Ousei Academy Teacher Sawada Rie

♤♤♤

“Ugh, finally…… the time has come to use this money……!”

“Noa-san, you’re trembling. Are you okay? Could it be you’re not feeling well……?”

“No need to worry, this is just a warrior’s tremble!”

“But your complexion looks bad too……”

“That’s because of sleep deprivation. Just thinking about the moment I’d have to let go of this money made my heart pound, thump, flutter, and chirp so much that I couldn’t sleep a wink!”

“That much!?”

On one morning.

Kaori, Noa, and Sumimaru disguised as a keychain, were walking through the town.

It was a weekday, but Ousei Academy was off due to a substitute holiday for an event.

“By the way, you said you wanted me to pick out clothes suitable for a party today……”

“Yes! With this precious money, I’m going to buy the best dress!”

Noa’s eyes blazed fiercely as she clutched her wallet tightly.

“Yesterday, a classmate said, ‘Tomorrow night, we’re renting out our restaurant for a home party, so feel free to come, Noa-chan!’ Her family owns a bunch of famous restaurants, so tonight’s dinner is guaranteed to be a three-star chef’s top-tier buffet!”

“A party at a restaurant? As expected of an Ousei Academy student-maru!”

Sumimaru was impressed, but Noa’s shoulders slumped.

“But all the clothes Noa owns besides her uniform are tattered, and I realized I don’t have anything to wear…… Spending all my meager savings pains me to the core, but it’s a necessary expense to get free food……!”

“I see. If I could, I’d love to buy it for you……”

“That’s a no-go! It’d violate the Magical Girl Code, and I’d be thrown into a herd of buffaloes, trampled into mincemeat, and end up as fertilizer in a cornfield!”

“Isn’t the Magical Girl Code a bit too harsh!?”

“Besides, I can’t keep relying on you any more than this. Just helping me pick out clothes is enough~!”

Sumimaru pouted.

“Geez, if you want cute clothes, I’ve told you I can whip some up anytime-maru~ Like a bunny girl outfit or a cheerleader one!”

“The clothes Sumimaru makes are way too bizarre!”

“They’re certainly cute, but they might not be quite right for a party.”

Kaori gave a wry smile.

As they chatted, they arrived at their destination.

“Here we are.”

“Wow!”

It was an eight-story department store.

Noa’s eyes widened in awe.

“O-oh, such a big building…… It’s as grand as the Magical Court!”

“Hehe, I was surprised when I first came here too, but it’s not just clothing stores—there are also general stores, bookstores, restaurants, and even a game center!”

“A g-game center, what’s that?”

Before Noa could ask, Sumimaru burst into excitement.

“Whoa! A game center!? You mean the game center-maru!? They just announced Lily-chan’s prize figure yesterday-maru! Whoa, let’s hurry inside-maru!”

“S-Sumimaru-san! We need to find Noa-san’s dress first……”

Dragged by Sumimaru tugging at her bag, they entered.

Noa looked around curiously.

“Waaah, it’s so pretty! Everything’s sparkling and shiny!”

“The clothing stores are this way.”

“Whoa, so many clothing shops!”

The first floor was lined with stores of all genres.

“Hmm. These shops have pretty good taste-maru~”

They decided to step into one that caught their eye.

“Amazing, there’s so much I don’t even know what to pick……!”

“Oh, Noa-san, how about this dress—”

Kaori picked up a cute dress and turned around.

But Noa was nowhere to be seen.

“Huh? Noa-san?”

“Kaori-san, look! I already tried something on!”

As she looked around, the curtain of a fitting room behind her suddenly slid open with a shaa!

“This outfit is super cute! How is it? Does it suit me!?”

Noa emerged wearing a bold, slit-up-the-side cheongsam. [T/N: Cheongsam is a Chinese dress worn by women.]

“Noa-san, that outfit!?”

“It said ‘dress’ on it! It’s easy to move in and perfect for Noa!”

“It’s a dress, sure, but maybe not quite the right kind……!”

“Huh? It’s no good? Even though it’s this cute…… Oh, how about this one!? It’s all jingly and cool!”

Noa disappeared behind the curtain again and reemerged in a flashy, revealing outfit.

“That’s a belly dance costume!”

“Ehh? I’m not planning to dance, Noa’s a food specialist~ Oh, how about this one!?”

The curtain closed again, and with another shaa!, Noa appeared in a frilly bikini.

“Th-that’s a swimsuit~!”

“Ehh!? Even though it’s all frilly and cute? Clothes in this world are so complicated~”

“Noa’s got no common sense, let alone fashion sense-maru. She’s got no right to criticize me-maru~”

“Mugii! I don’t want to hear that from a perverted squid~!”

After that, the group browsed various clothes.

“Hmm, nothing’s really clicking……”

“Since it’s a special dress, it’d be nice to get something made of good material that you can wear for a long time…… Oh?”

Kaori’s eyes caught something in the back of what seemed like a teen-oriented shop.

A single dress was quietly displayed.

It had an elegant white silhouette, accented with delicate lace that added a touch of glamour.

“Noa-san, how about that dress over there? It’s very elegant and seems like it’d suit you well. The fabric looks sturdy and comfortable too.”

Seeing the beautiful dress, Noa bounced with excitement.

“Wow, it’s so cute! As expected of Kaori-san! I’ll go buy it right now~!”

“Ah, Noa-san, maybe check the price first just to be safe……”

Ignoring her, Noa gleefully took the dress to the register.

“Dress, free food, fancy buffet~♪”

The cashier smiled and rang it up for the cheerful Noa.

“That’ll be 360,000 yen.”

“Wha───────────!? T-t-that’s too expensive───────────!”

“Eh!?”

Kaori rushed to the register in a panic.

Sure enough, the display showed 360,000 yen—an outrageous price for a teen shop.

“W-what!? How could this……”

“Compared to the other clothes, this one’s on a whole different level!?”

The female clerk smiled gracefully.

“Hehe, you have excellent taste, dear customer. To pick this out of everything…… This dress alone is a premium luxury item.”

“What!? A hidden item like that!? As expected of the super-rich Kaori-san, even her fashion sense is top-tier!”

“Th-that wasn’t my intention……! And why would a teen shop have something so expensive!?”

Noa trembled, her face pale.

“C-could it be…… this is a legendary dress that only maidens with true heart (and wealth) are allowed to wear!?”

“Uh? N-no, it’s just made of really high-quality materials……”

Unhearing the clerk’s bewildered response, Noa drooped sadly.

“Ugh, there’s no way I can buy this…… Even though I thought it was so nice……”

Kaori’s heart ached seeing her like that.

“Noa-san…… Oh, I’ve got it! How about this?”

“Huh?”

“We’ll say, ‘I bought it because I wanted it, but it’s too small for me, so I’m giving it to Noa-san.’ That way it won’t break any rules, right?”

“Wha?”

“So, clerk, please ring it up!”

Kaori reached into her bag—and with a thud!—placed a stack of cash on the counter.

“A-a-a-a stack of cash─────────────!?”

“K-K-Kaori-san─────────────!! You’re pulling out stacks of cash again────────────!!”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to……”

“Is that stack of cash really always in there-maru!?”

“Well…… maybe the maid mixed it up with the remote again?”

“Who even puts a remote in their bag in the first place!?”

“Th-th-th-thank you for your purchase……!”

The clerk, flustered by the sudden cash stack, completed the transaction and bowed deeply as she saw the trio off.

“Phew, that was a quirky shop, but we got a cute dress. Here you go, Noa-san.”

