"Ash, wake up."
"Let me sleep a little longer..."
Ash, who had been sprawled over the table, rubbed his eyes and sat up. He yawned, leaned back, and sank completely into the beanbag chair. Through bleary eyes, he caught a glimpse of smooth red.
Just as he was about to go back to sleep, he suddenly snapped awake, eyes widening as he stared at the girl in front of him.
"Sword Maiden!?"
Ash instinctively smoothed his bangs and tidied up his appearance. "Didn't we agree to meet tonight... Huh? Witch, why are you here too?"
"Am I not allowed to be here!?" Diya grabbed the rabbit doll and threw it straight at Ash, puffing up angrily. "Are you annoyed that I ruined your first date?"
"No," Ash said, his memories gradually coming back to him. "Didn't you say you'd open the Void Gate and come to Star Country three days from now? Why are you here?"
Last night, after they had reunited at Ruby Mountain, Ash had just explained that he had come to Star Country to see Sword Maiden when Witch immediately said she was coming to Star Country too, and then the two of them started arguing. Ash really couldn't bear to see two people who were so close fight over him, so he directly suggested they fast-forward to the fighting part.
But Witch had said she needed three days to come over. How had she ambushed them after only one day?
"Ash, if you stopped staring only at those two, you'd notice there are many other people here."
Ash turned his head, and only then did he realize he was in an enormous misty space. In front of him stood a huge round table, with a book at its center. A total of eleven people sat around