Two days had passed since the disaster caused by the sudden appearance of a monster in the amusement park. The source and cause of the monster were still under investigation, with the leading theory being that a dungeon had manifested within the park.

Online, various conspiracy theories were circulating, but none of them were even close to the truth.

“…How ridiculous.”

Rinka spat those words after skimming through some posts on an online forum.

(I thought this incident might drag Silver Twilight into the spotlight, but that didn’t happen.)

Right now, Rinka was free to walk around the hospital as she pleased.

Given the late hour, the hallway was empty, with only her shadow cast on the floor.

Yes, she was free.

She wasn’t restrained.

There was only one reason for that—no one knew she was part of Uroboros.

The Apis board seemed intent on treating this incident as an accident, and in exchange for her silence, Rinka had been granted her freedom.

Not that anyone would believe her even if she were to reveal the truth alone.

(Still, this gives me a chance.)

Due to the aftereffects of her fusion with Uroboros, Rinka had been forced into a week-long hospital stay.

The hospital she was in was a massive facility operated by Kisou Academy.

It accepted not only Explorers but also regular students and tourists, and it was always mobilized in emergencies.

Many of those injured in the amusement park had been brought here—including the person she was looking for.

“Here it is—Narou Kei’s room.”

The nameplate on the door read Narou Kei.

Taking a deep breath, Rinka steeled herself.

(If my prediction is correct, he—no, Sorciera—is in there.)

After observing Narou Kei’s brief interactions before collapsing, Rinka had formed a hypothesis about his true identity.

It was an absurd idea at first glance—that Narou Kei was Sorciera.

But Rinka trusted her instincts.

Her keen observational skills, honed through years in the organization, had never failed her before.

His breathing, eye movements, posture, habits—everything matched Sorciera’s.

(There’s something girly about his movements. With that face, crossdressing is a real possibility. I still don’t know how Mihaya was fooled when she saw him naked, but… yeah, he’s probably a girl.)

Narou Kei was a girl.

Rinka was certain of it.

“……”

Finally, she placed her hand on the door and quietly pushed it open.

Given that the room’s occupant might be Sorciera, she had braced herself for the possibility of being detected and attacked.

But contrary to her expectations, she slipped inside without issue.

The private hospital room was far too spacious for one person.

The window was open, letting the night breeze rustle the curtains—likely left that way before Narou Kei went to sleep.

And on the bed, a little ways from the window, lay the figure she was looking for.

(…Asleep? Perfect. Now’s my chance to confirm their gender.)

The bed’s occupant was breathing steadily.

Their face was hidden under the blanket, but the pattern of their breaths confirmed it was Narou Kei.

Rinka crept closer.

Just as she was about to pull back the covers—

“—And what do you think you’re doing?”

A voice spoke abruptly.

“Huh?!”

Rinka whipped her head toward the sound.

It hadn’t come from the bed.

Instead, it came from near the window.

When she turned in panic, she saw Sorciera perched on the windowsill.

“Wh-why are you—”

“Is something strange about that?”

Sorciera smiled as if she already knew what Rinka was thinking.

“Tch, then this person is—”

Rinka reached for the blanket again.

In an instant, Sorciera slipped between her and the bed, gripping her wrist before she could react.

“Stop that. This child is exhausted—let them rest.”

Still holding Rinka’s wrist, Sorciera pinned her against the wall.

She couldn’t even struggle properly before being immobilized.

“Or are you the type to forcibly wake injured people?”

A doll-like face peered down at her.

Whether it was fear or something else, Rinka’s heart pounded violently.

Unable to meet her gaze, Rinka turned her face away.

“…I just came to see Sorciera.”

“Oh? Then I’ll talk to you. But not here—we might wake them. Let’s move.”

Still gripping Rinka’s hand, Sorciera led her out of the room.

■

Phew! That was close!

Almost got caught crossdressing as a melancholic beautiful girl in the hospital at night!

『That was cutting it close. Though, I wouldn’t have minded if you were exposed.』

Like hell you wouldn’t!

Man, I never expected Rinka-chan to show up.

I set up the decoy thinking it’d just be the nurses making rounds.

『Well, the decoy worked, so no harm done. How’s my magic?』

Perfect.

『Heheh, of course. Creating rhythmic gusts under the blanket to mimic breathing? Only I could pull that off. The dedication to match your breathing pattern too? That’s next-level attention to detail.』

The soul lies in the details, after all.

You’re the best partner ever, yeah!

『Yeah!』

We high-fived in our minds.

Thanks to Starreader’s Staff, my crossdressing life is at its peak.

Since I’m stuck in the hospital anyway, I might as well keep up the mysterious beautiful girl act.

Not like I’m here for anything serious—just passed out from shock.

『Most people don’t do that, you know.』

Really?

Anyway, what now?

I’m currently on the hospital rooftop with Rinka-chan.

Oh, and since I’m crossdressing right now, any physical contact would be a crime.

But… I was a beautiful girl until just a while ago, so maybe there’s room for leniency…? Have mercy…!

