Two people boarded.

“Just like the manual. I crammed it in desperately. I can do this! Go for it, me!”

Kaguya psyched herself up.

Today was her first time in the simulator.

KOG had age restrictions to begin with. Only high schoolers—that is, those fifteen and older—were allowed to pilot them.

If you were too young, your feet wouldn’t even reach the pedals, and you couldn’t operate it properly.

Part of it was that KOGs were dangerous, but the real reason was that you couldn’t enlist in the military until you were fifteen.

In Earthguard, fifteen was considered adulthood.

“Hehe, this is going to be fun. I just love seeing that resentful, tear-streaked face of yours.”

“You two ready? Then.”

A countdown appeared in front of their screens.

3, 2, 1… Fight!

“Begin!”

(Do your best! Kaguya!)

All Kenya could do was cheer her on.

Kaguya was an ace-grade pilot.

But was that now… or in the future? He had no idea.

The result would become clear soon enough.

“Guh!”

“Hahaha! Not bad! You’re actually staying upright! Good, good!”

“D-Don’t you dare underestimate me!!”

Kaguya maneuvered desperately.

But KOG controls weren’t that simple on your very first day.

Kenya knew that better than anyone.

It would take a full day just to get accustomed to them.

Even Kenya had practiced obsessively, but at first he’d struggled just to stand.

Watching the fight, Kenya understood.

Kaguya wasn’t ace-grade yet.

She was a total beginner.

“Here!”

“Kuh!”

She was completely at his mercy.

Putting her down for good should have been easy.

But he kept knocking her over and waiting for her to stand back up.

“Hey, Good! Cut her some slack! This is pitiful!”

“You can surrender, you know! Surrender already!”

“That’s why you losers keep losing—with all that pointless pride!”

Jeers rained down freely.

(The controls are starting to feel familiar. Now!)

“Wha!?”

Kaguya counterattacked.

It must have been unexpected; Good staggered slightly.

“Yes! Go for it, Kaguya!”

Kenya cheered.

The Japanese onlookers watched prayerfully.

(As expected of a future ace pilot. She picks it up fast!)

Her movements were still unsteady.

But she seemed to be improving bit by bit.

She was gradually pressing Good, that Earthguard creep.

“Kuh!”

“Haa!!”

Watching that, Alfred moved toward the simulator’s control panel.

“Hey, this is getting bad, right?”

“Good’s not gonna lose, is he?”

If things kept going like this, she could win.

The Japanese, Kenya included, watched with bated breath.

But gradually, something was off.

Kaguya’s HP—the one who should have had the upper hand—was dropping faster.

And Good’s damage seemed lighter.

(No way… is this)

Kenya, sensing it, glanced at Instructor Alfred.

He could see him working the panel.

(So that’s how it is… This is)

“Why? Why can’t I push through!?”

Kaguya was confused.

Attacks that should have traded damage were unilaterally draining her HP.

Kenya knew it.

He’d known this phenomenon from his old world.

(This is… the handicap system.)

The handicap system was a feature for when someone skilled played against a newbie.

It mainly adjusted damage reduction or amplification.

Originally, it was for friends with a skill gap to both enjoy themselves—but it wasn’t being used that way here.

(They don’t want her winning by that much, huh…)

“Hehe, hahaha! As if inferiors like you could ever beat us!”

“Why…… Kyaa!!”

With a violent jolt, the victor was decided.

Kaguya’s KOG belched smoke and exploded.

Good WIN!

“That was close, Good!”

“You weren’t really gonna lose, right?”

“Hehe, I just let her have a little moment in the sun. See, I’m a universalist at heart.”

He wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and slicked back his sticky hair with a dramatic flourish.

And Kaguya climbed down from the simulator.

“That’s not right! Something’s wrong with that!”

“Sigh, just admit it already. Pathetic.”

“Yeah, shut it, Kurokami. Hurry up and declare your defeat.”

Instructor Alfred stepped between the two facing off and silenced Kaguya’s protests.

“B-But!”

“You defying me? A second-class soldier?”

“……Th-That wasn’t……!”

Even as she tried to argue back, Alfred slapped Kaguya’s cheek hard.

Her lip split open, blood trickling down.

