Chapter 30: Bunny Girl

How many hours had passed since then?

By the time twilight painted the sky and darkness began creeping in, Shido was hiding inside an abandoned building on the outskirts of Tengu City. He had barely escaped the stage, thanks to Tohka.

Moving around in a maid outfit had been a nightmare—not to mention it made him stand out way too much.

So, along the way, he had stopped at a flea market in a plaza, bought some more masculine clothes, and changed. He had also removed the voice modulator from his throat, completely shedding his Shiori disguise.

“…”

Things weren’t supposed to turn out like this.

Their plan to defeat Miku had been a success. But they hadn’t accounted for one crucial detail—she had no reason to keep her word.

In a sudden turn of events, everything flipped upside down.

Miku was after him.

Yoshino, Kaguya, and Yuzuru had fallen under her control.

Swarms of her minions flooded the streets of Tengu City.

He still couldn’t contact Ratatoskr.

And worst of all—DEM had abducted Tohka.

“...”

Shido glanced at the cell phone in his hand.

A news program was broadcasting live footage of the mysterious riot in Tengu City.

Tens of thousands of people wandered the streets, captured from a helicopter’s aerial camera.

The announcer rattled off theories, desperately trying to explain the chaos. But it was pointless.

No one could have imagined the truth—that all these people were searching for him, acting under Miku’s command.

“…”

Shido clenched his jaw, glaring at the screen.

There were even more people now.

Miku must have decided that the festival’s audience wasn’t enough and had started recruiting more.

He didn’t know the full extent of Gabriel’s power, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time before they found him.

And the worst part—Gabriel worked even through speakers.

That moment of true despair hit when the police arrived to suppress the riot… only to join the mob the instant they heard Miku’s voice blasting from a sound truck.

“Dammit!”

“EK!!!”

“…”

Just as Shido slammed his fist against the floor in frustration, a startled yelp came from the other side of the room.

He slowly lifted his head toward the source, momentarily forgetting that he wasn’t alone in all this chaos.

In the dim light, a figure sat curled up against the wall, hugging her knees.

She was wrapped in an oversized brown bear mascot costume. Its round ears drooped slightly, and its wide, goofy grin felt completely out of place given the situation.

“…Sorry, did I scare you?”

“A-Ah, d-don’t worry, I-I just overreacted…”

The costume hid her identity, but Shido was sure of a few things about who she was.

This person had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and helped him escape when he was fleeing away.

From her voice, it was clear she was a girl… and that voice sounded awfully familiar.

And most importantly—she wasn’t under Miku’s control.

That meant she was either a Wizard or a Spirit.

And the answer was obvious.

He had seen her use her Angel—one eerily similar to the Spirit they came to know a little about a while ago…

She was certainly the Spirit Miku had mentioned…

But why had she gone out of her way to help him?

No—that was the least inexplicable thing about her…

Few hours ago…

"The twenty-fifth Tengu Joint High School Tenou Festival is now open!"

The announcement echoed through the ceiling speakers, followed by a wave of applause and cheers that filled the halls.

It was Saturday, September 23—the long-awaited day for high school students across the city. The Tenou Festival had finally begun.

Near the main entrance, Halls One and Two bustled with food and drink stalls, while Halls Three and Four, set farther back, featured haunted houses and exhibits.

Everyone seemed excited, caught up in the moment—except for one person. That didn’t seem to be the case for them.

In Hall Two, Sawa knelt beside the staff dressing area, radiating pure despair. Her hands pressed against the ground, shoulders slumped, a dark aura surrounding her.

"Oh… Ohhh…"

She was already wearing the standard festival staff uniform—a plain white shirt, lightweight vest, black pants, and an armband. A typical outfit for a temporary festival worker.

But in her grasp was something else. An outfit that stood out for all the wrong reasons.

And the reason for her misery was painfully simple.

She had to wear it.

Noticing the occasional glances from passersby, Sawa quickly retreated inside. The last thing she needed was more attention.

The dressing area was small, divided into cramped sections by thin curtains. It felt more like a bathroom than a proper changing room. A few lockers lined the walls, and a wooden bench, its surface worn from years of use, sat in the middle.

She let out a deep sigh as she walked into one of the changing stalls, swiping the curtain shut behind her. Her gaze drifted to the full-length mirror propped against the wall.

She hesitated.

A quick self-check.

Her reflection stared back at her—long, messy hair, eyes hidden beneath a curtain of stray bangs, and the familiar festival uniform. A boy’s image. The one she had carefully crafted.

With a small nod to herself, she decided to just try and see how things went. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.

She reached for the vest, slipping it off.

The moment the fabric left her skin, it revealed the tight bandages wrapped around her chest.

She swallowed hard.

A bra wouldn’t work—not for this. Not when she had to hide the very thing that would betray her crossdressing.

So she forced them down with bandages.

It was painful. It restricted her breathing. Every deep inhale felt like a battle.

But it was necessary.

She had to pass as a man. She had to be a man, thought she used to be one before.

Even if it meant enduring this.

She pressed a hand to her side, exhaling carefully before reaching behind her back. With a sharp tug, she loosened the bandages.

And just like that, her chest fell naturally into place.

Relief.

A real, physical relief.