Receiving the bag with the dress, Noa burst into tears.

“Waaah, thank you so much, Kaori-san! Now I can go to the party with my head held high! I’ll follow you forever~! Oh, I’ll lick your shoes, lick lick!”

“N-Noa-san, please stand up~!”

“Ufufufu, watching cute girls shopping warms my heart-maru~. But if you keep relying on Kaori, one day you’ll break the Magical Girl Code and get sentenced to a month of sun-drying followed by being torn apart a thousand times vertically like shredded squid-maru. Be careful-maru!”

“Ugh, life’s tough……”

“Y-yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…… I’ll be more careful too.”

“Good to know-maru. Geez, you magical girls sure are a handful-maru~”

“……Wait, isn’t half the reason Noa can’t escape poverty because of Sumimaru!?”

“Anyway, now that we’ve got the dress, let’s hit the game center-maru~☆ I’m gonna grab prize after prize after prize—with Noa’s money-maru☆”

“Don’t waste my money as soon as you say it────────────!”

“Ah, w-wait, hold on~!”

The trio headed to the game center floor.

“Th-this whole floor is a game center-maru!?”

The moment they stepped off the escalator, Sumimaru gasped.

The entire area was filled with crane games, arcade machines, medal games, and shooters as far as the eye could see.

“Wow, amazing!”

“I’ve come here with Kaede-san and the others before—it’s such an exciting place.”

“This is a crane game-maru! Lily-chan’s figure is here somewhere-maru, right!? Let’s see…… Oh, there it is-maru, Lily-chan’s figure-maru~~~~ ! Noa, give me your money-maru!”

“Wha─────!? Give me back my wallet───────!”

Sumimaru snatched Noa’s wallet and fed money into the crane game, moving the claw.

However……

“I-I can’t grab it-maru! The prize won’t budge at all-maru~!?”

“Guess it’s tougher than it looks……”

“Heh heh, are those ten arms just for show? Switch with Noa! I’ll snag this thing in a snap!”

Noa boldly inserted her money.

But the result was the same.

“Nuaaaah!? The arm doesn’t even graze it—it’s a scam!”

“Pfft, you’re worse than me-maru~”

“Grr, if I back down here, it’ll tarnish the name of magical girls…… I’ll put in more money!”

“N-Noa-san, calm down! Isn’t that your precious money……!?”

“Nuooooh~~~~~ Don’t underestimate a magical girl!~~~~~”

“Give me some money too-maru! Uooooh~~~~~ I won’t retreat until I get Lily-chan-maru~~~~~ !”

Kaori desperately tried to stop Noa and Sumimaru, who were now fully fired up.

♤♤♤

“Ugh, I got carried away and spent too much…… It’s bean sprouts for a while now……”

“C-come on, cheer up, Noa-san.”

After exhausting themselves at the game center, Kaori and the others left the department store and walked through the town.

The afternoon streets were bustling with families, couples, and students.

Noa was dejected, and Sumimaru hung its head just as sadly.

“In the end, we didn’t get Lily-chan’s figure-maru…… Without money, I can’t even get my top fave’s merch…… The importance of money really sinks in-maru……”

“Y-Yes, you’re right. Maybe it’s important to pause and think things over carefully before spending money……”

“When we get money, we rejoice; when we lose it, we cry…… No one can escape their bond with money…… We’re all slaves to it……”

“Awa-wa-wa, Noa-san’s reached some weird enlightenment……!”

As they continued their conversation while walking,

“Oh, isn’t that Houjou?”

“Huh?”

They turned toward the carefree voice.

Standing there was a woman with a somewhat languid air about her.

“S-Sawada-sensei!”

It was Sawada, a teacher from Ousei Academy.

She was Yuuya’s homeroom teacher, a wild character who had once proposed to him.

Her clothes were disheveled, but she had a well-proportioned figure, and her face was as striking as a celebrity’s.

Sawada waved lazily.

“What’s this? Rare to run into you here. Hm? And that one’s……?”

“Oh, this is Noa-san. She’s a friend of my little sister, but she just transferred to Ousei Academy’s middle school as an exchange student, so I’ve been showing her around town from time to time.”

At Kaori’s introduction, Noa snapped a sharp salute.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Noa! My dream is to become a multimillionaire, and my favorite phrase is ‘killing two birds with one stone!’ Pleased to meet you!”

“Oh, looks like we’ll get along. Having big dreams is a good thing—I’m rooting for you! And when you strike it rich, take care of your poor teacher, ’kay?”

“Leave it to me!”

“They hit it off in no time……”

While Kaori stood dumbfounded, Sumimaru, disguised as a keychain, stretched its metaphorical nose in delight.

“This teacher’s got a super nice bod and is totally sexy-maru~ Hehe!”

“Hm? What’s that keychain? It talks?”

“Uh, um, it’s a cutting-edge keychain with built-in AI!”

“Whoa, modern tech’s wild.”

Sawada looked between Kaori and the others with amusement.

“So, you two out shopping today?”

“Yes. And you, Sawada-sensei……?”

“I came to withdraw some cash from that bank over there. It’s finally payday, y’know? No more drinking with just salt as a snack for a while.”

“Wow, amazing! An adult living on the edge in so many ways……”

“Um, please take care of yourself……”

Sawada was a good teacher, but her personal life was a bit of a mess, often leaving her students worried.

Puffing out her chest, Sawada pulled a pouch from her bag.

“Fufufu, meeting here must be fate. Since it’s payday, I’ll treat you kids to lunch as a special bonus!”

“Huh? Really, is that okay?”

“Free lunch too!? Woo-hoo! The crane games took all my money and I was down, but good things are happening!”

Noa bounced up and down excitedly.

“Alright, I’ll just pop into the bank to withdraw some cash and—huh?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-that’s weird, maybe it’s in here? Or here…… No way, it can’t be—”

Sawada rummaged through her pouch and checked her pockets repeatedly before turning pale and shouting.

“M-M-My bankbook’s gone!”

“Eeeeeeeh!?”

“I-I’m sure I put it in this pouch……!”

“Th-th-this is a crisis! I can’t let this free meal slip away—I’ll help look for it!”

“It might still be around if we search. Could you tell us the route you took to get here?”

“Ugh, sorry about this…… Uh, I think—maybe this way?”

Sawada pointed to a dim alley between two buildings.

“W-Why would you take a back alley like that……!?”

“Haha, I’d been drinking pretty hard since morning, so I don’t really remember.”

“Is this teacher okay-maru!?”

Following Sawada’s hazy memory, Kaori and the others ventured into the narrow alley.

“Ugh, it’s so dark……”

“Whoa, there’s a rat-maru! Did she really come through here-maru!?”

They peered into the shadows as they walked.

“No sign of it……”

“Hmm…… Oh! How about asking that fortune-teller over there?”

Sure enough, as Sawada suggested, there was a sign by the roadside that read ‘Fortune Telling.’

Sawada called out to a petite woman who seemed to be the fortune-teller.

“Sorry to bother you, but have you seen a bankbook lying around here?”

“Huh? No, I haven’t……”

“Hm, got it. Thanks anyway!”

As the group turned to leave, the fortune-teller suddenly raised her voice in a panic.

“W-Wait a second! You’re all about to get caught up in some serious trouble!”

“What!? T-Trouble, you say……?”

Startled, Kaori listened as the fortune-teller gave a earnest warning.

“I’ve never seen such a terrifying omen before! Something unbelievable is going to happen soon…… Please be careful……!”