“Pathetic, really? Can’t even admit your own loss honestly. That’s where you start. Admit you lost the war. Understand your place. You’re not the sharpest tools, after all.”

“……”

Kaguya trembled.

From anger, or humiliation.

But the losers lost everything, while the victors took it all.

That was the outcome of an invasion war.

An utterly unreasonable treatment that embodied it perfectly.

“What’s the holdup? Declare it already. Oh, and don’t forget to prostrate yourself.”

Those words gouged at the proud Kaguya’s heart.

“Ugh… ugh……”

Kaguya hung her head, staring at the floor.

Sobs leaked out as tears of humiliation flowed.

“Hey, hey, no need to cry. Makes it look like I’m bullying the weak. I’m just teaching you the rules of this world, that’s all? So… hurry up! Slowpoke!”

Still, Kaguya couldn’t move.

Good approached slowly with a sigh, lifted her chin, and peered at her tearful face.

“Honestly…… But you’ve got a pretty decent face on you.”

Not even allowing her to hide her tears, Good leered at her sleazily.

“Right, how about you become my personal slave? Serve me right, and I’ll even let you bear my children. Then your kid gets first-class status. Go on, prostrate yourself and beg for it. That’s all you lot are good for… Come on! Hurry it up! Scum!”

He whispered it like a caress—then suddenly bellowed, startling Kaguya.

Her body shook with a jolt, her face paling.

Slowly, tears spilling, she started to drop to her knees.

“Ugh… ugh… M-My……”

“Voice too small!”

“M-My!”

Kaguya lowered her hips, about to kneel.

Good flashed a vulgar grin.

(Ahh… this feels so gooood~)

Ecstasy lit up his face; he was aroused.

A loathsome man who got off on tormenting and looking down on others.

But.

“Huh?”

Things didn’t go as he’d planned.

At the last second, Kaguya’s body was supported—she didn’t kneel.

One boy was holding her up.

“What’re you doing? This was just getting good.”

The one who’d caught Kaguya as she tried to kneel was Kenya.

“You don’t have to admit it. That fight just now—you won.”

Kenya was trembling.

From anger he couldn’t contain.

He was furious at the sight of Kaguya being humiliated.

He knew he should stay quiet and observe.

He didn’t know this world well yet; standing out was the last thing he needed.

He knew that in his head.

But he couldn’t hold back.

His heart, his very pulse screamed to help her.

He just couldn’t stand by and watch her cry.

So his body had moved on its own.

“Good… you’re lucky.”

Kenya spoke quietly.

Like a volcano on the verge of eruption, suppressing his rage.

“No recollection of earning a first-name basis. Who the hell are you?”

“Fight me too?”

“What’s in it for me?”

“If I lose, I’ll strip naked and prostrate myself.”

“Hehe, hahaha! Think that saves her? No dice! Both of you strip naked and prostrate, or nothing.”

“Fine.”

“W-Wait! You don’t have to get dragged into this……”

“Kaguya, trust me. I won’t lose.”

Kenya stared straight into her eyes.

Kaguya went speechless at that gaze.

There was no basis for it. No reason she should win.

And yet… she believed him. He made her want to.

His eyes burned so fiercely, fixed straight ahead.

Brimming with confidence, tempting her to lean on him.

“Is that alright, Instructor Alfred?”

“Hmm……”

(Confident, is he? But with the handicap system… no issue.)

“Very well. Have at it. Learn your place thoroughly. Consider it education.”

“……Then, Kaguya, I’m heading out.”

“Huh? Y-Yeah……”

He seated the still-trembling Kaguya and walked off.

Kaguya could only see his back—that back of the boy she’d thought was a weirdo.

It overlapped with her brother’s back, the one who’d protected her as a child.

“Hehe, looking forward to this. Though honestly, no interest in a guy’s naked body.”

The two faced off in front of the simulators.

“If I win, you swear you won’t lay a hand on her.”

“Ha! As if some second-class could beat me. Fine, I swear. But if I win, swear you’ll be my slave for life.”

The two faced each other.

Kenya glared straight ahead. Good looked down his nose.

Contrasting ruler and slave. Black hair and blond.

Japanese and Earthguard.

However—this slave, or rather, this Japanese—

“Then, begin.”

was this world’s irregular.