The commander then spoke, "All members, to the bus now." He was referring to the people he had chosen earlier, though the situation had escalated quickly, and many were still trying to make sense of what had just happened moments ago.
Even Diablo himself—though he had expected something like this—hadn't quite imagined it would unfold this way. He assumed that if he were chosen, it would be as the food planner again, like he had been for the previous mission. But he hadn't anticipated it would be necessary. It hadn't even crossed his mind until the moment arrived.
As the bus pulled up to their location, all the members who had been called out began moving toward it—there was no time to waste. Lives were in danger.
Diablo turned, muttering, "I forgot something," as he turned back to the commander.
Shit, he left his lucky rock behind. He needed to get it. If he had known about this ahead of time, he would have at least told Elle goodbye—but she was a big dragon, so he figured she would know what to do.
This commander wasn't even helping matters at all.
The commander snapped, "What is it?" His tone was sharp.
Diablo scratched the back of his head.
How was he even supposed to explain to this idiot that he needed to get his rock? It wasn't just any rock.
"Get in there, or I'll kick you in myself," the commander barked like a madman.
Annoyed, Diablo rolled his eyes internally.
"Fine," he muttered under his breath. "Why must you exaggerate everything, Mr. Bald?"
He walked toward the bus, realizing that the call had been an emergency—something no one had expected. Not him, not anyone else. Except, of course, Lucas, who had been informed before the call.
He entered the bus. In fact, what was even worse was that the more people entered, the tighter it got—and there were still more to come.
"You can't be serious," Diablo muttered in disbelief. "So this commander can't even prepare a decent bus, huh? From suffer to suffer," he added under his breath.
The law of stinginess.
They all finally squeezed into the cramped bus.
And then that strange heat hit Diablo like a challenge slap.
Diablo could've sworn someone inside was stinking like hell. The worst part? The smell kept shifting—it wasn't constant, which somehow made it even worse.
Like someone fanning him with a sheet-stained fan—that come-and-go smell.
Just when you think it's gone, it hits you again—worse than before.
He turned his head, only to meet Void's eyes. He was staring at him with a nightmarish grin, if that was even the right word.
Diablo raised an eyebrow. If it had been anyone else, a scream would've escaped their lips—or they would've jumped back from the sheer cringe and horror of the look.
"Are you possessed, or just trying to cosplay for a horror movie?" he muttered irritably.
Void only chuckled.
The bus finally moved, rolling down the empty road surrounded by trees. Diablo had been so caught up in his annoyance, he'd forgotten Void had joined them in the first place. The bus was anything but comfortable—seats meant for two were crammed with four people.
Void leaned in.
"Don't tell me the reason you were planning to leave earlier…" He paused, that same sly grin forming on his lips. "Was it to grab your lucky rock?"
He burst out laughing. A few soldiers turned to look at them—some clearly annoyed, others wearing expressions that read, Sage must have already influenced him.
Diablo frowned.
"Shut up, dude. I always knew you were an idiot, but I never knew your idiocy had gone this far."
"Oh please, you better respect yourself—there'll be no luck on your side today," he teased, and Diablo understood exactly what he meant.
He turned to the window, noting how secluded the road was. Towering trees lined both sides, their branches so dense that sunlight barely touched the road—only faint rays slipped through here and there.
As he looked around, his eyes met Lucas's. The guy had been staring at him for a while.
"Is there a problem, man?" Diablo asked quietly.
The bus, which had been filled with casual chatter, fell silent.
"Does it look like there's a problem?" Lucas replied coldly.
Diablo smiled and shook his head.
"Nope." Then he raised his voice a bit, just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Just a little reminder to you all—I'm in charge of food and meals."
Silence stretched for a moment longer, then faded back into the usual noise. No one seemed to care. They had just eaten breakfast anyway. Let hunger come—then he'd show them who was boss.
He leaned his head against the glass. His window didn't open, and unlike the others, he wasn't lucky enough to get a whiff of fresh air. That smell—that damn smell—kept creeping back like some unwanted chant.
And finally, he snapped.
"Okay, seriously… who here didn't wash their ass?"
Void burst into laughter at how funny it sounded. Diablo frowned as one of the soldiers answered.
"You," the soldier said, and the bus erupted into laughter.
Lucas's face darkened.
"You all should remember—we're on a mission, not in a damn comedy show."
"Yes, Soldier Lucas," they all replied in unison.
Diablo only scoffed quietly. He didn't get it. First, that horrible toilet stench earlier, and now this mystery smell on the bus? It felt like the universe was messing with his nose on purpose.
He sighed and leaned back.
How long was this ride going to be, anyway? Hours? Days? No one had said.
His eyes shifted to the window again. Unlike earlier in the town, where cars were everywhere, this road was nearly empty. In the past fifteen minutes, he'd only seen one or two vehicles pass by.
This road… it's definitely secluded.
Strange.
Really strange.
Diablo leaned in and spoke quietly.
"I want to piss."