Prologue

Sensei visits Toki's office, which is a bit lackluster due to her only just settling in. Sensei asks if Toki's alone, and she says yes because the other C&C members are on the mission. She is clearly upset, but she insists she doesn't care. Seminar has yet to officially move her to another club, so she can only take orders from the General Student Council, which consequently means Sensei.

Sensei can tell she's distressed, and every time Toki tries to prove otherwise, it gets more and more obvious. Sensei tells her they have a task for C&C, but Toki thinks it's just out of pity for her. Though after seeing how serious Sensei is, she accepts the mission. However, her first mission as a C&C member is peculiar, for Sensei requests maid uniforms for the Game Development Department.

From Misunderstanding to Maids

Momoi is playing at an arcade. While going against another player, she begins to spam the buttons until she eventually wins. The other gamers begin think Momoi is the "Little Menace" because of her spamming technique and rumors that anyone who plays against her will be forced to play until she wins, at gunpoint if necessary. Even social media is picking up the fact the Little Menace is here.

Suddenly, a mysterious man introduces himself as Doda Meitaro to the "Little Menace." Meitaro requests the Little Menace's help with some "cleaning" and gives her a letter. However, he doesn't realize that he gave the letter to the wrong person, for the Little Menace is actually Neru.

Momoi returns to the Game Development Department club room to tell the others about her unexpected mission. Even though Midori isn't fully accepting of this mission, she isn't going to leave her sister behind. Yuzu, even though she's scared to go outside, and Alice join in as well. And of course, Sensei will play the advisor role for them. However, they will need maid uniforms for this mission. This is where Toki comes in. Sensei tells her not to tell Neru about it, and Toki plays along.

The girls change into the maid uniform before arriving at the designated location. Alice, despite still having a phobia of maid uniforms due to her previous encounters with Neru, puts on hers regardless. After arriving at the location, they meet Meitaro, who applauds them for being perfectly punctual.

Meitaro explains that he needs them to provide security and protect his artwork, especially a particularly priceless one that will be bid on in an upcoming auction. Additionally, he asks to see a bit of each of the "C&C" members' skills. Despite knowing they can't show such skills, they decide to show their own skills to avoid having their cover blown.

Alice decides to represent Karin by sniping a faraway boulder using her railgun. Yuzu represents Asuna as the member who "specializes in infiltration with inexplicable luck" by using her box disguise. Midori represents Akane as the "famed strategist" while Momoi is the Little Menace/Neru.

Meitaro brings the "C&C" members inside his mansion. Despite already having state-of-the-art security, he specifically requests C&C's assistance because he received a calling card from the "Benevolent Thief." He explains that the Benevolent Thief is a renowned thief and a member of the Seven Prisoners, one that has succeeded in following through her calling cards every time, though people say it's because the cards are so cryptic the items are stolen before they could even decipher it. Meitaro hands the girls the calling card, and it reads:

Two travelers meet twenty-two times a day. Precisely two, but an unclear twenty. A half-step behind the frozen dance and Antikythera, no moonlight shines. The sad sword of opulence never awarded to another will be mine.

Even from the very first line it makes no sense. However, Sensei seems to have a lead, since he thinks that "twenty-two times a day" could mean every hour or so. Hearing this, Yuzu asks Meitaro if there is an analog clock nearby, which he mentions that he has one in the middle of the hall. After looking at it, Yuzu believes she has solved the first part of the puzzle. It's referring to the hands of a clock, since it only overlaps each other eleven times throughout the day. Doubling that would equal to twenty-two. Basic maths.

About the rest of the calling card's riddle, Meitaro remembers something about the "sad sword of opulence." It reminds him of a painting he owns, which displays an old knighting ceremony, where a sword is being used to bestow knighthood. However, the sword is sad because it can't leave its painting, and it can never be awarded to anyone else, as Meitaro claims. Seeing how well it fits the calling card, he suspects that painting is what the Benevolent Thief's after, so he request the girls to protect it. He also asks them to provide security for the mansion for three days, starting tomorrow, and offers a reward so plentiful it leaves the girls in shock and speechless.

To comfort the girls, Sensei tells them they technically aren't required to catch the Benevolent Thief, but rather to prevent anything from being stolen. After all, they have already fought against, with, and even for C&C, and with Sensei, they definitely have a chance to fight against the Benevolent Thief.

Meitaro tells them that he will be hosting an event in his mansion throughout the three days, the first day for guest reception, the second for gallery viewing, and the last for the auction, and he suspects the Benevolent Thief to appear during these three days. He also asks them to help out with guest reception on day 1, which he says could also help them to gather information as someone there could be related to the Thief.

