(✔︎) ❝𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐑❞

83 | Fixing Loose Ends

*Close to crying because the fun part is gone now (unknown sender's identity)

*Ghost marriage before Scarabia Arc, I think?

- Coral Sea, Atlantica Memorial Museum -

The other first years have arrived, along with Jade and Floyd, they immediately waved after seeing Luke and (Name). Everything's solved for now since the Headmaster has returned to take back his position as the Principal and left the demoness to her own life as a student...

     "(Name), look!" Luke grabbed the demoness's skirt, pointing at a statue. "Isn't that the Sea King from Little Mermaid?" He asked, amazed by it.

     "Yes, but keep your voice down," she whispered to the angel, who giggled and nodded, obeying her. "Welcome to the Atlantica Memorial Museum, gentlemen. I present you Monstro Lounge's educational tour—well, that's the excuse I used to reserve this place just for us, so please enjoy it to your heart's content."

     Grim turned around the look at Azul, "Hey, there! Octopus—eh? You're still in your human form?" He asked, looking disappointed. The dorm leader nodded, "Indeed, an octopus mermaid like me is a rare sight around this place after all. It's unnecessary to attract civilian's attention once I returned the picture after all," he replied.

     Jade chuckled and placed his hands above Azul's shoulders, "Well, I'm sure they won't mind. I'm completely confident that no one would notice you're the baby octopus in the picture," he assured. Floyd chortled from behind, "We're finally back after a long, long time~! We should enjoy it, so use your original form~," he demanded.

     Azul cleared his throat, "Please, leave me with my chosen decisions. I'll go back and return the picture, while you lot enjoy your tour~!" He pushed them.

All the first years followed Jade and Floyd, while the demoness secretly followed Azul to check if he's gonna return the picture where it should be. The octopus noticed her presence, asking why she didn't follow them. She answered that she was just checking with him if he returns the picture...

     "You don't trust me at all. Don't worry, I'll put it back," he assured and placed the picture where it was supposed to be. He suddenly poked where his baby octopus form was, "Before, I thought that erasing every old picture of mine—can help me to create a new identity and not be called an idiotic, ugly octopus. The Sea Witch was known for being shady and good at hiding her vicious past, she's my inspiration, but—I think I'm the only one who can't accept who I am from the past, that's why I couldn't move in the present."

     The demoness caressed his head, "You're already amazing because of your feat. It's an achievement to give such a problem to the Headmistress, to be honest," she smiled at him. Azul was surprised as she continued, "Well, you're already a hard worker. Doing the labor towards real-life situations is much harder than training your magic," she said.

     "Hard-working? Me?" He chuckled, but he felt touched by her words. "Stop trying to change my perspective on this picture. I'm only a person who wanted to revenge my younger self," he added and huffed, looking away from her.

     "You haven't learned your lesson, huh?"

The whole day was great as Azul acted like their tour guide for the museum. Luke was happy he was invited because he adores things under the sea and now he's asleep in the demoness's arms, snuggling. She was glad that everyone already fixed their problems with each other...

- Hall of Mirrors -

     "I'll be bidding goodbye to all of you," she waved her hands to them and started to go towards her dorm. "Bye, (Name)-senpai!"

     "Emerald Cory~! Do visit our dorm next time~!" Floyd called, waving at her. "Yes, (Name)-san. We're gonna offer you a special drink," Jade added and smiled at her, to who she returned the gesture...

The first years with the Octavinelle trio entered Octavinelle since Azul wanted to show them their new promo since they were scolded by her on that very same day Azul went berserk. She promoted that they should create point cards, which probably made them happy since she didn't ban Monstro Lounge entirely...

- Diasomnia Dorm, Lounge -

     "Ah, (Name), you're back..." Horn-san appeared with a letter in his hand. "Do come with us in the Kingdom of Thorns these holidays. I invite you as the heir to the throne of the Kingdom," he added and gave her the letter.

She placed the angel on the couch and took the letter from his hands. It was a letter of invitation to visit the Kingdom of Thorns and with the signature of Malleus Draconia at the very bottom of the letter, earning a shocked look. Is this the one her future self warned her to be careful of?

     "Wait, are you saying that you're the dorm leader all along...?" She asked in shock, was she being too naive to realize it just now? Malleus Draconia, who she just calls Horn-san, has been talking to her ever since day one and this guy is good at lying. "Malleus Draconia..."

     "Indeed, I am. Are you afraid of me now?" He asked, raising her chin to make her gaze at his beauty. "No, of course not. I don't fear people because of their names and titles, Your Highness," she bowed.

What type of danger will she face either way? That's the question that's been bugging her ever since her future self warned her. The Prince of Thorns doesn't seem to be someone who kills people for fun, nor a tyrant—he seems like a kind soul who adores kids and Luke is an example of that, so what is the future Barbatos thinking?

- Scarabia Dorm, Lounge -

     "We didn't just place at the very bottom of Magift, we also failed our periodical tests this semester!" Kalim yelled at his dorm mates, blaming them for being reckless and stupid from their poor performances this semester. "This is concerning... Jamil! Is Jamil here?! Jamil, where are you?!" He demanded.

The students were quivering in fear, while Kalim didn't seem to show any type of mercy. The once cheerful Kalim turned into a strict and model student of this school. His red eyes are weird at the moment, there's no sign of light within them...

     "Yes, I'm here," Jamil appeared behind Kalim. "Take the other students out of their room. I hope those lazy idiots think that everything is easy and I'll let them get off the hook," Kalim ordered.

     "Understood, Dorm Leader..." Jamil nodded. Once he turned around, he chuckled slyly as if he did something naughty.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~

(バルバトス)