eyes. The invitees stared in awe saying "It's the princess" "she finally woke up huh?" they were saying stuff like that as the girl steadily walked down the staircase.

"Umu, it's Mayuri-chan!" Tohka pointed out as Mayuri bowed to them courteously as if to keep up appearances.

"Tohka! and the others are here too, huh?" Mayuri said with a beaming grin. "Hey have you heard? They brought an annoying loud Mermaid to the ball you know?"

"A-Ah yeah. We've heard." Syouji said with a wry smile. "Any idea where she is?"

"I've been looking around and dnced with a couple folks, but... I haven't seen her anywhere. Maybe—"

As Mayuri was glancing around the expansive hall, an anonymous figure could be seen conceitedly approaching Shidou.

"—Good evening, pretty miss."

"Huh?"

The unexpected salutation caused Shidou to turn his line of sight towards the source. Before his eyes was a confident young man wearing a swallow-tailed coat, carrying himself with eease and poise.

"May I have this dance?" The young man gently smiled and extended his hand forward as Syouji stood there with an evil grin. Seeing that, Shidou looked towards Kotori instead.

"Haha, he seems to be asking you out. You're rather well-received Kotori. Syouji might be getting jealous~"

"There's no such thing! Rather than that, he seems to be fancying you instead you know?" Syouji interjected as the young man shook his head and gazed directly into Shidou's eyes.

"Yes, not the lady over there, I'm referring to you."

"....Eh?" Shidou grimaced in perplexity as he recalled that his current appearance had been transformed into that of the cute Shiori-chan through Kotori's matches. However, Shidou had no interest in partaking in a dance with another male.