“Y-Yes, thank you……”

As they walked away after thanking her, Sumimaru trembled.

“That fortune-teller was super serious-maru……! It didn’t sound like a joke-maru……!”

“W-What could possibly happen……?”

“No way, could it mean missing out on free food……!?”

As Kaori and the others fretted, Sawada laughed casually.

“Well, no point worrying about it, right? What happens, happens.”

“S-Sawada-sensei, you’re not concerned?”

“Heh, I’m the type who doesn’t believe in bad fortunes.”

“Sawada-sensei, you’re so cool!”

Eventually, the trio and one creature reached a fork in the road.

Several paths branched off.

“Sawada-sensei, do you remember which way you came from?”

“Hmm, maybe this way…… Or wait, this one? I feel like a drink might jog my memory.”

“This is getting nowhere—we’ll split up and search!”

“Yes! I’ll check the right path!”

“I’ll stick with Kaori-maru! Gotta be her guardian fairy-maru~!”

“Alright, I’ll take a look this way then.”

“Then Noa will head left!”

The group split up to search for the bankbook.

Noa scanned the ground with intense focus.

“Gotta find that bankbook quick and get that free lunch!”

Passing by what looked like an abandoned building—

“Oh, there it is!”

She pounced on a bankbook lying behind some debris.

“Yahoo! Lunch secured! Time to regroup—huh? Someone’s here……!?”

Sensing a presence from inside the abandoned building, Noa instinctively hid.

Peeking in, she saw over ten men talking.

“Hey, shouldn’t we just call it off……?”

“What, getting cold feet now? Don’t you want the money?”

“W-Well, yeah, but……”

“Then we’ve got no choice but to do it. Money makes everything possible.”

“……Yeah, you’re right…… For a big score, I’ll do anything.”

Overhearing the men, Noa nodded deeply in agreement.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Noa’s always broke too—I’d do anything for more cash!”

“Noa-saaan!”

At that moment, Kaori and Sawada came running over.

“Oh, Kaori-san, Sawada-sensei!”

“It wasn’t over there.”

“Didn’t find it on my end either.”

“Heh heh heh…… Looks like the goddess of fate chose Noa, huh?”

With a flourish, Noa triumphantly held up the bankbook.

“Ta-da! The bankbook!”

“Oh!”

“You found it!”

“Thanks, you saved me!”

“Hehe, for free lunch, no problem at all!”

Sawada ruffled Noa’s hair, and she grinned happily.

The three then returned to the front of the bank.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back!”

“Okay~♪”

Sawada headed into the bank in high spirits.

Watching her go, Noa tilted her head.

“By the way, Kaori-san, what’s a ‘bank’?”

“A bank is a place where you can deposit or withdraw money.”

“I see-maru, like the Magical Currency Bureau in Prism Wonderland-maru!”

At Kaori’s explanation, Noa’s eyes gleamed.

“So—it’s where all the money in this world gathers!? Whoa, now I’m super interested────!”

“Ah, Noa-san, wait!”

Before she could be stopped, Noa dashed into the bank.

Kaori hurriedly followed.

“N-Noa-san, I’m sure you know this, but you can’t just use the money however you want────!”

“Huh!? Wait, both of you! There’s a crazy vibe coming from inside────!”

Sumimaru shouted, but its warning didn’t reach them.

And what the two saw upon entering the bank was—

“Hand over the money!”

A masked man pointing a gun at the counter.

“A-a-a-a robbery────────!”

Kaori couldn’t help but scream.

Looking closer, there were about ten other accomplices inside, some holding customers hostage, while the staff raised their hands, pale and helpless.

The bank was filled with others too—a mother with a child, an elderly person, a young couple—all cowering on the floor in fear.

“Awa-wa-wa, what do we do!? This is bad…… Wait, where’s Sawada-sensei……!?”

Beside the panicking Kaori, Noa let out an excited yelp.

“Oh! Those guys are the broke buddies I saw at the abandoned building! But withdrawing money like that—this world’s banks are so intense~!”

“No, they’re robbers! Bad people stealing money!”

“Wha!? They’re that evil!?”

“Hey, you two brats over there, shut up! Barging in here and yapping—what’s your deal!?”

The apparent leader of the robbers roared at them.

“G-Get down for now……!”

“Pweh!”

Kaori quickly pulled Noa to the floor.

“What do we do!? I never imagined this would happen…… Is Sawada-sensei okay……!?”

“Damn robbers, trying to get rich the sneaky way—I won’t forgive them!”

As they whispered to each other, Sumimaru, disguised as a keychain, let out a tense cry.

“Both of you, be careful-maru! I sense an incredible Debipachi right nearby-maru!”

“What!? Does that mean……!?”

“……Hm!? That’s……!”

Noa pointed at the back of the leader-like man.

Kaori’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s a Debipachi!”

A black octopus was clinging to the man’s back.

“That’s the source of the presence-maru!”

“It’s like the parasitic Debipachi from the maid café! Does that mean this robbery was caused by the Debipachi?”

Sumimaru shook its head at Kaori’s words.

“No, that one’s completely different from the usual parasitic Debipachi-maru…… Just being possessed by a Debipachi wouldn’t let someone gather accomplices or prepare guns—such meticulous planning shouldn’t be possible-maru!”

“So it’s an unidentified type of Debipachi! Even so, if we leave it alone, the robbers’ greed will be amplified by the Debipachi, and the situation will only get worse!”

“Yes, we need to peel that Debipachi off first……!”

At that moment, the leader-like man pointed his gun at a nearby woman.

“Hurry up and hand over the money! If you don’t follow our demands, I’ll start killing them one by one!”

“Wha……!”

“S-Sawada-sensei!?”

The hostage taken by the leader was none other than Sawada, whom they’d parted from just moments ago.

“This is bad, Sawada-sensei’s in trouble……!”

“We have to save her! Let’s transform, Noa-san!”

“Yeah!”

The two raised their wands.

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

Their voices rang out in unison, and the lobby was enveloped in blinding light.

“W-What!?”

“So bright……!”

The robbers and customers instinctively shut their eyes at the rainbow-colored brilliance—and in the next moment, two magical girls materialized.

“Magical Girl PapiPuri, at your service!”

“Your luck ran out the moment we found you! We won’t forgive your evil deeds!”

“W-What the heck are these things!?”

Confusion rippled through the robbers.

However, even as villains, they seemed to hesitate at the idea of actually killing someone and didn’t fire their guns.

Meanwhile, the customers and staff stared wide-eyed.

“I saw them on the news the other day!”

“Save us, PapiPuri!”

Kaori squared off against the leader.

“Resistance is futile! Now, release the hos—”

Before Kaori could finish, Noa leapt forward.

“Uooooh! You filthy crooks trying to get rich through dirty tricks, I’ll punish you—huh!? W-Wait, that’s……!?”

“Noa-san!?”

Noa’s gaze was drawn to a massive pile of cash the employees had been preparing.

“Owa~~~ ! It’s a mountain of bills~~~ !—Pya!?”

“Kyaa!?”

Thud──────!

Her feet tangled as she lunged toward the money, and in a panic, she grabbed Kaori’s arm, causing both of them to crash spectacularly.

“O-Ow…… A-Are you okay, Noa-san!?”

“Pwee, I smashed my nose hard~~~ ……”

Taking advantage of the opening, the leader barked an order.

“Grab them!”

“R-Right!”

Snapping out of their daze, the robbers quickly restrained the two.

“Owaa—stop it!”

