It pains me too, though.
At any rate, worry not!
I stand close by─camouflaging myself─and let out a smirk.
All according to plan!
Yep, he may be a crook, but I’m not one to slip someone a pill that’ll turn them into a devil─needless to mention it’s an inhumane thing to do. I can’t say I’d never do such a thing, but it’ll never happen when Char is involved.
The pill that entered Mr. Flasher’s mouth was teleported away to mystery space-time with my Barrier magic. At the same time, I conked him out.
After that, I made the best use of my funny and nifty Barrier magic to dramatize his monster transformation, voice included.
In other words, he’s tucked inside a giant full-body costume.
The coat he was wearing couldn’t handle the bloating and tore away. The gold card, which was stuck on the inside of it, is now fluttering through the air.
Isn’t that weird considering the card should be made of metal, you say? I’ll have to ask you to please keep your thoughts to yourself.
“Hah! All mine!”
Miss Female-Agent─who must’ve been eyeing the card the whole time─snatches it with glee.
Couldn’t you be a little more discreet?
“Looks like I win again. Why don’t you girls have some playtime with that thing?”
The devil woman Vari lets out a triumphant laugh as she soars high into the sky and disappears.
…None of which Char and the girls were able to see or hear. I made sure to arrange that. Specifically, the part where Vari catches the card and claims victory.
Moving on.
Now that the Devil Lord’s pawn is out of the picture… It’s my turn. I summon “Entertain Char with all my might.”
Do not dismiss my efforts as mere buffoonery.
If I’m doing this, I’m going to be completely serious.
My keen sister will definitely see through my illusions if I try to cut any corners.
From here on out, it’s an epic showdown between brother and sister.
It goes without saying that safety will be accounted for. And go!
Just as I psych myself up, three shadows come racing out of the fog into view.
“Don’t just start running so suddenly!─Whoa, what the heck?!” exclaims one of them.
The first one to arrive is Laius, followed by Iris and my big sister Marianne. They’re bewildered at the sight of the octopus monster.
Char answers from overhead, “I will elaborate later, but for now, that’s Mr. Indecent Flasher who was turned into a monster by the devil lady’s drug.”
“Wuh…” The three newcomers look like they have a lot of questions.
In any case, standing before them is an opponent they must contend with. And in order to get them to acknowledge that fact, I buckle down and puppet the octopus monster.
Spwee!
The monster spurts out black ink from his mouth.
“Ack! Watch out!” calls out Laius.
The liquid hits the ground and melts away the surface with a sizzling sound.
Immediately following the liquid attack is a barrage of tentacle whips.
Fwoo-whoosh!
Its squishy octo-arms lash out in big waves at Laius.
“Me again?!”
Oh no. I’m so focused on Char and the girls’ safety that I end up targeting Laius every time.
“What’re we gonna do?! He might be a human on the inside, but we’re gonna have to defeat him!”
“Uh-rrrh…” whimpers Char.
He may be a bad guy, but all of his criminal attempts failed. He didn’t actually do anything to warrant paying with his life. It’s no wonder the kind-hearted Char doesn’t want to harm him.
Now I feel kind of bad!
I gotta put a stop to all this. Seeing Char grieve is the biggest blow for me.
‘…Cure… Love Cure…’
Char looks up. “Huh?! I heard a voice just now…directly in my head…? No─this is…my own memory?”
‘Tiny Love Cure…episode twenty-seven…’
“Episode twenty-seven…? Oh─you don’t mean…!”
Charlotte raises her magic wand high over her head.
“Everyone, please stand back!”
The wand begins to sparkle and glow.
“Source of evil, reveal yourself! Marvelous Pretty Darkness Shower!”
The blinding ray turns to pitch black mist and envelopes the octopus monster.
“I see it! Right there!” she exclaims.
The black mist clings around the monster, and a faint red light illuminates the center of its chest.
A blackish-red crystalline object emerges.
“Now!”
Char spins around once and, again, raises her magic wand into the sky.
“I’ll send you to the heavens Marvelous Pretty Love and Peace Death Explosion!”
A streak of light shoots out of the magical item and fires straight for the octopus monster, hitting the red crystal on its chest.
“Gr-Groaaaaah!”
The prism splinters to pieces.
The monster continues to wail.
You can do it! Char’s expression seems to cheer him on. In contrast to her youthful complexion, her expression is that of a loving mother’s. My dear little sister is just too damn adorable!
And soon enough…
Whoosh!
The octopus is wrapped in pure white light, which soon flurries away and disappears into thin air.
“A…auh…”
The flasher─formerly known as the octopus monster─collapses to the ground. His coat was ripped to shreds, but he’s wearing clothes underneath, so there’s no need to censor him with Mystery Light.
“Huh?” ponders Iris. “I thought his body expanded when he transformed. Why are his clothes intact?”
Please stop with your unnecessary comments, Iris.
“So it’s over, right?” says Laius. “Where’s the card? Did we lose this round?”
Oops, almost forgot.
He’s useful sometimes.
“Over there!” Marianne is keen to spot the single card drifting in the breeze.
A card made of metal is floating in the wind─how strange. (Second time mentioning it today.)
Char flies over to the card and catches it.
“Thank you for the hint, Brother Haruto…”
Hm, so she caught on.
But she hasn’t figured out that I staged it from beginning to end… Has she?
Setting that aside, Mr. Flasher will be turned in to the authorities. That concludes this round without any problems. But…
“What the heck is she doing now?” I turn my attention to a different surveillance monitor from the one Char is displayed on.
Queen Gizelotte AKA the Devil Lord Lucifyra.
She bolted out of the capital─without even waiting for Vari to return─and now she’s heading deep into the eastern mountains. There stands…
“Grr…”
…it’s hard to see in the dark, but a very large something.