Strife

Shiori Itsuka stiffened, trembling all over.

The feeling only grew worse when Sweet Loli Kurumi theatrically pulled an outrageous dress from the shadows.

Before long, Shiori was dressed head to toe in an outfit she found mortifyingly chuunibyou, at least in her own eyes.

"My, it suits you quite well." Sweet Loli Kurumi laughed as she admired the dress on Shiori. She thought the white headband looked especially fitting.

She had coaxed, cajoled, and practically forced Shiori into it by saying, "If Huanyue sees you like this, she might soften up and decide not to attack."

Shiori felt as though she had gone back to middle school. Only the passion she had felt back then was gone, leaving nothing but endless embarrassment. Even her nails had been painted black, and aside from the bandages, she was covered in strange crosses of every size.

It was the sort of outfit in which she could shout "Instant Flash Blast" any number of times without seeming out of place.

Apart from the Four Heavenly Kings, the other Kurumi clones had scattered. Even the ones who remained in this section of the shadows looked utterly unable to bear the awkward sight.

The clones let out sounds like "Wow..." and "Oh dear..." before falling completely silent. They would not even look her way.

For a while, the scene was deathly quiet.

Shiori appeared to be holding herself together, though only with great difficulty.

"My, Miss Shiori, you passed."

"I'm almost seeing you in a new light. Hehehe."

"But if you keep making such a miserable face, it'll drain all the color from your complexion~"

Sweet Loli Kurumi and Eyepatch Kurumi both wore satisfied smiles. Alongside their elegance, there was now a distinctly mischievous air about them.

"Thank you. Can I go out now?" Shiori's eyes