“Kuh, it’s tight……!”

The robbers looked down at Kaori and Noa, now bound together with rope.

“Geez, what a bunch of idiots.”

“But seriously, what are these girls? Popping up out of nowhere……”

“Could they be those magical girls everyone’s talking about?”

“Whatever, lock them up in the back room.”

Still tied back-to-back, the two were tossed into a rear room.

“Kyaa!?”

“Ow! Hey—treat ladies with more care!”

“Shut up! Stay put in here!”

The door slammed shut roughly.

“Ughh! What a bunch of barbarians!?”

Noa shouted defiantly but soon drooped dejectedly.

“Uurgh, I messed up…… I’m sorry, Kaori-san……”

“No, I’m just glad we didn’t get seriously hurt.”

“Still, that Debipachi teaming up with humans……! I’ve never seen one like that before!”

“Anyway, we have to find a way out of here—everyone’s in danger……!”

“Leave it to me! I’ll get us out of this rope in no time! Gunununu~~~ !”

Noa wriggled and squirmed, trying to slip free.

But since they were tied with the same rope, Kaori ended up getting squeezed tighter.

“Ah, Noa-san, don’t move…… the rope’s digging in…… Nn!”

“I feel like I’m almost out~~~ ! Mmmmmm~~~ !”

“Hya, ahh, no, it’s too tight……!”

“Ufufufu, nice-maru~! The way the rope digs in is just perfect-maru! These robbers sure know their stuff-maru~!”

“S-Sumimaru-san!?”

Before they knew it, Sumimaru had shifted into its fairy form and was flitting around gleefully.

“Ah, Sumimaru! Where were you while we were in danger!?”

“Geez, getting caught because you got distracted by money—what a klutz-maru. Just in case something like this happened, I stayed stuck to Kaori’s skirt as a keychain-maru~~~ . Now’s my time to shine-maru!”

“Amazing, Sumimaru-san!”

“Hehehe, you can praise me more-maru~! A kiss on the cheek wouldn’t hurt either-maru~~ !”

“Just hurry up and untie the ropes already!”

“Got it-maru! This rope’s nothing—I’ll undo it in a snap-maru! Hnngh~~~ !”

Sumimaru struggled with the knot binding the two.

But the knot was too tight to budge, and Sumimaru’s eyes welled up.

“Uugh, it’s too tough-maru~! My delicate little tentacles can’t handle it-maru~!”

“You’re completely useless! What’s with the ‘maru’—stop acting cute, or I’ll turn you into grilled squid!”

“Rude-maru! I’m not just some squid—I’m the Versatile High-Mobility Support Guardian Fairy Octo-Type Model Zero-One…… Wait! I’ve got my ultimate weapon for emergencies-maru! Nuuuuu~!”

Sumimaru began charging up as if it had remembered something.

“Sumimaru-san, what are you……?”

The moment Kaori asked, slime erupted from Sumimaru’s body.

“Behold, ‘Slippery Slime-kun’-maru~~~~ ! Splooosh!”

“Kyaaaaaaa!?”

“Ubububububu!?”

A flood of slime drenched Kaori and Noa.

“W-What are you doing, Sumimaru────!? Covering innocent maidens in slime is a crime worthy of death!”

“What are you talking about-maru!? My ultimate weapon ‘Slippery Slime-kun’ is clear ink-maru—not anything naughty-maru! If it looks naughty, it’s because your mind’s dirty-maru!”

“What are you going on about, you perverted squid!?”

“Ugh, I’m all slippery……”

Kaori twisted to wipe her face—and her hand slipped free of the rope.

“Oh!? My arm’s out!”

“We can escape like this!”

“Yes-maru, success-maru~~~~ ! Hehe, the slime-release function I was equipped with for emergencies came in handy-maru!”

“E-Emergencies like what……!?”

“Seriously, what’s this function even for!?”

“Obviously to save beautiful girls captured by villains-maru! Ahem!”

“Being saved by such a disgustingly perfect ultimate weapon ticks me off……! But since I’m a beautiful girl, I’ll graciously accept it!”

“Oh, Noa’s just a bonus-maru.”

“HAAAH~~~~!? Become grilled squid already~~~~ !”

“Th-This isn’t the time for infighting……! We need to deal with that Debipachi quickly……!”

Using the slime’s slickness, the two slipped out of the ropes.

“W-We’re free! That’s incredible, Sumimaru-san!”

“Hehehe, I’m one heck of an octo-fairy-maru~!”

“Ugh, still so slimy…… But we’re free now!”

Shaking off the slime, Noa’s eyes blazed with determination.

“Those crooks trying to hog everyone’s money—I won’t forgive them! Time to punish them!”

As Noa moved to charge out of the room, Kaori hurriedly stopped her.

“Wait, Noa-san! There’s probably a guard outside!”

“Those guys? We can take ’em out with one punch! As long as we don’t get ambushed, we’ve got nothing to fear!”

“But some of them have guns—shouldn’t we come up with a plan first—”

“It’s fine! Those guns are just for show—they won’t shoot! In times like this, momentum’s the key! First, I’ll do this…… Uoryaaaaaa~~~ ! ‘Thou, within—’!”

Noa began infusing the slime on her hands with magic.

At that moment, the door opened, and two guards appeared.

“Quiet down! What are you doing!?”

Without missing a beat, Noa hurled the slime at them.

“Take this— ‘Magical Slime’ !”

“Huh!? What the—!?”

“Gah, it’s slippery—Gyah!?”

The rainbow-glowing slime coated the guards’ faces.

It tangled around their feet too, causing them to slip, crash, hit their heads, and pass out.

“A-Amazing, Noa-san!”

“Wahaha! How’s that—redeemed myself!”

“You’re on fire-maru! Let’s take down the robbers next-maru!”

“Yes!”

Kaori and the others burst out of the room and stormed into the lobby.

Sawada, noticing them first, cried out in shock.

“M-Magical girls!”

The robbers’ eyes widened too.

“What!? How’d you get out!?”

“What are the guards doing!?”

Kaori glared at the flustered robbers.

“The guards are taking a little nap!”

“W-What!?”

“Heh, those guys were child’s play! Now, you lot better surrender quietly—”

Before Noa could finish, her eyes were drawn to the center of the lobby.

There sat three massive bags, overflowing with tightly packed 10,000-yen bills.

“Owa──────!? So much money────────! If there’s that much, share a little with Noa─────!”

“Noa-san, calm down!”

“Huh!? I lost myself for a moment—money really drives people crazy……! Phew, let’s reset…… Now, hand over that money to us quietly!”

“Noa-san, that’s still not right!?”

The leader twisted his face in irritation.

“Blabbering nonsense……! Looks like you really want to get hurt! Get them, you lot!”

” ‘‘‘Uoooooooh!’’’ ”

At the leader’s furious command, the henchmen near the two leapt at them all at once.

But before they could, Noa had already started channeling magic into every object she could grab.

“It’s a big clearance sale! I’ll turn everything into magic tools! Uoraaaaaah~~~~ !”

With a battle cry, she launched her counterattack.

“Take this, ‘Magical Pamphlet’ !”

“Uwaaaaaah!?”

“What the—pamphlets are sticking to us……!?”

“Guh—this one’s a mortgage, that’s a loan offer, car loan, fixed deposit, education insurance……! Gwaaaaaah!?”

Rainbow-glowing pamphlets covered the henchmen’s faces.

Then Kaori joined in, wielding the rope that had bound them.

“Naughty kids get punished! ‘Magical Whip’ ! Ei-ei-ei—!”

