The Mysterious Girl, Yuti

“Sumimaru-san, this is terrible! Noa-san isn’t at school!”

“Whaaat!? What do you mean-maru!?”

It was lunchtime on a certain day.

Kaori, having rushed out from Ousei Academy’s middle school division, informed Sumimaru, who was waiting outside, with a pale face.

Noa, who always looked forward to the free daily lunch special, hadn’t shown up at the cafeteria even though it was lunchtime. Worried, Kaori had gone to the middle school building to get her, only to find no trace of Noa at all.

“I asked her classmates and the teachers, but they said she hasn’t been here since this morning, and there’s been no contact…!”

“That’s strange-maru. For Noa, who survives on the daily lunch special as her only source of nutrition and enjoyment, to skip school is…!”

“Could she have been caught up in some kind of incident!?”

“! That’s certainly possible-maru…!”

Sumimaru’s expression stiffened.

“There haven’t been many Debipachis lately, so I let my guard down-maru… but this might have been the calm before the storm-maru. It’s entirely possible that some unbelievably powerful foe has been dormant somewhere, biding its time and waiting for a chance to strike-maru!”

“N-No way! We have to find Noa-san right away…!”

“I’ll search every nook and cranny of the middle school building-maru! It’s my first time infiltrating the middle school, I’m so excited-maru~! The girls’ basketball clubroom, the girls’ tennis club lockers, the girls’ track and field team’s changing room, pant, pant, pant, pant!”

“N-No, you can’t, Sumimaru-san! I’ll search the middle school again, so please wait here, Sumimaru-san~!”

Just then, Sumimaru clapped his hands as if struck by an idea.

He took out a glitteringly decorated compact.

“That’s it-maru! I’ll try contacting Noa with this ‘Magical Contact-kun’ ── wait, there’s a message from Noa-maru!”

“What!? Couldn’t you have noticed that a little sooner!?”

“Messages from Noa are usually nothing good, so I basically keep notifications off-maru~.”

“What if something happened…!?”

“If that’s the case, Noa will manage somehow on her own-maru. A screw-up like her is no different from a stranger-maru.”

“Th-That’s so mean…!”

“Anyway, let’s check the message-maru! Let’s see, what’s this?”

Kaori and Sumimaru peered into the compact.

There was just a single line.

 

I’m tired of it all, I am. Please don’t look for me.

 

“Th-This is terrible! Noa-san has run away from home(?)────!?”

“What in the world is going on-maru────!?”

Sumimaru hurriedly tried to contact her with the compact, but he couldn’t get through.

Sumimaru’s tentacle (which was shaped like a fist) trembled.

“Grrrr! That Noa, she’s run off, hasn’t she-maru!?”

“Whaaat!? Wh-What do you mean!?”

“She must have gotten fed up with her own incompetence and ran off-maru! That’s wrong of her, and I’ll have to find her and beat that lesson into her until it’s ingrained in her bones-maru!”

“You’re right, Noa-san isn’t incompetent at all──”

“If I’m held responsible and get fired, my lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy, hehehe ♡ honeymoon with Kaori will be over-maru! I’ll never forgive her for running away-maru!”

“That’s your reason!?”

“Now that it’s come to this, I’ll use any means necessary to find her-maru~~~~! For starters, from inside that cute little girl’s skirt… uhuhuhu~♡”

“Sumimaru-san, you mustn’t!”

As Kaori desperately held Sumimaru back, a clear voice called out.

 

“Kaori.”

 

“Eh?”

She turned around, her eyes widening.

“Yuti-san!”

Standing there was Yuti, a girl who, like Noa, attended Ousei Academy’s middle school division.

Her skin was white like porcelain, and her hair was a snowy white.

On her youthful face, every feature, from her large, almond-shaped eyes to her coral-pink lips, was arranged with a breathtaking loveliness.

Yuti was originally from a different world than Earth, but for certain reasons, she was now living with Yuuya and was also an acquaintance of Kaori’s.

Sumimaru jumped.

“Whoaaa~~~! An absolutely adorable girl-maru! Your name’s Yuti-chan-maru? Kaori, you’re surrounded by so many pretty girls-maru ♡ And that expressionless look is so mysterious and charming-maru~!”

“Suspicious. What is this creature?”

“Ah, um, it’s a popular toy that’s been going around lately! It’s very good at talking-”

“I’m Sumimaru-maru! Nice to meet you-maru, cutie-pie!”

Kaori suddenly tilted her head.

“By the way… Yuti-san, what are you carrying on your shoulder?”

Yuti was carrying a large object in a garbage bag over her slender shoulder.

“Right. I found a lost item.”

Yuti murmured nonchalantly and dropped it with a thud.

With the impact, the upper half of a human body slid out from the garbage bag.

“Kyaaaaaah!? A person just came out of a garbage bag────!?”

“A-a-a-a-an incident-maru~~~~!”

“──Wait, N-Noa-san!?”

“…Uuuh… I’m done for, I am…”

The person who emerged from the bag was Noa, who was half-unconscious.

“Found her. She had collapsed in front of the cafeteria.”

“Ah, thank you so much! But how did you know Noa-san was an acquaintance of mine?”

“? Kaori is on the student council, so I came to deliver the lost item.”

“S-So, to you, Yuti-san, a collapsed person is considered a lost item… But why was she in a garbage bag…?”

“It was easier to carry her that way, so I stuffed her into a bag I found in a classroom.”

“I-Is that really how it works…?”

“Amazing-maru, she’s doing all sorts of outrageous things without even batting an eyelash-maru… This girl is no ordinary person-maru, gulp…!”

For the time being, they sat the limp Noa down on a bench.

“Noa-san, how did this happen to you…”

To Kaori’s question, Noa answered in a hoarse voice.

“Uuuh… I ran away from home, which was all well and good, but I got so hungry I couldn’t stand it… I thought I’d just eat the daily lunch special, but I ran out of strength on the way to the cafeteria, I did…”

“Are you an idiot-maru?”

“Understood. The cafeteria’s food is delicious.”

Kaori’s brow furrowed pitifully.

“But why would you run away from home…?”

At that, Noa’s eyes welled up with tears.

“…The other day, I saw a flyer on a telephone pole that said, ‘Just by having this, your financial luck will go UP! A miracle necklace that brings happiness!’ and…”

“D-Don’t tell me you actually bought it?”

“Kuh… This is it, I thought, a chance to make a fortune, the dream of becoming a millionaire! Overjoyed, I took out a loan for the full amount and transferred the money, but the product never arrived… When I called to inquire, they said no such company existed…! In the end, I just ended up with more debt, I did…!”

“She’s beyond saving-maru, it’s gone past foolish and just become pitiful-maru.”

“Uuuh, and Kaori-san, you always warned me not to fall for suspicious ads… I can’t face you anymore! A garbage bag is what suits someone like me, waaaaaah!”

“N-Noa-san, please come out~!”

“Puzzled. She’s not a lost item anymore, yet she’s trying to get into the bag of her own accord…”

Kaori desperately tried to stop Noa from retreating into the garbage bag.

While rubbing Noa’s back, she spoke in a cheerful voice.

“It’s alright, what’s done is done. Let’s change the mood and refresh ourselves!”

“Huh? Refresh ourselves, you say?”

“Yes. I heard from someone in my class that a new spa resort has opened in the next town over. Let’s go together on our next day off!”

“A spa resort-maru!? That has a wonderful ring to it-maru~!”

“Come to think of it, Mira was saying something like that too, she was.”

“Yes. I was curious and looked it up myself. It seems to be a very large indoor pool facility with restaurants themed after various countries, not just Hawaii. They also have fun events, spectacular shows, massages, beauty treatments, and even a market with an exotic atmosphere. With so many types of pools, it’s a dream facility where even people who can’t swim can have fun all day long.”

“Whoaaa~~~~ I agree-maru, I agree-maru, I strongly agree-maru! A swimsuit event, how exciting-maru~~! I want to see Kaori in a swimsuit-maru~~!”

“Intrigued. Sounds interesting.”

Noa’s eyes began to sparkle as well.

“Woooah, what is this gorgeous, executive, luxurious facility that seems to have gathered the very essence of capitalism!? It sounds incredibly fun! I absolutely, definitely want to go, to live it up at a resort~~~~!”

“Fufu, I’m glad you seem to have cheered up.”

“──Oh! But I’m completely broke right now…! I don’t have the money to go to such a ritzy spa resort~… All because I fell for that shady ad… Oooohhhhhh~!”

Noa shed tears of blood as she sobbed.

Then, Kaori puffed out her chest.

“Please don’t worry, I’ll pay this time!”

“Wha!? A-Are you sure!?”

“Yes, leave it all to me!”

“B-But, having someone from this world treat me violates the magical girl regulations! If I break them, I’ll be sentenced to a punishment where they smear tree sap all over my body, tie me up in a forest, and have rhinoceros and stag beetles taste-test me for the rest of my life!”

“Shocking. The person who made that rule should suffer the same fate.”

Next to the expressionlessly surprised Yuti, Kaori nodded calmly.

“Yes, I’m aware of the regulations. …But emergencies are an exception, right?”

“Huh? W-Well, it’s true that the rule states, ‘Except in emergencies, you are to live self-sufficiently without the help of the locals,’ but…”

Kaori gently placed a hand on the bewildered Noa’s shoulder.

“Noa-san. This is an emergency. In order to protect everyone from the threat of the Debipachis, we must first be in good health ourselves. If you’re this down, Noa-san, we won’t be able to protect the things we normally could.”

“K-Kaori-san…!”

“Right, Sumimaru-san?”

At Kaori’s words, Sumimaru briefly closed his eyes in contemplation.

“…To be honest, stretching the interpretation of the rules is dangerous-maru. We’ve been making a lot of borderline excuses that exploit loopholes in the rules recently-maru. If it’s judged that we’ve violated them, not only Noa but I, as her supervisor, will be punished-maru… But I want to see Kaori in a swimsuit-maru. Rules… Kaori’s swimsuit… Punishment… Kaori’s swimsuit… Dazzling bare skin… Kaori’s swimsuit… An erotic mishap… Kaori’s swimsuit…”

After agonizing over it, he opened his eyes wide and declared sharply,

“This time, it’s outside the scope of the rules-maru! Probably ☆”

Instantly, Noa leaped up with all her might.

