Anyway, Let's Go to Hawaii!

(Bai Ziye)

Yin Wei led us into a small reception room that looked soundproof at a glance.

Dark red patterned wallpaper, carpeting, and potted greenery formed a stark contrast with the cold office atmosphere outside. It had a very businesslike style.

SpiCa, who had specifically asked to meet us, was already waiting inside. She still looked haggard, even somewhat dejected. I had no idea whether she had always been like that or whether it was because I had rejected her earlier.

"I'll excuse myself first. I hope your discussion goes smoothly."

Before SpiCa could speak, Yin Wei tactfully left the reception room on her own.

"Miluno, Ceruno, please have a seat."

Since there was a teapot on the table, SpiCa rose to pour us tea. Today, she was not wearing that oversized white lab coat, but a suit similar to Yin Wei's.

I sighed. "Miss SpiCa, please get to the point. I can't stop worrying about that Werewolf, and I was planning to take another look around the outskirts."

"You don't need to concern yourself with UI-31. The Association and the police have already deployed personnel."

"UI? User interface?"

SpiCa answered, "It means Unusual Invader. It is a special designation used to distinguish them from ordinary External Invaders."

"Since its number is 31, then..."

I realized it halfway through the question.

"Was the previous one the Witch?"

"Yes."

Ceruno raised her hand to speak. "Miss SpiCa, could that Werewolf perhaps also be one of those thirty magical girls?"

"No. According to the drone scans, there was no Star Crystal inside him. There were only the Simulacrum Factors of an External Invader."

I recalled the green object the Werewolf had dug out of the Stump Monster's remains.

"Does Simulacrum Factor refer to that ore-like thing inside Monsters?"

When I asked that, Ceruno made a huge fuss. "Oh my! Miss Miluno has secretly been a magical girl for a whole year, yet she doesn't know about this?"

Was this "Simulacrum Factor" some kind of open secret?

"I really don't know much about it. I've never dissected a Monster's corpse, either..."

Though it made me seem ignorant, I admitted it honestly.

What I didn't know, I didn't know. Pretending otherwise would only make me look worse.

"Ehehe! Wonderful! Then let me explain!"

Ceruno could not hide her smugness. She had finally found a chance to show off all that magical-girl knowledge stored in her head.

"A so-called Simulacrum Factor is a Monster's Star Crystal! Every External Invader has this special substance inside it. It really does look like ore. According to current research, Simulacrum Factors are not only the source of a Monster's power, but also their pass to enter this world."

"A pass?"

"That's right! Has Miss Miluno never wondered? Monsters clearly come from other worlds, so why do they all have traits of things from Earth? Like the lava of the Magma Monster, the various animal traits on that Tiger Monster, and that wooden stump from earlier."

"They can only pass through a Phase Wormhole after becoming like that."

"Oh! As expected of Miss Miluno! Exactly! The Other Side uses Simulacrum Factors to create Monsters that look like products native to Earth. Only that way will they not be rejected by this world, allowing them to carry out their invasion plans... Uh, Miss SpiCa, was I right?"

After speaking in an exaggerated tone for so long, Ceruno finally remembered that an expert was sitting right in front of her and stopped her showy explanation.

SpiCa had been watching her silently. Only when asked did she nod.

"Everything you said was correct. Other than researchers, few people still pay attention to those Monsters. There has not been much public education about Simulacrum Factors either; this is already specialized knowledge. To understand it so well, did you read those public but tedious research reports?"

Ceruno scratched the back of her head and gave a foolish grin.

"Hehe, I read a little, but there were plenty of parts I didn't understand."

SpiCa seemed quite taken with Ceruno. That fool was so clueless that I was genuinely afraid SpiCa might toss her into a wormhole.

I tried to steer the conversation back to today's topic.

"Miss SpiCa, that Werewolf... UI-31 can absorb the Simulacrum Factors of other Monsters. I don't know whether there is a limit to that ability, but it will become even more dangerous if we leave it alone. What could possibly be more important right now?"

SpiCa sat across from me and took a sip of the black tea in her cup.

"I'll start with my conclusion. Ceruno may have been targeted by the Other Side."

"Huh? Targeted? Me?"

Ceruno pointed at herself in surprise. SpiCa explained, "That's right, though it could also be both of you. It is only a guess, so my conclusion is not that certain. But haven't you noticed that the frequency of Monster appearances has been abnormal?"

Four wormholes and five Monsters in three days.

That was indeed an unprecedented frequency.

"I understand what you mean, but perhaps Ceruno just has particularly bad luck?"

"The probability is far too low. This morning's wormhole even appeared directly above your heads. It cannot be explained as a coincidence."

"Then what do you want us to do? Are you going to drive Ceruno out of the city just because she attracts Monsters?"

SpiCa actually nodded.

"I need the two of you to leave Skyreach City for a while. Around five days."

"..."

I simply stared at her.

She continued, "I have prepared a resort hotel for you in the Hawaiian Islands. All expenses for five days of sightseeing can be reimbursed... Simply put, the two of you should go on a trip together."

As she spoke, she pulled out two plane tickets from beneath the table. Skyreach International Airport to Honolulu International Airport in the Hawaiian Islands, with no transfer required...

"Of course, you can also choose to use the branch's wormhole passage. You can airdrop into the Hawaiian Islands in just ten minutes."

"I refuse."

I cut her off immediately.

After being rejected twice in a row, SpiCa looked embarrassed as well.

But if these recent invasions truly had been aimed at Ceruno and me, then staying in the city would be inappropriate too. Though there had been no casualties for some time now, every battle with a Monster inevitably caused damage to the city.

"I mean, I'm willing to take a plane there. But before that, could you explain why I need to go too?"

"Of the magical girls present at every invasion, besides Ceruno, there is also you. Although the possibility is much lower, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Other Side is targeting you, Miluno... After all, you are far more powerful than the other magical girls."

"The flight is in the evening?"

I glanced at the tickets.

"Your schedule is really packed."

Seeing that I had agreed, a flash of delight passed through SpiCa's eyes. She hurriedly said, "If you are dissatisfied, you can change the booking. The Association serves magical girls, so please feel free to make requests of this degree."

"There's no need. Since all expenses are covered, we do not need to prepare anything."

Only then did I remember that Ceruno had not agreed yet, so I turned to ask that fool.

"Ceruno, what do you think?"

But she was fidgeting in her seat, seeming too embarrassed to speak.

"Um, Miss SpiCa, if we're going to Hawaii... c-can I bring a friend?"

A friend?

But besides me, what friends could Ceruno possibly ha—

Holy shit?!

(End of Volume One)