Her full name was Lala Satalin Deviluke. "Lala" was just for convenience.
And her two sisters are called Momo Belia and Nana Astar. Right now, they've made a small adjustment and slipped into the student records. Anyone unfamiliar with them really wouldn't notice their simple disguise.
"I'm not sure exactly when they arrived either, but since these two records showed up in Komachi's school, they probably wanted to give you a surprise."
Iris smiled and shook her head. At first, she hadn't noticed either, but as more and more factions started paying attention to Sobu High, and more groups wanted to send people into Komachi's school, she had someone check through the transfer student records.
That investigation turned up quite a lot, including Momo and Nana, Lala's two sisters.
Even though they were disguised, their resemblance to Lala was still very high. Anyone familiar with Lala would instinctively connect the two just by looking at them.
"Seriously… I haven't been able to reach them lately. I thought they ran into some danger. Turns out they're already on Earth. I'm messaging them right now and telling them to come over!"
Lala clearly didn't care about any surprise. She immediately wanted to call the two little troublemakers over for a scolding.
"Wait, Lala, don't rush. Let's see what they're planning first. If you call them over now, the club president doesn't even have time to deal with them."
Iris quickly pulled Lala back to stop her from ruining Momo and Nana's plan.
She didn't know what the plan was either, but the fact that they hid their identities and joined Komachi's school definitely meant they had their own intentions.
"Fine. I'll deal with them after they're exposed!"
Lala glanced at Hachiman, who was currently blindfolded and groping around trying to catch "cats," and after thinking about it, agreed. She could wait until she had time to drag Momo and Nana over for a lecture.
Right now, her mother hadn't arrived on Earth yet. If Momo and Nana didn't show themselves soon and only appeared after their mother came, they might end up getting scolded by her instead.
Even though she herself had run away from home, she found Hachiman. She found her fiance. That was different from Momo and Nana simply running away.
"Meroune, how are you feeling today? Any discomfort after awakening your bloodline?"
Seeing Lala immediately toss the matter aside, Iris smiled and turned to the mermaid princess Meroune, asking about her condition after being infused with awakening magic essence.
The method the president used to awaken demi-human bloodlines was rather special. It wasn't much different from how he helped them and the mermaid songstresses. It was a bit surprising, but for him, it seemed completely trivial. After all, his very existence was unusual.
"The awakening went very well. I can freely switch forms now, and my strength has increased a lot. It's just a pity… tonight there probably won't be time for Master to enjoy the idols I selected. I put quite a bit of effort into it…"
The mermaid princess Meroune lightly lifted the hem of her skirt, revealing her long, smooth, fair legs, and looked with regret toward the temporary stage set up in the center of the living room.
"There'll be another chance. Lumilia and Marin said they want to organize a private comic convention. It'll be too quiet with too few people. We can have these idols perform then to liven things up."
Iris smiled and also looked toward the stage.
On the stage, wearing golden bell collars, the three mermaid songstresses, Elio, Elusi, and Ayla, were singing together. Without speakers or microphones, their captivating voices spread throughout the entire Service Club.
Below the stage stood many beautifully dressed girls holding microphones or wearing headsets, each one elegant and carefully styled.
These were all idols gathered by Meroune and the head maid Shion from their respective agencies. Some were singers, some dancers. Their skills might not be top-tier, but at the very least, they were all beautiful.
Playing blindfolded hide-and-seek for too long could get boring. Having idols sing added interference and made things more interesting.
"Don't worry. You're different from Elio and the others. You're not wearing bell collars, so you're not part of the game."
Shion looked at the idols she and Meroune had gathered and spoke calmly.
"Whether you're from Nijiiro Stardust, A-RISE, B-Komachi, professional idols, school idols, no matter how long you've debuted or how famous you are, as long as you behave and take turns singing and dancing properly."
"You don't need to serve the master. Just perform until dawn, and you'll receive sufficient compensation."
"I won't arrange the stage performances. You coordinate among yourselves."
"I only have one requirement. After the mermaid songstresses leave the stage, as long as the master hasn't finished playing, the music cannot stop. Understood?"
She had already prepared these idols as offerings for the master, but tonight wasn't their turn yet.