“Yay, I did it~! I’m going to live it up at the spa resort with Kaori-san’s money~!”

“I can’t wait to see Kaori in a swimsuit-maru~! I’ll be sure to bring my ‘Magical Anything-Camera-kun’ to capture Kaori’s erotic mishaps──I mean, wonderful memories-maru!”

“Let’s have a lot of fun and refresh ourselves!”

Kaori watched the now-energetic Noa and breathed a sigh of relief──when something pulled on her sleeve.

“Request. I want to go with you.”

“Yuti-san!”

Yuti was looking up at Kaori with her gray eyes.

“Displeased. Yuuya has been busy lately and hasn’t been paying me any attention. I want to play too.”

“Oh, is that so? In that case, please come along with us!”

“Yuti-san is the one who saved Noa, so you’re more than welcome to come~!”

“Whoaaa~~! Alright-maru, we’ve got another cutie-maru~! I wonder what color Yuti-chan’s swimsuit will be-maru~♡ If you don’t have one, I can even pick one out for you-maru? I can’t wait to drink tropical drinks while sandwiched between Kaori and Yuti-chan in their swimsuits-maru~~!”

“That’s just creepy. More importantly, I’m going to eat my way through all the restaurants and take a pseudo-world tour! I’ll have my feet massaged while being fanned by a giant leaf and enjoy feeling like a millionaire~!”

“Says the one who was just trying to run away from home. You’re so materialistic-maru~.”

“Anticipation. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Fufu, I can’t wait for this weekend!”

And so, the three girls and one creature decided to go to the spa resort on their next day off.

 

 

“Th-This is…!”

The three girls in their swimsuits stood frozen before the vast, tropical-themed pool.

On the long-awaited weekend, Kaori and the others had visited the spa resort they had been dreaming of.

The indoor facility was so huge that you couldn’t possibly see it all in one day. Besides the main Hawaii-themed pool, there were also water slides, a lazy river, and various hot springs.

Furthermore, the shows, events, and rest areas were also extensive, and the place was bustling with couples drinking tropical juice by the poolside and families enjoying lavish meals in the restaurants.

“This is amazing, it’s just like a tropical paradise~!”

“It’s an even more splendid facility than I had imagined!”

“Excited. I’ve never seen such a large spring before.”

Kaori and the others, each having changed into their swimsuits, couldn’t help but let out excited cheers.

Kaori wore a cute pink swimsuit, Noa a light blue one, and Yuti a white one with frills.

“Whoooooaaaa~~, everyone is so cute-maru! Such a feast for the eyes-maru~~!”

Yuti pointed at the overjoyed Sumimaru with a puzzled look.

“Question. Can this squid even swim?”

“I’m a great swimmer-maru! I am a squid-type fairy, after all-maru!”

“A fairy?”

“N-No, I mean, a squid-type fairy-type toy!”

“Who cares about Sumimaru, let’s go for a swim already!”

The three of them immediately headed for a large, nearby pool.

“By the way, Yuti-san, are you a good swimmer?”

“Negative. I often bathed with my master, but I’ve never swum before. What about you, Kaori?”

“I’m also not very good at it…. As for Noa-san──”

“glub glub, glub glub”

“Sh-She’s drowning──────!”

Noa, who had apparently jumped in before anyone else, was sinking to the bottom of the pool.

“Wh-wh-wh-what should we do! Sumimaru-san, please help Noa-san──”

“Whooo, so many cuties in swimsuits-maru~!”

“Sumimaru-san, this is no time for that! W-Well then, I have no choice but to go in myself…!”

As Kaori was about to jump in, Yuti murmured beside her.

“No problem. I’ll save her.”

“Eh!? But, Yuti-san, haven’t you never swum before…!”

Before Kaori could stop her, Yuti took off the rubber band with her locker key that was attached to her wrist.

Stretching the rubber band to its limit, she aimed at the water’s surface──

 

FWIP!

SPLAAAAAAASH!

 

“The… the water parted~~~~!?”

“Wh-wh-wh-what’s going on-maru~~~~!?”

Incredibly, the pressure from the rubber band, which had been launched with tremendous force, split the pool water in two, just like in a myth.

The other guests noticed the strange phenomenon and turned around.

“Eh, what’s that…? Isn’t the water over there parted…?”

“No way, that can’t be… eh, it is parted…?”

“I must be tired, to be seeing illusions like that…”

“Oh no, this is a disaster…!”

Leaving the flustered Kaori and Sumimaru behind, Yuti calmly descended to the now-exposed bottom of the pool.

“Glub glub, help me, help me, I say!”

“Don’t worry. You’re safe now, so don’t struggle.”

Without even noticing that the water had parted, she hoisted Noa, who was flopping around like a beached fish on the pool bottom, over her shoulder, retrieved the rubber band, and returned to the poolside.

Simultaneously, the pool water rushed back with a SPLAAAAAAASH!

“Rescue complete. She is safe.”

“Yuti-san, th-that was beyond amazing! To think you could part the pool water…!”

“That’s taking dynamic rescue to a whole new level-maru!”

As they were talking, Noa finally realized she was on land.

“Hah, I’m saved!? Aaaaaah, I thought I was gonna die for sure~~~~! Thank you so much, Master~!”

“Noa-san just declared Yuti-san her master!?”

“Satisfied. Not bad.”

Sumimaru stared at the satisfied-looking Yuti with trepidation.

“This girl is just too far outside the norm-maru! What in the world is she-maru!?”

“Uh, um, it’s a long story…”

The truth was, Yuti was the disciple of the ‘Bow Saint,’ a master of archery in another world.

She excelled not only in archery but in all combat abilities, and if she were to get serious, she possessed enough power to shake an entire nation.

“Anyway, Yuti-san is just very athletic!”

“C-Can you really just chalk that up to being ‘athletic’-maru!?”

Ignoring the shocked Sumimaru, Noa started to walk off excitedly.

“Master, let’s go play right away! With you here, Master, I’m not afraid of drowning~!”

“More like, don’t jump in if you can’t swim-maru.”

“Request. I want to float on an inner tube and drift along.”

“Yes, the wave pool looks like fun too──”

As they were excitedly discussing which pool to play in, Sumimaru suddenly interjected with a stern voice.

“Hah, wait a minute-maru! Kaori, can you swim properly-maru?”

“Eh? Um, I had swimming lessons at school, but I’m not very good at it…. The teacher was very patient with me, but for some reason, in the end, he just smiled gently and said, ‘You’re fine just the way you are, Houjou’…”

As Kaori’s brow furrowed, Sumimaru crossed his arms.

“That won’t do-maru. The athletically gifted Yuti-chan and the pointlessly sturdy Noa aside, to enjoy the pool to the fullest, you need at least some basic swimming skills-maru!”

“What do you mean, ‘the pointlessly sturdy Noa aside,’ I ask!?”

“Objection. I heard that you can have fun here even if you can’t swim.”

Paying no mind to Noa and Yuti’s retorts, Sumimaru turned to Kaori with a soft expression.

“Which is why, today, as a special treat, I will personally teach you how to swim, Kaori-maru~♡”

“Whaaat!?”

“Don’t worry-maru, I’m an e-e-e-expert swimmer-maru! I’ll give you a very kind and thorough lecture-maru! I’ll guide you by your hands, your feet, your waist~~… uhuhuhuhu~~♡”

“Unsettling. This squid is thinking something perverted.”

“I-I-I-I’m not thinking anything of the sort-maru!? Anyway, don’t get discouraged and just follow me, your coach, Kaori-maru!”

“Y-Yes, I’ll be in your care!?”

“I have a bad feeling about this, I do.”

And so, Kaori and the others moved to a deserted practice pool.

“First, let’s try the basic flutter kick-maru!”

“Y-Yes! Like this?”

With a serious expression, Kaori held onto a kickboard and began to move her legs──

ZUBABABABABABABABA~~~~!

She kicked up a huge splash and shot backwards with incredible speed.

“Astonishing. That’s an amazing splash.”

“And she’s moving backwards with incredible speed! What’s the principle behind that!?”

“W-Wait-maru, Kaori~~! The other way, the other way-maru~~!”

“A-ahhh, I can’t stop~~~~!”

They managed to stop for a moment before resuming the practice.

Sumimaru demonstrated by moving his own legs.

“If you try too hard to move forward, it’ll backfire-maru. The trick is to relax your legs from the knee down… like this-maru! (wriggle wriggle wriggle wriggle!)”

“Ugh, that’s disgusting, it is.”

“Impossible to replicate. Only a squid can move like that.”

“I-It seems a bit difficult to imitate the movement of tentacles…”

At that, Sumimaru shrugged as if to say, “oh well.”

“Hmph, it can’t be helped-maru. In that case, I guess I’ll have to teach you kindly and intimately, guiding you by your hands, feet, and waist. Now Kaori, relax, and leave your body to me-maru~ uhuhuhu~…──”

“But every challenge is worth a try. I’ll give it a shot on my own. Like this… hya!”

Before Sumimaru could reach out, Kaori, imitating what she had seen, started kicking her legs.

A giant whirlpool formed, sucking Sumimaru in.

ZWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

“Bweeeeeeh!? Why does something like this happen just from swimming normally-maru~~~~!?”

Sumimaru was tossed around in the violent current like a piece of laundry.

“S-Sumimaru-sa────n!”

“Interesting. I’ll watch for a while.”

“I agree with that.”

“Bweeeeeeeeeeh! Help-maru, at this rate I’ll be tossed around like laundry, hung out to dry, and become a delicious piece of sun-dried squid-maru~~~~~~!”

“That’s not what sun-dried means, you know.”

After a while, the whirlpool finally subsided, and Sumimaru was rescued.

“I-I’m sorry, Sumimaru-san! Are you alright!?”

To the panicked Kaori, Sumimaru smiled gently.

“Yeah… Kaori, you’re fine just the way you are-maru.”

