Eve waggled her fingers, moving away.
“Wai— Oww!”
Sou tried to follow, but the mascot wasn’t letting him.
“Oh dear. Their power may be modest, but it could prove strong enough to kill several Kunlun villagers. That would never do. Death is always sad.”
Sou had once turned to villainy, trying to end his own existence.
That awkward smile suggested he knew he’d changed his tune.
“Perhaps it’s not time to reflect on these things… That woman is so self-centered.”
Eve was also the sort of person who had to get the last word in. She called an excuse over her shoulder. “I’d love to stay and torment you! But overconfidence tends to undermine.”
Sou chuckled as he grappled with the mascot. “Ha-ha-ha. I remember that sinking feeling.”
“Meaning?” she growled.
“You’ve let Lloyd get in your head. And now you’re scared of him.”
“Huh?!”
That got a big response from her—which said everything.
Sou punched the costume, calmly explaining just what made Lloyd so frightening. “He’s always unexpected. He’s the master of acrobatic misunderstandings and miraculous rug pulls. He is Azami’s—nay, the world’s—wonder boy. That’s what makes Lloyd so appealing.”
Eve was doing her level best to hide how close to home this hit. “Oh, please. I didn’t warp here from Azami because I was scared of him! And how’s he going to work miracles when he’s still riding around on Satan back in Azami, fighting my trash mobs?”
She was about say out loud, “He’ll never make it here.”
But then a wobbly bunny costume came flying their way, crashing to the ground at her feet.
“Huh?”
“Speak of the devil! I had no reason to believe he’d come, yet I still did. Ha-ha-ha, what a pleasure.” Sou didn’t even need to look.
Eve’s glare was fixed behind him.
“That’s enough, Eve!” Lloyd and his companions had arrived.
This was the second time Lloyd had interrupted her in the same day, and Eve was fit to be tied.
“You again?! And totally a repeat of last time! Take a hint! Why did you tag along! Ngk?!”
Only Alka could teleport. Eve had assumed that, with her out of commission, they’d never get here in time. But she soon figured it out.
“You were already in the castle?!”
In that chaos, he must have had a very good reason to head that way. No ordinary person would do that. It was like he’d read her mind.
She ground her teeth in shock and rage. “Was this Lab Chief Rinko’s ploy?! She didn’t seem like she knew! Or was Alky still alert and talking? Only pretending to be hurt? Did she pull the wool over my eyes?! Why were you in the castle?!”
“Oh, I just got worried about the princess!” Lloyd said. “I ran over to check on her, and she wasn’t there… It was weird, right? Did I just miss her? But I didn’t see anyone who looked the part…”
Eve’s eyes shifted to look over his shoulder.
Marie was sobbing.
“Mm, his failure to work things out is what allowed us to be here! It’s for the greater good…!”
“When this is over, time to rethink your life, Marie,” Riho said.
Marie’s head drooped. This was no comfort.
“Anyway, I never found the princess, but I’m sure she’s hiding somewhere safe!”
Eve fought off the urge to point behind him. Instead, she glanced at the others for confirmation.
“I merely followed Sir Lloyd, hoping for a chance to get up close and personal.”
“I tagged along to stop Selen from doing that.”
“……I’m with her.”
“If Lloyd’s flustered, it’s a disciple’s job to lend a hand!”
“……I’m with him.”
The words of his companions were warm and caring, while Marie alone was left scowling.
“I wondered why Lloyd was so worried, but it turns out it was about the ‘princess,’ which is honestly a shock. It’s for the best, but it also hurts.”
Lloyd simply would not believe she was the princess—his concerns were all for a fictitious one.
In other words, Lloyd’s miracle misunderstandings had once again come back to haunt Eve.
“Marie, clean up your act! If you had ever once acted like a princess, no one would be meddling with my plans!”
“Why is the last boss nagging me about my life?!”
The unfairness was shredding her spirit.
Lloyd tried to help, but he finished her off instead.
“That’s right! What does Marie’s slobbiness have to do with the princess?!”
“Pretty much everything,” Eve muttered.
Each word they said ran Marie through—she might be in worse shape than the Kunlun villagers.
“See?!” Eve yowled, pointing at her. “She’s all depressed!”
“What for?”
“Enough! That witch is the princess of Azami, Lloyd!”
Lloyd glanced once at Marie…then shook his head. “Telling obvious lies to try and rattle me? I’m not that easily fooled!”
“It’s true! Your hard head is breaking hearts! Marie, tell him!”
Eve was now encouraging her enemy.
Marie’s eyes had gone dead, and she was muttering, “I’ve told him, over and over. It’s never worked; it’s never gonna work…”
“Don’t give up! Don’t surrender! Forward!”
The last boss was cheering for her. Good for you, Marie. Snerk.
Still fighting the mascots, Sou watched with a radiant smile.
“Heh-heh-heh… Just his presence turns everything to comedy. He has the power to turn bad ends into happy ones. That is what a true hero does.”
“Crap! Crap! Craaaaap!”
Eve threw in the towel and turned to run.
“Ack, hey!” Lloyd called after her.
Sou urged him on. “Leave this to us! You go after her, Lloyd! We’ll keep the villagers safe!”
“Oh, okay! Thank you!”
Lloyd bobbed his head, and Sou whipped out a camera, starting to film.
And then started doing an interview.
“Best of luck, our hero! By the way, Lloyd.”
“Er, yes?”
“What do you see me as?”
“Um…hmm…a retired grandfather?”
Sou laughed out loud. “Indeed! I’m done being a hero! Done pretending to be evil! Leave the rest to us.”
“Okay…thanks!”
Satan pulled up next to Lloyd in his second form—the lion.
“Climb on, Lloyd! Surtr, you stay here and help Allan out.”
“You bet your bottom dollar! That boy’s not much use on his own!”
Surtr trotted off after him.
Satan turned back to Lloyd. “C’mon!”
“Let’s get after her, Satan! Everyone else—please take care of my hometown!”
“We’re on it, Sir Lloyd!” Selen said, thumping her chest. “I expect it’ll be my hometown eventually!”
“You just gotta slip that on in there… Welp, we’re on it, Lloyd.”
“……Mm.”
Riho, Phyllo, and the others all nodded, thumping their chests.
Leaving his home to his reliable (minus one victim) compatriots, Lloyd ran after Eve.
The final showdown was almost at hand.