"Hey! Don't blame me! If you hadn't grabbed Yuhuan with those long ass hairs of yours, I wouldn't have had to cut it!"
⠀
Valentia yelled at Haddler, whose red eyes glowed from beneath the shadow of his noticeably shorter hair, which had gone from ankle-length to back-length.
⠀
"Judgment..."
⠀
As he uttered that one word, a dark aura in the shape of a dagger emanated from behind Haddler, aimed directly at Valentia.
⠀
"H-Hey, we can talk this out...! You don't gotta use Judgment on me, man!"
⠀
Saoirse, who was watching the confrontation from the doorway with the others, stepped forward.
⠀
"Why do you care about those hairs so much anyway, huh? Seems kinda girly to me..."
⠀
Haddler turned to Saoirse, the Judgment dagger turning with him.
⠀
"My hair...?"
⠀
Haddler began to remember a memory from long ago.
⠀
"So, what do you think? Do you like it?"
⠀
"It still looks good, like always."
⠀
The woman in the memory put her cup of tea down on her plate before she continued.
⠀
"...You know, I really miss when you used to grow it out."
⠀
"...Hm."
⠀
Judgment disappeared.
⠀
"There never really was a reason to grow it out so long. It gets in the way of fighting, anyway."
⠀
Even though she was sweating bullets earlier, Valentia decided to nudge Haddler as she started teasing him jokingly.
⠀
"See? Maybe it was time to trim it a bit?"
⠀
Haddler snapped back to her with the same expression as before.
⠀
"You know nothing."
⠀
"A-All right!"
⠀
Now calmed down, everyone returned to Suzette and Valentia's room, including the boys.
⠀
"Valentia! Kick them out of our room! I wanna practice magic before I go to bed!!"
⠀
"Sorry, Suze. I got myself tied up in a KKA-level threat... Haddler."
⠀
Haddler, sitting in Suzette's chair, was trying his best to keep his composure.
⠀
"So, Valentia, how are we going to fix... this?"
⠀
Haddler pointed to his hair, which looked as though a toddler had cut it. Valentia turned to Suzette as sweat ran down her face.
⠀
"Uh... Suzette?"
⠀
"What's the magic word?"
⠀
Mori's eyes lit up, excited to answer.
⠀
"Please?"
⠀
"Wrong! Moins dix points!"
⠀
Yuhuan tried this time.
⠀
"Ah, an old trick. The answer is quite simple. There is no such 'magic word.' It's made up to get us to all beg for the service or favor from h—"
⠀
"Ugh, super wrong! Why do you talk so much?!"
⠀
Roby slammed his fist down against Suzette's soft, cuddly bed.
⠀
"Just help us out before we all get punished, dammit!!"
⠀
Valentia shut her eyes in shame and got down on her knees before Suzette. Kotone shrieked.
⠀
"WH-WH-WHAT THE H-HELL A-A-ARE YOU D-DOING?!"
⠀
Valentia put her head down. She bit her lip. She knew what she had to do...
⠀
"Amame!~ Sugar Neko Girls Power is a better continuation to Amame!~ Sugar Girls than Amame!~ Sugar Mecha Girls, even if it is only dubbed..."
⠀
Suzette stood silently, waiting for the rest. Valentia thought she could get away with only half of it.
⠀
"...and... I owe you a new wand, any one you want at the market."
⠀
Silence.
A tear streamed down the faces of Mori, Yuhuan, Saoirse, and Roby. Qiang turned to them.
⠀
"Why are you crying??"
⠀
Suzette gave a silent nod of approval to Valentia, sealed the contract in her mind, and snapped. The lights went out, plunging the room into complete darkness; not even moonlight pierced the window. A moment later, she snapped again, and the room transformed into an old-timey barbershop. Everyone now wore barber's clothing: white button-ups with black bottoms and aprons in red, blue, and white stripes. Caught off guard, they checked out their new apparel, their expressions ranging from awe to fear. Haddler, however, remained in his usual clothes, though now covered in a cutting cape. Suzette spun his chair in circles until he grew dizzy, his vision blurring into a mess of the amber lights surrounding the room. She slammed the chair to a stop, facing Haddler toward a giant mirror, the size of an elephant. The others surrounded Haddler, each holding various haircutting tools. Suzette turned to them, removed her hat, and bowed before speaking.
