Chapter Two: The Girl of Azure Stars
Episode 41: Local Production for Local Consumption and Beautiful Girl
It had been two days since the disaster caused by the sudden appearance of a monster at the amusement park. The origin and cause of the monster were still under investigation, with the most likely theory being that a Dungeon had appeared within the amusement park.
On the internet, various conspiracy theories were circulating, but all of them seemed to be wide off the mark.
“…What nonsense.”
Rinka muttered dismissively after reading some posts on an online bulletin board.
(I thought this incident might bring Silver Twilight into the spotlight, but it didn’t happen.)
Rinka was currently walking freely around the hospital. It was late at night, and her shadow was the only one visible in the corridor.
Indeed, she was free. She hadn’t been restrained. The reason was simple: no one knew she was Ouroboros.
The Apis Council appeared to be handling the matter as an accident. In exchange for her silence, Rinka had been granted freedom.
Of course, even if a single girl revealed the truth, few would believe her.
(But thanks to this, I’ve gotten a chance.)
Rinka had been forced to stay in the hospital for a week due to follow-up checks for aftereffects from merging with Ouroboros. The hospital where she was staying was a large facility operated by Mikage Academy. This hospital accepted not only Explorers but also regular students and tourists, and always sprang into action during emergencies.
Many of those injured at the amusement park had been brought here, including the person Rinka was looking for.
“Here it is—Kei Na Takikai’s room.”
A nameplate reading “Na Takikai” was embedded on the door. Seeing it, Rinka took a deep breath.
(If my prediction is correct, he…no, Solciera should be beyond this door.)
Based on observing Kei Na Takikai’s brief interactions before collapsing, Rinka had formed a hypothesis about his true identity.
Namely, that Kei Na Takikai was actually Solciera—a seemingly absurd assumption.
However, Rinka trusted her instincts, honed through experience within the organization. They had never steered her wrong.
His breathing patterns, eye movements, center of gravity shifts, and many other actions closely resembled Solciera’s.
(Something about her movements seems very feminine. Given her features, it’s entirely possible she’s in male disguise. Though I’m not sure how Mihaya reacted upon seeing her naked, she’s probably a girl…)
Kei Na Takikai was a girl. Rinka was certain of it.
…
Eventually, she placed her hand on the door and quietly opened it.
Considering the possibility that Solciera might detect her presence and attack, she was surprised when she entered without resistance.
The private room was quite spacious for Kei Na Takikai’s use alone. The window was open, perhaps left so before she went to bed, and the curtains swayed gently in the night breeze.
Near the window, there seemed to be someone lying in the bed.
(…She’s asleep. Perfect timing. Let’s confirm her gender while I have the chance.)
The bedcover rose and fell rhythmically. Although her face was hidden beneath the blanket, Rinka recognized Kei Na Takikai from the breathing pattern.
Rinka approached cautiously. Just as she was about to lift the blanket…
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Suddenly, she heard a voice.
“Huh!?”
She turned toward the sound. It wasn’t coming from the bed.
Instead, it came from near the window. There sat Solciera, perched casually on the windowsill.
“How…why…”
“Is something odd going on?”
Solciera smiled knowingly, as if she understood exactly what Rinka was thinking.
“Well then, who’s this person?”
As Rinka reached out toward the blanket, Solciera swiftly intervened, grasping her wrist before she could touch it.
“Stop. She’s tired, leave her be.”
With her wrist caught, Rinka was pressed against the wall, unable to move.
“Or are you the type who forces the wounded awake?”
The perfectly sculpted face peered down at Rinka. A chilling fear gripped her heart.
Her heart raced as she averted her gaze.
“…I just came to see Solciera.”
“Oh? Then let me handle the conversation. But we’ll have to move; we might wake her up here.”
Holding Rinka’s hand, Solciera left the room.
—
Phew!
I almost got caught doing my midnight female impersonation routine in the hospital!
“It was close, but honestly, I don’t care if I’m found out.”
You should care! And who’d have thought Rinka would show up?
I thought the nurse might come around, so I prepared the disguise.
“Since it worked, isn’t that fine? How’s my magic?”
It’s amazing!
“Haha, naturally. Creating a steady airflow inside the bed makes it look like normal breathing. I am impressive, aren’t I? Even matching the breathing pattern to yours shows dedication!”
Details matter, after all. You’re an excellent partner, cheers!
“Cheers!”
We gave each other a high-five in our minds.
Thanks to the Star Reader’s Staff, my cross-dressing life is perfect. Since I’m already in the hospital, I wanted to play mysterious beautiful girl too, and the check-up isn’t bad either.
Though I just fainted from shock.
“Most people wouldn’t do that.”
Yeah, but what should I do now?
Right now, I’m on the hospital rooftop with Rinka. And technically, since I’m dressed as a girl, any contact would be illegal.
