"This one nearly drowned in there. I fished her out for you."
Fresh from the bath, Yuuka casually tossed the still-dazed Kaguya onto the sofa before sitting down to towel off her damp hair.
The hot spring had noticeably lifted her mood. A faint blush lingered on her flawless complexion, softening her usual icy demeanor.
If just soaking was this relaxing, how amazing would it be to follow up with a massage and facial?
But the memory of Kaguya's tormented thrashing made Yuuka shiver. She quickly banished the thought.
Too risky. The mask alone will do.
Meanwhile, Kaguya remained motionless where she'd been dumped, her limp form suggesting she'd suffered even worse than Yukari.
Even as Mokou poked her repeatedly, she offered no resistance.
"Mokou, quit poking. Flip her over—mask time."
"Okaaay~" Mokou obediently rolled Kaguya onto her back.
As Rin approached, Kaguya flinched, her body curling slightly on instinct.
Just remembering the session made her sweat anew.
Blissful oblivion, but… agony all the same.
A few more rounds of that, and she'd lose her mind.
"Relax. The bone-setting massage's done. Rest your head here."
"Only one mask. Waste it, and it's gone."
He tapped her forehead lightly.
Kaguya grumbled but complied, tilting her face up.
Dipping his fingers into the paste, Rin began applying it with practiced strokes.
As the mask spread, its soothing fragrance enveloped her, melting her further into the cushions. But before she could savor it fully, shadows fell over her.
Yukari and the others had crowded around, staring intently as her face disappeared under the paste.
"Kaguya, how does it feel?"
"Any discomfort?"
"None. Cool and tingly, like snow slowly melting on my skin." Kaguya sighed, her eyes drifting shut.
Unlike the torturous massage, this was pure relaxation, no sudden surprises.
Once the application finished, Rin washed his hands and announced.
"Done. Don't move—it'll harden like a shell in thirty minutes."
"Peel it off then, wash your face, and you'll feel refreshed for ages."
"Yay~ Marisa, get me another milk tea. Green grape jasmine."
"On it!" Marisa darted off, though not without a longing glance at the mask.
'If it sells out, I can just sweet-talk the boss. Advantage: me!'
Patchouli watched Kaguya's bliss with growing anticipation.
'Those ingredients are precious and if I can secure some of it then I─ No… I should test it after trying the mask, of course.'
'Also, where is Aya now?'
…
…
Meanwhile, Aya had arrived at the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"Remilia! Patchouli sent me to borrow money. Lots."
"Huh?" Remilia, mid-massage from Sakuya, blinked in confusion.
"Did Patchy find some rare magic ingredient?"
"Nope. Signing up for the boss's membership. New services, she wants in."
"What service costs that much? I don't even splurge like that!"
Remilia's eye twitched. 'Patchy's adapting alarmingly well to the corruption of that general store.'
Sakuya had given her massages before, and Rin's techniques, while impressive—shouldn't warrant extortionate pricing.
'Unless... There's something extra.' Remilia's gaze sharpened. Halting Sakuya, she struck a regal pose.
—Which, given Aya's height, looked more like a child playing dress-up.
Sakuya, unfazed, began preparing tea but Remilia leaned forward eagerly
"What are these membership services you speak of? Elaborate."
"Just two for now. The first one is the bone-setting massage—you know that one of course. And lastly, the brand new facial care."
"Oh, and the boss upgraded his massage technique. Brutally effective."
"How brutal?" Aya hesitated, flipping through her notebook instead.
Soon, two very familiar figures stared up at Remilia and Sakuya.
"...One of these corpses looks awfully familiar."
"That's Yukari. The other's today's big spender. Only they've tried it so far."
"But why do they look—"
"Post-massage. They were wrecked. The boss even showed the sheets, soaked, like they'd been dunked in water, and ripped."
"...?" Remilia's confusion deepened. Even Sakuya's tea-pouring hand paused.
"And the other service?"
"Haven't seen it yet, but I overheard the boss describing it..."
As Aya listed the mask's benefits, Remilia's resolve wavered.
'Damn it, Rin! Rolling out premium services the moment I leave?! Does he think I can't afford it?!'
'As for Patchouli... Someone had to test it first, of course, for safety reasons.'
"Sakuya, we're going back. Bring funds. Bring plenty—" Remilia trailed off, staring at the empty space beside her.
Sakuya had vanished immediately!
'The audacity! I'm the mistress here!'
"Hey! Wait for me!" Remilia dashed for her vault, only to find the door already pried open.