Rinka and Clam understood.

—That this was a holy war.

“Hey, guest, take a seat. We’ll welcome you properly later.”
“No need to hold back. Kei is someone precious to me, after all. Hey, leave the nursing to me, okay?”

The two continued talking with smiles, facing each other head-on.
As for Kei herself, her high fever had already robbed her of coherent thought.

Her bishoujo IQ had dropped below 10, leaving her operating almost purely on instinct.

(Being nursed… by beautiful girls… their actions…)

At the brink of life and death, having overcome death (?) in her own way, she had completely switched to “being cared for” mode.

Her slightly labored breathing, her damp eyes, her somewhat spoiled expression—Kei was reproducing all of it on instinct alone.
Only someone as constantly conscious of being a bishoujo as her could manage such a feat.
Her demeanor was akin to a martial arts master who had reached the pinnacle.

“Either way is fine, but… please don’t make too much noise…”
“Ah, sorry.”
“Kei, are you okay? I brought a bunch of holy relics—want me to use any?”
“Hah? That’s cheating.”

Ignoring Clam’s complaints, Rinka reached into her expanded space to pull out a holy relic—but Kei stretched out a hand to stop her.

“That’s yours, isn’t it? Besides, this is like poison from an angel. No ordinary relic can counter it.”
“An angel…!?”

Seeing Rinka’s shocked expression, Clam puffed out her chest like an expert and answered.

“She’s been infected by an angel’s poison. Right now, Zero is off killing that angel.”
“I-I see…”

Internally, Rinka thought, “Then shouldn’t we focus on nursing her properly instead of bickering?”
But one look at Clam’s eyes told her that suggestion was off the table.

(Those are the eyes of a predator.)

Having been part of Silver Twilight, she recognized it immediately.
That sharp gaze was locked onto its prey.

The fact that there was porridge nearby suggested Clam did intend to nurse Kei, but her underlying “if things go well…” intentions were transparent.

Yet Rinka couldn’t bring herself to criticize her.
Because she understood that feeling all too well.

(Somehow… Kei right now is incredibly… sexy…?)

Rinka subtly observed Kei without being noticed.
Her faintly flushed cheeks, her slightly opened pajama collar from the fever, her vacant eyes, her slightly parted lips—everything about her was inexplicably alluring.

(Is she teasing me…? I’d believe it if someone said she was doing this on purpose!)

Rinka was deeply relieved she hadn’t brought Touraku along.
What was about to begin was a temptation session disguised as nursing.

(She’s trying to keep up her usual strong front, but there are cracks. She must really be suffering and just wants to sleep.)

Seeing her unusually fragile state, Rinka felt a dim, swelling emotion in the depths of her heart.
Right now, she might even be able to outmaneuver Solciera—that’s how far her thoughts spiraled.

(…Huh!? Wait, is that why Clam called me here?!)

Rinka finally understood.
Why had Clam, who could practically be called a love rival, summoned her?

The reason was to keep herself from losing control.
In other words, she needed Rinka as an external restraint—someone to rein her in.

Noticing Clam’s gaze, Rinka nodded subtly so Kei wouldn’t notice.

In response, Clam’s expression hardened with resolve.

(From now on, we’ll resist temptation…!)
(And carry out Kei’s nursing properly!)

By sheer coincidence, their hearts were in sync.

“…Well, if you insist, I’ll help with the nursing.”
“You sound full of yourself, but whatever. Hey, Kei, is there anything you want right now? …Ah, if you want to sleep, just say so. I don’t wanna make the patient force herself.”

Even if this was nursing, they didn’t want to force their kindness on her.
If Kei wanted to be alone, they’d leave with Clam in tow.

Hearing Rinka’s suggestion, Kei lowered her eyes as if thinking.
Then, she looked up at Rinka and spoke hesitantly.

“…Once in a while, a little noise isn’t so bad. So… if you two don’t mind staying…”

These were words she would never have uttered normally.

“—Ah, I see. Yeah, got it.”

Rinka nodded with a smile.
And then—

“How about a kiss first?”
“Wait, wait, WAIT!”

Clam frantically stopped Rinka as she smoothly stepped forward.
Grabbing her by the scruff, Clam dragged her to the corner of the room, where Murder Frog and the other man-eating frogs helped restrain her.

“Why the hell are you trying to kiss her, idiot?! What was the point of inviting me then?!”
“…Sorry.”
“I’m genuinely worried about Kei. So I want this nursing to stay wholesome! Kissing and stuff… that should happen somewhere nicer, and… I’d rather Kei be the one to ask…”
“I don’t care about the second half. But fine, wholesome nursing it is. Yeah, I came here for Kei’s sake.”

