Popular Model Midou Miu

 

♣♣♣

 

“Fuaaaaah~……-maru~”

One day during lunch break.

While Kaori and Noa were eating lunch in the cafeteria, Sumimaru, disguised as a keychain, let out a big yawn.

“You look sleepy, Sumimaru-san.”

“Honestly, yawning so loudly at the dining table is just bad manners! Munch munch munch, chomp chomp chomp!”

“Hmph. Even you, Noa, should eat more gracefully-maru—”

“Munch munch gulp! Alright, I’m going for seconds! The fact that such delicious lunch is free no matter how much I eat is just amazing~!”

“Sheesh, so restless-maru. Don’t come crying to me if you upset your stomach again-maru…… fuaaaaah~”

Seeing Sumimaru yawn again, Kaori tilted her head.

“Did you not sleep much last night?”

“Well, I ended up pulling an all-nighter because I binged too much anime on a streaming service-maru~”

“Oh my.”

“That’s so sloppy, you’re terrible at managing your health!”

Noa, who had returned at lightning speed with seconds, looked exasperated, but Kaori asked with curiosity.

“Was the anime that interesting?”

“Yes-maru! It was so good that I impulsively bought all fifty volumes of the original work-maru! Plus acrylic stands, figurines, clear files…… oh, and a body pillow is on its way too-maru! It’s all being charged to Noa’s magic account, so thanks in advance-maru☆”

“Uoooiii!? No wonder my money isn’t piling up—it’s all because of Sumimaru!”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so stingy-maru. It’s a necessary expense to learn about this world’s culture-maru!”

“Thanks to you, I’m stuck eating bean sprouts again this month!? I’d have starved long ago if it weren’t for the cafeteria!”

“Um, you two, you’re really standing out……!”

Kaori, mindful of the surrounding eyes, whispered to Sumimaru.

“You really love anime, don’t you, Sumimaru-san?”

“Yes-maru! This world is overflowing with amazing works—it’s like paradise-maru~. Especially the anime I’m totally obsessed with right now is……—”

As they chatted, the cheerful conversation of some girls at the next table caught their attention.

“Oh, by the way, it starts today, right? The anime festival.”

“Yeah, yeah! Since it’s in the next town this time, we can easily go after school!”

“I think there’s a stage event for Eternal Valkyrie too, right?”

“Eternal Valkyrie-maru!?”

Suddenly, Sumimaru shouted loudly.

“Whoa!? Don’t yell out of nowhere like that!”

“Someone’s going to figure out you’re not just a keychain……!”

“The anime festival’s already started-maru!? How could I, of all people, forget about it with how busy I’ve been with my otaku life-maru……!”

Sumimaru started flailing around wildly.

“Waaaah, I wanna go to the anime festival-maru! A dream event where all the hottest anime come together……! I wanna go-maru, I wanna go-maru, I wanna go-maru~!”

“S-Sumimaru-san, please calm down!”

“What is this!? A grown squid throwing a tantrum!?”

“Waaaah, I wanna go to the anime festival-maru~~~! If I can’t go, I’ll shorten the magical girl costume skirt by another five centimeters out of sheer sadness-maru~~~~!”

“It’s already short, and you want to take off five more centimeters!? O-Okay, fine, let’s go after school today, alright!?”

“Yaaay, awesome-maru~~~!”

“Hey, Kaori-san, you can’t spoil him like that!”

“If you’re gonna say that, Noa, you can stay behind-maru~. Too bad, though, I hear there’ll be tons of tasty food stalls at the anime festival-maru~”

“What’s that!? You should’ve said that sooner—let’s definitely go!”

“Yes, since it’s a special occasion, let’s all go together.”

“Yaaay, I’m so excited-maru~~~~~~! That aside, I’m still shortening the skirt by five centimeters-maru~~~~~~!”

“Why!?”

And so, the two girls and one creature made a promise to head to the anime festival in the neighboring town after school.

 

♣♣♣

 

“Uhyooooooo!”

Sumimaru’s eyes sparkled.

Kaori, Noa, and Sumimaru disguised as a keychain, had arrived at the anime festival venue in the next town.

The vast venue, so large its edges couldn’t be seen, featured a massive stage, countless booths, displays, message boards, and merchandise stalls, all teeming with visitors.

“T-This is beyond imagination-maru! An otaku paradise-maru~~~~~~! Tons of monsters and weapons from all sorts of anime are on display-maru! W-Wait, that dragon model over there… could it be the mid-boss from Eternal Valkyrie, the ‘Empire Dragon’-maru!? Uhyooooooo, so epic-maru!”

“A-Amazing! So many huge monitors! Equipment, stages, photo spots……! It’s a flood of sound and visuals~!”

“I-I’m not very familiar with anime, but to think such a huge event is happening!”

The venue buzzed with countless attendees, and rows of food stalls lined the area.

“Wow, so many food stalls! All kinds of food—I want to eat everything…… Oh, but I don’t have any money!”

“If it’s alright, I’ll treat you both.”

“Really!? Oh, but if I let you treat me, it’ll violate the magical girl code, and I’ll end up smeared with honey, thrown into a bear cage, and have my leftover bones turned into avant-garde art! Grr, if only Sumimaru hadn’t wasted all my money……!”

“Now, now-maru! There’s plenty more to enjoy here-maru! For example—gyaaaaaaaah!?”

“S-Sumimaru-san!? What’s wrong!?”

Sumimaru, who had been cheerfully looking around, suddenly screamed.

Following his gaze, they saw someone eating grilled squid.

In shock, Sumimaru reverted to his fairy form, eyes wide.

“W-What’s that horrible food-maru!? They slathered soy sauce on a squid fairy and roasted it whole-maru!?”

“Oh, that’s grilled squid. It’s not a fairy—it’s a squid caught from the sea……—”

“Bwaaaaah, scary-maru~!”

Mid-sentence, Sumimaru tried to dive into Kaori’s clothes.

“Kyaa!? Sumimaru-san!?”

“Roasting is scary-maru~, ufu, ufufu, save me-maru~”

“Hya!? S-Stop it~…!”

“Hey, Sumimaru~! Get out of there! Is it here!? Or here!?”

