The instant the face on the magic lock withdrew, Cola froze on the spot.
Only after a moment did the cat react, jumping up and frantically clawing at the door while swearing nonstop.
"Abu, you heartless bastard! You don't even recognize me, Sphinx? You're definitely doing this on purpose! Open up, or once I find my master, I'll piss on your face every day!"
Cola's tirade did have an effect.
The face soon reappeared on the door and took several more careful looks at the fat cat on the ground, its expression growing stiff.
After a long while, as though it had received an order, the face reluctantly released the lock and opened the door.
Once the door opened, Mu You and Cola immediately saw the long-haired girl beyond the entryway.
Chris Fua, Cola's master, was not wearing her formal academy uniform as she had last time, but ordinary casual clothes.
"Master!"
Cola let out an excited meow and leaped straight toward the girl's arms.
Mu You saw it clearly. The girl did initially reach out to catch the cat, but after getting a clear look at that size, she instinctively withdrew her hands and dodged aside.
Cola's leap missed its target. By the time the cat tried to land safely, it was too late to adjust, resulting in a nose-first landing and a face-first skid, followed by two tumbles before coming to a stop.
Undeterred, Cola scrambled up and immediately ran back to the girl, rubbing against her legs. "Master, it's me! I'm Sphinx..."
Listening from behind to Cola's incessant, sickeningly sweet meows, Mu You shuddered. He had to admit, this cat really knew how to act cute.
"Sphinx, how did you end up like this? And how exactly did you get to the Land of Forgetting?" the girl