Meanwhile, Marie had expunged the alcohol from her system, and Selen and Riho were helping her out of the restroom.
“This is why he won’t believe you’re a princess.”
“Urgh…”
“Don’t cry, geez. Uh, which way is it?”
They’d hustled here pretty quickly, and Riho had lost her bearings.
At this point, a man in white passed by, and they called out to him.
“You there, got a sec?”
“Can you give us directions?”
The tall man turned around, revealing snake-like eyes— Yup, it was Vritra.
He seemed rather exhausted to begin with, and when he saw Selen, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Like he’d just run into the last person he wanted to see.
“Mm? Wait…”
“Huh?”
When Vritra acted shifty, they assumed they knew why.
“Sorry to startle you. I’d act the same if I saw anyone looking like a wreck inside a castle.”
“She’s just drunk! She’s puked it all up now, don’t you worry.”
“Yarssss…”
Marie’s agreement was more a gurgle. Not terribly reassuring.
Vritra had not expected to see them here and was still reeling.
Riho was not in a state to pick up on that. Rubbing Marie’s back, she just tried to get directions.
“Uh, so lab coat man, we kinda rushed here and lost our way. Where were we, the meeting room? Where is it?”
Still rattled, Vritra pointed down the hall, his hand shaking.
“Go straight, turn right at the second corner.”
“Oh, right! I thought so! Thanks, white coat man!”
Riho bobbed her head, and Vritra nodded back.
But Selen was staring fixedly at his face.
“Selen? What’s up?” Riho asked.
Selen didn’t budge.
“Wh-what?”
“Um, have we met before?”
Riho sighed and slapped her shoulder.
“Don’t be silly, this is Profen. You’ve never even been here before.”
“Sorry. He just seemed familiar.”
Vritra looked very uncomfortable. He would have loved to tell the truth, but with his daughter held hostage…
“……”
“See, he doesn’t know how to respond.”
That finally made Selen back down.
“Ah…I do beg your pardon. Just a strange idea that popped into in my head.”
“N-not at all.”
There was an awkward silence…and then they heard footsteps come racing down the hall.
“Wh-what now?”
“Urgh…it’s swaying! I feel sick…”
Coming fast at them—Eve in the bunny costume.
“Aughh! Ruuuuun!”
Squeak squeak. Tromp tromp. That mascot was burning rubber.
“Is that Eve?”
“She’s clearly running for her life… She even said as much.”
“What happened?! We’d better get back!”
Riho and Selen quickly dragged Marie with them down the hall toward the conference room.
“Wahhh! What’s going on! My feet are burning! Augh!”
Even friction was too much for Marie right now. Vritra was every bit as confused.
“I suppose Selen would recognize me…but what happened to Eve?”
He sounded impressed but that soon gave way to concern. He followed after Eve.
“Did Lloyd work a miracle? She’s headed for the lab… Oh, dear!”
That might not be good news after all. He picked up his pace.
✦ ✦ ✦
Eve fled Lloyd’s interrogation and made a beeline for the lab, drifting round every corner, clearing every staircase in a single bound.
“And I’m! Here!”
The second she was inside, she tore off the costume’s head, flung it at the floor, and punched herself in the face.
“Take that! Ow! Argh! And that!”
Like a thing possessed, she furiously beat herself—banishing the fears, enduring the pain, blow after blow—until Asako’s borrowed face was bruised.
She caught a glimpse of that in the glass, then started banging her head into the ground as if that would finish this.
Thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk…
Over and over and over, slamming her forehead into the floor, blood pooling until each strike made a splashing noise.
“Oof…”
This only stopped when she passed out. The lab was like a murder scene—definitely more blood than most would survive.
But Eve was like Alka—immortal. She was only out for a few seconds, and she just got right back up on her feet. She was still bleeding, but the bruises had already begun to fade.
“Hahh…hahh… I’m okay now, right? It died down?”
Eve examined herself in the mirror, trying to reassure herself.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve falling for a boy and tripping me up! Wait till I’m out of your body to do that crap! I’ll happily let you have Lloyd then.”
