Although this wasn't the best possible outcome, at the very least, the impact had been minimized.
After reaching a wager agreement with the creator Tachibana, Natsumi Kyouno mounted her broomstick and disappeared into the sky.
"As expected, it wasn't going to be that easy to succeed…"
Gazing in the direction where Natsumi vanished, Tachibana let out a somewhat regretful sigh.
"What is wrong with the people of your world, exactly?"
Hearing Tachibana sigh, Selesia twitched the corner of her eye. "Use some common sense, would you? Yelling out that you're a lolicon in front of someone whose true identity is a little girl—what outcome did you expect besides scaring her off?"
She originally had no intention of participating in that farce.
However, Tachibana was theoretically the one who knew the character best. And with Sōta Mizushino cooperating from the side, Selesia, who didn't know much about Natsumi, had no choice but to play along.
Clearly though, Tachibana reckless approach was a huge mistake.
If he hadn't managed some damage control afterwards, things could've gone completely out of hand.
"Miss Selesia, you don't understand Natsumi. What Mr. Tachibana did was actually the best course of action," Sōta Mizushino defended him. "It's almost impossible for us to change Natsumi herself in such a short time, because she simply won't give us the chance. So the only thing we can do is try to change how she views the world—let her see that people in this world are not like the ones in hers, who hated her for who she really is."
"That child... is her true form really that ugly?" Meteora asked, puzzled.
"Ugly? Not exactly..." Tachibana coughed awkwardly. "Come on, I write harem light novels—how could I possibly have an ugly girl in the protagonist's harem? It's more of a design choice. Natsumi doesn't take care of herself very well, and she's hunched over and introverted, so it's more of a temperament issue."
"What's the point of writing her like that?" Selesia asked.
"It gives the readers who empathize with the protagonist the feeling of discovering a hidden gem," Sōta explained, "and it also provides a solid reason for the protagonist to pursue her."
"Young man, you really get it," Tachibana said, casting a surprised glance at Sōta. "You've read quite a few light novels, haven't you?"
"Haha, yeah, I guess I'm just your typical traditional otaku," replied, scratching his head a bit embarrassed.
While the group was chatting, plainclothes police officers and Aki Kikuchihara arrived at the scene.
A number of officers, flashing their badges, politely ushered the nearby civilians away, deleted any recorded videos, and had them sign confidentiality agreements.
Aki Kikuchihara, meanwhile, walked directly over to them.
For operational convenience, she had previously installed a listening device on Tachibana, so she had heard every word of their earlier conversation.
"…Are you okay?"
Kikuchihara looked at Tachibana—now transformed into a little girl—with a slightly strange expression and tone. "Should we take you to the hospital for a check-up? We still don't know whether magic might have adverse effects on the human body."
"No need. Even if you took me, I doubt they'd find anything."
Tachibana took it in stride. He didn't seem even a little discouraged. In fact, giving a thumbs-up, he said, "On the contrary, ever since I changed into this form, the back pain from sitting at my desk for long hours is gone, and my body feels revitalized after all those sleepless nights. I'm feeling super high right now!"
"I… I see…"
Seeing that Tachibana mindset was not only unaffected but actually rather optimistic, Kikuchihara didn't press the issue.
After all, there were more important things to discuss.
Their mission this time had been to recruit Natsumi to their side. But not only did they fail, they also left a negative impression on her.
That was not good news.
"So, what should we do next?" Kikuchihara asked. "Should we continue tracking the target and prepare for another persuasion attempt?"
"No need," Tachibana shook his head. "Natsumi has already set her sights on me. All we have to do now is wait for her to show up again."
"Are you sure about that, Mr. Tachibana?" Kikuchihara frowned slightly. "This is a serious matter. Please be cautious with your judgment."
"Don't worry, don't worry. She's my creation—who would know her better than I do?"
"But your plan just failed, didn't it?"
"I wouldn't say 'failed' is the right word. I prefer to think of it as halfway to success."
Although they didn't manage to bring Natsumi over to their side, Tachibana was certain he had left a deep impression on her.
Moreover, the fact that Natsumi chose to secretly monitor him meant that, in a way, he had managed to keep her tethered to his side.
Unlike the others who were getting anxious, Tachibana wasn't worried at all.
Because he knew—once Natsumi had her eyes on someone, she would, just like in the original work, never stop observing that person's every move.
Even if her impression of him wasn't great right now, as she slowly got to know him, she would eventually realize he wasn't lying.
That would be the best moment to win her over.
"Besides, if Natsumi doesn't want to be found, no one will find her. All we can do is wait." Tachibana scratched his head. "By the way, does anyone have a mirror? I want to see what I look like now."
Meteora opened her magical tome and recited a chant. A smooth mirror-like surface materialized in front of her.
"Oooh!"
Seeing the reflection of the small, adorable figure in the mirror, Tachibana eyes lit up. Holding their cheeks with both hands, they exclaimed:
"I'm just too cute!"
Meanwhile...
Atop a building in Akihabara, a young girl stood silently.
She had long silver hair tied into two cascading ponytails, and wore a complex, military-style uniform that lent her an air of authority and icy calm.
Taking in everything that had just transpired, Military Uniform Princess Altair had a thoughtful look in her eyes.
She was the first creation to descend into the real world, and also the one who had broken the boundary between reality and fiction, pulling other fictional beings into the real world.
However, there was one exception—Natsumi Kyouno was not summoned by her.
Everyone else assumed that this witch was just another of Altair summoned creations, but only Altair knew the truth.
"Could it be… she's the same kind of existence as me?"
Altair birth was both a coincidence and a miracle.
A character that should not have existed in the real world had manifested by exploiting a loophole, bypassing the rules of the world itself—like a virus.
Ever since she arrived, Altair had been continuously suppressed by the world.
So how could the world make the same mistake again—actively letting another virus into reality?
"No... That's impossible."
Altair muttered to herself.
"In that case, does that mean... she was sent by the world itself? As... antivirus software?"