"Aha-haha! Brave citizen, huh!"

In the private bar of Ocean Hotel, the top-rated hotel in Ocean City, Levi-tan was laughing gleefully, holding up her 'Brave Citizen' award from the city hall.

"And I’m a villain, too!"

Perhaps it was the alcohol talking, as Levi-tan's words became lighter and more carefree. She already had a habit of speaking freely, but now, her words were practically floating, as if they might drift away at any moment.

Watching Levi-tan babble on, Regalia frowned slightly and spoke up.

"Levi-tan. While we may be villains, don’t belittle the 'Brave Citizen' award. It’s good for our organization’s image, nothing to complain about."

"Got it, boss!"

"And go easy on the drinking. It’s unbecoming of an executive in the Evil Organization to act without dignity."

With that, Levi-tan nodded and, in defiance of the advice, downed her entire glass of wine in one gulp. Beside her, Garm, not wanting to be outdone, began chugging straight from the bottle.

As the two beastfolk engaged in a drinking contest, Regalia sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

After shaking her head, Regalia yawned adorably and stretched as she checked the time.

"It’s time for me to head to bed. It’s late."

"Miss, shall I accompany you?"

"You can stay and drink more if you like, Bira."

"As your bodyguard, I couldn’t possibly do that. The whole point of sharing a room was so I could stay close."

"Hmm, fair enough."

And with that, Bira and Regalia returned to their room.

With the two who had been keeping some semblance of order gone, the beastfolk’s chaos only grew wilder.

"Kyahahaha!"

"Hahaha! Not bad!"

"What’s wrong? You scared?"

"Hahaha! Watch me go even bigger this time!"

As they gulped down drinks that seemed stronger than 60-proof liquor—possibly pure alcohol—Arima sipped her wine calmly, chuckling at their antics.

The only ones not partaking in the wild party were me and Aile, who couldn’t drink.

"─Aile, this isn’t much fun for you, is it?"

"…No, it’s not."

"Should we head back?"

"Sh-should we?"

Aile responded as though she had no choice, standing up hesitantly. As a pair of party-averse introverts, we naturally slipped out of the bar without a word.

There was no real concern for the drunken trio. Who were they, after all? S-class villains, among the strongest in the Evil Organization. If they wanted, they could probably take over all of Ocean City tonight with ease.

There was no way they'd get into trouble just because they were drunk. Thinking this, I boarded the elevator and pressed the button for our floor.

"─Scientist!"

"Hm?"

As I was pressing the button, Aile suddenly canceled it and hit the one for the lobby instead. Confused, I tilted my head, and she timidly spoke up.

"Um, w-would you like to go see the night sea…?"

"Out of nowhere?"

"Y-yes! I heard it’s really pretty at night! Apparently, the waves glow in the dark when you splash around…."

Seeing Aile fumbling over her words, I quickly understood her intentions and nodded. She was asking me on a date.

How could I possibly trample on the feelings of a young girl? I nodded with a smile.

"Alright, let’s go get some fresh air."

By the way, when I explained that the glowing phenomenon in the sea was caused by bioluminescent plankton, Aile’s expression visibly soured.

I wasn’t sure why.

Splash!
Splash!

The tide had come in, with the waves reaching the shore as we stood by the water. Dark clouds covered the sky, hiding the stars and moon, but in contrast, the ocean sparkled beautifully.

"Wow…."

Even though she knew about the phenomenon, seeing it in person for the first time seemed to leave Aile in awe. And I was no different.

The emerald beach, which had been stunning in the morning, was now glowing softly under the night sky. It truly lived up to its reputation both day and night.

"It’s beautiful…."

"Yeah, it is."

"How could I have not known about something like this…?"

Aile's voice trailed off into a bitter laugh. It was a laugh filled with self-deprecation. Mockery aimed at the family who had never brought her here. And perhaps pity for herself, born into such a family.

I gently comforted her, trying to lift her mood. As her head naturally leaned on my shoulder, I found myself stroking her hair…

‘…Wait, hold on.’

Just as the thought crossed my mind about whether it was really appropriate to be doing this with a minor, I noticed a figure approaching from the distance, with bunny ears swaying in the night breeze. Aile noticed the shadow too, pulling away from me slightly.

