Ch.284The Switch (4)

Ireh Hazlen was born and raised in the frontier.

The frontier planetary system was a place where looting, rape, murder, and drugs were commonplace.

During these times, Ireh quickly learned that in a depraved society, all men were monsters consumed by lust.

Even after she coincidentally contracted with a good constellation and gained the skills to protect herself from ruffians, her negative feelings toward men hardly faded.

No, they had only grown worse.

“What a pretty little thing. I’ll make you my ninth wife.”

“Miss, how much do you charge?”

“You’d better come quietly. If you don’t want to die here.”

The frontier was truly a garbage dump.

And the troublemakers she met during her journey beyond the frontier to prevent the “End” were all human scum without exception.

Ireh would fire bullets of retribution at those who tried to molest her, and when faced with opponents she couldn’t defeat, she chose either escape or suicide.

“Ireh, my daughter. Never forget. Marriage should be with someone you truly love.”

Her mother was frequently beaten by her father. That’s why she always urged Ireh not to become a wife like herself.

It was meaningless advice. She had no intention of even holding hands with a man in the first place.

Filthy.

Men were incredibly filthy creatures.

The situation remained similar even when she visited bustling downtown areas or wealthy neighborhoods with good security.

The men there didn’t openly say obscene things like the frontier trash, but it was obvious they were trying to seduce Ireh by flirting with her in various ways.

Especially with money.

It was pathetic how they tried to tempt her with capital, offering to buy her all sorts of nice things. Didn’t that mean they thought of her as merchandise that could be bought with money?

What she truly wanted was a reliable companion who would end this hellscape with her.

Anyway.

Right now, Ireh was once again experiencing the rising discomfort and disgust toward men.

“Don’t scream. Better stay quiet. Unless you want to get beaten to death.”

The skinny man pulled out a gun and pointed it at her.

In previous cycles, she would have calmly dared him to shoot.

But not anymore.

Ireh could no longer regress.

If only she hadn’t been caught in the net, she could have subdued such small fry in one go. She regretted being too exhausted to move properly.

‘W-what should I do…’

No suitable method came to mind.

So she just held her breath, unable to do anything.

While the skinny man threatened Ireh, the other two men were each looking for an escape route.

“There are iron bars on the windows here?”

“The door is locked with a keypad too. Damn, why is this door designed to lock from the inside? Hey, Jack. Can you tear off those iron bars?”

“Not with our current equipment. Let’s just wrap her in a sack and leave, pretending we’re taking out trash?”

Click.

The skinny man pressed the gun barrel against Ireh’s forehead.

“Hey, if you don’t want to die, tell me the door lock number quickly.”

“…”

“Aren’t you going to tell me?”

“…It’s a long code. Plus, it’s a random number that changes at certain intervals.”

“How many digits?”

“F-fifty digits.”

“What bullshit. Do you think we’re idiots?”

Ireh felt quite wronged.

“It’s for security…”

“Then there must be something like a key card. Hand it over.”

“I don’t have it, someone else does…”

“Someone else? Who… Ah, forget it. It’s obvious who.”

The man pointing the gun scratched his head.

“Just tell me how to find that password.”

“Um… it’s in the computer program over there.”

In a split second, Ireh found a loophole in the men’s conversation.

It seemed their goal was to capture her alive.

That might be fortunate.

If they try to kidnap and escape with her, she might survive if she can just send a signal. After all, there are security androids and surveillance cameras everywhere.

[Incorrect password.]

[Incorrect password.]

[10 seconds until input, 9, 8… Incorrect password.]

[Please enter a new 50-digit random number. (Time limit: 1 minute)]

“Damn it!”

“I’ll dictate it slowly, try again. And you, help tie up this bitch.”

Two men taped Ireh’s mouth and tightly bound her hands and feet. She couldn’t move at all, being firmly tied up and having her Aether sealed.

“Now we just need to put her in this sack.”

“Wait a moment. I just had a good idea.”

“What is it?”

“Looking at her now, this android is quite attractive, isn’t she?”

“Of course she would be. She must belong to that Rheinland bastard. Judging by her outfit, that’s exactly what she’s for.”

“What do you say we have a go at her?”

A chill ran down Ireh’s spine.

“Forget it. I don’t have a fetish for robots used by others.”

“That’s not what I mean. Think about it. This must be at least a 5th generation model. The head of the Rheinland family wouldn’t use a shabby 4th generation, would he? Including the modules, it must be top-of-the-line!”