Whack-whack-whack-WHACK!

She lashed out wildly at the henchmen with the magically enhanced rope.

“Ugyaaaaah!?”

“W-What is this attack────!?”

Unable to withstand it, the henchmen dropped their hostages and scattered in a panic.

Noa’s magic tools rained down on them.

“You won’t escape! Take this—‘Magical Ballpoint Pen’ ! ‘Magical Potted Plant’ ! ‘Magical Application Form’ ────!”

“Amazing, a barrage of magic tools!?”

“Gyaaaaaaaah!?”

“W-What are these girls──────────────!?”

Kaori tied up the fallen robbers with the Magical Whip.

“Gueh!?”

“Done! They won’t cause any more trouble now!”

“Hehe, in our hands, it’s as easy as this!”

The bound henchmen slumped, unconscious.

Kaori gently spoke to the dazed Sawada.

“Sawada-sensei, are you hurt?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Thanks. You’re really strong, huh, Magical Girl PapiPuri.”

“Not at all, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Cheers erupted from the employees and customers who’d watched the whole scene.

“Amazing, PapiPuri!”

“Beating robbers like that! Just as the rumors say—cute and strong!”

“Thank you, PapiPuri!”

Amid the thunderous applause, Noa puffed out her chest triumphantly.

“Heh! In our hands, it’s as simple as this!”

“Wow-maru, wrapped up so easily-maru! Piece of cake-maru~!”

“……Huh? Wait, wasn’t there one more……?”

As Kaori started looking for the leader, Sawada raised her voice.

“Hey, that guy—he’s acting weird……!”

“!?”

They turned toward the center of the lobby.

The robber leader sat on a bag stuffed with cash, smirking wickedly.

“Kuh, kukuku…… Hahaha……!”

“What!? Your henchmen are all down—what are you doing……!?”

“N-No way, is he planning something……!?”

Kaori and Noa recoiled from the eerie aura emanating from the man.

“Heh, haha, hahahaha! Don’t think you’ve beaten me with this……!”

The man stood, still laughing.

Suddenly, a massive swarm of 10,000-yen bills burst upward from the bag.

“Huh!? T-The money’s floating……!”

“I-I’ve never seen anything like this……!”

“What kind of power is this-maru!?”

Before the stunned Kaori and company, the bills swirled around the man like a shield.

Spreading his arms wide, he rasped loudly.

“You lot────!”

“What!? What’s he starting-maru……!?”

The man bellowed like a madman.

“Money! This world is all about money! Money, money—you want it, don’t you? You’re dying for it! Look—here’s what you’ve all been craving!”

“Huh? W-What is he……—”

Kaori and the others faltered, confused.

—Then, a hoarse voice came from behind them.

“M-Money……”

“!?”

They whipped around.

Sawada stared at the floating bills with hollow eyes.

The other people did the same, fixated on the money.

“Money…… Money……!”

“Money…… So much money……”

“Give it…… Give me that money……”

“What!? S-Something’s wrong-maru!”

“Sawada-sensei, everyone!? What’s happening to you!?”

Kaori called out, but the people, their eyes clouded with greed, reached for the hovering bills.

“Money, money……!”

“If I just had money……!”

As the hollow chorus swelled, Noa’s face twitched.

“That guy…… Is he inciting everyone……!?”

“I’ve never seen a Debipachi with this kind of power-maru……!”

“Hahaha! That’s right—desire is a mighty force, and everyone has it! More, crave it more! Don’t hide it—lust for it, yearn for it with all your ugliness!”

The moment the man cackled, the 10,000-yen bills rushed toward the people like butterflies.

“Uoooooh, money─────!”

“I did it, I did it……!”

Everyone frantically reached for the bills.

Sawada’s fingers brushed a bill—and a black aura began seeping from her body.

“W-What……!?”

“W-What is that……!?”

While Kaori and the others gaped, the people’s demands intensified.

“Hand it over, give me the money────!”

“It’s not enough—more, give me more!”

From those who grabbed the bills, a sinister aura erupted.

The endless torrent of it flowed toward the robber.

“Hahaha, yes! The more you crave, the stronger I become!”

The Debipachi on the man’s back began absorbing the swirling aura.

“That guy…… He’s forcibly amplifying their desires and feeding off it-maru!?”

“What!? H-He can do that!?”

“I don’t know-maru! I’ve never heard of a Debipachi like this-maru……! But it’s the only explanation-maru……!”

As Kaori and the others trembled in shock—

“More, give me more money────…… Huh? W-Wait, what am I doing……?”

Suddenly, the hostages whose desires had been drained snapped out of it.

“What were we……?”

“Huh…… It’s like I was dreaming……”

Sawada, too, blinked and looked around dazedly.

“E-Everyone’s back to normal……!”

“But this is bad—he’s sucked up all that black aura……!”

The Debipachi absorbed the swollen black cloud entirely—and abruptly, the robber groaned.

“Guh, ah……! T-This power—it’s overwhelming, my body’s breaking……! With this strength…… Guh, ha…… Hahahaha!”

Clutching his chest in agony, he collapsed face-down.

“Ah!? T-The robber’s down!”

“What’s happening……!?”

And then—

With a crackling tear, the Debipachi ripped itself off the man’s back and stood.

“W-What……!”

“Gigi, gi……”

Fully detached from the man, the Debipachi began to grow, reshaping itself.

It soon evolved into a black humanoid monster.

“Gugigi, gugi……”

It was a grotesque blend of octopus and human.

Nearly two meters tall, its black, slimy surface glistened unnaturally.

Where a face should be, there were only blazing red eyes and a jagged, slit-like mouth.

It stood on two legs like a human, but its arms branched into tentacle-like appendages.

Kaori staggered back from the pitch-black monstrosity.

“No way…… It evolved into a humanoid form……!?”

“This thing drew out people’s desires, absorbed the powerful negative aura, and evolved-maru……!”

“I’ve never seen a Debipachi like this!”

The slit on its face—its mouth—opened, spilling a raspy voice.

“Gigi, gi…… You bastards, how dare you interfere……!”

“What!? The Debipachi’s talking-maru!”

“Did evolving give it intelligence too!?”

Ignoring their shock, the Debipachi’s gaze shifted to a fallen gun.

“! Everyone, get out of here!”

Before Kaori could finish shouting—

The Debipachi snatched up the gun and began firing wildly without hesitation.

“Don’t get in MY WAY────!”

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

“Kyaaaaaaa!?”

Gunshots and screams echoed.

Kaori instinctively grabbed a fallen pamphlet.

” ‘Pamphlet Shield’ !”

Clang-clang-clang!

She turned the magically enhanced mortgage pamphlet into a wall, deflecting the bullets just in time.

“Get to safety, quick!”

“G-Got it!”

Sawada ushered the nearby people into hiding.

Kaori ushered the surrounding people to safety while shielding them, then slid behind a desk herself.

The pamphlet barrier shattered under the relentless gunfire, and Noa and Sumimaru ducked low as they scrambled to join her.

“That thing’s totally insane—it’s way too dangerous……!”

“Unlike the robbers, it’s got no hesitation at all-maru!”

“And it’s on a completely different level from any Debipachi we’ve faced before! What is this thing……!?”

“It absorbed too much negative aura-maru! That thing’s pure malice incarnate now-maru!”

“Gyahahaha! Yes, cry, cower, kneel! No one can match me after absorbing all that desire!”

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!

“Iyaaaaaah!”

“I’m scared!”