“Kya!? N-Noa-san, where are you putting your hands……!? Nn……!”

Noa shoved her hands into Kaori’s clothes and dragged Sumimaru out.

With a thwack!, she slammed him onto the floor.

“Bube────! What are you doing-maru!?”

“Enough is enough! If you harass Kaori-san any more, I’ll sell you to the grilled squid stall to make up for all the money you’ve spent!”

“That’s awful-maru! I was just scared and wanted to hide—huh!? W-Wait, what’s that……!?”

Sumimaru’s eyes were drawn to a corner of the venue.

There stood a partition adorned with an illustration of an adorable character.

It seemed the area behind it was a staff break room.

“? What’s that? Something up with that illustration?”

“It’s a cute girl with a really big sword.”

“Huh? That girl…… she kinda reminds me of someone……”

Seeing the black-haired character depicted there, Sumimaru’s eyes lit up.

“T-That’s…… my beloved Lily-chan-maru! Could it be, there’s a stage event with Lily-chan-maru!? Uhyooooooo!”

“L-Lily-chan?”

As Kaori and Noa stood dumbfounded, Sumimaru rattled off excitedly.

“Lily-chan is a super popular character from Eternal Valkyrie-maru! Eternal Valkyrie is this season’s hottest anime with its captivating characters and epic worldbuilding—I’ve been religiously watching it on streaming every week-maru! In a world where swords and magic clash, the valkyries fight brilliantly to protect what’s dear to them! And among them, my ultimate favorite, Lily-chan……! She’s dainty, pure, and above all, a hardworking, friend-loving, absolutely wonderful girl-maru!”

“That was insanely fast!”

“You really love her, huh?”

“Of course-maru! I’ve preordered the special edition discs-maru, ordered the soundtrack-maru, and thrown every Lily-chan-related piece of merch into my cart-maru! Haah~ I can’t wait for it all to arrive-maru~. Oh, payment’s on you, Noa-maru!”

“HAAAAH~~~~!? I can’t let that slide~~~~!?”

“You’ve fallen for shady get-rich-quick schemes and lost money too, Noa-maru. Compared to that, my spending is way more worthwhile-maru!”

“You’re way too reckless, Sumimaru—show some restraint!”

While the two bickered, Kaori’s attention was caught by a notice.

“It looks like there’s a stage event for Eternal Valkyrie coming up soon. It says cosplayers dressed as popular characters will appear…… and staff are handing out tickets for the audience seats over there.”

“An Eternal Valkyrie stage event!? Uoooooh, Lily-chan’s definitely gonna show up-maru! I wanna see it-maru, I wanna see it-maru, give me a ticket-maru~~~~~~!”

“Ah, Sumimaru!?”

Sumimaru zipped over to a young female staff member.

“Ticket please-maru, please-maru! You can touch my prized enpera as much as you want-maru! Special offer: I’ll even throw in some suction cups-maru! They stick with a kyupo kyupo—so fun-maru, look, kyupo kyupo~~~~!”

“Eek!? W-What’s this squid!?’

Noa smacked Sumimaru down with a whack─────!

“Don’t bother people───────!”

“Bueeeeee!?”

Zwoooosh!

Sumimaru slid across the ground with momentum—and slipped right under the partition into the staff break room.

“Ahh!? S-Sumimaru-sa─────n!?”

“Oh no────!? That wasn’t my intention!”

Kaori and Noa hurriedly peeked behind the partition to retrieve Sumimaru.

As expected, it was indeed the staff break room.

Character merchandise and illustrations were crammed everywhere, with tons of staff bustling about preparing for the event.

Amidst it all, attention was gathering around a corner piled with empty cardboard boxes.

“W-What’s that? Something just slid in here!”

“Is it a squid toy?”

“S-Sorry, did a squid plushie come this way—oh, there he is────!”

Kaori and Noa spotted Sumimaru, slumped over with his head stuck in a cardboard box.

“Awa-wa-wa, sorry, sorry, we’ll just pop in for a sec……!”

“Please don’t mind us!”

They rushed to pick up Sumimaru and bowed to the staff.

“We’re so, so sorry! We’ll leave right away……!”

Just as they hurried to exit, a gentle voice called out.

“Kaori-san?”

“!”

Turning at the familiar voice,

there stood a woman with refined beauty.

“Miu-san……!”

It was Midou Miu, an acquaintance of Kaori’s.

Miu was a hugely popular model of the moment, gracing the covers of numerous famous magazines and admired by many girls.

She usually had a mature demeanor, but today she was dressed in a fantastical outfit with her long hair braided.

Miu quickly explained to the puzzled staff.

“Sorry for startling you—these are my friends.”

The staff relaxed and returned to their tasks.

Miu turned back to Kaori with a soft smile.

“It’s been a while, Kaori-san. Have you been well?”

“Yes! Um, sorry for causing a commotion.”

“Not at all—I’m delighted to see you unexpectedly. By the way, that plushie from earlier……”

As for Sumimaru, he had somehow regained consciousness and was staring at Miu with bloodshot eyes and heavy breathing.

“Uoooooh~~~ Katorea-chan! Katorea-chan exists in 3D-maru! To perfectly capture Katorea-chan’s charm, are you a god—no, a goddess-maru!? —Mmph!”

Noa clamped Sumimaru’s mouth shut while introducing herself.

“Uh, this is just a chatty little toy, don’t mind him! I’m Noa, nice to meet you!”

“Mmph, mmph!”

“Oh my, today’s toys are impressive…… I’m Miu. Nice to meet you too, Noa-san.”

“Whoa, what a beautiful person…… such an adult woman~……”

Noa was completely captivated by Miu.

Kaori’s gaze shifted to Miu’s outfit.

“That aside, Miu-san, that outfit looks amazing on you. It’s wonderful.”

“Hehe, thank you. Today, I’m wearing this for a PR event for the hugely popular anime Eternal Valkyrie. I’ll be appearing on stage as the character Katorea-san.”

“Wow, really!? Not just modeling, but doing events like this too—you’re incredible, thriving in so many areas!”

While they chatted, Sumimaru slipped free from Noa’s grip.

