Breaking News: Miyume-chan might be in serious trouble.

Half a day had passed since she casually handed over an item that could shake the very foundations of the Academy City.

Mizuhi-senpai, Toa-chan, and I stood frozen in the Special District.

In our arms, we held a heap of magic stones and cores.

“You think this is careless? Well, there’s no more room in the expansion area,” I said. “We collected way too much.”

“…So, it was true,” Mizuhi-senpai muttered.

“Yeah! Amazing, isn’t it?” Toa-chan replied with a sparkle in her eyes.

This wasn’t just amazing—it was beyond comprehension. Wasn’t this breaking the boundaries of a typical Narou story?

“An item that reveals dungeon appearances beforehand… Such a thing has never existed. That’s why there were always struggles between schools. But this… this is incredible.”

Mizuhi-senpai looked genuinely thrilled.

Was this a good thing? Well, both girls seemed happy, so maybe it was fine.

『To me, it’s a bit unsettling. If they had the skill to create such a brilliant item, they wouldn’t just let it go. It’s becoming harder to understand why she was exiled. There’s no logical reason for it.』

I had been pondering the same thought while relentlessly raiding dungeons.

Fortunately, dungeon raids were now easy for us.

I slashed with my dagger, Toa-chan fired her convergence blasts, and if things got dangerous, Mizuhi-senpai incinerated the threat. That strategy had kept us safe.

Mizuhi-senpai’s dive gear was barely holding up, so she served as our backup. Still, I had plenty of time to think about Miyume-chan.

And the more I thought, the more suspicious her existence seemed.

In a typical Narou setting, some degree of talent or cheat abilities would be understandable. But this story was supposed to revolve around Touraku-kun.

Even if Miyume-chan were a spinoff protagonist, it was odd that such a capable person was never mentioned.

Given the case of Sakuraba Rakka, I couldn’t dismiss it outright. Still, if I hadn’t recognized her, it meant she wasn’t part of the original story.

A girl who could detect dungeon appearances and craft S-rank dive gear wasn’t present during the final battle?

If she had been there, the operation involving four Demonsgear units would have gone much smoother.

Right now, I could think of three possible truths.

First: She was dealing with a completely different threat behind the scenes during the original story.

This was highly plausible. After all, spinoff novels and mobile games often featured various threats.

Second: She was someone like me.

Possible, but unlikely. This would make her a fanfiction-style original protagonist. Given my meta-thinking, I considered this, but I quickly dismissed it.

Why? Because her soul radiated as a beautiful girl. I wouldn’t mistake that. Miyume-chan was undoubtedly a beautiful girl.

Third: She was already dead by the time of the original story’s final battle.

I didn’t want to consider it. But if someone as brilliant as Agiri Rinka could die, Miyume-chan’s death was also a possibility.

Given these scenarios, it seemed I needed to rethink her role.

“Kei-kun, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, I was just thinking about Miyume-chan.”

“Did something happen to her?”

Toa-chan showed no concern. In fact, she was humming happily.

So cute.

“Alright, let’s head back. We got an A-rank core and plenty of magic stones. Let’s buy some premium ingredients.”

“Okay!”

“Sounds good!”

For now, we should enjoy this bounty.

I could do my research at night.

■

When we returned to the academy, we found Miyume-chan and Nana-chan sitting across from each other in the student council room.

“Hmm…”

“Any more questions? If not, I’d like a snack.”

“It’s dinner time, so no snacks allowed.”

“I am now consumed by sorrow.”

What a laid-back atmosphere. Just watching them made me feel relaxed.

『When you say that, it doesn’t sound like a joke.』

Huh? A joke?

『You genuinely think it boosts your eyesight, don’t you?』

“We’re back, Miroku.”

“Welcome back, all three of you. …Wow, you’ve collected quite a lot. Should we sort them tomorrow for selling and Special District expansion?”

Though pleased, Miroku-senpai seemed slightly overwhelmed.

And rightly so. We had just solved two major problems of the Fectom Academy—its limited territory and resources.

Instead of joy, it was fear. Things never go this smoothly.

“Hmm… Nope, no good. Miroku-san, I can’t do it.”

Miyume-chan sighed, turning her gaze from Nana-chan.

