"Sis... ter?"
Rin looked somewhat uncertainly at the overly beautiful older sister before her. She looked exactly like her sister, but Rin had never seen her sister dress up so beautifully. And... Rin looked at the pink fox ears on the girl's head.
Is this... a decoration? That crazy guy who sounded like Brother Lin had said this was a masquerade, so it must be a decoration, right? She could even see the headband beneath the ears.
"Yes, it's me, Rin." Sakura gently patted Rin's head. That familiar gesture confirmed she was indeed her sister. Sakura saw that while Rin's eyes held some curiosity, she didn't view her as a monster. She breathed a sigh of relief; Lin really had thought of a good way.
Lin had Sakura disguise the fox ears as a hair accessory, then announced it was a masquerade. Combined with the evidence of Lin himself and the other masked man, it was enough to convince Rin, who was unfamiliar with the MOTH, that it was just a costume.
"It really is you, Sister! Where exactly is this place?"
"This..." Sakura was in a bind. She helplessly combed Rin's hair, only able to give a wry smile to her curious eyes. "It's a long story. I can't tell you for now. Just have fun with me today."
"Alright..." The sensible Rin could see Sakura difficulty. She had doubts, but didn't ask further, turning her attention to the interesting things around her.
Meanwhile, in another part of the hall, one of the guests pulled her gaze away from Sakura with considerable displeasure.
"What banquet... are Kevin and Elysia brainwashed?" Mobius stood with hands in her lab coat pockets. She had worn the same loose clothes for ten years and hadn't changed even for this banquet. She felt Kevin and Elysia agreeing to such conditions was a total brain-fart. Couldn't they see that the guy occupying Lin body was just playing around? Though many parts were indeed like Lin... Lin would never do this!
Mobius was different from the others. Others might think Lin current clowning was just weird, but Mobius knew him too well. That guy was a quiet, inner-creepy person; acting "annoying" was common for him. So from the start, she just thought Lin had another sudden idea to do something strange. But no matter what... Lin wouldn't go this far...
Mobius eyes twitched as she glanced at the "blood" Lin had spat on the floor. Judging by the thickness, it was ketchup.
"Klein, where are those two?" Mobius turned her head to find her two "reliable" assistants had vanished. Her face fell, a vein throbbing in her temple. Klein, looking delirious with dark circles under her eyes, pointed. Mobius saw her assistants shamelessly raiding the pizza, their gluttony drawing stares.
"Doctor, you're here too." Ato approached with his wife Blanca and daughter. They had also changed into banquet clothes, radiating a warm family atmosphere.
"If I didn't come, Elysia would have camped outside my lab with a megaphone for twenty-four hours to record and broadcast everything I said." Mobius thought of a certain pink-haired girl working with Lin and grew even angrier. If that wasn't aiding and abetting, what was?
"Haha, I thought you were worried Lin would become popular after taking off the helmet, so you came to keep an eye on him." Ato, who had become even heartier since marrying, laughed loudly.
Mobius asked Blanca calmly: "Blanca, who is this?"
"...My husband, Ato, of course."
"Oh, I thought a corpse from the lab had come back to life."
Ato rubbed his nose: "Hey, that's too much. Even if I hit the nail on the head, there's no need to—"
"Need me to soak you back in formaldehyde?" Mobius sneered, her snake pupils flashing. "Don't worry, I'll kindly sew your useless mouth shut too."
Blanca watched Mobius and Ato bicker with amusement. She knew Mobius was still upset about Ato "whisking her away." Fortunately, she had introduced Klein to Mobius, otherwise Mobius would have an even greater prejudice against Ato.
"Um... Dr. Mobius, you look younger after becoming a MANTIS." Ato pinched his chin, looking at the much cuter and smaller Mobius. "Will I be like that after my Project Soldier surgery?"
"..." Mobius glanced at Blanca expressionlessly, then looked down at the cute, dazed Griseo. She sneered: "Don't worry. Under my specialized surgery, I guarantee you'll look fifty years younger."
"...Then won't I be a placenta?"
The Project Soldier surgery Mobius was performing in secret was being assisted by Blanca. Blanca knew exactly how dangerous it was, yet her husband was about to undergo the same surgery and face the same danger. How could she not worry? So Mobius specifically emphasized "specialized surgery." While it might not fool Blanca, it would at least make her feel Mobius was confident. This was Mobius own way of being kind to the family. After all, both Blanca and her recommendation, Klein, were enough for Mobius to repay them for a lifetime.
"That really is... I hope you'll show some mercy." Ato caught the meaning behind her words and gave a wry smile, though he soon recovered. He couldn't let his wife and child worry. This was his own choice—for humanity, and for the path he had walked. Lin, Kevin, and Elysia, his juniors, had already sacrificed themselves, and Kosma was about to undergo surgery. How could Ato be afraid?
"By the way, how is the 'Stargate' situation? Your recent mission should be guarding the Stargate, right? I haven't heard any news about it for a long time." Mobius shifted the topic, asking coldly about a certain situation.
Ato's eyes sharpened. He shook his head at Mobius with a grave expression: "Still the same..."
Just as the topic was about to move to the next stage, a figure walked over casually and greeted them: "Snake's here too. How is it? The banquet feels pretty good, right?"
"Indeed it does, Lin." Ato replied with a smile. Mobius, meanwhile, "nailed" Lin face with a murderous stare, her expression saying she'd bite him to death if he called her "Snake" again.
"Hello, Brother Lin." Griseo suddenly looked up and said softly.