If a dog walking down the street can get hit by a stick, then a mysterious beautiful girl picking up another beautiful girl shouldn’t be a problem.

Even if that beautiful girl has massive feelings for me.

『That’s no different from carrying a time bomb, you know.』

If it’s a beautiful girl, even a bomb is fine!

I’ll take every last bit of the blast with my own body, no problem^^

『Take it!? So you are a bottom after all!』

Damn, this guy’s annoying.

“…Hey, shouldn’t you be able to walk by now?”

Behind me, Clam-chan says that with clear irritation in her voice.

I feel like the number of frogs at my feet is increasing.

Since each one of those is a bomb, I’m honestly scared.

『See? Bombs. Go ahead and take them.』

Physical bombs are a whole different story.

“Nah, I still can’t walk. Sorry, Sorciera.”

Rinka-chan smiles sweetly from within my arms.

I caught her when she fell, but apparently, she hurt her leg and can’t walk.

So, since I’m a beautiful girl right now, I’ve been carrying Rinka-chan princess-style.

Because I’m a beautiful girl!

『Hmm… Not guilty!』

The scales of justice remain fair today.

“Tch… Sorciera, I’ll carry her.”

“Nah, it’s fine, don’t push yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll gladly accept your kindness.”

“Hah?”

Look, Starreader.

Two beautiful girls are fiercely fighting over this mysterious beautiful girl.

My stomach hurts just watching. I feel awful for both of them.

Please don’t fight over me, I want to say.

『Alright, deploying Zero-Type.』

You wanna turn this into a battlefield?

No, absolutely not.

“You might not know this, but Sorciera is exhausted from fighting angels. So, be a good girl and let me carry you.”

The croaking of frogs grows even more intense.

For a moment, I imagine the scenery of a rural night.

Yeah, let’s go to the countryside this summer.

Somewhere with rice fields and a beautiful river…

I’ll wear a white dress and play the part of a mysterious beautiful girl.

I’ll give some kid who happened to visit their grandparents’ house a summer memory they’ll never forget.

『You’re gonna break another innocent boy, huh? How many sins do you need to pile up before you’re satisfied!?』

Who said anything about only boys?

『…W-What…!?』

As I’m lost in thoughts of summer vacation, Rinka-chan suddenly vanishes from my arms.

Looking to the side, I see Clam-chan scowling as she has the frogs carry Rinka-chan instead.

…Those are bombs, right?

“Let me go—! Sorciera, help—!”

“Shut up. Stop causing trouble for Sorciera.”

“…Hey, what exactly are you to Sorciera?”

Even as she’s being carried by the frogs, Rinka-chan glares at Clam-chan.

In that moment, Clam-chan puffs up with the most smug expression imaginable and declares:

“I’m Sorciera’s understanding companion. Got it? U-n-der-stan-ding com-pan-ion! Understand?”

“You? …Pfft.”

Rinka-chan snorts.

Hey, stop that, Rinka-chan! The thing under you is a bomb!

“…………Ma-chanZ.”

“Stop it, Clam.”

That’s definitely a line I can’t let her cross.

Beautiful girls must never hurt other beautiful girls.

“…You got lucky.”

“Glad to hear it. Oh, I’m Rinka. Agiri Rinka. Sorciera’s friend and ally. Get it? Unlike you, I’m actually helping. Not just pretending to understand from the sidelines.”

…Were you, though?

Well, if a beautiful girl says so, maybe it’s true…

“So that’s how it is. Huh.”

“…If you’ve got something to say, say it clearly. Understanding Companion (lol).”

“You little—!”

Is Rinka-chan better at verbal sparring?

Or is Clam-chan just bad at handling provocation?

『Wrong. It’s not that she’s bad at handling it. When Sorciera is involved, her thoughts abandon defense and turn aggressive. At the same time, while not to Sorciera’s extent, she’s a beautiful girl with a “bottom” disposition. Against someone like Rinka, who overwhelms her, she’s at a disadvantage.』

Thanks for the analysis, oh wise Staff of the Starreader.

『How was that?』

Don’t suddenly turn useless.

“…A-Anyway, why did you suddenly fall into this place in the first place?”

Clam-chan tries to probe for weaknesses.

That’s actually something I’d like to know too, so good question.

“That’s not something I can tell an outsider. Of course, Sorciera already knows, right?”

Huh!?

“…Yeah, of course. Really, you’re always so reckless.”