“Sumimaru is smiling like a Bodhisattva! I’ve never seen him make that face before, I haven’t!”

“Resignation. So, does that mean you’ve given up?”

“N-No-maru, Kaori is a genius-maru! Such a dynamic, acrobatic, and unexpected way of swimming is, in many ways, something an ordinary person can’t do-maru! So yes, Kaori, you shouldn’t force yourself to change. I want you to cherish your individuality-maru…! (sharp look)”

“Ah, thank you! I feel a little more confident now, thanks to you!”

“Maybe… you should be a little less confident-maru…”

After all that, the group left the practice pool and finally began to enjoy the spa resort in earnest.

The vast grounds were full of facilities that could be enjoyed even without being able to swim, and the three of them played to their hearts’ content in various pools, including a hot spa with a jacuzzi, a lazy river, and a wave pool.

“Fwaaah~, this spa resort is so much fun, it is!”

“Fufu, I’m glad to hear that.”

“There are so many cuties in swimsuits, so I’m super satisfied too-maru~!”

Just then, Yuti pointed to a corner of the ceiling.

“Kaori. I want to do that.”

“A water slide, you mean!”

There was a tunnel-shaped water slide there.

However.

“But, it looks a little high, doesn’t it…!?”

“And, are water slides supposed to be that winding-maru…!?”

“And it’s super fast! I can hear screams that sound like people are being tortured!”

The entrance was located quite high up, and they could see people inside the tunnel screaming as they slid down at incredible speeds.

Kaori read the explanation at the bottom of the stairs.

“Um… this water slide is said to have the world’s greatest height, speed, angle, and number of rotations.”

“Number of rotations-maru!?”

“Th-The thrill is also the world’s best, and it says people with weak hearts should refrain from riding it…!?”

“Just how intense is it-maru!?”

“Excited. This sounds interesting.”

Like Yuti, Noa’s eyes burned with the flame of curiosity.

“I can’t hear ‘world’s best’ and not take on the challenge! Alright, let’s race to see who gets to the finish line first!”

“Ah, wait, Noa-san!”

With the eager Noa in the lead, they dashed up the stairs in one go.

“Hah, hah… who was it that suggested we race…! Don’t mess with me, may all of your toenails become ingrown…!”

“Did you just lose all memory of the past few minutes-maru?”

“Loud. The sound is incredible.”

As Yuti said, the top was roaring with the intense sound of water.

“S-So this is the world’s best water slide… as expected, it’s pretty impressive!”

“Now, who’s going first-maru?”

At Sumimaru’s question, Noa stepped forward, ready and waiting.

“Fufufu, I shall be the one to take the first charge! A true magical girl is one who braves unknown dangers! Prepare yourself, water sli–”

Noa bravely peered into the entrance──

“Gyaaaaaaah it’s so scary~~! I can’t see the end at all, and the current is so strong~~!”

“Stop acting all cutesy and go already-maru. You’re holding up the line-maru.”

“No way, this is basically a waterfall, I could seriously die──”

“Just go-maru (push!)”

“Owaaaaah don’t mess with me! Kaori-san, help me~~~~!”

“Hyaa!? Noa-san, why are you grabbing my arm…!? Kyaaaaaaaaah!?”

Pushed by Sumimaru, Noa reflexively grabbed Kaori’s arm, and the two of them tumbled down the water slide together in a tangle.

SHWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

“Hyaaaaaaaaaah!? I-It’s so fast~~~~~~!”

“Owaaaaaaaah!? This isn’t a speed a normal human body should be going at~~~~! gabobobobobobo!”

Kaori and Noa were tossed and turned, spinning and rotating at incredible speeds.

“Dwaaaaaah this is too scary~~! Kaori-san, is it okay if I hold onto you~~!?”

“Hyan! N-Noa-san, where are you touching… wait, d-don’t pull on my swimsuit~~~~!”

Kaori and the others rushed through the tunnel with a large amount of water──and were shot out of the exit with a shwoop!

“Hyaaaaaaah!?”

“Dwaaaaaaaaaah!?”

The exit led to a pool that was about waist-deep, and Noa struggled to her feet.

“Buhaah!? Hah, hah, hah…. Th-th-th──that was so much fun! As expected of the world’s best water slide, that was super exciting~! Right, Kaori-san!”

When she turned around, Kaori was clutching her chest, her face bright red.

“A-awawa, awawa~…”

“N’eh? What’s wrong, Kaori-san?”

“M-m-my swimsuit… my top, it’s gone somewhere~!”

“Whaaaat!? This is a major disaster! If Sumimaru finds out about this, things will get even more complicated. We have to find it quickly before he gets here!”

“Hiu, I’m sorry…!”

The two of them fumbled around the bottom of the pool, but they couldn’t find it.

“Auuu, it’s nowhere… what should I do…!”

“It might have gotten stuck somewhere in the tunnel! Master might find it, so let’s wait for her to arrive!”

“Y-Yes!”

Kaori and Noa waited at the exit of the water slide, clinging to a faint glimmer of hope.

“I wonder if Master is here yet~.”

“Ah, I can hear a voice!”

“You’re right! Hmm? No, wait, that voice is…?”

A cheerful scream approached the tunnel exit.

The voice grew louder, and the one who was shot out of the exit with a shwoop! was──

 

“Yippee~~~~~~~!”

 

It was Mira.

“Mira-san!?”

“Not her again──────!?”

Mira, who was forcefully ejected into the pool, submerged for a moment before quickly resurfacing.

“Puhaah! Hah, water slides are the best! This speed, this thrill, I just can’t get enough! If I were sliding with Kaori, she might get scared and cling to me… muhuhuhu~♡”

“U-Um, Mira-san?”

“Hah, Kaori!? Eh, wait, why why why!? Hold on for a second!”

Mira, upon noticing Kaori, hurriedly fixed her hair, struck a cool pose, and crossed her arms.

“…Hmph. To meet in a place like this, it seems we are truly bound by fate.”

“Ah, so it really is just a coincidence.”

“Why are you enjoying the spa resort too, I wonder?”

When Noa asked with a sidelong glance, Mira jutted out her chin.

“Hmph, a foolish question. I’m obviously here to scout out this facility where I’ll be spending the summer with Kaori, nurturing our love!”

“You’ve already decided that on your own…!?”

“Making up the future, that’s the talk of a completely crazy person, you know. Don’t say it so proudly.”

“Besides, a good woman needs her rest too. Swimming is good for maintaining a slim figure, you know. And it’s also super fun.”

“You’re thoroughly enjoying yourself, aren’t you.”

“You’ve completely blended into this world, haven’t you…”

Mira swept her hair back and winked at Kaori.

“By the way, what do you think, Kaori? Of my swimsuit?”

Mira was wrapped in a mature-looking pareo.

The daringly high slit emphasized her stunning figure.

“It’s very lovely, and it suits you perfectly!”

“Fufufu, of course it does. This is what you call adult charm. Feel free to be mesmerized. So, what kind of swimsuit will you show me, Kaori? …Oh? Why are you covering yourself up?”

“Ah… hyaaaaaaah!? Th-That’s right…!”

With Mira’s appearance, Kaori had nearly forgotten about her lost top, but she hurriedly clutched her chest tightly again.

Noa suddenly pointed at Mira’s left hand.

“Hmm? What you’re holding in your hand there is…!”

“Eh? Ah, this?”

In Mira’s hand was a cute, pink piece of cloth──Kaori’s swimsuit top.

“It somehow got tangled in my hand in the middle of the tunnel. What is it, I wonder?”

“Aaaaaah! Th-That’s… please give it back to me~!”

“Give it back? Wait, could it be──”

As if realizing something, Mira fiercely grabbed Kaori’s hands.

“Kaori! Here, take your hands away for a moment!”

“Hyaaaaaaah!? M-Mira-san!?”

“Just take your hands away! Show me your everything!”

“A-awawa, no, it’s too embarrassing…!”

“Don’t be shy! No, be even shyer! And while being shy, reveal to me, and only me, that modest and captivating secret garden of yours! slurp!”

“P-Please stop~~~~!”

“Ah, she ran away! Wait up~, uhuhuhuhu ♡”

“Mira, if you bother Kaori-san any further──!”

Just as Mira was about to catch the fleeing Kaori.

“Danger. Move aside.”

BASHAAAAAAAAAN! DOGOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

“Ubuuh!?”

Yuti, who had just shot out of the water slide, crashed into Mira and sent her flying.

“Geho geho, hey, what do you think you’re doing all of a sudden!?”

“A warning. It’s dangerous to play here.”

“I-I know that! My bad──”

Mira, while coughing, turned to face Yuti, who was stating the obvious in a deadpan voice──

“Eeeh, who’s this girl, she’s so cute~♡ Her hair is so silky and her skin is so smooth! She looks just like a doll~♡ Oh my, her cheeks are so soft~♡ So cuuute~♡”

In her excitement, Mira cupped Yuti’s cheeks with both hands and squished them.

“…A question. Who is this woman? Why is she squishing my cheeks?”

“Fufu, even your voice is cute ♡ Are you a snow fairy? This adorableness is irresistible. Would you like to come with me?”

“Considering. I’ve played a lot and I’m hungry. If you treat me to some delicious food, then yes.”

“Oh, you’re hungry, are you! Alright, I’ll let you eat as much as you want!”

In that moment, Noa stealthily snatched Kaori’s swimsuit top from Mira’s hand.

“Alright, I got it back! Kaori-san, put it on now while you have the chance!”

“Y-Yes, thank you!”

“Oh, when did you!? Give that back, I’m going to frame it and pass it down as a family heirloom for generations to come!”

“That’s creepy. Save your sleep talking for when you’re actually asleep!”

Kaori finally put on her swimsuit top and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Th-Thank goodness…”

“Kuh, how careless of me…! But Kaori in a swimsuit is super cute! An angel of the shore! I’m so glad to be alive!”

Kaori tilted her head.

“By the way… Yuti-san, why were you after Mira-san?”

“Ah, that’s right! Most likely, Mira forcefully cut in front of Master, she did!”

