Entwining Bonds: Fierce Genius x Strange Genius

1: An Awkward Trip for Two?

Yume: There's a hot spring at the inn we're staying at tonight, right? I can't wait~! When it gets to be night, let's play cards! And also, I brought othello too.
Yomi: Tsubakuro-san, we aren't going here to enjoy ourselves. Why not focus on completing our mission here first?
Maki: Yomi's right. Today we're on a joint assignment with other toji. As the elite guard, we need to always keep in mind that we set an example for the others...
Suzuka: Though, with this many of us here, we should be able to settle this quickly.
Yume: Yeah, and since I'm here, it'll be over right away. And besides, the other girls look like they're having fun too.
Mai: Sayaka-chan, that bento was delicious, wasn't it? Would you like to have something sweet for dessert too? I baked cookies, just for today.
Sayaka: Wow, there's so many.
Mai: Since I heard there would be lots of us on this overnight trip, I rolled up my sleeves making them, but maybe it was too much.
Sayaka: No, I'm glad there's so many.
Mai: Ufufu, thank you. Would everyone from the elite guard like some too?
Yume: Can I? Thanks. If she's offering, we should just have snacktime with them! I'll work extra hard after we get there, so we can do it, can't we?
Maki: I don't see why not; we should be building up our stamina right now...
Maki: This is Shidou Maki. Did something come up?
Maki: What!? Understood. We'll deal with it at once.
Suzuka: Maki-san? What's the matter?
Maki: It sounds like there's been a large outbreak of aradama in the mountain forests here. Every moment counts, so we should get off the train here and deal with that first.
Yomi: But, if everyone gets off here, won't we be too late to complete our primary duty with this expedition?
Maki: Right, and HQ has a proposal for that. From here, we'll organize into two groups and carry out our missions separately.
Maki: Yume, along with Itomi Sayaka, the two of you will stay on this train to our original objective and start on the mission.
Maki: The rest of us will get off the train now and hurry to the scene.
Suzuka: Yume and Itomi-san? Those two are being sent alone to the mission point?
Mai: Shidou-san, would it be alright for me to to be with Sayaka-chan? Sending the two of them alone is just a little...
Maki: I'm little unsure about it myself, but HQ named them directly, so they must have something in mind. Yume, Itomi Sayaka, what do you think?
Yume: Cause I'm so strong, it'll be easy peasy even if I do it by myself~. You can go with them, Sayaka-chan.
Sayaka: I can be fine if I do it by myself too. I'll defeat the aradama quickly, then meet up with you.
Yume: Nngh~, well I can beat them in a second, and then I'll meet up with you onee-sans faster than Sayaka-chan can!
Suzuka: Sigh... Unfortunately, it doesn't seem they have any intention of working together to defeat them.
Maki: It's not helping my concerns, but, with each of their skills, they should be able to manage.
Yomi: We appear to have reached our stop. Everyone, let's go. Tsubakuro-san, I wish you luck.
Mai: Sayaka-chan, will you really be alright without me?
Sayaka: Mm. I can do my best if I have your cookies.
Mai: Sayaka-chan! In that case, take them all with you! Here! And here! And this batch too!
Sayaka: ...It's heavy. But, thank you for all of them. I'll work hard.
Mai: Of course! Do your best, Sayaka-chan.
Suzuka: You too, Yume. Try to get along with Itomi-san.
Yume: They're gone now.
Sayaka: Mm...
Yume/Sayaka: ....................................
Yume: WAHH-! If we just stay quiet this whole time, I'll get so bored I'll die!
Yume: I know! I came up with something good. Sayaka-chan, since it's just us two, wanna have a competition?
Yume: A competition?
Yume: Yeah. A competition to see who can beat the most aradama! I'm pretty sure I'll win, but it'll still be fun, won't it?
Sayaka: ...Okay, but, I probably won't lose.

2: Yume and Sayaka's Showdown Begins!