⠀
"You ought to be more careful when venturing into the domain of the Grand Magical Suzette! Some would end up in a hellscape, but consider this my version of 'mercy' for you all. Lookie here!"
⠀
She snapped her fingers, and a pair of scissors appeared in her hands. She snipped them a few times, a dazzling display of glimmering stardust scattering as she cut through the air.
⠀
"No matter how horrible the cut, these magical tools will style Haddler's hair into a wondrous 'do, one that is sure to satisfy his tastes! Now, let us begin le voyage!"
⠀
Haddler's expression shifted from gloomy despair to vibrant joy, eager to see what the Grand Magical Suzette could do. Saoirse rushed to his side, grabbing sections of his hair to cut and curl. Suzette snapped her fingers, summoning floating clothespins from her drawer. They flew toward Haddler's hair, gathering several segments and guiding them into the hands of the rest of the group.
⠀
"Ahaha! Cast away your fears, mes amis! Cut away!"
⠀
Roby tightened the knot on his apron and walked toward the chair, bringing the electric hair clippers upon one of the strands. Valentia followed, laughing as she snipped at a strand of hair. She then turned back to Kotone, Mori, Qiang, and Yuhuan.
⠀
"Come on, guys! It's actually pretty fun. You can cut as much as you want and it still comes out looking pretty clean!"
⠀
Qiang and Kotone both turn to Mori and Yuhuan. Mori notices they're staring.
⠀
"So it's up to us? I was gonna watch, but it does look pretty fun..."
⠀
Yuhuan nodded in agreement.
⠀
"Then we should join them."
⠀
They all marched toward their own segment of hair, snipping and curling with extreme precision and care. As scissors met strands, the air filled with a melodic tinkling, each lock that fell transformed into delicate petals, drifting softly to the checkered floor and dissolving into glimmers of light. Suzette twirled and laughed, her footsteps sending ripples of color through the room; amber and sapphire lights shimmered overhead, tracing whimsical patterns across the ceiling. The mirrors reflected not just their faces, but fleeting visions of enchanted forests and distant, star-filled skies. Barbershop poles spun with ribbons of rainbow light, and the chairs hovered gently, swaying with the rhythm of their laughter. Hairbrushes danced on their own, dusting shoulders with puffs of rose-scented air, while combs floated by, parting hair with the grace of invisible hands. For a moment, the whole world felt suspended in this gentle magic. Safe, wondrous, and impossibly bright...
⠀
As the final lock was cut, the enchantment settled. The magical tools drifted back to their drawers, and the amber lights dimmed to a soft, loving glow. Haddler gazed at his reflection, awestruck by the transformation. His hair, still as gloriously long as before, flowed in lustrous, silken waves that caught the light with every subtle movement. Gone were the stray, unruly strands; each lock now fell in perfect harmony, framing his face with effortless elegance. The ends curled gently, as if sculpted by invisible artisans, and the overall effect was both wild and refined, like the mane of a legendary creature in a fairy tale. Every strand shimmered in shades of gold and chestnut, reflecting the magic that had danced through the room. If he leaned close, he could swear he saw the memory of laughter and kindness woven into the very fibers, a living tapestry of friendship and enchantment. Suzette, now standing serenely at the center of the room, offered a gentle nod, her eyes warm with quiet pride.
⠀
The transformation complete, the barbershop began to dissolve. Walls faded into mist, the chairs and mirrors vanishing like morning dew. One by one, everyone found themselves standing together once more in the ordinary room, the echo of magic lingering in their hearts, a memory as vivid as any dream, and as comforting as a lullaby. The barbershop was gone, but its wonder remained, shimmering at the edges of their vision every time they closed their eyes.
⠀
"Wow... It's beautiful. I can't believe you salvaged anything from that mess."
⠀
"Never underestimate me! For I, the Great Magical Suzette, am the master of all things!"
⠀
Qiang sighed.
⠀
"None of that was real, was it?"
