desire to consume the beautiful sphere

Someone was watching him.

He didn’t know how he knew. He simply recognized the sense, his human intuition; Takeru had called it a “sixth sense” while Akari had babbled out some explanation about subtle changes in air currents and tiny sounds too miniscule for the conscious mind to interpret.

The exact reason didn’t concern him.

Alain didn’t react at first. He continued sitting on the park bench, eating from the box of takoyaki that old woman Fumi’s granddaughter had sold him (sold him! This new woman expected money from him! It was so strange), but his ears were attuned for any sign of danger.

Finally he heard a rustling from the wooded area nearby. He turned his head to see a familiar someone step out.

Alain leapt to his feet, hand gripping the takoyaki box tight. “Javert.”

“Prince Alain,” the former commander acknowledged. He made no move to attack, no motion that he was even considering it. He just looked tired.

So Alain relaxed just a hair. “What do you want?”

It took a moment for Javert to react. Finally, he simply shook his head and took a seat on the bench Alain had just vacated.

Ah, yes— Javert had a human body now, too.

Alain stepped in front of him, speared a takoyaki, and held it out for Javert.

“...this is... that round food Saionji taunted us with,” Javert realized. “What was it called, again?”

“Takoyaki. It’s every bit as delicious as we both thought it would be.”

“Why are you...”

“Just eat it.”

Javert eyed the takoyaki warily for only a moment. But his hunger—and, Alain guessed, his desire to consume the beautiful sphere—won out. He took the stick and shoved the ball into his mouth.

He chewed.

Disgust washed across his face. He pushed himself to his feet and spat the chewed-up mess onto the ground.

“Javert, what—?!”

Javert sneered. “You’ve sunk so low that you’re attempting to poison me?”

Alain set the box down roughly and grabbed Javert by the front of his uniform. “Why did you spit it out?!”

“Because it tasted awful!”

Those words were as good as a slap to the face. Alain released Javert and stumbled backward.

Awful?

It tasted awful?

To waste the gift of takoyaki was one thing, but to insult it was something entirely different.

Alain’s face set in determination. He set the Mega Uruouder at his wrist and inserted the Necrom Eyecon. Yes sir! it announced

He would not stand for this.

“Transform.”