“Pwahh! If Katorea-chan is here, then of course Lily-chan’s here too, right-maru!? Where is she-maru, come out quick-maru! Lily-chaaaaan~~~!”

Sumimaru was buzzing with excitement, but Miu lowered her eyes.

“Well, actually, Lily-san was supposed to join me on stage…… but the person who was going to play Lily-san fell ill and had to leave early…… So, as of right now, I’m the only one performing today.”

“Oh my……”

“Of course, there are still quiz corners and merchandise sales, but so many people were looking forward to the stage event. Lily-san is such a popular character, and I feel terrible thinking we might disappoint the audience……”

“That’s how it is, huh……”

Seeing Miu’s pained expression, Kaori felt her heart ache too.

It was easy to imagine that Miu, who always took her work so seriously, was deeply troubled by the thought of letting down the audience’s expectations.

“Oh, what a…… what a tragedy-maru……!”

“Sumimaru-san?”

Turning around, they saw Sumimaru burning with righteous fury.

“My beloved Lily-chan not being here…… I absolutely, absolutely refuse to accept this-maru~~~!”

“E-Even if you say that……”

“Lily-chan and Katorea-chan are one and the same-maru! Best friends—no, soulmates—who care for each other and are always together-maru! To think Lily-chan isn’t here…… leaving Katorea-chan to stand on stage alone!? That’s a total misinterpretation-maru! Even if the heavens forgive it, I, Sumimaru, absolutely won’t-maru~~~~!”

“S-Sumimaru-san, please calm down.”

While Kaori desperately tried to soothe Sumimaru, Noa tilted her head beside her.

“Can’t they just call in a replacement?”

“They’ve tried—the staff have been searching tirelessly, but it’s so sudden, and they haven’t found anyone who fits the image……”

Sumimaru trembled with frustration, his tentacles quivering.

“Grr…… It’s true, someone who can play Lily-chan isn’t easy to find-maru! Silky black hair, a refined and dignified presence. A delicate frame that makes you want to protect her, paired with elegant movements. Kind, earnest, and serious about everything she does……! A perfect girl like that isn’t just anywhere—……huh?”

“? Sumimaru-san, what’s wrong?”

Sumimaru stared intently at Kaori as if realizing something—and then grabbed her hand with incredible force.

“Kaori! You’re going to be Lily-chan-maru!”

“Wha—Whaaat!?”

“You’re the only one who can play Lily-chan-maru! No, you’re the perfect fit-maru!”

Noa let out an “Ah!” in realization.

“Now that you mention it, that character did remind me of someone—it’s Kaori-san!”

“Honestly, it’s a wonder we didn’t notice sooner-maru! No matter how you look at it, it’s a perfect match-maru, the best-maru~~~! Uhyo~~~~!”

“I-I mean, sure, it fits, but wouldn’t it cause trouble for everyone……?”

To a hesitant Miu, Sumimaru thumped his chest confidently.

“It’s fine-maru, leave it to Kaori-maru! I’ll personally negotiate with the organizers and staff-maru!”

“W-Wait, Sumimaru-san, what authority do you even have to……!? And besides, such a big role—I don’t know if I can handle it……!”

Kaori panicked, but Sumimaru declared with a stern expression.

“You can’t run away-maru, Kaori. This is part of your job as a magical girl-maru!”

“I-It is!?”

“Yes-maru! Making lots of people happy is what being a magical girl is all about! If you can’t do that, you’re a failure as a magical girl-maru! Look at Noa-maru—she keeps disappointing people instead of making them happy. In Prism Wonderland’s wildly popular gambling game, ‘Chiki-Chiki☆Magical Girl Firing Candidate Championship,’ she’s always the runaway favorite to get canned-maru!”

“Mind your own business!”

“M-Making people happy is what a magical girl does……!”

Kaori agonized for a moment before finally proclaiming.

“O-Okay, if you’re alright with me……!”

“Yay~~~~! I’ll go talk to the staff right now-maru~~~!”

The rumor of a girl who looked exactly like Lily spread like wildfire.

“S-She really looks just like Lily-chan……!”

“Where did they find such a cute girl!?”

“It’s not just her looks—her movements and expressions are spot-on too……!”

“Fufufu, everyone’s shocked-maru. My eye for talent never fails-maru.”

Sumimaru crossed his arms proudly.

A female stylist, holding Lily’s costume, gave Kaori a gentle push.

“Alright, go ahead and change into this!”

“Awa-wa-wa, t-this is turning into a huge deal……! Did I really make the right choice……!?”

With a hint of unease, Kaori was ushered into the changing room.

 

♣♣♣

 

“H-How do I look……?”

Emerging from the changing room, Kaori timidly asked Noa and the others.

Seeing her in the fantasy-style costume, Miu’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh my, it suits you so well! To wear such a tricky outfit so elegantly—that’s amazing, Kaori-san!”

“Uooooh, so cute! It’s like she stepped right out of the illustration! Right, Sumimaru—”

Noa cheered and looked to Sumimaru for agreement.

However.

Sumimaru was trembling with rage.

“What…… what is this flimsy costume-maru!?”

“Eh!?”

“This doesn’t capture Lily-chan’s charm at all-maru! This work’s appeal is its depth, and I won’t accept such a cheap costume-maru~~~~!”

“「Eh!?!」”

Shocked by his unexpected outburst, Kaori and the others widened their eyes.

“N-No way…… But what can we……?”

“There’s no time to remake the costumes now!”

“Lily-chan is my ultimate favorite-maru! I won’t forgive any compromises-maru…… And now that I look closer, even Katorea-chan’s costume is half-baked-maru, way too sloppy-maru! It should be more gorgeous and sexy, true to the original, with careful attention to materials-maru!”

“Huh? B-But……”

“I can’t stand it-maru! I’ll remake all these costumes perfectly myself-maru~~~!”

Sumimaru stretched his tentacles toward the bewildered duo and slapped suction cups onto their behinds with a kyupon.

“Kyaaa!?”

“Wh-What are you doing out of nowhere!?”

“Don’t move-maru! This is necessary to perfectly recreate Lily-chan and Katorea-chan-maru! Uoryaaaaaaaa~~~~~~~maru~~~~~~~~!”

