"Why do I have to act as Forte's bodyguard even on a day off when she's just going to an amusement park? Weekdays are enough. Every time I see her face, my heart wavers. I have a fiancée, and if I spend too much time with her, I’m going to lose my mind."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Lala arrives, bringing Largo in Forte's body. Dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans, with a light spring makeup, she exudes an elegant, refined aura.

"I wasn’t waiting long," I mumble.

"Thanks for coming along today. I know it’s just a trip to the amusement park."

"Let’s just get going."

I turn away to lead the way, scanning the surroundings. No suspicious activity so far.

Zipang Village is about an hour away from our high school by magic train. It's a theme park modeled after a parallel world version of Japan.

The park is divided into four zones: the Modern Zone, featuring skyscrapers and bustling streets that represent contemporary Japan; the History Zone, which recreates the medieval city of Kyoto; the Music Zone, which showcases various Japanese music genres like gagaku, enka, folk songs, and J-pop; and the Utopia Zone, home to rides like ferris wheels and roller coasters.

While the cultured adults come to explore and learn about the different worlds, for students like us—who just want to have fun—the Utopia Zone is the place to be. It's practically a dating spot.

As we’re buying tickets, we bump into the original owner of Forte’s body—Largo.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. We’re just here to visit the amusement park."

"Seriously? A kids' park? I’m here to study taiko drums and expand my musical skills."

He’s surprisingly serious about his studies. Honestly, I’m also interested in Japan-made electronic pianos. Forte chimes in.

"That sounds great! I—um, I mean, I’m interested in shakuhachi too. And if Sharp were here, I bet he’d be fascinated by the biwa. Have you ever heard the ghost story 'Hoichi the Earless'? It's tied to the biwa, so it’s got to have some powerful magic behind it."

Lala suggests, "How about the four of us hang out together?"

But Largo declines, "I prefer to go at my own pace. I’ll be fine on my own."

"See you at school, then." Largo departs, and we head toward the Utopia Zone.

We managed to enjoy the carousel, roller coasters, and the Japanese-themed haunted house without waiting long in line, thanks to the fading popularity of theme parks. I wanted Forte to cling to me in fear during the haunted house, but... Wait, no, her body’s still a guy! What am I even hoping for?

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"You two should ride the ferris wheel together. I’ll stay behind so I don’t get in the way," Lala says.

"No, let’s all go together," Forte and I reply at the same time.

"Hmm, I thought you two were perfectly in sync," Lala teases.

Inside the gondola, the three of us talk about trivial things, enjoying the peaceful day that feels like it could last forever.

"The weather’s turning cloudy. They said it’d be clear all day," Lala remarks casually.

Soon, raindrops start hitting the glass. Lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder five seconds later.

"It’s raining! I brought enough folding umbrellas for all of us, but what if it starts pouring?" Forte, ever the thoughtful one despite having once been a boy, impresses me.

But then the gondola shakes, and eerie, string-like sounds fill the air, accompanied by a haunting song.

"The bell tolls from the Gion temple, echoing the impermanence of all things," a voice chants. It's from the Heike Monogatari, a classic from another world's Japan. The gondola rocks harder, and the temperature inside rises rapidly—it feels like we’re being roasted alive.

"We’ve got to get out of here!" I shout.

I quickly use a deep voice magic to force the door open, and Forte pulls out a saxophone from the subspace, playing a floating spell to safely lower us to the ground.

People gather around us, wondering what happened, but the gloomy weather seems to have kept the crowd sparse.

"Nice teamwork," Lala comments.

"We're not safe yet!" I warn.

"Exactly," a voice says.

We turn to see a woman standing before us, clad in a red dress and wearing a masquerade mask, her body glowing with a menacing red aura. The glow is similar to the blue one Forte’s body emits when her inner maiden awakens. And that voice... it sounds familiar.

I conjure an air piano with magic, ready for battle. "What do you want?"

"I’ve come for Forte’s life. Hand her over, and you two won’t get hurt. I’m here to avenge my sister!"

She strums the strings of her biwa, sending shockwaves toward us.

"Watch out!"

I play the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fate symphony, creating a barrier to block the attack.

"Your sister? You must be mistaken!"

"That girl's name is Forte, daughter of Akira and Elise. There's no mistake—she’s the one I seek revenge on!"

Who is she? What kind of grudge does she hold against Forte?

The enemy starts playing Atsumori, an old biwa piece. It's said to be one of the favorite pieces of a famous samurai named Oda Nobunaga, and it tells the story of a young warrior's beheading. Is she trying to say she'll take Forte’s head?

We dodge the second and third waves of attacks, but I’m starting to wear down, and so is Forte.

She's strong. Forte and I tried a session magic combo, but we were overpowered. Maybe we should scatter and escape separately.

I glance at Lala. She's trembling. If it were just Forte and me, we might stand a chance at escaping. But getting Lala out safely would make it much harder.

Suddenly, Lala seems to get an idea. She mutters a quick spell and pulls a harp from the subspace.

No! She’s no help here. Harp magic is still in its early stages. It’s supposed to calm the heart and repel dream demons, but in a fight with elemental magic like this, it’s practically useless.

She begins playing the harp, summoning holographic images of handsome men who surround Forte, taking her hands, whispering words of love, and kissing her face and lips.

"W-What’s going on?! Stop it, Lala! There are people watching! It’s so embarrassing!"

Forte’s body flickers with a blue light. Is Lala trying to power up her maiden heart to make her stronger?

But that won’t work. It’s too naive. She won’t transform that easily.

I step up, taking advantage of a brief lull in the enemy's attacks. Slowly, I move closer to Forte, backing her against a ginkgo tree. I pin her there.

"You’re a bad girl. Your pitch is completely off, little bunny. I think it’s time for some private lessons as punishment."

"L-Little bunny? Are you talking to me? Is this like the cake dream? No! Nooo!"

Her entire body glows blue. The transformation is complete.

Well, I’ve done it again—played with a guy's maiden heart. It was an emergency, but normally, I wouldn’t want to do something like this.

"For now, let’s do a session. Play as you feel, and I’ll follow your lead!"