Mu Xiaoxiao's playful gesture eased the tension slightly, even making the conflicted Sakurakami Natsumi crack a small smile and relax a little... Still, the three sides in the standoff remained frozen in their triangular formation, wary of each other.
Mu Xiaoxiao stood with Natsumi; Matsubara Donghua stood opposite; and then there were a few students—though not threatening, they still remained on guard. As for Kabeya Daisuke, the so-called friend-turned-wannabe-NTR perpetrator? He was sprawled out motionless in the middle, playing dead. Honestly, the monster transformation really did enhance vitality.
He'd lost so much blood and still wasn't dead.
"I see now. Though I can't quite tell what secret you're hiding... there is one thing I can say for sure," said Matsubara Donghua as she retracted her tentacles and stood steadily on the ground. She clasped her hands behind her back, striking a posture that was almost girlishly coy. She winked playfully at Mu Xiaoxiao, paused for several long seconds, and then slowly continued:
"You were once human too, weren't you?"
!!!
Natsumi had suspected it before—wondered whether Mu-kun might have been a human turned monster. Now, hearing the astonishing words come from Matsubara Donghua, her pupils shrank to pinpricks. She snapped her head toward the tentacled creature standing beside her.
It had only been a vague, passing thought. She hadn't dared dwell on it. But now, with Donghua, herself a monster, saying it so plainly, the idea suddenly seemed terrifyingly plausible.
He—was really a human?!
Sakurakami Natsumi was overwhelmed—so much so she couldn't believe it. Reflected in her watery blue eyes was the image of a grotesque creature... And yet, that monster was once human?
This shock hit far deeper than when the other students—or even Donghua—had transformed into tentacled beasts.
Those students still retained their human appearances. Even Donghua could retract her tentacles and look completely normal. But Mu-kun? That grotesque, alien creature—if he really was human, then he was the first of his kind!
And what's more, despite his monstrous form, he had protected her. Meanwhile, Kabeya Daisuke, who looked human on the outside, and those zombie-like creatures... It was only in contrast that the truth became clear.
Natsumi's gaze toward him softened further...
So, is he really human? Was he once human and became like this for some reason? Or was Matsubara Donghua wrong? Could he just be a pure monster?
Natsumi kept her eyes fixed on him, anxiously awaiting a response. The group on Donghua's side was equally shaken, staring warily at the floating, tentacled mass.
What are you all looking at me for? Even if I was human, is that really so shocking? You're all monsters too. I even saved you before! Mu Xiaoxiao silently fumed, full of internal sarcasm, but chose not to answer.
Instead, his tentacles lashed out again, wrapping around Kabeya Daisuke's neck. The latter, legs already shattered, squirmed in terror. Blood sprayed like water from a burst pipe, painting a grim, pitiful scene.
Watching his former best friend suffer, Matsubara Fuuichi looked pained. But Sakurakami Natsumi's face remained cold, even showing a trace of satisfaction. Sensing death closing in, Kabeya Daisuke screamed in terror.
"Matsubara Donghua! Save—save me—!"
"It was you who turned me into this! You made me do that to Natsumi! It's all your fault!! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be like this!! Help me, please!!"
Terror, panic—he babbled as snot and tears ran down his face. Honestly, it was pathetic, almost comedic. Was this guy seriously calling himself a tentacle monster?
The tentacle around his neck tightened, turning his face red. He choked and gasped, "Huhh-huhhh-hhh," drawing everyone's eyes toward the once-sweet, now disturbing girl, Matsubara Donghua. Mu Xiaoxiao looked too.
Matsubara Fuuichi couldn't believe this was his sister.
The once frail, gentle girl...
"Donghua!! Why are you doing this?!"
"Big brother, this isn't something you need to worry about," Donghua replied lightly. She might have noticed Mu Xiaoxiao looking at her because she turned his way, flashing a sweet, innocent smile that belied the madness inside. "Sorry, Kabeya-senpai. After all, he saved me before. I can't just betray that kindness because of you."
Oh, now you remember I saved you? Mu Xiaoxiao thought, speechless.
"As for what you did to Natsumi, sure, I played a role. But Kabeya-senpai, wasn't that really your own desire and intent? Blaming everything on me—that's just mean~"
"Besides, he's been keeping his energy locked onto me this whole time. If I dared move rashly, I'd face a storm of unimaginable power. I can feel it—the terrifying energy inside him... I really don't want to fight him. I can feel it, Tentacle-kun~"
Donghua covered her mouth and giggled. "You're very angry, aren't you? So I definitely wouldn't dare poke your reverse scale right now."
"A monster that gets angry over something like that... you must really care about Sakurakami Natsumi-senpai?" Donghua tilted her head slightly, glancing at the red-faced Natsumi. "And Natsumi-senpai, why are you so friendly with a monster? You two seem... unusually close."
Sakurakami Natsumi: "..."
She honestly didn't know how to respond. Was she supposed to explain that their relationship had deepened because Mu-kun had helped and saved her again and again?
Natsumi's silence and downcast gaze seemed like a tacit admission. Matsubara Fuuichi's heart skipped a beat, filled with a sudden, inexplicable pain—like he had lost something precious...
Natsumi... could it be—
No. She was his childhood friend, someone he'd known and been close to since they were little. Why would she... Besides, that thing is a monster! Even if it used to be human...
Matsubara Fuuichi's mind spun in chaos, his emotions a tangle of confusion and frustration.
He'd already noticed: Natsumi was barely even looking at him anymore. Her attention was all on that monster!
"So, I just want to know—Tentacle-kun, are you really human?"
You sure are obsessed with that question, huh? Mu Xiaoxiao still said nothing. He couldn't speak. His tentacle suddenly tightened again—Kabeya Daisuke's eyes bulged as the breath of death brushed past his skin.
"Demon... You—you demon..."
Mu Xiaoxiao didn't bother replying. With a sudden twist, he snapped Kabeya Daisuke's neck. The head popped off cleanly. His eyes were still wide open, full of terror and disbelief, as it rolled to the ground and came to a stop at Matsubara Donghua's feet.
No one paid attention to his end. He died like an ant. And the one who had orchestrated his doom—Matsubara Donghua—didn't even look at the severed head at her feet. She just kept smiling sweetly at Mu Xiaoxiao.
Evolution Point +1
Mu Xiaoxiao's gaze toward Donghua grew more dangerous—not because he lusted after her, but because he was calculating how many evolution points he might earn if he killed her... Damn it! If he were going to chase women, he'd chase actual girls! No way he'd go for a monster like her!
...Even though he was a monster himself.
Still, Natsumi was clearly better. Tall, long legs, gorgeous face, perfect body… Wait, wait, what the hell? Why was his mind drifting into perverted territory? He was supposed to be an aspiring, powerful tentacle monster! He wasn't like those sleazy, cliché degenerates!
"Ah, so Tentacle-kun doesn't like me at all—he won't even respond," Donghua said, taking a small step back. She could sense his hostility and was clearly wary of his power. "But whether you're human or not doesn't really matter. I was once human too... now, I'm just another monster."
"Tentacle-kun, that means we're the same."
"Rather than clinging to humanity, wouldn't it be better for us monsters to get along?"