After finishing treating Inori's arm, she used the gauze from the first-aid kit to wrap it with reasonably practiced skill.
But it wasn't over yet.
The injury on Inori's arm wasn't her only wound. It simply needed priority treatment, because the wound had already become infected. If she didn't hurry, it might threaten the entire arm. Fortunately...under the healing effect of the Mark of Electro, the redness and swelling around the wound were gradually subsiding. A scar still remained, but it would close over time.
Next, she needed to deal with the internal bruising caused by the impact.
Her palm, still glowing faintly with purple light, gently pressed against the girl's exposed lower abdomen—Inori had lifted her nightgown slightly. The violet glow spread slowly across her body.
"Mmyaa~"
Feeling the warmth of Mio's palm against her stomach, Inori couldn't help letting out a soft, adorable moan.
"Could you...not make strange noises like that?"
Hearing the ambiguous tone from the girl beneath her, Mio complained faintly.
"Because...Mio's hand is touching everywhere. It's a little...ticklish."
Inori bit her lip slightly, her cherry-red eyes misted and unfocused. Under the sensation of being touched, she explained in halting phrases. But the way she phrased it sounded...very wrong.
"That description is a bit...haa...never mind. There's nothing I can do about it. You were the one who got hurt..."
Mio responded with forced indifference.
To make it more convenient, she shifted forward and directly climbed onto Inori's thighs, straddling her waist so she could press more steadily against her abdomen.
"...Bear with it. It'll be over soon."
She instructed the girl beneath her.
"...Mio is pretty heavy."
Lying below, Inori felt the weight on her legs and teasingly remarked.
"Shut up..."
Mio's face darkened.
"Mm...Mio, you're bullying me."
A faint trace of grievance appeared on Inori's otherwise expressionless face. Her voice was soft and tender, like a kitten scratching at Mio's heart.
"You were the one who commented on my weight first, weren't you?"
This girl had really changed a lot over the past year. Who knew who she'd learned it from? Beneath that blank expression, who knew what she was thinking?
"..."
After that, Inori fell silent, obediently lying on the bed while Mio continued the treatment. During the process, her gaze never once shifted away from Mio's lowered face. She stared in quiet distraction.
"Am I...really that heavy?"
Suddenly hearing the question from above, Inori snapped back to herself. She saw a complicated expression on Mio's face.
Perhaps she truly cared about such things.
"No. That was a joke."
Inori shook her head honestly.
Smack~
The next second, Mio slapped her lightly on the thigh—though not that lightly. A red handprint immediately bloomed across her pale skin.
"...It hurts."
Inori said blankly.
"Serves you right."
The Shogun added mercilessly.
"Mio..."
"What?"
"...Are you angry?"
The girl asked cautiously.
"No...just rest. Stop talking to me. Go to sleep...your injuries will be much better tomorrow."
Mio answered with exasperation.
"..."
But there was no reply.
Confused, she looked down and discovered that Inori had already closed her eyes, breathing steadily in deep sleep.
She fell asleep so fast...
No...is it because the healing took effect?
Looking at the purple glow that had spread fully across her body, Mio couldn't help smiling faintly. It seemed the treatment was working.
Then sleep well...Inori.
Several hours later, she glanced at the wall clock.
It was nearly five in the morning.
A faint trace of dawn had begun to seep into the sky.
Lowering her gaze, she injected the last trace of violet light into the girl's body before withdrawing her hand. She climbed off her, pulled the blanket back over her properly, and switched off the bedroom light.
Then she dove into the bed herself, lying on her side and resting one arm over Inori's covered body.
As exhaustion overtook her, she slowly closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.
...
The next day—
"Mm..."
Inori woke around noon, her eyes still hazy. Instinctively, she tensed and scanned her surroundings, only relaxing after recognizing her home.
Recalling yesterday's events made her brows furrow slightly. But after a full night's sleep, her body felt much better. The dizziness from blood loss had disappeared, and the pain was mostly gone.
She pushed aside the blanket and slowly sat up. As her vision cleared, she instinctively looked at her arm. The wound had been wrapped in clean gauze, the blood washed away. It still hurt a little, though.
Thanks to Mio...
"Mio..."
As soon as she thought of her, she turned to look beside her.
The beautiful woman who had treated her all night was now sleeping at her side. One hand still held the back of her hand, while the other rested atop the blanket. Her long violet hair spread across the sheets like flowing water. Her exquisite face looked breathtakingly serene.
Inori gently brushed her cheek before getting out of bed quietly.
Her bare feet touched the floor as she stood and walked to the window, pulling the curtains open slightly before sliding the window open to let the morning air into the room. The breeze lifted her long hair.
"Haa..."
She exhaled softly before heading into the bathroom.
After a quick shower, washing away the sweat from the previous night, Inori returned wrapped in a bathrobe. She casually turned on the laptop resting on the low table. By the time it finished booting up, she had already changed clothes.
She wore a black gothic-style spaghetti-strap dress adorned with red ribbon accents. The light skirt fell to mid-thigh, and white lace peeked from beneath the black hem.
