Though Earth was located on the outskirts of the Milky Way, various reasons had brought many aliens to the planet.
Those aliens who resembled Earthlings in appearance could live among humans without issue.
But aliens with strange or monstrous features had to either disguise themselves or hide in secluded places.
Most of the aliens who had ended up on Earth were fugitives from their own worlds or refugees from the galactic war. As such, few possessed enough power to threaten Earth.
If any did pose a threat, Earth's official agencies would respond swiftly.
Aliens who looked human often settled down and, over time, intermarried with Earthlings—giving rise to unique half-blood children.
Eriri and her group happened to encounter one such hybrid child.
Outside a convenience store on a quiet street, a young half-alien girl sat on a bench, licking an ice pop in the summer heat.
Her clear eyes were fixed on Eriri, Nemesis, Tearju, and Eve, full of intense curiosity.
The girl had sleek, shoulder-length black hair and wore a pink-and-white camisole dress. Her dangling white-sandaled feet swung back and forth as she sat.
She looked completely human and was undeniably adorable.
While most passersby also stared at Eriri's group, only the little girl drew Eriri's attention.
It wasn't because the girl was a half-alien. That wasn't anything special in Eriri's eyes.
Nor was it her cute appearance—Nemesis and Eve far surpassed her in that regard.
No, what caught Eriri's eye was the fact that this little girl had appeared in the original story.
Though her appearances were brief, she was a surprisingly popular supporting character.
Noticing Eriri's expression, Nemesis immediately perked up and grabbed her arm.
"Master, master~ did you find something fun?" she asked excitedly, then followed Eriri's gaze toward the girl.
"Hmm... I don't see anything interesting. Are you looking at that little girl over there?"
Seeing the girl not far away, Nemesis's golden eyes flickered with curiosity.
Eriri rubbed Nemesis's head and smiled. "Good guess, little Neme~ She's not especially interesting, but that girl did catch my attention."
Hearing this, Tearju also tilted her head in curiosity. "Eriri, is there something special about her?"
"Well... sort of," Eriri replied casually. She didn't bother explaining the source material to them—it wouldn't mean anything to Tearju, Eve, or Nemesis.
"Come on, let's go say hello. Maybe little Neme and Eve can become friends with her."
With that, Eriri led the others toward the bench where the little girl sat.
...
"Ah, no! I've been found out!"
Seeing Eriri's group walking toward her, the seven-year-old Kyoko Kirisaki quickly averted her gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Inside, however, she was panicking.
She assumed they had caught her "peeking"—not realizing she had been staring openly and unabashedly the whole time.
Even as she tried to look away, her eyes kept drifting back. Eriri was simply too beautiful to ignore, and the other three far exceeded any beauty Kyoko had ever seen.
About ten seconds later, Eriri and the others stood before her.
But before any of them could speak, Kyoko beat them to it.
"Um... do you need something from me? Just so you know, I wasn't spying on you or anything!" she said nervously, oblivious to the fact that the popsicle in her hand was melting onto her palm.
Hearing her words, Eriri's eyes sparkled with amusement, while Nemesis burst into laughter.
"Haha! You're funny, Earthling! Saying that basically confirms you were staring at us!"
"Ah...!" Kyoko froze in embarrassment.
Eve jumped in teasingly. "Neme-chan's right! So what are you gonna do to make up for it, huh?"
After two months with Nemesis, Eve had picked up a bit of her mischievousness. And since Eve already had a bit of a black-bellied nature, her playfully threatening tone came naturally.
Kyoko, flustered, panicked even more. At only seven years old, this was her first time in such a situation.
"Alright, alright—little Neme, Eve-chan, stop bullying the poor girl," Eriri said with a chuckle, pinching both of their cheeks affectionately.
"Mmm~ but I'm a little girl too, and I'm only two months old!" Nemesis pouted, not resisting Eriri's teasing.
"Right! I'm older than Neme-chan, but I'm still just over a year old!" Eve chimed in with a grin.
