Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 21
--+--
Chapter 21: Pulonia’s Shock
--+--
Nicole’s voice cut through the crowd’s gawking.
“We’re short on time. We need to move before the other Hollow raiders do! Operation meeting starts now!”
She waved one hand. “Anby! Explain the plan!”
Anby nodded, stepped forward, and spread the rolled-up map in her hands across the hood of the car.
“Everyone, please look at this map of New Eridu.”
A detailed city map lay open before them, marked with several red circles and a few arrows.
“Our plan is as follows: enter Cretan Hollow, defeat the superior mutated Ethereal Dullahan, and take back the safe.”
After she finished, she looked up at everyone.
The air stayed silent for three seconds.
“And then?” Belle blinked, waiting for the rest.
“There is no then,” Anby replied calmly.
“Uh,” Wise said, pointing at the open map, “was there any special reason to spread out this New Eridu map?”
“Nicole said we needed to look professional,” Anby said with a blank face. “We can’t let our partners look down on us. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to haggle after the job is done—mmph mmph mmph!”
Nicole reacted fast and clapped a hand over Anby’s mouth.
“Why are you saying the extra part again?!” She whipped her head around. “Billy, why weren’t you watching her?”
“That’s not on me, boss Nicole!” Billy spread his hands with an innocent look. “I didn’t know Anby’s professional meeting was gonna be like this... Ah! No wonder she watched a bunch of police procedural meeting scenes before we gathered!”
Sandrone stared at the whole farce with no expression. She was starting to feel like agreeing earlier might’ve been a little rash.
Columbina, on the other hand, watched with great interest. It was quite lively.
Belle’s expression turned rather subtle.
“Um...” Belle sighed and looked at Nicole with a helpless face. “Nicole, after everything we talked about yesterday, you’re still planning to haggle?”
Nicole let go of Anby, coughed twice in embarrassment, then straightened her collar as if trying to win back a shred of dignity.
“It’s all so the commission can go smoothly, okay?” she said, full of confidence. “Last night, I paid extra to make my friend work overtime and confirm the general Ethereal situation near the safe.”
“Oh?” Belle raised an eyebrow. “How much money did you waste? And how did it go?”
At that, Nicole glanced at Sandrone and Pulonia beside her, then puffed out her chest with a clear look of, I got my money’s worth.
“Just like Anby said earlier. We beat the superior mutated Ethereal Dullahan and take back the safe!”
Wise nodded. “Looks like we can’t avoid a fight if we want to get the safe back. Still, it’s good to know the enemy ahead of time.”
Nicole swept her hand toward the Hollow, her momentum soaring.
“Exactly! Whether it’s the Cunning Hares or our special consultant team, we now have only one goal! Move out!”
“Um... boss Nicole, there’s one problem...” Billy popped out from the corner and raised his hand like he was reporting in.
“Billy! Can you read the mood for once? Why are you tearing down my moment?” Nicole grumbled after being interrupted.
“But...” Billy scratched his head and pointed at Pulonia. “Sandrone’s robot butler doesn’t look like it can fit in the car.”
“...”
Everyone looked at the huge Pulonia and fell silent for a moment.
--+--
Twenty minutes later.
A somewhat run-down truck stopped in front of them. The body had patches of rust, but the cargo bed was big enough to hold Pulonia and the rest of them.
“Done!” Nicole hopped down from the driver’s seat and clapped her hands. “Billy borrowed it from the repair shop owner. It looks beat up, sure, but it runs!”
Billy looked innocent. “The boss said if we borrow it again, he’s gonna charge us a deposit...”
“Enough, enough. We’ll talk about details like that later!” Nicole waved a hand. “Get in! Wise and Belle, head back to the shop first. We’ll see you in the Hollow!”
“We’ll leave Eous in your care,” Wise said, handing Eous from his arms to Columbina. After giving that reminder, he pulled Belle back toward the shop.
Sandrone glanced at Pulonia, then jerked her chin toward the cargo bed.
Pulonia nodded, braced one hand against the edge of the truck bed, and leapt in with ease. It landed inside without a wobble.
The truck shook twice, but somehow held firm.
“Wow,” Billy said with a whistle.
Columbina held Sandrone’s hand and climbed into the cargo bed with light steps. She found a comfortable spot and sat down against Pulonia’s thick mechanical leg.
Anby and Billy squeezed into the other side of the cargo bed, each holding their own weapon.
“Everyone sit tight! We’re moving out!” Nicole started the truck.
The worn-out truck let out a roar and rattled its way out of Sixth Street.
--+--
At the entrance to Cretan Hollow.
In front of the warped curtain of light that shimmered with a colorful black sheen, the group got out of the truck, checked their gear, and stepped into the Hollow for real.
“All right! We’ve entered the Hollow!”
Nicole took a deep breath of the not-so-fresh air inside the Hollow, as if she could smell money on it. She clapped her hands and turned her eager gaze toward Columbina behind her.
“Dear Miss Columbina~ I’ll leave the rest to you! Just like a few days ago, wiggle your fingers and clear out everyone blocking the road!”
But Columbina only stood behind Sandrone and shook her head.
“Nope.” Her tone was light. “I won’t be joining the fight this time.”
“W-what?!” Nicole’s smile froze on her face. “Didn’t we agree you’d be the special consultant?!”
“We did,” Columbina said, pointing at Sandrone beside her. “But I’m only in charge of cheering. Sandrone and Pulonia are the main force this time.”
Nicole’s gaze fell on Pulonia.
The tall robot stood there in silence. Its metal shell gleamed coldly in the dim light of the Hollow. It had a massive frame and looked... to be fair, like it could fight.
Even so, Nicole still felt a little uneasy.
She turned to Sandrone, clasped her hands together, and switched into pleading mode at once, her eyes shining with tears.
“Sandrone! Then I’m counting on you! You have to help me get my safe back! This is the request of my lifetime!”
Sandrone looked at her.
“Hmph.”
She crossed her arms. Her voice was flat, yet carried a trace of confidence she couldn’t quite hide.
“Don’t look down on my Pulonia.”
Maybe because Pulonia’s reconstruction was complete, the confidence of someone who had everything under control had returned to her. Sandrone looked far more sure of herself than she had over the past few days.
“Move out.” With a wave of her hand, Pulonia stepped forward with heavy, rumbling strides and took the lead at the front of the group.
Nicole felt a little relieved at that.
--+--
It didn’t take long for the first wave of trouble to arrive.
A pack of wandering lower Ethereals roared as they rushed out from the shadows of the ruins. There were quite a few of them.
“Here they come!” Billy raised his guns and was just about to aim—
Pulonia moved.
No one saw how such a huge machine burst out with that kind of speed. The engine on its back let out a sharp whine, and it charged forward like a heavy tank gone out of control.
There was only a dull crash, and the Ethereal at the very front had already been sent flying. It slammed into the wall and shattered into a mess of scraps.
The second one.
The third.
Pulonia’s movements were so clean they were almost brutal. A punch, a kick, an elbow strike.
No fancy moves. Just the pure beauty of violence. Every strike landed with crisp force, crushing everything through sheer power.
In less than a minute, only fading ether particles remained on the ground.
Pulonia came to a stop. A vent on its body released a puff of white steam, and it turned back to look at Sandrone as if waiting for its next order.
Sandrone nodded with satisfaction. “Keep moving.”
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 22
--+--
Chapter 22: The Missing Phaethon
--+--
Nicole’s mouth fell open in a perfect O, and the box in her hands almost slipped to the ground.
“T-That’s it?”
Anby put away the blade she had just drawn. Her calm eyes lingered on Pulonia for two extra seconds.
“So strong…” she said in a soft voice. “That was a one-sided beatdown.”
Billy lowered his guns with some disappointment and scratched his head. “I thought I’d at least get to fire a few shots… But that was so cool! Pulonia!”
“Enough, enough! Don’t act like you lost out when you got the best deal here!”
Nicole snapped back to herself at once. The shock on her face flipped into wild joy, and she clapped her hands hard. “Isn’t this perfect? Zero cost! Zero ammo fees! Now that’s the perfect battle!”
