Unexpected Intrusion
"Already awake, I see." Someone strolled leisurely into the recovery room and approached my bedside at once, offering a fruit basket bursting with vibrant colors. They must have prepared the get-well gift the moment they heard I'd regained consciousness.
"...Thank you, Team Leader. Though I heard it's already been four days, so I wouldn't call it 'already.'"
"Four days is still early. Anyway, it's truly good to see you again."
The clown mask, which felt genuinely welcoming for the first time, made it seem as though a warm reunion was unfolding. Yet even after our handshake ended, the Team Leader didn't release my hand. Instead, their grip tightened steadily—crack...!
"You pulled off quite the bold stunt, didn't you?"
I flinched.
"You know I collapsed trying to protect you, right?"
"...Y-yes, ma'am."
"And knowing that, you still threw yourself straight into the fire?"
"..."
I had no words, even if I had ten mouths. I couldn't simply point to the fortunate outcome now, because back then I hadn't been certain of anything. It could easily have led to even more casualties. In fact, that possibility had seemed far more likely.
"...Since you seem to be reflecting on it, I'll let it slide this time. But next time, words won't be enough."
...I lived. If I just kept this obedient, repentant look, I could get through this smoothly.
"First you collapse, and now you're lecturing someone else..."
"Huh?"
"Nero? No, Team Leader...? This is..."
The single remark Nero muttered from beside me sent the atmosphere that had been recovering plummeting straight into the abyss. Yet it seemed to strike the Team Leader harder than expected, given her responsibility for dragging an untrained counselor like me into the field.
"Hah... Haha. As Nero says, it's true that I failed to fulfill my role as your guardian to the very end. I offer my sincere apologies for that."
"N-no, you don't need to apologize, Team Leader...!"
The sight of the Team Leader, who had already saved me two—no, three—times at the scene, bowing her head to me was suffocating. But Nero showed no sign of stopping.
"I heard everything. You took Master to that dangerous place. If something had really happened to him... really... how could you even take responsibility—"
"Hmm..."
The Team Leader offered no rebuttal. After a brief pause, she simply bowed to Nero as well.
"You're right. I lack the ability to take responsibility for the worst-case outcome. I apologize to you as well, Nero."
"Hmph."
"It only proves how precious Ung-ssi is to me. On that point, at least, I have nothing to say."
Thanks to the Team Leader stepping back and bowing, the mood stopped sinking further. Though the atmosphere remained awkward, her apology didn't feel like mere superficial words to smooth things over, so I was able to return my expression to normal quickly.
"More importantly... are you planning to stay like that, Nero?"
"What's it to you?"
"...Fair enough."
Squeeze... I felt Nero's arms tighten around me. Ever since I woke up, she had climbed onto the narrow bed and refused to let go, clinging to me while shooting glares at the Team Leader the entire time. Even the sight of Mini Undine squirming against my chest while fiddling with the fruit basket was already conspicuous enough.
"Um... Nero?"
"No! I'm never letting go."
"Ugh..."
Still, I couldn't bring myself to scold her. After all, my own actions were partly to blame. I hadn't properly explained what I was going to do... No, even if I had, she wouldn't have gone along with it. It must have been a tremendous shock for her.
"..."
She wasn't in cat form anymore. Somehow she'd recovered enough strength to return to human shape, and simply holding her like this already looked far too suggestive because of her figure. We were still inside the facility, right in front of the Team Leader... It felt like we were doing something we absolutely shouldn't.
"It's fine. You may stay as you are."
"...Thank you for understanding."
"I'm sure you'd like to know what happened afterward."
The Team Leader kindly explained the situation after I collapsed. The red-haired woman we'd called Fire Chicken was currently being held at the facility. Thanks to Nero's testimony, they'd managed to identify the appearance of her space-type ability user accomplice and had launched a search. The Team Leader herself had apparently just returned from that pursuit.
"Based on Nero's statement, we searched every hotel and motel in the area. We confirmed that Fire Chicken had been staying long-term in the suite of a high-end hotel."
