A festival…

What should I wear? A tuxedo? Or a gloomy hooded robe, like a sorcerer’s uniform? Should I dress up as a terrifyingly handsome man to boost Yuri’s spirits?

I know nothing about the festival held by the Annihilation Squad. It’s awkward to run to Yuri and ask now, so I decided to play it by ear.

Wouldn’t it be enough to check what outfit Yuri is wearing? Pairing is important, after all.

Even if it doesn’t match the festival’s overall dress code, it would be nice to maintain unity with my partner. I opened my third eye and sneakily peeked at the house next door.

“Ugh…”

Yuri was staring intently at the few clothes hanging in her wardrobe, groaning in frustration.

She’s been at it for 30 minutes.

Thanks to her, I’ve been stuck here for 30 minutes too.

If I were to statistically represent the time her gaze lingered on each garment, it would be 51.2% on her usual suits and 48.7% on fluttery dresses. She seems to be still pondering between coolness and femininity.

A dress…?

Thinking back, Pingballez never changed their outfit while teasing me, though they did take it off when breaking a seal.

So there’s great interest in Yuri’s new costume. It seems like it might fit, yet it also feels unfamiliar. Given the original is the original, any outfit should be digestible.

As I pondered, Yuna’s voice flowed down from the sky above, along the lifeline.

-“Hey, shouldn’t you be off to plant an info bomb…?”

“Right. But hold on, Yuri seems about to make a decision. Look, she’s finally reaching out.”

-“I can’t see that… And, I heard the same thing 10 minutes ago. Instead of waiting for Yuri, maybe we should get on with what needs to be done…?”

She had a point.

I got up from my seat and prepared to leave. The festival of the Annihilation Squad seems to start at dusk. It’s high noon now, so there’s plenty of time left.

Yuri will likely stay at her home for a while to prepare for the festival, so now’s my chance to move.

I planned to finish planting the info bombs.

The Queen has been quiet lately. If she’s given up due to exhaustion from the siege, that would be ideal… but that’s just wishful thinking. In reality, it’s probably not the case.

She must be devising her own strategies out of my sight. So I too must keep moving without rest. If they’re conserving their strength, so must we.

If we follow through methodically, we can win. That’s my judgment.

Just as the Queen watches me, I too have been observing her. From the moment I entered this place, I’ve been collecting and analyzing the patterns of her behavior and the residual information.

The Queen was emptier than I thought.

That is, in terms of information quantity. Since a succubus is half an information entity, one would guess that a Queen of succubi would possess a considerable amount of information.

Didn’t I overpower Yuri Lannister? Just as I felt intimidated by Yuna’s magical power, I expected the Queen to have a terrifying amount of information, like a server.

But she was lighter than my estimates.

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There are a few possibilities. Maybe she’s… a commander type, similar to a queen bee.

A type with strong control over the succubus group, with the ability to issue orders and manage tasks being key. That would easily explain the lack of individual prowess.

In that case, the way Yuri Lannister was overpowered must have been a war of attrition. Since she was involved in the “Nest Entrance Closure Operation,” it would have been like fighting at the largest entrance of a beehive.

Captured after a continuous battle with countless succubi, it’s a plausible hypothesis. As far as I know, she doesn’t have an area-of-effect attack.

I packed my bags and left the mansion. After planting info bombs all over the world, I’ll return and join Yuri at the festival in the afternoon.

As long as the Queen stays quiet today, as she has been…

…

Click-click-click!

Boom──!!

“Why on earth today, of all days?!”

I grumbled, looking at the building folding in half. The resistance is unusually fierce today. It’s not a critical moment, nor did I seem to be that threatening.

It’s not the critical timing. I’m quite taken aback by the Queen’s sudden full-on confrontation.

Let’s think positively. If she exhausts her strength on her own, that’s good for us.

How long do you plan to keep pouring it on?

The assault doesn’t stop. From the scattered information, I can sense the queen’s fatigue. It’s understandable, having folded the world over for half a day.

Naturally, overexertion leads to vulnerabilities. Fragmented information has been scattering in the air since earlier. If gathered carefully, one could learn more about the queen who manipulates this world.

Like the fact that she has thick, grey hair.

