Clara left the house.
She was going to get clothes for Xista, who had just taken a bath but had nothing to wear.
“By the way, where are the Azure Cavalier’s and Xista’s guest rooms?”
Xista hadn’t brought the magnetic key for her room, so Clara didn’t even know the room number.
Contrary to her outward appearance, Xista was surprisingly careless.
“Sigh, I’ll have to call Okada Daruma and ask.”
[No need. A-6, it’s right near the foot of the mountain.]
“Oh, that’s not far… How do you know?”
[You saw the guest room assignment sheet before.]
“…I forgot everything I’ve seen.”
[Nyx is your reliable life assistant.]
“Yes, yes, I know you’re useful!”
Muttering to herself, Clara headed toward the sloping path to the guest cabins. The A area was right at the entrance to the guest rooms, very close to the resort’s service center.
As for how to get in without a magnetic key—
This resort clearly only guards against gentlemen, not petty thieves.
Clara propped her little hand on the fence, flipped over in a graceful arc, and landed steadily in the courtyard.
“Hmm, which one is Xista’s luggage?”
There were two suitcases in the living room, obviously one belonged to the Azure Cavalier.
The Sigma brothers probably bought these together—the suitcases were the same model, but the colors weren’t their signature shades.
[Just open them and you’ll know.]
Indeed, Xista’s was bound to have women’s underwear inside.
And the Azure Cavalier’s would obviously have men’s. Otherwise, Clara might have to consider calling the police.
But opening other people’s suitcases at random made Clara feel guilty. Maybe she could guess whose was whose from the outside?
“Oh.”
Clara soon had her answer.
“This one should be Xista’s.”
There was a cute plush toy hanging from the zipper of the suitcase.
Was that… a red octopus?
A chibi big-headed octopus doll.
[Disappointed it’s not a squid?]
“No, just think that girl’s taste is still a little odd.”
The suitcase had a combination lock, but it wasn’t locked. Clara opened it with the feeling of opening a treasure chest. Inside, the clothes were folded neatly.
Although careless and unreliable in other things, she was meticulous in these little details.
As for underwear, to hide her identity, Xista only brought strapless bandeau bras. The panties were all ordinary styles—nothing special.
She’s clearly a girl, yet she always hangs around with men. She must have a hard time.
Thinking this, Clara picked out a few changes of clothes, stuffed them in a tote bag, and was about to leave.
[Clara, something’s going on with Lucia.]
“Huh?”
Just hearing Lucia’s name was enough to make her tense up.
“What happened?”
[Go to the warehouse behind the service center. There are Moon Rabbits appearing there.]
“Tsk, why did she go to the warehouse?”
[She followed Laby to get bedding for sleeping on the floor.]
“Miss Laby is there too?”
Did those rabbits go into the warehouse to forage? What’s there to eat in a bedding warehouse… No, Moon Rabbits aren’t picky—they eat pretty much anything.
Wouldn’t ordinary people be considered food by them?!
For Clara, nothing was more important than her sister’s safety. Hearing that Lucia was in danger, she immediately donned her gas mask, hopped on her Squid Broom, and dashed toward the warehouse Nyx mentioned.
Luckily, it wasn’t far—just a few seconds flying and Clara found the big warehouse door.
But both the side door and the main rolling shutter were tightly closed.
“Tsk, why’d they have to close the door?”
Blow open the door with a blast of magic?
No, the two of them might be right behind the door.
“Nyx, open the door!”
Nyx didn’t answer, but the electronic lock on the door clicked, and then it silently swung open.
“Lucia… huh?”
When Clara rushed into the warehouse, she saw several Moon Rabbits circling around Lucia like they were performing a ritual, but they didn’t look hostile at all.
“Ah! Clara-senpai!”
Lucia, surrounded by the Moon Rabbits, looked uneasy, but when she saw Clara she immediately brightened.
However, when those Moon Rabbits saw Clara rushing in, their first reaction was to turn their backs to Lucia and shield her behind them?
“Huh? What are they doing?”
Clara couldn’t understand. So she was the villain here?
Lucia spoke carefully, “It—they seem to be protecting me?”
…Seriously, come here quickly.
The broom reverted to the Ink-Stained Staff, its tip ready to fire at any moment, aimed at the group of upright-walking rabbits.
But when the Moon Rabbits saw Lucia had no hostility toward Clara, they came over to sniff her as well, and then, as if discovering something, started circling Clara and Lucia, continuing their strange dance.
Nyx’s analysis came from Lucia’s phone.
“Nyx believes that since you both have spent a lot of time around Moon Rabbits, you’ve picked up their scent and are being treated as the same kind.”
Here, “Moon Rabbit” referred to the Moon Rabbit Combat Unit, which Fran and Xista were playing with on the bed—just thinking about it made Clara itchy too.
Before Clara left, she’d been rolling around on the bed with it, so she’d picked up its scent. And during the Test of Courage, Lucia had been holding it the entire time…
“Huh? The same kind? Are these rabbits blind?”
Even so, Clara still warned Lucia.
“Lucia, don’t touch those things. Back away, I’ll handle them.”
Lucia was startled.
“Eh? You—you’re going to kill them? They—they don’t seem aggressive at all…”
“Nonsense, these aren’t like the one in the guest room!”
Lucia was a bit naïve. After spending time with the Moon Rabbit Combat Unit, she’d gone soft.
But Clara didn’t hesitate to act. Think you can survive just by being cute? The world isn’t that nice!
Besides, rabbits that stand up and walk around look really creepy.
Clara used her staff to push away the Moon Rabbits trying to approach, and Lucia escaped the warehouse under her protection, pulling out her phone to call for help.
Lucia was safe.
Clara breathed a sigh of relief, then gripped her staff tightly, using it as a blunt weapon to smack the Moon Rabbits.
After being hit by Clara and flipped onto their backs, the rabbits finally realized the girl in front of them was hostile, and they turned tail, fleeing into the depths of the warehouse and diving into a hidden rabbit hole.
[Why didn’t you use magic?] Nyx asked.
“There’s too much stuff in the warehouse. It’d be bad if I broke anything.”
[That’s not a good reason.]
Nyx did not approve of Clara’s answer.
“Enough! They’re all going to die tomorrow anyway. Let them live one more night!”
So in the end, when it was time to act,
….
Clara still squid-ed out.
“Aiya, I thought we could get along~”
From the shadows outside the warehouse came a sigh.
“What a pity, I gave you all a chance.”
“If we can’t be friends, then you’ll just be food for the children.”
“Well then, it’s time to prepare new friends.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.