Chihuahua chase

Okisato stared blankly into the library before a sadistic grin spread on his face. "Got her!"

Unbeknownst to those that didn't read the finer print, one of the effects of the anti-DESPER barrier currently placed around Budapest was the fact that it prevented any from warping out of it's boundaries if they were participating in the tournament. Non-participants could warp as they pleased, but for a participant with the ability to warp to a secret puzzle cafe, warping would result in them being sent straight to the one in Budapest.

Chihuahua hadn't know that, and as a result, attempted to warp to escape Okisato. Now she was cornered as Okisato could not only make a beeline to the secret puzzle cafe to cut her off, but challenge her to a game with ease, and within the secret puzzle cafe, meaning the chances of Chihuahua spilling information were high.

"The secret puzzle cafes should also block out the DB power, but even then, I could get challenged to a match and with a wager of pure information, Raymond would likely appear and ensure the loser fulfills their end of the bargain. I overplayed my hand. I assumed he already knew of everything, but it seems he didn't. But after that call with who I'm assuming was one of his teammates I faced, he likely knows enough to ask me a more specific question, which will only worsen the wager for me. I can't face him, but now that I'm here, I'm further away from that reporter's interview studio," Chihuahua thought as she shuffled out of the secret puzzle cafe.

While Chihuahua did have the hotel's layout memorized, Okisato did too, meaning both knew of all the shortcuts. There was also the chance of Iori being recruited to help corner Chihuahua, making things all the more difficult for her to try and reach Kisha.

"If I'm in the vicinity of that reporter, the oni-tiger won't approach me. During his interview, he was constantly on edge due to how pointed the reporter could be with her questioning and instinct. To be honest, I'm not a fan of going into that frying pan, but it'd be better to get the interview over and done with now, as forgoing it could lead to greater headaches down the line. I shouldn't have indulged myself in reading, or at the very least, held my tongue better."

As she rounded a corner, Chihuahua stopped, just in time to avoid colliding with Fernanda.

"WAH! Chi? Oh, I know, I know, I'll have my head shaved later-"

"What a stroke of fortune. Fernanda, care to help me make a great escape? I'll even waive your punishment if successful."

"Not like I can say no, but if there's benefits, I'll put forth the effort."

"Excellent. Now, I need to get..."

...

At the other end of the hotel, Okisato had just finished recruiting more allies to the Chihuahua chase, and was coordinating with them over the phone.

"So you know all the shortcuts?" Iori asked.

"Yes, and even if they try to escape the hotel, I have Zago and Azenira watching as well as some others I managed to become friends with. Anything on your end?"

"Cafeteria's locked tight. Patrolling my route now."

"And be on the lookout for any of the other "ghosts". They might not yield as much information, but they should still know the basics."

"I'm en route to the garden," Zago stated.

"Entrance is my palace," Azenira grinned.

"And I'm closing in on the area now," a male voice stated.

With that, the game of cat and mouse had begun. Chihuahua had also taken the liberty of calling for help from some friends, however, Okisato had one particular ally, he was highly confident that would not be identified by Chihuahua or her allies.

"As long as he approaches her, I've got this."

...

Chihuahua scowled as she peered out from behind a corner. Much to her dismay, the masked man was nearby.

"We have to go a different way. I can't risk things leaking now, otherwise it'll cause trouble for me later," Chihuahua thought as she dragged Fernanda along with her.

The realization that Okisato could also choose to approach Fernanda or Tristin for answers had only come just now. While both didn't have as much information as Chihuahua did, they both knew enough about the eyes to effectively answer Okisato's question on them should they be forced to answer him.

Luckily for Chihuahua, Tristin was confined to her room, while Fernanda was right here with her. That still didn't alleviate Chihuahua's anxiety though.

"There's no safe haven. We can't go back to our room, we can't leave the grounds, nor can we sneak by to get to the reporter. And even then, that might actually backfire. The show won't last all day, and the oni-tiger is the kind of man to lay in wait for hours on end. I was planning to use the interview as a means of escape, but now that he's become more determined, I have to play more defensively. Though... there is one option..."

"What is it, Chi?"

Chihuahua looked Fernanda straight in the eye. "When one must evade the law, what's the most effective thing they can do to conceal their identity?"

A look of dread overtook Fernanda's face as she realized it.

"Yes, and we can make it there with ease. For on this day, only women will be permitted, and once inside, nobody leaves."

...

Around the same time the Chihuahua chase was starting, Amelia, Mimoko, and Daria all reached the supposed meetup place for the 6B tournament.

After a bit of walking, the three arrived at the hotel salon.

"Um, are you sure this is right?" Daria asked as the three stood before the hotel salon.

"Yes. You see, there's a bit of a... dress code for this event," Ameluia stated.

"Ugh, are you saying-"

"No, your clothes are fine. But hair and makeup must be done proper for the cameras."

"My geisha makeup not up to par?" Daria playfully gasped.

"... I'll just say you need to have it professionally done."

"Oh, then you're speaking our language. Mimoko and I love having SPA days, though lately Mimoko's been a little resistant to them."

"It was just because of the incident at Streama festivalen. Besides... I wouldn't mind getting a makeover with you," Mimoko pouted.

"Wanna match your style with me? Oo, maybe I could get a new style too. Poodle perm? Spiked pixie? Or should your hot mom go full peak femininity and shave it smooth?"

