Haimi prowled through the world bathed in crimson moonlight.
The scarlet glow illuminated quiet streets. She passed by windows, catching glimpses of peaceful faces sleeping in their rooms. After a brief pause, she quickened her pace.
Even though Shoko was no longer here, their operations carried on as if nothing had changed. All thanks to their control-freak "BOSS," who'd mapped out a meticulous plan stretching a full month ahead. Every step, every human to capture, every countermeasure against Little Ace's crew—it was all laid out, clear as day. The others didn't need to question it; they just followed orders.
But now, the plan had hit a snag.
Shoko, practically invincible in this world, had been taken down and needed time to recover. Problem was, her plan didn't account for this. A day or two? Fine. But drag it out, and cracks were bound to show.
In a normal organization, a second-in-command would step up to keep things from falling apart. Unfortunately, the Vesper Carnival wasn't a normal organization. It was Shoko's one-woman show.
It couldn't be helped. Only Shoko could truly command the demon "Nanna." Everyone else just borrowed scraps of her power. Shoko was tethered to this world, unable to leave, so Haimi and the others were merely her proxies, not real partners.
If they had to pick a temporary leader, it'd probably be Mutsu Wakaba—Shoko's childhood friend, her most trusted ally, and the first to join. But, well…
Haimi arrived at the aquarium again. Unlike last time, it was Mutsu standing there, silently gazing up at the red moon.
"Still no response from 'Oblivion'?" Haimi asked, pausing at the entrance.
"…Mm."
Mutsu's voice was so soft that, in a less quiet place, it might've gone unheard. And that was exactly why she couldn't take charge.
Mutsu barely spoke on her own and rarely shared her thoughts. She was like a soulless puppet.
What about the third-in-command, then?
"What about 'Doloris'?" Haimi pressed.
"She's still sleeping," Mutsu replied, her gaze dropping to the glass wall behind her. Beyond it, in the dim depths of the pool, a faint figure curled up under the moonlight, floating motionless.
That was the Carnival's third-in-command, Hatsuka Misumi—the third to join and another of Shoko's childhood friends. Haimi vaguely knew she'd once been part of a popular idol group, but they'd hardly spoken. Hatsuka spent most of her time in a deep sleep to wield her powers, rarely waking.
So, with Shoko down, the only ones left who could think for themselves were two outer-circle members with zero authority.
A total mess.
A clear voice rippled through the air, stirring the water's surface above. "I'm listening."
Hatsuka, still unmoving in the pool, projected her voice. "Per the plan, I'm up next to handle the target. Prep's almost done."
Haimi studied the shadowy figure, then asked after a pause, "About the current situation—"
"Just stick to the plan," Hatsuka's voice cut in. "She'll wake up."
She, too, followed Shoko's lead without question. Haimi sighed inwardly, narrowing her eyes. "Got it."
Fine. No need to rush. Bringing the next target into this world might even speed up Shoko's recovery.
And as long as Shoko was around, that "Little Ace" punk wouldn't win. Riki would stay safe—for now.
Haimi turned to leave. But as she stepped out of the aquarium, she spotted a figure in the plaza and frowned.
"Love." Haimi didn't know her real name, only that she still ran a video channel called "MeowDream" and was the only member who hadn't fully ditched her real-world identity.
She looked about twenty, with short purple hair, a tall frame, and pinkish-purple eyes that seemed to speak on their own. Spotting Haimi, she called out, "So, how'd it go?"
Haimi knew her actions were transparent, so she didn't bother hiding anything. "We keep following the plan."
Unlike the core trio who'd known each other forever, Haimi and MeowDream had only met after joining the Carnival. That naturally bred distance and distrust, so they didn't chat much outside of missions.
But now, with Mutsu and Hatsuka paralyzed by Shoko's absence, Haimi and MeowDream were—ironically—the only ones each could rely on.
"Ugh, what a mess," MeowDream said with a cheeky grin, not looking all that worried.
"What's your plan?" Haimi asked bluntly. As someone equally uneasy about the situation, she wanted MeowDream's take.
"Keep going, duh," MeowDream replied, shrugging like a failed plan was no big deal. "If it works, great. If it flops, I'll jump ship. That's just how it is in the real world."
That hit home for Haimi. Like Shoko once said, she and Haimi didn't share the same goals—they'd just teamed up to get what they each wanted.
It wasn't a bond built to last. Haimi had no real reason to stick around. The only thing keeping her here was the lack of a better option.
Noticing Haimi's thoughtful silence, MeowDream brushed her lips and asked, "Speaking of, 'Sorrow.' Why'd you join up?"
"Does it matter?" Haimi shot back coolly.
"When one ally goes down, you find a new one, right?" MeowDream's eyes narrowed, her tone almost seductive. "Can't work together if you don't know what the other wants~"
Haimi ignored the bait. "Two ants on the same rope still can't topple a tree."
MeowDream didn't know, but Haimi's goal had always been singular: take down Little Ace, the one who'd ensnared Riki. She'd only joined Shoko because Shoko had the power and needed proxies.
But if Shoko was out of the picture… what tree could Haimi lean on?
Would someone with that kind of power, unbound like Shoko, even need Haimi's help?
For now, Yahami Haimi had no answers.
Looks like I dropped the ball again today. Sorry, everyone…
Two days left to hit the promised triple update. Hope I can pull it off soon.
(Chapter End)