“Oh ho.”

“It’ll definitely feel different. Rather than not being able to sleep with the Holy Maiden, it’s much better to pass this one around and then take her with us. Don’t you think so, leader?”

“That, now that you mention it, makes sense. But what if someone comes while we’re doing this?”

“If it’s a woman, we’ll do her too. If it’s a man, we’ll kill him. If necessary, we can contact the Holy Maiden and have her turn back time.”

“That makes sense too!”

The three men approached with twisted smiles.

A chilling shadow gradually covered Ireh.

‘No, please no.’

This couldn’t be happening.

After enduring all kinds of pain, she had never once allowed a man to touch her body.

In this most hopeful cycle, would she lose her purity like this?

And so unexpectedly?

“Mmph! Mmmmph!”

“Acting so chaste.”

“What a load of crap. Hey, spread her through the net.”

Filthy. Obscene. Disgusting.

She twisted her body as much as possible, but all she got in return was lewd sneering.

Her body began to tremble with the fear and helplessness that enveloped her entire being. It had been a long time since she felt such despair.

‘Help me… please, anyone…’

With tears welling up, she silently called out a name that couldn’t become sound.

‘Eidel…!’

The men only snickered more.

“Hey, she’s crying.”

“Her emotional expression is impressive. Must really be a 5th gen.”

“I can’t resist a sobbing woman.”

“I know what you mean. Seeing this, there’s something I can’t hold back either.”

“If you know, hurry up and strip her. Huh… what?”

Four.

There were definitely only three men in the room, but a low baritone voice had joined in.

Somehow, it felt cool behind them.

The three men turned around.

There stood a young man in a lab coat, having opened the door. He was around 190cm tall, with hair as black as pitch. His golden eyes flashed with a chilling light.

Finally.

He was holding a long metal weapon in his left hand.

“Eidel von Rheinland…”

“Yes, do you have business in our lab?”

The skinny man quickly drew his gun.

But it was already too late.

When the man pointing the gun regained his senses, his wrist was pierced by something.

It was the jaw of a vernier caliper.

The end, transformed into an awl-like point, had dug deep into the bone, leaving two narrow wounds like a venomous snake bite.

The man’s head spun with the belated surge of intense pain.

“AAAAARGH!”

THWACK!

After severing the skinny man’s hand, Eidel struck his head, knocking him sideways. Simultaneously, Sonia, who had entered with him, smashed the chubby man’s skull with another caliper.

The situation had reversed in an instant.

Now only one middle-aged man remained.

The man was bewildered.

‘I couldn’t see it.’

Having been quite involved in the underworld, he prided himself on his combat skills. Yet he couldn’t read the movements of someone who was probably just a bookworm.

‘Is there something I don’t know?’

Eidel dragged the caliper across the floor. Along with the sharp metallic sound, his measured tone pierced the man’s ears.

“There are two things I absolutely cannot forgive.”

Swish, tap.

“First, interfering with my research. Second, harming my family or colleagues.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Eidel approached the man with the caliper resting in his hand.

“You’ve done both things I hate.”

“Damn it all…”

Before he could contact the Holy Maiden to request regression, his face fell to the ground.

Ireh’s tear-filled eyes widened.

“I’m sorry for being late. I’ll untie you right away.”

Eidel untied the tightly bound Ireh and stepped back to hear what had happened. But Ireh couldn’t give any answer.

“Ah, uh, ah…”

She trembled, uttering broken moans. Her whole body was shivering with cold, and her heart was filled with endless fear.

She needed warmth.

Was that why?

Ireh unconsciously embraced Eidel.

“…Ireh?”

“I, I was s-scared. W-why did you come so l-late?”

It was contradictory.

She had almost been violated by men, yet here she was, finding comfort with her face buried in Eidel’s shoulder, who was also a man.

The more she felt Eidel’s body heat, the more something warm filled her, making her breath unsteady.

“Um, I’m sorry, but we shouldn’t be doing this…”

“Hic, uuugh, huuugh…”

Finally, she burst into tears from the overwhelming emotions. As a result, Eidel’s lab coat became damp.

“…”

Eidel silently patted Ireh’s back.

Why did that sensation feel so good?

Her rapid breathing slowly subsided. And so, Ireh was regaining her composure in Eidel’s arms.