Even though they were all cute, some even exceptionally beautiful, they were still just ordinary people.
The girls already in the Service Club were no worse than them. After becoming magical girls, their bodies, skin, temperament, and appearance had all improved even further.
Tonight, these idols were just here to liven things up. If they had the chance to become magical girls in the future, then they might be considered for joining the Service Club.
"O-Okay…"
The idols, brought here from various agencies, looked at the three incredibly popular mermaid songstresses singing loudly, then at the many girls around them who were each more beautiful than the last. Despite being carefully styled by maid makeup artists, they suddenly felt completely ordinary and couldn't help swallowing nervously.
To be honest, they had originally thought being forced to perform in the middle of the night might involve some kind of shady "casting couch" situation.
After all, everyone present was a beautiful girl. Even those without fame were at least model-level.
But after arriving in private cars, finishing makeup, and preparing for the performance, they realized things were completely different from what they imagined.
They didn't even qualify for that kind of treatment. Only those extremely elegant, wealthy-looking girls, the kind that clearly came from elite families, could possibly be chosen. They, the idols, were only here to sing and dance as background entertainment.
Most unbelievable of all was that AQUA MARINA, the world-class idol group at the very peak of the industry, the dream of all idols, was actually performing on stage for a single person.
Not just them. The elf princess who often appeared in public speeches, and those high-born ladies, all seemed to have gathered here for that one person.
Looking into the distance at Hachiman, who had just caught another "cat" wearing a bell collar and was interrogating her about her companions, the idols exchanged glances, their faces flushed, unsure whether to watch or look away.
None of them had ever experienced anything this absurd. Performing in such an embarrassing environment was a first.
["Ding~"]
["Detected character cards, Ibuki Tsubasa, Tsubasa Kira, Hoshino Ai, Arima Kana, Kujou Sakura, Elisa Himegami...."]
"..."
Hachiman had no idea about the antics of Meroune and Shion. Not only were they playing hide-and-seek in the middle of the night, they had even set up a stage and brought in a group of idols and singers to provide background music.
He was only blindfolded, not deaf, and he hadn't lost the Love Simulation System.
As the mermaid songstresses sang, a large number of unfamiliar characters appeared nearby, and the system notifications rang continuously.
Some of the "undergorund 2D world" heroines, he couldn't even tell who was who just by meeting them. But for some "sfw 2D world" heroines, he could recognize their personalities and backgrounds just from their names.
Still, when he heard the names Hoshino Ai and Arima Kana, he was momentarily confused.
'Aren't they from different eras?'
In the original story, both were idols from B-Komachi, but that was just a reboot of the group name. They didn't exist in the same group at the same time.
In his memory, Hoshino Ai was supposed to be Hoshino Ruby's deceased mother, while Arima Kana was around Ruby's age, active as a JK idol in the new B-Komachi.
So why hadn't he found Ruby's character card, but instead found Ai and Kana together?
Then where was Ruby? Had Sarina Tendouji not yet been reincarnated or died from illness?
If that were the case, maybe finding Sarina Tendouji would let him see Hoshino Ai and Ruby on the same stage?
'Hmm… let's give Sarina Tendouji a stage name, call her Hoshino Ruby.'
Hachiman didn't dwell on why Ai and Kana appeared together. Instead, he imagined the scene of mother and daughter performing on stage.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Sensing something off, Ai Hayasaka raised her slender white neck and looked up at him.
"Um… Mr. Hikigaya?"
Nishikigi Chisato, who had just replaced Hayasaka and was being held between his legs, turned her head with concern when he suddenly paused.
"It's nothing. Ai, go rest first. I'll take Chisato to catch people."
Still blindfolded, Hachiman shook his head. After dipping his fingers in water and writing a few words on Hayasaka's smooth thigh, he patted her, signaling her to rest.
"Yes, Master."
After being patted heavily on the cheek, Hayasaka felt his concern and didn't even bother wiping the water off her face. She knelt, bowed her head, and only after the sound of bells faded did she let out a long breath and look up at his retreating figure as he carried Chisato.
Of course she wanted to follow him. Just looking at the number of club members, anyone could tell how fierce the competition was. Being able to serve him for so long tonight was pure luck. Who knew when she'd get another chance?
