One day before Bijou's surprise was revealed, Towa had asked Chihaya to escort her back to the city. Honoring her agreement with Sora to assist in uncovering the truth behind the resurrection of the Ancient One, she decided it was time to act.
The midday sun scorched overhead, despite August still being days away. The streets near the city park bustled with traffic, chatter, and the rhythm of everyday life. Towa stepped out of the truck, blending with the crowd as she scanned her surroundings.
To her surprise, she spotted Fuwamoco—the twin sisters of Advent—cheerfully manning a donut stand, their faces bright with joy as they served a line of eager customers.
For a moment, Towa was tempted to approach them. But she held back.
Unlike Bijou, who had become entangled in chaos, Fuwamoco had found a place in the world—a peaceful, ordinary existence. Perhaps the others in Advent had too.
Turning away, Towa walked in the opposite direction, her thoughts drifting to the source of the catastrophe.
"If I recall correctly," she murmured, "Sora-senpai once said that before the Ancient One inside Ina awakened, she had been investigating the sudden appearance of dark portals…"
Her mind spun through the puzzle pieces she had gathered.
Two anomalies haunted her. First—why had the portals appeared at all? As a demon with deep expertise in magic, she knew such portals couldn't manifest without being summoned. Someone had to have cast the spell.
Second—someone within Holocorp must have known about Ina's role in Sora's unit. Without that knowledge, reviving the Ancient One wouldn't have been possible.
She needed access to information Holocorp kept under lock and key. And she knew just the right informant to contact—cunning, slippery, and always willing to talk… for a price.
"I suppose I have no choice but to see her," Towa said with a sigh.
---
A-D-V-E-N-T
Elsewhere...
Back at Holocorp Headquarters, Sora sat at her desk, rifling through files on each operative within the organization. Since her return from Towa's base, she had intensified her investigation into the events surrounding the Ancient One's awakening.
It was becoming clear that someone had leaked information—someone had sabotaged her mission to investigate the dark portals. The connection between those portals and the Ancient One's emergence was too precise to be coincidence.
Somebody wanted the Ancient One to rise.
Determined, Sora began a private probe into Holocorp's own members. Talent alone was no guarantee of loyalty.
Progress came swiftly. Roboco had uncovered signs of an unauthorized intrusion into their communication network during the mission—someone had tried to breach their systems. The identity of the hacker remained unknown, but it confirmed Sora's fears.
She reached out to Towa's faction through Risu. The squirrel girl's response was unexpected: not only did she confirm Sora's suspicions, she revealed that her entire group had known about a traitor for some time.
"So then… who is it? And why?" Sora whispered, staring at Ninomae Ina'nis' profile—host of the Ancient One.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame—leader of the Justice unit—accompanied by Botan and Zeta.
"Sora-senpai. Liz and Zeta have arrived," Botan announced as the trio lined up before her desk.
"Welcome back to HQ, Liz-chan," Sora said warmly.
The crimson-haired knight bowed gracefully. "Thank you, Sora-senpai."
"Let's start with your report."
Elizabeth recounted her assignment in the outer districts. Her team had neutralized several beast demon attacks and stopped a group of hobgoblins threatening a forest region. Now that her task was done, she wished to serve directly under Sora's command.
Sora, beaming with pride, accepted her without hesitation.
Turning to Zeta, she offered a different kind of praise.
"Your deduction about the portal mechanism… was invaluable. Thanks to it, I now know how to seal them."
Though the method had ultimately come through negotiations with Towa, Zeta's brilliance was undeniable—and Sora chose to acknowledge it openly.
After brief pleasantries, Sora dismissed Liz and Zeta, leaving her alone with Botan.
"I have a task for you, Botan-chan," Sora said gravely.
Botan's smile faded. "What do you need, Sora-senpai?"
"There's a traitor in this organization. I need you to find out who… and why."