“What do you take me for, how rude!”

Then, Yuti shook her head.

“Negative. This squid was chasing after a girl, so I was held up trying to restrain it.”

They noticed then that Sumimaru was being stretched out in Yuti’s hands.

“Bweeeh… Yuti-chan, you have no mercy-maru~…”

“That thing being stretched thin like a swimming cap was Sumimaru-san!?”

“Serves you right. Master, just stretch him out flat and make him into a snack for later.”

“Bieeeeeeeeh! Forgive me, Yuti-chan-maru, I’m not a squid-maru, no matter how thin you stretch me and season me with a sweet and spicy sauce, you can’t eat me-maru~!”

“…Hungry. Looks delicious.”

“Bieeeeeeeeeeeeeh!? Your eyes are serious-maru!? Help me-maru~~~~!”

Sumimaru flailed around and escaped from Yuti’s hands.

“Hah hah, I was almost turned into a snack and eaten… wait, huh? Why is Mira-chan here-maru!? Mira-chan’s swimsuit is so sexy-maru~! That voluptuous body is irresistible-maru~! Let me have just a little lick-maru~ lick lick!”

“Noooo! Don’t come near me, you perverted squid!”

“Fufu, it’s gotten lively, as usual, hasn’t it?”

“Seriously, why do you show up everywhere we go?”

As Noa groaned in exasperation, Mira’s hair stood on end.

“I’d like to ask you the same thing! You’re the one who keeps showing up where I am──wait? Does this mean that Kaori and I are fated to be drawn to each other no matter where we are? This must be a revelation that Kaori will become my ally!”

“You still haven’t given up on Kaori-san yet!?”

“Of course not. I’ll keep trying every trick in the book until Kaori becomes mine! Now, obey the guidance of fate and hand Kaori over to me!”

“I refuse, I do! You can go sip on a tropical juice all by your lonesome!”

“Noa-san, Mira-san, we’re at a resort pool, so let’s keep the fighting to a minimum…”

Just then, an announcement echoed through the facility.

 

“Thank you for waiting! Starting at 1 PM, we will be holding the ‘Who is the Most Radiant Goddess at this Pool!? 【Resort Muse Number 1 Grand Prix】’──also known as the ‘Rizo-One’! Those who wish to participate, please gather at the stage!”

 

“Resort Muse Number 1 Grand Prix… is that like a beauty pageant-maru!? I’m so very curious-maru!”

“We were so busy playing that we didn’t notice, but there are posters up for it.”

As Kaori said, there were pop-style posters plastered everywhere.

“Um… ‘Anyone can participate! Participants will go on stage to showcase their special talents, and the most charming person will be decided by vote!’ it says.”

“Woooooah, what a wonderful event-maru~!?”

“Hoh~, so they’re holding an event like that, not just having a pool, huh.”

“Resort Muse Number 1 Grand Prix…”

Mira, who had been lost in thought, had a flash of inspiration.

“Oh, I just had a wonderful idea! I’m a genius!”

“Don’t get any ideas. I have a really bad feeling about this, I do.”

Ignoring Noa’s retort, Mira pointed a finger squarely at Kaori.

 

“You’re entering the Rizo-One, Kaori! And if I beat you… then…──you’ll become my ally!”

 

“E-Eeeeeh!?”

“I knew you’d come up with something troublesome, I did!”

Mira puffed out her chest confidently.

“The Prism Power necessary for a magical girl is the sum of that person’s charm. And the Rizo-One is a contest to measure that charm! If you, who boasts one of the highest Prism Powers in the magical girl world, lose to me, an executive of an evil organization, then that means the defeat of the magical girl world itself. As someone with the power to carry the magical girl world on your shoulders, there’s no way you could possibly lose, right?”

“U-Um…”

While Kaori was flustered, Sumimaru was all for it.

“That’s a great idea-maru!”

“Eeeeeh!? S-Sumimaru-san!?”

“Making a lot of people smile is also an important mission for a magical girl-maru! Plus, it’s a perfect opportunity to legally and openly stare at Kaori in her swimsuit-maru!”

“Could you at least try to be a little more subtle! Besides, we came here to relax. We don’t have time to deal with Mira, so let’s go!”

Noa grabbed Sumimaru and tried to leave.

Then, Yuti, who was looking at a poster, pointed to a sentence written on it.

“One million yen.”

“Huh?”

“The winner’s prize money is one million yen.”

“O-o-o-one million yeeeen~~~~!?”

Noa lunged at the poster with incredible speed.

“One million yen, is it really one million yen!? With one million yen, I could buy about seven thousand bread crusts…!”

“A question. What are ‘bread crusts’?”

“She means loaves of bread-maru.”

Flames instantly ignited in Noa’s eyes.

“What are you doing, Kaori-san, Master! We’re entering the Rizo-One right now! And we’re going to win, get the prize money, and become millionaires!”

“N-Noa-san!?”

“There’s no way we’re not entering! With one million yen, we can live extravagantly until the day we die!”

“O-One million yen might not be enough to live extravagantly for a lifetime…?”

“Hungry. More importantly, I’m hungry.”

“Master! If we win, Noa will treat you to as much food as you want!”

“Agreed. Not a bad deal.”

“Whoo~, alright! Victory is ours, it is!”

“H-How did we end up entering all of a sudden…!?”

“Hmph, I’ll show you which of us is more charming. And this time, I’ll make you mine, Kaori!”

And so, Kaori and the others suddenly found themselves entering the Rizo-One.

 

 

“Uuuh, how did it come to this…”

Kaori and the others were waiting backstage next to the large stage by the main pool.

Noa encouraged the bewildered Kaori.

“It’s alright, Kaori-san! If you do that thing I taught you earlier, you’ll definitely charm everyone!”

“Y-You think so…?”

“Heh, quite a crowd has gathered. I look forward to seeing all these people become my captives!”

“…I want to eat.”

Mira crossed her arms with a confident expression, while Yuti stared blankly into the distance.

And in front of the stage, a large crowd of spectators had gathered.

The female MC’s announcement echoed through the venue.

“Thank you for waiting! We will now begin the Resort Muse Number 1 Grand Prix! All participants, please come up on stage!”

“Alright, let’s go! Everyone from Team ‘Noa and Her Lovely Cute Friends’!”

“Y-Yes!”

“Displeased. I was given a strange team name without my consent.”

When Kaori and the others went up on stage, the venue buzzed with excitement.

“S-So cute…!”

“Who are those girls!? Are they idols!?”

“They’re so dazzling I can’t look directly at them…!”

In the front row, Sumimaru was waving a penlight.

“I’m watching over you too-maru~~! pant pant pant pant, the view from below is the best-maru~~!”

“The winner of this Rizo-One will be decided by an audience vote! Who will be the goddess that captivates the most people here!? First, please give us a word of introduction and tell us your enthusiasm!”

A microphone was passed down the line of participants.

As the other participants talked about their enthusiasm for the Rizo-One, it became Mira’s turn.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Mira. Offer your precious votes to me ♡”

“Lovely…!”

“What a beautiful person!? I want to call her Onee-sama!”

Looking over the audience, who were swooning over Mira’s blown kiss, Noa bit her lip.

“Kuh, as expected of Mira, she’s pretty good, she is…! But I can’t lose for the sake of one million yen! Go get ’em, Master!”

The microphone was passed to Yuti, who was standing next to Mira.

Yuti took the microphone and opened her mouth, her expression blank.

“Hungry. I haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

“Oh, how cute! It awakens my protective instincts!”

“I want to feed her a lot…!”

“As expected of Master! It’s not what I expected, but this works too, it does! Next is my turn… and in these situations, first impressions are important!”

Noa took the microphone and struck a pop-idol-like pose.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Noa, I am! My dream is to make a fortune, and my ambition is to kick my superiors down and usurp their position! I look forward to working with you ☆”

“We like your honesty!”

“Go for it!”

Contrary to her cutesy voice, her frank content was well-received, and cheers rose from all over the crowd.

And then, it was finally Kaori’s turn.

“Uuuh, I’m so nervous…!”

To the anxious Kaori, Noa clenched her fist reassuringly.

“It’s alright, Kaori-san! Now’s the time for that thing I taught you! Show them the true power of a real lady!”

“Y-Yes, I’ll do my best… inhale, exhale…”

Kaori took a deep breath, and with her face red up to her ears, she spoke in a high-pitched voice.

“N-Nice to meet you, I’m Kaori. I’ll do my best, so please watch me, okay? If you let your eyes wander to other girls… that’s a no-no! Understand?”

“““THUMP!!”““”

The audience was collectively shot through the heart by her incredibly cute expression and line.

“Wh-What was that!? She’s too cute…!”

“I have no choice but to cheer for her!”

“Woooooah, Kaori~~! You’re shining-maru~~!”

“As expected of Kaori-san! You’ve captured the hearts of the audience with just your greeting, you have!”

“Uuuh, i-it’s so embarrassing~…!”

“Kyaaaaaah!? Kaori~~! Scold me~~!”

To Mira, who was letting out a high-pitched scream, Noa boasted triumphantly.

“Hehe, how about that, Mira! As long as Kaori-san is on our side, there’s no way we can lose, there isn’t!”

Mira snapped back to her senses and coolly swept her hair back.

“Hmph, you’re naive. It’s a given that Kaori is charming… the real competition starts now!”

“Wh-What…!? That expression, does she have some kind of plan…!?”

After everyone’s introductions were over, the MC moved on to the next segment.

“Next up is the ‘Shoot for Everyone’s Hearts! I’m the Muse of the Resort ♡’ corner! Anything goes as long as it captivates the audience’s hearts! Please appeal to them as much as you can!”

At that, Mira was the first to step forward.

“Fufufu, I’ve been waiting for this moment… behold, this perfectly polished body!”

As she shouted that, she gracefully removed her pareo.

The full view of her sexy swimsuit was revealed, and a cheer erupted from the audience.

“Wh-What a captivating figure!?”

“It’s like a sculpture!”

“Sexy and cool…!”

Noa bit her lip.