The Benevolent Thief

Later during guest reception day in the Library Mansion, guests begin to come in. However, the day got more hectic than anticipated, with several picky guests expressing their dissatisfaction with the not on par service provided by the Game Development Department girls. However, someone else is helping them in secret.

She appears to be Toki, but for some reason, she is in a bunny girl outfit. She tells the girls that Neru told her about the Benevolent Thief's plans and asked her to secure the mansion, unknowing of the Game Development Department girls' presence, but the unexpected encounter with Sensei is pleasant regardless.

Toki asks for the calling card, believing she might be of use in deciphering it, but before she could continue, Sensei asks why she's wearing a bunny girl outfit. She says she's been studying C&C's previous missions, especially their infiltration mission in Odyssey Maritime School back in the Bunny Chaser on Board event, but this mission is a more pressing matter than her reasons for wearing the peculiar outfit.

Instead, Toki asks why the Game Development Department members are here, so they explain what happened. Toki understands and decides to keep this hidden from the other C&C members, since:

“	If my fellow members can go on a mission without me, I can go do as I please without them.	”
	~ Toki

Well that seems personal. Suddenly, the lights go out, and the Benevolent Thief makes her grand entrance on the upper floor. The Game Development Department girls are about to go after her, but Toki has already reached her. She manages to escape from Toki by utilizing traps, but she gets attacked by the Game Development Department girls, who has caught up to her. The Benevolent Thief tells them their movements are directionless, but she fails to recognize that Alice is already aiming at her, ready to fire.

Alice lands a hit on the Thief, but she is still capable of moving. As she's about to run however, she gets ambushed by Yuzu-in-a-box and knocked out. As Momoi and Midori are about to approach her, she uses a smoke bomb and escapes through the ceiling. Before she leaves, she asks who they are, and Toki introduces herself C&C, which begs her the question: "Why C&C would team up with Meitaro?" She also notices Sensei's presence.

After the Thief grasps the situation, Meitaro arrives and calls in security to attack her, but they also hit the Game Development Department girls, and Midori falls from the upper floor. However, the Benevolent Thief saves her and leaves a few parting words before escaping.

“	Oftentimes, you must look past the superficial to delve into the beauty within.	”
	~ Benevolent Thief

After finding the Game Development Department girls, Meitaro asks them to explain what is going on. They tell them that Toki is their fifth member who planned to join them in advance, and that they almost caught the Benevolent Thief. Meitaro understands as he's glad the Benevolent Thief has been dealt with for the time being. Some of the guest are getting concerned over the Thief's attack, but Meitaro assures them they are safe under C&C's protection.

The next day of the event commences, and despite the previous incident, the guests seem to be looking forward to the auction. Suddenly, the lights go off once more, yet the guests aren't panicking. Rather, some are even excited to see the action. The girls stay on guard on their respective positions, but nothing's happening. Out of nowhere, a marble appears on Sensei's foot.

The marble is a tool used by the Benevolent Thief to communicate with Sensei. Through it, she tells them that they are a pawn in a much larger board, and they can find who's moving these pieces by solving her riddle. However, her time is not much, so she concludes their secret conversation hastily. The lights turn back on not too long after, and Sensei calls the girls to regroup.

Sensei tells them about their encounter with the Benevolent Thief, but Momoi thinks she could just be lying. Though she did save Momoi, so she can't be completely evil. Since the Thief is still a student, Sensei wants to hear her out. Additionally, Momoi tells the others about something back when she read out "Behind Antikythera." She noticed a weird response from Meitaro. On top of that, Alice mentions that she has yet to see Meitaro in a while.

Recalling the word Antikythera, Yuzu realizes something. The Antikythera is a calendar-like device that calculates the movement of celestial bodies, with a core that can be considered as a clock. They all head to the analog clock, and Toki notices a statue of a dancer right below the clock. Quite literally a "frozen dance." She also notices the unaligned circular section on the floor tiles. When she realigns it, a hidden door opens, revealing a secret staircase leading to the basement, fitting of the "no moonlight shines" section of the riddle.

Meitaro the Mastermind

The girls spend quite some time before they finally arrive at the basement. Inside is a huge auction room, with guests going excited over the several treasures being bid. One of these treasures is the Clock King's Crown, and Meitaro is responsible for auctioning all these expensive items, including the Crown, despite the auction having supposed to be held tomorrow.

The guests are claiming that Meitaro is dragging the event for too long by showing the other items first and demand that he reveals the Clock King's Crown now. They are also expressing their concerns about the Benevolent Thief, but Meitaro assures them they are safe under C&C's protection.

Meitaro notices the girls' presence, and he and the guests are shocked. Toki reveals that the Clock King's Crown is a stolen item that C&C is actually looking for, in addition to the other artifacts being auctioned here. Meitaro then orders his guards to arrest the girls, but they are defeated by the Game Development Department and Toki.

