Chapter 22: The Timid Shark Girl and the Broken Black Knight
The Timid Shark Girl and the Broken Black Knight
While Shala was dealing with the assassins, Bella and the others were enjoying themselves at Starlight.
Thud—!! Thud—!!
"Whaaa—?! How did I lose?!"
Bella clutched her head in disbelief at her defeat.
"Puhahaha—!! Victory is mine~!"
Norn triumphantly raised her air hockey paddle and cheered.
They were currently in the middle of an air hockey match at the arcade.
"Bella. You scored seven own goals."
"You're saying it's my fault?!"
Bella's face flushed red at Siv's blunt observation.
"My turn. Move."
Thud.
"Ugh."
The Black Knight shoved Bella aside and took her place.
"Fufufu...!! I know your physical abilities are extraordinary, but you mustn't underestimate my reflexes~!"
And so, the match between the Black Knight and Norn began...
Clatter—!!
"11 to 11...?!"
"It's a tie."
After a fierce battle, the two ended up with an equal score.
"Damn it... I can't control my strength properly—this is pissing me off...!!"
The Black Knight struggled to moderate the force behind his strikes, repeatedly slamming the puck straight at Norn without restraint.
"Now, let me finish this~!"
Whack—!!
Just as Norn prepared to make her final move...
"Hey—!! Look, it's Shamek-kun passing by—!!"
"Really, is it~?!"
Whack—!!
"Gotcha?!"
Clatter—!!
Beep-beep-beep—!! Game over.
"Eh...?"
Norn's expression froze as she realized she had lost.
"Wow... You're such a sore loser..."
Bella glared at the Black Knight with utter disdain.
"Kehahahaha—!! A win's a win, isn't it?!"
"L-Let's go again~!!"
"I don't play twice with losers."
"You're so mean~~!!!"
. .
Afterward, the three of them explored more of Starlight.
"Cheese~! That's the way~!"
Click—!!
Bella and Norn posed together in the photo booth.
Whirrr~!
"The pictures turned out so cute~!"
"Wow~! The photos come out decorated like this~? I've never seen anything like it!"
Bella marveled at the cultural differences compared to Maginova.
"Aren't you gonna take one?"
Norn asked the Black Knight, who had been waiting outside.
"How the hell am I supposed to fit in that tiny box?"
"You just have to stick your head in~!"
"Why would I bother—"
Whack—!!!
"Just play along for once~! She wants to take a picture together!"
Bella grabbed the Black Knight's hand and dragged him into the booth.
"Ugh..."
Click—!!!
The photo printed out moments later.
The Black Knight's head was barely in the frame, but...
Whirrr~!
"It would've been nice if Shala were here too..."
Norn murmured regretfully, and Bella gently patted her head.
Pat. Pat.
"We can always come back next time."
"You'll come with us again...?"
"Of course!"
"What about... you...?"
Norn looked up at the Black Knight with an anxious expression.
"Me?"
He tilted his head slightly in confusion.
"That's right."
"..........."
Under Norn's pleading gaze, the Black Knight fell silent for a moment before finally answering.
"I'll think about it if I have time."
"Like you have anything better to do besides swinging at trees and bells all day..."
"Honestly, I agree."
Bella and Siv quietly roasted him.
"Uuu~! I'm so happy~!"
. .
After leaving the photo booth, the three headed to a nearby café.
"Let's sit here~! The view is amazing!"
Bella, who had gone ahead to order, gestured excitedly at their table.
Clatter. Clatter.
"Why do I have to order when I can't even eat?"
The Black Knight had no mouth.
Consuming anything was impossible for him.
"Rules say you have to order at least one thing."
After a brief pause, the Black Knight considered Bella's reasoning and then—
"You wanna eat another one?"
"I could eat another, sure."
"Then eat it."
"Yesss~!"
Thud.
"Mine's here too~!"
Norn placed a blue parfait topped with a shark decoration on the table.
"Norn, you really love sharks, huh?"
Bella couldn't help but marvel at how deeply Norn adored them.
"Of course~! Sharks are the reason I was reborn~!"
"Did a shark give birth to you or something?"
"Hey—!! Don't be ridiculous!!"
Bella snapped at the Black Knight's nonsense.
"Fufufu...!! Allow me to enlighten you on the greatness of sharks~!"
. .
When Norn was eight years old, her body was so frail that she could barely keep up with other children her age.
She caught colds with every change of season, cycling between home and the hospital.
Feeling sorry for her, her parents took her to an aquarium one day, hoping to lift her spirits.
".........!"
At first, Norn simply stared blankly at the fish—until she stopped in front of a massive tank.
A colossal shark glided effortlessly through the blue water.
Despite its intimidating size and razor-sharp teeth, it moved with unwavering confidence, never faltering.
The sight left young Norn spellbound.
"I want to be strong like that..."
That fleeting wish took root deep in her heart.
Though her body remained weak, she thought of that shark whenever things got tough.
She picked herself up after every fall, and even when bedridden, she believed that one day, she too could be as strong as that shark.
That belief became the driving force that carried her forward.
