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The atmosphere feels a bit stranger than I had anticipated.

Kotetsu senpai and Aether seem to have been staring at each other motionlessly for a bit longer than I expected.

Ten minutes ago, Kotetsu senpai said, "I've heard a lot about you," to which Aether replied, "I don’t waste my attention on things of no importance," in a tone that seemed a bit more hostile than I would have thought.

Now, the Altai Wapiti and the jet-black wolf stand with their arms crossed, looking noticeably stiffer a bit more than I'd imagined.

The crackling static from my raised fur is a bit louder than I'd hoped.

The crashing waves against the beach seem far less effective at easing the tension than I had envisioned.

Meanwhile, the growing crowd around us, eagerly anticipating what’s to come, is something I completely didn’t foresee. So many eyes, all waiting to see the drama unfold...

"I thought you'd be taller," Kotetsu senpai tilts his head, gesturing toward Aether with the tip of his antlers.

"Oh?" Aether tilts his head slightly, lifting his snout to expose the largest fang on his left side with a faint curl of his lip. "Like your insecurities, perhaps?"

I’m quite sure that the first attempt at diplomacy just hit the level where intervention is absolutely required.

Before I can act, someone suddenly hugs me from behind, rubbing against me with excessive enthusiasm.

"Now’s really not the time, Hunter..." I immediately recognize the husky from his scent and utter disregard for personal space, struggling to break free from his overly passionate display of affection.

"You always say that!" He tightens his grip and drags me away.

"That’s because you always show up at the most inconvenient times!" I retort, trying to stay on my toes to monitor the situation. Did I just feel a clash of domains? And... was that cheering? Please, don’t encourage this chaos!

"...Added a touch of gentianine, theoretically within safe limits," Hunter’s muttering reaches my ears, and I angle one toward him. "But without testing on sufficiently strong psychics, it’s all just theory."

We stop far enough away that the beach sounds are barely audible, though the crowd’s animated gestures still give me a deep sense of unease.

A sudden chill against my ear makes me yelp and jump back in surprise.

"Try it!" Hunter says, handing me a glass of a peculiar cocktail.

I take the glass and stare at the orange-red liquid tinged with dark purple, floating bits of diced fruit suspended within.

"I’d really rather not mess with these things..." I murmur, trying to decline without offending him. "I value my psychic connection and clarity of mind." I glance at the nearby vat of cocktails, clearly indicating my stance.

For psychics with lower ability levels, consuming alcohol disrupts their connection to their abilities, causing severe discomfort. Some mix stimulants into their drinks to counteract this. Of course, mishaps from such experiments often turn into the stuff of beach party legends.

"Oh, alright." The husky lowers his ears and snout, his brown eyes fixed squarely on me.

Wait, what’s going on?

The peculiar sensation of guilt washes over me. Am I being manipulated? No, my mental circle shows no signs of tampering.

And yet, before I can fully process it, I take a sip from the glass. Rationalism above, is this some advanced form of mind control?

The bitter tang overwhelms my tongue, followed by an oddly sweet aftertaste that makes the experience rather unpleasant.

Before I can voice my opinion, Hunter grabs my shoulders, shouting excitedly and causing me to spill much of the drink. Using Domination, I gather the floating, jewel-like droplets mid-air, their sparkling brilliance almost blinding under the sunlight.

"We’re friends now!" His snout is far too close for comfort, and I lean back as far as I can while pushing him away with a hand on his chest.

"Uh... why?" Despite his sincere brown eyes, I’m baffled by his conclusion.

"We shared food!" Hunter declares loudly, tilting his head as he adds, "Isn’t that what wolves do?"

"Uh..." I have no idea where he got that notion, but his earnest gaze disarms me. "Yeah," I reply, a small smile creeping across my face. "That’s exactly what wolves do."

Why not, after all?

"I knew it!" Hunter cheers, pulling me into a tight embrace, spilling more of the cocktail in the process. The glowing orbs reflect the sunlight in a dazzling display.

It feels... warm.

"So, what do you think?" Hunter finally releases me and steps back. "Do you feel anything special?"

"No." I gather the scattered liquid back into the glass and down the rest in one go, shuddering at the bitter taste.

"Did I miscalculate the dosage?" Hunter taps his temple in thought before pouring himself a glass and drinking it in one gulp.

"What’s this supposed to do?" I ask, placing the empty glass aside, watching as his movements begin to slow.

Hunter suddenly freezes, his pupils dilating alarmingly.

"Rainbows!" he exclaims, startling me. "So many rainbows!"

"I don’t see any rainbows..." I glance around to ensure I haven’t missed anything.

"Oh, it feels... so nice." His voice turns languid as he collapses onto the sand, waving his arms and legs lazily while giggling. "Look, Richter, I’m an angel."

