Prologue: Or the Golden Age Later Stained as a Dark History
I aimed my camera at the sunset reflected in a puddle.
With a click, the scenery captured on the screen was beautiful, and I nodded in satisfaction.
“Getting caught in a downpour was the worst, but if this is the reward, I guess it evens out.”
Muttering to myself on a park bench, I noticed someone entering from the gate.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, my dear ally!”
The one calling out to me with a vibrant voice was an outrageously eccentric girl.
Her long silver hair gleamed as it caught the sunset, her heterochromatic green and red eyes seemed almost artificial, and she wore a moss-green military-style dress with a gothic flair.
“You’re late, Mea,” I said, standing up from the bench.
The girl, arriving fifteen minutes past our agreed time, puffed out her chest without a hint of remorse.
“Hmph… It seems the minions of the gods detected my presence. I rode the iron serpent, but a storm disrupted my journey. Forgive me.”
What this really means is “The train schedule got messed up because of the downpour. Sorry.”
Using my chuunibyou language translation ability, that’s what her words meant.
“Well, if it was the rain, can’t be helped. You get a pass for not getting your outfit wet.”
After all, we were about to start shooting. I’d rather not photograph a drenched rat.
“Indeed! As expected of my ally, you understand what truly matters.”
Relieved that I let it slide, Mea nodded enthusiastically with a bold grin.
Her speech, her appearance, even her use of “I” (wagahai)—everything about her screamed painfully chuunibyou.
(T/N: 妾 (Wagahai), it's a way to represent oneself, normally it's use in nobility and particularly used by women's like queen.)
By the way, her self-proclaimed title is “The Nightmare of Calamity.” Apparently, she’s a queen who appears at twilight and rules over half of the dark world. Too long, so I just call her Mea.
Despite her cringe-worthy antics, everything about her somehow works. Maybe it’s because her features are so perfectly beautiful, or perhaps it’s the sheer determination radiating from her to reject the mundane everyday. Probably both.
“Still, an apology is in order. Behold, a gift from me—accept it!”
With a snap of her fingers, Mea pointed behind me.
Turning around, I saw a rainbow arching across the rain-cleared sunset sky, painting a breathtaking scene.
“Whoa… That’s gorgeous.”
I let out a sigh, captivated by the stunning view.
For some reason, Mea looked smug as I stood there entranced.
“Fufufu! This is but a glimpse of my sorcery! Now, before the rainbow fades, let’s get to shooting, my ally!”
It’s just a natural phenomenon, but I didn’t bother pointing that out.
With a wry smile, I nodded and readied my camera.
“Alright, Mea, let’s do this.”
I photographed the girl striking poses against the rainbow backdrop.
We take photos, post them on social media, and get feedback.
Over the past six months of repeating this cycle, we’ve gained a decent number of followers.
The accessories Mea wears during shoots tend to sell well, and we’ve even had a few companies reach out with sponsorship offers.
“Today’s shots turned out great. These might just go viral.”
“Indeed! As expected! With me as the model, victory is assured!”
We don’t even know each other’s real names. We go to different schools. We don’t know where the other lives.
But this time we spend together is precious to us both—something we mutually recognize as special.
And that’s enough.
This was my life—Reo Kurusu, aka “Ally,” and “The Nightmare of Calamity,” aka Mea.
Those days continued until Mea was scouted by a talent agency and left our hometown
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