Chapter 27: The Bathroom Beast Incident
Slam
“Haa… haa…”
Diabel burst into the student council president’s office, breathing heavily.
Despite transcending the limits of a mortal body, unbound by fatigue or breathlessness, she couldn’t stay calm this time.
Why?
Why did I run away?
Just recently, a couple caught sneaking around for a romantic rendezvous had been expelled by the student council.
So why?
Yet Diabel couldn’t bear to watch and fled.
Even when facing the hero party sent to subdue her or the entire continental alliance rallied to defeat the Demon King, she had never turned her back. But this time, she instinctively ran.
Why does my heart ache like this?
The pain in her chest reminded her of when she lost her master.
Diabel felt a similar agony.
Why?
It was like the nightmare of her master marrying another woman and having a child… Wait.
Diabel, momentarily dazed, shook her head violently.
No way.
That’s impossible.
Bisus Grangnole.
There’s no way he’s my master.
Her master was dead.
She had cast transcendent magic, scouring the world for his soul’s signature, but found nothing.
If Bisus were her master’s reincarnation, she would’ve sensed a match in his soul’s wavelength.
Diabel couldn’t even imagine that Bisus, having recently inherited the soul of the mercenary V, wouldn’t have been detectable back then.
“Bisus Grangnole… what are you?”
She muttered softly.
“Thought my heart was gonna explode…”
After the bathroom incident, Bisus parted ways with Sofia and Artoria, returned to his room, changed, and lay on his bed.
The thrill from Sofia holding him as they fell lingered.
“The women’s bathroom, huh.”
“Because that’s where our real first meeting began.”
When Bisus demanded an explanation, Sofia, puffing out her chest, repeated only that.
She told him to see the details in his dream.
“What did I do in that world? What happened that we ended up like that in the women’s bathroom?”
Since it was Bisus Grangnole with Sofia, he didn’t think that version of himself was much different from the current him.
Tucking himself in neatly, Bisus lay down and drifted into a deep sleep.
Flash
Whoosh
The scenery sped past Bisus.
Though blurred by the speed, it was familiar enough.
The academy lecture hall corridor?
The same corridor where he’d been with Sofia and Artoria moments ago.
His body was sprinting through it at breakneck speed.
“Stop right there!”
His voice boomed.
Chasing something?
In this dream, Bisus was pursuing something.
Swish
Enhancing his legs with mana, he leaped powerfully.
Turning a corner, he spotted a black object moving swiftly and chased it into an open room.
Wait… this is that women’s bathroom from earlier?
He realized his body had charged into the bathroom during the pursuit, too focused on the target to notice where he was.
Creak
“Got you! Cornered now…!”
“Eek!”
The black, furry creature he’d been chasing bristled, eyeing him warily like a cornered rat.
Grinning excitedly, Bisus reached for it.
Whoosh
He jerked his head back just as a fist swung where his face had been.
“Whoa! That’s dangerous! What’s your deal?!”
He barely regained his balance, protesting.
“That’s my line. What’s your deal?”
A familiar voice and tone… no way.
“…Huh?”
His body scanned the woman before him.
Sofia stood glaring at him, fist raised.
“Sofia di Rubellion?”
“Yes, that’s my name. Why did you follow me into the bathroom?”
Her tone was similar to the Sofia he knew, but her demeanor was cold and rigid, almost unrecognizable.
“Bathroom?”
His body glanced around, taking in the rows of toilets clearly meant for women.
Realizing where he was, he took a step back.
“Uh… seems like a misunderstanding. I wasn’t following you…”
He raised his palms to defuse the situation, but—
“You think I haven’t dealt with guys like you before?!”
Sofia lunged, throwing another punch.
“Hey! Let’s talk for a sec!”
He narrowly dodged her flurry of fists.
“No talking!”
Her relentless attacks forced him back.
“Come on, just listen…!”
“Plenty of men have tried pathetic tricks to get at my status or secrets! None of them walked away unscathed!”
Argh! She thinks I snuck in here with ulterior motives!
Unable to block or counter properly, Bisus could only dodge and retreat.
Flash
Then, he caught a glint of the black creature behind Sofia.
Grab
His expression hardened as he seized one of Sofia’s fists.
“You!”
She grimaced, swinging her other fist, but Bisus ducked and dove into her.
Thud
His face landed in her soft chest, but he had no time to care.
“Let go!”
Sofia’s face flushed as she shrieked.
Bisus lifted her and spun around.
Thwack
“Urgh…!”
A sharp impact hit his back, making him groan.
His consciousness fading, he forced strength into his legs to stay upright, swiftly drew his sword, and threw it backward.
Shunk
The sword pierced the furry black creature.
Thud
The beast, which had wounded his back, collapsed.
“Phew… survived. That was close.”
“…You.”
Sofia, witnessing it all, was speechless.
“Told you… it was a misunderstanding…”
His consciousness faded, and his body collapsed backward.
Thump
Bisus fell onto the bathroom floor, Sofia tumbling on top of him.
Instinctively, she cushioned his head with her hand to protect it.
“…A misunderstanding, huh.”
Sofia gazed at the unconscious man, his face buried in her chest, lost in thought.
She’d assumed it was a sleazy plot to target her, the daughter of the republic’s governor.
She’d dealt with countless such schemes before.
She’d intended to make an example of him to deter others.
But this man had thrown himself into danger to save her from her own mistake.
She glanced at the dead beast, pierced by his sword.
He chased that thing in here.
Lifting him, she saw countless spines embedded in his back.
He shielded me from those with his own body.
“My mistake.”
She’d been saved by an unthinkable act of kindness.
She’d tried to harm him, yet…
Sofia lifted Bisus in a princess carry and looked toward the bathroom door.
“First, I need to find a priest.”
Apologies and gratitude to her savior would come after.