At that moment—

Guru was sprawled out flat on top of a crackling thundercloud, her costume removed.

It felt like lying on a bubbly massage bed.

At her head sat a giant octopus, gently fanning her with its legs(??).

The AAA-Rank boss of the Thunder Zone: Demislin.

— Is it refreshing?

“Mmnh...”

Guru muttered as she rolled over.

'Mephi is a weawwy impowtant pewson...'

Being treated like a monarch the moment she inherited a title? That part was great. But...

The hamster clicked his tongue.

“Mewmewmew.” (Useless master, can’t even open the cradle properly.)

“Gwuu can unduhstand whatchu sayin’, Bayi.”

It was probably thanks to the title. Even Hamster-speak now translated in her head.

Guru glared. The hamster huffed and looked away.

As soon as she arrived in the boss room, Guru had opened the cradle.

The white snowy field stretched all the way to the edge of the boss room, so vast it barely felt like they were still in the Thunder Zone.

She had never spread a snowfield this large before.

The fact that she didn’t need to open a new subspace to manifest it, unlike last time, was a huge win.

But the problem was...

“Gwuu got nooo enewgy...”

She lay on the cloud, wiggling weakly, speaking like a queen.

Mephisto gently stroked Guru’s head with his wings, while Lukeipher nuzzled his cheek against hers, worried.

Only Veilach watched with scorn.

“Mewmew! Mewmewmew mewmew!” (You’re just lying there, so your mana’s leaking out! You need to seize the space!)

“But....”

Her mana was draining like a faucet left running. Her head felt fuzzy, her eyelids heavy. She couldn’t think straight.

She couldn’t control the output—couldn’t even shrink or recall the snowfield.

The field seemed to have a will of its own, sucking up all of her mana and using it recklessly.

An uncontrollable power triggered exhaustion... and a strange, creeping fear.

“Dis is hawd...”

So dis... is what Daddychann feews wike aww da time.

As she thought of Jurim—

— I’m gonna be ketchup~ I’m gonna dance all night~ I’m a fancy tomato~

Her ringtone started at the worst possible time.

“It’s Daddychann.”

Guru shot up and checked the time.

Huh? Why was Dad calling now? He should know she was filming today. Was he just checking in?

Before she could decide whether to answer, a text came in.

[On Jurim: On Guru, where are you?]

Thud! It felt like her heart dropped out of her chest.

That tone. That energy in his message.

No doubt about it.

'She’d been caught coming into the dungeon.'

[Guru: Gwuu in da bafwoom!]

[On Jurim: You didn’t go to a dungeon alone, right?]

'I knew it!'

How’d he find out?! She racked her brain—then remembered how she’d happily thought about Blue Lagoon’s guildmaster uploading a post about it online.

'Gwuu... stupid!'

She’d only thought of the good parts, never realizing it’d reach Dad’s ears too.

[Guru: Nope! Gwuu just visitin’ Woojoo’s fiwmin’ pwace!]

[Guru: In da bafwoom wight now!]

She quickly replied, then forced her sluggish body into motion.

“Mephi, Bayi, Peww. We gotta finish da dungeon in 10 minutes.”

She held up her watch.

“Daddychann found out we came into da dungeon.”

The three froze, eyes wide in alarm.

“Piiiii—!”

“Mewmewmewmew!”

“Kyuuuugh!”

They all immediately freaked out. Mephisto started spinning in the air, Veilach leapt up and jabbed fingers angrily, and Lukeipher started crying.

Only Demislin, the dungeon boss, sat there politely with a blank expression, completely lost.

“’S otay. We got ‘bout ten minutes.”

She did say she was in the bathroom, so he’d probably give her that much grace.

Time limit: 10 minutes.

If Dad caught her inside a dungeon... it was over.

“Fiwst, bweak da dungeon ‘n’ get out. Daddychann can’t catch us in da dungeon. Mephi, fwyyy n’ smash da core!”

“Piiit!”

Mephisto zipped up into the air. Once the core was destroyed, the dungeon would collapse.

