episode_0181

“Hey, Dorothy. How’s it going? Any harvest?”

Dorothy’s lab.

Thirteen, holding a plate of snacks and cut fruit for Dorothy, visited her lab and saw Dorothy staring at the monitor with bored eyes.

The monitor screen Dorothy was looking at showed Apple and the ‘brainwashing device’ surrounding her.

Not only is he having the captured Apple interrogated by the adjutant, but he is also conducting a brainwashing experiment using the super-powerful brainwashing device that Dorothy developed recently.

She said it was still a prototype with many problems, but judging from Dorothy’s reaction and Apple’s appearance on the screen, there didn’t seem to be any immediate problems.

Dorothy picked up a chocolate-covered snack from the plate Thirteen brought and put it in her mouth, answering lazily.

“Well… for now. It seems like we caught a bigger fish than I thought, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing. No, eight or nine times out of ten it’s going to be a pain in the ass. I think it’s better if you don’t know anything.”

With that, she pointed to a stack of papers next to her.

“I’ve written down everything I’ve found out. You can look at it if you have the courage. But the adjutant is going to put it all together and make a report later, so it’ll be easier to read then.”

Dorothy lazily explained as she crunched on the chocolate snack.

She seemed more tired than usual. And for good reason. She suddenly had to prepare a helicopter and make a fuss all night, and on top of that, she had to rush to prepare the brainwashing device that was still in development.

“Why don’t you take a break if you’re tired? I’ll keep an eye on things.”

“No. And if something goes wrong with that device, I’m the only one who can recognize it or deal with it.”

“…That’s true. Anything I can help with?”

“Just replenish the energy drinks. I’m out of the ones in the fridge.”

“Again? …If you want to live a long life, drink them in moderation. You hardly eat anything.”

In any case, it was impossible for Thirteen to get involved in what Dorothy or the adjutant were doing and help them.

Thirteen, well aware of this fact, took on the task of cleaning the lab and putting things back in their place, instead of unnecessarily interfering with Dorothy’s work.

“But it looks like your runaway is over? How are you doing? Are you okay now?”

Dorothy asked Thirteen, who was emptying the trash can in the lab.

Thirteen couldn’t control himself because he was constantly getting aroused, so he had no choice but to leave 『Abyss』 and live apart… but.

“The Boss laid down the law for me to come back….”

“The Boss was furious. You were 200% in the wrong, so apologize properly.”

“I guess I have to….”

In any case, that’s how the runaway life ended.

Living in the 7th Division, spending all day embracing someone in a decadent and depraved life wasn’t bad, but still, it felt much more comfortable to return to the hideout that felt like my own home.

The problem hasn’t been solved yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

According to Apple, it was her doing that he lost his self-control and was constantly getting aroused.

He didn’t know exactly what kind of trick she was playing, but in any case, if he could get Apple’s cooperation, the problem would be easily solved.

“Don’t get your hopes up too much. I’ve said it a few times, but that’s a prototype. I can’t say there aren’t any problems yet.”

Dorothy said coldly as she crunched on her snack.

“There’s a possibility of side effects, so it’s better not to use it if you don’t want to play with a broken doll. Even if you do use it, you should test their aptitude and only use it on carefully selected people, and even then, reduce the intensity as much as possible.”

Of course, they didn’t have the luxury of testing Apple for aptitude. They were using the device right away without worrying about such things.

Thirteen ordered them to use it, saying that as long as they could get information, it didn’t matter if she broke down afterwards.

In addition, the Boss doesn’t know about this. He was simply told that she would be interrogated using a new brainwashing device.

He’s the boss of a villain organization, but he’s not the kind of person who would allow someone to be broken or killed.

Of course, Thirteen doesn’t want to break Apple either. He’s also on the soft side for a villain. If possible, it’s better to brainwash her properly and keep her in his hands.

But if that’s difficult, he’s prepared to give up… that’s how dangerous Apple is.

In addition, Apple is also a test subject for improving the brainwashing device.

By monitoring the condition of the device through her, they may be able to improve it to make it better.

