"So the Harmonium was moved to the basement of Fuka Palace." "It's hard to believe." "For centuries people have searched for it and now she finds it so easily." "It could be her after all." "I wonder what happened." "Perhaps the two have entered a contract." "Probably." "They seem to believe that they're successfully hiding it from us." "Should we make them cancel the contract?" "I'd like to let events unfold on their own." "This could become an important turning point." "Are you going to rely on chance?" "This may be what fate has decided." "I won't argue with you." "I'll see if I can casually persuade her to tell me what happened below the castle." "Please." "we face a bigger problem now that that thing has been sounded." "I believe even as we speak the news is spreading to people everywhere." "everything has been set in motion." "758)}Burden of{\3cHD90AF9} Destiny" "This punishment duty I have to do is a bit harsh." "Just because I skipped some of the dance battle lessons... what can I do?" "I can't take this thing off any more." "who said you could take a break?" "Arika Yumemiya!" "I'm very sorry..." "Time to eat!" "Delicious." "Ersty!" "My stomach was really growling." "You must be having a tough time since this place is so big." "that can't be helped." "Fumi." "Hey!" "I've heard about her!" "From the war of the something." "The war of the Twelve Kings." "She's the one who ended the war." "Mashiro told me." "you and Miss Mashiro seem to be really getting along." "it isn't like that." "A contract?" "!" "Arika and Queen Mashiro?" "!" "Most likely." "With that Blue Sky Sapphire." "You're saying that she was accepted by the Meister Gem and was able to use its power?" "I'm sorry Nina." "I hate to make you do things like this." "I understand." "I'll try to get her to tell me the whole story." "Arika?" "It's all right." "It's just a little infection." "Arika." "what?" "Never mind." "well..." "I should get back to work." "Thanks for lunch." "wait right there!" "I have a gift for you." "Did you get me dessert?" "Something even better." "Amazing!" "It's a machine!" "did you make this by yourself?" "it was nothing." "Our ancestors used the power of science to travel through space and come to this planet." "Does it move?" "Of course it does!" "I scrounged through junk shops and then went to Miss Yohko's place and swiped..." "Mister Cleaner 1!" "Switch on!" "Amazing!" "It moved!" "And it even blows smoke!" "what happens next?" "Tell me!" "I guess I didn't have sufficient data." "If only I could see what's behind that door." "I wanted to present this machine during the presentation part of our next exam." "Exam?" "That's right. we don't have much time." "Are you sure?" "Arika." "will you be okay?" "If you come last in two consecutive terms you'll be expelled from school." "I'll be fine... somehow..." "Still nothing." "I can't find anything on canceling a contract." "what are you researching?" "Miss Shizuru." "uh..." "Studying for the exam!" "I could help you with your studies." "Arika's so lucky." "She's getting private tutoring from Miss Shizuru." "I'm so jealous." "It isn't fair that Arika always gets all the attention." "Did you hear that sound the other day?" "It was a tremendous sound that shook the whole city." "I didn't notice the sound of an organ playing." "Is that so?" "That was a close call." "I was about to tell her all kinds of stuff." "But Miss Shizuru really is wonderful." "I wonder if my mom is as wonderful." "Okay!" "I've got to keep it up!" "Thank you." "I learned a lot from this." "did it?" "Sorry." "right?" "I'm just glad I had the chance to read such a rare book about artificial intelligence." "where's Arika?" "She isn't back yet." "There it is." "You shouldn't scare me like that." "you always seem to appear out of thin air." "Arika." "But it's been so long." "How did you know I was attending this academy?" "Arika." "Alyssa." "Is that so?" "Your grandmother..." "Miyu." "Are you enjoying school life?" "Yeah." "but becoming a great Otome is my dream." "Easier said than done." "right?" "Yes." "I want to ask you something." "Have you ever heard of a way to cancel a Meister Gem contract?" "The thing is... who's there?" "How dare you startle me!" "Mashiro." "what in the world are you doing?" "!" "Do you know her?" "yes." "she's the Queen of windbloom." ""believe it or not"?" "Didn't we agree that