“We’ll see about that, Ishikury.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Th-that nickname—?!”
“Eve?! She’s echoing inside my mind!”
The voice had an echo, like a PA announcement—but it was projecting right inside their brains. Everyone looked ill.
“My mind’s fiiiinally clear again! Oh, my voice? I’m speaking directly to your minds, yes. That’s baseline functionality, part of the standard body package.”
This distressed everyone but Vritra, who simply went, “Well done, Eug.”
You gotta respect her work.
“But if she’s got to psychically project, her soul hasn’t adapted to the new body yet! It took me a solid hour or two to get used to this body! If you hurry—”
✦ ✦ ✦
“You can stop me? Puh-leez, Ishikury. I knew full well you would betray me the second I was out of your daughter’s body. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a plan for that?”
✦ ✦ ✦
There was a popping sound.
“Hngg? Oh no!”
Vritra’s body began to tremble.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Naturally, I placed a trap in your body, traitor. If I have a spare moment, I always make sure I leave a failsafe.”
Vritra was writhing, and Selen ran to him.
“Vritra?!”
“stay back!”
Sensing the desperation in his voice, Eve’s laughter echoed through their minds. Like a megaphone they couldn’t silence, even by closing their ears.
“Exactly, don’t go near him! I prepared for this. Ishikury’s new body contains a berserker core. An extra-strong version of the thing Tramadol spread through Azami.”
“The same curse he used… Wahh!”
“H-he became a giant?!”
Allan had stepped in to try and save Vritra, but seeing his body expand made him reel back.
Eve was all too happy to explain her villainy. Triumph left her prone to gloating.
“Technically, it’s slightly different. More like a release? I mean, Ishikury is Vritra, the snake demon lord. He was always a giant. In the old lore, he was said to scrape the very heavens! With no limiters on him, he’ll naturally get this big.”
“So he’s gonna be like how he was in that dungeon?” Riho asked, remembering the first time they met.
“……He batted Master aside like he was nothing. If he loses control…that’s bad.”
Snake scales were starting to emerge on Vritra’s skin.
“Sorry,” he gasped, trying to leave one last message for Selen. “I can’t stop myself… Get my daughter to safety…and—”
“V-Vritra?! Hang in there!”
But he’d already turned to Lloyd and Satan.
“Go on and kill me. If my daughter lives, I do not matter. My one desire—”
“But…we can’t just…”
He glanced once more at Selen, smiling.
“It’s been fun, my Mis— Hisssssss!”
With a screech, Vritra’s snake form burst through the conference hall ceiling.
Sunlight streamed through, gleaming on his black scales.
The sudden appearance of a snake monster caused panic even among Profen’s highly trained maids.
“Gah! Gahhhh!”
His mind no longer there, he turned toward the screams, rearing back to attack.
Merthophan sprang into action, barking orders.
“Choline! Get King Sardin and Threonine out of here! Cadets, evacuate the palace! Average fighters will die!”
Eve was clearly keeping an eye on things and yelling delightedly inside their minds like a grating radio personality. She was clearly relishing in her opportunity for payback on her earlier humiliation.
“Come! He was your boss, your friend in this world! Director Ishikura! Vritra himself! Now he’s your enemy! Can you crawl over your friend’s dead body to get to me?! Try it if you can!”
“Damn, she won’t shut up.”
“But we can’t kill Vritra…!”
Satan patted Lloyd’s shoulder.
“Stand down, Lloyd. Leave the dirty work to the grown-ups.”
“You can’t kill him!” Selen objected. “He’s our friend! Your boss!”
“But if we have to… He wouldn’t want anyone here falling to his rampage.”
Eve jumped in on this discussion, too. Like a crappy live commentary.
“Aren’t they sweet? An incompetent underling, desperate to fulfil his boss’s demand! You need gallons of tears for this one!”
The screaming grew louder. Waves of chaos spreading beyond the palace walls.
“If pandemonium reigns in town, it’ll be just what she wants! Selen Hemein! Prepare to rescue!”
“Ex-Colonel Merthophan… Very well.”
Selen forced herself to accept the order.
Then Anzu spoke up.
“Evacuation is vital, but we can’t exactly let Lady Eve get away. We’ve gotta send someone after her.”
Nexamic flaunted his muscles.
“Mwa-ha-ha! Well put, Anzu! Even a brain made of muscles is right sometimes!”
“Har?! You’re the last person… But I guess you thought that was a compliment.”
Merthophan shot her a thumbs-up.
“Don’t worry, we’ve already got the perfect man on the job.”
“Huh?”
Satan grinned.
“Yup, one last card up our sleeve if she resorted to force.”
“You’ve got someone else here? Who?” Lloyd asked.
Merthophan flashed a smile his way. “You know him very well.”