The moment Sumimaru shouted, the suction cups glowed rainbow-colored, playing a cheerful piroriron melody—

“Kyaa……!?”

“Th-This light……!?”

A dazzling light enveloped their clothes, transforming them in an instant.

“Phew, now it’s a perfect original recreation-maru!”

“Wh-What just happened……? Huh!?”

Miu noticed the change in her outfit and gasped.

The fabric had become incomparably richer than before, with intricate decorations meticulously crafted, making it far more glamorous.

“The clothes changed……!? What in the world……!?”

“Uh, um, Sumimaru’s a cutting-edge toy, so he’s got a costume-changing function~!”

“R-Really!?”

“Ehehehe, yes~ But I don’t think touching our butts was necessary at all, so Noa’s gonna give him a good whack later~”

“Amazing, Sumimaru-san, the fit feels completely different……—wait!”

“Kyaaaaaa!?”

Kaori and Miu turned bright red, clutching their chests.

“Uh, um, it feels like there’s less fabric now!?”

As Kaori teared up, it was clear their costumes were now far more revealing than before.

Sumimaru declared solemnly with a grave expression.

“This is what happens when you faithfully recreate the original-maru! If you’ve got complaints, take it up with the source material-maru!”

“Oh, I thought it was just Sumimaru’s taste, but this is actually true to the original.”

“Ugh, g-going on stage like this is so embarrassing~……”

Kaori shrank back, covering her chest, but Miu, though flushed, lifted her eyes with resolve.

“B-But if this will make the fans happy, then I’m all for it……!”

“A-As expected of a professional model……! I need to step up too…… but, ugh……”

Noa encouraged Kaori, whose ears were red with embarrassment.

“Kaori-san, there’s no need to be shy—you look amazing!”

“Noa-san……”

“Sure, it’s pretty revealing, but the original recreation is unreal! Fantasy outfits suit you so well—you’re incredible, Kaori-san~!”

“Exactly-maru! Ufufu, both Lily-chan and Katorea-chan are absolutely stunning-maru~~~~ ufufufu!”

At that moment, the female stylist approached.

“So, how’s the fit? ……Oh my!”

She widened her eyes upon seeing Kaori and Miu.

“You two, what are those costumes……!? I was a little worried about the cheapness before, but now they’re so rich and detailed!”

“Uh, well……”

The stylist excitedly inspected the costumes closely.

“This craftsmanship—it’s a perfect recreation of the original! And the way you two pull it off is even more amazing! You look like you stepped right out of the story! My gut’s telling me…… this stage is going to be a huge success!”

“Th-Thank you! I’ll do my best……!”

“We’ll go over the stage details in a bit, so just relax until then!”

The stylist left in high spirits.

Kaori let out a relieved breath and turned to Miu.

“By the way…… Miu-san, what kind of story is Eternal Valkyrie?”

“Well, um……”

“Leave the explanation of Eternal Valkyrie to me-maru!”

“Kyaa!?”

Sumimaru cut in before Miu could respond.

“In the world of Eternal Valkyrie, fierce battles rage daily against enemies vying for control of the continent’s territory-maru! Talented girls enroll in a special academy to train as valkyries who protect the land, honing their skills together-maru! At first, their teamwork is terrible and they mess up a lot-maru, but watching them grow while forging bonds is so precious you can’t help but root for them-maru~! The valkyries’ enemies are a massive organization wielding terrifying monsters—”

“Slow down with the rapid-fire talking!”

“Wow, modern toys are so advanced……”

“This is educational……!”

Kaori diligently took notes as she listened to Sumimaru’s passionate rant.

“Each valkyrie has their own signature weapon-maru! Lily-chan’s beloved sword is the divine blade ‘Seraphim,’ as tall as she is-maru!”

Miu pulled a massive sword out of a prop box.

“Oh, this is it.”

“Wow, that’s a big sword!”

“Uoooooo, ‘Seraphim’-maru~~~~!?”

“Kyaa!?”

Sumimaru latched onto the sword Miu was holding.

“Haah haah haah, amazing-maru, it’s so meticulously crafted-maru!? This is a quality even fans would approve of-maru!”

“S-So that’s Lily-san’s weapon, huh?”

“Yes-maru! The divine sword ‘Seraphim’—a legendary blade that can cleave even an evil dragon in two-maru! Its signature move is Lily Slash! In episode eight, Lily-chan unleashed it for the first time, all battered and bruised, to save Katorea-chan from a dire situation-maru! Her earnest, brave stand against a formidable foe for her best friend gripped fans’ hearts-maru~!”

“B-But I’ve never even held a sword before…… will I be okay……?”

“It’s made of light materials, so you’ll be fine.”

Miu smiled and handed the sword over.

Kaori took the giant blade cautiously and widened her eyes.

“You’re right, it’s so light!”

“Why not give it a swing?”

“Okay! —Hya!”

Kaori raised the sword and swung it down.

“L-Like this, maybe—”

“Completely wrong-maru.”

“Huh?”

Sumimaru roared with a stern face.

“That’s not it at all-maru! With such a wimpy swing, you can’t recreate that emotional scene-maru!”

“N-No way……!”

“I mean, I don’t think we need to go that far……”

Noa muttered in exasperation, but Sumimaru shook his head vigorously.

“If we don’t obsess over every detail, we can’t move the fans-maru! Time for special training-maru! I won’t compromise until you can perfectly execute Lily Slash-maru!”

“Eh…… Y-Yes……”

And so, Sumimaru’s special training began.

“Lily Slash unleashes its true power by building up maximum strength and slashing downward diagonally at the enemy-maru! Give it a try-maru!”

“Yes! Hyaah!”

“Not even close-maru! It’s not just about slashing—you need to focus on agility too-maru! Copy me-maru! Like this-maru! Haaaa~~~~!”

Sumimaru’s enpera and tentacles glowed brilliantly as he unleashed a sharp slash.

“‘O divine sword, sever evil! Lily Slaaaaash!’ Maru! (Zwash!)”

“Amazing, Sumimaru-san!”

Miu watched the two training with astonishment.

“This is so professional…… Is that squid really just a toy……?”