From that day on, Norn adored sharks more than anything.
She began collecting shark-themed merchandise—plushies, hats, keychains, mugs—and every birthday or special occasion, she only ever asked for shark-related gifts.
Others dismissed it as a simple hobby, but to Norn, sharks were far more than just animals she liked.
They were the first heroes who gave her the courage to keep moving forward during her hardest times.
. .
"Sharks are truly magnificent creatures~!"
"So you drew strength from an animal..."
Bella was impressed by how Norn had overcome her struggles.
"Suddenly craving shark fin soup after that backstory."
"Waaah—!! Take that back~!!"
Norn shrieked in horror at the Black Knight's remark.
. .
After finishing their meal, the three headed to the theater to watch a movie.
The title: Shamek-kun the Movie: The Hidden Child of the Orca Gangster.
"What kind of title is this...?"
The Black Knight stared at the ticket in disbelief as they took their seats.
"It's a movie with huge reveals~! Just sit quietly and watch~!"
"I'd rather bash my head in."
Squirm.
"Uuuugh..."
Beside him, Bella clutched her stomach in pain.
"...You little shit. Did you fart?"
The Black Knight asked in a dead-serious tone.
"I didn't...!!! You can't just ask a lady that... Ugh..."
Gurgle...!!
"Does your stomach hurt?"
"Two parfaits might've been too much... I need the bathroom..."
"You're lactose intolerant, yet you ate like that. Karma."
"You should've stopped me...!!"
"I did. You ignored me."
"Ugh... I'm gonna... explode...!!"
Wham—!!
As Bella bolted out of the theater, the Black Knight grumbled.
"Pathetic brat... Almost made me add a disgusting tag to her."
"Huh?"
"It's a tag kids shouldn't know about."
The moment Bella left, the movie began as if it had been waiting for her to go.
"Bam-bara bam-ba~!"
"Brave Shamek-kun sets off on another adventure with his friends today~!"
. .
After enduring the bizarre, chaotic mess of a movie (who even wrote this?)...
"That was so much fun~!!"
Norn excitedly shared her thoughts with the Black Knight.
"Who the hell rated this PG...?"
The Black Knight was horrified by how the movie had depicted themes like infidelity, murder, and robbery in a child-friendly manner.
"We have to stay for the end credits~! Keep sitting~!"
"You're pushing it."
Still, the two remained seated, waiting for the credits to roll.
"...... Hey."
Norn hesitated before speaking up.
"Yeah?"
"Why... do you always look so sad...?"
"What...?"
The Black Knight turned to her, caught off guard.
"I can feel it... from you... Anxiety... sorrow... restlessness... All these emotions..."
Crack.
The armrest under the Black Knight's grip splintered slightly.
"Why the hell would I feel any of that? There's no reason—"
"There is a reason. That's why I can feel it."
"........!!"
"S-Sorry for speaking out of turn... I... I'm a magician who can read people's emotions."
"What?"
Though rare, some abilities manifest uncontrollably.
Norn's case was extreme—her talent was so potent that it alone could have secured her a place at the top of the political world.
In fact, this very ability had been instrumental in her rise to becoming the head of the Whiteday branch of the Valentine family.
"Does it... bother you that I can read your emotions...?"
"........ I can't exactly deny it."
Shift.
The Black Knight turned away from her.
"I'm... sorry... I'm really... really sorry..."
Tears welled up in Norn's eyes as guilt overwhelmed her.
"Hey. We just watched a fun movie. Why are you crying now?"
Despite his words, Norn kept apologizing.
"Today... was so much fun... but if I ruined it for you... Sniff... I'm sorry..."
"Hey."
Flick.
"Ow!"
The Black Knight lightly flicked her forehead.
"Yeah, it pisses me off that you can read my emotions. But I never said you pissed me off."
"..........?"
"I had fun today. More than whatever anxiety or whatever you sensed."
"R-Really...?"
"It's the truth. Honestly, I've been miserable. Stuck in this body I never asked for, forgotten by everyone, forced to fight random freaks out of nowhere."
For the first time, the Black Knight opened up.
Maybe... if not now, he'd never have told anyone.
"I acted like a lunatic. Did whatever I wanted, no regrets. I thought if I didn't go all out, I'd lose my mind. But... today, with you guys, I actually felt... at peace."
"Huh...?"
"Don't just focus on the fragments of emotions you saw. I did have fun today."
She could feel it.
From him.
Joy. And happiness.
"Sniff... Uuuu...!!!"
The Black Knight understood.
How much pain her ability must have caused her.
Norn was far more timid and emotional than she let on.
Growing up constantly attuned to others' feelings couldn't have been easy.
"You can afford to be more selfish. You're gonna be someone big now."
"Mm...!"
Wipe. Wipe.
Norn nodded, drying her tears.
"Norn. Have some confidence in yourself."
"............!!!"
It was the first time he had called her by name—and the first time he had encouraged her.
"Thank you...!! Really... really thank you...!! For giving me... courage..."
She answered him with a bright, tearful smile.
"Thank you...!!"