“Help……!”

Screams rose with every gunshot, as fear and chaos swirled through the room.

With each wave of terror, the Debipachi’s body swelled further.

Sumimaru let out a shriek.

“Ahh, it’s absorbing everyone’s fear now and getting even stronger-maru! This is bad-maru! Kaori, Noa, we’ve got to fight-maru!”

“Yes! Noa-san, the magic tools!”

Magic tools were their only hope against the Debipachi.

But Noa stayed curled up, shaking her head frantically.

“No way, nobody told me there’d be a demonic Debipachi like that! There’s no way we can beat it! We’re all gonna die here—I just wanna go home, waaaaaaah!”

“Noa-san……!”

“Gyahahahaha! Yes, the power’s overflowing! But desire’s still the best—human desire’s the tastiest…… Once I’ve squeezed every last drop of fear out of you, I’ll use all this money to suck up every bit of desire from everyone in this city!”

The Debipachi extended its tentacles, grabbing every gun in sight and opening fire.

Screams erupted as countless bullets gouged scars into the walls.

Amid the chaos, Kaori grabbed Noa by the shoulders.

“Get a hold of yourself, Noa-san! If we don’t step up, who will!?”

“K-Kaori-san……”

She looked straight into Noa’s tear-streaked eyes.

“I’m scared too. But right now, we’re the only ones who can fight…… We have to do this!”

In Kaori’s mind flashed the memory of Yuuya, who had once saved her.

Back then—when Kaori had been cornered by strange men and felt helpless—Yuuya had risked his own safety to rescue her without a second thought.

That memory was what drove Kaori now.

“We’ve overcome so much together already! I know you can do this, Noa-san! Let’s take that thing down—together!”

Gunshots echoed through the lobby, bills fluttering into the air.

At the center, the Debipachi let out a triumphant cackle.

“That’s right—money! With this money, I can draw out human desire endlessly! It’s all mine—ALL MINE! Gyahahahaha!”

Reloading ceaselessly with its countless tentacles, the Debipachi continued its rampage of destruction.

“N-No good-maru! We’re all gonna get turned into swiss cheese-maru~~~~ !”

“U-Ugh……!”

As Noa teared up, Kaori pleaded with her desperately.

“Noa-san! Didn’t you say you’d make it big someday and get rich!? You told me about your dreams—to eat tons of delicious food, sleep in a fluffy bed, hire those mean magical girl seniors as maids and work them to the bone, keep a snobby boss in a piranha tank and watch with a glass of wine in hand! You can’t give up until you make those dreams come true!”

“……!”

—In that instant.

A tiny spark ignited in Noa’s eyes.

“That’s right…… I can’t die here, giving up on my dreams…… To make them come true, I absolutely won’t forgive that Debipachi……!”

“Noa-san—!”

“I can’t stand a monster that doesn’t even understand the true value of money using it like this…… If it’s gonna be wasted on a villain, I’ll take it all for myself!”

“Th-That’s your angle!?”

“Counterattack time~~~~~ !”

Fully regaining her spirit, Noa roared, and Kaori hurriedly scanned their surroundings.

“But there’s nothing around we can use as a weapon……!”

“No, Kaori-san. We’ve got plenty of weapons…… right here!”

Noa grabbed a handful of fallen 10,000-yen bills.

“N-No way……!?”

“That’s right—money is power! Haaaaaa~~~~ !”

Kwiiiiiiinii!

The stack of bills glowed with a seven-colored light.

Noa held out the dazzling bills to Kaori.

“Kaori-san, let’s fight with these! Money can do anything…… We’ll show it the real power of cash!”

“G-Got it!”

Clutching the glowing bills, Kaori nodded to Noa.

Sumimaru perked up, listening to the gunfire.

“Both of you, jump out on my signal-maru! One, two—three!”

A brief pause between the shots.

At Sumimaru’s cue, the two sprang from behind the desk.

Kaori bolted toward the window, while Noa vaulted over the counter and vanished from sight.

“Fools, you think you can escape!? I’ll start with you—!”

The Debipachi took aim at Kaori.

But before it could fire, Kaori flung the 10,000-yen bills like shurikens.

“Haaaaaa~~~~ ! ‘Cash Shuriken’ !”

Shwip-shwip-shwip-shwip-shwip!

The glowing bills streaked toward the Debipachi like a swarm of throwing stars.

“Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

The razor-sharp bills sliced through its tentacles one by one.

“Amazing-maru, Kaori! So cool-maru!”

“G-Good kids shouldn’t try this at home────!”

But then—

The severed tentacles regenerated instantly, and the Debipachi’s blazing red eyes locked onto Kaori.

“Y-You little……! A brat like you dares to get cocky!?”

“I-It regenerated……!?”

“No good-maru! Even that attack can’t take it down-maru……!”

“Gugiiiiiiii!”

The Debipachi crouched to charge at Kaori, letting out a ferocious roar—

“Oryaaaaaaa! Don’t underestimate magical girls────────!”

“Wha—”

From the Debipachi’s blind spot, Noa leapt out.

She brandished a stack of glowing bills in her hand.

“Take this— ‘Magical Cash Slap’ ────────!”

SMACK────────────────!

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

Struck across the cheek with the shining bills, the Debipachi was sent flying spectacularly.

“See the strength of a magical girl! Now, surrender!”

“Gah, n-not yet……!”

As the Debipachi struggled to rise, Noa straddled it.

“Giving up already!? Take this!”

She proceeded to unleash a flurry of back-and-forth slaps with the bills.

“Money is power! Money is power────! Haha, how’s that!? This is the power of money! The triumph of capital! Money solves everything────!”

Slap-slap-slap-slap-slap-slap-slap!

“Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

“N-Noa-saaaan!?”

“Whoa, the Debipachi’s cheeks are swelling up-maru……”

It was a ferocious onslaught that left Kaori and Sumimaru stunned—hard to believe Noa had been trembling in fear just moments ago.

Helpless against the storm of cash slaps, the Debipachi groaned.

“W-Why is a mere girl so strong……!? No one should be able to match me after evolving through absorbed desire—!”

But Noa didn’t let up, delivering relentless, powerful slaps.

“Hahahaha, see this power!? All the money in the world is mine—ahahahahahaha!”

“Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

“Noa’s acting totally off-maru!”

“Awa-wa-wa, what’s gotten into you, Noa-san……!?”

“Gugi, gugigi……! I’m still invincible…… As long as human desire exists, I’m unbeatable────!”

The Debipachi reached out with its tentacles, trying to gather more bills—the source of desire.

“This thing won’t go down even after all that-maru……!”

“……”

Watching this, Kaori stood quietly.

“K-Kaori!? What’s wrong-maru!? It’s dangerous-maru!”

Ignoring Sumimaru’s warning, she approached the Debipachi.

Then, gently, she grasped one of its tentacles.

“Ah……?”

“Debipachi-san……”

Holding its tentacle, Kaori spoke to it kindly.

“Please stop. Right now, clinging to money like this, you look so miserable.”

“W-What……!?”

“It’s true—money can buy a lot of things. Like you said, desire is something everyone has…… and sometimes, it can be the driving force that moves people forward. But in this world, there’s something more important—something stronger than desire.”

“Stronger than desire……!? There’s no such—!”

As the Debipachi raised its voice, Kaori gave it a soft smile.

“It’s love.”

“—Shwaaaaaaa!”

Bathed in angelic compassion, a black mist began to seep out of the Debipachi.

Its form rapidly shrank, reverting to a rainbow-colored octopus.

