Perhaps because I had grown accustomed to the dim air of the basement, when Lala shook me and I opened my eyes, at first I couldn't understand what was happening.

"A huge Usachan monster is coming! Everyone is being attacked."

Munyamu nya. I was having a good dream.

But in the next moment, a shiver ran through my whole body. I recalled the time I had been preparing so far. The time had come to unleash the results of my training.

"Let's go!"

"Yes!"

Tenuto and I matched the rhythm of our calls. We synchronized our breathing, issued our battle cries, and ran up the stairs. Our footsteps echoed off the basement walls repeatedly, further quickening our heartbeats.

Upon emerging to the surface, there stood a creepy rabbit—the "Assassin Rabbit"—dressed in black with a scar on its cheek, exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation. Its sheer size and sharp gaze gave off a fear akin to a knight clad in steel armor.

"I heard it was a rabbit, but it's more formidable than I thought."

Tenuto muttered his candid impression. In response, Assassin Rabbit smirked and bared its fangs.

"Are you the woman Forte?"

"If that's the case, then what?"

Her voice rose slightly from tension. The enemy's pressure was intense.

"In that case, you're a hindrance to Edge Shadow Corporation. Drop dead."

She took up a violin and began to play.

If Usamofu's information was correct, she would perform "Shadow Canon," a spell that causes blindness. However, Assassin Rabbit's performance was not a song resembling "Canon."

An unexpected magical composition flowed out, and the air began to vibrate with tension.

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"Fuffuffu. This piece is a highly advanced magical composition that can only be performed once a year. I kept it for this day, this moment. I call it 'Aria of Extinction'!"

This is bad. From the name alone, it's a pretty dangerous spell; if I allow her to finish the performance, she might unleash some irreversible grand technique.

I don't know what will happen, but I have no choice but to interfere.

I launched basic fire spells, which are low in power and quick to perform, and hurled fireballs at the enemy.

However, Assassin Rabbit shows no sign of panicking; this time, she unleashes basic ice spells through vocal magic, deploying a barrier of cold that easily nullifies the fireballs.

A dual action of vocal and instrumental magic. It's unfair because she can do that as a string instrument magic user. She can use both vocal and instrumental magic simultaneously. With training, even Sharp could master guitar-and-vocal-like magic.

"Forte, let's split up and attack all at once!"

"Understood!"

With the two of us staggering our timing, we launched multiple simple spells, but each one was blocked.

The violin's melody does not stop. Suffocating magical power begins to fill the surroundings.

"It's almost over...!"

At the decisive moment, Assassin Rabbit's violin performance emitted a high-pitched screech, warping the surrounding air.

In the next moment, a gaping black hole appeared in space—a thing like a black hole.

"No!"

"Damn it!"

In the next instant, Tenuto was swallowed into the black vortex from the side under the suffocating pressure—after which the hole snapped shut.

"Tenuto! Don't go!"

I reached out, but it was too late. I just grabbed at the void, and he had disappeared.

The rabbit, looking down at us leisurely, gracefully lowered her bow and gave a thin smirk.

"Fuffuffu. If that man weren't here, you wouldn't have been able to transform into the Cobalt Princess, would you?"

"I see... So that was the intention."

Although I replied calmly, something extremely embarrassing had been revealed.

Surely, in the enemy organization's computer, there must be documents made with presentation software, and knowledge titled "How Not to Transform into the Cobalt Princess: Erase Your Boyfriend," widely shared on the internal company SNS. That's too embarrassing. I want to disappear. Noooooo.

No, this isn't the time to be embarrassed. I have to get through this crisis. How?

As I was thinking that, something fell from the sky and hit my head. A ribbon? No, it's quite large for that. Maybe a hat?

"Follerun! Sniff that thing right now!"

Lara's command blared. What on earth is she thinking? Following her instructions, I brought whatever had fallen on my head close to my face and sniffed it.

It smells like summer grass. Somehow, I feel a warm embrace. Hmm!? What is this? Could it be...?

"It's Tenuto's T-shirt!"

I'm blatantly sniffing Tenuto's T-shirt scent in broad daylight. But I'm a man. With something like this, with this, Tenuto's masculine scent in my nostrils, no...

"Noooo! I don't want to! That's no good!"

However, at the same time as I'm confused by the embarrassment, something wells up from deep within my body.

A blue sparkling light gently yet powerfully enveloped my body, and I trembled with a tingling sensation as if electric current ran from my head to my toes.