Mephisto, Veilach, and Lukshifer squatted in a circle in a quiet corridor.

In the center sat a small white puppy, trembling all over.

Yurian couldn’t hide his unease as he glanced nervously at the one human and two beasts surrounding him.

He had never imagined his own skill would rebound, nor that he would end up in this form.

Yurian looked down at his soft, fluffy paws dotted with pink jelly pads.

Paw pads like a doll, claws and teeth too weak to defend anything. The most pitiful existence in the world...

It was then.

“Abandon it.”

Having heard the circumstances from Mephisto, Veilach finally spoke.

“Bweet?!”

“Kkyuu?”

Mephisto and Lukshifer opened their eyes wide in shock.

To turn him into a stray? How could anyone say something so cruel and immoral?

Veilach met their gazes indifferently and went on.

“This puppy tried to attack you. If you abandon it now, there’ll be no risk of it attacking again, no aftermath, and you won’t get scolded if On Jurim finds out. You won’t even be banned from watching TV. How about it? Nice and clean. Leave it somewhere crowded. Someone will pick it up.”

Yurian barked at Veilach, shaking in anger.

“Arf! Arf!”

It meant he agreed.

If they abandoned him, it would be better.

He could return to his master and ask to be made into the tower’s ruler, regardless of whether he was human or not.

But Mephisto only looked at him with drooping eyes full of pity, then shook his head.

“Arf?”

The white fluff tilted his head.

'Why is that bird shaking its head?'

“Bweet-bweet. Bweet-bweet.” (Guru can turn you back into a human.)

And with that, he suddenly grabbed Yurian by the scruff and took off flying.

“Arf! Arf arf!”

Yurian told him to stop, to leave him alone, but the difference between species was too great to overcome.

“Arf!” (You crazy bird!)

He hurled insults in his cute voice, but the creature didn’t understand a word as it flew straight off somewhere.

***

Guru lay sprawled on the waiting room sofa like a dried pollack, staring up at the ceiling.

Then she reopened the information window of the drone she was holding.

[Mephisto Series mk.3 Support Type (S+)]

“S+!”

Her body shuddered.

This was different from the [Filial Piety Snacks]. Those had a debuff ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) attached, so they couldn’t be of much help.

But this drone—this was truly her own achievement, something she could proudly present.

She could still feel the heat lingering in her hands.

Just thinking back to the moment she had snuck into enemy lines to land the last hit sent shivers through her whole body.

“Uuuuuhhh!”

Guru rolled on the sofa, hugging the Chick Drone tight.

Just then, Mephisto landed on the window sill outside the waiting room, Yurian seated beside him, and tapped at the glass.

Tok tok tok—

Seeing him, Guru’s face lit up and she hurried to open the window.

“Mephi, whewe wewe you!”

“Bweet!”

“Did you watch Gwuu’s match? Aftew it ended Gwuu twied to find you, but you wewe—”

Before she could finish, her coral-colored eyes darted sideways.

“—gone...”

She repeated the word, blinking as her gaze met that of a puppy.

Yurian bared his teeth, wary.

“Grrrrr—”

His twitching black nose was wet.

Guru inhaled sharply.

“Shooo kyoot...”

“Grrrrr! Arf! Arf!”

“Bweet-bweet!”

But why was a puppy here? Did Mephisto pick it up?

“Mephi, you can’t just pick up anyfing. Da ownuh wiww wowwy.”

“No owner.”

Veilach, who had come lumbering up belatedly, answered in his place.

The Lukshifer in Veilach’s arms leapt into Guru’s embrace.

While she hugged Lukshifer tight, Veilach tilted his chin toward Yurian.

“That’s a person.”

“...Wuung?”

Guru’s brows crumpled into a figure-eight shape.

***

“You cast a skill at Mephi? Why?”

“Bweet-bweet—”

Mephisto shook his head, meaning he didn’t know either.

But why? Was it because of that Dominic Takoyaki?

If so...

'Revenge for a friend?'

Guru’s pupils quivered.

What should she do? If she explained that Dominic had tried to do something bad first, maybe it would resolve the grudge.

“Arf!”

But the other was a puppy.