“Gya! Gya gya gya~!”

“W-What? It’s purified…… How did that……?”

“N-No way, purified without even using a magic tool-maru……!? That’s incredible-maru, Kaori!”

“Huh!? Y-Yes! Um…… I’m not sure what happened, but I guess we resolved it? I did it, Noa-san—!”

“Shwaaaaaaa!”

Turning around, Kaori saw a black haze inexplicably rising from Noa’s back.

“N-Noa-saaan!? Why are you getting purified too────!?”

As the mist fully dissipated, light returned to Noa’s eyes.

“Huh!? W-What was I……?”

“I don’t know—it just suddenly purified……”

At that moment, Sumimaru, looking at Noa’s back, shouted.

“Ah! There’s a tiny Debipachi stuck to Noa’s back-maru!”

“What!?”

Sure enough, another creature was clinging to Noa’s back.

Sumimaru peeled off the rainbow-colored Debipachi.

“Gya gya!?”

“Phew, all good now-maru!”

“N-No way, there was another one……? So that’s why Noa-san was acting strange partway through—it must have latched on at some point!”

“Phew, that was a shock. I almost got taken over too.”

“Thank goodness Sumimaru-san noticed.”

“Hehe, this octo-fairy isn’t just for show-maru! Now, time to collect these Debipachis-maru—”

As Sumimaru reached to summon its octo-pot, Kaori extended a hand toward it.

“Hoe-maru?”

Kaori gently patted the surprised Sumimaru’s head.

Then, with her big eyes locked onto it, she gave a soft, radiant smile.

“Sumimaru-san, we won this battle thanks to you. I’ll be counting on you from now on too, okay?”

Being patted and basking in Kaori’s angelic smile up close, Sumimaru—

“Shwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Its body sparkled brilliantly as it began to fade.

“S-Sumimaru-saaaaan!?”

“What are you doing getting purified too────────!?”

“Hehe…… I have no regrets in this life-maru…… (sara sara sara)”

“The purification won’t stop! B-But it’s not even possessed by a Debipachi—why!?”

“Could it be that its very existence is a mass of desire, and it couldn’t handle Kaori-san’s pure, innocent aura!?”

“Hehehe…… Sorry-maru…… Kaori was just too precious…… My consciousness…… (suu—)”

“S-Sumimaru-san, don’t disappear!”

Kaori hurriedly tried to hold it back, but then she noticed their magical girl costumes starting to vanish.

“Wha!? Huh, w-w-w-what!? Our magical girl costumes are disappearing!? W-W-W-Why!?”

“Owa────!? Wait, could it be—because Sumimaru’s getting purified, its power is fading too!?”

“N-No way!?”

And finally, their skin was laid bare.

“Hyaaaaaaaah……!?”

“Owa───────! Don’t go, Sumimaru────! In that case—”

Noa grabbed the stack of bills in her hand and SMACK────────! slapped Sumimaru with it.

“Sumimaru! Pull yourself together~~~~ !”

“Bubeh!?”

Sumimaru yelped, and its fading form solidified again.

“Huh!? S-Sorry-maru~~~~ ! No regrets was a lie-maru—I still have so much left to do, like watching Kaori’s sleeping face or savoring her thighs—I can’t die yet-maru~~~ ! Ufufufufu!”

As Sumimaru snapped back to itself, their vanishing costumes reappeared.

Kaori and Noa sighed in relief.

“Phew, that was close……!”

“Seriously getting purified like that—you really are a lump of desire. I’m appalled.”

“Heh, how embarrassing-maru☆ But purifying a Debipachi with sheer preciousness, no magic tools needed…… Kaori, you’re incredible-maru!”

“Exactly! No magical girl in history has ever been that amazing!”

“N-No, back then I was just caught up in the moment……”

Kaori flailed her hands in a flustered panic.

Sumimaru summoned its octo-pot from midair.

“Alright, time to collect both of them-maru! Shiny Octo-Pot~~~~~~~ !”

“Gya gya gya~~~”

The Debipachis were sucked into the pot.

The objects and walls damaged by gunfire began to repair themselves.

Noticing the silence, Sawada, who had been shielding a frightened child, looked up.

“Hm…… Is it over……?”

That was the cue for the people who’d been hiding to cautiously rise.

“Oh! T-The monster’s gone……! Magical Girl PapiPuri beat it!”

“W-We’re really saved this time……!”

“And everything was so smashed up before, but now nothing’s broken……!? Is this the power of magical girls too!?”

A wave of applause erupted.

The employees joined in with cheers.

“Everyone, I’m so glad you’re all safe.”

Seeing this, Kaori sighed in relief—then suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, right! We used the money in a pretty extreme (physical) way……!”

Kaori hurriedly gathered all the bills stuck in the walls and floor, then handed them back to the counter.

“Awa-wa-wa, I’m so sorry for using the money like this—here it is back!”

“Haah, haah, j-just a little wouldn’t……”

“No way!”

Kaori frantically stopped Noa as she inched toward the pile of bills.

The employees expressed their gratitude to the pair.

“We’ve called the police, so they should arrive soon. Thank you so much.”

“No, no. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”

“Ugh, I wanted that mountain of bills~~~”

As Kaori held back Noa, who still seemed ready to grab the cash, Sawada approached.

“Hey, you really saved me back there, Magical Girl PapiPuri. Thanks.”

“Oh, Sawada-sensei—er, I mean, ahem. G-Glad you’re safe.”

“I’d read about you in the papers, but you live up to the hype! Impressive stuff.”

Sawada nodded in admiration, then leaned in with a curious look.

“……Hm? Wait, are you maybe……”

“!? N-N-N-No, I’m not Houjou Kaori, who’s always indebted to Ousei Academy!”

“Huh? What, you know Houjou?”

“Ah, n-no……!”

“Oh, my mistake then—I thought you looked similar. ……Come to think of it, I promised to treat Houjou and the others to lunch, but where’d they go? I don’t see them outside the bank either…… Well, if they’re not here, they must’ve escaped the incident safely. As expected of my Ousei Academy students—great crisis management!”

“Aha, y-yeah, totally……!”

“Anyway, I think I’ll grab a drink somewhere before heading home.”

Sawada muttered to herself as she turned to leave, but then glanced back at Kaori.

“Oh, right. I’ve got this student, Tenjou Yuuya.”

“Y-Yes!?”

Kaori’s voice cracked as her crush’s name came up unexpectedly, and Sawada narrowed her eyes with a faint smile.

“Watching you two stand up to those robbers reminded me of him for some reason. Guess there really are hero-types out there who’ll save anyone in trouble, huh.”

“Oh…… Thank you.”

Kaori pressed a hand to her warmed chest and smiled.

At that moment, the police arrived.

“Are you the magical girls who caught the robbers? We’d like to hear the details—mind coming with us?”

Sumimaru leapt up in a panic.

“T-T-T-Trouble-maru! This world’s police getting involved is a hassle-maru—we’ve gotta run-maru!”

“What!? W-Wait, please~~~ !”

“Running away that desperately—do you have something to hide or what?”

“N-N-N-N-No way there’s anything to hide-maru! It’s just—we can’t explain magical girl stuff if they question us-maru!”

“No, that level of desperation is totally what a shady suspect would say.”

“Anyway, we’ve gotta hurry-maru~~~~ !”

“Y-Yes!”

And so, Kaori and the others noisily bolted from the bank.

♤♤♤

“Fwaaa~ That was one heck of a fight~”

After escaping the bank—

Kaori and the others had undone their transformations and were walking through the twilight streets.