After putting on the dress, she sat gently at the edge of the bed where the Shogun still slept. Crossing one leg over the other, she slipped a white thigh-high stocking over her delicate toes, slowly drawing it up along her smooth leg. The fabric clung perfectly to her long, slender thighs. As her foot arched slightly, it looked even more alluring. Her toes stretched the stocking tip taut before she adjusted it snugly into place.
She dressed the other leg the same way.
Once finished, she picked up the small robot on the floor—Fyu-Neru—and sat on the cushion before the low table, placing it on her lap. She began operating the projected computer interface, entering anti-tracking mode.
After accessing the management system and activating surveillance footage from a specific area, she saw something.
"...!"
Her pupils shrank slightly.
On the screen, under a concealed camera angle, numerous GHQ soldiers were analyzing the blood traces she had left behind during her escape.
Zzzzt~
Her fingertip swiped across the screen, zooming in. Though the image was unclear, she could distinctly see her own photograph displayed on their monitor.
"...I've been discovered."
She bit her lip and murmured.
Zzt~?
Fyu-Neru tilted its little mechanical head cutely on her lap.
"..."
She lowered her gaze to meet its optical sensor before looking back at the screen.
GHQ was following the trail of blood she had deliberately tried to conceal. Soon, they would trace it here.
To their home.
She felt regret.
Why had she come back last night?
Just because she didn't want Mio to wait all night?
The mission had been more important...
She wasn't someone oblivious to herself. She knew she had changed. She was no longer a rigid person who existed only for missions.
Watching the GHQ unit advance along the hidden route she had chosen, her heart slowly sank.
No.
She couldn't let them discover this place.
Absolutely not.
Because this was her home.
Her second precious refuge, besides Funeral Parlor.
"I have to lure them away."
She murmured.
Zzt~?
Fyu-Neru clearly didn't want her to go. It raised its tiny steel claw and tugged at her clothes.
"...I have to go."
She whispered again and stood up.
Swish~
The robot dangling from her clothes was lifted into the air and swayed slightly. Seeing this, Inori gently pried its little hand free and placed it on the bedside.
"Fyu-Neru, stay here. Stay with Mio. Protect the medicine."
She instructed softly.
She didn't intend to bring the gene medicine with her.
After all, that was the true objective of this mission—and what GHQ was trying to seize.
She had to hide it properly.
There could be no mistakes.
"..." (nod)
Fyu-Neru finally compromised and nodded, its large head swaying back and forth.
Seeing that, Inori nodded as well and directly closed the laptop. She pressed a concealed button beneath the low table.
Bzzz~
The next second, a small drawer popped out from the base of the bed. She took out a transmitter, held it in her hand for a moment, then pushed the drawer back in.
Now that GHQ had already traced her movements, if she didn't leave, they would soon attack this place. That would be disastrous. So she had to lure them away—draw the tiger from the mountain.
Click...
From the tattered combat suit she had removed earlier, she retrieved the terminal that had been soaked with water. She unfolded it and searched for a signal.
Zzt zzt~
Nothing but static.
As expected...it was unusable now.
"Haa..."
She let out a soft sigh, tucked it into her waist pouch, glanced toward the entrance, then cast one more reluctant look at the woman sleeping on the bed.
Her lips pressed together lightly.
She turned back and walked over again, sitting gently on the edge of the bed.
The other woman slept deeply, bathed in the afternoon sunlight, looking calm and radiant.
Hoo...
The next second, Inori leaned closer, gently pressing her forehead against the violet-haired beauty's and rubbing softly.
"I'm sorry...Mio. I can't drag you into this. This is my problem. Take care of yourself..."
She whispered near her face.
Then she leaned closer to those alluring lips.
Chu~
She placed a light kiss at the corner of Mio's mouth.
"I'm heading out...Mio."
After saying that softly, she stood up slowly. Under Fyu-Neru's watchful gaze, she walked to the entrance.
Her white-stockinged feet slipped into the calf-high boots that matched her outfit. The snug boot shafts wrapped around her slender calves perfectly, and with the added height of the heels, her 165-centimeter figure looked tall and graceful.
She opened the door and took one last look at the room.
In the end, she averted her gaze and stepped out.
Click!
The door shut firmly behind her.
Once outside, the first thing Inori did was walk to a street corner. She placed the malfunctioning terminal on the ground and crushed it beneath her foot with a sharp crack, then tossed the broken remains into a nearby storm drain.
After that, she pulled a folding knife from her waist and walked to where last night's blood trail had ended. She pointed the blade toward her other, uninjured arm.
"..."
Her hand trembled for a moment.
Then she clenched her teeth.
Slash!
She cut into her arm again.
Fresh blood dripped onto the interrupted trail, extending the crimson line once more.
Pressing a hand against the bleeding wound, she stored the knife back in her pouch and jogged toward the Tennouzu campus.
Along the way, she deliberately chose narrow, hidden paths and sharp corners to move through, trying to avoid arousing suspicion from the GHQ soldiers following the blood trail.
Of course, she couldn't guarantee they wouldn't test every single drop. If they did, it would be easy to tell the later blood was freshly drawn.
All she could do was gamble.