“Fwah!? Y-y-yes! It’s a cutting-edge toy equipped with super-advanced AI, ahahaha!”

“I-I see……?”

And so, the event time drew closer.

 

♣♣♣

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting! Coming up soon, it’s the Lily-chan and Katorea-chan stage!”

At last, the Eternal Valkyrie stage began.

The venue seemed packed with fans, as loud cheers echoed through.

Kaori and Miu were standing by backstage.

“I-It’s almost our turn…… I’m getting so nervous……”

Miu smiled reassuringly at the anxious Kaori.

“It’ll be fine. Kaori-san, you’re already Lily-chan through and through, no matter how you look at it.”

“Th-Thank you!”

Noa and Sumimaru chimed in with encouragement.

“Do your best, Kaori-san!”

“There’s nothing left for me to teach-maru. Hold your head high and show off Lily-chan’s valor-maru!”

“Y-Yes!”

And then, the moment arrived.

“Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for—please welcome Lily-chan and Katorea-chan!”

“Let’s go, Kaori-san.”

“Yes!”

Called by the host, Kaori and Miu, dressed in their character costumes, stepped onto the stage.

—Instantly, a deafening roar of cheers shook the venue.

“Uoooo, so coooool!?”

“They’re both so cute!? The original recreation is unreal!”

Facing the sea of fans filling the venue, Kaori was inwardly shocked.

“W-Wow, what a cheer……! So many people were looking forward to this—I have to do my best……!”

Despite her nerves, she flashed a gentle smile and recited the lines she’d practiced countless times.

“‘Hello, I’m Lily. Thank you for coming today. I’m so happy to meet you all!’”

“‘I’m Katorea. Everyone, make sure to enjoy yourselves to the fullest today!’”

” ‘‘‘Uoooooooh! / Kyaaaaaa!’’’ ”

Hearing the ecstatic roars, Kaori’s eyes widened.

“‘Wow, I’m so glad you’re happy!’”

“‘Burn our valor into your eyes!’”

Kaori and Miu struck the famous pose from the anime’s main visual—hands clasped, cheeks pressed together.

“‘H-How do we look?’”

“‘Hehe, it’s a little embarrassing, isn’t it?’”

The sheer accuracy and beauty of their performance filled the venue with gasps of awe.

Each time the two struck different poses as guided by the host, cheers erupted, and camera shutters clicked.

They continued smoothly—brandishing swords, reenacting anime scenes—progressing flawlessly through the stage.

Kaori was a bit stiff from nerves, but even that earnest awkwardness matched Lily’s personality perfectly, making her flawless in the eyes of dedicated fans.

Miu, as expected of a top-tier model, maintained a soft smile while flawlessly embodying Katorea’s mannerisms, her polished beauty radiating an aura that surpassed the original.

“Incredible! I-I’ve never seen such perfect recreation……!”

“I heard the girl playing Lily-chan is a stand-in—is that true!? She’s on another level!”

“Ahh, Katorea-sama, my goddess…… So beautiful it’s practically divine……!”

“Hehe, marvelous-maru. They’re both shining at their absolute best-maru. Producing them was definitely the right call-maru…… One misstep, and we’d have lost these diamonds in the rough-maru……”

Among the emotional audience, Sumimaru was inexplicably present, arms crossed with a smug look.

The two waved cheerfully at the crowd, basking in thunderous applause and cheers.

Then, amidst the massive success, an announcement rang out.

“Thank you! It’s time for the next segment! Lily-chan and Katorea-chan will return for the finale, so stay tuned! Let’s give them a big round of applause!”

As the stage transitioned to the next segment, Kaori and Miu stepped off amid roaring applause.

“Phew. Did we…… somehow pull it off?”

Noa and Sumimaru greeted the returning Kaori.

“Welcome back, Kaori-san! The cheers were amazing! Everyone was so happy~!”

“Ugh, it was perfect-maru, Kaori~! To think I’d see Lily-chan in 3D…… I have no regrets left in life-maru~!”

“S-Sumimaru-san, wipe your tears.”

Miu smiled, visibly moved.

“That was incredible, Kaori-san. I’m so glad you took on Lily-chan’s role…… Seeing the fans so happy makes me happy too.”

“Oh, no, it’s thanks to you, Miu-san.”

As the two clasped hands with smiles, Sumimaru snapped away with his ‘Magical Capture-Anything-kun,’ muttering, “Precious-maru~!”

Kaori glanced at the clock.

“There’s still some time before the next stage.”

“Yes. Let’s rest in the break room until then. We’ve got the finishing move reveal at the end, so we should conserve our energy.”

“Y-Yes!”

Kaori and the others returned to the break room to wait for their next appearance.

Meanwhile, Noa and Sumimaru, who’d scouted the venue, reported back excitedly.

“The whole place is buzzing—it’s a huge hit! Apparently, Miu-san and Kaori-san’s stage is blowing up on SNS!”

“The staff are thrilled too, all thanks to you two-maru!”

“Oh, that’s good to hear.”

“This event is seriously next-level! The photo spots are awesome, and the giant dragon model is super popular!”

“That’s the ‘Empire Dragon,’ a mid-story boss from Eternal Valkyrie-maru! Heh heh, I noticed it the moment we entered the venue-maru. To think they’d recreate it life-sized—It made me emotional-maru~!”

Sumimaru, mid-excitement, suddenly tilted his head.

“……Huh? But why were there two ‘Empire Dragons’-maru?”

“Eh? There was only one earlier, right?”

Kaori’s eyes widened, and Miu furrowed her brow in confusion.

“That’s odd. There should only be one dragon model made……”

“Huh? But Noa definitely saw two identical dragons side by side. People were gathering around, looking puzzled and taking pictures—it was a crowd!”

As Noa said, the murmur of a crowd, likely surrounding the dragons, could be heard beyond the partition.

“Maybe the staff added another one partway through?”

“No, that shouldn’t be……”

“The ‘Empire Dragon’ is supposed to be one-of-a-kind in the story, so this is weird-maru…… I’ve got a bad feeling about this-maru…”

At Sumimaru’s words, Kaori gasped.

She recalled the unnatural string of troubles at the track meet.

