i'm here for sandwich goals

It kills me watching the MC the game try so hard but she's already lost. She is such an earnest person and is trying her best but her face at the end of chapters kills me.

The analyses of the different ways that Diana and Lapis care for the MC are super interesting, and I want to add that Diana has that whole sequence in chapter 6 where she tries to cut through Natori’s sadness like a sword based on the advice she took to heart. It sort of depicts her attitude toward Natori’s problems as something to be removed or defeated by her in a very direct way: she’s simple and straightforward and still figuring herself out, where Lapis is insightful and more established and actively seems to avoid reevaluating herself.

It’s really interesting that Diana has “I am the main character” energy, where it feels like she’s treating Natori as part of her life rather than as a fellow traveler through life the way Lapis does, in part because she’s figuring herself out as a person and Natori keeps telling her just what she needs to hear, is always stepping into roles in her life that might otherwise be filled by others. Natori is, in some ways, attempting to make herself a narratively important background character in other people’s lives with the way she uses her knowledge of the game, but whereas Lapis resists that and has an understanding of her as a future-seer, Diana is just not mature enough yet to challenge the way Natori presents herself, and rather leans into it because that source of goodness and object of affecrion/protection Natalie is a role she really wants in her life. Everything in her life has been uprooted by coming to this school and stumbling into responsibility, and she is trying to make Natalie her thing to hold on to.

So, everything goes the same way of the original game, only, way gayer. Seems like a W if I'm being honest.
However, I still don't know which ship's my favourite, and which one will prevail but hey, Diana won some more point (again) with her crazy yandere-ish vibes during this chapter!

Gay betrayal, Gay eradication of the people, Gay death by the heroes hand, Gay revolution anxiety

Diana will never win against Lapis because she offers the single thing that Natori values the most...job satisfaction

Please tell me this is sarcasm... Because no matter how much Natori likes to mistake her feelings for that, we as the readers really should know better.

"What is this quaking excitement in my body? Why does my heart thunderously pound? OH I KNOW! IT MUST BE THE OVERWHELMING SATISFACTION OF A JOB WELL DONE!

I will say though that for someone who is severely undervalued and shafted the idea of an employer both recognizing and praising your hard work is some real potent stuff. Combine that with the fact that Lapis can also make Natori's heart pound like a war drum and that is a powerful combination.

In oversimplified terms it's reverse suspension bridge syndrome

Suspension bridge syndrome is when you mistake adrenaline for heart flutter. Natori here is mistaking heart flutter for adrenaline

Poor diana, she looked real sad? emotion in the last panel. I’m honestly surprised at how big this love triangle thing seems to be. I thought it’d be like other ones in this same genre where the other party is just a side piece shown every once and a while but here this live triangle has kind of been at the forefront? I’m curious and how this will continue. That familiar was so cute

Also definitely think there’s a weird vibe with lapis. Maybe she sees her younger self in Diana who hasn’t lost “anything” (anyone) yet and wants to help her?

Also must say I disagree with the idea that Diana will become the villain. While that’d be interesting I think even her strangely combative attitude has come from a place of care. There is even the difference between how she attacked those girls, originally didn’t the princess have to step in to protect them but here although she destroyed the place, her magic didn’t seem to go out of control. And while her overprotectiveness or jealousy could lead to villainess acts I just don’t see it happening

last edited at Apr 15, 2023 9:15PM

Damn,so close to real bloodshed for those two.

But now Diana is accelerating faster then the original tale by a bit,and with THREE pillars of support for her.

Lapis and Diana fighting over Natori is the Princes' dream come true,he just doesn't know it yet.

I was NOT expecting a love triangle.

have you seen the art that ends every chapter

I know people are gonna comment something to me but I have a feeling that MAYBE, just MAYBE, that it’s possible that there’s gonna be battle between Lapis and Diana for Natori in the end of chapters. Now, this is just speculation and I would hope that I was wrong about this but I feel like Diana wanted to close to Natori to herself openly and this could create conflict with Lapis, who in deep down wanted to Natori for herself too, but very subtle way.

In my head, during this confict, Natori must choose herself between Lapis or Diana to stop conflict before they kill each other.

Yes, I expect people come at me at this too but I would prefer Diana and Natori tbh. Because she’s such a sweet girl and she plays as Shining Knight Armour for Natori, which I found interesting tbh, (bit yandereish, I know). Wouldn’t mind if the story went Poly tho.

That’s all my thought from latest chapter.

last edited at Apr 16, 2023 3:35AM

Oh Diana is getting a lot more complex that before. That's a little too much excitement in paying those girls back. I liked how she was cute and childish previously but I have to say the expressions in this one hint at stuff that's going to add some more layers

Where are you getting "Lapsis" from? Her name is Lapis, probably named after the blue semi-precious stone lapis lazuli

Oh shit that was a typo on my end; my bad bro. Also the first thing that came into my brain was the lapis lazuli in minecraft lmao

With Natori's penchant for standing around uselessly and getting attacked I fear her cover of having "precognition" becomes less and less believable if anyone were to scrutinize the scenarios she finds herself in. While not useful in combat per se, the idea that she would not predict a sneak attack or a certain turn of events makes her appear increasingly unreliable. Lapis at this point has not tried to rely on Natori's alleged abilities much at all either, mostly just accepting her other support qualities and wishing for her to self-actualize.

