Kawaii princess's Arc

Chapter 52 of 54

The split field had barely settled when Kawaii Princess saw something new at the base of her crystal pillar. A weathered stone marker stood there, etched with her rival's symbol, planted overnight inside her own ring. Beside it rose a bone post wrapped in frayed rope, an icy horn glinting at its top. A painted notice hung from the small stone guard shack at the pillar's foot. False rule violation. Unregistered monument. Strike before broadcast. She walked to the shack and read the notice twice. The scout runner who had hung it stood a few paces off, eyes down, a coin purse heavy at his belt. Her rival had bought him. The final broadcast bell would ring within the hour, and a struck monument meant a struck performance. Kawaii Princess did not tear the notice down. She lifted the weathered marker in both arms, carried it to the head scout, and set it at his feet. Then she pointed to the carved hearts shining on her pink crystal pillar, dated and counted in his own hand. She tapped the bribed runner's purse with the back of her glove. The head scout opened it. Silver spilled onto the ice. The head scout pulled the false notice from the shack and snapped the icy horn from its post. He marked her pillar clean and waved the runner off the grounds. Kawaii Princess kept her stage. But across the field, her rival was already climbing the tower with a fresh banner, and the broadcast bell began to ring.