"Okaa-chan, I'm still in school. I can't just show up with short blonde hair. Besides, it's not my style, but I will admit, you really rock the look. So don't be stupid and tell them to shave it off."

Amelia's gaze shifted ever slightly as Daria burst into laughter. "Nah, that's just me teasing ya. But shaving my head's a bucket list thing. One of these days I'll do it."

"I wouldn't recommend it."

"Even though Mizuse did?"

"I respect her for embracing such a radical change, and for encouraging girls that it's OK to be completely hairless, but it's just not for me. I've had too many bad experiences with being bald."

"So you two will be representing Japan then, yes?" Amelia interjected.

"Yup. And you playing for Norway?"

Amelia sighed and shook her head, admitting that she preferred to spend the day doing other stuff, and that the same was true of the Norwegian team in general. It was slightly disappointing for Daria, but at the same time, it meant hers and Mimoko's chances of victory were very high.

Once Daria and Mimoko entered the salon, Amelia parted ways with them. By chance, both Jaana and Inga were nearby and had eavesdropped on the entire conversation.

"So there's a secret bughouse tournament? Amelia didn't mention anything this morning."

"Maybe she just heard of it?"

"Possible, but it hasn't been long since we all had breakfast and went out exploring."

"Then let's ask her about it now."

"No, something was off. She did mention that we as a team had other plans. That is true, but I get the feeling she doesn't want us to participate in this. Remember, she was pretty pushy about all of us having plans for the day."

"Then how about we storm in there and join them?"

"Inga, there-"

But Inga was already heading for the salon.

"INGA!"

As Jaana charged in after her, the commotion managed to catch the attention of Barbro and Nevena, who just so happened to be walking by.

"Hmm, I wonder why they're all running towards the salon."

"Beats me. But if you want to shave your head, tell them to make you look as hideous as possible," Barbro growled as she attempted to walk away.

Slap!

"And you talk to your own mother with that mouth!? Just because you took control of the country doesn't mean you can just be an asshole to your own flesh and blood!"

"And why should I be nice to you? You've never supported my endeavors."

"Because I feel they're wrong. Barbro, I don't know what you did, but I always feel it was wrong. If I had to guess, I'd say you erased-"

"Yeah, shut up right there. Think I'll just leave."

"Young woman, don't you-"

But Barbro had darted into the salon, prompting Nevena to give chase. Once inside, she reunited with Barbro and noticed Daria, Mimoko, Jaana, and Inga were all present too.

"Ah, here for the tournament? Looks like we're the first ones here," Daria smiled.

"Tournament?" both Barbro and Nevena asked.

"We don't know the details, but we were told by Amelia a tournament would be held and everyone had to meet up here. Though I'm surprised you two came so quickly," Daria nodded as she turned to Inga and Jaana.

"Oh, we were just in the area. Though I only came in here because of Inga. We don't have-"

But before she could finish, a woman emerged from the back. She appeared to be in her late 30s and was clad in a black bra top that wrapped around her back, a black see-through silk dress with black yoga pants underneath, white sneakers, and black gloves. She also had long blue hair that obscured her right eye, and for her one visible eye, it bore an eerie resemblance to how the Mexican women's eyes had looked when they unleashed their power, being all blue with a lit blue iris with a ring around it. 

"Hello ladies, I'm Irja Pirkkiö. On behalf of Miss Mifsud, I'll be in charge of your makeovers for the secret 6B tournament. Oh, I say me, but I naturally have lots of hired hands on standby," the woman smiled as she snapped her fingers.

Multiple young women of various nationalities emerged and began escorting everyone to open seats. One had pink hair and a t-shirt with a flaming skull on it and was known as Lili Luscious. Another was a woman with a shoulder-length blue perm named, Raissa Razor. The standout of the group was a woman with her pink hair all tied up in knots named, Sally Blade. The final woman had long green and pink curly hair and was the most famous, being known as Sedosa Suave.

"Hold on! We're not here for the tournament!" Jaana protested as she and the others were shoved into their seats and capped with clear plastic capes.

"Sorry, but you've already registered simply by coming through those doors. And now that you're seated, we can't UN-register you!" one of the stylists sneered.

Before anyone could react, metal clamps sprang forth from the salon chairs, binding everyone in place.

"OI! THE HELL'S GOING ON!?" Barbro fumed as she struggled aimlessly to break free.

Both Daria's and Mimoko's hearts began to thump, as both came to the same conclusion as to what was about to befall them.

"Oh, that's a nice look, mommy Daria. And speaking of mommies, we got a whole half-dozen of mommy-daughter pairs, all awaiting one VERY smooth makeover," Melisha Kamaleon cackled as she emerged from the back. "So, care to guess what style you're gonna get?"

"B- Mmph!?"

"BALD! THAT'S RIGHT, MOMMY DARIA! For the Bald Bad Bitch Bondage Bullet Bughouse tournament, 6B for short, all ladies participating, spectating, and commentating are to be subjected to complete hair removal! No hair, brows, or lashes allowed!" Melisha laughed as she glued Daria's mouth shut.

Mimoko began to tear up and tremble as Irja glued her mouth shut too. The other stylists did the same for the others, leading to a chorus of muffled protests ringing through the salon.

"Oh, what a harmonious sound! Nothing turns me on more than a gagged girl desperately pleading not to be shaved. Now, mommy Daria, time for your long overdue SHAVE!" Melisha madly grinned as she flicked on the hair clippers and drove them right up the middle of Daria's hairline.