"Could Elf be inside the school?"
"She doesn't even go to school, what is she doing here?"
"You guys didn't lead me the wrong way, did you?"
Sora looked down at the Cat and Dog Special Task Force.
"Woof woof."
The two doggos tilted their heads, tongues hanging out, clearly not understanding what Sora was saying.
The stray cats ignored him completely, squatting on the ground and licking their paws.
"The language barrier really is a hassle." Sora sighed and walked up to the school gate. "But having a clue is better than no clue. Elf might really be inside."
Unsurprisingly.
The main gate was tightly locked and wouldn't budge.
Fortunately, this minor obstacle couldn't stop Sora. Since he couldn't get through the gate, he'd just jump the wall.
As the saying goes, "Locks only keep out honest people, not thieves." The wall had neither barbed wire nor broken glass embedded in it, so vaulting it wasn't particularly difficult.
Thump.
With a light leap, Sora easily vaulted into the school grounds.
The two feline overlords casually strolled in through the gaps in the iron gate. One of the smaller stray dogs also managed to squeeze through, but the larger stray dog had to obediently wait outside the gate.
However, after entering, the stray dog started spinning in circles on the spot, clearly a bit disoriented.
"Elf must have entered the school while invisible..."
Sora understood.
Fortunately, the school wasn't huge. Sora quickly decided to lead the Cat and Dog Special Task Force on a sweep around the grounds.
While passing the classroom building, the doggo suddenly barked, wagging its tail, and began running forward.
Sora, without a second thought, immediately followed.
A moment later.
Seeing the doggo stop at the door of his own classroom and wag its tail, Sora's expression became even more peculiar.
"It's actually my classroom... Elf isn't inside, is she?"
Sora quickly shook his head.
Impossible.
The classroom doors were traditional sliding doors, which weren't usually locked. She could come out whenever she wanted.
Sora walked to the classroom door, exhaled softly, and reached out to touch the door.
The sliding door opened with a slide.
Holding up his phone for illumination, Sora stepped into the classroom.
The desks and chairs inside were neatly arranged, and it was exceptionally quiet. Unfortunately, there was absolutely no sign of Yamada Elf.
"As expected, she's not here..."
Sora walked over to his own desk. Feeling a sudden impulse, he bent down to look inside the desk cubby. He immediately saw a Hatsune Miku figure, several types of snacks Yamada Elf loved to eat, and a sticky note lying next to them.
"Did Elf put these in here?"
Curious, Sora picked up the sticky note. Written on it in elegant handwriting was:
[Servant, this lady came to your school today on a whim to gather material, and left you a little gift along the way. Surprised? Unexpected?]
Good news.
Elf had indeed visited the school; they hadn't followed the wrong trail.
Bad news.
He didn't feel any pleasant surprise, but there was plenty of shock.
"If she's not in the classroom, where could she be?"
Sora frowned in thought.
Just then, a stray calico cat suddenly ran up to Sora, meowing incessantly.
Sora instantly understood and followed it.
He saw the stray cat reach the stairwell, run up the stairs, and quickly arrive at the end of the corridor. Then, with a leap, it squeezed through a ventilation vent in the wall and disappeared.
"Could Elf be on the roof?"
Sora held up his phone, shining the flashlight toward the iron door, and saw a sliding bolt locking it.
Pulling out the bolt, Sora stepped onto the silent rooftop terrace.
A silver moon hung high in the night sky, casting a cool, watery glow.
The calico cat that had just jumped up from the vent was sitting elegantly on the ground, licking its paw.
"Elf, are you there?"
Holding his phone, Sora scanned his surroundings while calling out.
"..."
The rooftop was dead silent, with no response.
Just as Sora was feeling disappointed, a girl's weak coughing sound drifted over on the evening breeze.
"Someone's there?"
Sora's spirits lifted. He quickly followed the sound and soon spotted a petite figure wearing only underwear hiding behind the water tower.
The girl's snow-white skin was dazzlingly bright under the moonlight, and her hair was a brilliant spun gold. It was none other than Yamada Elf.
"Finally found you."
Seeing the blonde loli huddled weakly in the corner hugging her knees, Sora finally breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped forward and firmly grasped Yamada Elf's small hand.
Pick her up directly... of course not!
Yamada Elf is only wearing underwear right now; the side effects probably erased her clothes. Only an idiot would pick her up directly!
Sora looked closely and noticed the blonde loli's condition was very poor. Her face was flushed with an unnatural, feverish red, her lips were cracked, and her eyes were glazed over. Who knew how long she had been exposed to the cold wind on the rooftop.
"Servant... w-why did it take you so long?"
Yamada Elf opened her eyes. Her voice was aggrieved, sounding exceptionally pitiful, weak, and helpless.
What do you mean 'so long'?
You didn't reply to messages, didn't answer calls. Finding you was already lightning fast, alright! If we went the police route, who knows how long you'd have been stuck on the roof!
"I worked really hard to find you." Faced with the exceptionally weak Yamada Elf, Sora naturally wouldn't scold her at a time like this. He reached out and rubbed the blonde loli's small head, curiously asking the reason. "By the way, why is Elf on the school roof?"
"I-I'll explain later..." Yamada Elf licked her cracked lips. Like a traveler who had just trekked out of a desert, her eyes were filled with a desperate thirst for the source of life. "I want water!"
"There's no water right now." Sora said softly. "Let's go downstairs first, I'll buy you water in a bit."
Yamada Elf had been blowing in the cold wind on the rooftop for half the night. She was clearly dizzy by now. As if she hadn't heard Sora's words, she straightened up and leaned in:
"The smell of peach juice..."
Hearing this, Sora realized what was happening. He had drank a bottle of peach juice on the way here; this was clearly the lingering scent.
"I want peach juice too..."
Yamada Elf suddenly reached out her arms and wrapped them around Sora's neck.
"Wait, what are you doing?"
A bad premonition surged in Sora's heart.
The next second.
Driven by her dry, painful throat, Yamada Elf launched a sudden sneak attack.
Sora, who was suddenly attacked, widened his eyes in shock. He froze for a full two seconds before finally reacting.
Hey, hey, what exactly are you doing?
No matter how thirsty you are, there's no need to be this desperate!
Just hold on for a few more minutes, we can go downstairs and buy drinks from the vending machine. Don't try to quench your thirst by drinking weird things!
Humans can survive for three days without water, and you've only been missing for half a day at most. You can totally hold on!
After the shock, Sora quickly sobered up and prepared to push the blonde loli away. Yamada Elf had a hot forehead, blurry consciousness, and her momentary impulse was understandable, but he couldn't play dumb. He had to make the decision of a true man.
But just as he moved, he was attacked by Yamada Elf again...
The rooftop quietly fell silent.
Only the cold moonlight spilled down faintly.
A dark cloud quietly drifted over, stealthily covering the moonlight...
A moment later.
Yamada Elf's voice, like a survivor of a disaster, echoed on the rooftop:
"F-Finally survived... Servant, don't secretly drink peach juice behind my back ever again!"