episode_0077

Of the seven known as Seven High, two faced each other.

Of course, there was no anime-like description of the air trembling from their presence. There was only Johann looking down at the bound shapeshifter with sly eyes, intimidating him.

Quite criminal.

“Want some popcorn?” “I like cheese flavor.” “You too? Me too.”

They microwaved the soy popcorn sold at the unmanned convenience store, then watched the two of them engage in a silent battle of wills.

The shapeshifter, facing a crafty fox who clearly seemed to be hiding dozens of schemes and whom he didn’t even want to speak to, showed signs of displeasure, but in his restrained state, he couldn’t possibly turn invisible and escape as he usually did.

“What do you desire?”

In the end, it had to be the shapeshifter who first lowered his tail [admitted defeat].

From the very beginning, after losing to me, he had promised unconditional cooperation if his life was guaranteed. And that stance hadn’t changed even after he suffered a terrible ordeal at my hands, so it was natural.

Johann gave a subtle smile to the shapeshifter, who was the first to propose negotiations. He sat down and lightly stepped to take a handful of popcorn from Seira’s bowl, munching on it.

“Ah…”

It felt like she’d placed her hand on her katana, but it must have been a trick of the mind, right?

“What I desire is simple. First, reveal the whereabouts of the sponsor supporting you.”

“I cannot disclose that due to a contract. There’s a safety device that fries my brain crisp the moment I reveal it for security reasons.”

“If something like that is implanted, you’re just a slave.”

Having your life held hostage by a megacorp means working like a dog for your entire life and never being freed.

In fact, all corporate workers are in a similar situation, but for a freelance mercenary, it’s as good as being dead.

“I can’t deny it. Although 10-20% of the debt are deducted per case, the debt is ultimately growing with 34.2% compound interest, so it’s quite tough.”

“They’re crazy bastards.”

“Ahaha! Anyway, I can take care of that microwave chip in your head.”

*Clack!* Johann opened the case on the table and pulled out a black plastic chipset with nothing written on it.

At its appearance, which clearly suggested it contained illegal programs with no label to indicate its origin, the shapeshifter recoiled.

“Wait, I don’t want unverified, unidentified malicious data like that put into my body. I’ve had enough already!”

“Enough…? Well~ what’s inside this chipset is a program that will erase the security system that fries your brain crisp, so are you really sure you don’t need it?”

The shapeshifter trembled, as if remembering what Martina had done to him.

“Any unauthorized external programs installed on the subject are already inoperable due to initialization, so no separate procedure is required for their removal.”

“Huh?”

That’s when Martina spoke up.

It seemed she had messed up the inside while jamming malicious data along with the Libido Protocol.

Johann looked at Martina as if asking what she meant, but Martina merely maintained a pouting expression, still full of dissatisfaction about what Seira had done to her.

The shapeshifter himself, as if remembering the time he experienced endless climax, shuddered at Martina, seemingly observing himself. To Johann, who seemed to be demanding an explanation, I shrugged.

“That real-time decking you guys coveted so much was possible because of Martina. Oh, and don’t even think about kidnapping her.”

“What a shame.”

“I’ll really put a bullet in your head.”

“Ahaha! Just kidding, kidding!”

Johann, in an awkward posture that clearly showed him thinking about taking Martina, scratched his head sheepishly.

If you let your guard down, you could easily have your nose cut off right before your eyes [a proverb about being severely exploited or robbed in broad daylight]. It truly is a lawless world.

“Anyway, if that’s resolved… my next business is with you, shapeshifter. I’d like to meet the person who provides you with technical support, not just financial backing.”

“You knew?”

“Of course, you were using equipment not even released to the market even before you became a megacorp’s dog. I know most things about you. Your real name before becoming a shapeshifter, your birthplace, age, original height, family relations, acquaintances, insurance policies, and so on.”

“You stalker bastard… that’s creepy.”

“I agree.”

“Wait, Seira, you too?!”

The sight of him proudly revealing that he’d done a background check right in front of the person himself was utterly chilling.

As she shuddered at his utterly audacious act, Seira munched on cheese popcorn and hugged her arms.

“Johann-ssi, that’s unpleasant.”

“This one hurts a bit…”

Johann wiped his lips with his sleeve as if blood were flowing from his mouth, then turned back to the shapeshifter.

“And then what will be my fate? Will you hand me over to the EPSB?”