“What were you trying to do?” I asked Miroku-senpai.

“I was hoping Miyume-chan could build a device for contracting with Nana-chan.”

With a smile, Miroku-senpai glanced at Nana-chan.

She said it so casually, but… she was trying to form a contract with a Demonsgear.

“I find it risky to leave an uncontracted Demonsgear. It would be ideal if someone at Fectom could form a bond.”

“I thought it was a fun idea too, but no good. I can’t come up with a design. If it’s something I can figure out, it clicks right away, but this time… I got nothing.”

Miyume-chan sighed again.

So, not an all-purpose cheat after all?

“Ah, more importantly, did you manage to get your hands on an A-rank dungeon core?”

“Yeah. Just one, though.”

“That’s more than enough! Leave the rest to me, okay?”

Kūna Mirume spun her arms in circles, brimming with enthusiasm.

But wait a second. Let’s pause for a moment.

“Before that, let’s have dinner.”

We’ve got plenty of food, wahaha!

■

It was nighttime.

The time when plants and beautiful girls go to sleep.

And the time for mysterious beauties to shine!

“We’re ready to go!”

This mysterious beauty time would take place within the Fectom Academy grounds!

The objective was to learn more about Kūna Mirume.

And to firmly warn her not to recklessly bring out that crazy thing called ‘Nakayoshi! Dungeon-kun No. 6!’

Currently, Kūna Mirume was staying overnight in the student council room.

It seemed she was planning to create a dive gear device during the night.

Even after dinner, her excitement hadn’t waned one bit.

“What kind of reaction will she have when she comes into contact with Sorciera? This is a perfect chance to learn more about her.”

Maybe I should make a cool entrance through the window.

Appearing alongside the swaying curtains like a mysterious beauty.

Yeah, that sounds awesome!

Oh, look! The window’s open!

A bit careless, but hey, lucky for me.

“Alright, let’s head in.”

Now, how should I make my first impression?

I want to act like I know everything.

Even though I don’t know a thing.

Alright, let’s have some fun talking about stars and fate today too—totally winging it!

“Yay! …Wait, no, hold on!”

What’s up? Got a better idea for how to act like a mysterious beauty?

“No, that’s not it. There’s something next to Kūna Mirume.”

Isn’t it just Aohoshi Miroku-senpai or Mizuhi-senpai?

“No… It’s something more twisted and overwhelmingly strong.”

Crap. Let’s hurry, Star Reader’s Staff!

Something’s happening that I’m not aware of.

I can’t afford to miss out on this!

“Teleport, teleport!”

Forget about entering through the window!

I teleported straight to the student council room where Kūna Mirume was.

What I saw there was Kūna Mirume, trembling in fear, and a dark-cloaked figure reaching out toward her.

“Not happening.”

I stepped in between them, shielding Kūna Mirume behind me.

Mysterious Guard Mode activated!

“Ahh! More weird things keep showing up!”

“Relax. At the very least, I’m not your enemy right now.”

Saying that, I pointed my scythe at the figure in the black cloak.

“This girl has already been chosen by my star. Would you mind backing off?”

“…Honestly, your intuition never fails to surprise me.”

The figure lowered the hood of their cloak, revealing their face.

A cracked white mask.

And long, black hair.

“As always, you do things that no one expects—Sorciera.”

Who the heck is this person, acting all familiar?

Also, what’s with that voice?

“It’s a synthetic voice created by combining multiple tones. It must be a function of that mask.”

What a ridiculous trick.

Wait… Huh? Am I sensing beauty vibes?

“Here we go again.”

No, seriously, I feel it!

Now that I take a closer look, this person’s definitely a beauty!

A dark-cloaked figure with black hair, hiding in the night.

And a white mask to top it all off. This is totally a mysterious beauty!

“And who might you be?”

“Do you think I’m obligated to tell you? Even if I did, how much of my words would you believe?”

“I see. In that case, shall we dance?”

“Sounds good. Let’s make it a splendid ball.”

This quick-witted response.

And the refusal to reveal their identity.

There’s no doubt about it, Star Reader’s Staff.

『Yeah, I’ve realized it too.』

This person… is the real deal—an authentic mysterious beauty!