Asch Albright's Card story – Together with Mr. Lion

[kozvme]

– A few days after the circus performance.

 

Gray: (... I'm patrolling with Asch today, huh... I hope nothing happens...)

Asch: Oi, Geek. Patrol around here.

Gray: Eh-...

Asch: Don't think of slackin' off just 'cause you're alone, you hear?

Gray: ... I w- wo...n't...

Asch: Don't even think about calling me for somethin' worthless, and don't try taking action on your own.

Gray: Gh...

Asch: Tsk. Come back here when it's time. Don't be late.

Gray: ... Haah.

(Thank goodness... If he's going somewhere else, I can relax...


I've made my rounds, but it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong...)

Girl's voice: Waaah~n...!

Gray: (! Someone's crying...! I- Is it the girl down the road...?)

Girl: Uwaaaa~~~n!!! Where did he gooo...!?

Gray: (Is she... lost...? Let's try talking to her for now...)



Girl: Hic... Sniff...

Gray: W- What's wrong...? Are you perhaps lost?

Girl: Waaa~~~n!! Where is he~~~!?

Gray: !? Did you lose something important...?

Girl: Uwaaaaaaah~~~n!!

Gray: (W- What do I do... this is getting nowhere...
If Billy-kun were here right now, he would make this little girl stop crying with his magic, as for Jay-san... If it were me, I probably would have stopped crying on the spot with him here...
But this is not the time for that...)

A- Are your parents nearby...? Do you know where you came from...?

Girl: Uuuughhhh~~~!!

Gray: (She's shaking her head... Does that mean she doesn't know...?
What do I do... Whenever I showed them their favorite things when they were little, my brother and sister would stop crying, but now...)

Girl: Hic... I want to see Mr. Lion...

Gray: Eh-... Mr. Lion...?

Girl: It can... hic... only be Mr. Liooooon~~~!!

Gray: Awawah, please don't cry~...

(By Mr. Lion...? Does she mean she likes lions...?)



Asch: (That damn geek's somewhere loafing around! 
It's already way past meeting time and not only has he not shown up, but I can't reach him eitherー)

Girl's voice: Mr. Lion, where are you~~~!?

Asch: (Geh...! This voice...!)

Gossipy lady A: That girl hasn't stopped crying, huh...

Gossipy lady B: That boy, that hero, has been trying to talk to her for a while now, but it seems he's having a hard time...

Asch: (... Hero?)

Gray: So it w- wasn't a video about lions...? Maybe it's a character of some sort? I'll search it by image, so could you take a look...?

Girl: Uwaaaaahhhn!! Mr. Lionnnnnn~...!!

Gray: Aaaah... What do I do, what do I do...

Asch: .......
......

Girl: Mr. Lion, help me~~~!! Uwaaa~~n!!

Asch: ... Tch.

Gray: (Uuuh, the gaze of the people passing by makes me uncomfortable... Could it be... they think I'm the one making her cry...?
Really, what can I do... I wish Mr. Lion would help me too if it existed...)

Girl: Ah, Mr. Lion!

Gray: Eh...



Mr. Lion: ......

Gray: Eep...!?

Girl: Mr. Liooo~n!!

Gray: W- Wait...! Don't get closer to him...!

(He obviously looks off... This suspicious person could be after the girl...)

Girl: Mr. Lion's cool, Big bro! Right, Mr. Lion? ♪

Mr. Lion: ......

Gray: (H- He's nodding... That makes him even more suspicious, but this girl seems attached to him...)

Girl: Hey, I lost my friend... Can we look for him together?

Mr. Lion: ......

Girl: Yaay, thanks! The friend I'm talking about is the boy I'm always withー

Gray: W- Wait... I'll help you find him, too!

Girl: Eheh, I'm so happy I met you, Mr. Lion ♪

Mr. Lion: ......

Girl: My friend also said he wanted to see you.

Mr. Lion: ......

Gray: (Uuh... He doesn't look like a shady person, but he's a bit scary...)

Mr. Lion: ......

Gray: (Eep... Did he just glare at me...? W- Was it my imagination...?)

Girl: Ah, he's over there...! Heeeey!

Boy: ! There you are...! I've been looking for you all over!
Ah, Mr. Lion!

Mr. Lion: ......

Boy: Thank you for finding her! Come one, let's go home!

Girl: Huuuh~!? No, don't wanna, I wanna play with Mr. Lion more~~~!

Boy: You can't. It's gonna get dark soon, we have to go back.

Girl: Uuhhh~~~ Let's play again, Mr. Lion. It's a promise!

Mr. Lion: ......

Girl: Eheheh. Thank you too, Big bro! Bye, bye~!

Gray: No problem, just be careful...

(Huff... I was wondering what would happen, but thank god she made it home safely... Without Mr. Lion, I doubt the child would have stopped crying...
And I regret distrusting him. I should also thankー)

H- Huh...!? W- Where are you, Mr. Lion...!?



ーAnd that's what happened...

Billy: Heh~ A lion mascot costume that kids love, I see~

Gray: Do you have any clues, Billy-kun?

Billy: Hmm~, it's not that I don't, but you know~ Right, Asch-paisen?

Asch: HAAAH?

Billy: Kyah ♡ Someone's in a foul mood~!
If it bothers you that much, what would you say if B&G went looking for him? It may turn out that the mysterious lion mascot costume is what I expected ☆

Gray: R- Right... I'd like to thank him properly if we meet him...

Asch: I could give a damn about what you're planning, but don't go poke your heads into suspicious stuff.

Billy: It's because it's suspicious that we want to look into it, though? Hmm, what is this? Is there a reason why we shouldn't~?

Asch: Shut it! Ain't any!

(Shit... I ain't gonna wear that ever again...
Not matter what happens or how much those brats are gonna bawl, that lion ain't gonna show up...!)