A true friend [Side Story 10 End]

As the game ended, Svetlana suddenly felt a tingle run throughout her body. "No... IT CAN'T BE!"

In a panic, she pulled out her WWCF card and went pale. "No... YOU TRICKED ME!"

"Sorry, but I wanted to confirm you really were genuine, and this was the best way I could think of," Mimoko frowned.

Svetlana slowly clutched her head as she examined the specifics of the wager. "Now I have to play you again..."

"Casually. Just casually, and not in such a crude method like this," Mimoko smiled.

"How will I explain this to my father?"

"Aren't you rebelling against him by being here?"

"No... everything was by his order, as it's always been..."

Mimoko clasped Svetlana's hands. "Wanna get a makeover then?"

"How so? My hair can't be dyed-"

"Bzzz Bzzz?"

Svetlana froze in disgust. "No, not shaving my head."

"Ah, you'd look cute all smooth."

"No, I... I... ..."

"What's wrong?"

"I can't remember if I've ever been bald before. When I first awoke, I did have hair, but in the test tube..."

"I think you're a real human, Svetlana-chan. Stop selling yourself short by thinking you were just bred in a laboratory to be someone's slave."

"Is this all your attempt to get me to shave my head?"

Slap!

"No, it's to get you to stop moping around. You're not controlled by your father. Tell me, can he name every Mizuse Niimi brand line and item like you can?"

"No..."

"Then you have your individuality. Now, how about we go out for dinner."

"Then are you going to-"

"Oh, drop the headshaving stuff, dummy," Mimoko pouted as she began dragging Svetlana away.

"This feeling... it's warmer than when I was with Ursha... perhaps, she really is a friend, unlike her," Svetlana thought as she began to smile.

...

In an undisclosed location...

Tsar Grigori scowled as he received a report on Svetlana. "I didn't expect Mimoko Inoue to resort to such a trick. The oni-tiger must've implanted the idea in her mind. Though, it matters not. Svetlana was made solely to become my proxy, and as my proxy... she'll become... the new Ultima-master," he thought as he stared into the dark and the red glowing eye staring back at him.

[Side Story 10 End]