The two nodded at each other and turned back with smiles.
Only to find Kei, having slipped out of bed, wobbling unsteadily toward who-knows-where.

“H-Hey, Kei!?”
“Ahh, the mysterious actions of a high-fever patient!”

Kei tilted her head slightly as the two rushed over in a panic.

“What’s wrong, you two?”
“What’s wrong?! Where are you going?”
“If there’s something you need, we’ll handle it for you!”

Desperately pleading, Kei replied with a flushed face.

“I’ve been sweating… so I thought I’d take a shower.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
“This is bad—like, REALLY bad!”

Kei had already lost her usual sharpness.

Unbeknownst to them, Kei’s condition had worsened dramatically in this short time.
There was only one reason.

(Rin × Clam, or maybe… no, even adding Solciera to make it a trio… the demand…)

The mere fact that two beautiful girls had come to nurse her was acting like a slow-acting poison.
The optimal solution was for the two to leave immediately—but the bishoujo demand-production machine, now devoid of rationality, would never let such a delicious situation slip away.

This was already Kei’s stage alone.

“Hey, hey, have you taken her temperature yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Ah, I brought a thermometer! The kind you stick in the mouth.”

Clam pulled out a thermometer.
Then froze mid-motion.

“What’s wrong, Cl—ah.”

In her line of sight was Kei, mouth open, waiting.
Seeing her with closed eyes, waiting for the thermometer, Clam’s breathing grew noticeably ragged.

“Clam, calm down, seriously. Kei’s in bad shape—if we lose it here, the worst could happen.”
“I-I know. O-Okay, here goes…”

Clam placed the thermometer in Kei’s mouth.
Kei kept her eyes closed, motionless.

(This is bad… Kei’s way too cute right now…!)
(I’m a former Silver Twilight intelligence officer. My heart is cold, mechanical. I must never show emotion, only complete the mission—)

For both of them, the next few seconds were agonizing.

“Ah, should be enough now. I’ll take it out.”

Clam pulled the thermometer from Kei’s mouth.
The tip was damp with her saliva.
Glistening in the light, it looked like a supreme treasure.

Like the irreplaceable radiance of a star.

(Indirect kiss… with Kei… an indirect kiss…)

Staring at the thermometer, Clam gulped hard, eyes wide.
Then, unconsciously, she began bringing it to her own lips—

“Let’s see how high it is—!”

Rinka snatched it away.
Snapping back to reality, Clam saw Rinka wiping the tip with a completely emotionless expression before checking the temperature.

For the first time, Clam felt grateful to her.

(Thank goodness Rinka was here…! If I were alone, I’d have assaulted Kei at least five times by now…!)

Right now, she was terrified of herself.

“…Huh?”

Rinka’s eyes widened at the reading.
With a look of disbelief, she spoke.

“…It’s 42°C.”
“THAT’S BAD!!”

Clam alternated between staring at Kei and the thermometer.
Kei herself just sat cutely on the bed, tilting her head.

“…When you reach S-Rank, this kind of fever isn’t too bad.”
“That’s not how it works! This is serious—we need a hospital! Or if it’s an angel, we should report to the council and get an S-Rank to—”
“Wait.”

Kei raised her voice as Rinka moved to contact someone.

“Zero is… handling it. She’ll definitely kill the angel… cough, cough!”
“B-But like this…!”
“Angel poison is lethal to humans. Going out will just create more victims. Please… listen to me. Okay?”

On the verge of tears, Kei pleaded.
Unlike usual, her composure was gone, leaving her emotions bare.

Seeing her like this, Rinka hesitated but eventually nodded with a pained expression.

“…Fine. But only until midnight. After that, we act.”
“Thank you… I’m sorry for always worrying you.”

These were words they’d never normally hear from her.

“D-Don’t worry about it!”
“Yeah! So let us nurse you. Just this once, it’s okay to rely on us.”
“I see… okay.”

Hearing Clam’s words, Kei smiled faintly.
Then, she spoke.

“Then… could you wipe me down? If a shower’s no good, that should be fine, right?”
“……Huh?”
“No good…?”

Seeing Kei’s sad, downcast eyes, Clam and Rinka frantically shook their heads.
This was practically a feast laid out before them.

“No problem! We’ll do it. Right, Clam? …Clam?”

Rinka, now in full intelligence-officer mode, agreed with a smile.
But her partner was acting strange.