『Then why not go full Super Mysterious Beautiful Girl Mode again? Just don’t push your limits.』

That thing drains an insane amount of magic from my body, you know?

Gotta use it wisely.

Honestly, I’d rather not get too involved with Kisou Academy’s side.

I don’t want to be responsible for any major changes.

…Though Rinka-chan surviving is already a huge change. Whoops.

“—So, what did you want with me?”

I’m scared of getting involved, but now that I’m in this situation, there’s no helping it.

Time to milk this Mysterious Beautiful Girl act for all it’s worth.

“Who are you?”

“Sorciera. You’ve heard of me, haven’t you?”

Leaning against the railing, I gazed up at the sky as I answered.

So mysterious~.

If only there were a gentle breeze to make my hair flutter just right…

『Coming right up!』

Along with Starreader’s Staff’s voice, a magic circle appeared at an angle where Rinka-chan couldn’t see, summoning the perfect gust of wind.

Dramatically pressing a hand to my hair, I murmured:

“The wind here is lovely. Quiet, gentle… it reminds me of those days.”

Which days? I don’t even know.

“…You were with Silver Twilight before, weren’t you?”

Rinka-chan asked with resolve.

Uh, no?

Silver Twilight is that crazy-dangerous organization, right?

No way I’d be part of that.

…Wait, would being a former member make me more of a beautiful girl?

Nah, Silver Twilight’s too sketchy.

Mentioning them might drag me into something. Hard pass.

“Oh? Whatever do you mean?”

“Playing dumb, huh? Fine, forget that.”

Seriously?

I was just about to hint at being part of some original organization!

『Wouldn’t that just backfire on you?』

Huh? Being part of a secret organization boosts my beautiful girl cred like crazy!

『Beautiful girl cred???』

Ignoring Starreader’s Staff’s confusion, I waited for Rinka-chan to continue.

C’mon, let me keep being a mysterious beautiful girl!

“Then I’ll ask something else. What’s your goal?”

Here it comes!

I pushed off the railing and locked eyes with Rinka-chan.

At the same time, the wind picked up, making my hair flutter just right.

“My goal is humanity’s salvation. That’s all.”

“Humanity’s salvation…? What do you know? Even Silver Twilight’s upper echelons were preparing for something. What’s going to happen to this academy city?”

“Telling you now won’t change anything.”

Y’know how there are tons of events like that in the original story?

Probably one of those. Maybe. Dunno.

“…Fine. Then I’ll get my answers from Narou Kei.”

You’re literally talking to her right now.

“And what makes you say that?”

“That student is really a girl, isn’t she? My eyes don’t lie.”

“……That’s right. You’re correct.”

『Huh? No, she’s not? Lying’s bad.』

It’s fine!

If anything, I should be thanking her!

“Thanks for recognizing me as a beautiful girl!”

『She didn’t say that, though? She was just talking about gender.』

She’ll be a beautiful girl later, so it’s fine!

Same difference.

“Her breathing pattern, gait, posture—all of it was feminine. She hid it well, but my eyes, trained in Silver Twilight, saw through it. And all of it matched you perfectly.”

What the hell, this girl’s scary…

In the original, she died right away, but was she always this terrifying?

Kisou Academy really is full of monsters, huh…

“What are you implying?”

“What’s your relationship with Narou Kei?”

“That child and I…”

Hmm, this is tricky.

No matter how I answer, it’ll create a contradiction where Narou Kei and Sorciera are separate entities.

Eventually, I want to reveal my identity and claim the vacant Mysterious Beautiful Girl slot at Fectom Comprehensive Academy.

But right now, since people think Narou Kei and Sorciera exist simultaneously, it’s causing inconsistencies.

Narou Kei ≠ Sorciera.

Narou Kei and Sorciera are connected.

This is messy.

It’s like a tangled plate of spaghetti.

A Mysterious Beautiful Girl’s relationships should be sleek and elegant.

Alright, emergency meeting!

Gather up!

『Yessir!』

Starreader’s Staff, got any ideas?

『Let’s reuse the crossdressing beautiful girl Narou Kei setup we used with Purification-chan. There’s a way to explain Sorciera and Narou Kei coexisting.』

Really?!

You mean I can have both Sorciera and crossdressing Kei at the same time?!

『Who do you think I am? I’m a Demonsgear. Other Demonsgears take the form of girls, right? It’s a package deal—contractor and girl. You get where I’m going with this?』

!?

I can’t thank you enough for finding me…!

So all I have to do now is pretend to be the true form of the Demonsgear contracted to Narou Kei!

『Just repeat after me. Don’t worry—I’ve already learned the general vibe of your Mysterious Beautiful Girl act.』

Uh, can I make one request…?

『Go ahead.』

I want some yuri… local production for local consumption.

Like, super codependent, messy yuri between Kei and her Demonsgear…

『What the hell is wrong with you…』

Too much?

『No, it’s not impossible, but… man, are you seriously messed up in the head?』

Ah, forget it then.