“Kuh, that Mira, don’t tell me she came on stage wearing a pareo for this very reason!? That’s dirty, it is!”

“You’re naive, Noa. If you think that’s all, you’re sorely mistaken. Now, witness this!”

Mira roared and, without hesitation, ripped off her top.

“Wh-What!? No way!”

“Kyaa, she’s taking off her top too!?”

“Are we going to see everything…!?”

However, under her top, Mira was wearing an even more risqué swimsuit.

“O-Oh…!”

“What a daring swimsuit!? So cool!”

“I admire her for being able to pull off a swimsuit like that!”

“Fufufu, this is the difference in our class. Be mesmerized by my gorgeous physique!”

Kaori’s cheeks reddened as she stared wide-eyed at the boldly revealing swimsuit.

“Hawawa, Mira-san, you’re amazing~…!”

“Kuh, it’s frustrating, but that was a good move, it was…! Instead of wearing a daring swimsuit from the start, she incorporated the performance of taking it off on stage, thereby making a deeper impression on the audience! I can’t believe she had this prepared…!”

Noa gnashed her teeth in frustration.

“At this rate, we’ll lose, we will! We have to make a game-changing move…!”

“Do your best, Noa-san!”

“What are you talking about, Kaori-san, you’re the one who’s going to do it!”

“Wha!? Me!?”

Kaori looked around in a fluster.

“B-But, what should I even do…!?”

“If they’re going to attack with sexy, we have to counter with cute! You’re already super cute as you are, Kaori-san, but we need one more little push! Speaking of cute… hmmmm…”

Noa pressed her forehead and thought hard──

“That’s it, a puppy!”

“Wha!? Wh-What do you mean!?”

“The hateful, furry demon that stole Noa’s bread crusts… we’ll imitate its ability to brainwash people with cuteness and incite the masses here! To beat Mira, we have to borrow its power… Kaori-san, you have to imitate a puppy!”

“I-Imitate a puppy…!?”

“First, put on this dog ear headband and tail!”

“Why do you have something like this!?”

“That’s a question you don’t ask! Just get on all fours and whimper, ‘Kuuun ♡’! The marriage of your cuteness, Kaori-san, and the puppy’s brainwashing ability will surely make everyone swoon! Combine the line I taught you earlier with the puppy, now, hurry!”

“O-Okay!?”

Overwhelmed by Noa’s intensity, Kaori did as she was told, put on the dog ears and tail, and got on all fours.

She tilted her head with a troubled expression.

“K-Kuuun… if you keep looking at other girls, I’ll get lonely… woof…?”

“Ugh!? Wh-What destructive power!”

“My chest hurts…!”

“The sheer violence of cuteness…!”

Shot through by her overwhelming adorableness, audience members collapsed one after another.

Mira’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Wh-What is this!? The combination of Kaori and a puppy is like cute and cute combining to create a big bang! This level of cuteness… is comparable to the shock of the universe’s birth!”

“Kao-ri~~! Kaori is number one-maru~~~~~!”

Mira collapsed on the spot, and Sumimaru burst into tears.

“U-Um, this is really embarrassing, but is this really okay…!?”

“You’re doing great! Whimper one more time! This time, with a louder voice, more boldly!”

“A-awawa, b-but…!”

“It’s okay, you’re a puppy so it’s not embarrassing! Come on, one more whimper!”

“K-Kyuuun… p-please look only at me… woof…?”

“““WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”““”

The audience’s cheers exploded.

And so, Kaori’s cuteness shook the entire facility to its core.

 

 

After that, there were segments where the participants answered various questions and showed off their special talents, and then it was finally time for the results announcement.

“That concludes the performances! Audience members, please cast your one vote each!”

“Woooooooah they’re all so cute-maru~~! What should I do-maru, I want to vote for all of them-maru, I have no choice but to split myself-maru~~!”

While Sumimaru and the audience were in agony, Noa crossed her arms confidently.

“Hmph. I know it in my bones. There’s no doubt that Kaori-san will win this Rizo-One! And with that, I’ll get one million yen~ uhuhuhuhu.”

“Uuuh, that was so embarrassing…!”

“Kuh, Kaori’s performance was certainly the best! To think she’d become a puppy, it was something that should be preserved for all time… but I didn’t lose either!”

“Hmph, you can eat your words! Just like a puppy!”

“That wasn’t even a good pun-maru, don’t look so proud about it-maru.”

“Kaori. I’m at my limit. I’m hungry and have no energy.”

“A-awawa…! Yuti-san, let’s go eat as soon as this is over!”

Rumors of Kaori and the others had spread throughout the facility, and a large crowd of people had gathered at the venue.

In the midst of the excitement and fervor, the audience members cast their votes, agonizing over their choices.

“Now, who will be the glorious winner──”

Just as the MC was about to announce it.

 

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

 

A deafening alarm shattered the peaceful atmosphere.

“Hah, th-this is… the presence of a Debipachi-maru!”

“Eeeeeh!?”

“I-In a place like this…!?”

“And it’s big… no, it’s getting bigger and bigger-maru!?”

In an instant, a giant mass of water rose from the main pool right next to the stage.

SPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

“Th-The water…!?”

“What is that!?”

“That’s… a Debipachi-maru!”

“GYAGYAGYAGYA~~~~!”

The Debipachi, which had suddenly appeared towering in the main pool, let out a deafening roar.

Its massive form, almost touching the ceiling, was squishy, slime-like, and translucent.

“Th-This is a Debipachi!? It looks like jelly… and it’s so big…!”

“I-I’ve never seen a Debipachi like this before-maru! It’s probably a type that absorbs water to grow larger… this is the biggest one I’ve ever seen-maru!”

“I see, this super popular facility is a prime feeding ground for Debipachis…! It was hiding in the pool, waiting for the moment when the most people would gather, it was!”

At the sudden appearance of the giant creature, the guests screamed and fled in panic.

“Kyaaaaaaah!?”

“I-It’s a monster…!”

“GYAGYAGYA…!”

Seeing the Debipachi raise its arm, Noa shouted.

“This is bad, we need to transform right away──wait, oh no, I don’t have my wand, I don’t!”

“Ah, m-me too! We have to hurry and get them from the changing room…!”

“GYAGYAGYAGYA~!”

Before Kaori and Noa could move, the Debipachi extended its gel-like arm and grabbed them.

“Kyaa!?”

“Owaaaaaah!? Let go of me~~~~!”

“GYAGYA~~~~!”

Their resistance was futile, and they were absorbed into the Debipachi’s body.

“Glub glub~~~~!? (Owaaaaaaah!?)”

“Th-This is bad-maru! This thing absorbs people into its body-maru!?”

“Glub glub! Glub glub glub~! (This is painful, I can’t swim, please help me~~~~!)”

“Nngh… (N-Noa-san…!)”

Kaori tried to help Noa somehow, but the more she struggled, the more the gel clung to her entire body.

“Nn, ngh…! (Kyaa… the squishy stuff is getting inside my swimsuit…!)”

“Glub glub glub glub, glub glub glub glub~~! (Owaaaah~ we’re in big trouble! Sumimaru~~! Bring our wands from the changing room!)”

However, Sumimaru was flying around the Debipachi with his ‘Magical Anything-Camera-kun’ in hand.

“Wooooooah, this is terrible-maru, Kaori is in a pinch-maru~~! Uhuhuhu, this Debipachi is wonderful-maru, I can see Kaori in a pinch from all angles-maru! It’s like appreciating a fine piece of art-maru~~!”

“Nnh~! (Hyaaa, p-please stop~~~~~!)”

“Glub glub~~~~! (Don’t mess with me, you perverted squid~~~!)”

Noa flailed around──and her foot hit something.

“GYAGYAGYA~~~~!?”

“Kyaa!?”

“Ubu buu-!?”

BASHAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Suddenly, the Debipachi writhed in agony, and Kaori and Noa were spat out.

“GYA, GYA…!”

“Keho, keho… wh-what happened, the Debipachi suddenly started suffering…”

“Uegh geho geho! Ueeeen, I thought I was going to drown! This is the first time I’ve seen such a crazy Debipachi, there’s no way we can beat it, there isn’t! Master, help me please! …Wait, huh!? Master is gone!”

“Eh!? C-Come to think of it, Mira-san isn’t here either!”

Sometime during the chaos, Yuti and Mira had disappeared.

“Don’t tell me, something happened to them-maru!?”

Just then, a triumphant laugh echoed from the Rizo-One stage.

A-hahahaha! Serves you right!

“That voice… Mira!?”

At the same time, an image was magically projected onto the stage screen.

Here you go, order whatever you like, cutie-pie.

Munch munch. Delicious.

“Yuti-san!?”

What was projected there was a scene from a restaurant inside the facility.

Next to Mira, Yuti was stuffing her face with food that covered the entire table.

“Master! Why are you with Mira!? And why are you in a restaurant!?”

“Mira-san! What have you done to Yuti-san…!”

Seeing the panicked Kaori, the Mira in the image boasted triumphantly.

Oh, were you perhaps planning on relying on this girl? Too bad for you! My intuition told me this girl was trouble, so I had her kidnapped the moment the Debipachi appeared. As you can see, she came along easily when I told her she could eat as much as she wanted on my treat! So cute!

“N-No way…!”

“That’s not fair, I want to eat my fill on your treat too, I do!”

“Now is not the time to be thinking about food-maru.”

Mira laughed cheerfully.

This Debipachi seems pretty tough. If you want my help or this girl’s help, then swear to become my ally, Kaori! Until you make up your mind, I’ll be elegantly observing while sipping on some Prism Water. A-hahahaha──

Munch munch. Seconds.

Eh, again!? This girl eats a lot for her size… I’m starting to get a little worried about my wallet… Excuse me, seconds please!

With Mira placing another order, the image vanished.

Kaori panicked.

“Th-This is terrible, Yuti-san was lured away by food and went to Mira-san!”

“That Mira, she’s so dirty, she is! We don’t have time, let’s hurry and defeat this huge thing and go rescue her!”

“Well, she didn’t seem to be in any particular danger-maru…?”

Ignoring Sumimaru’s murmur, Noa started running towards the changing room.