“C-Could this be……!”

At that moment.

“Ah, look out!”

“It’s falling—everyone, run!”

“Kyaaaaaa!?”

CRASHHHHHHH!

“!?”

A scream echoed from the venue along with the sound of something huge collapsing.

“W-What was that……?”

The break room filled with frantic energy.

“W-What happened!?”

“It seems the dragon model on display fell over……!”

“What!? Any injuries!?”

“We’re checking now……!”

The air grew tense as staff shouted back and forth.

“Th-This…… Could it be Debipachi’s doing……!?”

As Kaori’s eyes widened, Sumimaru’s enpera began flashing red, blaring a familiar Beep! Beep! Beep! alarm.

“T-Trouble-maru! That bad feeling—it’s Debipachi’s presence-maru~~~!”

“Whaaaat!?”

“I knew it!”

“You’re way too slow to catch on!”

“Believe it or not, my sensors are pretty sloppy-maru! Their sensitivity goes up and down depending on how excited I am-maru!”

“How much of a junk heap are you!?”

“W-We need to get to the scene fast……!”

As Kaori and the others panicked, grasping the situation, Miu looked bewildered.

“Uh, um, what’s a Debipachi……?”

“Oh, uh, well…..!”

But before they could explain, Sumimaru shouted.

“This is bad-maru! It’s feeding off the staff and guests’ anxiety, and Debipachi’s presence is growing bigger……!”

—Then.

“GYA GYA GYA────────!”

Debipachi’s roar echoed throughout the venue.

Screams erupted from beyond the partition.

“Wha……!?”

“That’s Debipachi’s voice!”

Kaori and the others bolted out of the break room.

An astonishing sight greeted them, freezing Miu in her tracks.

“Th-The dragon……!?”

One of the two ‘Empire Dragons’ lay toppled on its side.

Around it, people who’d narrowly escaped sat collapsed in fear.

“This…… Did it deliberately fall toward the crowd to hurt the guests-maru!?”

In an instant, the fallen dragon model twitched and writhed, transforming into a giant octopus.

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

“Th-The dragon turned into a Debipachi……!?”

“It’s huge……!”

“N-No way, it was disguised as the ‘Empire Dragon’ model-maru……!?”

“So there are Debipachis that can mimic things too……!”

The onlookers stared up at the black octopus in stunned silence.

“W-What’s that monster!? Is that part of the exhibit too!?”

“But a giant octopus isn’t in the anime!”

Kaori turned to Noa.

“Noa-san, let’s transform!”

“Leave it to me!”

Noa swung her staff with gusto—

“Oh no, my hair got tangled in the staff~! Kaori-san, help me untangle it~!”

“Awa-wa-wa, don’t move, okay……!”

In that moment, Debipachi extended a tentacle toward one of the guests—a girl standing frozen in place.

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

“Eh!? N-Nooooo!?”

“Ah, look out! Run!”

Seeing this, Miu instinctively dashed forward.

Miu pushed the girl to safety—but a tentacle wrapped around Miu instead.

“Kyaaa!?”

“Miu-san!”

The wriggling tentacle hoisted Miu high into the air.

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

“Ugh……!”

“W-What is that thing…!?”

“Run─────!”

People screamed, tossing aside food they’d bought from stalls as they fled.

Noa finally untangled her staff and raised it.

“Phew, sorry about that—it’s all good now. Kaori-san, let’s transform!”

“Yes!”

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

With a burst of seven-colored light, the two transformed into PapiPuri.

Gasps of amazement rose from the people hiding in the shadows.

“What!? All of a sudden, super adorable magical girls appeared!?”

“Could that be the rumored PapiPuri!?”

“I’ve seen them on SNS, but they’re even cuter in person—too cute!”

“Go for it, PapiPuri!”

“W-What’s with all this passionate cheering……!?”

Kaori hesitated but pointed firmly at Debipachi.

“No mischief allowed, Debipachi-san! Let Miu-san go!”

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

But Debipachi, irritated, swung a tentacle down.

“Kyaaa!?”

“Uwa-wa-wa-wa!?”

They leapt back just in time to dodge.

BOOOOOM!

The heavy blow shattered the floor.

“We can’t get close like this!”

“It’s fine—we can attack from a distance with magical tools—”

Noa ran toward a fallen camera to turn it into a magical tool.

But just before she reached it, a tentacle knocked it away.

“Ah!”

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

CRASH! SMASH!

Debipachi thrashed its long tentacles, giving the two no chance to regroup.

Kaori and Noa dodged the whip-like flurry of tentacles, biting their lips.

“Grr, this thing has no openings……!”

“And if we attack carelessly, we might hit Miu-san……!”

“Nn…… ugh……!”

Miu let out a pained groan as the tentacle squeezed her.

“Miu-san!”

“What do we do……!?”

Worried murmurs rose from the onlookers.

“PapiPuri’s struggling!”

“A-Are they gonna be okay……!?”

Meanwhile, Sumimaru flitted around Debipachi.

“This is bad-maru, we’ve got to find its weakness somehow! ……That said, Miu-chan wrapped up in tentacles is pretty sexy-maru~ ufufufu. Oh, this angle’s even more risqué-maru—(WHACK─────!) Bueeeee!”

While ogling, a tentacle struck him, sending him flying—ZWOOSH!—toward the food stalls.

“What was that for-maru────! My handsome—no, squid-some face got scratched up-maru, ugh—”

Grumbling, Sumimaru lifted his battered face—and right in front of him lay a grilled squid.

“Bieeeeeee!?”

He leapt up and hid behind a pillar.

“Haah, haah, t-t-t-that scared me-maru! Eating anything and everything, the humans of this world are terrifying-maru! ……Wait? That means……—”

Just as Sumimaru had a flash of inspiration,

Kaori and Noa were still struggling against Debipachi.

“Take this, Prism Cable Cord!”

Noa threw a magically enhanced cord between tentacle strikes.

But it was easily swatted away by a tentacle.

“GYA GYA GYA!”

“Grr, of course a flimsy attack won’t work on that huge body! We need a big move to finish it……!”

“But there’s no opening……! And if we use a big move now, we’ll hit Miu-san!”