Although I had promised the shapeshifter, who was begging for his life, that I would try my best to save him, it would become problematic if Johann insisted that he absolutely must be killed.

I twisted my mouth and smacked my lips, munching on the popcorn that had a slight beany aftertaste.

“No. Rather than that, I’d like you to work under me from now on.”

“Isn’t that a bit too aggressive for a proposal?”

“Ahaha! How embarrassing~ It’s hard to even talk to someone unless you subdue them yourself!”

As if such worries were unnecessary, what came out of Johann’s mouth was a rather moderate recruitment offer.

Well… I’m not sure if it’s ‘moderate’ to beat someone senseless, capture them, then say ‘I know everything about you’ and demand they work under you, but at least it’s not a negotiation table that starts with a gun barrel pointed at your head, is it?

“…Is that all?”

“That’s all. Your pay will be securely handled per case, and I’ll get you a Platinum membership with the Trauma Team. Two days off per week guaranteed.”

“Ah, shit. Propose to me too.”

“Want to join?”

“Fuck off.”

He gave him the middle finger.

***

Nexus Block. The center of Eclipse Point’s lower city and the only passage connecting to the upper city. Aside from a portion of Japantown, it’s the only administrative district where the EPSB maintains a standby presence, so there aren’t many gangs that try to operate here.

However, that doesn’t mean there are none at all. Beyond gangs, many civic groups that back politicians also have their main bases here.

What the shapeshifter had provoked were precisely these politically connected factions.

If it became known externally that they traded with rival politicians or formed illicit ties with specific corporations, they would face sanctions from all sides. The civic groups, who, after Rune’s Bar allegedly stole their secrets, were furiously trying to bury the matter, were terrifying, incomparable to mere petty gangs.

The cheapest things were bullets and manpower, but if they poured money into it, they could simply erase all honor and glory, then completely bury someone from the world.

“It seems we may have misunderstood. The Patent Management and Protection Association wishes to maintain a cordial relationship with Rune’s Bar going forward.”

“Bioliberty as well.”

“The Neo-Luddites will also let this matter remain undisclosed.”

Afterwards, leaders of several other organizations declared that they would dismiss this incident as a mere happening and cover it up.

Of course, their suspicious gazes wouldn’t be withdrawn for a while, but even so, one could say it was a huge relief.

“Thank you all for responding to my call.”

“I doubt how many people would remain seated with heavy butts [a phrase for being slow to act or unwilling to move] upon seeing the name Taylor, but it was a good meeting to avoid unnecessary losses.”

***

The situation that had occurred in Nexus Block was resolved.

Yuki and Kana, who had come with Luna, unlike Luna who dealt with the civic groups, joined her with utterly exhausted, sunken faces after continuous negotiation tables with the small gangs of Nexus Block.

“Ugh~ I’m exhausted!”

*Plop!* The white fox buried her face in Luna’s chest as if completely exhausted.

“Hey!”

That might have been fine, but Luna was startled by the sly hand movements she felt on her chest and leaped up.

*Knead knead!* A hand was naturally kneading her chest.

“Who said you could just touch them whenever you want?!”

“Heehee~ Do you know how much those guys brag about operating in Nexus Block? I almost flipped everything over, but I held back after seeing Jun’s and Luna’s faces, you know?”

“They were really rude guys. If it hadn’t been such a big deal, I would have just been cuddling with Jun and watching BDs.”

“Ugh… why are you touching them too?!”

Luna’s chest, which was now being molested by the fox sisters who had approached her without her noticing.

The soft, tender, pudding-like feel made their hands, as if playing a tactile game, refuse to stop.

It was truly a devilish sensation!

“Oh…” “Wow…”

Luna raised her fist at the two foxes who involuntarily let out gasps of admiration and made foolish expressions, then let out a deep sigh and simply tucked them under her arm and tossed them into the car.

*Clatter!* As they were thrown, the two rolled around inside the car, making yelping sounds. Luna, averting her gaze, had put out the immediate fire, but her mind was not at ease.

‘The shapeshifter situation isn’t resolved yet. And it seems things aren’t over on the other side either.’

Although she was worried about the inarticulate Raleigh, she hid her anxiety with the heart of a parent watching a child become independent, believing he would manage well, and opened the driver’s side door.

*Ding!*

Just then, a notification sound arrived.

The sender was… John Doe. It was him.

“John?”

“Oh, Luna. I caught the shapeshifter.”

“Huh?”

How?