Aradama: GUOOOOO...
Yume: Kyahaha, a whole bunch came out! Anyway, Sayaka-chan, our competition's starting! EIIIII--!
Sayaka: I won't... lose either...
Yume: Not bad, Sayaka-chan! I think I should start getting serious soon too! YAAAAAHH!
Aradama: Keeeee...
Yume: Huh? Is it over already?
Sayaka: It looks like it...
Yume: Ahaha, they were so weak-! Hey, hey, how many did you beat, Sayaka-chan?
Sayaka: I think I got about fifty...
Yume: No way-! That's how many I got! Boo~, so it's a draw then, huhh. But, for sure next time, I'm not gonna lose!
Sayaka: Mm... I won't lose either.
Yume: Hello, Maki-onee-san? It was easy as pie over here, you know? ...Yeah, I got it. We'll go ahead.
Sayaka: Shidou Maki? What did she want?
Yume: It's about our rooms at the ryokan. The elite guard got a Japanese style room, and everyone else got a Western style room, so she said to go ahead and wait there for them.
Sayaka: Are Mai and the others not here yet? This room is... too big by myself...
Yume: Are those onee-sans still not hereee? I got the cards and othello board all set up, but this is boring-.
Sayaka: Mai, she's still not here. But, we promised... We'd go in the hot springs together...
Sayaka: Mai's calling. Hello?
Mai: Sayaka-chan, I'm sorry. We safely finished eliminating the aradama, but we didn't make it in time for the last bus, so we won't be able to make it back there tonight.
Sayaka: Eh...?
Mai: I'm sorry about this. I know you'll be lonely by yourself, but just rest up in preparation for tomorrow, okay?
Sayaka: I understand. Okay... Then, bye.
Sayaka: I'm alone until morning...
Yume: Hello, Maki-onee-san? Huh? Stop calling over and over? But, it's so boring being by myself.
Maki: If you're bored, then why not play with Itomi Sayaka? Don't you think she's bored by herself too?
Yume: I can't do that, because we promised we'd settle things tomorrow morning. If we start getting along, then it won't be a competition!
Yume: Hey, if you're busy, Maki-onee-san, then what about Yomi-onee-san or Suzuka-onee-san? I don't care which one, so let me talk to them, okay-?
Yomi: She handed the phone to me. Tsubakuro-san, I remembered hearing a very interesting rumor about the inn we booked...
Yume: Eh-, like what, like what? Is it a funny story? I wanna know~! Tell me!
Yomi: As the rumor goes, a ghost is said to appear in the inn you're staying at. Have you seen it yet?
Yume: EHH---!? What do you mean? Nobody said anything like that to me! Where is it? Where's it supposed to come out!?
Yomi: Ah, I'm sorry, I'm being called for something, so you'll have to excuse me. Anyway, have a nice night, Tsubakuro-san...
Yume: EHHHHH-!? Hang on, Yomi-onee-san! ......She hung up.
Yume: W-Well, stuff like ghosts isn't scary or anything! Cause, I'm super strong and all. There's nothing I can't beat... ...Ah-- But, can you beat a ghost with an okatana? [Minor trivia, Yume's okatana, Nikkari Ao'e, actually got its name for a legend in which it killed a ghost]
Yume: I didn't notice it, but it's completely dark outside. ...I can't take this anymore! I don't wanna stay here all alone by myself until morning--!
Yume: Oh, I got it! Sayaka-chan might be scared all by herself. Since I'm so strong, I'll go and help Sayaka-chan out.
Yume: I'll bring my snacks, and my cards, and othello with me... Okay, here I go!
Yume: Wait, th-there it is---! The ghost----!
Sayaka: Tsubakuro Yume? What's wrong? Was there a ghost?
Yume: Ah-- Sayaka-chan. Th-That's not it! There's no way a ghost was here! Geez-, don't scare me like that, okay? And, what's with you? What do you have all those snacks for.
Sayaka: Can I sleep in this room?
Yume: Huh?
Sayaka: It's lonely, being in a big room by yourself... And, I thought... Maybe Tsubakuro Yume was feeling the same way... Do you want to eat Mai's cookies together?
Yume: W-Well I wasn't scared of ghosts or feeling lonely or anything, but if that's what you wanna do, then that's okay-!
Yume: (Thank goodness. If Sayaka-chan is here with me, I should be fine.)

3: The Result of Their Competition Is...