It would be fine just from a social bonding perspective as both Lapis and Diana like her regardless of her powers, but from a plot standpoint this should become an issue eventually. At the very least "fate" seems to keep the "plot" of the game mostly coherent even with Natori's meddling on the specifics. That way her long term knowledge of the plot will continue to be relevant. It would just be unfortunate if someone actually tried to rely on her imaginary powers in critical situations. And if the timeline keeps adjusting and railroading regardless of interference then it will be that much harder to change the ultimate outcome of the story.

last edited at May 19, 2023 4:00AM

Diana will lose Natori because she simply wants to protect Natori.

Lapis wants Natori to grow and to become a proper individual. She will protect her if she needs to but I think she's wanting Natori to be her own person. Natori, in theory, will eventually recognize that (as well as the fact that Lapis makes her heart race and that she, herself, wants Lapis to change and grow because she loves her).

It's not enough to want to treasure someone you love, which is what Diana wants currently, one has to be willing to encourage and push your beloved to better heights.

Diana will lose Natori because she simply wants to protect Natori.

Lapis wants Natori to grow and to become a proper individual. She will protect her if she needs to but I think she's wanting Natori to be her own person. Natori, in theory, will eventually recognize that (as well as the fact that Lapis makes her heart race and that she, herself, wants Lapis to change and grow because she loves her).

It's not enough to want to treasure someone you love, which is what Diana wants currently, one has to be willing to encourage and push your beloved to better heights.

It is somewhat ironic that the last two chapters are rather strong counter to this claim, at least in regards to Diana.
She has (much like Lapis) taken note of Natori's self-depreciating nature and actively wishes for her to acknowledge her own worth. You are correct that she plays a more active role and approaches problems in the way of a protector, but I think the most significant moment of their interactions until now was when she told Natori not to look down on herself.

In my view the difference between Diana and Lapis is their approach towards the same goal. Lapis sees Nator's virtues and tries to nurture them until she reaches her potential and sees her self-worth. Diana is far more straightforward and sees that Natori is already the great person she thinks she is, but doesn't realize it herself. Instead of trying to manipulate her into accepting herself, she directly asks why she feels the way she does and promises to help her.

It was mentioned by the comments above that their core philosophies seem to be active vs. passive interference. The protagonist is one who seeks to approach problems directly, reactionarily almost, while the villainness is the schemer who plays the long game and believes herself to be the outside force that reaps the benefits at the end. There is also the matter of image. Diana has no image, what you see is what you get. She can be direct, because she has nothing to lose beyond her own values. Lapis has created a persona for every person she interacts with and cannot overstep the boundaries she set for herself without letting the house of cards collapse. Her overarching plan is too big for her to show her true self unambiguously. Lapis holds more power and sway, but is more confined. Diana is a fish out of water on the back leg, but she is free.

Also, to finish off this uneccessary rant of mine, Diana has a prime advantage when it concerns Natori's heart: She was already favored by her. Natori sees Diana as her solace and someone she has grown fond of long before coming to this world. These two chapters had her react strongly with heart pounding and fierce flushing towards Diana's smile and attention. When she is with Lapis she sees her as an employer that makes her feel needed, with Diana she sees her idol and soulmate that makes her feel purified.
If looked at objectively this is far from a one-sided affair.

I want some Lapis POV next. What is she planning here?

Also, to finish off this uneccessary rant of mine, Diana has a prime advantage when it concerns Natori's heart: She was already favored by her. Natori sees Diana as her solace and someone she has grown fond of long before coming to this world. These two chapters had her react strongly with heart pounding and fierce flushing towards Diana's smile and attention. When she is with Lapis she sees her as an employer that makes her feel needed, with Diana she sees her idol and soulmate that makes her feel purified. If looked at objectively this is far from a one-sided affair.

Natori's feelings for Lapis have gone beyond employer/employee for quite some time. The "burning sensation" she described is one amongst many evidences of this. She describes her feelings as employer-based because she's been in denial. It's a common trope in these types of manga for the MC to avoid their feelings and explain them away in various manners. The end of chapter 5 has her actually verbalize this fear of accepting her potentially romantic feelings (the sensation). I'd also argue that Diana is like her "Oshi." She blushes in the way any character does in manga when someone presses them or flatters them but it's been platonic when compared to how she blushes for Lapis and how she's specifically thought about Lapis (the author also draws these situations differently indicating their intent). She treats Diana like a young naive girl to be doted on and protected. In fact she's actually referred to Diana as a small 15 year old girl. She's a fan of her, yes but there's been little indication that it's anything more than that yet. I don't think there's been any indication that Natori actually sees Diana romantically.

last edited at Apr 16, 2023 4:56PM

I'm not sure if we've seen more of Lapis or Diane on page recently, but I'm pretty sure Natori has been spending much more of her time with Lapis, doing employee stuff. Diana could push forward with more actual time together.