She turned and kept moving, her steps much lighter than before.
“Belle! Where do we go next?” Nicole called to Eous, who had been following at their side.
“Bzzzt—”
Eous’s round body shook all at once, and a burst of strange static came from it.
“Huh? Not moving yet, Belle?” Nicole clapped her hands and looked back, puzzled.
Eous staggered forward two steps, like it had drunk cheap booze. Then its legs gave out. With a thud, it fell flat on its face.
“Belle?!” Nicole jumped and hurried to Eous’s side, at a loss. “Why are you lying down? This is no time to fake an accident for compensation!”
Eous twitched on the ground in a strange way. A few seconds later, it sprang back up like a puppet yanked by its strings.
“Forward…”
Belle’s voice came through the Bangboo’s speaker, but it sounded warped, as if the signal had met heavy interference.
“Belle, are you sure you’re okay?” Nicole looked at Eous’s clumsy limbs and frowned. “Why do you look so out of it?”
“I’m… fine…”
The voice cut off.
Eous started walking again. Its movements were stiff, but at least it seemed to know the direction.
--+--
The group still had doubts, but they continued forward.
Before long, another wave of Ethereals appeared up ahead.
This group was larger than the last. There were even several huge, heavy-armored ones among them. Their weighty steps made the ground tremble.
“Pulonia,” Sandrone called softly.
The giant robot charged out once more.
Anby gripped the hilt of her blade without thinking. Billy also raised his guns on reflex. Both of them moved as if to help share the pressure.
“You two,” Sandrone said all at once.
Nicole looked back. “Hm? What is it?”
“This is Pulonia’s battle. It’s also a good chance for me to gather data.”
Sandrone pulled Columbina back a few steps. “Just watch. Don’t interfere.”
Nicole froze for half a second, then lit up with joy.
They didn’t have to fight? Even better!
“Of course, of course!” She waved at Anby and Billy at once. “Anby! Come back! Don’t get in the way!”
Anby nodded, put away her blade, and returned without complaint.
“Billy! Put your guns away! What if they go off and hit an ally?”
“Huh? Boss Nicole, that’s… fine.” Billy stepped back with some regret, though he kept his guns in hand.
It was still a Hollow. Better to stay careful.
From that point on, the road became Pulonia’s solo show.
It charged into the horde of Ethereals and held the line by itself. Its huge mechanical arms swung like battering rams, smashing every Ethereal that came close into pieces.
Sandrone stood behind it, eyes fixed on each of Pulonia’s movements. The corner of her mouth rose.
Good.
“Heh…”
A faint laugh came from beside her.
At some point, Columbina had leaned close to her ear. That delicate face was almost pressed against the side of her head, and warm breath brushed over her earlobe. The gesture was far too intimate.
“You look happy…” she said in a low voice. “My dear… ‘little wife’?”
Sandrone’s smile froze.
She shot Columbina a vicious glare, and an angry blush rose on her cheeks. “Shut up! Don’t say those two words!”
Just then, Billy cried out, “Boss Nicole! Look! Eous is down again!”
Nicole followed his gaze.
Eous lay stiff in a pile of rubble at the edge of the battlefield. Its limbs were rigid, and the screen on its face flashed like crazy, making it look like a Bangboo that had broken down for good.
“Belle!”
Nicole rushed over and slapped the Bangboo’s head hard.
“Hey! Wake up! Belle, what’s wrong with you today?!”
Her voice rose as she shouted at Eous. “I know you’ve had a rough few days, but you can’t treat old clients like this!”
No response.
Nicole narrowed her eyes, and her tone took on a hint of threat.
“Belle! If you keep playing dead, I’ll give you a bad review on the Inter-Knot!”
Eous still stood there, blank and lifeless.
At last, Nicole’s brows drew tight.
Pulonia had already finished the fight and was watching their surroundings with care.
Sandrone and Columbina also came over.
Billy leaned in, his voice a little weak. “Boss Nicole, they’re not really in trouble, are they?”
“Belle!” Nicole sounded tense now. Some strange gut feeling made unease rise inside her. “At least make a sound!”
Still no answer.
“Hello? Wise? Belle? Can you hear me?”
Nicole refused to give up. She kept hitting the Bangboo’s head, and her voice echoed through the empty passage, but no reply came from the video store.
Then Eous stood up with a jerk.
It didn’t look at Nicole. It didn’t answer any of their calls. Like a wind-up toy that had been cranked tight again, it moved stiffly and walked straight in a certain direction.
“Hey!” Nicole and the others hurried after it. “Are you sure this is the right way?”
Billy was starting to panic too. “What’s going on with Eous? It just keeps walking by itself and won’t say a word. This has never happened before… Phaethon didn’t really run into trouble, did they?”
Anby analyzed it with a flat face. “Is there a chance she’s angry? Because Nicole tried to haggle earlier?”
Billy froze. “Huh? Is that what this is?”
“What time do you think this is? You’re still joking?” Nicole snapped back. “Belle and Wise can be stingy sometimes, but they never mess up when it matters! This is not normal!”
Sandrone strode forward and picked up Eous, which was still marching like a machine.
The Bangboo’s legs kept kicking in the air, as if it was still following some rigid program.
“Something really is wrong with Eous.” Sandrone checked the screen on the Bangboo’s face and frowned. “Belle isn’t controlling it right now. It should be some kind of preset auto-navigation program.”
Nicole took Eous and slapped it a few more times, unwilling to accept it, but there was still no response.
“Damn it…” Nicole clenched her teeth. “Were things going too well these past two days, so fate decided to screw us over? They lost connection at a time like this?!”
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 23
--+--
Chapter 23: Nicole’s Choice
--+--
They had lost real-time navigation, but they couldn’t stop here.
The Ethereals inside a Hollow wouldn’t wait for anyone. The longer they stayed, the more would gather.
To save their strength and deal with any unknown dangers that might show up, the group kept moving under Pulonia’s cover, doing their best to avoid fights they didn’t need.
Time slipped by, second by second.
They moved in fits and starts, and the pressure inside the Hollow grew heavier with every step. Even the air seemed to thicken around them.
“Timer’s up again, huh.”
Billy leaned against an abandoned train car to rest. His voice sounded dull as he glanced at the timer, then started the next countdown with a helpless sigh.
“That makes four full rounds of the ‘recommended safe activity time inside a Hollow’...”
No one answered.
Anby kept watch over their surroundings, her hand never leaving the hilt of her blade. Her face was grave. Nicole crouched off to the side, staring at Eous in her arms.
The Bangboo was still malfunctioning, and no one knew what she was thinking.
On the other side, though, the mood was completely different.
Sandrone was checking the seams in Pulonia’s armor, calm and focused. Columbina stood beside her with a quiet look, like some fine porcelain doll. She didn’t look like she was in danger at all.
“Hey.”
Nicole finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. She raised her head, looking drained.
“Sandrone, Columbina, how are you two not nervous at all? We’ve been stumbling around blind for ages! Keep this up, and we’re all gonna turn into Ethereals!”
Sandrone was checking Pulonia’s readings on her terminal. At that, she looked up.
“Hm? Oh, it’s already been four rounds?”
She turned to the girl beside her. “Columbina, we should be close, right?”
Columbina closed her eyes. The wing-like ornaments on her head trembled a little, as if she were sensing something.
A few seconds later, she opened her eyes and gave a soft nod.
“Very close.”
“What are you talking about?” Nicole was lost, but she still didn’t forget to crack a joke. “What’s close? Our death date?”
“The commission’s destination.” Sandrone pointed ahead, her tone certain. “We should be very close to where that mutated Dullahan is.”
“Are you serious right now!? You’re still thinking about the commission!?” Nicole covered her face, speechless. She felt like she and these two were running on completely different circuits.
“That’s true,” Anby said all of a sudden. She had been silent until now. She straightened up. “There’s a heavy feeling in the air. It’s the same feeling as when we ran into high-risk Ethereals before.”
Billy’s jaw almost dropped.
“What? We’ve been getting closer to the target this whole time? Without navigation? How did you even do that?”