Apart from Levi-tan, I had never seen anyone with ears that long. No matter how famous this tourist spot was, it was unlikely there would be two people here with such features. Aile seemed to have the same thought, as she hesitantly spoke up.

"Levi-tan… sister?"

The figure froze at the mention of that name. Then, it began approaching us.

Tap.
Tap.
Tap.

There was something unsettling about the sound. It was vaguely familiar yet eerie.

‘…Something feels off.’

With a chill running down my spine, the bunny-eared figure finally came into view, close enough that I could see their face. In that moment, I realized how much they resembled Levi-tan.

But this wasn’t Levi-tan. Levi-tan didn’t walk around with her eyes closed, nor did she carry a sword at her waist or hold castanets in one hand.

"─Did you just say 'Levi-tan'?"

Tap.
Tap.
Tap.

The strange noise continued, and I finally understood its source. The woman wasn’t tapping a drum or a bell—it was the castanets.

Without a word, Aile and I slowly stood up and began inching away from the woman. With every step we took, she followed, keeping pace.

"Are you running because you think I can’t see you? You think I’m blind, don’t you? Well, I hate to disappoint you, but… I’m afraid you won’t be able to escape. You see…"

Tap.
Tap.
Tap.

Clicking the castanets a few more times, she pointed at her ears.

"My ears are quite sharp, and besides─ I’m not completely blind."

The woman opened her eyes, revealing clouded, pale irises that still held a faint bluish tint, indicating that they weren’t entirely sightless.

Seeing her eyes, I cautiously asked.

"What’s your relationship with Levi-tan?"

"A friend… or perhaps a colleague."

"I can’t guide someone I don’t—"

Just as I was about to finish speaking, the world flashed brightly.

There was a loud crackle, and before I knew it, Aile had transformed into a magical girl, standing between me and the woman. Glancing over, I saw that the woman was now holding a katana, though I hadn’t even seen her draw it.

"Oh… I didn’t expect you to block that."

"Who are you, really?"

"As I said before, I’m Levi-tan’s colleague."

No way. Knowing Levi-tan's history, I couldn’t help but laugh. Levi-tan had no family, no friends. She had barely anyone she knew outside of the Evil Organization and her former colleagues in the police force.

For someone to suddenly claim to be her colleague? Absurd.

"If you really wanted to know about Levi-tan, you shouldn’t have attacked first. Did you think we’d just tell you everything after that?"

"Normally, yes. People usually talk once you hold a sword to their throat."

"…Well, I suppose that’s true."

After clearing my throat, I glanced over at the hotel. The distance wasn’t too far. Were the other executives still drinking? Probably. When we had left, the party had only just begun.

That meant it was possible. I began fiddling with my wristwatch as I stepped past Aile.

"You want to meet Levi-tan?"

"Yes. Will you let me?"

"Sure. But…"

You won’t just be meeting Levi-tan.

"Evil Organization…"

Assemble.

At that command, a loud sound erupted from my wristwatch, accompanied by blinding light. Aile’s wristwatch reacted similarly, as both devices let out a blaring signal. The windows of the hotel shattered, and a giant figure leapt through.

Boom! The tiger beastman, Garm, landed on the beach with a thud, followed by Arima and Levi-tan emerging from a portal behind him.

"What’s going on, Scientist?"

"─Wow, what’s this all about? Getting summoned by Eight, ♠"

"If you could teleport, you should’ve brought Garm along too."

"He decided to jump."

And so, the executives of the Evil Organization were gathered together. As I’ve mentioned before, this group could easily topple an entire city. There was no real fear of any opponent.

"Ah! Scientist! She’s running away!"

"What?"

"I’ll chase her!"

But the mysterious blind swordswoman had already begun fleeing the moment Garm appeared. Aile and Garm sprinted after her while the rest of us headed back to the safety of the hotel.

Once we returned, I turned to Levi-tan.

It seemed she had a few thoughts about the woman who had just visited. She began mumbling to herself.

"…It couldn’t be. No way, right?"

"Could you say that out loud? If you know something, please share."

"…She’s an old colleague."

"A colleague? Levi-tan, where were you before you joined the Evil Organization?"

"Well─ she’s more like an old friend from the lab."

Levi-tan smiled bitterly, staring at the spot where the woman had stood.

There was a mix of nostalgia and surprise in that smile.