Meitaro brings out his reserve forces, who are actually Shanhaijing's Genryumon soldiers. However, the lights turn off again and the room is covered with smoke. A voice calls out to them, and the girls alongside Sensei escape. As they are outside the mansion, the voice who helped them reveals herself to be the Benevolent Thief. She says she realized they were not her enemies and are being fooled by Meitaro, so she decides to help them. Toki refuses to cooperate with a Seven Prisoner, but Sensei tells them they should let her speak.

Sensei asks why she saved Midori before, to which she replies that she'd be breaking her own standards if she allowed an innocent person to be hurt.

Unexpected Alliance

The Benevolent Thief suggests they work together, but the Game Development Department girls are confused as to what they should do. Even Toki is a bit confused, but she thinks she should just deal with it alone. This mission is meant for C&C after all, not the Game Development Department, and she plans to work together with the Thief if need be. Of course, Alice insists they should work together, for they are all one party. Toki is taken aback, mostly because she usually works alone, but she eventually chooses to work together with them.

Sensei asks the Benevolent Thief the reason as to why she's doing all this, which she replies is for everyone. She believes art should be enjoyed by everyone, not stored somewhere only for the rich to possess, for artifacts such as the Clock King's Crown would just circulate back into the Black Market again if they let Meitaro have his ways, and she will keep it until the world realizes its true beauty. Despite her intentions, her help will definitely be useful for the situation, so the girls decide to cooperate, and they all begin forming a plan.

Yuzu stealthily scouts the place by using her box, and she notices the absurd amount of guards patrolling. After returning, the Game Development Department and Toki decide to wait for the Benevolent Thief's signal. After a while, fireworks explode in the sky, spelling out "Benevolent Thief". Seeing the signal, the girls make their move and begin attacking the guards to push through, for they only have five minutes.

Meanwhile, the Benevolent Thief confronts Meitaro. As Midori is about to grab the Crown, Meitaro grabs it and escapes while his guards protect him. Unfortunately for him, Yuzu has been waiting for him under her box, and she soon blocks his path. The Thief also manages to catch up, and the two stop him dead in his tracks. Yuzu then manages to get a hold of the Crown.

As Toki is about to arrest Meitaro however, the Benevolent Thief uses a smoke bomb, blinding everyone and giving her the opportunity to steal the Crown. She decides to betray them, and their alliance is unfortunately cut short. Of course, the girls can't just stand idly by, and they will obtain the Crown no matter what.

The Benevolent Thief eventually faces defeat in front of Sensei's commands, but she manages to escape, leaving behind a trail of smoke and another marble. Just like before, she communicates through the marble, saying she accepts her defeat and. Though she is not fully satisfied, this acts as her token of respect for their first meeting.

Sensei asks if she had been doing this alone all this time. She agrees, knowing she's the only one who truly understands the beauty of art and is capable of safekeeping these items, hence why she chooses to be a thief, her commitment to beauty. She fully accepts the people calling her a thief, but Sensei doesn't view her that way. Instead, they promise to do their best to understand her. Taken aback by such a response, she reminds them that she is no ordinary student, but it's not Sensei's place to judge, regardless of how twisted the students are. They have a knack for not giving up on their students after all.

The Benevolent Thief asks one more question: the fact Sensei still defines her as one of their students despite who she is. Hearing this, she reveals her name as Kiyosumi Akira before she leaves the conversation.

Sensei returns to the Game Development Department girls. Meanwhile, Meitaro escapes, only to be caught by the real C&C members. He is easily defeated of course, and C&C decides to continue and have a talk with the Game Development Department girls. Momoi truly believes they would have their club disbanded. Hearing this, Neru is concerned at her reputation considering she hasn't done anything. Regardless, Neru doesn't care what had transpired, since the mission is complete anyway. Meitaro has been subdued, and they are in possession of the stolen items, so it's all good. Toki even tries to subvert part of the blame to her, thinking Neru is going to attack the girls, but Neru instead says good job. Seems like Neru is having a hard time expressing her emotions, so the other C&C members thank Toki on Neru's behalf.

Seems like everything is going well for the Game Development Department. They are also about to get some bounties, because apparently, the stolen items have a bounty placed on them by Valkyrie, meaning they could fund their new project. Meanwhile, Akira is replaying a recorded voice of Sensei. It seems she has fallen in love with Sensei.

“	Neither of us will be the same when we at last see each other again...	”
	~ Akira

Moral Lesson: I guess the main takeaway here is to learn how to say "no" to things you know you can't handle or don't have a complete understanding of yet. But at the same time, trying something new is part of life. You can't predict life after all, and working through it together with your friends is always a great idea. You might overcome a fear or two, or discover a new fondness of hiding in boxes. - Writer