---
A-D-V-E-N-T
Meanwhile…
Omaru Polka—once a dazzling circus ringmaster—had long ago traded her stage lights for shadows. Agile, unpredictable, and cunning, she was an exceptional information broker, one of the best. That's why Holocorp had once recruited her.
But Polka had never pledged loyalty.
She existed on the fringes of the organization, her presence little more than a footnote in the records. Even Sora, the commander of Holocorp's fighters, remained unaware of her involvement.
Only one person knew her well—Towa.
So, as the sun dipped below the skyline, Towa arrived at Bar Holous, a lively den filled with jazz, laughter, and dim lighting. She pushed through the crowd, eyes scanning for a familiar vulpine silhouette.
There she was—Polka—sipping her favorite drink at the counter.
Towa approached, seating herself to the fox's right. Polka gave her a sideways glance and a smirk before downing her glass.
"What a surprise, Towa-senpai," she said as Towa ordered two more drinks.
"I assume you've heard the news lately," Towa said coolly.
Polka rolled her eyes. "Terrorism? Monsters? No clue."
Towa wasn't fooled.
"If you cooperate tonight, I'll give you more than just a free drink."
As the bartender delivered their order, Polka chuckled and raised her glass.
"Alright. I'll share what I can—depending on your price."
She stood, requesting access to a private room in the back. The bartender granted it instantly and gestured for Towa to follow.
Interesting. Too friendly. Towa made a mental note to question that later.
The room beyond was quiet and low-lit, with two red sofas facing a glass table. Polka settled into her seat, her grin growing.
"What information are you looking for?"
"Who's behind the portals?" Towa asked bluntly.
"I have ideas," Polka said coyly. "But no certainties. Still interested?"
Towa didn't hesitate. She summoned gems, rubies, and gold from a dimensional storage spell and placed them on the table.
"Talk."
Polka licked her lips.
"Someone from Holocorp is responsible—a mage who knows the ritual. So yes, your suspicion of internal betrayal is valid. Also, some of Holocorp's… less cooperative members have been spotted in the slums recently. I wouldn't ignore that."
Then she leaned in.
"Visit Flare-san. She may hold more pieces of the puzzle."
Just as she finished, the door burst open.
Shishiro Botan stood there, stunned. "Towa-sama? What are you doing here?"
Realizing she'd been caught, Towa bolted. Botan intercepted her, and a brief scuffle erupted.
"I don't want to fight you, Botan," Towa growled, blocking a kick.
"You expect me to believe that?" Botan answered, launching another strike.
---
A-D-V-E-N-T
Later that evening...
After Bijou's surprise celebration, the atmosphere shifted.
Risu, Lui, Okayu, Ollie, Bijou, and Chihaya gathered in a room on the ground floor. The message from Towa, delivered via Risu, brought silence to the group.
"Towa-sama has given us orders to split into three teams. Each team will carry out a different mission."
Risu laid out the tasks.
First: infiltrate Holocorp and uncover the source of the intel leak that compromised Sora's mission. Risu volunteered immediately.
"No. I won't allow it," said Okayu firmly.
Surprised, Risu asked for an explanation.
"I promised Koro-san I wouldn't let you set foot inside Holocorp again. I intend to keep that promise."
The Cat Goddess's eyes were sharp. The tension thickened.
Risu opened her mouth, but bit her lip instead. She knew arguing would change nothing.
Bijou noticed the shift in Risu's expression—the sadness—and glanced between them. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened in their past.
"I'll go in your place, Risu-senpai," Lui offered gently. Risu nodded and asked Chihaya to accompany her.
"Understood," Chihaya replied confidently.
The second mission: investigate the slums and determine what Holocorp's most problematic members were planning.
"This one's mine," Ollie declared, beaming.
"I'll support you," Okayu added, reverting to her calm demeanor.
The third and final mission would take Risu and Bijou to Flare's domain—to learn more about the Ancient One.
The teams were set. The time for action had come.