Clam was holding something in her hand.

“Hm?”

What Clam held was a purple choker-like item.
With a heart-shaped bell attached, it was clearly not something to bring out now.

“What’s that?”
“Lover’s Sweet Spot Finder—Echi Tankchi.”

(Oh nooo, she’s already lost all rationality!!)

Rinka’s response was swift.

Two seconds to grab Clam’s arm, lock her joints, and restrain her.
One second to bolt out of the room.
And what felt like an hour to ignore Kei’s sad “Ah…” as they left.

In mere moments, Rinka had dragged Clam out and promptly slapped her.

“…Hah!?”
“You’re really lucky I was here…”
“Thanks… you saved me. Seriously.”

Her gratitude was genuine.

“So, that’s the Echi Tankchi?”
“Yep. You put it on someone and… caress them. When you touch a spot that feels good, the bell rings.”
“What’s wrong with Fectom? Why would they make this!?”

Seeing Clam’s utterly serious face as she explained, Rinka couldn’t help but ask.

Clam simply replied, “Proud of their mechanics.”
In Rinka’s mind, Fectom’s mechanics had just been promoted to super pervert status.

“Anyway, put that away. Don’t take it out again.”
“B-But wiping her body… that’s… s-so lewd!”
“If that’s what Kei wants, we have to do it. Get a grip! You’re her confidant, aren’t you!?”
“…Tch!”

Clam’s eyes sharpened at Rinka’s words.

“If you give in to instinct and assault her, you’ll regret it. She’d probably accept it, but you know that’s wrong.”
“…Yeah. Thanks, I’m good now.”
“Nice eyes you’ve got there.”
“Back at you. Let’s go.”

The two grinned and bumped fists.

Then, they opened the door.

“—Ahh, her mana’s just too much. It’s overreacting to the angel’s poison.”
“…Is that so? Cough, cough.”

Upon opening the door, Clam and Rinka froze.
There was Kei, already stripped to the waist.
And—Nameless, diligently wiping her back.

“Tch! You damn—!”

Clam moved first.
A swarm of summoned Murder Frogs lunged at Nameless.

But in the next instant, they were incinerated by black flames, leaving not even ash behind.

“No fighting. Kei-chan isn’t feeling well.”
“…Says the one who started it?”
“Step back. Now.”

Ignoring their protests, Nameless continued wiping Kei’s body with care and speed.
Then, she produced a fresh set of pajamas and dressed her.

“…Hey, these pajamas are too small. The buttons won’t close…”
“Ah, it’s fine. They’ll fit soon, don’t worry.”

Kei nodded obediently at Nameless’ words.

“Kei, that’s Nameless! Get away!”
“Tch, of all times for Zero to be absent…!”

Finally realizing the situation, Kei weakly spoke up.

“…Ah, we have to… fight. Cough, ugh…”
“Ah, don’t push yourself. Without Zero, you can’t beat me in Twin Star form. Besides, I’m not here to fight this time.”

Nameless stepped back from Kei.
Then, she pulled out a white chair from nowhere and sat down.

“You two should sit too.”
“Tch, you’ve gone too far—”I can handle this situation.” …Huh?”

Just as Clam was about to lunge, Nameless spoke.
Still seated, she gazed at Kei and continued.

“She’s poisoned… but the real issue is her excessive mana. That’s why she’s suffering so much. So, we just need to reduce it.”
“Do you know how? If you do, please tell us.”
“Rinka, you’re buying her crap?”
“We have no choice. And it’s fine—she’s not lying.”

Rinka could discern truth from subtle cues in speech and behavior.
Nameless wasn’t lying. That was her conclusion.

“Yeah, as expected of Rinka-chan. Then, I’ll tell you.”

Nameless deployed a magic circle.

“The Trans Anchor was practically made for Kei-chan. Its role is to fix her physical state—preventing erosion from the Starreader’s Staff.”

The magic circle enveloped Kei.
Too weak to resist, she lay limply on the bed.

“But it has other uses. Like venting excess mana. The further the designated state is from normal, the more mana it consumes to maintain.”

(She talks like she’s used it before. And this rhythm… where have I…)

Rinka subtly tried probing Nameless’ identity.
But her thoughts were cut off as Nameless grinned and spoke.

“So, for a little while, Kei will become a child. A child’s form consumes mana rapidly.”
“……Huh?”

Their minds went completely blank.
It was that shocking.

Of course, Kei heard it too from the bed.

(…Eh, a loli… event…?)

Despite her body’s state, her soul burned brighter than ever.