"Stop him!!"
Horrified, Kawakami Tomie watched as the fruit knife slashed across her face, leaving bloody marks. Her eyes bulged as she let out a piercing scream. "My face! My perfect face! My beauty—"
The scene erupted into chaos. For Tomie, whose face was her most prized possession, the scars were worse than death. She likely knew about her unique physiology, which made her lose all composure after being injured. She shrieked at the nearby nurse, "Quick! Treat my wounds! Fix my face!!"
"Kawakami Tomie—and all of you! Go die!!"
While Tomie wailed, Muto, brandishing the knife, went berserk, lunging at anyone in sight. The nurse and Mizuki Nishikino didn't dare approach. His crazed gaze suddenly landed on his ex-wife on the bed, a sinister expression twisting his face.
"And you!!"
"Mommy!!"
A little girl, one of Reina's identical quintuplet daughters, rushed in and saw her father wielding the knife toward her mother's face. She screamed in terror.
Reina's five daughters looked alike, and it was impossible to tell which one this was. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she watched the knife descend. But then, two tentacles silently extended from the window, wrapping around Muto's ankles and hurling him against the wall.
Bang!!
Aside from Natsumi, Tohka, and Izuki, no one saw what happened. Even Reina, closest to the action, didn't catch it. She'd braced for the same fate as Tomie, her heart skipping a beat. But in a blur, the glinting knife didn't fall—instead, Muto flew across the room.
What… The red-haired woman stared at the groaning man slumped against the wall. Amid her anger and disgust, she scanned the room but saw nothing.
Was it my imagination? I thought I saw… two whip-like things…
"Mommy!!"
"May, why are you here? Mommy's fine…" Reina hugged her daughter, soothing the terrified girl. Mizuki Nishikino waved urgently.
"Quick! Grab him!! Call the police—"
"Ahhh!!"
Another scream rang out.
"Dr. Nishikino! She—she—"
Now what? Mizuki turned, exasperated, and saw the nurses staring at Tomie with horrified expressions. Following their gazes, her heart jolted, nearly stopping.
Tomie, disheveled and bloodied, had blood dripping from her cheeks. That wasn't the issue—doctors had seen worse. But at the site of her wounds, a distorted face had emerged.
"What… what is that?!"
"Don't look! Don't look!!" Tomie clutched her head, screaming hoarsely. Enraged and jealous that Reina had escaped harm while she was mutilated, she wailed, "Why am I the only one hurt?! Why am I the only one like this?!"
"Aaahhh!!"
Jealousy, rage, fear—her emotions triggered a mutation. The face at her wound protruded further, and another Tomie face emerged on the back of her head.
Tomie's face was indeed perfect, arguably the most beautiful in the world. But when multiple identical faces sprouted from her head, twisted and crowded together, she became a monster.
This was Tomie's unique trait: extreme emotional distress caused her body to spawn duplicates, and injuries birthed new versions of herself…
Now, face after face emerged from her wounds and head, glaring maliciously at everyone around. The eerie, terrifying sight left everyone stunned.
Reina quickly covered her daughter's eyes, but it was too late. The little girl had seen the monstrous form, her face pale, tears welling up.
"W-Wah, a monster—"
If adults were shaken, a child was even more traumatized. This scene might haunt May as a nightmare.
Natsumi covered her mouth with both hands. "What is that? Why is that woman… so terrifying!"
Even after witnessing the horrors at school, Natsumi couldn't stop sweating, her voice trembling as she faced Tomie's grotesque transformation.
"What is that thing?" Tohka's face was grim. This woman was dangerous—more so than her own tentacle monster form. "Miss Izuki, do you know?"
"It's my first time seeing this," Izuki shook her head, mentally crossing Tomie off her recruitment list. She'd considered her for the Himegami Society, but this woman was clearly unsuitable.
"What are you all standing there for?! Get a knife! Perform surgery! Cut these things off my face!! Hurry up and kill these fakes!!"
"Who're you calling a fake? I'm the real Tomie! Muto, help me! Don't you love me? Kill these inferior women!!"
"Don't listen to her! Muto, help me kill these fakes, and I'll be your lover!!"
"You useless trash, Muto! If you help her, I'll never forgive you!!"
A cacophony of voices erupted from Tomie's faces, a chaotic frenzy. The doctors and nurses trembled, too terrified to approach the distorted woman. Muxiao, outside the window, narrowed his eyes.
Two tentacles shot into the room, swiftly binding the monstrous woman and dragging her out the window.
Silence fell. The onlookers exchanged glances, having caught a glimpse of the strange whips that took the monster away.
Thud.
Mizuki collapsed, her legs weak, her heart racing.
Natsumi patted her chest. "Finally gone. That thing was so unsettling to look at… Wait! Muxiao dragged her away? Can he handle that weird Tomie?"
"No idea," Tohka said, her expression odd. "Natsumi-senpai, you should be more worried about whether Tentacle Lord will fall for her."
"…No way. Sure, Tomie's pretty, but she's a monster—and so gross now. How could Muxiao like her?"
Natsumi waved it off with a laugh.
"He's a monster too, you know. Maybe she's exactly his type."
"…"
Natsumi froze, then bolted. "I'm going to find Muxiao!!"
Tohka covered her mouth, giggling—then stopped, her face turning serious. "Kawakami Tomie… what is that thing? That terrifying charm… if my brother saw her…"
Izuki was curious about Tomie but didn't dwell on it. The President had taken her away, and besides, Tomie had indirectly helped her. She glanced at the nurses calming down, the doctors dragging Muto off to deal with the police, and Mizuki, who'd spoken briefly with Reina before rushing off to make a call. The room finally quieted.
Izuki adjusted her suit, stepping into the room with graceful elegance. Reina was soothing her sleeping daughter. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, meeting Izuki's eyes.
Seeing a normal person, she relaxed slightly.
Her tense nerves eased.
"Miss Reina, would you like to join the Himegami Society?" Izuki asked with a radiant smile, her tone calm and inviting.