“Ugh, this is PapiPuri’s greatest pinch yet…… Speaking of which, where’s Sumimaru and what’s he doing at a time like this!?”

As Noa stomped in frustration, Sumimaru waved wildly from a corner of the venue.

“Kaori, Noa~~~!”

“Ah, Sumimaru! What have you been—”

“Drive Debipachi over here-maru! I’ve come up with a brilliant plan-maru~~~!”

“Th-That’s……!?”

Kaori glanced at where Sumimaru was beckoning—a section of food stalls—and instantly grasped his intent.

“Noa-san, let’s follow Sumimaru-san’s lead!”

“Eh, huh?”

“Just trust me—we need to lure Debipachi-san to where Sumimaru is!”

“Wha!? I don’t get it, but got it!”

Noa turned to Debipachi and started hopping tauntingly.

“Hey, hey! Octo-dork, tentacle-freak, squid-head~~~! What color’s your blood~~~!? Come over here if you’re mad~~~! Spankety-spank~~~!”

At the childish taunts, Debipachi’s eyes narrowed in fury.

“GUGI, GYA GYA GYAAAAA!”

“Yes, it’s working! Come on, Kaori-san, throw some insults too!”

“Y-Yes! Um…… Hey, hey, you’re big, and you’ve got eight legs, and they’re all wriggly, and, uh, uh, you’ve got eight legs!”

“Why’d you say it twice!? And that’s not even an insult—it’s just a fact!”

“GUGIGIIIIII!”

Debipachi roared with rage and charged at them with terrifying speed.

“Uwa-wa-wa-wa!? It’s super mad! Could ‘eight legs’ actually be a mega-insult!?”

“I-If that’s the case, I’ve done something awful……!”

“Uoooo, it’s chasing us hard~~~! Run~~~!”

“Noa-san, not that way—this way!”

“Both of you, hurry-maru~~~!”

Following Sumimaru’s voice, they dodged the writhing tentacles as they fled.

Finally, the two were cornered at a cluster of food stalls.

“GUGIGI, GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

Facing a triumphant Debipachi, Kaori raised her voice.

“Oh nooo! W-We’ve been cornered—what do we dooo!”

“Kaori-san, that was super monotone! Anyway, what do we do from here!?”

“This is probably the crux of Sumimaru-san’s plan……! When I give the signal, dodge!”

“G-Got it!”

“GUGYA, GUGYA GYA GYA!”

Certain of victory, Debipachi gleefully raised its tentacles to crush them.

“GYA GYA GYA~~~~~~~~~~~~!”

“Now!”

Kaori and Noa narrowly dodged the tentacles as they slammed down.

CRASHHHHHHHH!

The tentacles smashed the stall, scattering ingredients everywhere.

“GYA GYA, GYA……”

Debipachi looked around for Kaori and Noa—

“GYA GYA GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”

It noticed something and its eyes bulged in shock.

—Scattered at its feet were heaps of takoyaki and chopped octopus pieces.

“GYA, GYA……!?”

As Debipachi froze in horror before the chopped pieces, Kaori pointed at it.

“Looks like you finally noticed…… That’s right, this is a takoyaki stall! We pretended to be cornered to lure you here, Debipachi-san!”

“Oh, that’s what this was about!”

“GYA, GYA GYA GYA~~~!?”

Debipachi shrank back in terror.

Sumimaru crowed triumphantly at the cowering Debipachi.

“Too late to realize now, Debipachi-maru! The creatures you just tried to attack are the terrifying beings who do this-maru! fu, fufufu, I’m scared too-maru, trembling with fear-maru… Cute and lovely me might be forgiven, but you, who’ve rampaged all you pleased, are already beyond saving-maru! Your fate is to be sliced up like these pieces, shaped into flour balls, cooked piping hot, and devoured with sauce and mayo-maru!”

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!”

Overwhelmed by terror, Debipachi trembled violently.

The sudden jolt loosened its grip, and Miu began to fall.

“Miu-san!”

Kaori caught the falling Miu.

“Ah……”

Miu gazed at Kaori with vacant eyes for a moment before passing out.

“It looks like she’s not injured……”

Confirming her breathing was steady, Kaori gently laid her in a safe spot.

“GYA, GYAGYAGYA~~~……!”

Facing the thoroughly panicked Debipachi, Sumimaru roared.

“Now’s our chance to take it down-maru! Finish it off in one go-maru!”

“Yes!”

“Everything’s ready! Kaori-san, use this!”

Noa tossed a massive object to Kaori.

“!! Th-This is……!”

“I turned Lily-san’s sword into a magical tool!”

Kaori raised Lily’s beloved sword, Seraphim.

The giant blade, as tall as her, shimmered with mystical light from its magical power.

“Thank you, Noa-san!”

“Now, Kaori, time to show the results of your training-maru!”

“Yes! Haaaa~~~~!”

Kaori poured all her strength into the hilt.

A rainbow glow gathered in the sword and burst forth.

“‘O divine sword, sever evil! Lily Slaaaaaashh!’”

ZWASHHHHHHHHHHH!

“GYA GYA GYA~~~!?”

As Kaori swung the sword down, a band of light shot out.

“Th-That’s Lily-chan’s finishing move!? And she even nailed the line!?”

“A magical girl using Lily Slash!?”

“To think we’d see the real thing……!”

Fans watching from the shadows shed tears of joy at witnessing their favorite character’s finishing move.

The band of light cleaved Debipachi cleanly in half—black mist escaped from it, transforming into a rainbow hue.

WHOOOOOSH!

“GYA GYA GYA──────────────!”

“We did it—it’s purified!”

“Alright, now-maru! Shiny Octo-Pot~~~!”

“GYA GYA GYA~~~~~~~~~~~~!”

The giant body was swiftly sucked into the pot.

As it vanished, the traces of Debipachi’s destruction were instantly repaired, and peace returned to the area.

“W-We did it……!”

A moment later, thunderous applause erupted.

“Amazing, Magical Girl PapiPuri!”

“So cool and cute!”

“The recreation of Lily Slash was insane────!”

“Th-Thank you!”

 

Kaori bowed politely to the chorus of cheers.

