Each Their Own Opponents

(Bai Ziye)

I slept very comfortably.

I haven't felt this comfortable in all these days, and it's not just because the bed is soft and the blankets are fluffy...

It's also because she's by my side.

It seems I really have developed a condition where I can't sleep without Ceruno around.

This idiot, he really is my teddy bear.

No, maybe I'm the teddy bear.

Completely entangled, unable to move her hands or feet, there was no way to get out of bed without waking her.

"Hey, wake up, Ceruno."

"... Um?"

After struggling for a moment, the dazed and confused man opened his eyes.

She and I locked eyes for a few seconds, then her face flushed bright red all the way to her ears.

"Waaaaah! Miluno! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay, it's not the first time. I already know very well that you're very 'lively' when you're asleep."

"Wouldn't that make you even more embarrassed!"

She was clearly wide awake, and with her eyes still closed, she exclaimed, "Next time I sleep, I'll trap myself in a solidified protective film first!"

"No need to go that far, just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable... Go wash up first, I need to go back to the villa later."

"Hmm? Miss Miluno lives in a villa?"

She started speculating about my background again.

However, the greater the discrepancy between her ideas and reality, the safer I am as "Bai Ziye". So at this point, adding a little fuel to the fire will lead her astray.

"Let's say that for now, Halley lives with me too."

"Miss Halley is actually living in Miluno's house... I'm so envious!"

Her eyes told me that she was truly envious.

I suggested, "Why don't you come back with me and take a look?"

"Can I go?"

"Certainly."

"I'll go wash up now!"

Ceruno used a changing room to remove her pajamas, changed into clean everyday clothes, and rushed into the bathroom before I could.

This apartment has more than one bathroom; both bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms, so I went to the other one.

Just then, Sirius came out of the restroom pushing the Golden, and she greeted me.

"Good morning, Miluno, where's Ceruno?"

"She's washing up, and I have nowhere to go, so I'm asking to use your bathroom."

The Golden looked like it was in a lot of pain in its mouth.

"Ouch, vomit!"

Still gagging.

Even though she had transformed into human form, it was still a bit of a stretch for her to learn how to brush her teeth all at once.

"Oh, and could I borrow the villa key too?"

My words were a bit abrupt, which startled Sirius.

She asked, "Hmm? What are you going to do?"

"I told Ceruno that the villa was mine, which reduced her suspicions."

"Are you trying to use my assets to pretend to be a tycoon? Fine, I've already given him the keys, just ask him for them. I think he'd be happy to play along with your acting... Did you bring all these things yourself?"

Under Sirius's somewhat surprised gaze, I took out a toothbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush cup, and towel from the Star Crystal.

"Probably because the Crystal has fused into my body, my Crystal Space is quite large. I might as well make use of it, so I've prepared a lot of miscellaneous little items. This will make it convenient when I travel far away."

"The anomaly that has occurred in you is something I, as Star Crystal, have never encountered before. Perhaps it is a phenomenon that only occurs when the synchronization rate between the Crystal and the person reaches a certain level."

"Is my synchronization rate with the Morning Star Crystal very high?"

"That's incredibly high! If it weren't for the fact that the Morning Star Crystal has only been missing for a year, I would even suspect that you've been fighting as a magical girl for twelve years."

The Morning Star Crystal was already very adaptable to me when I first got it.

It felt like there was no break-in period; it was like Crystal tailor-made for me...

"Miss Miluno, I'm all ready!"

Ceruno's voice; it sounded like she was looking for me in the living room.

"Ceruno! Woof!"

"Hahaha, Goldie, don't lick my face like that!"

As I walked out of the bathroom, wiping my face, I saw Golden pinning Ceruno down on the sofa and making out with her, its paws kneading her. The scene was a bit lewd... This Doggy seriously lacks common sense and needs to be properly trained.

Perhaps that's why it didn't become a pawn of Aldebaran?

Sirius, arms crossed and leaning against the doorframe, continued, "The stone inside the Golden is very unique. It doesn't use any Dark Energy, but it's definitely not Star Crystal. It uses Simulacrum Factor base, yet it can achieve functions similar to Star Crystal... Although I don't want to praise the enemy, Aldebaran, this Monster Development Department, truly has renowned technical capabilities."

Aldebaran.

She is unlike any other witch known to exist.

Not to mention the decisive and upright Fomalhaut.

"Is it possible that the Simulacrum Factor and the Star Crystal are actually the same thing?"

"Impossible, one side is Crystal, and the other side is ore."

"Crystal is a mineral; that's common knowledge."

As seen in the previous footage from the Other Side, there were also ordinary soldiers on the Other Side who were not Monster, but looked no different from normal people.

If these Monsters are actually ordinary people from the Other Side who transform using Simulacrum Factor, then wouldn't they be just like magical girls?

"... As the Star Crystal, I'm reluctant to admit this, but I'll have the research department investigate it a bit."

"So you hadn't thought of this before?"

"They must have investigated it. If they couldn't find anything at the time, perhaps they overlooked something."

Zara brought out breakfast from the kitchen.

Although it was a simple ham and egg sandwich with hot chocolate, it still took quite a bit of effort to prepare enough for five people.

This seemingly clumsy little maid is more capable than I imagined. But the Empire Hotel surely has a buffet breakfast, so why make it myself?

"Aww!" Zara called out to us.

I guess this means it's time to eat breakfast.

With her face covered in saliva, Ceruno struggled to sit up and wiped her face with a tissue.

He even scolded, "Really, you can't do that again!"

"Woof!"

The Golden showed absolutely no remorse.

During the meal, Sirius received a phone call.

"The draw for the Round of 16 is in. Miluno, you'll be facing the 'Twins,' Fahrenheit."

"Those twins who can both cool and heat? My magic isn't very impressive, and neither is hers. You can't exactly create a convective tornado in the stadium, can you?"

Sirius, however, disagreed.

"Why not? Besides, splitting it in two is already quite spectacular, not to mention that Fahrenheit's profession is a street magician."

"Is he a magician?"

Magicians are probably one of the most adept at capturing the audience's attention.

She was clearly more comfortable on stage than I was, and knew better how to capture the audience's attention.

Sirius leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Don't forget, if Ceruno, I'm going to tell her your secret, okay?"

I frowned.

"What about Zara and Miluno? Who are they going to take on?"

"'Shadowflash' Zara will face 'Gray Swan' Erika, while 'Bubble Witch' Ceruno's opponent is..."

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, 'Harvest Goddess' Fran... her real job is the lead singer of a famous underground band."