Revolutionary Girl Utena IF: The One Who Betrays the Rose Seal - Destroy the Rose Bride!

The moment I stepped through the main gate of Ohtori Academy, my feet stopped on their own. "…It's huge." Beyond the massive iron gate, a row of cherry blossom trees stretched on endlessly. The red-brick school building visible beyond them towered like some foreign castle. The stone walls at the edge of the grounds were absurdly tall too. For a place tucked away in the mountains, this overdone atmosphere—something about it felt off. I hitched up the Boston bag on my shoulder. Inside: a bare minimum of spare clothes, a charm from my aunt, and several sets of the boys' regulation uniform. Skirts just never felt right to me—these are way easier to move in. As I walked along the tree-lined path, I glanced at the other students around me. A sea of white uniforms. Girls in skirts, boys in slacks. And there I was, the only one wearing the boys' white slacks, drawing a few scattered stares. But I didn't care. I was used to it. I'm Tenjou Utena. Starting today, I'm a transfer student in the second year of Ohtori Academy's high school division. A lot happened at my last school—well, to put it simply, I got into a huge fight protecting a kid who was being bullied. That got me expelled. My aunt pulled some strings and got me accepted into this boarding school. "I can't stand anything crooked." I said it out loud, with a wry smile. Just hope I don't screw up again—I was thinking as I walked, when a sweet scent suddenly brushed my nose. Roses. Midway down the tree-lined path, beyond a fountain plaza, I spotted a garden overflowing with red and white roses in full bloom. Every time the wind blew from that direction, the cloying fragrance grew stronger. "Amazing…" Before I knew it, my feet were heading that way. The rose garden—I'd learn later that it's called "Rosenheim." It felt bigger than the school's athletic field. The variety of roses was insane too—more than ten types of red alone. White, yellow, and— In the far corner, I saw a cluster of black roses growing thickly. "Black roses…" A little eerie, but I couldn't look away. Those alone had a completely different aura from the other roses. I was thinking that as I turned down a side path— And there, a girl was standing. She held pruning shears in her hand, cutting rose branches with an expressionless focus. Her long black hair, reaching all the way to her waist, swayed softly in the breeze. Her bangs were cut straight across just above her eyebrows, making her look almost like a doll. When she noticed me, she slowly raised her head. Deep green eyes. Large, beautiful—and yet, utterly devoid of emotion. "Oh, hello. I'm Tenjou Utena, a transfer student. I got a little lost." When I spoke to her, she tilted her head just slightly. "…Hello. I am Himemiya Anthy." Her voice was small, as if coming from somewhere far away. Emotionless, yet strangely lingering in the ear. "These roses are incredible. Do you take care of all of them, Anthy?" "…Yes. I am the Rose Bride, after all." "Bride?" I asked again, but Anthy said nothing more, simply resuming her work with the pruning shears. I stood there, watching her profile. What was this feeling? I'd only just met her, and yet something deep in my chest felt unsettled. This girl—somehow, she seemed so sad. Feeling the air grow heavy, I deliberately spoke brightly. "If you don't mind, could you show me around the school? I still don't know my way around at all." Anthy stopped her hands and gazed at me. Her eyes were as quiet as ever, impossible to read. "…If I will suffice." She took one step forward—and that's when it happened. "Anthy." A low male voice rang out, and I reflexively turned toward it. From the other end of the path, a tall man was striding over, heavy-footed. His shoulder-length deep green hair was tied back in a single tail, and his sharp amber eyes glinted. He was probably around 180 centimeters tall. His uniform was worn sloppily, the top button of his shirt undone. That look in his eyes—what the hell. He was seriously pissed off. "Saionji… -sama." Anthy's voice had grown even smaller than before. The man called Saionji, acting as if I wasn't even in his line of sight, roughly grabbed Anthy's arm. "I was looking for you. I told you to come to my room today." I saw his fingers digging into Anthy's slender wrist. Blood rushed to my head. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!" My body moved before I knew it. I planted myself in front of Saionji, glaring at his hand. "Let go of her!" Saionji looked at me for the first time. His amber eyes narrowed, and his mouth twisted. "…What are you?" "Transfer student Tenjou Utena! You're hurting Anthy, can't you see that!" "Don't you know the rules of the duels? She's my property right now. I have the right to give her orders." "Property…?" My voice cracked involuntarily. I thought I'd misheard. But Saionji's face was dead serious—he didn't seem to be joking. "There's something called the Dueling Game. The Rose Bride obeys the winner of the duel. That's the rule of Ohtori Academy." He declared this, then pulled Anthy's arm even harder. "Now, let's go." "…" Anthy drew a small breath and looked at me. In that instant, for the first time, emotion surfaced in her eyes. —Fear. But it was only for a moment, vanishing immediately. Anthy quietly shook her head at me. "…I am fine. Please don't worry about me." She said that, and smiled. And that smile was so unbearably