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shimmering particles and scattered through the vicinity. It seemed that Haruko's 'dance' was for the express purpose of causing this phenomenon.

Those shining particles surrounded and enveloped Haruko, who hoisted her arms high and closed her eyes.

It was a beautiful, heavenly sight. Haruko's tall, perfectly proportioned body was adorned with countless fragments of light like rays of the sun. She was a miraculous image, like a star in space surrounded by an aurora.

Then, as if reacting to the swirling particles of light, Haruko's body itself started emitting light.

'Ah… No… No!' Amarao groaned. Apparently, he found Haruko's heavenly condition to be utterly terrifying. Even so, he couldn't take his eyes off her newly developed beauty and light.

Finally, what stood in front of Amarao was a transformed Haruko.

How does one begin to explain that new form? Like a peacock spreading its feathers, her new form had the purpose of attracting men, fanning their sexual fantasies. The act of showing bare skin for sex appeal is called 'display' in the animal world, and Haruko's new form was, in short, a display.

'Eyebrows… I don't have my eyebrows… Ah, the horn!'

From Amarao's forehead, now without fake eyebrow stickers, a horn had popped out. It was a miniscule horn in the shape of a Y.

The truth was, the reason Amarao had stuck those eyebrow stickers on was to keep this horn sealed in. He had cruel memories of when he'd met Haruko before—and when he'd seen her sexy display, this horn had grown. Vowing that he wouldn't make the same mistake again, he'd plastered those eyebrow stickers to his head.

'Small, as usual.' With one finger, Haruko grasped the horn sticking out of the frozen Amarao's forehead. When she pulled out that small, Y-shaped stick, it turned out to be… a small, Y-shaped stick.

'Takkun's is much bigger. Well, I guess I'll try it out, anyway.'

Having said this, display-mode Haruko activated the hand-powered generator on the back of her guitar.

'Curses! I've been played like a fool again!' Amarao spat out bitterly. 'What does that kid have that I don't?'

When the projection from his forehead finally stopped, Naota was struck dumb as he looked up at the robot that had come out of his own head.

Mamimi was still sitting next to him on the concrete. And the sun having been blocked by the monstrosity, both Naota and Mamimi were encompassed by a giant shadow.

It was like a building, but it was a robot.

GON GON GON…

They could hear complicated mechanical movements from deep inside it.

'It's going to move,' Mamimi whispered, still in awe of its size.

And then, the enormous robot took a step and walked. When one of its enormous feet hit the street, the sheer weight of it caused large earth tremors.

Mamimi and Naota were nothing but ants next to that enormous foot.

The enormous robot took one step and then another.

As they supported an incalculable weight, every time its feet met the ground, a boom rang out across the city that was loud enough to shake one's very insides.

The robot made its way farther down that same road, shattering all the windows of every building it passed and trampling over pedestrian walkways. It continued forward unopposed, heading from the city to the hill. It must have been heading for MM Factory.

Amarao watched the enormous robot from where Haruko had left him. 'This is bad. It's headed for the plant. It's going to activate the plant!'

Amarao knew what would happen if that enormous robot touched the MM factory. Indeed, this was a situation that threatened the entire human race.

It was at that very moment that a high-speed flying object approached the robot in attack mode.

«Hostile approaching Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood agent. 13:37.

Caution required. Crosscheck with biological reaction reveals that space life form holds the record for fighting with Red Pirate King. 13:37.

Until present time, the biological reaction has been hidden by some method. It has probably been concealed in Mabase. 13:37.

Emergency security measures. 13:37.»

The approaching flying object that soared through the blue sky was Haruko, in display mode, made over in a red leotard suit, high heels, a butterfly tie choker, and bunny ears… in other words, her display-mode transformation had resulted in none other than a bunny-girl outfit! [Ha ha ha ha. Here's where you laugh. I'm laughing as I write this, so you all should laugh, too.]

Using her signature guitar as a flying surfboard, Haruko zipped through the air like she was sky surfing. And to keep her balance, the flying bunny girl stuck out her butt, which had a bunny tail attached. It was a cute sight.

'DAICON V!' With those cryptic words, Haruko fired the weapon in her hand. Her time-space interference weapon guitar was currently under her feet, so she was using the Y-shaped stick that she'd pulled from Amarao's head as a weapon. By attaching a string to the top end of the Y, she'd turned it into a makeshift slingshot.

Her target was huge, so the slingshot bullets—the bullets she'd fired from those plastic BB guns earlier—all found their target.

And when peppered by those plastic BBs, the gigantic robot suffered damaging blows equivalent to cruise missile strikes. It lost its balance, tipped over, and fell.

Because it was so huge, the buildings it collided into were destroyed, and concrete was shed everywhere. In other words, as a direct result of Haruko's attack, the damage to the town was increasing manifold.

'Look out!'

Next to Mamimi and Naota, wreckage fell to the concrete, including pieces that were the size of cars. If they were hit by debris that size, they'd be beyond saving.

Naota instinctively covered Mamimi in his arms. She was trembling with fear—but she was nothing more than an ordinary high school girl, so it was normal for her to be frightened and trembling when caught up a catastrophe of this magnitude.

Naota was outraged. Damn! What is this?! But Naota's rage wasn't directed at the enormous robot destroying the city, rather at the shuddering Mamimi.

In Naota's arms, Mamimi had her eyes shut and was repeatedly muttering as if it were a chant: 'Help me, Tasuku, Tasuku, Tasuku…'

For the moment, the rain of debris had stopped. But the fallen robot was getting up again.

Hell, I was the one who saved the city! She knows that! So why doesn't she see how amazing I am?!

'I'm not my brother! Got it? I'm the one who's going to save you!'

Mamimi looked at Naota with a surprise expression that indicated she didn't understand what Takkun was saying.

That made Takkun angrier. Mamimi, this girl, she really thinks of me only as some pet, as my brother's substitute. She doesn't see me as a man.

'Look at me. I'm going to save you.'

I'm going to save you!

From above them came a violent gust. At some point, Canti had arrived, and it now hovered over Naota's head. Apparently, it had come for its pilot. It was a smart robot.