I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit

The glass door swung open, the bell overhead chiming softly. A girl with pure white hair and an icy expression stepped into the café.

And immediately, her gaze met Melusine's.

Origami Tobiichi and Melusine — two girls, both equally expressionless, stared silently at each other. Time seemed to slow between them.

Finally, Melusine lifted her hand and pointed in a direction.

"The person you're looking for is over by the window, Table 3."

Origami didn't respond right away. Instead, she stared unwaveringly into Melusine's eyes. That blank, unreadable gaze of hers always carried a unique pressure when locked in a stare.

Origami knew Melusine. After all, just a few days ago, she'd personally witnessed Melusine on a date with her beloved, Itsuka Shidou.

Origami was well aware: Shidou often went on dates with Spirits, and at the end of the date, he would seal their Spirit powers, turning them into ordinary humans.

Thus, upon seeing Melusine and Shidou together, Origami had immediately used her equipment to scan Melusine, uploading the data to AST and requesting a cross-check against known Spirit records, while also testing for any Spirit energy.

However, the result was clear:

—Melusine was not a Spirit.

Not only was there no match for her appearance in the database, but there was also no trace of Spirit energy detected from her whatsoever.

No matter how she looked at it, Melusine was just an ordinary girl, through and through.

Furthermore, judging by her previous experience in the men's restroom, Melusine seemed unlikely to obstruct her and Shidou from getting closer. In fact, she had even cooperated — helping to close the door and keep others from interrupting her precious moment with Shidou.

Although someone still ended up barging in, Melusine's attitude back then had been more than enough to earn Origami's goodwill.

And now, without a word, Melusine had voluntarily pointed her to Shidou's location. Such a small gesture made Origami's favorable impression of her grow even stronger.

This person isn't an enemy — she's an ally!

Origami couldn't explain why, but she found herself instinctively trusting Melusine.

Moreover, there was something about Melusine — something faintly familiar — that tugged at her memory.

But Origami didn't have time to dwell on it. She had someone to find.

"Thank you," she said simply.

Leaving those words behind, Origami briskly walked past Melusine, heading straight toward Shidou and Tohka.

Meanwhile, noticing Origami's approach, Tohka instantly reacted like a kitten guarding its territory, bristling with wariness.

The sight of Origami and Tohka squaring off over Shidou — vying for his attention — was practically a legendary scene in this world. But Melusine, for her part, was beginning to lose interest in paying them any mind.

Just as Manager Yami had predicted, Melusine's presence was drawing more and more customers. By the time Shidou and the others finished their meal and left, the café was almost completely packed.

And most of the customers... were girls.

Clearly, they weren't here for the food.

They were here for Melusine.

"Lancelot! Hurry and come take our order!"

"...You're the servers here. If you want something, you can just tell the kitchen yourselves."

Facing a group of maids — her so-called "senpai" — who were staring at her with starry-eyed anticipation, Melusine remained impassive, but inwardly she felt a pang of helplessness.

"Come on, it's fine! We just want to experience Lancelot's service too!"

"If you could use the same line you said to that table earlier, that would be even better."

"Could you smile for us? I want to take a picture and make it my phone wallpaper!"

"Ugh! So sneaky, I want Lancelot's charming smile as my wallpaper too!"

"M-me too... I want to record Lancelot's voice and set it as my morning alarm... Waking up to Lancelot's gentle words every day..."

Sigh... so this is the burden of being too handsome.

It's all my wife's fault. My wife's too good-looking. If girls start fighting over me because of it, that's basically a mortal sin.

"Lancelot! You really are my golden goose!"

At the counter, Manager Yami, beaming with joy at the packed house, threw herself at Melusine in a full-body hug, rubbing her cheek against her.

Ugh, this woman is so embarrassing.

Also... that extra padding on her chest is seriously getting in the way.

"However," Melusine said coolly, "I will only be working here for three days at most. What you are seeing now is merely a temporary illusion."

She warned, face unreadable, "If you don't find a way to retain some of these customers, once I leave, you'll suffer for it — and you'll have a hard time explaining things to those who came just for me."

"Ugh... Don't make Onee-san face reality so soon! Can't you let me enjoy this fleeting dream for a little longer?"

"Indulging too much in fantasy leads to drowning."

"Uwaah! Lancelot, you're so not cute!"

What nonsense! My wife is the cutest! Maybe you need a 'World's Cutest Overhead Smash' to fix that brain of yours!

"Lancelot, your hair is so silky! What shampoo do you use? Tell Onee-san, won't you?"

"I don't know. I'm not interested in such things."

"Geez! Even if you don't want to share, you shouldn't tell such obvious lies! There's no way a girl wouldn't care about stuff like that — especially a beautiful girl like you."

Melusine's tone remained indifferent — the kind that would usually cause most people to tactfully back off.

Unfortunately, Manager Yami was not most people. She clung persistently to Melusine.

Even Melusine herself was starting to find her annoying.

"A pretty girl like you must be super popular at school, right? I bet tons of boys and girls like you."

Manager Yami smiled brightly. "But it's strange... Someone like you should be famous even outside school. How come I've never heard of you before? Could it be that you're from out of town?"

"I'm not a student. I don't attend school."

"Ehh?! That's not okay!"

Manager Yami looked genuinely shocked.

"Girls your age should be in school! Even if you don't want to study, you can make lots of friends your age! Is something wrong? If there's anything troubling you, you can tell Onee-san!"

"...No need."

A subtle, uncomfortable feeling stirred in Melusine's heart, causing her to furrow her brow.