“It was something I had to do.”

This is bad. The conversation’s moving forward without me knowing anything.

『Why did you lie…?』

What else was I supposed to do? I’m a mysterious beautiful girl.

Mysterious beautiful girls know everything.

That’s just how it is!

“…You can tell Clam too. She’s not uninvolved anymore.”

“Sorciera…!”

Clam-chan’s face brightens instantly, while Rinka-chan’s darkens for a moment.

Why does one smile while the other frowns?

Can’t they both just smile?

『Says the guy enjoying this situation.』

I am enjoying it, but… the guilt is stronger!

I just want both of them to be happy.

“Well, if you’re okay with it.”

With that, Rinka-chan begins explaining how she got here.

There are a lot of complicated terms, so I can barely keep up.

To summarize, the Silver Twilight pulled some stunt again, so she went to find evidence, but got caught and thrown here.

“—And that’s how I ended up here.”

You’re lucky to be alive.

Wait, if I hadn’t caught you, would you have died?

“Lame. You got caught anyway.”

“You can’t predict something like that! Could you predict the student council president of Kisou Academy suddenly bursting through a wall? What would you do if you got carried off as a hostage!?”

“…Uh, well… sorry.”

What kind of situation even is that?

I don’t get it even after hearing it.

“Oh yeah, I made contact with a girl who called herself Nameless.”

“…!? …I see.”

I’m thrown off by the name Rinka-chan mentions.

What is that girl, really?

“Who is she…?”

“I don’t know either. She’s a complete irregular.”

“Huh. So, like, do you know her or something?”

“…No, nothing comes to mind.”

Rinka-chan stares intently at my face.

She’s probably trying to see if I’m lying.

Hah! As if!

Don’t underestimate the facial muscles of a mysterious beautiful girl!

“Nameless again… What a pain.”

“You know her too?”

“Yep.”

Clam-chan puffs out her chest as she answers.

“Not that we know much about her either.”

“Right.”

Clam-chan shoots me a look, as if to say we’ve shared intel, after all.

“But next time we meet, I won’t hold back… Hehe, I’m already looking forward to seeing her cry.”

“…Yeah, let’s catch her next time. I’ll help too.”

Suddenly, my right hand is grabbed.

I almost let out a heroine-like squeak, but I calmly accept it and squeeze back.

“…Wha—!?”

“What’s wrong, Ally-chan (lol)?”

“N-Nothing! …O-Oh, wow, I can suddenly stand now! Must be the Explorer’s healing ability!”

With that, Rinka-chan hops off the Ma-chanZ and presses herself against my left side.

Wait, your leg’s fine now?

『You’re the only one who took that seriously.』

Of course I’d worry about a beautiful girl’s injury!

“…Hey, why are you holding her hand too?”

“Because we’re close. Right?”

“…I’d really prefer if both of you let go.”

““No.””

“……I see.”

A mysterious beautiful girl can’t refuse too strongly.

And she can’t shake them off either.

But how am I supposed to draw my weapon like this?

What if another angel shows up?

『I can go anytime! I’ll crush the angel, then destroy both of their feelings afterward!』

I said no.

With both hands occupied by beautiful girls, I can’t do anything.

The Conquest Festival should be starting around now.

I want to show Touraku-kun the angel’s corpse after the festival, so until then, I’ll stay on standby here.

『I’d really prefer if you didn’t put angel corpses in the expanded domain. Also, are you seriously okay with this?』

Totally.

Actually, it’s kinda like a deer head—you know, the kind rich people have? I might even like it.

Can I decorate my room with it?

『Absolutely not!』

Aww.

I thought it’d make for nice interior decor.

Sigh.

“Why the sigh? …Oh, did you not want to hold her hand after all?”

“Haha, good one. Maybe I’m just tired of your needlessly aggressive attitude?”

“Hah?”

“Hmm?”

“Stop fighting. I don’t like girls who argue over nothing.”

Keeping the two in check, I continue through the wasteland.

Ugh, I wish the Conquest Festival would just end already.

■

Same time, Conquest Festival special area.

“Rinka… Where did she go? Don’t tell me Kisou Academy’s bastards got her…!?”

Gripped by frustration, Touraku tightens his grip on Shirotachi.

There’s no one here to ease his heart.

『Let’s go, Touraku. All we can do is fight.』

“…Yeah. I just have to cut them all down.”

The Conquest Festival is about to begin.