"...It’s getting kind of noisy outside. I wonder if something happened?"
Melt frowned as the water rippled around her with a soft splash. She had been soaking away the day’s fatigue in the warm bath, but the muffled commotion filtering in from outside was starting to ruin the mood.
"I should probably head out. Tomorrow’s going to be an early start, after all..."
She stood up, the water cascading off her body with a heavy splash. The Bath Area was large enough to accommodate three people at once, and she’d enjoyed having the luxury of the space all to herself, but the peace was gone. She pulled a stool over to the shower and sat down.
Just as she sat her rounded bottom down and reached for the faucet to wash her hair, the door to the Changing Room rattled open.
"Wait—what?! Who are you?! I’m using the bath right now!"
Melt turned, expecting to see one of the other girls, but instead found three men standing in the doorway.
Startled out of her wits, she instinctively covered her chest with her left hand and shouted at them. It was then she realized that something was horribly wrong with their appearance.
"Come... here... come... here...!"
"What? What is it...?"
Their eyes were hollow and vacant. They were staring right at her, but there was no lust or even malice in their gaze—just a total absence of emotion.
Terror and confusion gripped Melt as the men began to close the distance step by step, repeating the same monotonous phrase.
(My Sword Ring is in the Changing Room. I don't have any way to fight!)
If she had her Magic Item, she could have easily subdued them. But she had left her weapon with her clothes, leaving her defenseless. While she was capable of using magic, she specialized in healing and Support Magic; she wasn't particularly skilled with Attack Magic. If she tried to blast one of them, the other two would be on her before she could finish.
"Come here... come over here..."
"Stay back! I’m warning you, I’ll use magic if I have to!"
Melt raised her right hand, ready to strike, but the men didn't flinch. The only exit was behind them. Trapped in the Bath Area with nowhere to run, her hand began to tremble with an indescribable fear. Just as the men drew closer, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall and a new figure burst into the room.
"Melt! Are you safe?!"
"Yugo!"
Yugo charged into the Bath Area, his face pale with worry. Seeing her cornered by several men, his expression shifted to pure fury.
He moved like a blur, delivering a sharp Knifehand Strike to the first man’s neck, dropping him instantly. Without missing a beat, he drove his elbow into the solar plexus of the other two as they slowly turned toward him, sending them both spiraling into unconsciousness.
"Sorry about that. It was an emergency, so please forgive me. I tried to hold back, though..."
Yugo checked their breathing and let out a sigh of relief. He sent a silent apology to the men—and the Master who had taught him the technique—for using an elbow strike that could have been truly dangerous if aimed poorly.
With the threat neutralized, Melt felt the tension drain from her body. "Thank you, Yugo. You really saved me. But... what’s wrong with these people?"
"I’m not sure. The whole Village is being attacked by people like this. It seems some of the villagers have been affected, too. Everyone’s panicking."
"The other girls?! Are they okay?"
"Yeah, Zenon noticed the trouble early and led everyone to safety. But in the rush, he forgot to mention you were still in the bath. I ran into them on my way back to my place and realized you were missing. When I asked him where you were, he said they’d left you behind... so I came running as fast as I could. I’m just glad I made it in time..."
Yugo’s explanation slowed as his brain finally caught up to his surroundings. Now that the adrenaline was fading, reality was setting in.
This was a bathhouse. Melt was bathing. And he had just charged inside.
Which meant... she was currently stark naked, doing her best to cover her vital parts with her hands.
He truly hadn't meant for this to happen. He’d heard her warning the intruders as he drew near and had lunged into the room without a second thought. He had saved her from one crisis, only to find himself in the middle of a very different one.
"I—I’m sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just so desperate to get to you that I forgot where I was! I’m so sorry! I’ll wait outside, just—please get dressed quickly!"
"Wait, Yugo!?"
Before he could stop himself, Yugo’s eyes had taken in the sight of her large breasts being squeezed against her arms, her constricted waist, and the shapely line of her hips visible from the front. He let out a strangled cry of apology and bolted from the room.
He didn't stop until he had dashed through the Changing Room and out the door. Melt, her face flushed red with embarrassment, called out to him through the door.
"I’m not mad! I know you were just trying to help, and you really did save me! Honestly... if you wanted to look a little longer, I wouldn't have minded."
"Don't be stupid! Just get your clothes on so we can go!"
Melt couldn't help but smile at his flustered reaction. He was clearly mortified, which only made him cuter in her eyes. She knew there was no malice in him, and his genuine embarrassment only made her like him more.
Still, she knew this wasn't the time for games.
"Ready! Let’s go, Yugo!"
"Right. We have to move!"
Now dressed in her uniform, Melt stepped outside the Guest House and joined Yugo. They broke into a run, heading toward the building where the other students were gathered.
But as they ran, Melt saw a sight more horrifying than anything she could have imagined.