“I’ll be back with our wands in a flash! Kaori-san, please hold on somehow!”

“O-Okay!”

Noa dashed off.

As Kaori glared up at the Debipachi, Sumimaru stopped her.

“It’s no use-maru, Kaori! You haven’t even transformed, you can’t face such a huge Debipachi on your own…!”

“But, if I don’t draw its attention, the other guests will be targeted…!”

Seeing Kaori facing the mighty Debipachi all alone, the other guests turned pale.

“That girl, why isn’t she running away!?”

“Is she planning to fight that monster!?”

“Th-That’s impossible…!”

“GYAGYAGYA!”

The Debipachi swung its arm down at Kaori.

DOOOOOOOOOOON!

“Kya!?”

Kaori dodged the tremendous blow by a hair’s breadth──but her foot slipped, and she fell into the pool.

“Kyaa!?”

“K-Kaori-!”

“GYAGYAGYA…!”

The Debipachi closed in on Kaori, who had fallen into the pool.

“Kyaaaaaaah!?”

“This is bad-maru, the water is that Debipachi’s home turf… Kaori is in a pinch-maru! What should I do…!”

Sumimaru desperately wracked his brain──and a certain scene flashed in his mind.

“Kaori, swim towards the Debipachi-maru!”

“Eh!? But──”

“Just trust me-maru!”

“Y-Yes!”

Kaori took a deep breath and submerged herself in the water.

She started kicking her legs towards the Debipachi──

DOBABABABABABABAAAAAAAAH!

With a tremendous waterspout, she retreated at the speed of a jet ski.

“GYA, GYAGYA…!?”

“It worked-maru, just as I planned-maru!”

“Hyaaaaaaah!? I’m not moving forward at all~~~~! (dobabababababa!)”

“A-Amazing-maru, Kaori! The Debipachi, which specializes in water, is flinching-maru! Your graceful and acrobatic swimming that’s confusing the Debipachi is just like a mermaid──I shall name this technique ‘Mermaid Splash’-maru!”

“Hyaaaaaaah!? I-I can’t stop~~~~!”

“GYAGYA…!”

The Debipachi, while being pelted by the fierce splashes, tried to catch Kaori, but she kept retreating in an irregular pattern, making it difficult to catch her.

“Wh-What’s with that girl!? She’s moving backwards at an incredible speed!”

“I’ve never seen anyone swim like that before!”

“Amazing, the monster can’t even catch up to her…!”

Just then, Noa returned, carrying their wands.

“Kaori-san, sorry to keep you waiting──!”

“N-Noa-san! Thank you!”

“Wait, what in the world is the situation here!? Kaori-san is confusing the Debipachi by retreating and weaving at an incredible speed!”

“Fufufu, this is Kaori’s secret technique──‘Mermaid Splash’-maru!”

“I understand even less now!?”

“U-Um, I haven’t been able to stop for a while now… please help me~!”

Noa and Sumimaru worked together to pull the out-of-control Kaori from the pool.

“Hah, hah… th-that was a surprise…!”

“It’s alright, the Debipachi is just as surprised as you are! To scare such a crazy Debipachi with just your swimming, as expected of you, Kaori-san, it is!”

“Ah, thank you…!?”

“Thanks to you buying us some time, we made it!”

As Noa held out the wand, Kaori’s eyes sparkled.

“We can transform now!”

“Yes we can, we can! Let’s say it together!”

Kaori and Noa readied their wands with full confidence.

 

““‘Sparkling, Shining, in this Seven-Colored World! Perfect Pure Princess, Dress Up’!””

 

As they shouted in unison, their swimsuits glowed and transformed them into magical girls.

“Magical Girl PapiPuri, at your service!”

“You dare to disturb our fun at the pool, Debipachi, prepare to be punished, you are!”

“Whoo~, so cool-maru~!”

The people watching let out a cheer.

“Ah, it’s PapiPuri! Magical Girl PapiPuri is here!”

“I’ve finally seen them in person! They’re just as cute as the rumors say!”

“Go for it, PapiPuri, beat that monster!”

“GYAGYAGYA…!”

Noa bravely pointed at the Debipachi, who was cowering at the appearance of its nemesis.

“Sorry to say, but we don’t have time to play with you, we don’t! We’ll finish this in the shortest time possible!”

“Noa-san, to declare that so confidently, you must have a plan!”

“………………Yes!”

“You don’t have one, do you!?”

“Wooooooah since I’ve already said it, I have no choice but to do whatever I can! Um, not that one, not this one… ah, this will do!”

Noa looked around and grabbed a nearby inner tube.

“’Thou’uuuuuuuuu!”

“That sounds like you’re calling out to it!”

“You definitely just picked that randomly-maru!”

As Noa poured her power into it, the inner tube glowed brightly and transformed into a magical item.

“Kaori-san, hit it with a powerful blow with this!”

“Got it!”

Kaori took the inner tube and threw it at the Debipachi like a frisbee.

 

“《Swim Ring Cutter》!”

 

GYUIIIIIIIN! DOGOOOOOOOOOOON!

The inner tube spun violently and hit the Debipachi directly, gouging out a large part of its massive body.

“GYAGYAGYA~~~~!?”

“W-We did it!”

“As expected of Kaori-san, it is!”

However.

“GYAGYAGYAGYA!”

The Debipachi quickly absorbed water and repaired the damaged area.

“Wh-…!?”

“What kind of recovery power is that!? That’s cheating, it is!”

“I see, it’s a water attribute… as long as there’s water, it can regenerate infinitely-maru!”

“No way!? If it regenerates immediately after we attack it, there’s no way to deal with it…!”

However, Sumimaru glared at the Debipachi with a sharp gaze.

“It’s okay-maru, I figured it out now-maru! That giant body is just a bloated form wrapped in water-maru! Which means, there must be a weak point somewhere──a main body-maru!”

At Sumimaru’s words, Noa’s head shot up.

“Come to think of it… when I was absorbed by it earlier, I kicked something. Then it started to suffer…”

“! Could it be…”

Kaori strained her eyes.

“Ah, look! In the middle of the Debipachi, there’s a round mass…!”

In the center of the transparent giant, a black sphere──a small Debipachi was floating.

“There’s a small Debipachi inside!”

“! That’s… given its position, it must be what Noa kicked!”

“I get it-maru! That’s its main body-maru! If we attack the main body, we should be able to do something about that squishy giant-maru!”

“The problem is whether our attacks can even reach the main body…!”

“We just have to do it! Time for a counterattack, Kaori-san!”

“Yes!”

Noa started turning everything around her into magical items.

“Woooooah, ‘Magical Towel’, ‘Magical Goggles’, ‘Magical Selfie Stick’~~~~! Kaori-san, I’m counting on you, I am!”

“Yes! ‘Magical Towel Hurricane’, ‘Prism Eye Beam’, ‘Selfie Stick Shot’────!”

With the magical items entrusted to her by Noa, Kaori launched a series of attacks.

GOOOOOOOH! SHIBIBIBIBIBI! KYUIIIIIN!

However, those attacks didn’t reach the main body and were quickly repaired.

“GYAGYAGYAGYA~~~~!”

The Debipachi became even more bloodthirsty, swinging its arms around while splashing water.

“Kyaa!?”

Kaori and the others somehow dodged the fierce onslaught and wiped their brows.

“Hah, hah… it’s no use, it recovers immediately…!”

“At this rate, we’ll never reach the main body!”

“GYAGYA~~~~!”

The Debipachi let out a roar, and its body grew even larger.

“Wh-!? It’s getting even bigger, it is!?”

“No way…! This will make our attacks even less effective…!”

“This is impossible, there’s no way we can win! We have to retreat──”

“Ah, the Debipachi’s attack is coming-maru! Dodge-maru…!”

Just as the Debipachi raised its arm to strike the despairing pair.

Something hit the Debipachi’s back with a splash.

“GYAGYA!?”

Where the Debipachi turned to look, there was a boy with a water gun.

“D-Don’t bully PapiPuri!”

“Y-Yeah, go for it, PapiPuri!”

“Don’t lose!”

The other guests joined in, and it became a great chorus that echoed throughout the facility.

“Go for it, Magical Girl PapiPuri!”

“We’re cheering for you!”

At the resounding cheers, Noa’s eyes widened.

“I-I’ve never heard such loud cheers before, I haven’t…!”

“The Debipachi is flinching-maru…!”

“““PapiPuri! PapiPuri!”“”

Everyone in the facility shouted, and the cheers for PapiPuri made the ceiling tremble.

Overwhelmed by the tremendous pressure, the Debipachi backed away.

“GYA, GYAGYA…!”

“Everyone…!”

As Kaori’s voice trembled, in that instant.

Kaori’s costume emitted a dazzling light.

“Wh-What is this…!?”

“! Kaori’s Prism Power is increasing rapidly-maru!”

Sparkling, pure white particles rose from Kaori’s entire body.

“What is that!? It’s not Prism Power, it’s a new power, it is…!”

“Could that be… the legendary Ultimate Miracle Pure Power from Prism Wonderland-maru!?”

“You mean, the Ultimate Miracle Pure Power!? The legendary power that only a magical girl with a truly pure heart and loved by many can wield…!?”

Kaori looked down at her own body in surprise.

“Amazing… I don’t know what it is, but a very warm power is overflowing from within me…!”

“As expected of you, Kaori-san, it is! Wooooooah, I can’t lose either!”

Noa ran up to the boy with the water gun.

“Boy! Please lend me that water gun, please!”

“Eh!? O-Okay!”

Noa poured her power into the water gun she received.

“I’ll show you the true power of Magical Girl PapiPuri! Deryaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~~~~, spirit~~! I mean, ‘Thou’~~~~!”

“You’re neglecting the incantation way too much-maru!”

The water gun glowed brightly.

And it quickly grew in size, transforming into a weapon that took an armful to hold.

Its barrel was tinged with a rainbow-colored glow and was wrapped in a divine aura.

“Wh-!? A tremendous aura-maru! I’ve never seen a magical item like this before… to think Noa had such power hidden within her…!”

