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“Congratulations on making it through the second round~!”

All the matches for the day were finally over, and by the time we returned to the dorm, it was much later than usual. To our surprise, Aunt Ur was waiting for us, her large frame swaying as she came to greet us—a rare sight at this hour.

“I watched your matches, you know! You were all amazing! You’ve grown so much…”
“Ah… Th-thank you…”

She’d said she was rooting for us, but I hadn’t expected her to actually come see the matches in person. I was completely caught off guard, and ended up bowing awkwardly. But Aunt Ur didn’t seem to mind at all—instead, she wrapped us in her strong, thick arms and pulled us into a big, warm hug.

“Come on now! You must be exhausted after today’s battles. Everyone’s waiting for you in the dining hall.”

Her eyes glistening with emotion, Aunt Ur gently ushered us toward the dining area. Our hunger now catching up with us, we quickened our pace—only to find Lili-Lulu waiting for us at the door.

““That was a fine battle, O Alfe. As a fellow Elf Alliance members, Lili-Lulu are brimming with pride.””

As always, the twin voices spoke in perfect unison, praising Alfe’s efforts as they swung the doors open with flourish.

““Now, Reinforce—behold! The door of celebration is open! Step forth into the hall of festivity!””

With Lili-Lulu’s dramatic proclamation, the sound of thunderous applause erupted from beyond the doors, welcoming us in.

“Congratulations!”
“You made it past the second round! That’s incredible!”
“Hom, Alfe, you were so cool!”
“The unit Leafa made was seriously amazing!!”

Gathered inside were the dorm’s students and the kind ladies from the cafeteria, all grinning from ear to ear as they welcomed us with cheers.

The dining hall tables were lined with an impressive feast—it looked just like a proper party.

“Wh-what is all this…?”
“Isn’t it obvious? It’s a party to celebrate us makin’ it through the second round!”

Startled by the overwhelming hospitality, I turned to Vannabelle, who responded with a beaming smile.

“The cafeteria ladies prepared it as a surprise celebration~!”
“Nya-ha! If we’d lost, it was gonna be a ‘You Tried Your Best’ party instead, but turns out all of us won our matches!”

Numelin and Farah approached us with clapping hands, adding their own cheers to the chorus of celebration.

“I see, so that’s what it was about.”

As I clapped along to celebrate their efforts, Alfe was gently pulled forward by Lili-Lulu, stepping into the center of the room.

““In honor of our efforts and victory—let us dance.””
“Nyahaha! Count me in!”
“Me too~!”

Lili-Lulu and Alfe began to dance, their joy radiating through every move. Farah and Numelin quickly joined in, followed by more and more students until the whole room was a circle of celebration.

“Come on now! Dancing’s fine and all, but eat up before it gets cold~!”
“Ah! Belle~! You forgot to start the toast~!”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it! Alright, it’s a bit of a mess, but—cheers, everyone!”

With cheers from the cafeteria ladies and Aunt Ur herself, Belle raised a glass, and the celebration officially kicked off—chaotic, loud, and full of joy.

***

“…Do you like it, Hom?”
“Yes. It feels very nourishing.”

Hom gave a small nod, savoring a large cut of meat on the bone with graceful bites, her expression quietly pleased.

“Everything tastes so good. I might end up overeating.”

Having escaped from Lili-Lulu’s dance session, Alfe was now happily munching on a fruit-filled sandwich.

“I didn’t expect to be celebrated this much after just the second round. It’s really nice.”

She met my gaze, smiling brightly, and I nodded back before glancing over at Vannabelle and the others.

“Well… once we get to the third round, throwing a party might feel a little awkward.”
“…Ah, right… because Vannabelle’s team—”

Catching the shift in my expression, Alfe trailed off mid-sentence and fell silent.

Reinforce and Belle and Her Merry Friends were in the same tournament block. If both teams kept winning, a match between us would be inevitable.

“Hm? You guys talking about me—? Wait, what’s with those faces?!”

With ears sharp enough to catch her name from across the room, Vannabelle came over carrying a large serving platter.

“Oh, we just realized why this is a second-round celebration, that’s all.”

Since it wasn’t clear whether Vannabelle and her team had caught on yet, I kept my words vague on purpose.

“Huh? Isn’t it just because the first day’s over?”
“No, no, that’s not it, Belle~!”

Numelin quickly cut in, sounding flustered.

“Nyaha~ I see, I see. We were all relieved we didn’t face each other in the first round, but yeah… it makes sense now.”
“Ahhhhhhh! So that’s what it is!”

Farah slung her arms around Vannabelle and Numelin’s shoulders and spelled it out, finally prompting Vannabelle to catch on and shout.

“We both made it to the semifinals. You’d better come at us with everything you’ve got! If you hold back—I’m cutting ties!”
“That was always the plan.”

Hom replied without the slightest change in her expression.

“Knew you’d say that, Hom.”

Vannabelle broke into a relieved grin, and Numelin nodded along enthusiastically.

“This is the perfect chance to show everyone Class F at full power~”
“Nyahaha! Don’t forget, my Magic Eyes are a real pain to deal with~!”
“We won’t lose, though. Farah, Numelin.”

Alfe answered with a bright smile, bumping fists with the two girls. If this were the old Alfe, she probably would’ve balked at the idea of fighting friends. But not anymore. The Alfe standing here now was ready—to face an earnest challenge with respect and resolve.

“Oh, right! If you guys win in the semifinals, I’ll bet my entire fortune on you!”
“Me too~!”

Just as I was reflecting on how much Alfe had grown, Vannabelle suddenly brought up betting. Gambling was certainly a big part of Zersteller, and the Canalford Cup was no exception.

“…You’re not betting on your own team?”
“It’s not that I won’t, I can’t!”

Ah. For a second, it sounded like she was accounting for the possibility of losing—but that wasn’t it.

“Wait—you’re not seriously assuming I’d say that because I think we’re gonna lose, are you?!”
“I just thought it was unusually timid of you, that’s all.”

Her direct question threw me off, and I ended up blurting out my honest thoughts.

“No freakin’ way! Not a chance! We don’t plan on losing, ever! But hey—if, just if, and I mean by some cosmic freak accident, we do lose… it’s gotta be you guys who win the whole thing, right?!” Vannabelle hastily spoke up.
“So naturally, if we’re placing bets, the only choice is Hom’s team,” Numelin chimed in, swaying gently with a relaxed smile.
“Nyahaha! Even the cafeteria lady bet on us and Reinforce—and totally cleaned up, right?”

So that’s why the feast was so extravagant. But come to think of it, they would’ve had to prepare all this food in advance. That meant the people at this dorm truly believed in us.

To have teammates you can trust—people you can fight alongside—and others who cheer you on from the sidelines…

Even if the third round pits us against each other, it’ll be a match we can be proud of.