we'd keep the incident with Gems a secret?" "And now you go spewing about it to this suspicious vagabond!" "The secret's safe with Miyu." "she knows all kinds of stuff." "Quiet!" "Remember your place!" "I will not allow you to insult Arika any further." "Such disrespect why are you here Mashiro?" "Because you still haven't told me how to cancel this contract." "Do you realize how hard it is for me to sneak out?" "But I'm doing my best to find a way." "Is that Gem the cause of the problem?" "May I please take a look at it?" "Go ahead." "Meister Gem." "This is truly a great Gemstone." "isn't it?" "You should see what it can do." "It came off?" "How did you do that?" "I tried everything but couldn't get it off." "Then how about this one." "Can you get this off too?" "Miyu." "Arika." "It came off." "Thank goodness." "And that means..." "Our contract has been canceled." "You're wrong about that." "I've heard that even if Gemstones are removed the contract remains etched into them." "what?" "Then what do we need to do to cancel our contract?" "I do not know." "why not formally ask the academy?" "I would if I could." "we want to keep this a secret from everyone." "In that case..." "Sneak into the forbidden library?" "!" "why are you so eager to break the rules again?" "The forbidden library holds records for all Otomes... right?" "they say it's like a mountain of treasure in there with many books on this planet's history and lost technology." "But if we get caught we're done for." "But I want to learn as much as I can about Otomes." "right?" "I understand." "I'll help you." "I didn't expect that from you." "Nina." "Don't get the wrong idea." "I'm not doing this for you." "I want to know for myself." "I'll have to go along." "Count me in." "Me too." "Let's all go." "But how exactly are we supposed to get in?" "It's really difficult to enter that place." "I have an idea." "It's creepy in here." "right?" "I heard she rests in peace somewhere deep underground." "Arika. will you take that thing off?" "But Grandma told me that this is proper attire when entering some place that you're not supposed to." "Enough." "It seems everyone's here." "Are you the one who sent me that love letter?" "It took me by surprise." "I thought it was a letter telling me to use Slaves to fight." "that's very close to what it does say." "Your Highness." "But how did you get your hands on the key to the forbidden library?" "That's a trade secret." "you guys are going to help me out with my work after this." "leave it to me." "too." "Yes." "let's go." "Is it open now?" "but there was another step I had to do last time." "Is that so?" "Then how about..." "Open sardine!" "Or something." "Sardine?" "The door..." "It opened." "with "sardine"?" "Arika." "Is this the forbidden library?" "there are books here." "This place is amazing." "Arika?" "!" "Don't ask me!" "I didn't do anything." "utterly amazing." "I'll bet this is the databank!" "It has data from before the immigration age when people traveled between planets on spaceships!" "Databank?" "I've heard of this before." "It's like one huge library." "what should we do about this?" "To control something like this you need some sort of password or a thing that can act as a key." "A key?" "You're expecting too much from me." "It disappeared." "It looks like something is back there." "what is this place?" "Meister Monica Julen devoted her life to Master Argos Xll of Cardair." "Year A.R. 264 to 281." "Year 281 is when... when the last major war ended." "The war of the Dragon King." "which means these things..." "They're tombs." "This is the resting place of your Otome predecessors." "You girls really overdid it." "No student... is allowed in here without permission." "These are all graves?" "Big Sister Monica." "Um... was she someone you knew?" "Yes." "I was this person's helper underclassman." "She was a wonderful person." "She served as a member of the Trias." "She was elegant yet pure." "But at that time the world wasn't as stable as it is now." "Every country wanted power and there were many international wars." "This culminated in the war of the Dragon King." "In the midst of the never-ending battles the Otomes didn't have a chance to graduate." "one by one." "by contract with their masters they performed their responsibilities and duties." "Duties?" "You mean the Otomes fought each