“It really was a wild day. But I’m glad we resolved it safely.”

“Phew, I’m beat-maru~ Gotta get home and watch some anime-maru~”

Noa puffed out her chest with a smug grin.

“Heh heh heh, Noa’s heading straight to that classmate’s home party!”

“Oh, right! Have tons of fun, okay?”

“Yes! Since I missed lunch, I’m gonna eat, eat, and eat some more! Time for this dress to shine……—D-D-D-D-D-D-DWHAT!?”

“Bieeeee!? Don’t just scream out of nowhere-maru!”

“W-What’s wrong, Noa-san!?”

Teary-eyed, Noa held up her soggy dress.

“T-T-T-The dress…… It’s all sticky from Sumimaru’s slime~~~~ !”

“What!? Oh, when we got out of the ropes, it got covered in slime……!”

“I can’t go to the party like this! My precious dress~~~ Waaaaaaah~~~~ !”

As Noa wailed, Sumimaru shrugged.

“Geez, don’t cry over that-maru—it’ll come out with a wash-maru~ Just use extra detergent and rinse it five times-maru.”

“That won’t get it clean in time for tonight’s party! Waaaaah, I was so close to that fancy free buffet! Pyaaaaah!”

“N-Noa-san, don’t cry…… Oh, how about this? Let’s have a home party at my place sometime soon!”

“Huh? Really!?”

“Yes. And when we do, please wear that dress, okay?”

At Kaori’s gentle words, Noa leapt up.

“Yay, awesome! Getting to visit Kaori-san’s mansion…… It’s my chance to learn the secrets of becoming a millionaire!”

“Kaori, don’t spoil Noa too much-maru—she’ll get clingy-maru! Plus, if Noa’s there, it’ll ruin my sweet alone time with you-maru~ !”

“Shut it! You’re the one who shouldn’t ruin me and Kaori-san’s party!”

“Hehe. When that happens, I’d love to cook for you all.”

“Kaori’s home cooking-maru!? Woo-hoo, can’t wait-maru! Let’s party-maru~ !”

“You can just eat some grilled squid, Sumimaru!”

Their lively voices echoed through the peaceful streets.

Kaori couldn’t help but smile.

“Hehe.”

“Kaori-san? What’s up?”

“Oh, no……”

Kaori snapped out of it and lowered her eyes.

“……Actually, before I met you and Sumimaru-san, I used to think my normal everyday life was a little boring.”

“Really? That’s kinda surprising.”

Kaori nodded with a smile at the surprised Noa.

“Yes. But meeting you two turned that life upside down. Every day’s been so exciting and nerve-wracking…… but more than that, I’m so happy to have the power to help people in need.”

Kaori smiled warmly at Noa and Sumimaru.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to be a magical girl. I’ve got a lot to learn, but please keep looking out for me.”

“N-No way……!”

Faced with that angelic smile, Noa teared up.

“We practically dragged you into this, and you’re thanking us……!? We’re the ones who should be grateful! Right, Sumimaru!”

Turning around, Noa saw Sumimaru fading again.

“Juwaaaaaa, Guba–guba–guba……!”

“Sumimaru-saaaaan!?”

“Owa─────!? This is beyond purification—it’s boiling! Come back────!”

Noa delivered a WHACK! slap.

The fading Sumimaru snapped back to reality.

“Huh!? Hehehe, sorry-maru. Kaori’s just too good and precious—I almost got purified again-maru~ Hehehehe.”

“Phew, glad you didn’t disappear……!”

“That wasn’t even purification level anymore, though!?”

“Heh, Kaori’s smile has some unreal destructive power-maru~. I’ve totally picked up a purification habit now-maru, hehehe.”

Sumimaru grinned dopily, lowering its eyes—

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

A high-pitched tone rang out as Sumimaru’s enpera began flashing blue.

“W-What’s that sound!?”

“No way, another Debipachi!?”

Sumimaru’s eyes widened in realization.

“No-maru! This presence—both of you, get down-maru!”

“Huh?”

The next moment—

Kwiiiiiiin────BOOOOOOOM!

A palm-sized light crashed down at blinding speed, smashing into a nearby streetlamp.

The streetlamp toppled with a thunderous crash.

“Gyaaaaah!? What’s that!?”

“C-Could it be a meteor!?”

“No-maru! This is—”

A blue light rose from the crumpled streetlamp and floated before the trio.

“Phew. This world’s structures are pretty flimsy, huh.”

“What!? T-That voice……!”

A cute voice rang out as the light dissipated.

What appeared was an octopus strikingly similar to Sumimaru.

Except this one had an adorable ribbon on its head.

“Finally found you, Noa-sama, Sumimaru-niisama!”

““Y-Y-Y-Y……””

Seeing the ribboned octopus with its arms crossed and cheeks puffed out, Noa and Sumimaru cried out in shock.

““Yuriiika!?””

“That’s right-dechi!”

“Y-Yuriika…… san……?”

The ribboned octopus seemed awfully peeved.

“Seriously, how long does it take you to clean up some Debipachis!? The Chief Palace Magical Tech Escort Officer is furious! And breaking the barrier in the first place was your own screw-up, wasn’t it?”

“I-I had nothing to do with it-maru! Noa overslept and skipped patrol, so……!”

“N-N-No, that’s not it! It’s because Sumimaru didn’t wake me up in the first place……!”

“Ugh, same old blame game-dechi. No wonder you two are called the biggest flops in Prism Wonderland history-dechi.”

““Shobooo—n……””

“Um, who might this be……?”

As Kaori asked timidly, the ribboned octopus’s face lit up.

“Oh my, you must be Kaori-sama! It’s an honor to meet you-dechi! I’m late with introductions-dechi. I’m Versatile High-Mobility Support Guardian Fairy Octo-Type Model Zero-Two, Yuriika! Pleased to meet you-dechi!”

“Oh, how polite—thank you. I’m Houjou Kaori. Nice to meet you too.”

The octopus’s eyes sparkled as it twirled around Kaori.

“Just as the rumors say, such a refined lady! Kaori-sama’s said to have the greatest Prism Power in magical girl history—an extraordinary talent! Prism Wonderland’s buzzing about you!”

“Eeh.”

“Oh, what a lovely girl! Silky hair, flawless skin-dechi! If you used my slime as a toner, you’d be even more gorgeous, no doubt-dechi~ nfufufufu.”

“Uh, this vibe feels awfully familiar…… Could it be……?”

At Kaori’s questioning look, Sumimaru answered wearily.

“Yuriiika’s my little sister-maru.”

“I knew it! Sumimaru-san, you have a sister……!”

Noa nodded at the surprised Kaori.

“As you can see, she’s way more competent than Sumimaru could ever hope to be. But she’s still a total pervert who loves cute girls—just like him.”

“Ugh, I like human girls, but Yuriiika’s a pain-maru~”

Sumimaru squirmed but then tilted its head.

“By the way, why’d you come here, Yuriiika-maru?”

“To put it simply-dechi, I’m taking over as Kaori-sama and Noa-sama’s guardian from now on-dechi.”

” ‘‘‘Huh?’’’ ”

“In other words—”

As the trio reflexively asked for clarification, Yuriiika declared in a cold tone.

“Sumimaru-niisama, you’re fired.”

” ‘‘‘W-WHAAAAAAAAAT!?’’’ ”

Three screams echoed through the night streets.

And so, a new spark was thrown into the daily life of Magical Girl Perfect Pure Princess.