Bath

“Wet floor! Not much water, so the rain outside isn’t that heavy either.”

After drying off, Hishiro Kishiro placed the towel on the table and headed toward the bathroom.

“I’ll go prepare the bathwater!”

Once Hishiro left, Florina pulled out her eyeball book—though outside, the rain was actually pouring hard.

Compared to Florina, the book was far worse off.

The entire book was soaked, pages wrinkled, water dripping nonstop.

[Master, next time could you respect the item I’m parasitizing?]

Too cruel! It’s a book, not an umbrella!

Who puts a book over their head to block the rain?!

Florina knew she was in the wrong. She clasped her hands toward the eyeball.

“Thank you very much!”

This also explained why, despite the heavy rain outside, only small parts of Florina got wet.

She had intended to use a towel to dry the eyeball book.

But soon, the eyeball extended a tentacle to the floor, shook violently, and quickly flung the water out from inside the book.

Some droplets even deliberately splashed onto Florina, landing on her clothes and stockings.

The stockings, already semi-transparent from the rain, now had deeper stains spreading across them, faintly revealing her pale skin underneath.

Clearly, the book was annoyed at being used to shield Florina from the rain.

“This water-shaking pose… Eyeball, you definitely learned that from Natsume Oto,” Florina laughed.

[I’m not a dog!]

Also, why are you already equating Natsume Oto with a dog? Natsume Oto would cry!

Before the eyeball could retort, Hishiro Kishiro returned.

“The bathwater is ready, Florina, come on!”

“Coming.”

Florina glanced at the eyeball lying motionless on the floor, disguised as an ordinary book, and lightly ran toward the bathroom.

After mopping the water from the floor, Hishiro picked up the eyeball book.

“Isn’t this Florina’s book?”

The eyeball already knew Hishiro was the magical girl Silver Moon, but Hishiro did not realize a monster was hiding inside the book.

In Hishiro’s hands, it dared not move an inch.

If discovered, its chance of survival would be slim.

Boohoo (╥_╥)! Magical girls are terrifying.

Meanwhile, the bathroom already echoed with the clear sound of running water.

Master, I won’t splash you next time; come save me!

“‘Citrus-Flavored Girls’… weird title.”

Opening the book absentmindedly, Hishiro was curious what kind of content Florina liked.

But upon flipping to the first page, she immediately regretted it.

In the illustration, a girl in a dress tiptoed to water the citrus plant on the windowsill, while another girl with a low ponytail wrapped her arms around her waist from behind, burying her face in the first girl’s neck.

“!”

The eyeball could sense Hishiro flipping the pages faster and faster.

She seemed… very excited.

When Hishiro read the sentence, “The two enter the bathroom together,” her hands trembled, her earlobes burned, and even her breathing grew cautious.

Could you really play like this in a bathroom?!

Glancing toward the bathroom, Hishiro set the book on the table, swallowing nervously.

Could she… too?

Hishiro, guided by some impulse, walked to the bathroom door.

“Florina.”

“Hm?”

“Shall we bathe together?”

“Of course.”

Florina agreed!

Receiving the response, Hishiro immediately opened the door.

The shower roared, steam so thick the tiles disappeared into the mist.

In the depths, Florina’s silhouette gradually appeared, the glass reflecting blurred patches of white, only to be swallowed again by rising steam, even the shadows of her falling hair appearing ethereal.

The hazy scene made Hishiro’s heart race; she was excited for what was about to happen.

“Not coming in, Hishiro?”

Wasn’t she supposed to bathe together? Why was she still at the door?

Florina peeked from behind the glass door, revealing her pink-tinged shoulder.

“Coming!”

Just as Hishiro stepped forward, her rabbit-ear hair ornament buzzed, forcing her to stop.

Which monster dares ruin my fun?!

The magical girl’s transformation device was not only essential for transformation but also detected monster activity.

If a monster acted, it would alert the magical girl in time.

“Just remembered I have something to do. Let’s bathe together next time.”

Watching the closed door, Florina wondered why she felt like she had narrowly escaped danger.

At that moment, Florina sensed the cross she had gifted to Hoshino Sakio had been triggered.

Sakio was in danger!

A flick of her hand, holy flames erupted, evaporating the remaining water, instantly transforming her into her nun outfit.

Sneaking out of the bathroom, Florina heard Hishiro’s voice.

“Transform!”

The rabbit-ear accessory burst with intense magic, silver sparks shooting from all directions, enveloping Muku Hishiro.

The traces of everyday life faded, revealing a graceful form, her human shell filled with magical power.

So this was the magical girl transformation?

Florina watched with interest, taking out her phone to record.

Hishiro thought her magical girl identity was well hidden, but now even her transformation was clearly visible.

“Magical Girl Silver Moon, make your dazzling debut~”

A pair of playful rabbit ears pierced light streams, then vanished, long, smooth white hair cascading like moonlight, swept behind her in one hand.

Once again, she appeared, fully transformed in her magical girl outfit.

“I’ll tear apart the one who messed with my bath with Florina!”

With that, Hishiro transformed into streaks of light and flew off.

That direction corresponded to where Florina sensed Hoshino Sakio.

“Did Sakio encounter a monster?” Florina stowed her phone and followed Hishiro.

……

The rain poured harder, the alley oppressively damp.

Sakio faced the doll, and the baseball bat was about to strike.

The doll was frantic.

Don’t look at me! Look behind you!

Before she could speak, a bolt of electricity flashed.

Not thunder from the sky, but a ground-level lightning strike.

Sakio felt a tingle in her neck, then a “bang” as if a heavy object hit the ground.

Turning sharply, her pupils constricted.

A stranger maintained the bat-swinging pose, skin charred, hair tips smoking, body toppling backward.

The metallic bat seemed red-hot, sparks flying.

The lightning had struck him directly, rain sizzling off his scorched clothes into white steam.

What just happened?

He tried to attack me, then got struck by lightning?

Should I call the police?

Before Sakio could move, the seemingly dead man rasped hoarsely:

“I cannot die.”

Against Sakio’s shocked gaze, he forced himself upright.

“I haven’t resurrected her yet. Sacrifice! I need more sacrifices!”

He roared as his body twisted unnaturally, joints cracking, his charred outer skin peeling away to reveal a horned, textured carapace beneath.