Nicole seemed to realize something. Her eyes lit up, carrying a spark of hope. “Sandrone, don’t tell me you’ve got a Carrot?”
Sandrone shook her head. “We don’t have a Carrot, and we can’t find the exit.”
“Huh?” The tiny hope Nicole had just raised died on the spot. “Then how did you find the destination without a Carrot?”
“Trial and error.”
Sandrone turned around and spread one hand, her voice steady.
“To put it simply, we spent enough time wandering around this area over the last two days while looking for Pulonia’s parts. Columbina has some memory of the... routes here. But reaching that spot still takes trial and error.”
The mutated Dullahan was most likely somewhere near the place where she and Columbina had met Anby before. And the five boxes that had held Pulonia’s scattered parts had, whether Aha meant it or not, formed a ring around that area.
Since the boxes were scattered around a center point, they could use their positions to work out the rough center of the circle.
The exact center still took trial and error because the space was warped, but the general direction wouldn’t be wrong.
“Relax,” Sandrone said lightly. “With your Ether aptitude, you should be fine for another one or two rounds of the recommended time.”
“Uh... Boss Sandrone,” Billy said, raising a weak hand. “I don’t think the main issue is how much longer we can last, right? The real issue is how we get out!”
Just then, Anby’s eyes sharpened. She had been keeping watch, and she moved behind cover at once.
“Hide.”
“Wh-what?” Billy jolted in fright and raised both guns. “Those monsters are back?!”
“Shh.” Anby lifted a finger. “Not Ethereals. A Hollow Investigative Association team.”
Through the cracks in the ruins, they could see more than a dozen figures in standard protective suits, all well equipped and moving in formation.
“Oh, it’s just investigators.” Billy let out a breath and was about to stand. “Wait—investigators!?”
His eyes lit up at once, like he had just seen salvation. “We’re saved, Boss Nicole! They’re from the Association, so they’ve got a Carrot! We can ask them for help and follow them out of the Hollow!”
“What kind of dumb idea is that? Didn’t you see the Public Security officers with them?”
Nicole closed her eyes and waved a hand in despair.
“We’re Hollow Raiders. Even if we leave with them, we’ll just get arrested and locked up.”
“Maybe we would, but with that thing...”
Billy pointed at Eous. “Public Security’s new policy says that if you report a Proxy, you can make up for your crimes...”
Anby also turned back and calmly analyzed the situation. “Given our current circumstances, Billy’s suggestion is highly feasible.”
Nicole frowned. For a moment, she fell into a dead silence.
“Hey, Sandrone, Columbina.”
Nicole suddenly turned to Sandrone. “Don’t you two have anything to say? Those are officials. If we follow them, we’ll get out for sure.”
Sandrone stood by Pulonia’s leg, putting away her toolbox. Her hands didn’t stop for even a second.
“Nothing to say.”
She didn’t even look back. “I don’t know Phaethon as well as you do. What they’d do if something like this happened, and whether they’re worth waiting for—you know that better than us.”
Nicole looked down at the Bangboo in her arms. It still showed no reaction.
She fell silent again.
“Boss Nicole... we’ll follow your call,” Billy said, handing the choice to her.
A few seconds passed in silence.
“Whew...”
Nicole let out a soft sigh, stood up, and gave Billy a light smack on the head.
“Quit yelling... This isn’t a good place to stay. We’re moving. Avoid them.”
Anby and Billy looked at each other, said nothing more, and followed her at once.
Sandrone watched their struggle and hesitation without a word. She only nodded, the faintest curve touching the corner of her mouth.
They had some loyalty after all.
In truth, she wasn’t worried about getting out.
If things truly reached the worst point, they still had Columbina.
Columbina had marked a Teleport Waypoint at home. She could take all of them back outside the Hollow together. For now, though, it seemed that “spatial teleportation” was not a power this world was supposed to have.
It would also consume a great deal of Columbina’s strength. To avoid needless trouble, it was better not to use it unless they had no other choice.
Sandrone looked away, patted Pulonia’s heavy armor, finished her inspection, and packed up her tools.
Then she took Columbina’s hand and followed Nicole’s lead.
“Pulonia, take the rear.”
Pulonia rose in silence and followed at the end of the group, staying alert to everything around them.
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 24
--+--
Chapter 24: The Flying Dullahan
--+--
“Found it.”
Columbina stopped in her tracks. Her pink eyes gave off a faint glow in the dim light.
Sandrone turned at once. “You found that Ethereal?”
“No.” Columbina shook her head and pointed toward an abandoned platform off to the front. “I found a safe.”
Nicole’s ears twitched. The half-dead look on her face vanished in an instant.
“A safe?” She sprang over. “Let me see!”
She hurried to Columbina’s side and followed the direction of her finger. Through the gaps between train cars and the tangled Ether crystals, a black metal box stood in clear view.
“That’s my safe!” Nicole’s eyes lit up. She almost jumped on the spot.
Billy leaned in and checked the distance. “Doesn’t look that far. We can reach it with a small detour.”
But in the next second, Nicole’s excited face fell again.
She sank back down and hugged her knees. “But… what’s the point if we can’t get out? Even if I die here holding a few million Dennies, I’d just be grave goods for the Ethereals. I can’t take it with me into my next life…”
Sandrone ignored her gloom and turned to Columbina. “That mutated Ethereal isn’t nearby?”
Columbina closed her eyes. The wing-like ornaments on her head trembled slightly. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes again, her brows faintly drawn together.
“I didn’t find it,” she said. “But… I sensed something familiar.”
“Something familiar?” Sandrone frowned as well. “An Ethereal?”
“Mm…” Columbina tilted her head, as if searching for the right words, but in the end she still shook her head. “I can’t quite say. It feels familiar, but a little different too…”
Sandrone stared at her for two seconds. There weren’t many things in this world that could feel “familiar” to Columbina.
“Better safe than sorry,” she said. “Try sensing it again.”
Columbina nodded and closed her eyes once more.
Behind the group, though, the mood had grown even more… strange.
“Nom.”
Anby opened her mouth with a blank face and bit down on Billy’s mechanical arm. Then she let out a flat, emotionless growl.
“I’ve been corrupted by the Hollow and turned into a monster. Nom, nom.”
“Hey, Anby, don’t bite my hand…” Billy lay limp on the ground and tugged his arm back. “Doesn’t that hurt your teeth?”
Anby let go and calmly wiped her mouth. “Sorry. I wanted to make a joke to cheer Nicole up. Confirming again: I’m not good at this.”
“But… yeah, it’s true.” Billy sighed and leaned against the wall, staring up at the hopeless, mottled sky overhead. “We’ve been in the Hollow too long. Even with our Ether aptitude, all that means is we turn into monsters slower than regular people—”
“Ugh…”
Nicole, sitting in front of them, let out a long sigh. Her voice carried a rare mix of weariness and mockery toward herself. “This really doesn’t sound like something I’d do… The Cunning Hares, greedy as they come… My rule was supposed to be: ignore everyone else and look after myself.”
As soon as she finished, a familiar voice suddenly came from her arms, teasing and a little surprised.
“Wait, does that mean Nicole is secretly a good person?”
Nicole froze.
One second.
Two seconds.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEK—!!!”
A shriek shot up eight octaves. Nicole yanked Eous out of her arms and held it up like she’d just seen a corpse sit back up.
“Nicole, could your scream maybe have a little more joy in it?” Eous waved its tiny arms, and Belle’s voice came through again, carrying a faint laugh.
“Belle?! Wise?! Is that really you?!” Nicole held the Bangboo up in front of her eyes and shook it hard. She was so excited that she almost burst into tears. “You’re not dead!”
“Sorry for the wait.”
Wise’s gentle voice came through. “Actually, we’ve been back online for a while. Anby and Billy were making a scene just now, and you were probably busy feeling sad, so you didn’t notice.”
Nicole’s face stiffened.
“…So.” Nicole suddenly looked embarrassed. “You heard all that?”
“We did,” Belle said, laughing like a fox that had stolen a fish. “I’m pretty happy I got to see the real Nicole, actually.”