But…I was a beautiful girl just moments ago, so maybe there’s some leeway…some mercy?!
“If you want, we could enter Super Mysterious Beautiful Girl Time again. But remember your limits.”
Yeah, I feel like a ton of magical power is being drained from my body. I need to use it wisely.
Besides, I don’t want to get involved with Mikage Academy. If anything changes because of me, I’d hate that.
Although…having Rinka alive is already a huge change. Hahaha.
“So, do you need something from me?”
Even though I’m scared to get involved, now that I am, I want to fully embrace this mysterious beautiful girl moment.
“Who are you?”
“Solciera. You’ve probably heard of me.”
I leaned against the railing, gazing at the sky as I answered.
Here, if only a nice breeze would blow through my hair…
“Hey, wind, over here!”
At the Star Reader’s Staff’s call, a perfect breeze blew from a magic circle positioned where Rinka couldn’t see it.
I dramatically held my hair as I said:
“This is such a lovely breeze. Quiet and gentle…it reminds me of those days.”
Which days? Who knows?
“…Were you part of Silver Twilight in the past?”
Rinka asked me decisively. No, I wasn’t.
Silver Twilight? That’s a super dangerous organization!
…Wait, does belonging to a dangerous organization make someone more mysterious and beautiful?
Still, Silver Twilight is way too extreme.
If I reveal names, I might get entangled, so no thanks.
“Ah, what are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. Got it, then forget it.”
Seriously?
I was trying to hint at the existence of an original organization…
“Partner, doesn’t that give you zero benefits?”
What? Being associated with an organization boosts my beauty level significantly!
“Beauty level???”
Ignoring the confused Star Reader’s Staff, I waited for Rinka’s next words. Come on, make me more of a mysterious beautiful girl.
“Then, let’s change the question. What’s your purpose?”
Here we go!
I stood up straight, looking directly at Rinka. At the same time, the wind picked up, gently blowing my hair.
“My purpose is to save humanity. That’s all.”
“Saving humanity…? What do you know? I know the upper echelons of Silver Twilight were preparing for something. What’s going to happen to this Academy City?”
“That’s not a problem that can be solved by talking to you now.”
There must be tons of events like that in the original story, right? Probably one of them. Though I don’t really know.
“…Alright, I understand. Then I’ll ask Kei Na Takikai.”
We’re already asking her now.
“What do you mean?”
“Isn’t that student actually a girl? My eyes can’t be deceived.”
“……Yes, you’re correct.”
“Eh? Isn’t that wrong? Lying isn’t good.”
It’s correct! I should thank you for recognizing me as a beautiful girl.
“Didn’t you say ‘beautiful girl’? It’s about gender, not beauty.”
She’ll become a beautiful girl later, so it’s fine. Nothing changes.
“The breathing pattern, walk, and center of gravity were all feminine. Even though she hides it well, my eyes, trained in Silver Twilight, can’t be fooled. And they reminded me a lot of you.”
This person is terrifying…
In the original story, she dies quickly, but is she really this scary? Is Mikage Academy really full of dangerous people?
“What are you implying?”
“What’s the relationship between you and Kei Na Takikai?”
“That child and me…”
Hmm, this is tricky.
No matter how I answer, it will link Kei Na Takikai and Solciera as separate entities.
Eventually, I want to reveal myself as the mysterious beautiful girl missing from Factom General Academy.
But since both me and Solciera are perceived to exist simultaneously, it creates contradictions.
Kei Na Takikai is not Solciera.
Rather, Kei Na Takikai and Solciera are related somehow.
This is complicated.
It’s like a tangled plate of spaghetti.
The relationship between mysterious beautiful girls must remain elegant.
Alright, let’s have a meeting.
“Alright.”
Star Reader’s Staff, do you have any good ideas?
“Let’s reuse the setup we used with Purification-chan. There’s a way to resolve the simultaneous existence of Solciera and Kei Na Takikai.”
Really?
Can Solciera and the cross-dressing girl Kei coexist?
“Leave it to me. Who do you think I am? I’m a Demon’s Gear. Other Demon’s Gears take the form of girls, right? They pair with their contractors. You’ll understand if you’re a proper partner, won’t you?”
!?!
I’m so grateful to have met you…
So, I just need to pretend to be the main body of the Demon’s Gear contracted to Kei Na Takikai, right?!
“Just repeat exactly what I’m about to tell you. Don’t worry, I’ve learned the basics of your mysterious beautiful girl act.”
Um, can I make one request?
“Go ahead.”
I want some yuri…local production for local consumption style yuri…the deeply intertwined kind between Kei and the Demon’s Gear…
“What is this guy…”
Is that not allowed?
“No, it’s not impossible…but ugh, are you really crazy?”
Ah, forget it if it’s not possible. Sorry for asking.
That kind of thing can’t be calculated, right?
“Huh? It can? Let’s absolutely do it!”
