âWow, holy shhâ¦!â
Naru was happy.She couldnât finish her science homework because of playing yesterday, but when she opened her eyes, the homework was all finished.A filled notebook.Someone surely must have finished the homework for her while Naru had been sleeping.
âMolumolu?â
Perhaps it had been the Demiurge of Science Homework, Molumolu?Thinking âwhat ifâ, Naru checked Molumoluâs house.
âDid Molumolu do the science homework? Molumolu, did you become the Science Homework Demiurge like Naru had said?â
Molumoluâs house was made out of fluffy cushions inside Naruâs room, and it was where it stayed when it felt bored inside Naruâs shadow.A dolmen made of cushions.Molumolu wasnât inside.
âMolumolu?â
Naru then went out into the garden and checked Molumoluâs food bowl.
The fresh, morning air woke Naru up completely.It felt like the air traveled through her nose down to her fingertips.
Passing under the sunâs rays that were aptly warm for summer, she saw a food bowl piled with pet food, acorns, and biscuits.The red food bowl had ãMolumoluãwritten on it in squiggly writing.It was handwritten by Naru herself when Molumolu became family.
âMolumoluâ¦.â
Molumoluâs food bowl was still full.Molumolu hadnât eaten anything.
âMolumolu, must be hungry.â
Naru tossed the food bowl with drops of dew into the garbage bin in the garden. Then she took Molumoluâs bowl to the kitchen and filled it up again with pet food, biscuits, and fresh strawberries.
âMolumolu! Come eat!â
Naru shouted into the area around her.Before, Molumolu wouldâve popped out with a âMiaaaoââ or âKongâ Kongââ, but today there was nothing.
Flutterâ FlutterâInstead, there was only a strange butterfly flapping around.It was a white butterfly.
âButterfly!â
The color of its wings, rather than a simple white, was closer to a glowing mini bulb.When it landed on Molumoluâs bowl, something unbelievable happened.
Fwoopâ Fwoopâ FwoopâMolumoluâs bowl suddenly started to empty!
âHiiikâ¦! The butterfly ate Molumoluâs foodâ¦!?â
Naru was stunned.But at the same time, she thought something was off.How did a butterfly the size of Naruâs hand eat the large bowl of food so quickly?
â... A legendary butterfly?â
It could be an amazing butterfly.Flutterâ FlutterâLooking now, there were many of these butterflies in the garden.
âOne, twoâ¦. eight, nineâ¦.â
About ten.Ten butterflies were sitting on the strawberry tree as if resting their wings. But the fascinating thing was that the tree had a bunch of fruits.
âWinter strawberries!â
They were strawberries that only grew in the winter.Being hard to find in the summer like this, it was an expensive fruit that Naru wasnât able to have easily.How were winter strawberries grown already?
â⦠The winter strawberries are already grown!â
Thinking to get one and see, Naru reached towards the winter strawberry tree.
âNaru!â
WhooshâSomeone grabbed Naruâs shoulder and jerked her back.Because of that, Naru fell into something warm that smelled nice, and when she looked up, Brigitte was watching her surroundings warily.
âDonât touch those butterflies. They arenât normal. Since youâre awake, letâs head to the basement for now. Weâll take Hina and Cecily as well.â
âBrigitte, smells like grapes!â
Anyway.With that, Naru headed to the basement.The basement was already full of adults.
âBrigitte, howâs the situation up there?â
In response to Salomeâs question, Brigitte described all that she saw.
âThe butterflies decreased in number. There are about ten left in the garden. Itâs better compared to over a thousand from earlier, but they might have flown away elsewhere.â
There had been an immeasurable number of butterflies in the garden.But when it became morning, they all flew off somewhere, leaving only a few.Was it a good thing?
Conversations were happening.Naru quietly listened to the adults talk.She was smart, so Naru had no problem understanding what the situation was outside.
âOh, holy shhâ¦! Naru doesnât have to go to school today?â
* * *
âNo, Iâm saying that the canvas I purchased from your store last night already had drawings on them! Did you sell your conscience along with this used item?ââDear customer, our store doesnât sell used products. How could there be drawings on the canvas?ââThen whatâs this? This squirrel drawing here! I donât know why my signature is on it butââ
Morning.Mornings were usually peaceful but today, the city was quite noisy.The entire city seemed to be tangled in some kind of situation.
âSomeone chopped all the firewood that I had piled together to do myself last night! My, that was a fascinating thing.ââLook at this. The hair that I cut last week has already grown out. What's happening?â
A chaotic street.Naru looked around and giggled.Because she was happy.
âGoing to school with Dad! Oh yay!â
Naru liked taking the walk to school with her dad.But Naruâs dad, Judas, clicked his tongue as he looked around.
âSchoolâs still open in a situation like this. Graham Academy is hardcore. My school would close if there was flu going around.â
All of Freesia was affected by the strange phenomenon.But it seemed that the childrenâs education must continue.
âAh, look at that!â
Just then, Cecily pointed at something.They were rows of cherry blossom trees that had been blooming beautifully about two months ago. So much so that it had been sad to see them go.
But, the trees that had lost their flowers when it became summer were in full bloom again.The pink petals falling from the breeze were lovely but at the same time, a little unsettling.
âCherry blossomâ¦. pinkâ¦. Hinaâs hair colorâ¦.â
Hina caught a petal.As her ruby eyes shone strangely, Judas spoke to her.
âHina, was this written in your picture diary as well?â
ââ¦â¦.â
Hina closed her mouth in contemplation.And she then soon shook her head.