“T-that wasn’t the real me!” Nicole’s face flushed red. She hugged Eous and shook it hard. “Enough useless talk! Belle, Wise, what happened back there?!”
--+--
A few minutes later, Belle gave everyone a brief rundown of what had happened while the connection was down.
“So that’s what happened.” Billy suddenly understood. “The managers’ equipment got hijacked by some mystery hacker, and that’s why they lost contact with us.”
Anby nodded. “So they weren’t angry because Nicole haggled too hard.”
“What?” Belle’s voice rose. “Wait, you could’ve paid more?”
“Anby!” Nicole tugged at Anby in panic. “Don’t say extra stuff!”
Wise cut in at the right time, sounding a little helpless. “We checked the HDD for security risks. The most likely issue was that there was something strange about the data drive holding the password. The hacker probably used it to trace us.”
The comm channel went quiet for a few seconds.
“Nicooole~” Belle dragged out her name. “In this kind of situation, shouldn’t you pay at least a little compensation?”
“What?!” Nicole’s eyes went wide. “Ahem, I-I didn’t do it on purpose! Besides, we’ve been trapped in the Hollow this whole time too, so let’s call it even!”
“That’s enough, all of you.”
Sandrone’s voice suddenly cut in.
“We’re short on time. Since the connection is back, go get the safe. We can talk about the rest after we’re out.”
“Right, right! Business first!” Nicole looked as if she’d been pardoned and sprang up from the ground.
“My safe~ I’m coming!”
Watching Nicole’s back, Sandrone tilted her head and asked Columbina in a low voice, “Still can’t remember what that familiar feeling is?”
Columbina shook her head, her brow still faintly furrowed.
“Forget it.” Sandrone took a deep breath. “There’s an old saying in Liyue: when soldiers come, send a general; when flood comes, cover it with earth. In a Companion Hollow like this, there won’t be anything stronger than Pulonia.”
The group moved fast toward the platform where the safe sat.
Getting the safe went smoother than expected.
Nicole cheered and threw herself at it. She hugged the safe and rubbed her face against it again and again, her cheeks squashed out of shape against the cold metal. “Waaah, my safe… I missed you so much…”
“Boss Nicole! Watch out!!”
Billy’s scream rang out all at once.
A black blur dropped from above and slammed toward Nicole’s position like a meteor.
“Boom—!!!”
Dust burst out. Broken stone flew everywhere.
The shockwave knocked Nicole to the ground, and the safe slipped from her hands and rolled away.
She lifted her head, and her pupils shrank.
A huge Ethereal stood in front of her.
It was a full size larger than a normal Dullahan. Two wing-like growths stretched out from the back of its neck, and its lower body was covered in a skirt-like armor structure.
Its long blade had grown sharper than before, and the edges of its shield were slowly shifting into cutting blades.
“Anby! Billy!”
Nicole scrambled up, grabbed the fallen safe with one hand, and pulled out her cannon with the other.
“Cover me!”
Pulonia had already charged in.
Its massive mechanical arm crashed against the mutated Dullahan’s long blade, sending out a harsh metallic roar.
Nicole backed away while protecting the safe. Anby and Billy raised their weapons on either side of her, watching their surroundings with care.
Eous hid behind Nicole’s leg and peeked out.
“I-is that still a Dullahan?” Billy’s eyes went wide. “The Dullahans I remember definitely don’t fly!”
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 25
--+--
Chapter 25: Commission Complete!
--+--
“It was supposed to be an elite mob,” Nicole said through gritted teeth. “At this point, isn’t it basically a boss?!”
“Pulonia!”
Sandrone didn’t waste a word. She thrust a finger forward.
“Crush it!”
The giant puppet’s engine roared, and it charged in with force nothing could stand against.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The clash of steel and bone shook the air.
Pulonia’s heavy fists came down like a storm. Each blow carried crushing force, driving the mutated Dullahan back step by step. The broken walls around them shattered like tofu under the force of their clash.
“That’s way too strong…” Belle watched through Eous’s camera. “It’s completely one-sided!”
Then, in the next moment, everything changed.
After Pulonia smashed the Dullahan’s shield apart with a knee strike, the monster let out a sharp, piercing shriek.
The “wings” on its back snapped open, and Ether energy poured into its body. The broken shield grew back at a visible speed, and the dents Pulonia had punched into its body smoothed over in the span of a breath.
“That’s wrong!” Belle cried. “That Dullahan is healing while it fights! And its recovery speed is insane!”
“What?! How is that even possible?!” Nicole’s eyes went wide. “Is it using some kind of health-lock cheat?!”
Sandrone crossed her arms and frowned. “Regeneration on that level shouldn’t appear in a Companion Hollow like this…”
At the center of the battlefield, Pulonia seized its chance. It drove a heavy punch straight into the core on the mutated Dullahan’s head.
“Crack!”
A fine split appeared across the core. But the next second, the edges of the crack began to writhe. Purple light flared, and the split sealed itself at a visible speed.
Sandrone’s heart sank.
Just then, Columbina raised her finger a little.
A faint glow lit at her fingertip, so weak it was almost impossible to see. Even Sandrone, standing beside her, didn’t notice.
The mutated Dullahan had been about to swing its blade in a counterattack, but its body froze. A moment later, it started to convulse.
The healing of its core also stalled…
No. It wasn’t stalling. The crack was spreading?
“Pulonia!”
The moment Sandrone shouted, Pulonia had already caught the opening. The armor plates on its back opened as one, revealing row after row of launch ports.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—!!!”
A point-blank saturation bombardment slammed into the core on its head.
Fire swallowed the stiffened figure in an instant.
With a crisp shattering sound, the Dullahan’s core broke apart in the blast.
The mutated Dullahan’s huge body swayed, then crashed to the ground and dissolved into a storm of Ether particles.
Dust filled the air.
Within the drifting haze, a flash of silver seemed to flicker past.
“Yes!!!”
Nicole jumped so high she nearly hit the ceiling, hugging the safe as she spun in place.
“That was so cool! So cool!” Billy rushed over and looked ready to hug Pulonia’s leg. “Pulonia! That move just now was pure Starlight Knight! Teach me! Please teach me!”
Anby put away her blade in silence and let out a soft breath.
“Phew…” Belle’s voice came from Eous as well. “That scared me. This is the first time I’ve run into an Ethereal this hard to deal with. Its healing was way too strong. I almost thought the commission was going to fail.”
Sandrone paid no attention to everyone’s cheers. She walked forward at once, stopping beside the fading remains of the Ethereal.
First, she glanced at Pulonia.
The machine had taken light damage, but it was still within control.
Then she crouched and studied the marks on the ground with a frown.
When the dust had started to clear just now, had something flashed?
Sandrone reached out to brush the debris aside—
“Sandrone, what’s wrong?”
Columbina asked in a soft voice.
Sandrone stood up, her brow still faintly furrowed.
“Nothing.” Her eyes rested on the pile of fading particles. “Maybe I saw it wrong.”
She turned away.
“All right. We’ll talk once we’re out.”
Columbina looked at her but didn’t ask more. She only took Sandrone’s hand.
“We can finally get out!” Nicole hugged the safe and turned toward Eous. “Hey, Belle, lead the way!”
“I don’t want to kill the mood…”
Belle’s voice came from Eous’s speaker, full of clear hesitation.
“But it’s too early to celebrate! Nicole, calm down and listen…”
Nicole’s grip on the safe tightened. “What?”
“It’s all that rotten hacker’s fault.” Belle paused. “It deleted the escape data I’d set aside for getting out of the Hollow!”
The air froze.
“…What did you say?” Nicole’s voice went hollow.
The smile on her face faded bit by bit.
“You’re saying… we can’t get out—?”
She looked down at the black safe in her arms, then looked up at the ruined platform. It was as if all the strength had been drained out of her. She collapsed to the ground.
“Ha…”
She laughed once. Dry and empty, without a trace of humor.
“After going through hell and finally making it back to where we started… I didn’t think it would turn out to be the finish line.”
