Light Novel Chapter 66

月光ロストワールド (Gekkou Rosuto Waarudo, lit: Moonlight Lost World) is the sixty-sixth chapter of the light novel series of The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat.
==Plot==
The new school term approaches in late August. After his morning club activities, Youto finds a crying Azuki Azusa at the animal shed, distressed over a missing rabbit, Yaji-san. The fence around the rabbit enclosure is torn, likely by a wild animal or some other force. Youto approaches and attempts to cheer her up, but is interrupted by Mai who blocks their interaction. She embraces Azusa and takes on the consoling role herself, sidelining Youto.
Youto's search for the rabbit leads him to a nearby park. Atop the jungle gym stands a grade school girl, her hair styled in twintails, wearing an ogre mask. As he approaches, the girl suddenly leaps from the jungle gym with a dramatic cry, delivering Youto a heavy kick before landing on the ground. While she fervently accuses Youto of "misdeeds," Youto spots a paper bag on the ground with what seems to be a small animal inside. The girl immediately grabs the bag and runs for the park's entrance, prompting Youto to give chase, but it ends with both of them slipping and falling.
The girl reveals herself to be Emanuela Pollarola, or Emi for short. She hails from Italy and is fluent in both Italian and Japanese. While she fixes her clothes, Youto is forced to recite "The angel Emi is more kind than an angel!" for forgiveness. She explains that she found the rabbit as it escaped from the enclosure, so she went after it in an attempt to help, much to Youto's relief. Emi's ogre mask is revealed to be given by her father, who told her that it would grant her transformative powers.
Youto treats Emi with playful teasing, prompting her to point out how intimate he's being with someone he's just met. It occurs to Youto that Emi likely lived a completely normal life in this timeline. He attempts to explain their connection, recounting how close they were in a previous world and describing the Emi he once knew. Emi initially reacts with disgust, but quickly warms up to him, opting to call him the same name that she supposedly used in the previous world, "Youto Onii-chan." Although she doesn't quite understand his words, she says she wants to get along with him agaim, and doesn't want him to be sad.
Youto and Emi walk back towards the school with Yaji-san, and it is revealed that Azusa's puppy was the one responsible for the fence's destruction, clearing misunderstandings. As they walk, Emi pulls out a photo and explains that she has been searching for someone on behalf of her father. Youto is stunned when he recognizes the photo — it is the family picture they took during their second time travel to the past. Emi explains that the photo is cherished by her parents, who received great help from the people depicted during a visit to Japan before Emi was born. However, she also adds an unsettling detail: she was warned about a certain person in the photo that she "shouldn't take pictures of" — Youto himself. She soon runs off once they arrive at the school gate, without any further elaboration.
Youto returns the rabbit to Azusa. Mai remains hostile as ever, while Azusa appears oblivious to the tension between them. She gently scolds the puppy for causing trouble, but grows frustrated with herself when her attempts at discipline are interrupted by the puppy's affectionate licking. She reflects on her responsibilities as the president of the animal training club and expresses her insecurities regarding her ability to run the club effectively. She explains that her motivation for starting the club was to show everyone the joy of bonding with animals via training them properly, which she finds herself struggling to achieve.
Youto proposes a role-playing exercise where she pretends to scold him as if he were a misbehaving dog. Naive to his ulterior motives, Azusa is reluctant to treat him in such a way. Things take an unexpected turn when Azusa suggests switching roles, and she becomes the "pet" instead. Youto, instantly aroused, begins giving her commands like "paw," "turn," and "beg," which she obediently follows without question. Youto in turn "rewards" her by patting her in the head.
When Mai returns, she is naturally furious, so Youto decides to retreat. He looks for Emi, but she is nowhere to be found. He has a brief run-in with Ponta before returning home. At home, he receives a phone call from Tsukiko, who has apparently already heard about the pet incident with Azusa. Surprisingly, she is not angry with him. She comments that "water will always return to its original shape," convincing herself that Youto's perverted nature cannot be helped. Changing the topic, Tsukiko brings up her sister's studies for university and requests Youto to help, just like he did in their original timeline. She emphasizes that the original world "definitely happened," almost like she's trying to convince herself.
Youto rereads Tsukiko's notes, comparing past events with the current timeline, and realizes that many events seem to be repeating despite their efforts to change the future. Reflecting on Tsukiko's statement, he worries that no matter how much they alter history, events are destined to converge back to their original path.
The doorbell rings, and Mai unexpectedly shows up at Youto's house. She demands that Youto leave the town immediately, stating that his continued presence will lead to him hurting others "again." Youto initially assumes Mai might have gained insight from Tsukiko's notes about the past and their altered reality, his statements confusing Mai. He eventually realizes she's merely talking about the past of the current timeline.
Admitting to being the one to tell Emi that Youto didn't belong in the family photo, Mai accuses Youto of betraying her by forgetting their childhood friendship when they reunited in high school. She expresses bitterness that Youto moved on with his life, seemingly disregarding the bond they once shared. She admits that her harshness was an attempt to shield his friends, believing that Youto will inevitably abandon those close to him, leaving them hurt in the process, just as she feels he did to her.
Reflecting on the past timelines, Youto realizes that while they succeeded in preserving Mai's friendship with Azusa, she ultimately lost another equally precious connection in the end. He offers a sincere apology, and Mai returns to her tsundere self, but gives Youto the permission to call her by the nickname "MaiMai" once again.
Mai expresses curiosity in the past timeline that Youto mentioned earlier, so Youto decides to share the truth about the two timelines, Tsukiko's notes, and the fears he holds about the current world following the same tragic course as the previous one. To his surprise, Mai believes him, recalling something Tsukasa once told her before her passing, that the world has a way of correcting itself, steering events toward the same outcomes. She reflects that their very conversation may be evidence of this.
Mai speculates that had she known earlier, they might have acted differently. Her words spark an idea in Youto's mind. Inspired, he suddenly embraces Mai, thanking her and requesting her help.
==Characters==
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