She might never receive such generous rewards again or improve her strength so quickly.
But she couldn't continue.
Both her body and mind seemed overstimulated, but once she stopped, exhaustion hit all at once. Her breathing turned rapid, her steps heavy, her hair stuck to her face, and sweat dripped onto the floor. She couldn't drag this exhausted body on any longer.
Becoming a magical girl had greatly improved her physical abilities, allowing her to last this long, but it also drained her faster. It only delayed the collapse, not prevented it.
Next… she needed to find Lady Kaguya.
After calming her racing heartbeat, Hayasaka slowly stood and looked around, preparing to report her results.
But just as she took a step, she stopped.
The master was blindfolded, but she had been marked. Even without sight, he could clearly "see" her body.
If she went to find Lady Kaguya, she might expose her location and cause her to be eliminated early.
But leaving without checking on her...
Forget it. She would wait here. At least when Lady Kaguya was caught, she could beg him to be gentler, or take some of it in her place.
Looking at her own body, covered in "marks," Hayasaka didn't teleport away. She slowly walked to an empty sofa nearby.
Lying down on the soft cushions, she let out a long breath. Glancing at the table full of fruit and snacks, listening to the idols take turns performing, she touched her bell collar, now deactivated after elimination, and slowly closed her eyes.
She wasn't hungry or thirsty. Just tired.
The overwhelming fatigue she had ignored earlier swept over her, and she fell asleep almost instantly.
Still, the pleasure of growing stronger, felt from head to toe, lingered. If possible, she wanted to experience it again… many times.
———
"Chisato, how do you want to play? Should I force it out of you, or will you tell me where Takina is yourself?"
Elsewhere, relying on instinct, Hachiman lowered his head and kissed Chisato's still soft, smooth neck, smiling as he spoke.
Hayasaka had already had her fill earlier, so he marked her three times in one go and eliminated her.
But Chisato, after being "served" together with Takina at the family restaurant last time, hadn't gone through a second round of training yet.
So after marking her once, he would let her go and continue the game.
Of course, the condition was that she help him catch someone else. Otherwise, he'd keep marking her until she was eliminated.
"Um… can I not tell you where Takina is? I can tell you where everyone else is."
Chisato wrapped her arms around his neck and glanced toward the distant figure of a black-haired girl carefully moving between hiding spots, bargaining in a small voice.
In this kind of game, it wasn't really up to her whether she wanted to "betray" someone or not. If he interrogated her hard enough, the sound of bells would give everyone away.
She would end up being carried around as he hunted others.
If she refused, she'd just embarrass herself more. Better to take the initiative and guide him toward other targets.
Thinking about it made her face burn.
"Honestly, Takina likes my 'punishment' more than you do. No need to protect her, right?"
Hachiman wandered the living room aimlessly, calmly pressuring her.
Takina craved strength. She had always come willingly for training and had already experienced its benefits.
"But she's not stupid either. Getting caught early or late leads to the same 'punishment.' If she gets caught later, she gets more rewards. What do you think she'd choose?"
Chisato tightened her grip on him, taking several sharp breaths before continuing.
If it were first-come, unlimited time, Takina would probably have dragged her over already.
But tonight's rules were different.
If someone got lucky and lasted longer, they could gain dozens of rewards at once. That meant continuous training afterward.
That's why so many girls, despite clearly wanting it, were still hiding.
Not because they didn't like him.
Because they liked him too much.
They were holding back, resisting the urge to jump on him, just to gain more rewards.
"So, who are you going to betray to keep yourself and Takina safe? If you give up Takina, I'll let you off. If not, you need to help me catch two people. Otherwise, I'll focus on you next."
Hachiman smiled and increased the pressure slightly, coaxing and threatening her.
In truth, he could already sense many faint breathing sounds nearby. With his ability, hiding in this place was almost meaningless.
But that would be boring.
Catching everyone too quickly served no purpose. He couldn't handle that many at once anyway.
More than finishing the game quickly, he preferred enjoying the process.
And Iris and the others likely thought the same. That's why they planned so many elaborate late-night games with him.
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