"Ehem, I cannot tell you that. It is a trade secret, you know～?" Ys said with her usual mischievous tone. She turned at last to face Cleo, her light green hair swaying as she moved to the couch opposite her.
Crossing her legs, she sat with the easy elegance of someone who felt no shame under the weight of Cleo's gaze. "Instead, how about this? I give you some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want first～?"
Cleo studied her for several long seconds, the golden glow in her eyes unblinking. Then she let out a slow, deep sigh, a sound that carried both weariness and restraint. "Which is the bad news?" she asked at last.
"Well, let's see," Ys leaned back comfortably and folded her hands over one knee. "Do you remember that giant beast that came crawling out of a planet not too long ago? The one that caused the megacorps such a headache, tearing through their assets and bleeding their profits?"
