“We really aren’t moving. Is there something wrong? We’ve been here for a while.”
“Y-yes… But I think it will move soon.”
Going back a little to when Yuugo and the others were caught by Trill and Riel, the group that included Phi and Yui was stuck in a certain space in the insectary.
After those siblings were reported as suspicious people, the various groups were told to stand by until the issue was solved.
There were quite a few elementary school students, and they were all bored because they were done watching the insects in that exhibit and reading the explanation.
Yui reacted the same way as the others, but Phi was trying to calm his restlessness.
He was happy to be entrusted with looking after Yui, and proud when his big brother praised him. He wanted to do his best to warrant that trust, but… Now that he was actually doing it, it was quite taxing on his spirit.
Most of it was because Yui was a very beautiful girl, and her lack of vision meant they were always holding hands.
Phi was getting to be that age, so it made sense for this situation to make his heart race.
Add the fact that Yui was an exchange student and a different kind of beautiful girl than others around him, and that just amplified his nervousness.
He was not thinking anything weird or falling in love… He was just restless.
In fact, it would be strange if he was not self-conscious in a situation like this, so surely what he felt was normal.
Still, Phi always had a strong sense of responsibility, so he scolded himself for having even this small amount of impure thoughts, and then Yui turned to him.
“Phi, can I ask something?”
“W-what!? W-w-w-what is it!?”
Phi’s voice cracked when Yui suddenly spoke to him.
He figured that since she could see people’s souls, it should be clear to her that he was shaken, but Yui did not react to his voice, and instead spoke quietly as though she was embarrassed.
“Hum… I know this is improper… But I was thinking I want to pick some flowers…”
“Eh? F-flowers? Ah… You mean you want to go to the bathroom muguh!?”
“…Please refrain from embarrassing a lady, Phi.”
“S-sorry.”
It took Phi a second to understand what Yui meant, and once he vocalized it, Yui’s face turned sour and she closed his mouth with her hand.
Learn some tact, she whispered.
“O-okay. I’ll go too. I memorized the layout of the insectary, so I know where it is.”
“Thank you. I can really count on you.”
Yui’s compliment turned Phi’s face red.
He was responsible for looking after her, but he imagined the situation must be quite severe for her to say this to a boy like him.
But Phi knew he had to do something before they headed to the bathroom. After telling Yui, he approached a female student who was acting as a guard in their group, and spoke to her.
“Hum, excuse me. Can you tell the teacher I’m going to the bathroom with Renjou? It would be bad if you moved while we were gone, so…”
“Ah, yes. Okay. Are you going to be okay just the two of you?”
“Y-yes. It’s okay, I know the way.”
Phi was worried about them being left behind while Yui went to the bathroom.
He asked a student acting as a guard and assistant to report this to Uno, who was leading them, and went back to Yui, taking her hand and leading her to the bathroom.
“I’m back. Let’s go.”
“Y-yes. Can you make it fast?”
Yui was fidgeting, so Phi thought she really had to go.
If he looked for Uno, she might not make it in time, so he took her to the toilet in the back while remembering the map he drilled into his head.
The female student Phi spoke to watched them leave, but when she was about to report to Uno…
“Ah, there you are! The teacher told you to take a break!”
“Eh!? Ah, r-really?”
She was stopped by Egos, who walked towards her with a smile on his face.
She thought it was strange timing for a break, and she had to report that Phi and Yui went to the bathroom, but Egos continued.
“It’s okay, I heard that conversation, so I’ll go tell the teacher. Go on, go take your break. Go!”
“Ah, yes… I can leave it to you.”
Since he said he would do it, his charisma led the female student to not question it, and she left the group.
Egos watched her go with a smile, and after Uno received a report from Angel that the suspicious siblings had been taken away, he addressed the students.
“Everyone, sorry for the wait. We’ll be moving to another section soon, so follow me! Assistant students, make sure all the elementary students are with us!”
Everyone moved out, following Uno’s instructions.
The elementary school students were talking to each other with enthusiasm, so neither they or the high schoolers watching over them realized Yui and Phi were missing.
Only Egos knew… And he did nothing, instead telling the others he would stay there and serve as the rear guard.
After everyone else was gone, he faced Shian, who also remained, and smiled warmly.
“Everything is set. The event should begin soon.”
After this, they also walked after the others, leaving Yui and Phi, who had no idea the others moved on without them.
The second stage of the plan went smoothly. All that remained was waiting for the event that would trigger soon, and perform well there.
Egos smiled, happy that the plan he drew was going well, sure that it would succeed.
◇ ◇ ◇
“…Don’t you think this is foolish, my sister? Mere humans thinking they are above us, who achieved evolution? Truly foolish.”
“Yes big brother. Truly foolish.”
At the same time, around the security office.
Two shadows looked down at the guards, who were on the floor and not moving, and talked.
One was a big monster covered in a black shell with a distinctive horn on its head. The other had a golden shell and a slender body with two horns on its head.
These two monsters with their bodies covered in armor seemed like a humanoid rhinoceros beetle and stag beetle.
Their faces looked like those of monsters as well, and they kicked the security officers who tried to secure them out of the way, as they looked at the corridor.
“Evolution requires sacrifices. In order for the new superior beings to evolve further, we require the supreme feed.”
“Yes big brother. Let us. We will evolve further. Surpass humans, and go further beyond.”
One monster held up his right hand at high level, and the other her left, signaling something.
And with that… A swarm of giant bugs began to march from behind them.
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Fun fact: female stag beetles do have the mandibles but theyre tiny
Ah so the previous chapter was foreshadowing for their monster form.
Also monster attack while 2 kids are alone without adult supervision? Yikes Egos really came up with a nasty plan.
I really hate the two stooges so much, their like the stooges that show up and ruin things. Like in power ranger