Most children disliked being reminded they were young. But not these two—they took pride in it.
"Okay, okay. You're both the littlest of little girls," Eriri said, humoring them.
Then she turned back to Kyoko, smiling gently.
"Don't worry, they were just joking. What's your name, little one?"
Although Eriri already knew her name, she pretended not to—so as not to cause suspicion.
Hearing Eriri's kind tone, Kyoko visibly relaxed.
She had heard Nemesis and Eve earlier but wasn't entirely convinced by their claims. Just then, the popsicle in her hand melted further, dripping onto her palm with a chilly sensation.
"Ah! It's melting!"
As expected of a child, her mood shifted instantly. She quickly resumed licking her popsicle while responding to Eriri's question.
"My name is Kyoko Kirisaki. I'm seven years old," the girl said in a cute voice. "What about you, big sisters?"
Eriri responded with a simple introduction of herself, Tearju, Nemesis, and Eve.
Hearing Eriri's name, Kyoko beamed with joy, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Eriri. "Onee-san, you're so pretty! The most, most, most beautiful person I've ever seen!"
"Oh my, such a little girl already knows what pretty means?"
"Of course! I may be small, but I know lots of things!" Kyoko said proudly, patting her chest with her free hand.
"Is that so? Then tell me—have you mastered your powers yet?"
"Of course I have! I'm a genius—eh?"
Halfway through her boast, Kyoko froze. She realized she might have said something she shouldn't have.
"H-How do you know I'm a half-blood between a Flamian and an Earthling?!"
She panicked again, unwittingly revealing her secret in her shock.
Her parents had always warned her not to expose her identity or use her flame powers in front of others.
She had no idea how accepting Earthlings could be, so she had always kept her heritage and abilities hidden.
"Well, you just told me yourself. I only asked about your powers—I didn't say anything about your Flamian heritage~"
"Eh?!"
Kyoko's mouth dropped open. She froze, her little legs dangling motionless off the bench.
Seeing her reaction, Eriri, Nemesis, and Eve all smiled in amusement. Even Tearju couldn't help but stifle a chuckle.
"Alright, alright. Let's not tease her too much."
Eriri gently patted Kyoko's head.
"Actually, we're not from Earth either. We were on another planet just half an hour ago. I could tell what you are with just one glance."
"Ah... I see! That makes sense. I thought my secret was out—what a relief," Kyoko said with a deep sigh of relief.
As expected, a child's emotions shifted quickly.
Within moments, she had already forgotten her earlier panic.
"So, little one, why are you out here by yourself? Where are your parents?"
"I snuck out to play! But my house is super close—just in the neighborhood nearby," Kyoko replied with confidence. "Besides, my flames are really strong, so I'm not afraid of bad guys."
"That may be, but still, sneaking out like that will make your parents worry. You should go home soon."
Before Kyoko could respond, Eriri changed the subject.
"By the way, little one, what's your dream?"
"I want to become a super amazing actress!" Kyoko answered without hesitation.
Eriri nodded with a gentle smile. "Then you better work hard."
"Mhm! I will!"
In the original story, Kyoko became a very popular actress—Lala even loved her Magical Girl Kyoko show.
If Eriri didn't interfere with her life, that future was almost guaranteed.
With nothing more to say, and seeing that the others didn't seem interested in continuing the conversation, Eriri decided it was time to leave.
"Alright, let's stop here for today. It's time for us to go. We'll meet again if fate allows. And don't forget to head home soon."
She patted Kyoko's head once more, then turned and walked away with Nemesis, Eve, and Tearju.
Since Eriri didn't choose to bring Kyoko into her life, it meant she had no intention of altering the girl's future.
Perhaps the next time they met, it would be ten years later.
...
After parting ways with Kyoko, Eriri's group continued down the bustling street.
Along the way, Eriri spotted several familiar faces from the original series, such as a certain heiress and her two attendants.
But unlike earlier, Eriri didn't engage them. She merely cast a few glances their way before moving on.
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