episode_0238

Doraji, who had briefly lost her mind and raged, quickly regained her composure.

She knows that Number 13’s words are just empty boasts, a bluff to provoke her.

Her sister’s virginity is a matter of great importance. Her sister is a god and a perfect being, so she must never be touched by dirty males.

That’s why she has already confirmed it several times.

Dorothy, her sister, is a virgin. She clearly confirmed that there was definitely no sign of use and that the hymen was still intact.

As Doraji calmed down, the room fell silent again. The laptop also remained silent.

The microphone was still dead. Not only the microphone, but most of the other devices in the room were also wiped out.

Apple must have prepared countermeasures, but did she underestimate her abilities too much?

Or perhaps she simply hadn’t shown her true abilities from the start.

Her abilities are clearly superior to what has been investigated and confirmed so far.

‘She was deliberately hiding her skills.’

That woman is dangerous after all. If she isn’t dealt with in that spot, there will be danger.

And above all, Number 13.

She cannot forgive the man who insulted her and her sister.

Fortunately, the equipment connected to the strategist and Rahe wasn’t damaged.

If even this had been breached, Doraji would have lost all her cards, but thanks to her paying as much attention as possible to its importance, it was fine.

That means she still has means left.

“How long are you going to just stand there and watch…!!”

Doraji sent a signal to the strategist, urging the attack even more.

Doraji had previously helped ‘Lesserat’ by providing drugs or modifications to assist the abilities of numerous Awakened.

In fact, none of them were verified and were simply to secure Awakened test subjects and research funds, but there were results.

Some of the results had already been administered to the strategist.

A forced awakening function that allows her to draw out 120% of her power, exceeding her 100%.

Of course, there are aftereffects since it forcibly draws out power, but Doraji didn’t care about such things.

Thus, Doraji’s instructions, her orders, are conveyed to the strategist─

* * *

After provoking Doraji, Apple continued to talk to the Boss using the same smartphone.

Preparations to subdue the strategist seem to be mostly complete.

Within a few minutes, when all preparations are finished, she will break down this wall and, on the contrary, ambush the strategist from this side.

She has already conveyed that to Mabel and Spade as well.

They are all excellent heroes, so they will surely do well.

And now, the sign that it’s good to go has finally come from the Boss.

“Alright. Then I’ll count down.”

“Three, two─”

Just before saying the last count, one.

Suddenly, she felt a strange presence. This place is supposed to be inside the barrier.

“?!”

“Number 13…!?”

The voices of Mabel and Spade were heard in quick succession.

The voices, which sounded surprised, strangely faded away in an instant.

As if the ground had collapsed and they had fallen down.

‘──Could it be!’

The strategist’s warp ability through shadows.

Did she use it on the two of them instead of herself?

But why now? More than that, did she break through Mabel’s barrier?

Before the question could disappear, she felt Mabel’s barrier melt away.

Number 13 pulled Apple into his arms to protect her as if guarding her, having been slightly separated.

The surroundings are equally dyed in darkness.

However, the darkness felt quite different from when they were inside the barrier.

And above all, a piercing killing intent was definitely felt.

Swish-!

“Ugh…?!”

“Number 13-nim?!”

Something slashed through the darkness.

Number 13 reflexively hugged Apple to protect her, but fortunately, Apple seemed to be unharmed.

Swoosh-!

The blade pierced his body again.

He barely managed to avoid a vital spot by sensing the presence just before. But this time, he felt the tip of the knife penetrate about an inch into his body.

Before he could even counterattack, the blade and presence disappeared.

The following was a repetition of that.

With Spade, who was protecting him, and Mabel’s barrier gone, Number 13 was defenselessly exposed to the attack.

Furthermore, he had to protect Apple in this situation.

That must be why the strategist is persistently targeting Number 13.

Although Apple is the target, she judged that it would be better to defeat Number 13 first, who is unable to move while protecting Apple, rather than defeating Apple first.

After all, if only Number 13 disappears, there will be nothing more to protect Apple…!

Thwack, thwack, thwack…!

