Case 26: Aftermath.
''You're such a sex fiend, you know that?''
Moeka grumbled as she stared gravely into the mirror, spotting dense hickeys on her neck and chest. Behind her, a clingy Fumiko chuckled nonchalantly, arms around the Omega's waist, ''C'mon, you were also enjoying it, weren't you?''
''...''
Their endeavor yesternight had, unexpectedly, ended up in Moeka being pinned down and ravaged until dawn. Hazy it was from the heat; both of them could recall vaguely how it went down. Unlike their first and second time together, most of the shyness around them had disappeared. Instead, while tidying up, they began discussing the other important matters.
''Yesterday... their target was clearly me.'' Moeka grimly said, ''Even if Nacht had personal designs on me, The Legion wouldn't have allowed her to go so far.''
Fumiko fell into deep thought.
The overwhelming number of Alpha magical girls and the consequences coming from their outbursts were well known. The other side, too, must have been facing the same problems among their ranks. So, the truth that Magical Osbeckia was an Omega had been a crucial piece of intelligence. If possible, The Federation did not want to bring attention to her, at least until the problem of Alpha magical girls' heat cycles could be solved.
Yet, Magical Osbeckia, just as any other magical girl, was a public figure. Suspicions would inevitably grow as she and her Omega tendencies interacted with the world, but the speed with which this information was leaked suggested the existence of a spy.
''There's a mole among us.'' Fumiko clicked her tongue, ''Not a surprise, but it's annoying.''
''And they instantly targeted the weakest link.'' Moeka sighed. ''They probably know how dependent you guys are on me. If I were an executive on that side, I'd want to kidnap such a convenient Omega for myself, even.''
Moeka's self-mocking words sounded depressing, but Fumiko could not disagree. It was true that as long as no suppressants were available, Magical Osbeckia remained the most valuable existence to either side. The more she thought about it, the more unsettling this situation felt. It seemed that Fumiko had been too lost in her love life until now.
''Let's go to HQ.'' Fumiko said, grabbing her coat, ''We'll talk to Miss Casey. I'll have them assign bodyguards for you. We need to have that crest inspected, too.''
''Bodyguards...?'' Moeka frowned, ''That seems overkill... or maybe not.''
Moeka also got ready and trotted along with her Alpha. Being a competent magical girl for so long, she found it difficult to accept her new self as an 'easy' target. Yet, reality was flat and painfully gritty—she was overwhelmed by Nacht's pheromones just yesterday, and who knows when those formidable enemies from higher battlefields would arrive in this small city? By then, she would be totally helpless.
Fumiko, too, understood this clearly. Other institutions were racing to complete the coveted suppressants, but she held the key to it—Aloe Mochizuki, the progenitor of all this chaos herself. She had to be the one to complete it, for Moeka's sake as well.
''...Ah.''
''Miko?''
Fumiko halted in her tracks, scratching her cheeks awkwardly, ''I forgot to check in on Aloe.'' She admitted.
''Wha—how long had it been?!'' Moeka clutched the Alpha's sleeve, ''She wouldn't be dead now, right...?''
''Calm down. I fed her plenty yesterday morning before going out to look for you. So it's like, two meals.''
People do not die from skipping two meals, though Fumiko absolutely loathed the whining criminal. Taking care of her was annoying enough, yet she was still needed for the research.
''Okay... let's grab something for her. Maybe we can have breakfast, too.'' Moeka sighed in relief.
''Got it.''
Fumiko pondered as she fetched some bread and milk from a nearby convenience store—after some time working with Aloe Mochizuki, she realized the woman was unexpectedly competent in her field. Aloe could be described as highly educated and intelligent, though her morals and psyche were completely messed up. She was so knowledgeable that Fumiko began questioning her background as a resident nerd and an unemployed homeless.
Nevertheless, after spending a rather leisurely time at the store, the two returned to the lab. As Moeka soon discovered, Fumiko had arranged a living space for Aloe in an inconspicuous corner near where she worked. Of course, it was magically and physically monitored around the clock, ensuring the criminal would not escape.
''...''
''...''
As they both stepped into Aloe's bedroom, they soon found the woman rotting away on the sofa, groaning weakly from hunger. The moment light entered the chamber, Aloe's hazy eyes snapped back to life, and she instantly locked onto the bag Fumiko had in her hand. Moeka flinched at that too-familiar predator gaze, even though Aloe was a Beta.
''F-Food!''
Aloe scrambled on the ground toward Fumiko, like a starving zombie dragging itself. Once given the supply, she began wolfing down everything while crying and cursing the alleged abuse, ''Yuu heartleth animajh...!'' She said, dragging those few words between hiccups.
The sight was so miserable that neither Moeka nor Fumiko bothered to comment on it. The latter scratched her head, pondering whether she should give this pitiful creature a rest day or not.
'Well... I'll probably be spending a while at HQ anyway.'
So, leaving behind Aloe, the two drove to The Federation's headquarters in City O, where the situation looked quite chaotic. Weaving through the frantic employees and staff members, Fumiko and Moeka reached Miss Casey's office. As magical girls, they had the clearance to enter this space on their own. Not really knowing what to expect, they pushed through the door.
Inside, they found the person of interest, who was answering a phone call while busily typing on her desktop. It seemed the chief did not have a good sleep the day prior, based on her disheveled appearance. Upon spotting the two magical girls, Miss Casey quickly wrapped up her call.
''I was about to call you two.'' She smiled wearily, ''Sit down. I'll brief you girls on the current situation.''
Fumiko and Moeka followed those words.
''An attack on the Orion University is unprecedented. '' Casey commented, ''We're quite spooked here as well, but since higher management from the capital is here, they said they'll help us look into it.''
Both the girls nodded like baby chickens.
''That's one thing, but everyone has become a little paranoid. We might have a mole in our ranks—quite a big one at that.'' The chief made a grim face, ''So, this is what we'll do: Because Osbeckia is being targeted, we need to accelerate the development of suppressants to alleviate the pressure. I'll arrange someone trustworthy for you, Hibiscus. There are risks, and I understand you want to work alone, but this is necessary. And, Osbeckia.''
''Yes?'' Moeka replied.
''You are among our most valuable personnel. As the chief, I apologize for not being able to prevent yesterday's incident. I've already organized a bodyguard team for you and your family. They're all professionals, so don't worry.''
''...Thank you.''
''And, for you personally, Osbeckia, I'll have someone accompany you throughout the day. You might know her quite well.''
''...Yes?''
Looking at Miss Casey's smile, Moeka was a little puzzled.
'A personal bodyguard...'