On the crowded, traffic filled street, the masked blonde fox eared girl led the way in silence, walking with the kind of confidence that suggested she did not fear me running or calling for help.
Naturally, I had no intention of escaping, at least not before meeting the mastermind.
Everything so far was unfolding exactly as I had predicted.
Izuna had been deliberately released as bait by that person, solely to create a chance to isolate me and send someone to take me away.
I had originally prepared for Shizuko, Mimori, and the others to arrive in time to intervene, but since I had given up extracting information from Izuna, the only method left was to play along and take the risk myself.
Was this also part of the enemy's calculations
My curiosity about their identity grew stronger.
Out of boredom, fueled by curiosity, I shifted my attention to the back of the girl who had been sent to abduct me.
She had fox ears, but unlike Niko or Izuna, she had no fox tail behind her, which was a bit disappointing.
Still, her hair reached all the way down to her ankles, and near the ends she had tied a large yellow bow.
The tips of her hair transitioned from pale gold to a deeper shade, and the strands puffed slightly in the middle before narrowing, the swaying motion making them resemble a fox tail as she walked.
What would it feel like to touch
If she was one of the Street Mouryo's delinquents… forcing a couple of pats probably wouldn't be an issue, right
Just as my hands grew eager, the scenery around us gradually changed from lively to deserted.
We had already left the festival grounds, where crowds were dense, and were now heading toward the outskirts.
…Surely the Hyakkiyako Alliance didn't have some Abydos Desert equivalent where even signals died, right
I wasn't too worried about my personal safety. Setting aside the fact that my identity alone would make them hesitate, the Shittim Chest still had a full charge. If we entered a no signal zone or if they tried to take my devices, Arona would send a distress signal. I would be able to hold out until help arrived.
And if all else failed, I could burn through my life energy.
Even so, I would prefer things not reach that point.
Fortunately, my worry did not last long. The fox eared girl soon stopped in front of a teahouse, glanced back at me, gave a small nod for me to follow, then stepped through the entrance.
I followed her inside, quietly surveying the surroundings.
The atmosphere was serene, and there were few customers. There were many private rooms, making it a suitable place for secret discussions.
Finally, she stopped before one of the private rooms and bowed politely.
"Thank you for coming. That person is inside."
Her composed behavior did not resemble a delinquent at all. But that was not surprising. Someone targeting the Cherry Blossom Festival would surely have trustworthy subordinates nearby.
Before she could knock to announce us, a playful voice called from inside.
"Niha∼ you're finally back∼ Come in, come in∼"
The girl slid the door open, and as the guest, I stepped inside first. Immediately, a graceful figure approached with overflowing enthusiasm, circling around me without restraint and inspecting me from all sides.
Before paying attention to the one who had invited me here and was likely the culprit, what surprised me most was the absence of anyone from the Street Mouryo.
Only then did I shift my focus to the person in front of me.
"Ara ara ara∼ hm, hoh… mmh mmh."
She made a series of thoughtful noises while examining me, then stepped back and commented with a cheerful grin.
"Your face is exactly my type. Or rather, right in the strike zone… no wait, maybe that actually makes it a foul ball."
In response, I also evaluated her appearance with sincerity.
"Heh, well, that first half applies both ways. But the second half, I'd say the exact opposite."
She had short black hair, eyes narrowed as if she were always smiling, and a confident, mysterious grin fixed on her face.
Two red and yellow gradient horns protruded from her head, though the left one was broken halfway up and held two metal rings. Her earrings matched in material.
Her features were lovely, with two small beauty marks below her left eye. Combined with her smile, they lent a mischievous allure.
She had a full figure and pale skin, dressed in a sleeveless wide sleeved kimono. Her right hand, which held a folding fan, wore a black silk arm sleeve. Her right leg was clad in a thigh squeezing open toed white stocking. Her left arm and leg were bare except for a short open toed sock, creating a striking asymmetry.
But the most eye catching detail was her black nail polish, a bold contrast against her pale skin.
If she weren't an enemy, I really would have liked to taste that nail polish.
…Still, before she was my enemy, she was also a student, wasn't she
In that case, even if she was an enemy now, imagining future possibilities shouldn't be off limits, right
Then, what would the flavor difference be between nail polish on top versus nail polish on the bottom
"Niha∼ quite the smooth talker, aren't you∼ But flattery won't make me happy, you know? Hmm∼ That's minus points."
The horned girl opened her fan to hide her laughing mouth. Her narrow eyes opened slightly, revealing yellow pupils.
"That said… well, you're certainly interesting."
"Niya-sama, that was rude," came the voice of my guide, the fox eared girl, from beside me.
I turned. She had already removed her mask.
Her long side bangs covered part of her right eye. Her brows were thick bean shaped strokes, her eyes gold, with red shadow at the corners.
A beauty mark rested at the edge of her lip, fitting her striking beauty perfectly.
At that moment, I suddenly felt that even if they had ordered the Street Mouryo to sabotage the festival, they were still my students. I had a responsibility to guide them back.
Of course, before that, I would never allow their plot to succeed.
"Niha, Kaho is the same rigid girl as always."
The girl called Niya-sama closed her fan, straightened her posture slightly, and cleared her throat.
"Ahem. Then, allow me to introduce myself…"
I waved a hand dismissively.
"Do not underestimate my information network. You're the Smug Professor, aren't you"
With a name like Niya, it was clearly Professor Niyaniya. Always smiling, too. If you're going to make up an alias, at least put some effort into it.
Before the still speechless Niya could respond, Kaho spoke up in surprise.
"Sensei, what are you talking about This is the President of our Yin-Yang Club."
…What?
The Yin-Yang Club?
A shocking truth struck me, and in that moment I realized that I had misunderstood everything from the very beginning.