“Noa-san, you’re amazing…!”

Noa, panting, held out the giant water gun to Kaori.

“Hah, hah… I poured my everything into this, I did! Kaori-san, finish it with this! With this and your current power, Kaori-san, it will definitely reach… aim for the main body and shoot it down!”

“Yes!”

Kaori took the water gun and aimed it at the Debipachi.

An overflowing brilliance filled the barrel, and pure white particles danced in the air.

“GYAGYA, GYA…!”

The Debipachi sensed the danger and reached its arm out towards Kaori.

However, Kaori didn’t retreat a single step and glared at the main body lurking deep within the giant.

“Everyone’s voices have given us strength… Now it’s our turn to respond! We will definitely protect everyone’s smiles!”

And then, two streams of light, one rainbow and one pure white, were released, swirling together.

 

“《Prism Shiny Shot》───────!”

 

KYUIN!

The light, extending straight towards the Debipachi, shot through the main body without missing its mark.

BASHUUUUUUUUUUH!

“GYAGYAGYAGYA~~~~~~~~!?”

A black mist escaped from the main body, and the Debipachi let out a death cry.

At the same time, its giant body collapsed and returned to the pool as water.

“W-We did it…!”

And what was left behind was a small, rainbow-colored Debipachi.

“Gya, gya…!”

“Purification successful-maru! Collecting with the Shiny Octo-Pot-maru!”

“GYAGYA~~~~!?”

The octo-pot hummed and sucked in the fleeing Debipachi with a shwoop.

With the source of the trouble gone, the damage caused by the Debipachi was quickly repaired.

“W-We did it… we did it…!”

“That was amazing, Kaori-san!”

Just as Noa threw her arms around Kaori, a roar of joy erupted from the people who had been watching the PapiPuri’s battle with bated breath.

“We did it, they defeated the monster!”

“Thank you, Magical Girl PapiPuri!”

“T-To defeat such a huge enemy, they’re too strong…!”

“To be so lovely and cute, and the strongest on top of that, they’re amazing!”

“PapiPuri is everyone’s hero!”

To the thunderous applause, Kaori bowed her head, her cheeks flushed.

“Ah, thank you! It’s all thanks to everyone’s support!”

“Hehe! PapiPuri will always rush to everyone’s aid in a pinch, we will!”

“Uhuhuhu, being thanked by cute girls in swimsuits is the best-maru~~~~!”

While waving back at the cheers, Kaori tilted her head.

“By the way, I feel like I’m forgetting something…”

Kaori thought for a moment──

“Hah!? Yuti-san is still with Mira-san!”

“That’s right, it is! That Mira, we’re going to beat her to a pulp!”

“Yuti-chan~! We’re coming for you now-maru~!”

And so, the two of them and one creature rushed to the restaurant to rescue Yuti, who was with Mira.

 

 

“Yuti-san!”

“Master, are you alright, are you!?”

Kaori and the others, having untransformed and changed back into their swimsuits, rushed into the deserted restaurant.

There, they found Yuti, who was single-mindedly eating a table full of dishes like omelet rice, takoyaki, pizza, juice, and ice cream, and Mira standing next to her.

“Fufu, you’ve finally come.”

“Munch munch. Delicious.”

“Mira-san! Please release Yuti-san!”

“Master, she’s a bad person, she is! Don’t be deceived by her!”

Mira scoffed at the yapping Noa.

“Too bad for you, this girl is already captivated by my charm. She doesn’t even have you in her sights!”

“Pakupaku. Delicious.”

“She doesn’t seem to have you in her sights either, though…”

“You mean she’s captivated by the food you’re treating her to.”

“It’s just feeding time-maru.”

Mira elegantly ignored their murmurs and smiled fearlessly.

“Hmph, still, to defeat such a troublesome Debipachi, you’re not bad. As expected of you, Kaori. And to awaken to the legendary Ultimate Miracle Pure Power… I want you even more now! If you want this girl back, become my ally──!”

“Request. Seconds.”

“You’re still eating!? My wallet is already on its last legs!?”

“Hmph. You said I could eat as much as I want, so I came with you. If I can’t eat anymore, then I’m leaving.”

“F-Fine, I get it! Excuse me, everything on the menu, please! I’ll pay by credit card!”

“You have a credit card!? Mugi~ My application was rejected~ so annoying, it is! Master, please order more! Make her use up her entire credit limit!”

“Stop it, don’t egg her on!?”

Yuti happily began to eat the food that arrived.

“Delicious. Everything is delicious.”

“Yuti-san, you look so happy.”

“Kuh, I’m so jealous! Ramen after a tiring day at the pool is the best… you have to treat me too, Mira!”

“Why should I have to treat you!?”

Mira roared with unconcealed anger and pointed at Kaori.

“My wallet is about to be empty, this is an emergency! Let’s settle this here and now! Prepare yourself, Kaori. This time, I’ll put you through something so embarrassing you’ll fall to the dark side… using this trump card I’ve kept hidden until now!”

“A-A trump card, you say…!?”

“Her intensity is different from before! What is she planning to do, I wonder…!?”

“Fufufu, tremble in fear──this is my ultimate weapon!”

Seeing what Mira triumphantly held up, Kaori’s eyes widened.

 

“I-Is that──a pacifier…!?”

 

What Mira held up triumphantly was a pacifier.

“Owaah!? She suddenly pulled a pacifier out of her pocket, that’s so creepy, it is!”

“How rude! This is a terrifying item I created by spending my nights researching and using the secret ultimate magic… whoever puts this pacifier in their mouth will have the heart of a baby!”

“That’s the height of creepiness, it is!”

“Can you really do that with magic-maru!?”

“Yes. By putting this in your mouth, it acts on your psyche and awakens the infant’s instinct to seek its mother. It was a very difficult technique… to create this, I tricked the researchers of the evil organization into investing eighty percent of the annual budget, used many subordinates as test subjects and turned the research facility into a baby hell, and furthermore, the explosion from a failed experiment destroyed half of the evil organization… I have nowhere to go back to now!”

“I’m starting to feel sorry for the evil organization now, I am.”

“B-But, why would you make something like that…!?”

To Kaori’s question, Mira’s eyes widened.

“That’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s to spoil the baby-fied Kaori to my heart’s content and make her fall to the dark side!”

“H-Hieee…”

“Scary-maru~!”

“This is just too much, we have no choice but to punish her for real this time, we don’t.”

Ignoring their cold stares, Mira hugged herself in ecstasy.

“Ah, a pure and innocent young lady, crying with anxiety and seeking me, clinging to me… just imagining it is simply excellent! Now Kaori, you’re going to become a baby and coo for me! Prepare yourself!”

“I’m ready for you, I am!”

“I’m not ready at all!?”

Kaori, though bewildered, braced herself.

“Uuuh, I’m not eager to fight you, Mira-san, but this is for Yuti-san’s sake!”

“Hmph, you can only act like an adult for so long! Here I go, the first move is the winning move──!”

Just as Mira readied the pacifier and took a big step forward.

“Displeased. Everyone has been so noisy, and besides, my throat is dry. Munch munch.”

“Whaaat!? This is terrible-maru, Yuti-chan is going to choke-maru~! I’ll give you water mouth-to-mouth-maru! Come on, Yuti-chan, accept me-maru~, mwah~~~~♡”

“Danger (dodge)”

“Bubeh!”

CRASH──N!

Sumimaru, dodged by Yuti, tripped and knocked over a glass of water.

Water spread across the floor, and Mira’s foot slipped on the puddle.

 

“Kyaaaaaaaaaah!?”

 

SLIP! THUD────!

Mira fell backwards, and a dull thud echoed through the restaurant.

And then.

…pop!

The pacifier that slipped from her hand miraculously landed in Mira’s mouth.

“M-Mira-sa──────n!?”

“Owa─────!? That was a loud noise, it was!”

“Bieeeeeeh!? This is terrible-maru, I didn’t mean to do that-maru, I-I-I-I’m so sorry-maru~~~~!”

Kaori rushed over to Mira and peered down at her.

“Mira-san, are you alright!?”

Mira, with the pacifier in her mouth, stared blankly at the ceiling──and tears quickly welled up in her eyes.

“Uuuh…”

“Mira-san!?”

“H-H… hueeeeeeeeeee~n.”

Mira’s face twisted, and she suddenly started crying like a child.

“A-awawa, did it hurt!? Can you get up!?”

“Hueee~n, why am I so useless…? No matter what I do, as a magical girl or an executive of an evil organization, I’m always half-assed… I just want to be friends with Kaori~~! Hue~~n en en en!”

“M-Mira-san, please don’t cry…!”

“Owaah, Mira has regressed to a child, she has!”

“She’s become a victim of her own magical item-maru!”

“Eeeen, I don’t wanna anymore~~~~ I’m going home~~~~!”

Mira sobbed, large tears streaming down her face.

Kaori gently patted her head.

“There there, it must have been tough, Mira-san.”

“Kaori…?”

To the wide-eyed Mira, Kaori smiled with a loving expression.

“Sometimes, even when we try our best, things don’t go well, do they? At times like that, we might be pushing ourselves a little too hard without even realizing it. Maybe you should just face yourself at your own pace, without rushing things.”

“Uuuh… K-Kaori~~~~!”

“K-Kaori’s love is infinite-maru! Is this what they call ‘babumi’-maru!?”

While comforting the crying Mira, Kaori spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while… Mira-san, would you like to be active as a magical girl again, this time with me?”

“Eh?”

“Kaori-san!?”

“What are you saying-maru!?”

While Noa and Sumimaru were shocked, Kaori continued thoughtfully.

“Ever since I met you, I’ve never seen you as a bad person, Mira-san. You’re a hard worker, you have ambition and passion, and you tackle everything with sincerity. When you were a magical girl before, you may have been pushing yourself too hard due to various circumstances… but I think if we work together, we can overcome any high wall.”

“B-But…”

Kaori gently took the bewildered Mira’s hands in both of hers.

 

“Let’s make everyone smile, together with me.”

“Babu────────!?”

 

Kaori’s pure smile shone brightly, illuminating the area.

