[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zhp2XL5.png[/img][/center]

For Evil Eye, there was nothing to be done but to keep flying. Other things were happening elsewhere, and some of those things were unprecedented, but her one good eye was keeping watch for another hail of arrows while the other engaged Diamond, intent on rescuing Tsubomi. She could only engage with her top priority so long as she continued to be preoccupied with combat. The Club was scattered like mice, and the GEMs were obviously both more coordinated than them and more coordinated than a typical light girl team. Why did she leave Tsubomi alone? What could ever make her think that would be fine?

[color=dimgray][b][i]Being able to see everything is kinda creepy, Aisha. You need to let people have some space.[/i][/b][/color]

[color=firebrick][b][i]Be quiet. You're dead to me. If I was there, I could have done more. I [/i]should[i] have.

Tsubomi... never called me a voyeur. She never told me to fuck off.[/i][/b][/color]

If she had just been there... If nothing else, she wouldn't have to worry about becoming the next target of Rei's ire and Suki's disappointment—because she would have died before letting the GEMs take one of them alive, and even most dark girls had enough courtesy to not speak ill of the dead. If nothing else, she could have poured all of her power into this newest creation instead of keeping half for a potential face-off against the frog girl. Just how strong did she think she was, anyway? Hadn't she got it through her thick skull yet that she was too weak to protect anyone? And because of her weakness, she had to show blind trust to a light girl who took pity on dark girls. Pathetic—like an overfunded, underperforming scientist seeking companionship from a lab rat.

[color=firebrick][b][i]I won't let this happen.[/i][/b][/color]

Delusional. Prideful. A part of her had surely known this could happen. Tsubomi had been targeted before. It was like they knew that she was vulnerable, and that made her the perfect bait. Her trap had been sprung perfectly, but she never expected the girl to just take her and run. She'd known that it [i]could[/i] happen, but was too proud to think that it [i]would[/i]. As always, there had been an unforeseen factor. Something had escaped the notice of the 'all-seeing eye' of the Detention Club.

[color=firebrick][b][i]No! It's true that I wanted the GEMs to make a reckless move, but I didn't use Tsubomi like that. I'm not so cruel.[/i][/b][/color]

But that was a lie. Evil Eye was a ruthless girl, and she could not help but scheme, and scheme dangerously.

[color=firebrick][b][i]I can't... think about this right now. I have to hurry.[/i][/b][/color]

[hr]
The 13-Eyed Titan became swarmed with Mogall. They attached to it, replacing the eyes that had perished, and it once again began to speed up. The smaller eyes were more than simple turrets; they were propelling it along as it levitated through the air, and now that it had recovered its speed, it began to use its tendrils to lift itself up into the air, intent on overtaking the cart and planting its body in front of Diamond. If it were allowed to succeed in gaining ground over Diamond, the tendrils on its backside would be poised to reach out and seize the cart. Unlike Hizuki, it seemed that Evil Eye was no longer interested in trying to persuade the GEMs to back down peacefully.