"Where's your skirt?"
"Huh? I-I don't know either!"
After turning everything upside down and still failing to find her skirt, Betelgeuse hastily pulled on an oversized white shirt. The hem reached her thighs, so it could barely pass as a dress.
But...
Since she was already wearing a swimsuit underneath, it didn't really matter if she skipped the skirt, right?
"Alright, let's go!"
I was in a pretty good mood. Even the gloom from this morning had been swept away.
Not only because Azura's prosthetic body had been repaired—well, replaced—but also because Betelgeuse had "reluctantly" acknowledged me as a friend...
It wasn't like I desperately wanted to be friends with her or anything~ It was just that this shut-in, socially awkward weirdo had actually opened her heart to me. Even if it was only a crack in the door, it was still a historic breakthrough from nothing to something...
It was a pleasant surprise.
Though this joy was closer to a sense of accomplishment. Maybe I had a talent for becoming a psychologist?
Her attitude toward me was still as unfriendly as ever, but I understood it as tsundere behavior now.
"In a bit, I'll introduce you to the others. If you can talk to them properly, I'll let Azura stay with you for two days."
"Puyo?!"
Though surprised by what I said, Azura still agreed.
"I don't mind, but I have to help big sister deal with that Witch first!"
Betelgeuse hugged Azura and frowned.
"A Witch? You still have Witches on the run over there?"
"She's a Modified Witch created by humans. Unlike the Modified Witches of the Supreme Council, her materials were human from beginning to end—humans twisted into Negative Variants by darkness, plus Contaminated Crystals..."
Betelgeuse gave a disdainful snort at my explanation.
"Hmph. Looks like