It has been exactly 2 weeks since Kasuka met the Arius Squad.
And her impact on them? Absolutely monstrous. They didn't even seem like the same person they were in the main story!
"I'm going out~"
"Take care."
"I'm taking Hiyori with me!"
"A-Eh?! Nooooo-"
"Take care of her, Hiyori."
"Leader...!"
Kasuka dragged Hiyori along with her, doing what?
Well, just walking around, to be honest.
There isn't much to do in this place other than scavenge for food or accepting missions allocated by the adults.
And for the latter case, it's quite rare for them to actually send out actual children to complete some important missions.
Not that there was any choice for them to deny the request anyways.
"U...Um..."
"What's up? Got anything you want to say?" While walking around mindlessly, Kasuka thought of striking up a conversation. But if Hiyori was the one that started it instead wouldn't that be better? "Don't worry, I don't bite."
"Ah... Yes. I- I just... No. Ah... I can't find the right words to use...!"
"Just take your time. If there's anything we're lacking in this world, it isn't time."
Hearing this, Hiyori heaved a sigh of relief. Her mind swiped through every word in her dictionary to better convey her questions.
"You... Does it hurt...?"
"Hurt? What do you mean? I'm fine and all, see?" As if to prove a point, Kasuka showed off the nonexistent muscle in her arms.
"No... I mean last week..." Hiyori rubbed her arms together, feeling chills as she was reminded of that time. "Your head and stomach... they never healed...?" Her tone went up an octave as if she herself wasn't sure of her words.
"Wanna check it yourself?" Kasuka asked simply. If Hiyori was worried about her injuries, wouldn't it be better to confirm the state herself? "Whether I'm truly healed or not, you can check it out for yourself."
With that said, Kasuka lifted her shirt, showing a smooth skin and a belly button, no sign of bruising or internal bleeding.
"Come on, touch it if you want. I'm certain nothing you do would make me let out a groan of pain!" Chuckling to herself, Kasuka waited for a response.
And it came immediately, "A-ah, ok!" Hesitantly, Hiyori slightly bent forward since she was taller than Kasuka so that her sight is the same height as Kasuka's stomach.
Then, a soft and warm sensation landed on Kasuka's stomach which caused her to shiver.
"Did that hurt?"
"It's ticklish if you touch me like that!" Kasuka laughed which caused Hiyori's face to redden.
After a while, Hiyori finally seemed satisfied as she finally stood up, turning her face away trying to avoid eye contact.
"Where are you looking at? You gotta check my second injury too!" But the voice of the devil suddenly whispered in her ears, forcing her to turn around and meet face to face with Kasuka, who was pointing at her temple.
Kasuka led Hiyori's hand towards her head, the location in which Kasuka's previous head injuries were prominent.
"Mm..." Kasuka made some noise as Hiyori began to rub the spot on her head.
Hiyori noticed this reaction and concluded that Kasuka indeed doesn't feel any pain anymore. If she did, there's no way she'd be able to hide it as the feeling of... satisfaction?
Wait what?
"Why'd you stop?"
"Huh?"
Somehow, without she herself noticing, Hiyori's hand had begun to rub Kasuka's head, as if she was petting a cat.
"S-s-s-s-s-sorry!" Hiyori panicked and took a step back.
But before she could fully commit, a hand grabbed her own wrist and pulled back, causing her to return to her original position.
"I don't hate it." Kasuka simply said as her eyes looked towards Hiyori, just hiding her face behind her own arm.
"You looked happy doing it too, why stop?"
'No! It was compulsion!' Even as she thought so, no words could come out of Hiyori's mouth.
Kasuka's eyes seemed like it wouldn't take 'no' as an answer.
But the dilemma wouldn't last long because Kasuka suddenly perked up her ears, as if she was reminded of something.
"Ah! I forgot I had an arrangement today! Sorry, Hiyori! Return back without me!" Without waiting for a response, Kasuka began to make a break for it.
"W-wait!" Hiyori panicked. Not knowing how to react to the sudden change of pace, she unknowingly followed Kasuka, albeit a bit too far behind.
After a couple of minutes, Hiyori lost sight of Kasuka. Fortunately, there were traces left behind, so Hiyori could still follow along the trail of footsteps.
Catching her breath, Hiyori adjusted her tiny pigtail as she heaved some heavy breath.
She grabbed her knees so that she wouldn't fall and inhaled deeply.
After doing so, she looked at the trails, it stopped right here.
Perhaps due to there not being any more dirt path, Hiyori took notice of the door at the end of the road.
"...!" What she saw shook her. 'That's the madam's office!'
Immediately, Hiyori thought of running away, that was until she saw the barely visible brown, seemingly waiting just outside the Madam's office door.
'Kasuka... What is she doing here?' As she pondered, Hiyori couldn't help but hide her presence, not knowing what kind of consequences would befall her if she were discovered.
But Kasuka couldn't be said to be doing the same thing. Instead, she quite proudly waits just right outside Madam's office, as if implying that she's not afraid of the individual inside.
She really wanted to call out to Kasuka, to tell her to hide herself, but no words could come out.
'What if I disturbed the Madam?' Hiyori was worried that she'd be captured and beaten up by the instructors.
There was no more time to think, a creaking sound echoed, causing Hiyori to jerk back in discomfort.
From what she could see, Madam's door opened... and Kasuka had just entered through willingly.
'...She went in!? Whaaaaaaat-'
Hiyori absolutely panicked, not knowing how to act seeing Kasuka entering Madam's office.
Should she chase her in? Should she just wait here?
Perhaps, if it was Saori, she would've stopped Kasuka the moment she noticed the latter waiting for the door to open.
Hiyori isn't Saori.
She doesn't have the confidence to do so.
For that, she regretfully needed to wait here for Kasuka to come back out by herself.