The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
"Well then, could you show us Nina’s drawing next?"
When Nokia said that, she looked a little excited.
As a mother, she was surely very curious to see what kind of picture her beloved daughter had drawn.
"M-mine is… this."
What Nina had drawn was herself—
No, it was Nokia.
The lines were rough, and the proportions were a little off.
But since it was drawn by a child, that wasn’t something to worry about.
Nina’s drawing might have been rough, but…
The Nokia depicted in it was smiling with a very gentle expression.
It was a warm picture that conveyed just how much she was loved and how much she meant to Nina.
"Is this… me?"
"Yeah. I drew… Mama."
"Hehe, thank you. I’m very happy."
"Ehehe."
While they were having this heartwarming exchange—
"Nina really is a wonderful kid, huh."
"Did you see that, Iris? Being able to do something like that naturally, without calculating it—that’s what scores the highest."
"Ugh…"
Tania grinned slyly, and Iris shrank back.
Then she let out a deep sigh.
"I feel as though I’ve been shown just how impure I am…"
"Meow…"
Kanade gently patted Iris on the shoulder to comfort her.
Really, what was everyone even doing?
"Hmph! Next, we shall show you our masterpiece!"
"Prepare to be amazed!"
Luna and Rifa stepped forward proudly.
With a dramatic flourish, they revealed their drawings.
"Oh…"
"This is…"
"Ain’t this pretty darn good?"
"Indeed, it is a fine painting."
The teachers all voiced their admiration.
And for good reason.
Luna and Rifa had drawn a magnificent landscape.
Not just any scenery, but the exact view visible from the rooftop of this house.
It was so precise it felt as if the scene had been cut straight out of reality…
And the clouds looked as though they might start moving at any moment, giving the whole piece a vibrant sense of life.
That wasn’t all.
Luna’s painting enhanced Rifa’s, and Rifa’s complemented Luna’s.
Their works influenced each other beautifully, and when displayed side by side, their charm multiplied many times over.
"We love nature!"
"Yeah, what do you think?"
"Wow, that’s amazing!"
"It’s so like Luna and Rifa."
Everyone else praised them as well.
The two’s unexpected talent drew generous applause.
There were no official rankings, but…
If there had been, Luna and Rifa would surely have tied for first place.
"Fuhahaha! Victory belongs to us, the Flat-Chest Sisters!"
"V!"
"Is that really something to be proud of…?"
Luna and Rifa were basking in triumph—
But then, the ultimate challenger appeared.
"Declaring victory now is a bit premature."
That’s right.
They still hadn’t seen Sora’s drawing.
What kind of picture had Sora drawn?
Another landscape like Luna’s?
Or maybe a portrait?
Either way, everyone was eager to see it.
There was a strong sense of anticipation and excitement, trusting that Sora would surely deliver a masterpiece.
"Well then, could you show us your drawing, Sora?"
"Yes! This is Sora’s proud masterpiece!"
Sora revealed her picture confidently—
"W-WHAT!?"
In an instant, everyone froze.
Even Al, who was usually bold and composed, had her face twitching violently.
Nokia, who never lost her smile, looked on the verge of tears.
And everyone else…
They trembled as if a demon king had appeared before them, their faces pale and rigid.
"Why are you reacting like that?"
"M-my sister… what in the world is that grotesque thing?"
"Can’t you tell? It’s a flower blooming behind the house."
"A flower… a flower?"
"The flowers I know don’t have legs…"
"Or arms…"
As Kanade and Tania pointed out, the flower Sora had drawn somehow had arms and legs.
No, that wasn’t all—
"Why does it have eyes, a mouth, and a nose…?"
"Why does this flower look angry?"
"Grrrr… woof! Woof!"
It even ended up being regarded as an enemy by Sakura.
"F-fweh…"
"I-it’s scaryyyyy…"
Nina and Finia hugged each other, tears welling in their eyes.
"Th-this pressure…! You think I’d lose to a mere drawing!?"
Iris was struck by an inexplicable sense of dread.
"Um, wait a second. Sora really can’t accept everyone’s reactions."
"Well… I hate to say it, but I think this reaction is completely justified."
"Even you, Rain!?"
"It’s a flower… or maybe not…"
No one had ever seen the Demon King before, but…
Everyone felt that this was probably what it would look like.
"Th-th-that’s unacceptable!!!"
And thus, Sora’s anguished scream echoed through the room.
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