Her lungs expanded freely for the first time in hours, her body finally unrestrained.

She let herself enjoy the sensation for a moment before glancing toward the outfit folded neatly beside her.

A bunny costume.

The iconic, black, form-fitting kind—the kind that practically screamed anime and manga.

She stared at it.

It stared back.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

But she knew there was no getting out of this.

If someone asked how she ended up here, they wouldn’t believe how quickly things took a turn.

In the first place, her job today had nothing to do with this festival. She was supposed to be on the other side of the city, working as a trash collector.

But then—one phone call changed everything.

Her boss called that morning, his tone flat and emotionless.

“You’re fired.”

And just like that, he hung up.

No explanation. No warning. Nothing.

Before she could even process it, another call came in.

“Hey, boy! Are you free today?”

It was a familiar voice—an old coworker from one of her side jobs, though something about his tone felt a little off... She barely had time to respond before he continued.

“There’s an open spot at the Tenou Festival. Real easy work. You’d just be the festival’s luck—y’know, the mascot. Play with kids, guide people around, keep the energy up. Pays decent, too.”

Mascot work.

It sounded simple enough. Wear a costume, wave at some kids, maybe do a little dance, and best of all, no one would know who was inside the costume.

Without thinking, she said yes.

Looking back, she knew it was her fault for not asking for details. Maybe it was because her plans had been cut short, leaving her with no way to make money. Or maybe—deep down—she had just wanted an excuse to spend time at the festival.

Either way, she accepted.

And now, here she was.

Staring at the black bunny costume.

“…This is not a mascot outfit.”

Sawa squeezed her eyes shut, pressing both hands against them in sheer regret.
Somewhere along the way, something had gone terribly... terribly wrong.

She took a slow, deep breath before opening her eyes, reaching for the costume with sheer uncertainty.

The fabric was smooth, light reflecting unnervingly off its sleek surface beneath her touch. She held it up, fully absorbing the horror of what she was expected to wear.

A black, form-fitting bodysuit.

The neckline plunged so low she was convinced this shouldn’t be legal, barely stopping above her chest with a scandalous gap between her breasts. The suit hugged every curve with ruthless precision, cinching at her waist before cutting off scandalously high on her hips—leaving her thighs completely bare.

Wouldn’t I get arrested for walking around in this?

Bracing herself, she slipped her legs into the bodysuit and pulled it up. The material clung to her skin instantly, stretching uncomfortably as she struggled to fit into it. After wrestling her arms through the strapless design and adjusting the stiff white collar around her neck, she finally looked down—

—No, seriously, wouldn’t I go to jail for this?

And then, of course, there were the accessories.

A fluffy white tail attached to the back.
A pair of black bunny ears.
Thin black stockings that reached her thighs.
Shiny, black high heels she knew she’d trip in.

It was even worse than she thought.

The bodysuit left her shoulders completely bare, clinging to her chest with an almost cruel precision. Her unkempt hair, still untouched, fell over her face in uneven strands. 

Sawa’s arms shot up, crossing over her chest on instinct, as if the costume might betray her at any moment.

If anyone were to see her right now, they’d probably mistake her for a shut-in otaku attempting cosplay.

“...”

She took one last glance at her reflection.

A black bunny girl stared back — thighs pressed together, hands clutching her chest in shame and uncertainty.

“No. Not a chance....”

Even if she were to be fired twice today, she refused to sell her dignity for a few measly hours of pay.

Her fingers twitched. She spun around, reaching for her clothes — the safe, blessedly loose uniform that hid everything she wanted hidden.

“hm?”

But her hand met empty air.

Her clothes were gone.

“Eh?”

She froze, hand still outstretched, eyes blinking in confusion.

Then, in a sudden burst of panic, she scoured the stall.

The pile of clothes she had left in the corner? Gone.
The wooden chair where she’d neatly folded her shirt and pants? Empty.
The back of the chair where she had hung her vest? Bare.

Her heart pounded.

She rushed out of the stall, scanning the entire room—even though she knew she hadn’t left her clothes anywhere else.

Dropping to her knees, she practically dove under the bench.
Nothing.

She yanked open a storage cabinet.
Empty.

Desperation mounting, she checked behind a stack of boxes at the far end of the room—a place she hadn't even walked toward before.

Still nothing.

A cold sweat formed on her forehead as the crushing realization hit her: her clothes had vanished.

No, no, no. This can’t be happening.

Her eyes darted to the door, horror creeping in.

If she left now, people would see her. She’d have to walk through the festival like this…

Panic swelled in her chest as she slowly retreated to the changing stall, crouching down in defeat.

For a fleeting moment, she considered never leaving. Maybe she could live here—survive off vending machine snacks and festival leftovers until nightfall.

Anything was better than stepping outside like this.

But reality wasn’t that kind.

A voice called from outside the dressing area—awfully familiar.

Then, with a sharp swipe, the curtain flew open.

"My~ You look waaaaaay better than I thought you would, Sawa-chan~"

Her soul nearly left her body.

Slowly, she turned her head—and almost immediately recognized the person. Long bluish-purple hair in a hime cut, with a yellow flower petal hair clip, and eyes sparkling like silver.

“M-Mado?”

“…It’s Miku.”

“Ah… s-sorry about that.”

...Well, almost.