other." "That's correct." "And the person who defeated Big Sister Monica... the number two Trias." "why did that have to happen?" "They should've just refused to fight." "Stop saying such foolish nonsense." "That's not even possible." "and the fate of the war rested on the shoulders of the Otomes." "That's how the countries and their citizens could survive." "Most importantly... and trust for their Masters." "This was stronger and more honorable than their friendships." "everyone." "people look at and honor only the glamorous side of Otomes as women who serve royalty." "But if things turn for the worse then even best friends will kill each other." "That is the destiny of an Otome." "Are you all prepared for that?" "I am." "I don't want that." "Arika Yumemiya." "All we need to do is prevent wars from happening." "I won't allow any wars!" "How wonderful it would be if that were possible." "we've been here too long already." "we shall apologize to your Big Sisters for disturbing their sleep and then make our way out." "Arika!" "You're being very disrespectful to your Big Sisters!" "Take that off!" "no." "Arika!" "Is that?" "!" "Arika Yumemiya." "Ah... um..." "well... you see..." "I heard it's been four years since anyone's had to clean these walls as punishment." "Arika." "You were able to get a new Coral Gem." "That's true." "But I haven't been able to cancel the contract yet." "too." "Right." "Hey!" "Arika!" "didn't you?" "!" "Because of you I got in trouble too!" "I had no choice!" "Besides we had to do something about the broken stones anyway!" "You really aren't cut out to be an Otome!" "Hurry up and get kicked out of this school!" "Not a chance." "If she really was my Master I'm certain my friends would be more important to me." "probably." "the world is a lot better now than it used to be." "A war isn't going to break out." "You're right." "I see. within the borders of Aries." "And you want us to acquire it." "Indeed." "The time is ripe." "we have to start moving now." "we split evenly." "Those are our terms." "You're as greedy as the rumors say." "I accept your terms." "Commander." "we of the Aswald..." "Argos." "How disrespectful!" "Show some manners!" "Fiar." "These people are all reactionaries who want to revert back to the interplanetary era." "Aswald?" "You certainly are." "For we are the last descendants of the Black Valley." "764)}The Ocean" " Swimsuit +{\3cHD90AF9\fnMagic:the Gathering} Disaster {\3cHC50039\fnArial}=?" "what does Big Sister Nao want?" "about that..." "It's nothing more than simple physical labor." "Physical?" "That isn't right." "134)}But maybe for you.." "69)}I'm amazed at your choice of friends." "Mitsuketano DREAM" "I found a dream doki doki ga tomaranai" "I can't stop this thrilling feeling" "MY STAR DREAM" "My star dream" "Umaretano takaramono" "A new treasure is born mune ippai ni" "It's filling my heart kirameki hajimeru" "And it's beginning to shine brightly doushite konnani fuan ni naruno kana" "What is it that's making me so anxious?" "Kakae kirenai omoi" "Unable to control these feelings namida koboreru kedo" "My tears flow out kitto itsuka tadori tsukeruyo" "I'm sure that I'll get there one day tsumazuitatte akiramenai" "Even if I stumble I won't give up yuuki dashite mae ni susumou let's keep moving forward chiisana ippo fumidaseba horane" "Take one small step and you will see atarashii watashi" "A brand new me Yuuki ga negai kanaeru noyo" "Courage makes your wishes come true" "DO YOUR BEST" "Do your best" "Makenai youni susumi mashou so you don't lose" "Hajimattayo watashi dake wo matsu" "It has started and it's waiting right now" "Monogatari ga ima" "A story just for me" "Nigedasu yori" "Instead of running from it tachimukaeba line" "I'm going to face it sorega Otome no yuuki" "Because that's the courage of Otome" "Ganbatteruyo munega" "I am doing great kyun to samishikunaru" "Even when I feel lonely tokimo egaode" "I smile" "NO wa nai there is no "no kanarazu anatano sekaino nakani" "In the world you're living in" "Tanoshii mirai ga aru mamotte agetaino" "The future will be fun and I'll protect you daijyoubuyo" "Everything's going to be fine" "Kireina omoi houseki yorimo hikaru" "Pure thoughts are brighter than jewels" "Hokori wo motte susumi mashou" "Just keep moving forward with pride" "Makenai youni susumi mashou" "Just keep moving forward so you don't lose"