Chapter 34: Pushing Through with a Clever Scheme (2)

Ah, this is bad; I did it to myself out of necessity, but this is tougher than I thought...!?

Toward Niekawa who looked somewhat confused at my state, a girl wearing track pants under her skirt timidly raised her hand and asserted herself.

"Ah, um, Niekawa-kun. Shusawa-kun has been making his stomach rumble since around the middle of homeroom... I think it would be better to let him through."

"...U-um, is that so. Are you all right, Shusawa? Or rather you, your condition has really been unstable lately..."

"C-climbing the stairs is impossible, but at least to the toilet on this floor I can somehow— ah, no good, sorry, coming through—!"

I staggered past Niekawa’s side.

Without a pause after the voice worrying about me and wishing me martial luck, someone’s scream rang out. Probably some idiot who tried to get through saying "Ah, I also actually have a stomachache."

Operation success.

I put a grin on my mouth — then from the gyurrrrr sound and stomachache my entire face, not just the mouth, twisted.

Staggering toward the toilet. Along the way, a girl from another class looked at me as if thinking "Another boy pretending coincidence to try and see panties" — then, at the sound of my stomach and my newborn-deer-like movements, she wordlessly made way. Seriously, thank you very much.

Staggering into the boys’ toilet—

"——S-safe... seriously, safe...!"

——I let out a breath of relief at the sensation of having twisted out everything excess inside my body. After wiping the clammy sweat, I quietly generated a tentacle from my palm.

I gazed at that slimy texture — more precisely, at the mucus this would twist out.

"...So I can produce it for that kind of play use... laxative."

As expected of an erotically specialized ability. It apparently covers "that kind of fetish" as well.

Frankly this time, I had already imagined that once after-school started the girls would run away, the boys would chase them, and Niekawa would explode at that situation.

I needed to get out to the schoolyard quickly and wait for the two Sacred, but that was bad. If I went outside together with the girls I would be treated as a pervert aiming for panty shots and touch Niekawa’s reverse scale, and while jumping from the window isn’t impossible, if asked later "Where were you in such a hurry to go?" I couldn’t think of a proper excuse.

——Therefore, laxative.

Even Niekawa wouldn’t do something like forcing a boy who was seriously complaining of a stomachache into the classroom. Or rather, if I had been forced in, from tomorrow I would have had to live at the school as Poop Man.

I had injected the laxative during homeroom for thorough preparation, so I also got sympathy from the girl in the nearby seat. Thinking that way, my plan can be said to have been perfect.

——Except for the fact that the power of the laxative was far too strong, and if it had been my sphincter from before becoming a Monster Villain I would have spilled it inside the classroom.

Honestly I underestimated it.

With this even the transformation heroines of justice would be one-shot; I myself almost became one-shot.

And even if something similar happens next time, I’ll keep this as a last resort. I don’t want to keep gambling on a bet where if my luck — I mean, my fortune — is bad, school life ends.

"...Well then, shall I go."

It was an anticlimactic start — though I had been tightening my sphincter like crazy — but from here on I would tighten my feelings and go.

After all, what I’m about to do is something that doesn’t exist in the original.

——In the original game, Monster Villains appear as units controlled by the protagonist Alter.

The rough flow of the Sacred series is scattering Seeds of Desire during the base segments, mutating humans into Monster Villains, thereby strengthening one’s own army and fighting the Sacred.

Because of that nature, events where the Sacred save someone before the mutation do not occur. Of course; if the Sacred, who have higher combat ability, interfered with the Monster Villain transformation every single time, one couldn’t properly gather units.

As a result, the Sacred girls cannot save anyone who is about to mutate into a Monster Villain.

No matter how close they were, the only path is to purify them with the power of light — originally.

——But here the irregular that is me exists.

In terms of combat ability I’m on the low side even compared to Monster Villains, let alone the Sacred, but the two factors of the position "someone who is a Monster Villain yet saves the Sacred" and the previous-life memories twist the determined fate.

Therefore——

"Transform — Atel Octo!"

——I stretch these tentacles toward the Sacred girls.