“Damn it…” Billy lifted his head, both hands clenched into fists. “I still haven’t had dinner with Miss Monica. What a regret… But I guess… it was a pretty good life.”
Anby stood to the side, looked at Billy, then Nicole, and finally Eous.
“Calm down,” she said, her voice still steady. “We can think of another way.”
“Belle, just say it if you’ve got a way out. Stop teasing them.” Sandrone sat on Pulonia’s hand and waved lightly.
“Uh—”
Belle’s voice sounded again, now with a bit of awkwardness.
“Well, we don’t have to be that pessimistic. I do still have one last resort!”
Nicole snapped her head up. “What is it?”
“It’s just…” Belle paused. “I need you to agree to it, Nicole.”
“I agree!!!” Nicole came back to life in an instant and leaped up from the ground.
“That was way too fast?!” Even Belle was startled.
“This isn’t the time! Say it already!”
“Ahem.” Belle cleared her throat and patted the safe.
“That rotten hacker said the contents of the safe have value similar to the Rosetta data. With it, someone can move in and out of Hollows as they please. If that’s true, we should be able to use it to get out of the Hollow! As long as you’re willing to let me open it.”
Nicole planted both hands on her hips, with no hesitation at all.
“I agree! I said so already!”
“Huh? You can really agree that easily?” Now Belle was the one hesitating. “How are you going to explain it to the client?”
“This is life or death!” Nicole crossed her arms, her tone bold and shameless. “If I can’t get out and turn into an Ethereal, who’s going to bring this thing to him? Open it already! You already know the password, right?”
“That’s right! But…” Belle told the truth. “I don’t know what’s actually stored inside. If forcing a read has serious consequences…”
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 26
--+--
Chapter 26: Belle Falls Unconscious
--+--
“Wait.”
Anby, who had been silent this whole time, stepped forward. Her gaze passed through Eous’s camera, as if she were looking right at Belle behind the screen.
“There’s one thing I don’t quite get.”
“Hm? What’s wrong, Anby?”
“Your real body is outside the Hollow. Even if we’re trapped here until we die, all you lose is one Bangboo.”
Anby’s tone stayed calm, but the question cut straight to the bone. “You could’ve just walked away. Why risk coming back to help us?”
“Anby!” Nicole shot her a glare.
The other end of the call fell silent for a moment.
Then Belle gave a soft laugh.
“The reason’s simple, Anby. Because I’m your Proxy.”
Her voice was light, but firm.
“I promised I’d get you all out. So I’m getting you out.”
She paused, and her tone grew more serious. “If I fail, the backup HDD command will post a commission on the Inter-Knot to rescue you. When that happens, I—”
“Enough, enough! Take back those unlucky words!” Nicole cut her off, slapped the safe beside her, and gave Eous a thumbs-up.
“Don’t worry. Once we get out, no matter what happens, we’ll come to the store and save you!”
“Hmph! Even if you say that, I’m still not giving you a discount on the commission fee!” Belle shot back with a proud little huff, then took a deep breath.
“Ready? I’m starting.”
Under everyone’s watch, Belle entered the password. The safe popped open with a click.
Inside was only one plain-looking data chip.
Belle controlled Eous and walked forward, took out the chip, then slid it into Eous’s data port.
“Data read… start!”
Bzzzt—boom!
The instant the chip went in, Eous’s round little body went stiff.
The screen of Eous’s eyes began to flash like mad. Red, blue, green, purple—every color burst from the little Bangboo’s body, like a dance-floor disco ball gone out of control.
Then the whole Bangboo floated up like one too.
“Hey!” Nicole took a quick step forward, scared out of her wits. She wanted to grab it, but didn’t dare touch it carelessly. “Belle! What’s going on?!”
Billy clutched his head and hid behind Pulonia. “Waaah! Manager! Why are you flying?!”
“Belle!”
Wise’s voice forced its way into the channel, filled with a panic they had never heard from him before.
“Belle! Cut the connection! Now!”
“I can’t disconnect—it—it—”
The light from Eous grew brighter and brighter. The flashing sped up, and the whole Bangboo looked like a flashbang that could explode at any second.
Then—
Pop.
All the light went out at once.
Eous dropped to the ground, head hanging low, motionless, like it had been scrapped.
“Belle?” Nicole’s voice trembled. She reached out with care. “Belle! Don’t scare me! Give me a beep or something!”
No answer.
Anby and Billy gathered around, worry plain on their faces.
Sandrone frowned too.
Just when everyone was at a loss, Eous suddenly raised its head from the floor.
Its eyes lit up again.
But it wasn’t the wild, chaotic flashing from before. They had turned a pure, emotionless blue, as if some program had taken control.
“Route… confirmed.”
Eous let out a synthetic mechanical voice, then took off running toward the side of the platform. Its two short legs moved shockingly fast.
Nicole froze for a second, then grabbed the safe and chased after it.
“Wait! Where is this—”
The words died in her throat.
Ahead, at the dead end of the platform where there should have been no path, a faintly glowing Fissure was opening bit by bit.
It was a spatial Fissure.
--+--
What happened next felt like someone had hit fast-forward.
When they rushed out of the Hollow and breathed the dusty air outside, Nicole nearly cried.
There was no time for anyone to savor it. They ran, piled into the car, and drove straight toward Sixth Street.
Halfway there, Nicole jumped out of the car, saying she knew a secret doctor with great skills.
--+--
A short while later, in the back room on the first floor of Random Play.
Belle had been helped onto the sofa and laid on her side. Her face was pale as paper, her eyes shut tight. Her body still twitched out of control, and she kept mumbling unclear words under her breath.
Wise was sweating hard. His usual calm had vanished.
His hands shook as he half-knelt beside the sofa and changed the cold towel on Belle’s forehead. His eyes were full of blame, all of it aimed at himself.
“We’re here!”
Sandrone and Columbina pushed the door open and came in, followed by Anby and Billy.
“You’re here. Where’s Nicole?” Wise lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot.
“Boss Nicole went to get the doctor. Soon! They’ll be here any second!” Billy rushed to explain.
Sandrone nodded. “Wise, calm down. Belle’s vital signs are stable. She’s not in danger for now, and the doctor’s almost here.”
She turned her head and quietly gave Columbina a look.
Columbina gave a small nod.
She stepped forward, crouched beside Belle, and gently took her hand. Then she lowered her eyes, parted her lips, and hummed a distant song.
The tune was soft and slow, like wind drifting in from far away.
No one could make out the words, but the melody seemed to hold some quiet power that soothed the heart.
A blessing of the new moon.
Sandrone stood to the side and watched.
The song itself didn’t matter. What mattered was the blessing Columbina gave Belle. To some degree, it could strengthen Belle’s body.
Within that clear, airy song, Belle’s knitted brows slowly eased. Her twitching limbs stopped trembling little by little.
She still muttered a few words now and then, but she had clearly settled down. Wise let out a small breath, stepped back with his strength drained, and wiped the sweat beading across his forehead.
As long as it helped…
“The doctor’s here!”
Nicole shoved the door open and rushed in, drenched in sweat. Behind her came a doctor carrying a medical kit.
After a frantic round of checks and treatment, Belle’s condition finally stabilized. She fell into a deep sleep.
“Whew… It’s just nervous system overload, plus mental exhaustion.” The doctor wiped his sweat. “She’ll be fine after a few days of rest. Let her sleep well. Don’t bother her.”
Nicole collapsed into a chair and let out a long, ungraceful breath.
“Wise, you stay here and keep watch.”
After a moment to recover, Nicole stood up and picked up that safe again, the one she both loved and hated.
“I’ll take the doctor back. While I’m at it… Anby, Billy, and I are going to find the middleman who sold us that intel and have a nice little ‘chat’ with him!”
Wise nodded. His eyes never left Belle’s face. “Thank you.”
Sandrone had been leaning against the doorframe, watching it all.
“Since she’s fine, we won’t bother you. Get some rest.” She took Columbina’s hand and gently pushed the door open to leave.
At the entrance of the video store, a light breeze brushed past, scattering the day’s tension and fatigue.
“Sandrone, Columbina.” Nicole gave the two of them a rare, serious nod. “This time… thanks.”