Yume: These cookies are actually really tasty! I feel like I could eat them forever.
Sayaka: That's good. I think Mai will be happy to hear it too.
Yume: Hey, hey, Sayaka-chan, after we're done eating, let's play othello! We kept getting ties in cards, but I won't lose for sure at othello!
Sayaka: Mm. I'll try it...
Sayaka: Ah, you took a corner again... You're tough, Tsubakuro Yume.
Yume: This much is nothing-. Maki-onee-san and them are always training me super hard.
Sayaka: So you do things like that too... I'm a little surprised.
Yume: Even though they're always treating me like a little kid, they never go easy on me when we're playing games-. Really, they can be so immature it's annoying.
Yume: What about you, Sayaka-chan? Don't the onee-sans always treat you like a little kid?
Sayaka: Ummm... I... It doesn't bother me at all, but the others, they say that Mai's... She's too overprotective of me...
Yume: Hmm. It sorta seems like we both have it hard, being the youngest, don't we.
Sayaka: Mm... Ah, if I put this here...
Yume: No way! You flipped that many!? You turned the game around in one go. Now I don't have anywhere to put any!
Sayaka: I win...
Yume: Mmgh... That's only cause I got a little distracted talking to you now! We're playing again! I'm not stopping until I win!
Sayaka: That's fine, but... I'm a little tired... I'll take a short rest...
Sayaka: [snooze]...
Yume: Ehh-, hey, Sayaka-chan! Wait... She's really asleep now.
Yume: Well, if you're gonna be like that, then I guess I'll have to let you borrow my futon!
Yume: Yawn~, looking at Sayaka-chan while she's sleeping is making me feel sleepy too... Nn...
Sayaka: Tsubakuro Yume, wake up. Your phone is ringing.
Yume: It's Maki-onee-san. What's she want? Hello-?
Maki: Yume, take Itomi with you and head to the site of the mission. From the sound of things, the count of aradama there now dwarfs the amount yesterday.
Maki: We're headed there too right now, but it's going to be a while before we arrive. Could you two find a way to hold out there on your own?
Yume: Yeah, me and Sayaka-chan'll be fine. We'll finish it up before you onee-sans even get there. Right-, Sayaka-chan?
Sayaka: Right... Let's go.
Aradama: GUOOOOOOOOO!
Yume: Uwah-, it's true! There's way more of them today-!
Sayaka: This looks... a little difficult today.
Yume: This'll be a piece of cake. Sayaka-chan, let's have another competition to see who can beat the most again today!
Sayaka: ......Hey, Tsubakuro Yume... Instead of a competition today, what if we work together?
Yume: Work together? But, we can't tell which one of us wins if we do that.
Sayaka: We still haven't done... the punishment game for othello last night. So... can I make your punishment that we have to fight together?
Yume: Nngh... If you say so, then... Fine, but just for today!
Sayaka: Okay. Then... Let's go.
Yume: I'm next! HAAAH!!
Sayaka: Pant... Pant... I can finally... see the end of them. Let's finish... the last of them together.
Yume/Sayaka: YAAA-----------!
Yume: We did it-! I thought it would be a little bit harder, but now that it's over, we beat them pretty easy, huh.
Sayaka: Mm. It's because you were helping me, Tsubakuro Yume.
Yume: ...Then, let's do a high five! Yaay-!
Maki: What's going on here?
Mai: Sayaka-chan and Tsubakuro-san, high fiving...
Yume: Ah-- You're late, onee-sans-! We already took care of it with just the two of us.
Suzuka: Eh!? The two of you took care of all those aradama?
Yume: When we put our skills together, it was as easy as that! See, Sayaka-chan, she's really strong!
Sayaka: No, you did a lot of the work, Tsubakuro Yume. You really are... very strong.
Yomi: They seem to have gotten much closer while we were away.
Maki: That's for sure. Yesterday, she was all fired up about, "We're having a competition!" Did you settle that already?
Yume: Ah-! That's right, we were competing, weren't we.
Suzuka: Sigh, Maki-san... Just when they were getting along, you had to go and bring that up...
Yume: Sayaka-chan, we still haven't settled our aradama competition, and I'm not gonna let you back down from othello just cause you won once!
Sayaka: Mm, I'll take your challenge as many times as you want.
Mai: Fufu, it seems like their rivalry won't be stopping anytime soon.