Another contender bites the dust, and Hoshizora faces down the final episode with Ui standing as the apparent winner by default.

Ibuki-chan was certainly a game contender. She was really a more interesting character than Ui, really – though a fairly classic tsundere she was at least a complicated person. That’s not a word I would use to describe Ui thus far. Her entire motivation, apart from a largely unexplored interest in Kazuma, seems to revolve around food and brother-obsession.

Of course Kazuma is a fellow who knows a little bit about brotherly love himself, and I suppose a case could be made that Ayumu is the only legit contender for Kazuma’s romantic affections. It was certainly interesting to see Ayumu and Ui brought together under the auspices of Ayumu doing a portrait of her. In a contest of misunderstandings Ui first thought she was supposed to be posing nude (very odd assumption that) and Ayumu assumes she’s already his brother’s girlfriend. in response to her prompting Ayumu admits he’s doing the portrait to try and follow Hina’s suggestion that he do all he can to make his brother smile, and admits he’d be sad if he lost Kazuma to a girlfriend.

The positive out of all that it is that it prompted Ui to make peace with her own Onii-chan, who she could-shouldered at his own wedding out of jealousy. The news that he and his wife have just had a baby brings a smile to Ui’s face, so maybe she’s moved past her unhealthy brocon tendencies. But has Kazuma?

I feel badly for Ibuki, who unlike so many characters in these sims actually had the courage to confess to the their intended lover. Kazuma turned her down flat, though, and there’s no time for sentiment in war or love, so she’s consigned to scream out her frustrations from the lookout as next week’s finale sets up as a possible battle royale between Ui and Ayumu, with Ui’s ultimate ascension to the throne appearing to be the likely outcome.