I NEED this to en up poly! Please!!!?

I'm not sure if we've seen more of Lapis or Diane on page recently, but I'm pretty sure Natori has been spending much more of her time with Lapis, doing employee stuff. Diana could push forward with more actual time together.

Definitely possible, although I don't know that she's actually spent more time with Lapis at the moment. Lapis seems constantly busy.

last edited at Apr 16, 2023 6:54PM

Natori's feelings for Lapis have gone beyond employer/employee for quite some time.

It was not my intention to imply Natori actually feels only a platonic employer/employee bond between them, but rather that she is capable of deluding herself into thinking such. By default she has created her own barrier that prevents her from accepting that it is anything else.

I'd also argue that Diana is like her "Oshi."

Hence why I said she is like her idol and solace...

She blushes in the way any character does in manga when someone presses them or flatters them but it's been platonic when compared to how she blushes for Lapis and how she's specifically thought about Lapis

...however like with most cases of idol obssession it is nearly always a delusion to claim it to be purely platonic. Especially when that idol suits your sexuality. To twist Natori's reaction to Diana into platonic territory would be the same as claiming her attraction to Lapis is purely employee/master platonic. In both cases one would have to purposefully ignore the intention.

She treats Diana like a young naive girl to be doted on and protected. In fact she's actually referred to Diana as a small 15 year old girl.

Lapis is in the same age range. They are both far younger than her. Naievete is not contra to feeling romantic affection anyway. The desire to protect a lover or dote on them is inherently natural. Natori has the same intentions for Lapis with the difference that she expresses it differently.
I think these two are far more similar cases than some people may want to admit.

These 3 will end together
I cast spell and now we wait

genuinely have no vlue where this is going tbh

It was not my intention to imply Natori actually feels only a platonic employer/employee bond between them, but rather that she is capable of deluding herself into thinking such. By default she has created her own barrier that prevents her from accepting that it is anything else.

She's created a (temporary) barrier out of fear that her feelings will cause trouble for Lapis and potentially push her away. Her barrier itself is centered around her growing feelings for Lapis. It's not a self focused barrier. It doubles down on her emotions for Lapis. She has shown no such barrier for Diana (no such "burning sensation"). For Diana, Natori has shown no such uncomfortable feelings to creater a barrier against, in the first place.

...however like with most cases of idol obssession it is nearly always a delusion to claim it to be purely platonic. Especially when that idol suits your sexuality. To twist Natori's reaction to Diana into platonic territory would be the same as claiming her attraction to Lapis is purely employee/master platonic. In both cases one would have to purposefully ignore the intention.

It's not a delusion when the work itself has presented no evidence of the fact. It can happen but that's not been represented on the page yet. The situation with Lapis however has explicitly been shown, drawn with common visual language and verbalized on the page. So it's not conjecture with Lapis, like it is with Diana. Diana's "romantic" interactions have been one-sided or should I say, from one point of view. Natori has not ruminated about Diana as she has about Lapis. Diana's interactions are always from her singular point of view. Her thoughts, her jealous face in the background, her visually flourished blushes on her own after talking with Natori etc. It has been positioned visually and contextually as a one sided affair so far. Contrast that with Lapis and Natori's relationship, which is shown from both POVs. Both of them thinking of the other or being left in scenes where they act based on deep thoughts of one another. The most Diana has is common blushes that even the soon to be king would probably get from Natori if he complimented her, with none of the same visual language to accompany it.

Lapis is in the same age range. They are both far younger than her. Naievete is not contra to feeling romantic affection anyway. The desire to protect a lover or dote on them is inherently natural. Natori has the same intentions for Lapis with the difference that she expresses it differently.

Yes, they are both about the same age; still, it's about perception, especially Natori's perception. She has not verbalized this same perception about Lapis. She views them differently, at the moment (for various reasons). She views Diana as the cute, young favorite character from the game who she is a fan of and likes being able to hang out with and look up to. Of course that does not prevent the growing of romantic feeling but romantic feeling hasn't been shown. I only discussed this because you or someone else argued that her being Natori's favorite character implies something more than it necessarily does (or has been shown to have done).

Things can change but for now Diana is not there. If she ever does I'm sure we'll get a scene where Natori is shocked because she clearly is not on her radar at the moment. In fact that's what I'd expect to happen and from my POV Diana is following the standard character type of the individual whose aggressive action eventually pushes the main couple together by forcing them out of their comfort zones (also known as barriers or even "shells"). With that I'd imagine that at some point Natori will see her romantically, in order for this to work, but I just don't see it yet. It would be more interesting if this pattern was evolved somewhat though so I'm not against it (or the less likely "Diana goes evil" thoughts some have floated).

last edited at Apr 17, 2023 8:39AM

is it just me or Diana start to give off yandere vibe ?

This mnaga had a kinda generic start but it became really damn good really really quickly. Even the love triangle, a thing I usually despise, is pretty interesting