Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 43 of 54

The bell still rang in Kawaii Princess's hand when the rival climbed higher on the tower. A grand stone platform crowned the top, with carved steps and torches burning blue. The rival stepped onto it and lifted her arms. The flames flared. The crowd surged back to her, louder than before. Below the platform stood a tall monument of stacked blocks, every face etched with the rival's supporters' names. The crowd packed around it and roared up the columns. Kawaii Princess struck the bell again, but the rhythm was swallowed. The iron rang thin against the wall of voices. She pulled her small silver mirror from her sash. She tilted it toward the blue torches, hoping the light would carry her rhythm as it had before. The reflected pulse skimmed the dirt and vanished. No head turned. The snow-dusted glass caught only the rival's flames. Her silent performance died at her feet. Kawaii Princess lowered the mirror and the pole. She had been drowned out, plain and complete. The bell hung still. She would need a sound the tower could not bury — and she did not yet have one.