I stare at the husky sprawled out on the ground, contemplating whether to call for medical assistance.

"This probably means the formula has issues, right?" Unsure if he can hear me, I try to piece together what’s happening.

A sudden cheer erupted from the distant crowd, reminding me that the diplomatic crisis earlier might not have resolved itself.

“I need to step away for a moment,” I said, squatting beside the husky to check his pulse. “Is it okay for you to be alone?”

Hunter responded with a big grin and a thumbs-up.

Although he was currently more like someone legally incapacitated, I figured leaving him alone here for a while wouldn’t cause any trouble.

So, I found a blanket to cover him and shield him from the sun, then made my way toward the beach where the crowd had gathered.

After pushing past a few overly excited figures, I finally made it to the front row and found myself standing next to Hemp senpai.

“They say criminals always return to the scene of the crime,” the border collie said with a glance at me, his brows furrowed.

“What happened?” I ignored the sarcasm in his tone—and the way my tail instinctively tucked between my legs—and asked as casually as I could. “What are they... doing?”

Kotetsu senpai and Aether were standing at opposite ends of a table covered with glasses filled with liquids of various colors.

“A psychic version of beer pong,” Hemp senpai muttered, shaking his head. “A thoroughly idiotic game.”

As he spoke, Aether tossed an orange ball onto the table. After a single bounce, it landed in one of the glasses in front of Kotetsu senpai. The Altai Wapiti picked up the glass, fished out the ball, and downed its contents before crushing the glass in his hand. Quartz-like sand poured from between his fingers.

“If they’re playing a game, that’s a good sign, isn’t it?” I asked hopefully, choosing to believe that Kotetsu senpai’s lowered head was just a trick of perspective and that not all the cheering behind him came from deer species.

“Sports and games were once used to divert excessive nationalist fervor, preventing conflicts from spiraling out of control,” Hemp senpai remarked, glancing back and forth. “But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m witnessing the origins of a solar system war.” No sooner had he said this than Aether slammed his emptied glass upside down on the table, prompting howls from the gray wolves behind him.

“What’s in the glasses?” I asked, noticing for the first time just how chaotic their psychic waves had become as both Kotetsu senpai and Aether staggered slightly.

“You’re better off not knowing,” the border collie sighed. “Idiocy.”

His verdict left me at a loss, so I just stood there, watching.

“Two thousand on Kotetsu.”

“One thousand on the rookie!”

“That guy’s about to collapse. Five thousand on the Altai Wapiti.”

“Herbivores are all bark and no bite—two thousand on the black wolf.”

Curious about this strange chatter, I turned to see what was going on. To my surprise, a brown Labrador pushed through the crowd and stood beside me, fingers flying across his terminal.

“Ah, Richter senpai,” Hunter greeted me enthusiastically. “Do you have a favorite to win?”

He handed me the terminal, and a quick glance revealed information about betting odds.

“You don’t have any credits, do you?” I asked, thoroughly confused. “How are you going to pay the stakes?”

“They say, ‘You have to spend credits to make credits,’ and I’ve always lived by that wisdom,” Hunter said with a wink before moving on to pester Hemp senpai when I made it clear I wasn’t interested in his “business.”

“I need... some fresh air,” I muttered, not caring whether the border collie heard me, and immediately turned to weave my way through the crowd, determined to leave the chaos behind.

I needed a quiet place to be alone, so I headed toward the seawall buried in white sand.

When I reached my destination, I discovered I wasn’t alone this time.

“Ah, Senpai.” Yamato stood up hastily, brushing the sand off himself.

“Not a fan of crowds either?” I asked casually, glancing back toward the party.

“Uh, not really,” he said, scratching the back of his head, his gaze darting around the ground. “I just... wanted to watch the sea.”

“Oh, what a coincidence. Me too,” I said, lifting my gaze to the horizon. “You mind?” I gestured to the seawall beside him.

“Not at all!” He waved his hands in front of him, flustered.

His awkwardness reminded me of someone, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

After sitting down, I propped myself up with my hands on either side and tilted my muzzle upward, enjoying the gentle sea breeze washing over me.

The turquoise sea and azure sky stretched endlessly toward infinity, blending seamlessly. The reflection of a few white clouds rippled with the waves, while the tide ebbed and flowed, leaving only damp marks where the white foam disappeared into the sand.

Yamato sat beside me, still looking a little tense.

But I figured he just needed some time, so we silently continued watching the sea.

“Uh, Senpai...” After a long while, Yamato cleared his throat. “You like Metamorphosis, right?”

“I do,” I replied, smiling as I tasted the salty sea breeze. “It’s my favorite anthropomorphic insect novel.”

“Then...” His tone was hesitant, so I turned to meet the gaze of the impala. “Have you ever heard of Kamen Rider?”