"Anyway, Shana," Pitohui said, her voice instantly switching to a cheery tone. "We have some business to discuss with this one. See ya!"
"Oh? Alright. Catch you later, Clarence-san."
"Wait… hey!"
"Hush now. You're coming with us," Pitohui growled, dragging Clarence toward a quiet corner.
"Hey! Let go of me, you crazy—!"
"There's the real personality," Pitohui smirked. "I knew that polite act was a lie. Now, keep quiet and move."
The two women cornered Clarence well away from the festivities.
"What is your problem?!" Clarence barked. "Why are you getting in my way?"
"Getting in your way of what, exactly?" Pitohui asked.
"Of… uh… talking to Shana-san!"
"It wasn't just 'talk,' was it? You were planning to use every trick in the book to sell yourself to him, weren't you?"
Clarence flinched. "How could you possibly…"
"Instinct," Pitohui replied with terrifying confidence.
"That's… that's completely unfair…" Clarence muttered, stunned.
Pitohui puffed out her chest. "When it comes to Shana, my instincts are practically a hundred percent accurate. And right now, they're telling me that you shouldn't be allowed anywhere near him. So, goodbye."
Pitohui reached out and pressed the hilt of her katana, Kikoku, against Clarence's forehead.
"Oops. My finger is slipping. I wonder what happens if I accidentally press the activation switch?"
"D-do it then! See if I care!"
Pitohui chuckled and pulled the sword away, sheathing it. "Heh. You've actually got some backbone. I like that."
It seemed she had only ever intended to intimidate her… probably.
"You don't even know me!" Clarence snapped. "How can you judge me when you don't even know my name?"
"Is that right? Rosaria-chan, come over here for a sec!"
Rosaria appeared as if summoned from the shadows. "What is it?"
"You know this person?"
"This one?" Rosaria glanced at Clarence, her eyes glazing over as she accessed her internal database. She began rattling off facts like a terminal reading code.
"Clarence. Uses a male avatar but is biologically female. Attracted to both men and women, with a preference for 'small and cute.' Personality is reckless and self-centered, remarkably similar to how Pitohui used to be. Recently caused a rift in her squadron and was about to be kicked out, but she extorted her teammates to seize control instead. Now finds the atmosphere uncomfortable and is looking for a new place to land."
Clarence turned pale. "I…"
"Is that enough?" Rosaria asked.
"Perfect. Thanks for the help, Rosaria," Pitohui grinned.
As Rosaria departed, Pitohui turned back to Clarence with a predatory smile. "Well?"
"Fine! Fine, I give up!" Clarence threw her hands up. "I'll stop trying to get close to Shana. I surrender!"
"Unexpected," Musketeer X remarked. "She's quite reasonable."
"Gave up faster than I thought," Pitohui added.
"Because you two are terrifying!" Clarence shouted.
Pitohui's expression turned serious. "Listen. Anyone who tries to use Shana is an automatic 'no.' We will find you, and we will eliminate you. But, if you just want to enjoy the game… if you actually manage to catch his eye on your own merit, you might have a chance. But you'd need to make an impact as big as Ix over here to even get a foot in the door."
"Isn't that a bit high? Musketeer X, I saw the footage of you in that war," Clarence admitted, her voice softening. "I'll be honest… it was actually pretty moving."
Musketeer X looked smug.
"But I saw the other footage right after," Clarence continued. "The part where you're being held by some guy while taking down those three idiots. That was Shana-san, wasn't it? Hey, don't look at me like that! I won't tell anyone. I mean, it's already a rumor in certain circles anyway."
Pitohui and Musketeer X's faces darkened, and Clarence quickly waved her hands in apology.
"That's not what I meant! I'm saying that as a woman, I was jealous. I realized I've been a bit of a mess lately. I think I need to start over."
"Huh," Pitohui mused. "Maybe you aren't such a bad sort after all."
"Coming from you? The person with the worst reputation in the game?!"
Pitohui laughed it off. "Fair point. Well, good luck with your 'starting over' or whatever."
"Yeah," Clarence replied. "Step one: I'm going to find a female partner I can actually trust."
"A partner? Why a girl?"
"Flying solo is too risky. And even though I swing both ways, I'm not actually a big fan of men. Besides, I think a duo of girls has a better chance of catching Shana-san's eye than just another guy-player."
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