Sandrone glanced at her.
“We were paid.”
Nicole froze for a second, then burst out laughing.
“Fine. Pleasure doing business!”
Nicole opened the car door, then seemed to remember something and turned back.
“Send me your bank account number. I’ll transfer the related fees as soon as I can! Of course… ahem, not including that half-price handling fee.”
Sandrone nodded. “Fine. I’ll send it to you soon.”
The car door shut. The engine started, and the car left Sixth Street with the force of revenge behind it.
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 27
--+--
Chapter 27: The Dove That Turned the Tables
--+--
The street fell quiet once more.
“Let’s go home, Sandrone.”
Columbina took Sandrone’s hand first. Her voice was soft, with a tiny trace of coaxing hidden inside it.
“Hm?” Sandrone lifted a brow and turned to look at the girl beside her.
She tightened her grip in return, her fingertips brushing over Columbina’s palm.
Something was wrong!
This girl’s hands were always cool, yet today her palm had a light sweat to it. And her eyes kept drifting away. She wouldn’t even meet Sandrone’s gaze.
“What’s wrong, Columbina?” Sandrone narrowed her eyes, suspicion flashing in her blue gaze. “You look... kind of guilty.”
“Nope. Not at all.” Columbina shook her head at once, but the wing ornaments on her head gave her away, drooping with guilt. “I’m just a little tired... Let’s talk after we get back?”
Sandrone gave her two doubtful looks, but didn’t think too much of it.
Their home was only a few steps away, anyway.
Today had been full of twists and trouble. They’d fought monsters, run for their lives, and dealt with one sudden mess after another.
But in the end, everything had worked out.
Of course, the most important part was—
Sandrone touched the task card in her pocket, and the corners of her mouth rose before she could stop them.
That bastard Aha’s task was complete! From now on, she’d have two full hours every day that belonged only to her, free from the safety rope!
The thought of locking Columbina outside tomorrow and enjoying a quiet stretch of machines and coffee at home made all the day’s fatigue vanish from Sandrone’s body.
“Come on. Let’s go home.”
Sandrone pulled Columbina along with light steps, not noticing the complicated look on the girl’s face behind her, caught somewhere between hope and apology.
--+--
They pushed open the door, went inside, and turned on the lights.
Pulonia stood quietly in the corner. When they got back to Sixth Street, Sandrone had sent him home on his own first.
The empty boxes still sat piled in the corner. Only the coffee table in front of the sofa had been cleared.
Sandrone couldn’t wait any longer. She pulled out the task card, still faintly warm, and set it on the table.
“Come on. Time for settlement.”
The writing on the card began to twist like mad, like countless tiny bugs in bright colors crawling across it. At last, it burst into a cloud of colored smoke, and new text appeared.
[🎭 Joyous Performance: Task Settlement! 🎭]
[Ohoho! My dear “little wife” Sandrone! If you thought this was the end, then you’ve really underestimated the script of Elation!]
Sandrone’s smile froze.
That opening didn’t look like a good sign at all.
The words on the card kept bouncing.
[Reviewing the judgment process.]
[Brave Sandrone commanded the big metal lump to smash everything in sight! Wonderful work! A true art of violence!]
[But—wait! What is our Demon Queen doing? She didn’t throw any feathers, and she didn’t use her singing voice, but...]
A bold red line popped out, complete with exclamation marks.
[Warning: outside assistance detected!]
[Oh my, oh my. Looks like one little dove moved her fingers in secret~]
Sandrone whipped her head around to look at Columbina. Columbina looked away and stared at the ceiling lamp, as if a priceless painting had appeared there.
The words on the card grew even livelier, as if that god of fun was laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach.
[Final verdict: Schrödinger’s success!]
[It is both a success and a failure. A superposition filled with the beauty of quantum mechanics!]
[In that case, in the spirit of “everyone gets to have fun,” Aha has decided—]
[I want both the reward and the punishment! ✊]
[Reward activated: congratulations! You have gained 2 hours of free activity time each day! 🎉]
[Punishment added: sorry! The safety rope’s range will shrink permanently to 2 meters! 😈 Cuddling is good for your health!]
[Special easter egg triggered: because of your vague and shady cheating, you must receive a one-time “deep lesson”!]
Before Sandrone could read the last line clearly, the card exploded with pink light.
[Executing now: super glue, ten-minute limited edition! 🤡]
[Attachment point: lips 💋]
[P.S. No need to thank me. Just call me Lord Aha, fair and just~]
“Wha—”
Sandrone didn’t even have time to react before that force dragged her forward.
A huge pull she couldn’t resist, like the two poles of a magnet, acted on her and Columbina at once.
Columbina didn’t seem to expect the punishment to hit so fast either. She had only just turned her head, the surprise in her eyes not yet gone—
Pop.
The distance between them dropped to zero.
Outside the window, the night wind stopped cold. Without warning, fine rain began to fall, tracing vague, intimate trails down the glass.
Inside, the ceiling light seemed to short out for a brief instant from the wave of energy.
At the far end of vision, a pampered ragdoll cat, one that usually stood above all with its fur groomed to perfection, was yanked forward by an unseen force.
And in front of it stood a pure white dove that seemed harmless at first glance.
The ragdoll cat’s blue pupils shrank.
By instinct, it wanted to stretch out its claws and slap away this rude “uninvited guest” that had crossed the line.
Yet the dove did not flap its wings and flee like an ordinary bird. Instead, it turned the tables and pressed one step closer.
Its pure white wings carried a strange, unknown pressure that would not allow refusal, closing in until there was no gap left.
The cat’s whiskers trembled, and a panicked whimper rose from its throat.
It tried to back away, but an unseen magnetic field pinned the cat and bird in that tiny space.
The soft feathers brushed little by little across the cat’s nose.
At first, there was a hint of testing in the touch, but soon it became like someone savoring a rare dessert, precise and stubborn as it broke through the cat’s defenses.
Bit by bit, step by step, the pressure of those wings sank deeper, carrying a heat that seemed able to melt everything, slowly crushing the proud dignity the cat had tried so hard to hold up.
--+--
T/N: I’m impressed at the author’s way of subverting censorship.
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 28
--+--
Chapter 28: Did She Seriously Pin Down the Ragdoll Cat?
--+--
The ragdoll cat’s strength drained fast under the smothering lack of air.
At last, with nowhere left to run, its paw slipped and missed the edge.
With a soft thump, the cat fell flat on its back into the deep pile of velvet cushions below.
And that white dove didn’t take the chance to leave. Instead, it beat its wings and followed her down, pressing her in place like a shadow.
It went against every law of nature. A dove, something that should’ve been frail, was now looming above a predatory cat, pinning it deep into the soft cushions.
White wings spread wide, blotting out everything in the cat’s sight.
Outside the window, the rain grew heavier.
Huge drops struck the glass in a quick, heated rhythm that made the heart race.
Again and again, light and heavy at once, like some breathless, clinging tangle.
Beneath those pure white wings, the cat’s protests vanished. Even her weak struggles turned into soft, helpless clinging. The world spun. All logic and reason were crushed into a mess by this long, absurd hold.
Time seemed to lose all meaning.
It felt like a blink.
It also felt like a whole century.
Then, all at once, that unseen force let go.
“Hah… haah…!”
Sandrone shoved away the shadow in front of her like someone who had just escaped from the depths of the sea, then scrambled back into the corner of the sofa.
She gulped down fresh air, her cheeks burning so hot it was frightening. Even the roots of her ears had turned red.
Right now, she had lost every trace of her usual grace.
Her neat uniform was badly wrinkled, and at some point, the collar had come loose. The line of her lips, which she always kept pressed tight, was now a vivid red.
She lifted the back of her hand and wiped at the corner of her mouth in a panic, but her fingers shook hard.
Compared to her, Columbina looked as calm as if nothing had happened.
She sat on her knees on the sofa and watched Sandrone shrink into the corner.
Her lips were also far brighter than usual.
She raised a hand and brushed her fingertips past her own jaw, light as air. Her eyes curved in a soft arc, and the corner of her mouth lifted, as if she were still savoring some perfect delicacy.