âNoâ¦.â
They continued like this and before long, they arrived at school.The children enthusiastically entered the classroom.The room already had others inside but although not all the desks were occupied, it was more chaotic than usual.
âHans, look at this. Someone assembled the transformer robot that I was going to make!ââSomeone finished my 500-piece puzzle that I was going to doâ¦.â
The children were busy talking about the strange phenomenon that had occurred overnight.
As Naru listened, it seemed that everyone shared the experience of having something completed on its own.Naru also had something to add.
âNaru also had someone finish her science homework! Maybe it was Molumolu?â
Naru thought it was Molumoluâs doing.At that, the kids asked.
âNaru, Molumolu still isnât back?ââThe Mini Molumolu are also all gone. When will Mini Molumolu come back?â
The worldwide disappearance of Molumolu.There didnât seem to be any signs of a solution yet.Soon, Salome opened the door and entered the disorderly classroom.
âEveryone be quiet. You have science homework from yesterday, yes? The person at the back can collect all the homework. And Naru, get ready to write a letter of reflection.â
âNaru did the homework! No need to write one!â
âReally? Then Iâll mark yours first.â
Scritchâ Scritchâ Scritchâ ScritchâSalome marked Naruâ science homework and then spoke.
âYou got all of it wrong.â
âHiiiikâ¦!â
âGetting everything wrong is the same as not doing it. Naru, write your letter on the paper Iâm giving you.â
Naru slumped at Salomeâs words.Salome looked at her narrowed eyes.Soon, Salomeâs brows gathered in the center and created a fold on her forehead.
âHina, did you not do your homework?â
ââ¦â¦.â
Hina couldnât do the science homework.Because she had been running around on the treasure hunt and fell asleep immediately after lying on the bed.That was the same for Cecily.
âCecily, Hina, both of you are to write letters as well. Letâs start class, then. First period is science today. Weâll be learning about the temperature and color of mana. Mana in its most natural form is pure white in colorââ
And like that, class was finished.Naru looked at the large paper and shook.
âDonât want to write the letter!â
Then the other kids who also didnât do their homework all nodded their agreement, saying, âI know,â and âMe, too.âJust then, Hina took something out from inside her jacket.It was a glass container for holding peanuts but instead of that, some other weird thing was inside the transparent bottle.
âWow, holy shhâ¦! Itâs the glowing butterflyâ¦!â
It was an illuminated butterfly.Hina carefully opened the lid and placed the butterfly on top of the paper.When she did, something astonishing happened.
Scritchâ ScritchâWords appeared on the paper.
ãIâm sorry for not doing my homework. I will study harder from now on.ããIâm sorry for not doing my homework. I will study harder from now on.ã . . .
Seeing this, Naru was amazed.
âThe butterfly wrote the letter! Write Naruâs, too!â
Watching the butterfly, Naru reached for it.But the butterfly lost its glow and then vanished like melting snow.Seeing this, Hina muttered softly.
âOnce it uses its powerâ¦. it must be the endâ¦. Interesting butterflyâ¦.â
Hina felt like she understood a little about the butterflyâs powers. And the other children did, too.
âLetâs catch butterflies!ââIâll make it write my letter for me!â
âThere were a few out in the field!â
âOh, holy shhâ¦! Everyone follow Naru!â
The children followed Naru excitedly and rushed out of the classroom.The only ones left were Elizabeth and Tywin.Elizabeth was a little frightened of what had been happening since last night.
âDad told me not to go near the butterfliesâ¦.â
Should she have warned the other kids?Hiding her unease, Elizabeth asked Tywin.
âTywin, aren't you going to catch butterflies?â
âNo. And they arenât butterflies. It looks like one but itâs said to be closer to pure mana. Itâs all white. You remember learning from science class, right?â
âSo youâre saying that someoneâs making these butterflies and releasing them? That itâs magic? Are they using magic to help the others with their letters or homework? But why?â
âI donât know, either.â
Tywin didnât know much, either. She had only overheard her mom talk on the phone with someone in the morning.
Her mom, Elle Cladeco, had said the butterfly had the ability to twist time.That it may be some kind of time magic.
Whatever it was, Tywin couldnât say exactly but from her momâs excited voice speaking into the receiver, it must be something astounding.
There might be a mage somewhere even greater than Tywinâs mom, Elle Cladeco.
âIf I find themâ¦. then can I ask them to help my mom?â
Tywin thought of Elle Cladeco, her mom.And the experiment that she was still working on in the basement.
ââ¦â¦.â
The thought of it caused shivers all over her body.If that finished, it would mean an endâ¦.Knowing that, Tywin couldnât stay put.
âI need to go, too.â
DrrrrâAs Tywin pushed back her seat and stood, Elizabeth asked, startled.
âNeed to go? Where? For what? The next period is going to start soon.â
âI have to go find a butterfly.â
â⦠Butterfly?â
Elizabeth was bewildered.But she felt a little envious picturing Tywin and all the other kids roaming the field to catch butterflies.Thinking that this could be when Naru and Tywin become closer than her, she also felt a bit nervous.
â... Iâm Naruâs best friend! If I catch more butterflies and give them to Naruâ¦.â
FwshâFinally, Elizabeth and Tywin also left the classroom.About a minute laterâ¦
âChildren, today will be about predestinationâ¦.â
The theology professor, Pelagius, entered Class Aâs room.But the classroom was empty.
âWhat is /genesisforsaken