⠀
Suzette stopped her theatrics.
⠀
"What are you talking about?"
⠀
"Should I reveal which ARCH's power that was?"
⠀
Suzette's eyes widened. She ran toward Qiang, pointing a finger in his face.
⠀
"Listen, you may be smart, but you clearly aren't smart enough to know better than to piss me off!"
⠀
"I don't care about your magician act. All I'm saying is you could've done it much simpler."
⠀
"...I guess I could have."
⠀
Oblivious to their squabble, Haddler danced happily out the door, humming.
⠀
"Thank you all! I'll never forget this!"
⠀
Everyone watched Haddler leave in silence until Valentia kicked Roby and Mori.
⠀
"Get the hell out of my room!"
⠀
Roby hit the ground.
⠀
"Agh...! Hey, lady, we just saved your ass! Couldn't we at least get a thank you?!"
⠀
"Aw, thank you!~ Now get out!"
⠀
In an instant, the boys were thrown from the room. Mori sighed and helped them up.
⠀
"That woman with the red hat and white hair... Valentia, right? She's pretty strong for a 7th District Fixer."
⠀
Yuhuan felt a soreness in his shoulder from Valentia's rough handling.
⠀
"Tell me about it. And those blood saw blades... what ARCH does she have a contract with?"
⠀
Roby joined in.
⠀
"You call that strong? Dress me up and kiss me on the cheek—I'm flattered!"
⠀
"The Crimson Sawblade."
⠀
Everyone jumped, surprised by Qiang's sudden input. They looked up to see him standing across from them, hands in his pockets.
⠀
"She's an Elegy, she doesn't need an ARCH. We should head back for the night. It's late."
⠀
Mori's mouth opened in excitement.
⠀
"Another Elegy? The Argus Directorates really are amazing! We get to work with so many Elegies!"
⠀
Roby snapped at Mori, the tension in the air shifting as his face grew serious, a distinct change in his demeanor.
⠀
"Hey. That ain't a good thing. You never know how much trouble Elegies'll bring."
⠀
Mori turns toward Roby, shocked by his uncharacteristic nature.
⠀
"Trouble? But, they're Elegies! They're meant to be the most powerful people in the Ri-"
⠀
Roby looked up at Mori, his intense expression interrupting Mori's speech. The sheer force of his gaze shook Mori to his core.
⠀
"All you do is run around with a smile on your face... Even though you're from the Lower-3 Districts, you never saw any of the bad parts, did you?"
⠀
Yuhuan and Qiang remained silent. Mori did too, even though he was the subject of Roby's question.
⠀
"Listen, Mori... One day, I'm sure we're gonna have to go deeper into the Ring for some bad ARCHs... Places like Red-Light Totteoku, Kattaratie, Sister's Garden... You don't know a morsel of what goes on in those places."
⠀
His gaze didn't waver.
⠀
"If we ever go there, I just know someone's gonna get hurt bad, or you're gonna see somethin' you're not gonna like. And when that happens… that smile of yours is gonna get someone killed."
⠀
Roby lowered his head, turned, and walked back down the hall of the Female Quarters, returning toward the Male Quarters. Each step echoed, hammering into Mori's head until his brain felt like it would shatter. He opened his mouth to speak...
...but nothing came out.
⠀
"—?!"
⠀
Why can't I speak? He's... he's wrong! Mori thought, clutching his pants, his nails digging into the cloth, almost tearing it. His eyes remained fixed on Roby as he slowly walked away. Mori felt an internal pressure building, as if something needed to be released—no, ripped out. Qiang stumbled to his knees, gritting his teeth against a sharp pain. Yuhuan rushed to his side.
⠀
"Qiang! What's wrong?!"
⠀
"Ngh...!"
⠀
Mori also dropped to the ground, his fist striking the floor as he struggled to stay upright. Unbothered, Roby continued. He... he doesn't know me! He doesn't know anything about me! Why should I let him say all that?? That's bullshit! Mori gathered his strength and rose from the ground. A dark, crimson aura, like wispy flames, emanated from his body, loosely forming the shape of a rifle. Long. Solid. Focused. It pointed forward.
Directly at Roby.