“You got it, Thirteen? You shouldn’t be thinking about using this to persuade that bitch. I mean, you seem to like her quite a bit, don’t you?”

“……I never liked her. She’s just an enemy.”

Dorothy made a “Humph~” sound as if she wasn’t interested in Thirteen’s rebuttal.

Leaving Dorothy to observe Apple’s appearance on the monitor screen again, Thirteen left her lab.

* * *

The base of the 7th Division, underground.

There, there is the same confinement room that Thirteen had been trapped in before.

Strangely enough, this underground confinement room was designed to be able to confine awakened people, who are superhumans.

The walls are made of a special alloy that is dozens of centimeters thick and does not easily melt in fire or acid, and the entrance door also uses both a system lock and a classic device to ensure that even those with special abilities can cope with it.

In addition to this, there are several devices to prevent the awakened from escaping, so even the superhuman awakened cannot get out of here.

However, it is not very practical because the cost of using this universally is too high, and there is a possibility that it will be broken through by awakened people outside of Rahel’s standards.

But at least, there was no problem in confining a Hero like Spade.

In the silent confinement room, the sound of clanking was heard and the door that had been locked was opened.

The one who opened the door and came inside was Thirteen.

Rahel, who had been guarding Spade, saluted him.

“Good, good. I’m sorry for making you work hard guarding her when you’re busy, Rahel. Can you step out for a moment? I’ll call you if I need you.”

With that, Rahel saluted once more and left, and the door to the underground confinement room closed.

Thirteen pulled a chair in front of the iron bars that divided the confinement room in half and sat down, facing Spade on the bed.

“I’m sorry for locking you up, Spade. It’s only been half a day, but it must have been quite stuffy here.”

“…Thirteen…!!”

Spade growled and threatened Thirteen.

Until recently, Spade, who had been obedient to the ‘Administrator-nim’, looked like a cute puppy, at least a Chihuahua.

Now, however, her ferocious spirit and murderous intent are reminiscent of a tiger. Even though he was behind the iron bars, he felt like his whole body was being torn to shreds by her murderous intent alone.

In the recent battle, the hypnosis and brainwashing that had been planted inside Spade by Thirteen were all ‘reset’.

According to Aria’s precognition, there was no other way to do it without sacrificing someone or letting Apple get away, so it was unavoidable.

However, even after trying to brainwash her again, it doesn’t work anymore, either because she has become resistant to the drugs or to the brainwashing itself.

As a result, she could no longer control her leash, and she was locked in this confinement room….

“I’m going to kill you, Thirteen.”

“Oh, I’m scared. I don’t want to die, so I have no choice but to keep Spade locked up here forever.”

Spade approached and punched the iron bars with her fist, which was filled with red magic power.

Thirteen flinched a little, but the special alloy iron bars made to awakened standards were unharmed by Spade’s punch.

“Don’t do that too much, Spade. If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to get you out of here. I don’t have a taste for kidnapping and confinement.”

“Shut up! Get out of here right now!”

“Spade, are you stupid? Wouldn’t it have been better to get out of here by pretending to be brainwashed?”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! As if I would bow my head to a villain, even as an act!”

“You hate that so much? You loved the woman so much when you were having sex.”

Clang!

Spade kicked the iron bars this time. The iron bars shook slightly, but they were fine.

Spade glared at Thirteen with venomous eyes, and Thirteen also looked at Spade and remained silent.

“Shut up for a moment, Spade. I’m going to talk seriously from now on.”

Thirteen said in a weighty tone. Spade was still grinding her teeth and glaring at him, but she didn’t scream and interrupt him.

It was thanks to the fact that she had been locked up here for half a day that her head had cooled down somewhat.

So Thirteen put the ‘proposal’ he had prepared into words.

He had no intention of keeping Spade locked up like this. He had no intention of breaking her or killing her to silence her.

And coincidentally, because he had a somewhat bad relationship with Spade… he knew her personality very well.

Spade, who had been huffing and puffing at Thirteen’s proposal tailored to her personality, softened somewhat.

Then she asked in a small voice, “Give me time to think.”

So, half a day later.

Spade told Rahel, who was guarding her, that she would accept Thirteen’s proposal….