Yet when Yuya took his turn, it was the same. No matter how he maneuvered the claw, he couldn't win anything.
At this, a spark of interest appeared in Princess Kaguya's eyes.
And by the time Yuya had lost all his tokens without winning a single toy,
Princess Kaguya's expression had turned solemn.
"Miss, miss, could you help me win a stuffed toy?"
A little girl walked over and asked Princess Kaguya.
The entire arcade instantly fell silent, and everyone watched Princess Kaguya with burning anticipation.
Almost everyone there had tried already.
Only Princess Kaguya had stood there the whole time, looking like an expert without taking a turn.
Feeling a little uncomfortable under everyone's gaze,
Princess Kaguya wanted to leave, but when she met Yuya's hopeful, eager eyes,
she couldn't help giving in.
Princess Kaguya hesitated for a moment. Even Yuya had failed,
and now she wasn't confident either.
Then Yuya looked at her again, his eyes full of encouragement.
After a moment's hesitation, Princess Kaguya took the little girl's token.
She began her attempt.
Under Princess Kaguya's wobbly control, the mechanical claw
reached for a toy at the most crooked angle imaginable.
"Ugh, that's way off."
"I thought she was an expert. There's no chance now."
"Looks like no one's rescuing these toys today."
Everyone murmured, sighing deeply.
Princess Kaguya felt embarrassed too. She hadn't expected operating it to be so difficult.
If Yuya hadn't been there, she would have torn open space and fled.
But just as everyone sighed,
one prong miraculously hooked a corner of the toy.
The toy dangled from that prong, swaying as it rose.
"Oh... there might still be a chance."
"My god, seriously? Is that toy actually going to be rescued?"
Everyone's heart rose and fell with the dangling toy.
No one dared so much as breathe.
At last, the toy reached the escape chute and successfully broke free!
"Oh yeah! The toy's been rescued!"
The little girl cheered.
"Miss, miss, you're amazing! I'll leave this rescued toy with you!"
The little girl picked up the fallen toy from the escape chute
and pushed it into Princess Kaguya's hands, her face full of envy and admiration.
Princess Kaguya still hadn't quite processed what had happened.
Even she hadn't thought she would actually win a toy.
Now, holding one for the first time,
feeling its soft, fluffy texture in her hands
and looking at its adorable appearance,
she couldn't help pausing.
What girl could resist something fluffy?
This feeling...
Even Princess Kaguya couldn't help growing a little fond of it.
"Miss, miss, you're so good at this! Why don't you rescue a few more toys?"
The little girl spoke again, her face full of admiration.
"As expected of Her Majesty the Empress. There are a few tokens left here. Why not try again?"
Yuya spoke too, making no attempt to hide his admiration.
Princess Kaguya looked a little moved and nodded.
Holding the toy in one hand, she operated the claw with the other.
She began another attempt.
Her expression was focused as she bent slightly, her eyes shining with a brightness they had never held before.
She stared through the glass at the toys without blinking.
Her small hand worked the controls earnestly.
Princess Kaguya looked just like an ordinary girl like this...
Indescribably cute.
Yet Yuya felt a sting in his nose.
"Wow, you're amazing! You're about to get another one!"
The little girl clapped, cheering her on.
"My god! No way, no way! Is she really about to get another one?"
As Princess Kaguya worked the controls, everyone marveled again.
The mechanical claw wobbled toward another toy.
Crooked and lopsided, approaching at an utterly impossible angle,
it defied the laws of physics and picked up another toy.
"Heavens, have we met a one-in-ten-thousand claw machine master today?"
"We definitely have! She's an expert, a real expert!"
Princess Kaguya picked up the second toy in a daze,
listening to everyone's praise.
For a moment, she felt both embarrassed and exhilarated.
It was her first encounter with anything like this.
A fresh, unfamiliar sensation flowed through her heart.
"You're amazing! You rescued another toy!"
The little girl spoke enviously.
Princess Kaguya hesitated for a moment,
then pushed the toy into the little girl's hands.
"Hee-hee, thank you!"
The little girl's eyes curved into tiny crescents as she spoke happily.
Hmm, I'll get one for Ye'er too...
Princess Kaguya thought.
By now, she was immersed in the pleasure of winning stuffed toys.
She steered the crooked, wobbling claw toward another toy.
As everyone watched in disbelief,
she once again defied physics and picked one up.
"You're the best claw machine master I've ever seen!"
The little girl kept clapping excitedly.
"Your Majesty is amazing!"
Yuya praised her too.
"Mm."
Princess Kaguya gave a reserved nod.
By now, she was absolutely certain that she was indeed a claw machine master.
She handed one of her toys to Yuya,
held another herself, and fixed her eyes on the machine again.
She went for another toy.
Then the claw picked up yet another toy with its crooked, wobbling movements.
"Gasp... a claw machine master! Such terrifying skill!"
Before long, every toy had been caught by Princess Kaguya's crooked, wobbling claw
and successfully brought out.
Amid everyone's envy and praise,
Princess Kaguya held a pile of fluffy toys. Even she
couldn't help feeling a swell of pride.
She gave Yuya a huge pile of toys to carry
and kept a comfortably small pile for herself.
After the sales assistant respectfully handed her a gift with an envious look,
she said goodbye to the little girl.
"Bye, miss!"
The little girl waved vigorously. Thanks to Princess Kaguya,
she now had two more toys in her arms.
"Mm."
Princess Kaguya waved back.
She rather liked this child, who had kept clapping loudly without stopping once.
At last, as Yuya struggled along with a huge pile of toys and a wry smile,
she left, thoroughly satisfied.
But after Princess Kaguya left,
the entire claw machine arcade instantly fell silent.
The little girl who had said goodbye to Princess Kaguya held her three toys,
and at that moment, her expression revealed a complexity almost like an adult's.
She gave a helpless chuckle, watching Princess Kaguya's receding figure.
After a long while, she murmured to herself:
"I'm sorry..."
"This is the only way I can let you experience what should have been perfectly ordinary in your previous life..."
The next instant,
Poof!
amid a cloud of smoke, the little girl transformed into Yuya.
It seemed to trigger a chain reaction.
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Smoke rose everywhere.
Every passerby who had been playing the claw machines vanished at that moment.
The entire arcade became empty in an instant.
Only Yuya and the woman wearing a rabbit-eared mask remained, her expression respectful.
"Has everyone been assigned?"
Yuya asked calmly.
"Except for the members previously sent to search for the woman in the portrait."
"All remaining members have been urgently recalled, and this is being handled as a top-priority matter."
"The newly developed products have been temporarily put on display and are undergoing maintenance and calibration as instructed."
"Masks have been distributed to all pedestrians. The few who refused to cooperate have been taken away."
"Negotiations with most businesses are complete, and they have agreed to rent out their premises."
"The few that refused have been bought out."
"The fireworks are ready."
"Everything is proceeding according to plan."
The woman knelt on one knee and reported respectfully.
"Mm."
Yuya nodded, then dissolved into smoke the next instant.
And today, there were many, many more clones like him.
There had never been any fireworks festival. Those fireworks had been prepared for Princess Kaguya alone.
Before you continue