But the moment she said his name, Eve’s cheeks turned red—she was a total blushing beauty. Eve’s malicious aura was replaced with Asako’s gentle sweetness.
“I’m in heat!”
Eve slapped her own flushed cheeks. Such dramatic self-harm— It would look very alarming to anyone not in the know.
“Argh! Owww! You’ve already killed someone! How dare you go falling in love now!”
“”
“Huh? I’ve indirectly killed far more people? It was for grown-up reasons. Wait, we’re talking now?!”
If she was responding, then Asako really was on the verge of awakening.
Eve shuddered, staggering toward the back of the lab.
“Damn you, Llo—boy I shall not name!”
It was only a matter of time before Asako stole her body back, and it was all Lloyd’s fault. She had to get out of this body as soon as possible. Eve dragged herself across the lab.
Dripping blood, she reached a room with a large pod at its center, thick cables running outward in all directions.
Behind pale blue glass slept a woman’s form, suspended in some sort of culture fluid. There was a soft sound, like air bubbles in a tank. Even if this were avant-garde art it would be tasteless, instinctively revolting.
Eve collapsed against the side of the pod, smearing bloody cheeks against the glass, a sinister cackle rising. Her adorable face made this sight all the more unnerving.
Like someone trying to stop an alarm clock that had woken them, her hands felt for the controls, slamming buttons to retract the outer shell, revealing the entirety of the woman’s form.
Long white hair, lithe limbs… It exuded class to a degree that made one reluctant to even compare the figure to a model’s body.
Eve cackled again.
“Lovely… This will be my body. I always wanted to be slender and regal… Eh-heh-heh…”
This was the body she’d had Vritra make for her. A form made to her specifications, so that she could carry out all her most wicked desires. She didn’t seem like the type to obsess over her appearance, but there you go.
As Eve basked in the sight of it, Vritra caught up with her. He freaked out at the horrifying quantity of blood on her costume.
“Eve…what’s the meaning of this? What’s got you this worked up?”
“The time has coooooooooooome, Jin Ishikura!” Eve roared, pupils dilating. “Asako’s body! Take it back right now!”
“At least explain—”
“I don’t need a useless body! Move! Start the process, put my soul in this new body! You know what’ll happen if you refuse!”
“But adjustments aren’t yet—”
Eve grabbed him by his shirt.
“We can adjust it on the test drive! Or are you buying time? Trying to mess with me? Do it now! Unless you no longer care about your daughter?!”
In her fury, Eve grabbed a screwdriver off the floor, holding it to her own head.
“Wh-what?! Stop that!”
“Wounds to an immortal body heal fast, but what if it punctures the brain?! You’re aware what happens, yes? We have evidence that brain damage makes them turn violent! What’ll Asako do then? Wanna find out?!”
This threat was terrifying, and he knew Eve would go through with it.
“Don’t!” Vritra cried, not wanting any harm to come to daughter’s body. “I can’t bear to see you abuse her any further!”
Eve saw the tears in his eyes and sneered.
She waved the screwdriver like a conductor’s baton, barking orders. Drops of blood flew from the end of it with each wave.
“I’ve got the steps down! The first leg is an application of the process for sealing demon lords in those mangosteen-looking Mastema Fruits…”
“I know! But let’s stop the bleeding first.”
Vritra held a handkerchief to her brow.
“How sweet. But that won’t get you anywhere.”
“It’ll get you out of her!”
Another fit was upon her, and Eve started smacking herself.
“Even your father’s love?! Move, Ishikura! Do this now!”
“Like I said, final adjustments aren’t done. Don’t blame me if anything goes wrong!”
Eve took a seat on what looked like an electric chair, covered in dials and toggles. She put on a cap studded with electrodes and closed her eyes.
“If this fails, I’ll destroy Asako’s mind for good. Don’t screw up.”
Fearing for his daughter, Vritra started flipping switches.
“Hang in there, Asako. It won’t be much longer, and then you’ll be free of this devil.”
With a prayer, he turned a dial, and a pale glow covered Eve—Asako’s body.
“Starting…transfer… Heh-heh… Heh-heh-heh…”
Eve’s fading laughter echoed through the lab.