If this relentless offensive continues. Perhaps, maybe… I could pinpoint the queen’s location and launch a counterattack.

To locate and strike the control room, seizing the GM’s authority. Fortunately, I still have an unlaunched information bomb at my disposal. I have enough weapons.

While rejoicing at the opportunity.

I felt a pang of anxiety in my heart. The setting sun scratched at my nerves. The festival will start soon. I might be a little late, or perhaps, I might not be able to attend at all.

Is the queen trying to prevent me from participating in the festival? But why?

Is there a reason to block my intervention to this extent? Even so, if she gets caught, the game is over. No matter how I think about it, there’s no reason for this.

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I wandered, unable to decipher the queen’s intentions.

Time flows cruelly. The sun dips its feet into the horizon. Presented to me, who continues to exchange blows, are two diverging paths.

Will I go for the queen’s throat as is?

Or will I keep my promise to Yuri?

Either way could be a trap, and neither may be a trap. At a point where nothing is certain… I had to make a choice.

—

Yuri, in the end, chose a suit.

She considered wearing a dress, even tried it on, but… seeing her reflection beyond the mirror, she recoiled at her own pathetic state with every swish of the hem and gave up.

Surely ‘Mima,’ the man, would tease her endlessly. She couldn’t allow that.

She wanted to enjoy the festive atmosphere and dress up like a girl should, but he’s not exactly comfortable with the lower half, is he? It seemed he would prefer her usual attire.

Also… she didn’t want to hear the slander. What would they say if she showed up in a dress, clinging to a man? She could already hear it. Accusations of not adapting to the ‘Annihilation Squad,’ of luring an agent because she couldn’t hide her lowly nature.

In a suit, she could at least retort. He’s just a friend, after all. All your filthy thoughts are lies.

Only by pushing back like this, would they, with their snickering smiles, acknowledge her a bit. The weak don’t belong in the Annihilation Squad, they believe.

The Annihilation Squad… a gathering of venomous beings.

A collective of avengers.

Where fists fly before words, generally indifferent to others, and where one’s pain is more likely to be mocked than empathized with.

That’s why the term ‘Festival of the Annihilation Squad’ felt so alien.

The necessity of it was vaguely understandable. The reason for holding a festival in such a group. All of them wolves, eyes rolled back in personal vendettas, surely needed a leash to bind them together.

At least some bond must exist for the organization to function.

“……..”

It’s that very bond she’s reluctant to accept, the one that seems so harsh.

Yuri was an outsider in the Annihilation Squad.

The reasons they voiced were varied: because she’s a woman, because she’s a succubus—a useless race, because she looks like she’ll cry and leave soon, because her hair is pink.

She didn’t know the real reason. But somehow, she could tell they half-enjoyed hurling insults at her.

It would be the same this time. At the festival, they would surely spew harsh words. But it’s okay. This time it’s okay. Because ‘Mima’ will be by Yuri’s side.

For some reason, she’s very fond of her… an ally. Perhaps the only ally she has in this world.

She’s sure to have fun.

With resolve, Yuri stepped outside her home and knocked on the door of Mima’s mansion. Knock, knock, knock. No response.

Wondering if she was asleep, she knocked harder.

Still no response. Even pressing her ear carefully to the door, she couldn’t sense anyone inside. Had she gone out? Something must have happened.

Feeling slightly anxious, Yuri clenched her fist.

No, it’s okay. He’s generally a careless person, like the time he forgot to send a letter to the royal family… It must be some minor thing he’s forgotten. He must have stepped out for a moment.

Not that he’s forgotten her.

After all, he made a promise. He even shared his nickname, his name. He will come.

At the festival, they’ll walk and talk together. And she’ll boast to the Annihilation Squad members, showing them that even without them, she’s made a friend.

What about linking arms with him? That might quiet the persistent ones a bit. Would that be rude to Mima? No, she probably wouldn’t mind too much.

She entertained these thoughts for quite a while.

………

The festival, though called such, wasn’t glamorous or thriving. Just several bonfires lit in an open field, roasting hunted deer meat.

A makeshift fence surrounded the field, and a guard stood at the entrance. An experienced middle-aged member of the Annihilation Squad, his name was surely…

“…Lat?”

“A succubus, I see.”