"Nero did that...?"
"We didn't find the ability-user accomplice there, but... ah, there is one piece of good news."
"Good news?"
I couldn't think of what other good news there could be at this point. When I tilted my head, the Team Leader didn't drag it out.
"It's about the seventh missing student we still haven't located. It appears she's being held hostage by that space-type ability user."
"Her friend... But how is that good news...? Ah."
Even if we didn't know who the culprit was, as long as the girl was being held hostage, they probably wouldn't harm her carelessly.
"Yes. At the very least, her life shouldn't be in immediate danger for a while."
We'd thought there was no hope after the building collapsed, yet she'd been taken hostage instead. If "still alive" counted as good news, then this was good news.
"I hope... we can rescue her safely."
They had prepared such a thorough trap and launched a surprise attack, yet they'd still kept one person as a hostage in case they needed to flee after defeat... Though it seemed they hadn't anticipated being captured themselves.
"However, because their ability is what it is, tracking them has proven difficult. We can't yet determine whether they'll return to save their comrade or flee straight to the Vatican."
The purple-haired ability user with a horn on one side of their head—the one Nero had encountered in the building's basement—still had no confirmed whereabouts. Knowing the missing student's friend was definitely alive as a hostage made me want to help somehow, but...
"I understand how you feel, but for now, please focus on recovering your condition."
As if reading my thoughts, the Team Leader patted my empty shoulder.
"Besides... you'll have an important role to fulfill once your recovery is complete."
"...I see. Understood."
"Ah, and the Response Team Leader seems to be struggling quite a bit. If you have time, please pay her a visit."
"...?"
Come to think of it, this incident had occurred right in the middle of the city. The fact that it happened in the early morning hours was probably fortunate. I couldn't even imagine how much work Yerin had to handle to cover it up.
"Well then, enjoy your time."
"Ah...?"
Because of the Team Leader's unnecessary parting words, the moment the door closed and the recovery room fell silent, a strange atmosphere began to settle in. There were multiple beds in the room, but right now only mine was occupied. On this single narrow bed, Nero and I—along with Mini Undine—were pressed tightly together...
"..."
"..."
"Um... Nero?"
The soft sound of Nero's breathing near my ear paused for a moment, then a ticklish whisper slipped into my ear.
"...She said to enjoy our time, didn't she?"
Such a pleasant voice... Nero, who seemed far more assertive than usual, tightened her arms around me and pressed her soft chest against my body in a provocative manner.
With no strength left to resist, the only parts of me I could still move freely were my arms and mouth...
"W-wait, Nero..."
"I understand now... I was so worried that if I couldn't even convey my feelings properly and you left me behind... I really was such a fool."
"Nero...?"
After briefly averting her gaze with a sorrowful expression, Nero soon began staring at me with eyes full of blatant desire. Just as her pretty lips parted to speak the first words of her resolved decision—
"I..."
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...!
Along with a sudden, ear-piercing alarm, the red lights installed on the walls began spinning rapidly, bathing the entire recovery room in a frantic crimson glow.
"...!"
I'd been briefed on this by the Team Leader before. An alarm that dragged on this long without short, intermittent bursts didn't signal a containment breach. It meant...
"Intruder detected... apparently."
"Master! Over there...!"
Startled by Nero's urgent voice instead of the words she'd been about to say, I whipped my head around. A bizarre rift in space had torn open in midair inside the recovery room—one through which the other side was completely obscured. Unlike the red-haired woman's appearance at the scene, this rift looked as though space itself had been violently ripped apart, rippling ominously.
"Kyaa...?"
Realizing it was already too late to run, I first pulled Nero and Mini Undine off the bed, flipped the mattress onto its side, and used it as cover against the wall.
"Stay quiet, Nero."
"Ah... mm..."
Covering Nero's mouth, I carefully peeked over the mattress. From beyond the torn rift in space, a single foot slowly stepped through and touched the floor.
Thud.
It was entirely predictable. There was no "what if." This was undoubtedly the ability user who had come to retrieve their comrade.