"Ugh..."
My neck hurt.
It felt like Shiroko-senpai had broken it again.
Last time she broke it just because she smelled a girl's scent on me, please. I really wish she'd stop.
That's why I don't come to school often and stay at the shop. Well, there are other reasons, too.
"Enemy on the right over there!"
"Rear support has arrived!"
The voices of Sensei and Ayane reached Yami's ears.
Listening to their conversation, it seemed like those guys trying to attack Abydos were at it again. And to stop them, Sensei and the senpais had gone together.
"...Sensei."
"Yami?! Since when?!"
[Sensei, enemies appearing upfront!]
"Oh?! Shiroko! Enemies will appear ahead! Get ready!"
"You seem busy."
"Sorry!"
"It's alright. But I do have one question. Do you happen to know where the enemy's base is?"
"Hmm? Just a moment. Arona!"
[Found it! They're all gathered in a nearby abandoned factory! I'll show you the location!]
A map appeared on the tablet Sensei was using, marking the location with a red dot.
"Here it is...but Yami, what do you need to know this for?"
"You don't need to know, Sensei. Well then, I'll be going."
Saying something cryptic, Yami left the school.
"Just let him go." Ayane, who is with Han Seol-guk, said.
"Are you sure?"
"It's fine. Yami isn't weak enough to get beaten up anywhere he goes."
"...That's true."
Recalling how he had dealt with the Helmet Gang with a grenade, Han Seol-guk couldn't help but agree with Ayane's words.
"And this is a warning. Please don't approach Yami too casually."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Han Seol-guk didn't understand Ayane's words.
Don't approach him casually? For someone with the job as the Sensei, that was impossible.
"You see, Yami...despises adults to an extreme degree." Ayane said with a serious look in her eyes.
"Enough to kill them by mistake if things go wrong."
***
"Hmm... this must be the place."
Yami stood before the abandoned factory.
"Alright. Come on out, Shiro and Kuro."
Let's blow up a building after a long while~ He threw the figures he held in his hand onto the ground.
Now they should grow and the original Shiro and Kuro would appear.
....
Several minutes passed like that.
"...Huh?"
What the heck? Why aren't they transforming?
Thinking they might be sulking, Yami approached the figures, observed them closely, and his eyes widened.
"...These are toys... And they're ones I made to look like them..."
This... could it be...
Memories started replaying in his head.
'Of course! I made those myself! Their names are Shiro and Kuro.'
No way...
'Oh, since you're my first customer, I'll give them to you as a service. They're easy to make.'
...Damn it!
"You stupid idiot?! How could you mistake the real thing for a fake?!"
Seriously, how could I have mistaken them?! Am I an imbecile?!
"Aargh!!! What do I do...!! They're uncontrollable without me?!"
Especially Kuro is dangerous! Shiro just came out recently, so she probably won't be bored, but Kuro hasn't been out for several days already?!
"No... there's still a chance...!! I just need to find that person, say sorry, tell them those were fakes, and switch them back!!"
But how do I find that maid again?! Millennium is huge!
"Ugh... I should have just made a location tracker for her!!"
I'm ruined... I'm completely ruined!!
Because of his idiotic past actions, Yami flopped down in the sand.
"Alright!!! Everyone, advance!!! Let's make that school ours right now!!"
"""WOOOOOAH!!!!!"""
Just then, the door of the abandoned factory opened, and the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang inside appeared.
"Haaah..."
At the sight, Yami got up.
"Can't be helped... I'll think about the Shiro-Kuro situation later. For now, I have to deal with what's in front of me."
He pulled out another figure from his bundle.
"Alright. You've got a mountain of audience waiting for you."
So, come out.
GOZ.
Meow~!? (Where is the audience?!)
Behind him, a cat's meow was heard along with the sound of a train.
"Over there."
Meow!! (Oh my gosh!! These are all people who came to see my show!)
"Yeah. You haven't been out in a while, similar to Kuro, right? So, give the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang over there a show."
The best show of their lives.
Mrowrr~!! (Of course!)
The show must go on!
At the Kata-Kata Helmet Gang's hideout, the abandoned factory.
The Great Cat Magician's grand performance began.