The Star Reader’s Staff’s confident words moved me.
“It’s yuri, right? Not the clean kind you want at Factom General Academy, but the messy kind. Want to lick the Demon’s Gear? Easy peasy.”
Amazing.
I want to punch myself for considering selling this idea to a pawn shop.
“This repentance is complicated, but whatever.”
Alright!
Let’s launch Operation Mysterious Beautiful Girl’s Partner, Mysterious Beautiful Girl Number Two!
“A better name would have been nice…”
—
Upon hearing Rinka’s question, Solciera fell silent for a moment.
Then she laughed.
“Wow, great observation skills. But you missed by just a bit.”
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Whereas before she was like a solitary star floating in the night sky, now she embodied the darkness itself.
Though somewhat mysterious, her very essence seemed different.
Rinka understood.
The person in front of her wasn’t human.
“What are you?”
“You might know someone similar among your friends. Wasn’t it…the fourth successful prototype of the Demon’s Project?”
“…Lutra? So you mean…”
Solciera grinned and bowed respectfully.
Pleasing movements, but they carried a condescending air.
“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you. To re-introduce myself, I’m Prototype Zero, Solciera. Currently, I serve as the master-servant to her—meaning Kei.”
“The seventh Demon’s Gear…!?”
“Fear not, I hold no hostility. If you hadn’t noticed anything strange, I could have continued pretending to be the master.”
Saying this, Zero-Solciera laughed. In the next instant, her figure disappeared, and her voice came from behind.
“Unfortunately, attacking others is forbidden by the master’s orders. So, let’s be friends. You’re good at that, aren’t you? After all, you already have one by your side.”
“Hey! Lutra is different from you!”
Turning around, Rinka shouted.
Zero briefly looked perplexed but quickly regained her smile.
“Are you sure? Didn’t you think the Solciera you were just talking to was the real one? Without suspecting it was my disguise. Your eyes must be blind, huh?”
“…”
“Oh dear, you’re ruining your cute face. …Since the master saved you, why not live gratefully?”
It felt like she wasn’t even paying attention.
Perhaps she was just teasing slightly.
“…Why were you pretending to be her?”
“To separate you from the master. I need to drive away the wild rats investigating the master.”
Saying this, Zero leaned closer to Rinka’s face. Her expression seemed even scarier than before, probably because there was no light in her eyes at all.
“I am the master’s only companion who can remain by her side forever! Oh, my poor yet beloved master! No matter how much she may suffer, challenging the world’s logic alone—that is the true brilliance humans possess…”
She tilted her head back dreamily, gazing at the sky.
Were stars truly reflected in her eyes?
“…You’re insane.”
“Am I? I think the world is the one that’s gone mad. But whatever, it doesn’t matter now.”
With that, Zero lightly pushed off the ground.
Landing on a magic circle summoned mid-air, she looked down and declared:
“Stay away from Kei Na Takikai. I won’t allow the master to associate with anyone besides those I approve of.”
Rinka couldn’t respond.
(I don’t have the power to help or save her. But leaving this thing by Kei’s side puts her in danger.)
Was obtaining the power to defy the world what Kei desired?
If so, choosing Solciera as a Demon’s Gear was her decision, and not something Rinka should interfere with. The Rinka from before would have quietly stepped back.
But things are different now.
Rinka is no longer a girl who hesitates to do what she wants.
“—One day, I will definitely become someone who can support her. I’ll stand by Kei’s side. And…I’ll show her that there are people she can rely on besides you, that she has friends.”
“…Huh?”
“Let me pretend to understand her for now. But remember this: —I will definitely get there.”
Pointing at the queen floating in the sky, Rinka made her declaration.
Zero laughed heartily, as if finding it utterly amusing, then spat out:
“Don’t get cocky, you insignificant human.”
“One day, you’ll lose to this human.”
“Is that your duty as a human, or guilt from being saved?”
“No. It’s neither duty nor guilt. I do it because I want to.”
Their gazes clashed.
Despite merely maintaining eye contact, an abnormal pressure caused her limbs to tremble.
Still, Rinka refused to look away.
How much time passed?
Eventually, Zero laughed again.
“Hahahahaha, interesting. Then let’s wait for that non-existent ‘one day’ of yours. Entertain me a little, human.”
Zero created another magic circle beside her and vanished into it.
As the oppressive presence disappeared, Rinka collapsed onto the floor.
“Huff…huff…”
If simply making eye contact and conversing could exhaust her this much, what would happen if they became outright enemies?
Thinking about it, Rinka immediately shook her head to stop the thought. As it was, she could only see defeat in the future.
“…Next time, it’s my turn to help.”
This will be an endless journey.
But Rinka will never give up.
(Tourak and Mihaya might have some advice. Even Lutra could help.)
She now has reliable friends to count on. All thanks to that girl, Kei Na Takikai.
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