episode_0112

Rahye instantly closed in on the pathetic man fleeing with his back turned, and without hesitation, kicked him in the side.

The man’s body, larger and sturdier than Rahye’s, was nevertheless sent flying with a heavy impact, as if hit by a truck, and slammed into the nearby wall.

As Subject 13’s body slid down the wall and fell to the floor, Rahye’s boot-clad foot firmly stomped down on him.

With just that, Subject 13 was pinned to the wall, unable to move.

*Thump!* Rahye tapped the floor with the tip of her scabbard, which held her sword. With a menacing aura, as if ready to smash his head with it at any moment, she commanded:

“This is enough—Coco. Release the magic.”

At Rahye’s words, Subject 13, pinned beneath her boot, gave a bitter laugh.

His form seemed to waver, and then Subject 13 vanished completely, replaced by Coco.

It was a disguise, an illusion, of Subject 13.

Perhaps it was because the illusion was cast directly onto her own body, unlike a remotely projected illusion. Even Rahye hadn’t felt any strangeness until she was in close proximity. She had nearly cut her down directly, but realized it was Coco and changed her attack to a kick.

Where had Subject 13 gone? Seeing as he hadn’t yet been caught by Rahye’s detection magic, he probably hadn’t escaped. Had he sent Coco, disguised as himself, to lure her in? With his real body hidden somewhere in this factory?

“…Coco, stop.”

Rahye lowered her gaze and warned her.

But Coco paid her no mind and drew a pistol from her waist.

At the same time, another presence approached from behind Rahye.

She didn’t need to turn around to know. This was Check’s, who had been hiding.

Indeed, had this been their plan to lure her in?

Rahye drew her sword from its scabbard.

Almost simultaneously, the pistol in Coco’s hand spat fire, and likewise, Check’s staff, which had assailed Rahye from behind, was swung from above.

***

In the end, neither Check nor Coco could stop Rahye.

Check’s weapon was left broken in the hallway, and Coco’s was likewise.

She confiscated their weapons and left them restrained with ice bindings, just as she had done with Spade and Check. Now, there was no one left to hinder Rahye.

*Click… clack…*

“……”

Now, what should she do?

How should she kill that man?

Rahye was now extremely angry at the man who had wantonly manipulated her precious subordinates and put them in such a predicament.

The flames of rage burning fiercely within her seemed to flicker visibly in her eyes.

However, she took a deep breath. Rahye calmed herself, telling herself she needed to settle down.

‘First, getting my subordinates back to normal is the priority….’

She couldn’t just kill him immediately. To ensure her subordinates suffered no future disadvantages, she should try her best to persuade the man. If that truly failed, she was even prepared to ‘torture’ him, if there was no other choice.

During the past 『Great Disaster』, such acts were commonplace. While Rahye was reluctant, she wouldn’t hesitate if there was no other way.

And if all of that failed, and Subject 13 stubbornly refused to cooperate with her.

Then she would kill him. Thoroughly kill him. Make him truly taste hell.

‘That man is dangerous. …It’s better to end him here.’

Rahye’s personal wish was to somehow return her subordinates to normal.

However, her thoughts as a hero and as a captain insisted that Subject 13 must be dealt with without question.

Even though he had used despicable methods, the fact that he could turn her well-trained, elite subordinates like this made Rahye feel a serious sense of crisis.

It would be convenient to simply attribute it to her subordinates’ lack of experience…

However, she strangely couldn’t think of it so simply. Whenever she thought of Subject 13, she would get an ominous premonition.

That if she left him as he was, things would surely become irreversible.

That was what she thought.

Then, indeed, it was right to deal with that man here and now.

Even if it meant abandoning her subordinates, she might have to make a decision for the greater good.

“Captain Rahye, this way.”

“…Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Rahye followed the direction she was led.

The clicking sound of her boots on the floor echoed through the quiet corridor of the abandoned factory. Two sets of footsteps resounded together.

Eventually, Rahye arrived at the room where Subject 13 was supposedly hiding.

Without guidance, it seemed she would have had some trouble finding it.

‘Looks sturdy.’

The door and walls, at a glance, clearly seemed to be made of a different material than elsewhere.

She couldn’t break it like this. Even if she did, it would probably take a considerable amount of strength or time.

Just as she was pondering what to do next, a crackling sound suddenly came from above her head.

[Ah, microphone test, microphone test. Rahye, can you hear my voice?]

The voice she heard was Subject 13’s, that detestable enemy.

