Given Warfarin's perverse level of persistence, she would definitely keep chasing after her without giving up.
There was no need to worry.
Hoshino shifted her gaze to Ifrit.
It was a peculiar fluttering sensation. Their gazes met, electricity crackled around Lightning Empress, while Ifrit erupted in roaring flames. Her white lab coat burned away amid black smoke, leaving behind a translucent fireproof suit that swayed in the distorted air.
"Who are you?"
Hoshino did not answer immediately.
Instead, Silence called for calm. Ifrit nodded, and the surging flames gradually subsided.
Hoshino tilted her head at just the right moment and looked over the little fire dragon.
Her demonic horns, her drooping tail, the Originium shards on her slender thighs.
"You're very cute."
It was a heartfelt assessment, earning her an evasive look from Ifrit.
Silence.
Silence adjusted her glasses. She could not shake the feeling that there was something subtle between them. In modern terms, they had chemistry as a couple—something that seemed rather wonderfully inexplicable to her.
"Do you have some strange feeling toward her?"
"You should be asking yourself that, Doctor Silence." Hoshino deftly passed the buck. "You brought her here, so you must have had something in mind already, right?"
"Uh..."
Silence did not know how to answer. Ifrit had followed her here after tagging along with Warfarin.
This really was a difficult problem.
She watched as Lightning Empress slowly rose to her feet, walked up to Ifrit, and gently extended a finger. Electricity curled around her fingertip.
"Hold out your hand."
She gave the order.
Ifrit reluctantly held out her hand as well, and a faint flame appeared at her fingertip.
Their fingertips touched.
The plasma-like flame and lightning intertwined, twisting and warping around each other into a state that was neither lightning nor fire. It