The 29th day of the wooden month. I'm used to going to the grocery store, but the door of the store feels extremely heavy today.

　I have a date with Kuro tomorrow and I've come to the store just like Alice told me to... but what is going to happen?
　Alice had said it was very important........and her expression was serious when she told it.
　The fact that Alice, who is quick to joke around even when she shows her seriousness, remained tense until she left......................in other words, it's really important.

　Feeling unspeakable anxiety and feeling the cold sweat running down my back, I slowly open the door.
　Alice was sitting quietly at the counter of the grocery store, and the usual noisy atmosphere seemed to be a lie.

''........Alice.

　A faintly trembling voice calls Alice's name.......but there is no answer.

''........Alice?''
...mmmm....
....

　 You call someone and then you go off to Dreamland...
　I wonder what I was so nervous about earlier and I feel like such a loser.

　But what to do.........she looks so comfortable sleeping, it's awkward to wake her up.......


Get up now!

　I felt that my honor was being tarnished in this guy's dream, so I punched him as fast as I could.
　After eating the genkotsu, Alice let out a scream and turned her gaze towards me while holding her head down.

''You're in pain, Kite!　You have to wake me up more gently!　Good morning chews and all that!
Shall we go again?
'Oh, no, it's not true!　I'm sorry, I'm awake!

　I feel like I'm losing my nervousness about this case all at once, and I let out a sigh as Alice gets up.
　How can I say that it really betrays my expectations in a good way and in a bad way....

　Seeing me with a dumbfounded expression on my face, Alice smiles and gets up from her chair at the counter and slowly walks over to me.
　The atmosphere she wears is a complete change from the limpid feeling she had until a while ago, stinging her skin with a chill, and yet somehow warm.

''........Kite. Let me make one thing clear.
...ah, ah.
"Tomorrow, Kite, are you going to... 'express your feelings to Black-san'?
What?

　A gentle, calm voice asked me, and my heart jumped loudly.
　His words seemed to see through everything in my heart... I couldn't help but get stuck in my response.

　After I came back from Isis-san's place, I thought seriously about my future.
　And then I gave my own answer about how to handle myself after the heroic festival was over.......and I made a decision.

　That is the existence that I exchanged the most words with when I came to this world, and the one who was in the most important part of my heart before I knew it... the person who pulled me out of my shell and affirmed my feelings that were full of contradictions.
　I'm determined to tell Black about this treasure I found in this world, the most dazzling treasure I've ever found, and I'm determined to find the courage to tell him about it. I asked her on a date.
　Yes, Alice was right I'm going to confess to Black on my date tomorrow.

　As I reaffirmed my thoughts and determination in my head, I quickly calmed down.
　As it is, I look straight at Alice, who is quietly waiting for me, and shake my head.

''....Yeah. I don't know what the outcome will be, but I'm going to tell them.''
''I see........''

　

''........I'm glad my preparations weren't in vain.
...ready?
Yeah, let's just get out of here. They're waiting for us.
"Guys?

　Approaching me, who tilts her head, Alice gently touches my body.
　Immediately after that, the scenery blurred and switched like noise, and a slight breeze caressed my cheek, probably due to the fact that I had moved from indoors to outdoors.

''.........huh?

　The place where me and Alice moved it was on Mr. Magnawell's face.
　And that's not all. On Magnawell-san's face, there were also three shadows staring at us-Isis-san, Lillywood-san, and Megide-san.

　

Thank you for your patience, ladies and gentlemen. As I suspected, we'll be right on schedule...

''........They refused. After all, if there's even the slightest chance of harm to Black-san, I can't comply.......
Well I ... well I ... respect ... Kite's will.

　Slowly hearing the words Alice announced, Liliwood-san and Isis-san open their mouths with serious expressions.
　I can sense the tension in their voices........Liliwood-san said it was our expectation, but does that mean this situation was originally expected?

Come on. We don't have to waste time on this.　It's called hit and miss, isn't it!
"....no, it can't be shattered, can it? You're not going to get off on that, Megiddo.

　Mr. Megiddo tells me boldly, and Mr. Magnawell replies, somewhat dumbfounded.
　When I was tilting my head, not understanding the situation, Alice turns to me and opens her mouth.

''Kite, I know you are confused by the suddenness of this, but I really need to tell you something before tomorrow.
...the story you want to tell?
'Yes, I've said it before. When Mr. Kite passed his ordeal I presented him with the depths to challenge.

　I'll leave aside the tweak that it was the False Phantom King who delivered it, not Alice.
　Black's depths ... does it have something to do with the mystery surrounding Black's identity?　
　As I was thinking about this, Alice continued to speak while staring at me.

''First of all Miss Kite I'm going to tell you a secret that only a few people in this world know.
...a secret?
Yes, have you ever heard of us six kings being so close?
'What?　Oh, oh....

　I've heard the words Alice told me, I've heard them from Lilia, and not only that, I've seen them with my own eyes.
　The six kings are all very close, all of them call each other out, and they seem to be more like friends than a relationship between kings.

''.....It's only natural that we are close in a way. Because, although we are of different races, we are a 'family'.......
...What?

　The words Alice announced startled me. Family?　Six kings to each other?　........The races are clearly different even in appearance, but it doesn't feel like I'm telling a lie.
　As proof of that, Isis-san and the others are also nodding in silence to affirm Alice's words.

　And to me, that word...............the word "family" is familiar to me. I heard the same word at the barbecue.......that means.......

'Yes, as you can imagine, Kite. Me, Mr. Isis, Mr. Lillywood, Mr. Megiddo, Mr. Magnawell - not here, but Mr. Ayn - they're all 'Black's former baby birds'.
Huh?
We, Mr. Ain, are Mr. Black's first chicks and the ones who, 20,000 years ago, fought alongside him in his fight against the God Realm.
?

　
　The six kings are all baby birds raised by Kuro, and apparently they are also members who participated in the battle between the demon world and the divine world that Kronor-san told us about.

　Dear Mother and Father--The Six Kings were gathered at the place where Alice took me to visit, and the Six Kings were gathered together. And the facts spoken from their mouths were sufficiently astonishing to me.......the six kings - all of them were Black's baby birds.