“Success-maru! Case closed-maru~~~!”

“Taking down a beast that huge with one hit—Kaori-san, you’re incredible!”

“Thanks to you, Sumimaru-san. Spotting that Debipachi’s weakness was takoyaki was a brilliant move.”

“Ufufu~ Oh, stop it~ You’re flattering me too much-maru~. But as a reward, you could do this or that for me-maru~ ufufu~~~”

“Don’t get carried away!”

At that moment, a small voice came from behind.

“Um……”

“Miu-san!”

There stood Miu, who had regained consciousness.

Miu bowed deeply to Kaori and the others.

“Thank you for saving me, PapiPuri-san. I don’t know how to express my gratitude……”

“No, we’re just glad you’re safe.”

Kaori smiled softly, genuinely relieved.

Seeing that smile, Miu’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Oh? You…… you look like Kaori-san. Could it be a coincidence……?”

“!? N-No way, of course it’s a different person, ahaha!”

“Y-Yeah, there’s no way Kaori-san would wear something so shameless, right?”

“Ugh.”

Teary-eyed, Kaori whispered to Sumimaru.

“Sumimaru-san, what’s going on!? What about the perception-blocking function—”

“Hmm, I really want to upgrade to the latest model ASAP-maru, but Noa’s so incompetent that we can’t get the budget-maru. Sheesh, times are tough-maru~”

“You’re acting like it’s not your problem!?”

Just then, the stylist called out to Miu.

“Miu-chan, we’d like to resume the stage—do you know where Kaori-chan is?”

“Huh? Now that you mention it, she suddenly—”

Sumimaru paled.

“Trouble-maru! Without Lily-chan, the audience will be disappointed-maru!”

“Oh no! We’ve gotta get back fast!”

“Uh, w-well then, excuse us—!”

Kaori, Noa, and Sumimaru hurriedly dashed away from the scene.

 

♣♣♣

 

“‘O divine sword, sever evil! Lily Slash’!”

“‘O holy light, dance forth! Katorea Ronde’!”

” ‘‘‘Uoooooooh!’’’ ”

After confirming the venue’s safety, the Eternal Valkyrie stage resumed.

Kaori and Miu performed their finishing moves, basking in massive cheers.

“Thank you, Lily-chan and Katorea-chan! That concludes today’s final stage! Everyone, please give them a big round of applause!”

And so, the Eternal Valkyrie stage ended in a blaze of excitement.

“Phew, we somehow pulled it off……!”

“Great job, Kaori-san!”

“It was the best stage ever-maru~~~!”

As Kaori wiped her brow, Miu bowed to her.

“Kaori-san, thank you so much. Thanks to you, the fans were thrilled.”

“No, no, it’s thanks to you teaching me so much, Miu-san.”

“Seeing Lily-chan and Katorea-chan’s perfect stage made me so happy too-maru. You both stuck with my tough producing without giving up-maru.”

“Why are you acting so high and mighty?”

“Um, if it’s alright…… I got these from the food stall folks earlier.”

Miu held out heavy bags with both hands.

“Something smells delicious…… What are these?”

Miu smiled brightly.

“Grilled squid, dried squid, seafood yakisoba packed with squid, squid shio-kara, and squid in butter-soy sauce.”

“Pieeeeh-maru~~~~~~~~!?”

“A squid feast!?”

“Oh? Now that you mention it, I suppose it is…… But they’re all supposed to be delicious. Please enjoy them together!”

“Scary-maru! Casually trying to make me eat my own kind-maru, terrifying-maru~~~!”

“Th-Thank you, we’ll dig in!”

Kaori accepted the heap of squid dishes, while Noa grinned at Sumimaru.

“Lucky you, Sumimaru. So many of your buddies!”

“Heeee~~~n! Humans are terrifying-maru~~~! Save me, Lily-chaaaaan~~~!”

Sumimaru’s anguished cry echoed through the venue.

 

♣♣♣

 

“Man, we were total stars again~~~!”

After parting ways with Miu and leaving the venue,

Noa munched happily on squid in butter-soy sauce, while Kaori smiled.

“Yes. I’m glad we resolved it safely. Still, to think it could disguise itself as an object…… There really are all kinds of Debipachis, huh?”

“Yep! Debipachi ecology is super diverse—there are probably tons of undiscovered types out there!”

“Exactly-maru, better stay prepared-maru! There are even crazier ones out there-maru!”

“Th-That’s, um, like what……?”

“Uh, well…… You’ll see when we meet them-maru!”

“How am I supposed to prepare for that……!?”

“Well, things are going great so far, and with Kaori’s Prism Power, no enemy’s a problem-maru~~~”

“R-Really……?”

Unlike the anxious Kaori, Noa stretched nonchalantly.

“Anyway, that anime fest was so fun!”

“The energy was incredible, wasn’t it?”

“Haaa~ It was like a dream-maru! Oh, I ordered the new costume figures announced on stage, pre-booked the special stage, and bought tons of venue-exclusive merch-maru! The bill’s coming later-maru. Noa, payment’s on you-maru☆”

Before they knew it, Sumimaru was lugging three anime fest shopping bags, decked out with rattling pins and keychains.

“Grrrr, when did you—!? What are you doing!? At this rate, no matter how many Debipachis (delicacies) we sell off, I’ll never escape this dirt-poor life~~~~!”

“N-Noa-san, wipe your tears……”

As Kaori dabbed Noa’s face with a handkerchief, they overheard a conversation from what seemed like fellow anime fest attendees.

“Ugh, it was fun, but I overspent a bit…… There was more I wanted, but it’s tough before payday.”

“I couldn’t get my fave’s acrylic stand…… Ahh, if only I had more money……!”

“My savings just won’t grow…… Guess it’s frugal living for a while…… Sigh……”

With many people nearing payday, it seemed quite a few were struggling financially.

“Looks like there are lots of people in the same boat as Noa.”

“It’s tight for folks before payday-maru. Debipachis love this kind of vibe-maru. We can’t let our guard down-maru!”

“Yes!”

Kaori nodded firmly.

—However, it was only a matter of time before the trio, having brilliantly resolved countless Debipachi incidents, would face an even more outrageous foe.