“Sandrone.”
Her voice carried a lazy, faint rasp. In her pink eyes shone a satisfied gleam that made the heart beat faster. “You’re always so sharp when you talk… but it turns out this part isn’t hard at all.”
Sandrone’s mind blew up all over again.
“You—you—!”
She pointed at Columbina, her finger shaking even worse. Her face turned red from her ears down to her neck, like steam might rise from her at any moment.
“You bastard!”
Sandrone ground her teeth. Even her voice was floating. “We only had to stay close! Who gave you permission to… do all that extra stuff?!”
Columbina tilted her head and blinked with innocent eyes. The feather ornaments on her head swayed with the motion.
“Because… if I only stayed on the surface, I couldn’t taste the real flavor at all. And…”
She licked her lips again, as if reliving it. “Sandrone’s reaction was much cuter than I expected.”
“Shut up!!!” Sandrone grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and hurled it at her.
Columbina caught the pillow and hugged it to her chest. She tilted her head and looked at Sandrone, the wing ornaments on her head fluttering in high spirits.
“When you stick together… touching each other is only natural, isn’t it?” Her voice was soft, with a faint hint of hurt.
“Natural, my ass!”
Sandrone grabbed another pillow and threw that one too.
“That was ten minutes! Not ten seconds! You call that touching? That was—that was—”
The rest was too shameful to say.
“You did it on purpose!”
Columbina caught the second pillow too and held both in her arms. The two cushions covered so much of her that only her face showed.
She blinked at Sandrone, her lashes fluttering.
“I didn’t.”
“You did!”
“I really didn’t.”
“You—!”
Sandrone was so angry she couldn’t speak. Her chest rose and fell hard. She glared at Columbina for several seconds, then spun around and strode toward the kitchen.
“I’m getting water!”
She needed to calm down. Physical cooling. Now.
Sandrone rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and poured water straight into her mouth. But just as she tipped her head back to drink, soft footsteps came from behind her.
Columbina put down the two pillows and followed her in with a curved smile, like a little tail. She leaned against the kitchen doorway and watched her.
“Why did you follow me in here?” Sandrone lowered the glass and snapped.
Columbina pointed at the space between them, then at the card on the table.
“I can’t help it.” She smiled like a little fox. “After all… our range is only two meters now.”
“If you walk too far away, we’ll be forced to ‘stick’ together again like we did just now… I don’t mind, but Sandrone might die from embarrassment, right?”
“Pfft—”
Sandrone almost sprayed out the mouthful of water she had just drunk.
Two meters.
She stared in despair at the smiling girl in the kitchen doorway.
She had thought two hours of freedom would be heaven. But now… did that mean she had to spend twenty-two hours in hell to earn it?!
Sandrone slammed the glass down on the kitchen counter with a sharp bang, hard enough that it nearly cracked at the bottom.
She turned around, braced both hands behind her, and fixed her blue eyes on the innocent-looking girl at the doorway.
The cold water had cooled the heat in her face a little, and reason finally reclaimed the high ground.
That suffocating ten minutes had scrambled her brain into mush, and she had nearly forgotten the real issue.
“Co-lum-bi-na!” Sandrone narrowed her eyes, her tone sharp. “Talk. What exactly did that damn bastard mean by ‘outside assistance’?!”
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 29
--+--
Chapter 29: Luonnotar
--+--
“Hm?” Columbina blinked, her pink eyes looking at Sandrone with perfect innocence. “Are we still settling accounts?”
“Of course.” Sandrone folded her arms and studied Columbina with a stern look. “I didn’t see you attack, true. But that strange thing that happened to the mutated Dullahan at the end… was that your doing?”
Columbina didn’t answer right away.
“Oh, that…”
She blinked, then let out a soft laugh. Her skirt swayed as she stepped into the kitchen, took Sandrone’s hand, and led her back to the living room.
“Come over here. I’ll show you a little cutie.”
The air in the living room still seemed to hold the absurdly intimate mood from those ten minutes earlier.
Sandrone made a point of sitting as far from Columbina as the rules allowed, staring at her with open suspicion.
“Come out, Luonnotar.”
Columbina called softly to the empty space beside her and held out her pale hand.
The air rippled.
It was as if some unseen wave had spread through the living room, softening even the light.
Then a glow gathered together.
A small, delicate little thing appeared out of thin air, only about half a person tall.
Its whole body was a soft mix of ice blue and milky white, wrapped in a thin, moonlit glow. It looked clear as jelly, yet carried a holy, dreamlike air. Two pairs of long, wing-like ears trembled with each breath, and a pale golden crescent mark sat on its forehead. Behind it trailed a ribbon-like tail of flowing light.
Behind its head, a clear and gentle crescent halo floated in silence, giving off a cold, quiet aura.
“Mew~”
The little thing spun once in the air, floated to Columbina’s hand, and rubbed its cheek against her fingers. Then it turned and tilted its head at Sandrone.
Sandrone froze.
“Luonnotar?” She frowned. “I remember it was a… soul fragment you separated from yourself?”
Then Sandrone caught on at once. “So it’s the reason the mission was judged as a failure?”
A hint of confusion followed. “But that doesn’t make sense. If it’s your soul fragment, then it’s still ‘you.’ But the card said it was ‘Schrodinger’s success.’ Shouldn’t it have been a clear failure instead?”
“It’s not the same being anymore.”
Columbina reached out and scratched Luonnotar’s chin. The little one narrowed its eyes in comfort.
“You might not remember this clearly, but one of the conditions for my successful return to Teyvat was this child’s disappearance.”
Her voice softened, as if she had fallen into memory. “After that, Lumine and I used pure moonlight to shape a new body for it. I poured new power and blessings into it, and let it be born again.”
She raised her eyes and looked at Sandrone, explaining in a serious tone. “The Luonnotar you see now no longer has to carry my soul. It has its own will. It’s an independent life.”
“Independent?” Sandrone stared at the glowing little thing. “Then how did it get to this world? Was that Aha’s doing too?”
“That… I’m not too sure either.”
Columbina shook her head, looking a little puzzled. “I only remember sensing a very familiar aura when I got close to that mutated Dullahan.”
“I didn’t think it would be Luonnotar at the time.”
Columbina sighed and spread her hands in mild helplessness. “That Dullahan had been badly damaged by Pulonia. The moment its core cracked, I finally sensed this child clearly. It was inside that monster’s ‘stomach.’”
“Inside its stomach?”
“Mhm. Or rather…” Columbina pointed at Luonnotar. “That Dullahan accidentally ‘swallowed’ Luonnotar after it crossed over, which caused some unknown kind of mutation.”
The image of that mutated Dullahan flashed through Sandrone’s mind.
The odd, wing-like tissue behind its neck.
The lower half of its body, shaped like skirt armor and carrying a sacred feel.
And that absurd self-repair ability, so close to a miracle that it made no sense at all.
“No wonder…” Sandrone understood at once. “I knew it. A Companion Hollow of that size shouldn’t have been able to produce an Ethereal of that level.”
“Exactly. That’s what happened.”
Columbina nodded.
“When the Dullahan was injured and Luonnotar was exposed along with the core, I finally formed a real connection with this child. As my dependent, it heard my voice and wanted to answer me on instinct.”
“It was very weak at the time, trapped inside the core. I only… gave it a tiny bit of power and woke it up.”
Columbina blinked with an innocent look. “After it woke up, it wanted to break free, so it made a little ‘mess’ inside the monster. That’s why the Dullahan suddenly started acting strange.”
“So you see, Sandrone~”
The girl leaned in a little, her tone full of confidence. “I really didn’t ‘attack’ that monster. I was just waking up my own child. How could that count as taking action?”
“But…”
Sandrone pointed at the mission card on the table, which had already cooled down, and gave a cold laugh. “In that bastard’s eyes, you used Luonnotar to break down the enemy’s defenses from the inside and created the chance for me to land the killing blow.”
“I killed the monster, so that counts as success. But you directly interfered with the battle through your dependent, so that counts as cheating.”