My uniform is decomposed by the magical power of darkness, and thin tentacles cover my entire body.

Becoming a mummy-man-like form, only the red-shining eyes and mouth are exposed. Over that I put on the tentacle clothing of a parka and pants woven from tentacles.

Pulling the hood of the parka deep over my eyes, I leaped out from the boys’ toilet into the corridor and jumped from the window into the schoolyard.

With a roar I cut through the wind in a high-speed fall. Immediately extending two tentacles to absorb the impact and landing, I turned my body toward the school building.

In the direction of my gaze were female students on their way home. In the middle of trying to hurry home and escape this wind, the rumored Vigilante had appeared and they had involuntarily stopped.

While retracting the two tentacles into my body, I pointed at the school gate with a jerk of my chin.

"...Women, hurry and go home. You’re already sick of being toyed with by the strong wind, right. Don’t worry, the Sacred will come soon."

"Ah... th-thank you."

About eighty percent nodded at my words and left quickly.

The remaining twenty percent started waiting on the spot with phones raised, thinking a battle with a Monster Villain was about to begin.

Perhaps followers and likes matter more than shame. I’m not in a position to criticize others, but I can’t help thinking this SNS society is incorrigible.

"What are you doing! It’s dangerous, you all should go home immediately as well!"

Well, if eighty percent went home that’s good enough; the rest is their own responsibility — just as I started thinking that, a dignified voice rang out.

It was the tall boy with short, neat black hair, Niekawa. He had sent the girls home first and was probably on his way to the kendo dojo now. While scolding the girls who were still remaining here, he recognized my form and ran over.

"Atel Octo! I’m sorry I couldn’t properly thank you at that time!"

Looking sideways at the girls who were reluctantly starting to leave, Niekawa laughed cheerfully, and I worried about how I should respond.

It was like if you were doing a female avatar in an online game and then had to converse with a real-life friend while still in female avatar mode — awkwardness and impatience ran wild in my chest.

What is this, a word or two is one thing, but having a normal conversation is pretty high difficulty...!?

"No... I did it because I wanted to, don’t worry about it."

As a result, the only line I could wring out after thinking hard was something like a tsundere man.

But Niekawa raised his voice "Of course I’ll worry about it!"

"What kind of man doesn’t return a favor. If I could become a Vigilante like you, I would be able to fight together—"

"Stop."

That was not words after thinking; it was my true feelings.

While looking at Niekawa with red eyes, I spun words.

"If you can remain a proper human, of course that’s better. Don’t do something stupid like using me as a model."

Yes, I’m scum.

Even while declaring myself a Vigilante who protects the Sacred, I’m a big idiot who easily loses to sexual desire.

Originally my reason would have easily disappeared and I would have been violating women, but because of the previous-life knowledge I felt anger and guilt that the future of the Sacred — the future of the girls who are trying hard for someone’s sake — had only ruin, and that was the only reason I held myself back.

"A proper, correct person should walk that path straight."

I can’t do something like guiding someone onto the correct path the way Niekawa does.

Even fighting while calling myself a Vigilante is only possible because the one I’m saving is the cute girl Leas. If it were a musclebound soldier, even if he was about to lose I think I would have ignored him and violated some random woman.

I’m not belittling myself; it’s pure fact. Frankly, as long as the two Sacred don’t become sad, I abandon men.

"...I understand your feelings. But Atel Octo. To me, you are a hero. When there was nothing I could do, you were the hero who risked your body and saved everyone. No matter what you say, I will hold admiration for you, and if you are in trouble I will want to help."

——But even so.

Even so, if he calls me a hero.

I think I have to work hard even if it doesn’t suit me.

I raised the corner of my mouth. Proudly, fearlessly, as if full of composure.

"Then. If a time comes when I’m in trouble and it looks like I can be helped by your power — help me."

"Yes, I swear. I swear, Atel Octo. Though I have no idea how I would help you."

"That’s fine. Frankly, the best is not to get into a pinch."

While saying that I looked up at the sky.

There were two shadows flying through the air.

The figures of the champions of justice, the Sacred, flying while stretching white trails, coming this way.