Sorry for the weird request.

Must be hard to compute, huh?

『Hah? Of course I can do it. Let’s freaking go.』

Starreader’s Staff’s confident words struck me deep.

『Yuri, right? Not the clean, elegant kind you want for Fectom Academy, but the messy, obsessive kind. Don’t underestimate Demonsgears. This is child’s play.』

Amazing.

I kinda wanna punch past-me for ever considering pawning you off.

『I have mixed feelings about this character development, but whatever.』

Alright!

Let’s do this—Mysterious Beautiful Girl’s Partner: Mysterious Beautiful Girl #2 Operation!

『Could’ve picked a better name, though…』

■

After Rinka’s question, Sorciera fell silent for a while.

Then, she laughed.

“—Well, well, what sharp eyes. But you were just one step short.”

Her aura shifted instantly.

If the previous Sorciera had been a lone star in the night sky, the one before Rinka now was the darkness of the sky itself.

Though she still carried an air of mystery, her very essence had changed.

Rinka understood.

This thing in front of me isn’t human.

“What are you?”

“Don’t you have a friend with someone like me? Let’s see… the fourth successful specimen of the Deep Dream Project, was it?”

“…You mean Lutra? Then you’re—”

Sorciera grinned and gave an elegant bow.

The gesture was refined, but carried an unmistakable air of mockery.

“A pleasure to meet you properly. I am Success Specimen Zero—Sorciera. Currently, I am in a master-servant relationship with her—that is, Kei.”

“The seventh Demonsgear…?!”

“No need to fear. I bear you no hostility. If you hadn’t noticed anything odd, I would’ve kept pretending to be her master.”

With that, Sorciera—Zero—laughed.

In the next instant, her figure vanished, and her voice came from behind.

“Unfortunately, my master has forbidden me from harming others. So, let’s just be friends, shall we? You’re good at that, aren’t you? You’ve got one by your side already.”

“Tch! Lutra isn’t like you!”

Rinka spun around and shouted.

Zero blinked in surprise for a moment before smiling again.

“Are you sure? You believed the Sorciera you were talking to earlier was real, didn’t you? Never once suspecting it was my disguise. Are your eyes just for show?”

“…!”

“Tsk tsk, ruining such a cute face. …You should be grateful my master saved you. Live thankfully.”

She was being completely dismissed.

To Zero, this was just a minor amusement.

“…Why were you pretending to be her?”

“To keep you away from my master. I can’t have little mice like you sniffing around her.”

Zero leaned in, peering at Rinka’s face.

Somehow, her expression seemed far more terrifying than before—perhaps because her eyes held no light at all.

“My master has me. I’m the only one who can stay by her side forever! Ah, my pitiful, beloved master! No matter how much she suffers, her defiance of the world’s order is humanity’s true brilliance…!”

With a dreamy smile, Zero gazed up at the sky.

Did stars even reflect in those eyes?

“…You’re insane.”

“Am I? I think the world is the insane one. But that doesn’t matter now.”

With a light tap, Zero kicked off the ground.

Landing on a magic circle summoned midair, she looked down and declared:

“Stay away from Narou Kei. I won’t allow anyone I haven’t approved to get close to my master.”

Rinka couldn’t respond.

(I don’t have the power to save her. But leaving that thing by Narou Kei’s side is dangerous.)

Perhaps this was what Narou Kei wanted.

If she had taken Sorciera—a Demonsgear—as her power to rebel against the world, then it was her own will.

Normally, Rinka wouldn’t interfere.

The old Rinka would’ve quietly backed off.

But not now.

Rinka was no longer the hesitant girl who held back.

“—I’ll become her strength one day. I’ll stand by Kei’s side. And I’ll show her… that she has friends other than you.”

“…Oh?”

“For now, you can keep playing the understanding ally. But remember this—I will get there.”

Pointing at the queen floating in the sky, Rinka made her declaration.

Zero looked down at her and laughed, as if genuinely amused, before sneering.

“Don’t get cocky, human.”

“And one day, you’ll lose to this human.”

“Is that your duty as a person? Or guilt over being saved?”

“Neither. I’ll do it because I want to.”

Their gazes clashed.

Despite merely locking eyes, the pressure was overwhelming, making Rinka’s limbs tremble.

But she didn’t look away.

How much time passed like that?

Finally, Zero laughed.

“Hahahaha, amusing. Then I’ll wait for this someday of yours—though it’ll never come. Entertain me a little, human.”

With a horizontal magic circle, Zero vanished.

The moment the oppressive presence disappeared, Rinka slumped to the ground.

“Haah… haah…”

If just locking eyes and talking left her this exhausted, what would happen if they truly fought?

Rinka shook her head, cutting off that train of thought.

Right now, all she could see was defeat.

“…This time, it’s my turn to save her.”

It would be an endless journey.

But Rinka would never give up.

(I’ll talk to Touraku and Mihaya. Lutra will help too.)

Now, she had friends to rely on.

And that was all thanks to one girl—Narou Kei.