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Wordlessly, Kiyo transformed while Black Gate was still talking, and Suki was checking Tsubomi. Her eyes drifted toward her as well, before shifting to Hizuki. [color=firebrick][b]"I already told you summoning a giga miseria was probably her goal. Were you paying attention?"[/b][/color] Evil Eye replied, strangely with more of a teasing tone than any real irritation at all. The two tears in her hand bloated and turned into a pair of flying creatures that looked somewhat reptilian, until their bodies suddenly folded together into the shape of broadswords and hurled themselves into the pair of miseria forming in the corners of the room. [color=firebrick][b]"You know, I [i]really hate[/i] liars. Honest liars, like Willow, I can deal with—but this, your particular brand of innocent ingenue gaslighting really pisses me off."[/b][/color] Her eyes went wide and glowed crimson. [color=firebrick][b]"But hey! You did manage to do [i]me[/i] a huge favor. Looks like I was indulging in a little too much light lately and went soft. So, thanks for that. I'm done playing nice now."[/b][/color] A smile full of mixed gratitude and false joy graced her lips for but a second.

[color=firebrick][b]"You said whatever you pleased, trying to rip us apart and turn us against each other before we ever said a single harsh word to you—so now, it's my turn. Here's the unfiltered truth: you've caused more damage than the GEMs ever would have if given [i]free reign.[/i] Even if Tsubomi recovers from whatever you've done to her, her reputation in the school never will, thanks to your self-serving little shit show. If this is your idea of caring and helping, it's no wonder you only ever had one friend. Real piece of work they must have been,"[/b][/color] she remarked with another smile, one full of genuine malice. It was impossible that she could have stepped on that land mine intentionally, seeing how she missed most of Michi's stage play—but in her current state of mind, she likely wouldn't have cared either way. One of the sword-demons, after it had finished feasting on the miseria, flew back to Evil Eye and maneuvered itself into its master's hand. It was clear that she wanted a fight now, and that her words were likely not meant to scold Black Gate at all—but rather to egg her on, and to rile up Nyxia and her twitchy trigger finger. That, at least, was something she could rely on, like a raging wildfire that would burn through the jungle of uncertainty Black Gate was trying to create with her craftily weaved web of words.