“Uwa────! S-So bright, it is────!!”

“An-An angel… no, a holy mother-maru────! The Ultimate Miracle Pure Power that turns all who see it into babies… too pure to look at directly-maru────!”

“Waaaaan, Kaoriiiiiii.”

“There there, you’re a good girl.”

Mira, while hugging Kaori, sniffled.

“The truth is, from the first time I met you, Kaori, I thought I’d like to be a magical girl again if it was with someone like you…! But I could never be honest… but your pure, kind, and unyielding spirit in the face of any difficulty, that brave figure of yours set my heart on fire… I’ll be a magical girl again!”

“Oh, I’m so happy! Let’s do our best together!”

“Yes! And if we’re in the same industry, I’ll have more chances to interact with Kaori! And someday, I’ll make you mine and mine alone!”

“She’s becoming more and more like a little girl, she is! And she still hasn’t given up on Kaori-san!”

“Rather, she’s aiming for her more strategically and vigilantly-maru!”

Noa, though wary, shrugged her shoulders.

“Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped, it can’t. Besides being a pervert, arrogant, and having a bad personality and a rotten brain, Mira isn’t a bad person, and if Kaori-san is okay with it, then it’s fine.”

“I’m all for it-maru! I’ve always thought we were lacking an adult, sexy magical girl-maru, if Mira-chan joins us, she’ll be worth a hundred people-maru~!”

As they were talking, a blue sphere appeared in mid-air.

 

“I’ve heard everything-dechi.”

 

“Th-That voice is…!”

“Yuriika-san!?”

“Everyone, it’s been a while-dechi.”

As if the sphere had unraveled, the squid-type fairy with a ribbon──Yuriika appeared.

“We’ve been watching your activities from Prism Wonderland, Kaori-sama. Not only did you purify numerous Debipachis and defeat Mira, but you also reformed her and had her return as a magical girl, a truly splendid achievement-dechi.”

“Yuriika, what about me!? Did you see my accomplishments-maru!?”

“Eh? …Ah, I forgot-dechi. Onii-sama, your dismissal has been postponed for now-dechi.”

“You’re too careless-maru! I want it revoked, not postponed-maru!?”

Yuriika glanced at Mira, who was clinging to Kaori.

“For now, I will take responsibility for supervising and being Mira’s guardian fairy-dechi. First, we will proceed with the magical girl re-contracting procedure in Prism Wonderland-dechi.”

“Um… will that require a contract fee? The truth is, I invested too much in the development of this pacifier, and I don’t have any money on hand because of Yuti’s feeding (an unexpected expense)…”

To Mira, who was fidgeting with her fingers, Yuriika nodded magnanimously.

“You don’t have to worry-dechi. We will take your circumstances into consideration and make arrangements for the magical girl re-registration and renewal fees-dechi.”

“Oh! That’s great, isn’t it, Mira-san!”

“Babuu!”

“Mira-chan can only say ‘babu’ now, due to Kaori’s overwhelming ‘babumi’-maru.”

“Heh. The Royal Magical Mobile Guard Administration is surprisingly flexible, isn’t it──”

“Specifically, your buddy, Noa-sama, will pay for it in 48 installments-dechi.”

“Why does Noa have to pay!?”

Yuriika’s business-like tone changed completely, and she flew around Kaori cheerfully.

“Even so, as expected of Kaori-sama-dechi ♡ To think you would even awaken to the legendary Ultimate Miracle Pure Power… you’re the greatest talent since the beginning of magical girl history-dechi ♡”

“Ah, thank you!”

“I’m sure you have a lot to talk about-dechi, but Mira has various procedures to go through-dechi. For now, come with me to Prism Wonderland-dechi yo.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Mira stood up and bowed her head to Kaori.

“I’m truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. I don’t think I’ll be able to make a full return as a magical girl for a while yet… but until then, I’ll be watching over you from Prism Wonderland.”

“Mira-san… yes, I look forward to working with you!”

Kaori smiled like a blooming flower──then looked up at Mira.

 

“But… if you do anything bad again, I’ll have to scold you, you know?”

 

“Babu────!!!! (S-So precious!!!!)”

“Another one of those borderline otaku has appeared, they have.”

“I hope the effect of the pacifier wears off soon-maru.”

Mira started to leave with Yuriika.

Yuti pulled on her sleeve.

“Wait.”

“Oh. Are you sad to see me go, cutie-pie? I’ll play with you again sometime──”

“Request. I want to eat curry next.”

“This girl is still eating!? I’m going to go bankrupt!?”

“You reap what you sow, you do.”

Mira, with the last of her money, ordered a curry rice and disappeared with Yuriika.

Kaori let out a heartfelt sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad Mira-san was able to return to being a magical girl.”

“That’s right-maru~. We’ve solved the Mira-chan issue, defeated the troublesome Debipachi, and now we can finally enjoy the spa resort again-maru!”

“Before that, I want to eat lunch too~. I went to the Rizo-One without eating anything, so I’m hungry…”

Noa trailed off and clapped her hands.

“Come to think of it, what happened to the Rizo-One results announcement, I wonder!? The prize money! What about the one million yen prize money!? Let’s hurry back to the stage! Master, let’s go!”

“Refuse. The curry I ordered has arrived. I’ll go after I eat this.”

“You’re still eating-maru!?”

“Nuuooooh we have to hurry! And that curry looks super delicious, let me have some too! munch munch munch munch!”

“N-Noa-san, if you eat that fast, you’ll choke!”

“No need to worry, curry is a drink, it is! …Ugh!?”

“Noa-san!? Oh no, she’s choking! W-Water…!”

“Even though Kaori warned you, are you an idiot-maru?”

“Yes. Ramen.”

“slurp slurp, gulp! Waaaaan, thank you, Master, I thought I was gonna die, I did~~~~!”

“She washed down the curry with ramen…!?”

And so, the vast amount of food that couldn’t fit on the table was cleanly finished off.

 

 

“Ah, it looks like they’re about to announce the results right now!”

“We made it in time!”

When the three of them and one creature returned to the stage, the Rizo-One results announcement was just resuming.

The MC held the microphone with a serious expression.

“Regarding this year’s Resort Muse Number 1 Grand Prix… we ran into some trouble along the way, which made judging difficult, but thanks to everyone’s cooperation and enthusiasm, we were able to safely reach this point. …And now, for the results announcement!”

“Who’s going to win…!?”

The large crowd of spectators swallowed nervously.

Kaori and the others held their breath──and the MC shouted into the microphone.

 

“The glorious winner of the Rizo-One is──Magical Girl PapiPuri!”

 

“Whaaat!?”

“Wh-What is thiiiiis!?”

As if to drown out Kaori and Noa’s surprise, a murmur of excitement rose from the venue.

The MC continued in a cheerful voice.

“Although they are not here with us, Magical Girl PapiPuri faced a terrifying monster without flinching and fought with just the two of them, protecting us magnificently and showing us true strength, courage, and beauty. Many have judged that that image is worthy of being the Rizo-One winner. Therefore, we would like to donate the prize money for the winner to a charity organization!”

“Woooooooah, yes yes yes yes! PapiPuri is right here, we are! Please, please, please give us that prize money────!”

“N-Noa-san, you can’t!”

“Why not, I’m not satisfied, I’m not~~~~ ! In that case, I’ll declare right here and now that PapiPuri’s true identity is us~~~~ !”

“A-awawa, p-please stop~!”

“This idiot, shut your mouth-maru~~~~!”

Noa desperately tried to appeal, but her voice didn’t reach them, and applause erupted from the surroundings.

“Magical Girl PapiPuri, you’re the best!”

“Thank you, PapiPuri!”

“They were really cute, lovely, and cool!”

“We’ll always be cheering for you!”

“Amazing-maru, the whole venue is filled with cheers for PapiPuri-maru!”

In the middle of the swirl of gratitude for PapiPuri, Kaori clutched her chest, which was growing warm.

“Everyone…”

“Waaaaaan! And I thought I was going to become a millionaire this time~~~~!”

“I’m full. And sleepy.”

Next to the moved Kaori, Noa shed tears of blood, and Yuti stood there, dozing off on her feet.

 

 

“Well then, Master, see you at school, okay!”

“You must be tired from playing so much, so please get a good rest today.”

“Let’s play again soon-maru, Yuti-chan~!”

“Thanks. It was fun.”

After seeing Yuti home.

Kaori, Noa, and Sumimaru headed home in the twilight.

Noa stretched widely.

“Fuaah~! That resort spa was so much fun, it was~!”

“Fufu, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Yes, it was! Thanks to you, Kaori-san, I was able to refresh myself completely!”

“The prize money was a shame, though-maru~.”

“Nuuooooh, don’t remind me, don’t!”

They walked while chatting cheerfully.

A refreshing breeze blew by, and Kaori looked up at the sky.

The lingering echoes of the cheers for PapiPuri resonated in her pleasantly tired body after a day of swimming.

“Um… Noa-san, Sumimaru-san. Thank you again.”

“Huh?”

“What’s with the suddenness-maru?”

To the tilting heads of Noa and the others, Kaori smiled with her eyes narrowed.

“Today, while listening to all the cheers, I felt so happy that I was able to properly protect everyone’s smiles as a magical girl…”

And she said with heartfelt joy.

“I’m so glad I became a magical girl!”

“K-Kaori-san…! To say that even though you were mostly dragged into this, you’re too good of a person, you are!”

“What a good girl-maru!? I’m the one who’s glad to have met a girl like you-maru!”

In front of the deeply moved Noa and Sumimaru, Kaori clutched her warmly glowing chest.

“That time when everyone was cheering for PapiPuri, a power I couldn’t even believe myself welled up inside of me. I was once again moved by how much power people’s support truly holds.”

Kaori looked straight at Noa and Sumimaru and smiled softly.

 

“So, if you two are ever feeling down, I’ll be there to comfort you, okay?”

““Babu────!””

 

Noa and Sumimaru’s screams echoed in the twilight sky.

And so, the peace of the town was protected by the efforts of Magical Girl Perfect Pure Princess, and Kaori grew a little more as a magical girl.