episode_0195

Coco supports Violet, and No. 13 examines her.

Her eyes were devoid of light, and her hands and feet seemed to have no strength at all.

As he confirmed, she was clearly in the hypnotic state he knew so well.

It was the effect of the brainwashing drug Dorothy had prepared.

Dorothy had provided him with a fast-acting, particularly potent brainwashing drug this time.

“…I’m sorry, Boss.”

No. 13 bit his lip and muttered with difficulty.

Those words of apology wouldn’t reach Violet in her nearly unconscious state.

But there was no choice. There was no other way.

Even now, he could feel his heart pounding violently.

The guilt of betraying the boss he had always followed weighed heavily on his chest.

The Spade here was a fake, but most of what he said was exactly what Spade had said.

He had even played a recording of Spade’s actual confession, letting her hear some of it directly.

Coco had simply edited it a little with her ability to make it sound natural.

The reason for this was to ensure that, even if Violet was deceived in some way, Spade’s confession would be heard without distortion.

After that, he planned to administer the brainwashing drug no matter what.

He couldn’t let Violet kill Spade.

Even if Violet forgave him, he didn’t want her to carry that wound.

He wanted to brainwash her, to make her forget everything about this incident.

Or, to distort her perception, making her think that everything was a misunderstanding, that the enemy wasn’t Spade and had died long ago…

What he hadn’t expected was that she would recognize Coco’s illusion.

But either way, he had managed to administer the brainwashing drug, so the result was the same.

Now all he had to do was brainwash her. All he had to do was guide her thoughts as he pleased.

“……..”

As he thought that, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Coco, supporting Violet, spoke to No. 13, who was silent as if frozen, hesitant about something.

“Administrator No. 13?”

“…Coco. Wait, put this wo… this woman in that chair over there.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Coco dragged Violet towards the pipe chair that was sitting alone where Spade’s illusion had been.

No. 13 turned his back on them for a moment and sighed deeply.

He had to pull himself together somehow. The effects of the brainwashing drug would last for a while, but that didn’t mean he could afford to be reckless.

‘Calm down… calm down.’

Is this really the right thing to do?

Is it really okay to do this?

Dorothy, at least, had approved of this method. If Dorothy hadn’t suggested it first, No. 13 would never have chosen this method.

The most important thing to be wary of right now is that ‘unidentified person’ who is the cause of all this.

Whether they’re a hero or a villain, or even just an ordinary person, their identity is completely unknown, but Violet has been thrown into confusion because of the information that damn bastard slipped in.

What’s more, they are suspected of kidnapping the strategist.

If that person’s intention was to have Violet deal with Spade of the 7th Division by any means… or if their intention was to have some kind of negative impact on Violet through that series of events, he couldn’t just leave it alone.

He didn’t do this just because he thought he had to protect Spade. Likewise, he wasn’t just interfering with her work because he didn’t want Violet to be hurt or to get her hands dirty because of this.

This was the best he could do right now.

To prevent her from being manipulated by that unknown person.

‘Okay… enough with the guilt.’

‘Let’s just brainwash the Boss and make her completely forget about this. Make her think it was nothing, so that no wounds or anything remain.’

Feeling his mind calm down somewhat, No. 13 turned his head.

That was the moment.

Whooosh-!!

Something large flew violently past No. 13 and crashed into the wall behind him.

When No. 13 turned around, he saw that the flying object was Coco. Coco was lying on the floor writhing, unable to get up.

“Huh…?”

He couldn’t comprehend the sudden situation.

No. 13 hurriedly turned his head.

In the very center of the room, the pipe chair that he had been about to seat Violet in.

Violet was propping herself up, with her hands on the back of the chair.

Violet’s eyes, which had been unfocused and foggy until just now, were now clear gold and staring intently at No. 13.

“How, could….”

“No. 13….”

Violet calls out No. 13’s name.

Her voice, as if coming from the depths of hell, was filled with intense murderous intent and rage.

Violet’s ability is 『Language』, and her voice itself has power.

Even if she doesn’t consciously activate her ability, it sometimes overflows uncontrollably depending on her emotions.

That must be what’s happening now.

“NO. 13!”

*KWA-AAAAA-AAAAAA-AAAAAA!!*

“*Keuheok…!!!*”

Violet simply cried out No. 13’s name, filled with intense emotion.

But the next moment, No. 13’s body flew through the air and crashed into the wall of the hallway beyond the door that had been open behind him.

The intense pressure pushed his body, and even after hitting the wall, he felt as if he would be crushed and buried, all the bones in his body breaking and his internal organs rupturing.

*Crack crack crack crack crack crack crack crack crack crack!!!*

“*Keoeok…! Gaaaaaaack……!!!……!*”

One of his eyeballs burst, and blood rushed into his throat, blocking his airway.

His whole body was full of pain.

He felt as if his brain was sizzling and boiling from the pain.

How long was he crushed against the wall, as if being pounded with a pestle?

Finally, the pressure that had been crushing his body slowly disappeared, and his body fell to the floor, leaving cracks in the concrete wall.

*Thud!*

His bloodied body rolled on the floor. The body rolling like trash twitched and trembled.

“No. 13… No. 13…!!! I won’t forgive you… I won’t forgive you…! How could you do this…!!”

Violet approached No. 13 with faltering steps.

Only animalistic sounds flowed from her mouth, not knowing what to say.

Behind her, Coco was still lying on the ground.

Fortunately, it seemed that the previous blow had been focused on No. 13, and Coco seemed fine, unlike No. 13.

No. 13, rolling on the floor, was able to confirm this with his one remaining unburst eyeball, and was able to feel relieved.

Although the pain of his whole body being crushed and his internal organs rupturing was so painful and almost drove him crazy, he was more worried about the vulnerable Coco than himself, who had a means to recover without dying anyway.

So, in front of him, who was carefree enough to worry about others in such a situation.

*Thud,* Violet’s sneaker landed.

“Why did you do it?”

“…….”

“Why did you do it?”

“…….”

“Why! Did you do this! I’m asking you, No. 13!!!”

A shrill, high-pitched soprano voice berated No. 13, who had become like a simple lump of flesh.

Violet seemed out of her mind due to the drug, but she was holding on to her fading consciousness with only the will of her rage.

*Crack…!*

And in Violet’s gaze, No. 13’s body, which had been crushed to death, began to recover rapidly.

His ability of 『Resurrection』 was forcibly reviving his body.

He felt a large amount of magic power corresponding to the result draining away like a tide.

“…Bo, ss….”

Torn clothes, disheveled hair.

No. 13 slowly raised his body, his whole body and clothes stained red with blood that he had vomited out and burst out from all over his body a moment ago.

The pain and agony still lingered in his brain, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably, but No. 13 stood up, correcting it with his will.

He spat out a mass of blood that had been blocking his throat, which had rushed up as his internal organs ruptured a moment ago.

A dark red and black mass of blood splattered on the floor.

In his hand, he held the brown glass bottle containing the brainwashing drug, which he had protected from breaking even in the pressure a moment ago.

He carefully checked it and put it back in his pocket.

Without a word of excuse, with a face that seemed to be smiling faintly, he said to Violet, who was standing with a bitter expression.

“Boss, I’m really sorry… but please, just this once, won’t you just let me do it?”

With No. 13’s words.

Sparks flew from Violet’s eyes, and she drew up magic power from her dantian again to use 『Language』.