Next, Guru looked to Veilach and humanized him.

“Bayi, you been wif Gwuu da whooole «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» time, got it?”

“I got it. But even if we destroy the core, Demislin will remain. We need to handle Demislin too.”

“Ah....”

If they only smashed the core, this giant octopus would suddenly appear outside the dungeon.

Like, a huge octopus at a zombie movie set (that only Guru can see)?

Her vision swirled in horror.

Nope. Nuh-uh.

“In da bag. Put ‘im in da bag.”

Dizzy, she opened her backpack.

The octopus tried squeezing his legs in with grunts, but there was no way something that huge could fit into a little hip bag.

Veilach couldn’t watch anymore.

“It's the snowfield! Shrink it!”

“Ah, wight!”

Guru grabbed a tentacle and squeezed her eyes shut. Her breath caught as if she might faint.

'Let’s do this! Just wike when Gwuu made Bayi!'

[Casting skill: ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’.]

Smawwuh! Gotta make it smawwuh...

The thought of Dad showing up gave Guru the desperation to squeeze out every last drop of strength.

She poured her entire focus into the cast.

Her mind went white, but she had to picture the final form.

'Octopus! Be tiny!'

Before Daddychann gets here—!

Suddenly, Demislin’s body distorted.

The thunder temple began to collapse—Mephisto had destroyed the core.

At the same time, Guru’s mana hit zero, and the snowfield blinked out.

Guru collapsed to the ground.

And in her hand—what had been Demislin—

—was now a perfectly round takoyaki!

“Succwess—!”

She couldn’t finish the sentence before she flopped sideways, unconscious.

Veilach scooped her up onto his back.

Outside the gate was an empty lot with a restricted access perimeter.

“Hah-jang-shiw....”

“Got it.”

Veilach carried her toward the bathroom, Mephisto and Lukeipher hurrying behind.

Just then, chaos erupted nearby—Jurim had arrived at the film set.

Taller than everyone around, he moved with long strides, scanning the area for Guru.

“Mana’s... comin’ back...”

Thanks to the passive effect of [The Joy of Being Together], Guru always returned to optimal condition when near her primary caregiver.

She tapped Veilach’s shoulder to be let down.

Veilach was shocked to see her back on her feet, completely fine.

Understandably so—she’d looked completely drained, and now she was full of life again.

But Guru gave him a shhh! and pulled him along toward Jurim.

“Daddychann!”

***

After hearing the story, Jurim crossed his arms.

Next to him, Woojoo stood anxiously with his manager, watching Jurim’s face.

Across from them, Guru, Mephisto, Lukeipher, and Veilach all stood in a line, heads down like kids in trouble.

The sight of such famous names lined up like this drew stares from all around.

Camera shutters clicked—but Jurim didn’t care. He asked:

“You were in the bathroom, huh? With this guy?”

He nodded toward Veilach.

Woojoo chimed in to support her.

“Y-yeah! Guru said she was going to the bathroom.”

Guru proudly added:

“Yupyup! Bayi said he can’t go bafwoom widout Gwuu!”

What?! Veilach opened his mouth to object—but Mephisto kicked him in the side, shutting him up.

Jurim raised a brow and glanced at Mephisto.

The white baby bird, perched on Veilach’s head, jolted.

Mephisto’s cheeks were puffed out—he was clearly hiding something in his beak.

Jurim pointed to his own cheek and tapped.

“What’s he got in his mouth?”

“...Buweet!”

Mephisto reflexively chirped, “Nothing!”, then clamped his beak shut again.

What he was hiding—

Was the takoyaki Guru had turned Demislin into.

In his desperate attempt to keep it hidden from Jurim, Mephisto had stuffed it in his mouth.

But now Jurim was asking what it was. Did he notice something?

If Jurim found out they’d gone into a dungeon on their own, he’d definitely ban Zombie Hunter again.

Last time, being unable to watch Zombie Hunter was a waking nightmare.

Guru and Veilach both looked at Mephisto with despair in their eyes.

“......”

It was a moment for Mephisto to make... a noble sacrifice.