Not only Dominic’s enemy now, but even transformed into a puppy!

'First let’s change him back, then explain from the beginning.'

Maybe then he’d understand.

Good. Firming her resolve, Guru took a deep breath and drew up her mana.

Mephisto watched tensely, while Veilach only shook his head as if certain it would fail anyway.

'Gwuu can do it. Tuwn him back into a pewson...! Gwuu S+ Ownuh!'

[Activating skill, ‘Squeeze-Squeeze.’]

[Target’s magic resistance is high. Resists the skill.]

[Skill ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’ failed.]

[Skill ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’ failed.]

[Skill ‘Squeeze-Squeeze’ failed.]

.

.

.

“Hing!”

“Bwee?”

Mephisto blinked sorrowfully, as if asking if she really couldn’t do it.

Guru whipped her head side to side.

“Gwuu... Gwuu can do it. Just need mowe time, maybe if Gwuu goes to the snowy pwains...”

Yes, maybe with more time. If she gathered her mana and went to the snowy plains to draw out her full power, she might be able to change him back into a human.

Of course, until then she would have to take care of the puppy...

But that meant she had one giant mountain to climb.

“What Gwuu teww Oppaw...?”

The waiting room fell silent.

Mephisto, Veilach, and Lukshifer all sank into troubled thought, speechless.

First option: Tell Oppaw the truth, that this was originally a person, and he needed to be turned back.

“......”

Guru gazed up at the ceiling with cloudy eyes.

Today had been a historic day in her five-year life.

She had finally created an S+, had boasted proudly, and people had cheered. Oppaw had even seemed in good spirits.

She had thought only praise lay ahead...!

But picturing Jurim fuming with horns, she shook her head pale-faced.

She really, truly did not want to get scolded today.

Then the second option...

This was just a dog. A stray puppy Mephi picked up.

“......”

Guru narrowed her eyes at Yurian.

“If it’s a good puppwy, maybe Oppaw wiww wet Gwuu keep it.”

“Bweet?”

Really? Hope flared in Mephisto’s eyes as he spread his wings toward Yurian.

“Bweet!” (Paw!)

“Arf!”

Yurian barked sharply and chomped down on Mephisto’s wing.

“Bweeeeeeet—!”

“Waaahhh!”

Guru hurriedly pulled Yurian off Mephisto.

“W-what do we do?”

She gaped, lips round.

This puppy wasn’t good at all!

And of course—turning into a dog out of nowhere, no wonder his personality had soured.

“Grrr! Arf! Arf!”

As Yurian barked furiously—

Creaaak—

The waiting room door slowly opened and Jurim appeared.

Behind him, Gidan, Lee Taemin, and Serhi filed in after finishing their interviews.

Holding Yurian, Guru broke out in a cold sweat as she saw them.

“Oh, a puppy.”

“What the? Whose dog is this? Cute.”

Gidan and Lee Taemin ran up to examine the puppy, while Jurim shut the door as Serhi entered too.

“Whose dog?”

Everyone turned to look at Guru.

Even Serhi, flopping onto the sofa in exhaustion, turned his head to hear whose dog it was.

Gulp. Meeting their eyes, Guru swallowed.

“Gwuu... picked it up...”

“Again?”

Jurim’s face wrinkled, and Guru hurriedly added,

“Mephi said he saw da ownuh abandon it. It’s pitiful. Gwuu wants to waise it.”

Hearing that, Gidan and Lee Taemin chimed in that it was pitiful, but Jurim stood his ground.

“No, if it’s abandoned, we can send it to a shelter. How many animals do we already have at home?”

“Animaws?”

At Gidan’s question, Jurim hesitated. Strictly speaking, they weren’t animals, but...

In the meantime, Guru pouted and mumbled,

“But it’s good... isn’t it?”

“Grrrrr—”

Yurian bared his teeth. Then snapped at Gidan’s hand as he tried to pat his head.

Dangling from his hand, Yurian clung on with his teeth.

Jurim, watching silently, asked,

“Good?”

“Uuung, a wittwe.”

“......”

Guru pulled Yurian tightly into her arms.

Jurim looked at the puppy baring its teeth even at him... and closed his mouth.