sad—I couldn't move. (There's no way you're fine.) I screamed it in my heart, but it wouldn't become a voice. She was close enough to reach, yet words I couldn't make sense of—duels, rules—stood like a wall between us. Saionji disappeared down the rose garden path, taking Anthy with him. I stood there, fists clenched. —What the hell is this school? That evening, on my way back to the West Dormitory, I asked around among the other students. About the Rose Bride. About the Dueling Game. "Oh, the duels. Yeah, I know about them. The Student Council runs that, right?" "The Rose Bride becomes the property of the duel's winner. Kind of like a fairy tale, isn't it?" Everyone talked about it like it was perfectly normal. What's more, not a single one of them thought it was strange. "I mean, it's the tradition here." When I heard that, a chill ran down my spine. (Tradition makes it okay to treat someone like that?) Something inside me began to burn. The part of me that absolutely hates letting injustice stand. "Where's the Student Council room?" Before I knew it, I was asking a passing student. "Fourth floor of the main building… but you'd better not go near it. Outsiders aren't allowed in, and unless the President summons you—" "Thanks!" I took off running before they could finish. I raced up through the school building, to the very end of the fourth floor. Beyond a set of double doors, it was there. The moment I opened the doors, the scent of roses hit me, thick and heavy. Spacious. The room had to be at least sixty tatami mats, with an oval conference table in the center. The walls were entirely glass, overlooking the rose garden I'd just been in. Vases were placed all around the room, each one holding deep crimson roses. And at the far seat of the table— A man with long silver-white hair tied back in a single tail was elegantly drinking black tea. His hair reached his waist, with long bangs that covered his right eye. His narrow red eyes slowly turned to look at me. Tall. Probably 185 centimeters. His uniform was worn impeccably, without a single wrinkle. "…Hmm. A new face." He—Kiryuu Touga—set down his teacup and smiled. But his eyes weren't smiling at all. On the opposite side of the table stood Saionji from earlier, glaring at me. "The hell are you doing here?" "I've got something to say! About Anthy!" I slammed my hands on the table and shouted. "What is this Dueling Game? Why is Anthy being treated like some kind of doll? It's messed up!" Touga narrowed his eyes. Tracing the rim of his cup with his fingertip, he slowly spoke. "The Dueling Game is a tradition of Ohtori Academy. The Rose Bride is owned by the victor of the duel. Through this, 'the power to revolutionize the world' is granted to the winner—or so End of the World says." "End of the World…?" "The entity that designed this academy's Dueling Game. It cannot be seen, but it sends instructions by letter. You'll understand in time." He stood up and looked down at the rose garden outside the window. "And Anthy desires her role as the Bride. Of her own will, she obeys the winner of the duel." "That's a lie! There's no way she wants that, not with that sad look on her face!" Saionji slammed his fist on the desk. "An outsider has no right to interfere! You don't even know the rules of the duel!" "If the rules are wrong, then just smash them to pieces!" The moment those words left my mouth— Throb. A searing pain shot through my left wrist. "…Ngh!" I instinctively clutched my wrist. When I rolled up my uniform sleeve, a black rose pattern was rising on my skin. Vivid and sharp, as if drawn in ink. Touga slowly approached and looked down at my wrist. "…Interesting. The Seal of Death." "The Seal… of Death?" "A curse branded upon those who defy End of the World. The more you reject the duel system, the further that mark will spread. And when it covers your entire body—you will vanish." His red eyes glinted coldly. "You are already a piece in the game. Tenjou Utena." The pain made my head spin. But—I bit my lip and glared back at Touga. "…You won't know until you try." For just a moment, Touga's eyes widened. Then, a faint smile crossed his lips. "Very well. But remember this—this academy's Dueling Game runs far deeper and far darker than you imagine. That straightforwardness of yours may end up hurting someone." Saionji, still glaring at me, spoke to Touga. "President, what do we do with her?" "Leave her be. She can't do anything anyway. The Seal will bind her." "…Tch." The words caught in my throat. But I refused to lose. I turned my back and headed for the door, then looked back one last time to say it. "I'm definitely getting Anthy out of this." Leaving only those words behind, I bolted from the Student Council room. As I ran down the hallway, I looked at my left wrist. The black rose mark still throbbed with a prickling heat. (I might disappear?) Honestly, it's terrifying. Really terrifying. But—what scares me more is standing by in silence, watching that girl be treated like that. On the path back to the dorm, I saw the sunset dyeing the rose garden crimson. Beyond it, I felt like I could see Anthy standing there alone. (Wait for me, Anthy.) I clenched my fist against the pain in my wrist and started walking. From here, something begins.

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Episode 1

Name: Revolutionary Girl Utena IF: The One Who Betrays the Rose Seal
Author: Novelia

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