His curt reply was somehow a relief. Other squad members would add unnecessary comments. So, a short answer was welcome.

He gestured towards the guest book. Yuri took the feather pen laid beside it and firmly wrote down her name and… Mima’s name.

Lat asked bluntly.

“A foreigner?”

“Not a foreigner. I’ve brought a royal decree with the royal seal, stating that I’ll be working with the Annihilation Squad for a while.”

“I haven’t heard about receiving such a document… You’re not a fool, so it must be true.”

Yuri let out a sigh of relief inwardly. For a moment, she had tensed up, worried she might be turned away from the festival.

And so, she began to linger at the entrance.

It was daunting to go in alone. She planned to wait there for Mima to arrive. Seeing her hesitate, Raet frowned and said,

“Still not used to it?”

“Used to it, you say.”

At his seemingly reproachful words, Yuri flinched but mustered the courage to glare back at Raet. He spoke with an unreadable gaze,

“You need to let go. You can’t catch both rabbits.”

“What should I let go of?”

“Everything but your heart, future, life, and vengeance.”

Not a reproach… but advice?

“Those who have lost can recognize those who have. Because they stink. That’s why everyone dislikes you. Like the starving hate the wealthy.”

“I’ve lost too… my family, my village. What do I have that you speak of?!”

“If you don’t understand, then leave the Annihilation Squad. It’s painful to watch.”

With a click of his tongue, Raet said no more and walked into the clearing. What was he talking about? I too have lost much, and I came here for revenge.

Is it just an excuse? Because they don’t trust my kind, the succubi, they reject me with vague reasons.

Laughter and chatter can be heard from inside.

A cold wind pierces my heart. She could belong to no group. She couldn’t blend in with humans. She was ostracized.

Nor could she blend in with the succubi. Yuri’s family had been burned to ashes by the queen, and the queen was the object of her hatred.

Even the Annihilation Squad, a gathering of those who shared the same wounds… those who had lost something, did not accept her.

She had been enduring, holding on even when mocked. But sometimes, the loneliness was piercing. She missed the happiness of a past she could never return to.

The paradise that she had destroyed herself, the thought was unbearably tormenting.

Such gloom… she could forget it momentarily by his side.

“When will you come?”

Yuri murmured unknowingly. Quite some time had passed. She had informed him of the festival location in advance, so he shouldn’t have lost his way.

Could he have entered through the back? Perhaps they just missed each other, and he’s looking for Yuri inside the festival. Yes, why didn’t I think of that…?

The thought makes my heart race. Yuri steps into the clearing, suppressing her fear with anticipation.

Yes, he wouldn’t break his promise. He seemed excited after hearing about the festival.

She searches for Mima among the laughing and chattering members of the Annihilation Squad. He’s a sociable person, so maybe he’s already made friends and is mingling. She looks around.

He’s not there. Nowhere to be seen.

No, it’s just that I haven’t found him. She consoles her heart, drenched in disappointment, and tries to ignore the mocking stares.

Swoosh.

“…Mima?”

Someone placed a hand on Yuri’s waist. She turned around with a bright expression, only to find a member of the Annihilation Squad, grinning unpleasantly. He was so drunk that the smell of alcohol reached her.

He was the one who always threw flirtatious remarks at Yuri. He slurred his words.

“Looking for someone? If you’re searching for a man to have a hearty meal with tonight. I’m right here, huh?”

“…Do not touch my body!”

She swatted his hand away in horror.

Disgusting. It felt as if a cockroach had crawled inside her clothes. She felt powerless and shaky. But no one would help her. She knew that all too well. It was humiliating and sad.

The most dreadful thing was… she was still secretly hoping.

Could Mima be hiding among them… watching? Not having forgotten their promise and gone somewhere. Maybe just playing a cruel prank.

“……”

Should she have given up long ago?

Should she never have hoped in the first place?

Was she too weak for feeling sad and shocked by such advances?

Should she become someone who doesn’t get pushed around, who doesn’t get emotionally shaken? Someone who responds to mockery with mockery, who doesn’t get hurt when their weaknesses are prodded, who doesn’t show their pain, someone with a heart sunk deep in indifference.

But becoming such a person, a stoic who doesn’t let out cries or screams, seemed too painful…

—

“…Am I too late?”

The festival was over.