Now that she thought about it, he had spoken to her through a speaker like this just a little while ago.

“Here, Captain Rahye. Please use this if you wish to speak with Subject 13-nim.”

What was handed to her from beside her was a black radio.

Rahye took the radio in hand with a word of thanks.

“Villain Subject 13. How about quietly surrendering now? All your despicable tactics and traps have been crushed. Surely you don’t mean to say you still have some tricks left?”

[…Indeed. You’re truly frightening, Captain-nim. I never thought that even if the entire unit attacked, they wouldn’t be able to stand against you like this.]

“Thank you for rating me so highly. So, what will you do?”

[Indeed. What should I do?]

Even in this situation, Subject 13’s attitude was somehow light.

Did he still have some trick left? Or was he despairing?

Rahye thought for a moment, then continued speaking into the radio.

“Subject 13, I believe you no longer have any means to resist me. Even if you did, it would be useless against me. Even if you tried to embrace a bomb and commit double suicide with me, I am confident I would survive completely unharmed.”

[…You’re overflowing with confidence.]

“If I didn’t even have that much confidence, how could I act as a captain?”

Now was not the time for humility.

Therefore, Rahye declared confidently and without hesitation. And in fact, it was the truth.

“Therefore, Subject 13. I propose once again that you surrender. While I cannot let you go, I can guarantee your life depending on your attitude.”

[So there’s room for negotiation….]

“That depends on what you do.”

Of course, Rahye had no intention of letting this man live.

She had concluded that he was a dangerous man. If he were left alive, there’s no telling what kind of trouble he might cause or how he might return.

It was merely a difference of whether she saved her subordinates through negotiation and then killed him, or killed him before saving her subordinates.

Which it would be depended on his answer.

[Alright. I understand, Rahye. Now, I really have no means left. If I want to save my life, I have no choice but to comply.]

“You’ve thought well, Subject 13.”

[Right. But before that….]

Subject 13 hinted at his next words.

[I’ll open the door, but before that, could you put away that brutal thing? Pointing a weapon at me isn’t negotiation, it’s a threat.]

“Do you even know what position you’re in?”

Rahye said, dumbfounded, but Subject 13’s voice was firm.

[Anyway, I can’t even beat you with your bare hands. So, could you discard your weapon out there?]

“Yes, Captain Rahye. Let’s discard your weapon first, shall we?”

Rahye closed her mouth and fell silent for a moment.

But she came to the conclusion that discarding her sword was far more reasonable than trying to break down this disgustingly sturdy-looking door and wall.

Above all, with the persuasion from beside her, Rahye sighed and placed her sword on the floor.

“Is that enough, Subject 13? Please open the door.”

[Not yet. You never know. It might not just be a sword.]

“…And? What do you want?”

[I’d like you to properly prove that you have no weapons at all.]

Oh… truly.

He was a bothersome man. So what did he want her to do?

[Will you prove it by taking off your clothes? You never know what Heroes might have hidden.]

Really….

Rahye glared at the speaker mounted on the ceiling above her head.

But with Subject 13’s casual urging, and the soothing voice from beside her, she was ultimately persuaded.

“…So I just need to take off my clothes?”

[Yes. Once I’ve confirmed you have no weapons, I’ll let you in.]

It was for the greater good, and for her subordinates. There was no other way.

She couldn’t be too ashamed to take off a few clothes and show them, otherwise she wouldn’t be able to face her subordinates.

And needlessly dragging out the time would only give Subject 13 another opportunity.

Thinking there was no other choice, Rahye handed the radio to Apple beside her and began unbuttoning her outer jacket and shirt.

A moment later, Rahye stood before the camera in her underwear.

With her uniform shirt and skirt completely removed, Rahye’s voluptuous figure was now clad only in black underwear and pantyhose that reached her waist.

“Is this enough? Should I take off more?”

No weapons would be visible anywhere. Indeed, she wasn’t hiding any weapons.

In front of the camera mounted on the upper part of the door, Rahye turned her body this way and that, clearly demonstrating that she had no weapons at all.

How much time had passed like that?

[…Alright. I understand. I’ll let you in. But I’m only letting you in for negotiation, so don’t have any unnecessary thoughts.]

True to his word, the door to the room where Subject 13 was hiding soon began to open with a rattling sound.

Rahye took the clothes she had shed from Apple, who stood beside her, put them back on, and then stepped through the open door.

“……?”

Feeling a slight, somewhat uneasy sense of incongruity.