“Ugh, ah, aah, ack…!!”

“Number 13-nim… Number 13-nim, Number 13-nim…! What do I do…!! Let me go, let me go Number 13-nim! No…!!”

Groping through the darkness, he retreats as far as possible into the corner, pushing Apple into the corner and protecting her with his body.

Even so, she can find gaps to exploit as much as she wants. Pushing the blade between their bodies is not a difficult task.

But instead of doing that, the strategist repeatedly stabs the knife into Number 13’s body, which is extended to protect Apple.

Hot blood is dripping onto the floor. Perhaps his internal organs are damaged, but blood has been gushing out with every breath he takes since a while ago.

But there is no releasing Apple.

There is no letting go of Apple, nor allowing her to be attacked.

‘With this, it’s over─’

The strategist readjusts her grip on the blade in the darkness, and as if to cut off Number 13’s breath, which had barely avoided vital spots until now, she swings the knife again, this time for sure.

This is truly the end.

With this, she completes the given command.

[─【Stop】.]

“…?”

However, the strategist’s wish was not fulfilled.

That goal was not achieved.

Suddenly, a voice was heard in the darkness. By it, the strategist’s body froze in the darkness, as if solidified with wax.

While she was thinking about what it was, a faint light emerged from the darkness.

The source of the light was the smartphone that Apple was holding precious in her arms.

The screen of the smartphone showed that she was currently connected in a call with someone.

That someone is.

[First, I’ll say I’m sorry, Strategist. For being a boss who couldn’t protect her subordinates and making you have a painful experience. I’m really sorry.]

Boss Violet.

From beyond the smartphone, Violet was calmly continuing to speak.

At that nostalgic voice, the strategist’s body stiffened and became unable to move regardless of what was caused by ‘language’.

To her, Violet’s words continued.

[And I’m sorry again. Just one more time, I’ll do something I’m sorry for to you. Please forgive me.]

A faint magical light wrapped around the smartphone.

The strategist does not know the meaning of that light.

If it were her original self, she would have recognized it immediately, but with most of her thoughts blocked by Doraji, she cannot draw that conclusion.

And Violet’s language was heard softly through the phone speaker.

[──【Flashbang】]

The voice imbued with magic, despite being transmitted through the speaker, was conveyed almost without any loss, thanks to Apple’s assistance.

“Number 13-nim, close your eyes!”

Number 13 closed his eyes tightly, and Apple covered Number 13’s ears with both hands.

At the same time, a flashbang created by Violet’s ‘language’ appeared in front of the two.

Immediately, it emitted intense light and noise.

* * *

———————————!!!!!!

The flash and noise echoed and burned several times in the narrow corridor.

An intense suppression grenade that, if encountered at close range without equipment, could potentially cause lifelong disabilities or even cardiac arrest.

“Ah…!”

Thud…!

In that light, the darkness that the strategist had melted into and hid in was all pushed away and disappeared.

The strategist was forcibly pulled out of the darkness and pushed out, unable to hide any longer.

The spell was broken.

The magic was dispelled.

To hide in the darkness again, she needs time…!

“【Be bright】!”

Hwaaaaaaa…!

Violet’s ‘language’ bursts again.

With her command, the darkness of the corridor recedes. A clear light from an unknown source keeps the shadows away, preventing the strategist from hiding within them again.

And Spade and Mabel, who had been sent somewhere by the strategist’s ability, arrived shortly after.

Were they not thrown very far?

“I was thrown to the lower floor…! More than that, you…!”

Spade looked at the tattered Number 13, then at the fallen strategist, and quickly did what she had to do.

She subdued the fallen strategist and made her unable to move, strangling her carotid artery to knock her unconscious.

Mabel approached and summoned ink imbued with magic, wrapping it tightly around the strategist’s body, making her unable to move.

Having restrained her to this extent, she definitely won’t be able to move for a while.

[…I’m sorry, Strategist. For making you suffer because of me. And for not saving you sooner.]

From the speaker of the smartphone, which is still on the phone, only Violet’s apologetic words are quietly flowing out….