After hearing the explanation, Sandrone fell silent.
Without Columbina’s “call” in that instant, without Luonnotar locking down the monster’s regeneration from the inside, even if Pulonia had fired every shell it had, it might not have been able to kill that monster in such a short time.
Looking at the result, Columbina had helped a lot. She had even saved the situation.
But!
That didn’t mean Sandrone had forgiven her for the ten minutes of “tongue-kiss torture” just now!
And it didn’t mean she could accept having to stay within two meters of her from now on!
Not even with two hours of free time each day!
The moment Sandrone thought of that suffocating mess on the sofa, and how close she had come to losing control in such an embarrassing way, a vein at her temple began to throb.
“So…”
Sandrone took a deep breath, rose from the sofa, and walked toward Columbina one step at a time, her face dark.
Columbina shrank back by instinct, then lifted the little thing in her arms high into the air, trying to use it as a shield. “San-Sandrone?”
Sandrone reached out.
But that “demon claw” didn’t land on Columbina. Instead, it grabbed the cheeks of Luonnotar, who was still floating there with a blank, cute little face.
“Mew?!”
The little thing let out a frightened cry.
The feel was better than expected. Cool and soft, like a glowing glutinous rice dumpling.
Sandrone’s face stayed blank as she tightened her fingers, pulling that soft little face to both sides, squashing it flat, rolling it round, kneading it like dough.
“This. Is. All. Your. Fault!”
She glared at the culprit through gritted teeth. “You’re the reason I just—!”
The reason that bastard took advantage of me!
The reason my safety rope got shortened to two meters!
The reason I almost, on that sofa… hmph!
--+--
Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 30
--+--
Chapter 30: Kicked Out of the House
--+--
The more Sandrone thought about it, the angrier she got, and her grip tightened.
Luonnotar let out a string of pleading mews and flailed its tiny arms with all its might, throwing a desperate look at its master.
Columbina looked at her poor little familiar. Not only did she fail to help, she couldn't hold back a laugh.
The sight of Sandrone puffed up with anger, yet unable to do anything to her, was just... too cute.
"All right, all right. If you keep squeezing it, it'll fall apart."
Columbina smiled as she coaxed her. "It's a victim too, you know. It got swallowed by a monster for so long, and the moment it came out, you started bullying it."
Sandrone gave a cold snort and finally let go.
"Whoosh—"
The moment Luonnotar regained its freedom, it bounced behind Columbina like a rubber ball at light speed and hid there, leaving only a pair of long glowing ears trembling in the air.
Sandrone touched her still-warm lips without thinking.
That feeling seemed to linger between her lips and teeth.
She shook her head hard, trying to throw the image out of her mind. She didn't want to see that smug look on that person and her pet, the kind that said they'd gotten away with something and still wanted to act innocent.
"This kind of thing... is not happening again!"
After throwing out those words, Sandrone was about to turn and head back to her room when her gaze swept over the table and stopped.
Her eyes locked on the mission card.
Wait.
The punishment had taken effect.
Then the reward... had taken effect too?
Her blue eyes narrowed. She grabbed the card and flipped it back and forth three times.
There were no extra restrictions on the "two hours of free time."
"Good."
Sandrone took a deep breath, and the corner of her mouth curved up. She turned around, raised her hand, and pointed at Columbina with fierce force.
"Columbina, stand right there and don't move!"
With that, she took one careful step back.
Then another.
Then a third.
She kept retreating until she reached the far end of the living room, far beyond the usual safe range.
The safety rope didn't trigger.
"It's really disabled..." Sandrone murmured, the light in her eyes growing brighter.
In that case...
She snapped her head up, pointed at the front door, planted her voice deep in her chest, and gave Columbina, who was still holding Luonnotar with a blank look on her face, the most commanding order of the night.
"You! Now! Right now! This instant! Get out!"
Columbina blinked. Luonnotar blinked along with her from her arms. "Eh?"
"Eh, nothing!"
Sandrone strode over, gave her no time to react, and pushed her toward the door by the shoulders.
"Didn't it say I get two hours of free time? I'm using it now! And not just two meters. I want you at least two hundred meters away from me! I want absolute, pure, one-person space!"
"But..." Columbina stumbled as she was pushed, still not forgetting to protect the little thing in her arms. "But it's almost dark, Sandrone..."
"You're a Fatui Harbinger... the former Harbinger, Damselette! And now you're the only Moon Goddess! Even if the whole outside is packed with Ethereals, they're the ones who should be scared!"
Sandrone opened the door without mercy and shoved the person and the pet out.
Bang!
The door shut in her face.
But before it fully locked, it opened a crack again.
Sandrone poked half her face through the gap. Her blue eyes were full of warning. She looked fierce and... somehow a little like she was putting on a brave front.
She raised her phone. A countdown showed on the screen: 01:50:00.
"One hour and fifty minutes!"
Sandrone raised her voice for emphasis. "I'm giving you a ten-minute buffer! Before the time is up, you are not allowed to come back! And you're not allowed to knock! Do you understand?"
Columbina stood under the dim yellow light in the hallway, holding Luonnotar.
She looked at Sandrone, who was trying so hard to look scary through the crack in the door, and nodded in a sweet, well-behaved way. Her voice was soft.
"I understand."
"Hmph!"
Sandrone pulled her head back.
Bang!
This time, the door closed for good.
Then—
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of three locks turning came through loud and clear.
At the end, there was even the sound of something heavy being dragged over. It sounded like she had moved a dining chair to brace the door handle.
Was this... burglar prevention?
Columbina stood by the roadside, listening to the movement inside, and couldn't help laughing.
She looked down at Luonnotar, who still had a blank look on its face, then looked at the tightly shut security door.
"Well done, Luonnotar."
Columbina reached out with her slim fingers and poked the little thing's soft cheek. There wasn't the slightest trace of gloom on her face from being kicked out. Instead, she wore a fond smile.
"Sandrone got shy."
She thought back to that kiss that had lasted ten full minutes. Her tongue touched the roof of her mouth, as if the feeling of Sandrone's slight tremble when she was nervous still remained there.
"After all, just now... I suppose that was a little too much?"
Her eyes narrowed, and a sly light flashed through her pink gaze.
"Mew~" The little thing rubbed against her palm.
It didn't understand what its master was saying, but it looked like... its master was happy?
Then that was good~
"All right."
Columbina turned and faced the street before her, full of the warmth of daily life.
Sixth Street at dusk was still lively.
The ramen shop's sign had lit up with a warm yellow glow. The dog that always wore nail polish was still standing guard in front of the newsstand, watching passersby with lazy eyes.
Across the street, the arcade rang with noisy electronic sounds and the cheers of young people.
The rich scent of roasted coffee drifted out from the café entrance.
People came and went along the road.
Now and then, someone glanced with curiosity at the girl standing by the roadside in her strange dress, and at the odd doll in her arms.
But this was New Eridu. There were all kinds of weird people here. The passersby soon looked away and returned to their own lives.
"Since I've been kicked out, I might as well take a walk."
Columbina lifted her head and glanced at the sky. A crescent moon hung on the horizon. It was a little hazy, but it was indeed the moon.
"Luonnotar."
Columbina called its name in a soft voice.
"There are too many people here. You'll stand out like this."
Luonnotar looked at the crescent moon in the sky, then looked at its master, and nodded obediently.
It turned into a stream of light. Like a drop of water melting into the sea, it scattered without a sound and blended into the moonlight around Columbina, then vanished.
Only Columbina knew it was still by her side.
"Now then..."
Columbina smoothed her skirt, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked into the bustling crowd on Sixth Street with a calm smile on her face.
"How should I spend this one hour and fifty minutes?"
She wandered around the street with no real goal, looking here and touching there.
...Random Play?
She stopped in her tracks. Without realizing it, she had arrived at the entrance of the video store.
"Oh, right. I wonder how Belle is doing."
Thinking of the girl who had knocked herself unconscious to save them, Columbina gave it some thought and decided to go in for a look.
Sandrone wouldn't let her go home, but surely visiting the neighbors was fine?
--+--