Her rejection this time was clearly laced with hostility.

But Manager Yami either didn't notice or chose to ignore it, continuing to chatter on.

"If you ever want to enroll, I think Ryūdōji Girls' Academy would be perfect for you! It's full of cute, lively girls just like you — and Onee-san would love to see such an adorable girl like you there!"

At those words, Melusine's pupils narrowed slightly.

Ryūdōji Girls' Academy? Onee-sama?

Could it be...

Melusine swiftly slipped free from Manager Yami's arms and stepped outside the counter, scanning the café with sharp eyes.

Only then did she realize — at some point, the shop had filled entirely with girls. Not a single man in sight. Every single customer was an attractive young woman, and every single one of them had their eyes fixed unwaveringly on her.

Slightly crouching, Melusine tightened her posture, her wariness sharp as her gaze swept the increasingly encroaching crowd.

The strange vibe these girls were giving off reminded her of someone she very much did not want to encounter.

Just as Melusine was weighing whether to escape immediately, a melodious voice, almost like singing, rippled through the air.

"I heard there's an incredibly adorable girl here, so I rushed right over. I hope I'm not too late?"

It was a voice that quite literally seemed to carry magical charm — a voice so beautiful it made you want to hold your breath just to listen.

"Onee-sama Miku!"

In an instant, the café exploded in cheers.

If this were an anime, Melusine swore she could see hearts popping in everyone's eyes. The fanatical atmosphere was so intense it sent chills down her spine — and she hated it.

Melusine had always avoided fanatics and zealots like the plague. They made her skin crawl with a nameless sense of danger... and right now, the crowd surrounding her gave off exactly that kind of vibe, including Manager Yami.

Following the direction of all those adoring gazes, Melusine turned and saw a dazzling girl standing there — radiant, as if under the spotlight on a grand stage.

Miku Izayoi...

Miku Izayoi — the Ninth Spirit, corresponding to the Ninth Sephirah "Yesod" on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, protected by the archangel Gabriel.

Melusine recognized her at once. After all, among the Ten Great Spirits, Miku Izayoi was the one she liked the least — the most unreasonable and aggravating of them all.

The most notorious yuri monster in this world!

Still, Melusine had to admit she owed Miku some thanks. Without her, she wouldn't have gotten to see Itsuka Shiori.

Anime's prettiest cross-dressing protagonists: Kirito (Kiritōko), Itsuka Shidō (Itsuka Shiori), Lux Arcadia...

What? You're asking about Kinoshita Hideyoshi?

Hideyoshi's gender is just "Hideyoshi," okay? Besides, he's not the protagonist.

What? You're asking about Rimuru?

Everyone knows slimes don't have a gender.

The moment Miku Izayoi appeared, it was as if all the attention in the room naturally gravitated toward her. She stood effortlessly at the center of the crowd, basking in the cheers of the surrounding girls. Clearly, she enjoyed the adoration, closing her eyes and smiling sweetly as her fans went wild once again.

And then—

Miku's gaze locked onto Melusine amidst the crowd.

There was no way not to notice her.

Among the throng of excitable girls, Melusine, standing there calm yet faintly guarded, was far too conspicuous.

Not to mention — when it came to looks, Melusine was in no way inferior to Miku Izayoi.

The planetary symbol associated with Yesod was the Moon. And Miku Izayoi was very much like the Moon — always surrounded by countless stars, dazzling in the public eye, yet fundamentally alone. Her brilliance was merely a borrowed, glittering veneer meant to conceal the wounds and loneliness within.

By contrast, Melusine resembled a clear, tranquil lake — one that, when rippled, would shimmer gently with the light of distant stars.

Even someone like Miku Izayoi was momentarily stunned when she laid eyes on Melusine in her butler uniform, expression cool and composed. Miku's jewel-like eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Wow～～!Such a beautiful girl! Even better than I expected!"

Clapping her hands against her cheeks, the Spirit of Yuri, Miku Izayoi, gazed at Melusine with shining eyes.

"I'll have to properly reward the girls who recommended this place to me. To think they found such a divine girl for me...! Although, I don't even know their names."

With elegant steps, Miku Izayoi approached Melusine, her gaze never wavering — filled with unabashed aggression and possessiveness, as though she were looking not at a living person, but at something she already owned.

"Hm? Strange... Why do you look so wary of me?"

Her slender, pale finger reached out, lightly tapping Melusine's flawless cheek. Tilting her head adorably, Miku looked genuinely puzzled.

"Have we met before? No... If it were someone as cute as you, even in a sea of faces, I would have remembered you at a glance."

"Who knows?"

Melusine's tone was a little frosty.

"Maybe... it's because I'm a boy?"

In the next instant, Miku Izayoi's entire expression chilled. Her beautiful eyes flooded with disgust and fury, like she had just laid eyes on a revolting cockroach.

"Don't joke about things like that."

Her voice this time was different — heavy with Spirit power. Everyone in the café, except for Melusine, felt as though a hammer had smashed against their heads.

"That kind of joke isn't funny at all."

"Those disgusting men... Just thinking about having to share a world with them makes me sick."

"Why can't those revolting, cockroach-like creatures just gather in some remote place and burn themselves to death?"

It was clear that Miku Izayoi harbored an intense hostility — if not outright hatred — toward all men.

Melusine, who knew something of Miku's past, could understand where that bitterness came from... but she couldn't approve of it.

What troubled her more was—

When exactly was Manager Yami taken over by Miku Izayoi?

Or was she under Miku's control from the very beginning?

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T/N: sigh... a yuri lover that hates men... unfortunate