Gamble that they would simply follow the trail.
Several hours later—
The sky was already nearing dusk...
Clack!
After squeezing through a gap in the fence, Inori finally arrived at the auxiliary grounds of Tennouzu High School—an abandoned university facility considered a restricted zone.
Though a sign read "No Entry. Violators Will Be Prosecuted Under Japanese Law," there was barely any guard presence. The place had long since been abandoned. Even if someone entered, no one cared. Over time, it had become an area students occasionally explored out of curiosity.
More importantly, it was the perfect location to lure her enemies.
Dragging her bleeding arm, she quickly entered an abandoned warehouse.
She stopped in the center where sunlight streamed down, glancing around.
Dust-covered cardboard boxes and electrical components were scattered everywhere. A metal staircase led up to a second-floor platform. Directly ahead stood a desk with a computer on top. Strangely, the desk surface wasn't very dusty—in fact, it showed signs of recent use.
"...This will do."
She murmured softly.
Lowering her gaze to the blood on her arm, the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
(Come and catch me. Whatever you want, bring it to me... Just don't destroy my home. Don't hurt my family.)
Rustle~
Her legs slowly gave out beneath her as she sank down onto the concrete floor, where small tufts of grass had begun to grow through the cracks.
Tilting her head back, she looked at the golden light filtering in through the broken windows.
Then she parted her lips and began to sing her song—"Euterpe."
"Blooming wildflowers..."
"(Ah...please, tell me...)"
"Why do people hurt each other and fight?"
Her voice echoed through the entire warehouse—ethereal and gentle, flowing like a warm current.
Bathed in golden light, the beautiful girl looked like a goddess descended from heaven.
From a distance, a brown-haired boy stood frozen, utterly captivated.
In that instant, time seemed to stop.
There was only him and the girl illuminated by light.
Her face, her voice, her perfect figure—all engraved themselves into his young, awakening heart.
"Oh flower blooming with dignity..."
He knew this song.
"What do you see from there?"
He knew this voice as well.
"Why can't people forgive one another?"
And this person—
He knew her all too well.
Miss Inori...?
Tap tap...
The boy, lost in a daze, stepped forward unconsciously.
Unfortunately, he kicked an empty can lying on the floor.
Clang!!
The harsh noise shattered the silence.
"Ah!"
Ironically, he was the one who startled himself, letting out an awkward cry.
"...?"
Inori's singing stopped instantly.
She slowly turned her head toward the sound and saw a boy wearing the Tennouzu school uniform, standing there flustered.
"Th-That! I'm not—"
Seeing her look at him, the boy's face flushed red as he hurried to explain.
"...GHQ?"
Inori suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
He froze, not understanding.
GHQ?
Did she just say GHQ?
He thought in confusion.
"...Here to catch me?"
She tilted her head slightly and asked again, expressionless. Her tone was simple, her voice gentle, as though she were discussing something trivial.
"Huh? No, I—"
"If not, then you'd better leave."
She cut him off again, calmly advising him.
"...Why? Um—are you hurt?! Are you okay?"
The boy noticed the blood on her arm and stepped forward worriedly.
"..."
Inori quietly studied him for a moment with calm eyes.
Then she slowly stood up, releasing her grip on the wound and casually brushing dust off her clothes.
She turned and began walking toward the other side.
"...I'm not hurt."
She said flatly while walking away.
"H-How can you not be? Your arm is bleeding...it looks serious, doesn't it?"
The boy smiled helplessly.
"Is it..."
She replied perfunctorily.
"Uh..."
He felt awkward again.
"London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down..."
Ignoring him entirely, Inori began singing another song as she stepped lightly toward the stairs.
"Um...excuse me, you're...Miss Inori, right?"
The boy followed, unwilling to give up.
"The lead singer of EGOIST...Miss Inori."
"London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady..."
She still didn't answer, continuing her song.
"Uh..."
He felt discouraged once more.
"Name?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the girl in front of him spoke.
"Name?"
Inori finally stopped, turning slightly to look at him and repeating the question succinctly.
"Ah...my name is Shu Ouma. I'm a student at Tennouzu."
The boy named Shu Ouma answered immediately, delighted.
"Shu..."
Inori softly repeated his name.
Her voice was gentle like water, and it felt as though his heart melted.
"///!"
Shu's face flushed instantly, his heart pounding wildly.
"W-Why are you in a place like this, Miss Inori? And your injury, is it really okay? How—"
He fired off several questions in one breath.
"...Shu."
"Y-Yes!"
He snapped upright reflexively.
"Leave this place."
She said.
"Huh?"
"Someone will be coming to catch me soon. If you don't want to get dragged into it, leave."
"Who's coming to catch—"
"GHQ."
Every time, she cut him off before he could finish.
"!"
Even so, Shu saw no trace of panic on her face.
Not even a flicker of change.
It was as though she were stating something completely insignificant.
"Why would—why would Miss Inori—"
"Even if you stayed here, in that situation, with your personality, you wouldn't be able to do anything. So...leave."
She advised once more.
"!!"
Those words struck directly at Shu Ouma's heart, leaving him momentarily stunned.