Y/n went into one of her dimension to blow off some steam... She shouldn't have left at such a moment because somebody else is in the same state as her but even more poisonous.
Vil stopped at Neige's preparation room and knocked.
"Oh, hi, Vi. What's up?"
"We didn't get much of a chance to talk before rehearsal. I was hoping we might chat a bit more."
"Oh, of course! I was thinking the same thing. And is Y/n here?"
'Don't you dare talk about them like you're close!' "They're busy. Where are your little friends?"
"Oh, Dominic and the others went to check out some exhibit booths. Those guys just can't sit still for a second."
"Ah. So you're alone. Your rehearsal performance was splendid. You have a way of captivating everyone around you. You always have."
"Your performance was incredible too, you know! I could never pull off a song as cool as that one. And your dance moves were in such perfect sync. My eyes were glued to the stage!"
"Well... Thank you. I suppose we both want what we don't have. Say, Neige. Are you thirsty at all? I brought you some apple juice. I've been quite taken with this brand recently."
"Ooh, that's the one you posted about on Magicam! I've been wanting to try it. How nice of you to bring me some!"
"By all means, then. Drink up."
"Don't mind if I do!"
[He's gonna get killed.]
"Who?"[Neige. Stop sulking and go stop this.]
"...Whatever. I'm done helping everyone. At least he'll die still beautiful."
*SLAP*
The H/c put a hand on her cheek that was now red after being harshly slapped by... herself.
Her internal clock gave off in her heart as she clenched her chest."We're going back." Her other self transformed into a shadow and forced her to go.
"NEIGE!" Rook shouted, shocking Vil. "My apologies for interrupting your chat, but the staff was looking for you. They have questions about the main show performance. Roi des Neiges... Ah, pardon. Neige."
""Roi des..."? Wait. Are you—?"
"Oh, dear! My throat is positively parched from running around looking for you. That apple juice you're holding looks so cold and refreshing. Might I trouble you to let me have it?"
"O-of course. It's all yours!"
Vil's eyes widened "...!"
"Thank you, Neige. You should hurry on to the stage. And I suggest not coming back here again."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Go on, off with you, now! Away, away!"
"R-right!" He ran off.
Vil breathed "Ah... Rook, why?"
"Mmm... That sweet, tart apple aroma. It makes me envision a bright-red apple, just waiting for me to take a bite. Epel's hometown specialty is truly magnifique. I shall drink it to the last drop, Roi du Poison." He was about to drink.
Vil froze "!!! Ah..."
"Don't do it, Rook!"
The juice was smashed away from his hands.
"Roi Doré! What brings you here?"
Kalim huffed "I made it..."
"Why are all of you here?" Vil asked.The apple juice on the floor was bubbling and turning a poisonous purple color.
"You used your signature spell to curse that juice, didn't you? I got a real bad feeling when I saw the look on your face after Neige's rehearsal. It was practically the same look I saw on Jamil's face when he lost control of himself over holiday break."
"......Rook. Why did you try to drink that? You had to have known that doing so wouldn't end well for you."
"I wanted to believe in you. You, who strives harder and reaches for greater heights than any other. I didn't want you to besmirch yourself by doing anything foolish. And if the apple juice WAS cursed, I wanted to taste it. I wanted to taste the fruit of a poison derived from an obsession with beauty bordering on madness."
"How could you say something like that?!" Kalim exclaimed.
Vil stayed silent.
"And Vil, do you have any idea how foolish that was?! You said every other team here would look like spuds compared to us... You said we were going to have the best performance in the world! After all of that, why stoop to this?!"
"Ha... Aha ha... That's what I want to know. More than the rest of you, even. But you see, I've come to a realization. That I! Can never! Win! And that's why...I'm going... TO HANDLE NEIGE MYSELF!"
The juice bubbled, moving and spreading all over the floor as a purple smoke surrounded the place.
"What's this smoke?! C-can't...breathe..." Kalim coughed.
"Am I too late?" Y/n arrived, worried.
Vil looked at them, widening his eyes and covering his face "Please. Don't look at me... Don't look at me with those eyes! Why? I want to be the fairest one of all, so why am I so...so...ugly? Ugly?! UGLY?!"
"You're not ugly! You just had a rough time like... me..."
"I can't... I can't... How could I?!"
Everyone coughed more as Vil's body gave off dark ink. Y/n created a barrier around Kalim and Rook so they could breath normally. The curse didn't affect them.
"Heh... Heh heh heh... Yes, of course. If I just melt everyone else into a hideous mess... Then I'll be the fairest one of all, won't I?"
He overblotted "Don't worry, this won't hurt for long. It will be over soon. Your blood will run cold, and you'll never wake up again. Heh heh heh... Ha ha ha! AAAH HA HA HA HA HA!"
[I don't have any will to fight...]
"Me! Shut up! Excuse of myself."
Everyone was confused at their words as Jamil arrived on the magical carpet to evacuate them.
TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC TIC-TAC "AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" A massive wave emitted from them as everyone got away but the entire hallway got destroyed.
Kalim, Jamil and Rook got out in time. The sky was as dark as their emotions.
"What was that? Is Y/n okay? They got affected by the curse?" Kalim asked frantically.
"I don't know! Thankfully, I got the whole place evacuated in time." Jamil sighed.
He hypnotized Neige to distract everyone who was waiting outside the coliseum.
"When I saw the look on Vil's face after Neige's rehearsal, I had a feeling something was brewing. And I also had a feeling SOMEONE would poke the hornets' nest and set off a worst-case scenario."
"Huh? Why are you making it sound like this is MY fault? I couldn't just ignore it!"
"Whether your intentions were pure or not, the result is the same: the hornets' nest has fallen. Now we have to figure out what to do about it."
"Aaagh... Well, you still pulled through for us. Thanks, Jamil!"
"Hmph. If you'd stayed out of it, Neige would've been the only casualty. Now look at the mess you've made of things." He mumbled.
"Merveilleux, Jamil. Your cunning eye doesn't miss the slightest hint of trouble from Kalim. Your bond runs deeper than that of a simple aid. Truly, c'est beau!"
"Please. This is just years of experience for me. And more to the point... If I let this play out, Genie..."
They looked down.What was happening to them.
The others ran to them.
"Jamil! We did as you said and made up whatever excuses we needed to get the rest of the staff and students out of the coliseum. We were checking around for anyone else on our way out... But then this purple mist surrounded the whole coliseum." Ace informed.
"Just touching it was so painful, it felt like my skin was burning. We couldn't force our way through that. What's going on?!" Deuce panicked.
"What's all the ruckus?" Epel asked.
"The Roi du Poison has overblotted and there's something wrong with magnifique colombe."