Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)
chapter-207

「How do you do, Doctor Grant. I am Sharon Magdanese, the person who is entrusted with the chief position of national security bureau. I will bring you into a safe protected place. Now, this way.」

Chief Magdanese prompted as though it was only natural that the situation went like that. In the middle of where the headlights of the two car collided against each other in rivalry, the door of the black car for the backseat opened, from there the analyst Allen Parker and one other male agent climbed down.

Allen was spreading both his hands widely in an exaggerated posture, as though to say「Noow, you were scared right? Jump into my chest!」. Although for some reason the tip of his nose had a large gauze affixed there, he cut a really painful figure, or a stupid one.

「What do you mean "protection"! How dare you brazenly say that after kidnapping my family-」

The gesture that was too impudent caused Emily's boiling point to be reached instantly. By all rights she should behave modestly in consideration of her family's well-being, but right now she could depend on a reliably boy regarding that. Emily was able to honestly raise her voice in anger that she even surprised herself.

Chief Magdanese showed a really troubled bitter smile at Emilly who was like that.

「Doctor Grant, it seems that you are under a really great misunderstanding. There is no way that we the people of security bureau will do anything like a kidnapping. We are only safeguarding everyone of the Grant family.」

Chief Magdanese talked with a tone and attitude as though she was admonishing a child that was throwing tantrum toward Emily who reflexively was going to object.

She meant to say, that they secured Grant family in order to protect them from the organization that annihilated Hughes and other agents of security bureau. The tablet that they left behind would only react to Vanessa's fingerprint, without her other people wouldn't be able to grasp the information in it. It was valid for them to be at the side of Grant family to make contact with Vanessa and Emily who cut off contact with the bureau. In the first place the bureau had approved the adoption of the protection program, so they had planned to move in order to take them into protection since the beginning.

「Bu, but……」

Emily was at a loss for words after receiving the logical explanation. Vanessa took a step forward in place of such Emily.

「Chief, can I ask a question?」

「Refrain yourself agent Paradis. Your skill in protecting Doctor Grant by yourself is worthy of evaluation, but you are acting too arbitrarily on your own. Even though there was the attack of Warren and others, you should be able to get in contact with us more frequently.」

The knife-like words of Chief Magdanese cut off any argument with a single stroke. Her eye glint was also pressuring with several times the intensity compared to the usual. However, Vanessa who normally would falter in panic inside her heart against this instead took a further step forward and displayed her will with action.

「……Do you understand, what are you doing right now?」

「Yes. I understand very well. Until my question is answered, I won't lower down this gun.」

Yes, Vanessa was aiming a gun at Chief Magdanese. Her gaze was sharp and showed that she wouldn't draw back even against Chief Magdanese. Her will of determination was emitted from her whole body. Allen whistled「Hyuu~」behind Chief Magdanese in admiration. The other agent also gulped down his saliva.

「This won't end with just disciplinary dismissal.」

「I'm resolved for that.」

Chief Magdanese stared fixedly at Vanessa for a while, and then she sighed a bit. It was unclear what kind of meaning that sigh had……. A complicated expression flashed briefly on Chief Magdanese's face while she urged Vanessa to continue with her gaze.

Vanessa opened her mouth with her gun still aimed vigilantly.

「Why are you, the chief herself is in this kind of place?」

「I lost five agents that I sent to execute the protection program, where one of them is that Hughes. And then, the culprit is also an agent from security bureau……if this is leaked outside, surely the media will be jumping wildly in joy. Furthermore, seeing how this is related to【Berserk Case】that greatly agitated the world then it will be all the more true. This case is already the biggest case even among the cases that security bureau is currently facing.」

「Are you saying, that it's not strange for you yourself to come out?」

「Naturally. To say nothing of how we currently don't know how many people there are inside the bureau that are like Warren, or, more accurately those under the patronage of the organization behind Warren. The optimal solution is for me to move myself.」

That explanation had consistency. There was double agent coming out from the bureau, on top of that there wasn't any time to clean up the organization right now, under such situations it could rather be said that it was a heroic decision for the top herself to take action accompanied by her few trusted subordinates.

Chief Magdanese sent Vanessa a cold gaze that said「Finished already?」, however Vanessa didn't avert her gun even now.

「Then, one more question. What caused Berserk to be scattered in the research building was because of the dispute between Kimberly against someone to contest the possession of【Berserk】. According to what Kimberly said, that someone was a skilled person in the level that even he couldn't match.」

「……And?」

「An organization that possess an operator skilled enough to handle Kimberly whose combat ability is high even in security bureau, it knows about the existence of【Berserk】, and the operator came to steal it at that timing. And then, naturally that operator belong to an organization that is different from Kimberly's. There is only one organization that I know that fulfill all those conditions.」

「Are you insinuating that I ordered for【Berserk】's usurpation?」

「Am I wrong? Kimberly who attacked me hinted of that possibility.」

Chief Magdanese shrugged with an expression that seemed to say how worthless this talk was.

「Don't tell me, that you are accepting the words of a betrayer seriously? If that's actually the case, then I can only doubt your qualification as an agent.」

「Putting aside my qualification, there is no doubt that you chief is under suspicion of ordering the attack. Please answer. Was it you chief, the one that gave the order to steal【Berserk】?」

Vanessa's gaze pierced Chief Magdanese through her gun's aim. From the beginning Vanessa didn't think that she would receive honest answer. Therefore, with the determination to challenge her superior who should be regarded as a monster that had shouldered a bureau of Britain for many years until now, she concentrated to fathom the truth or lies.

But, as expected from the living legend who shouldered the national security, she wasn't someone common. Her face didn't change a single color even against Vanessa's sharp gaze and the fact that a gun muzzle was pointed at her. To the end she opened her mouth with naturalness, it even made anyone who heard her voice to feel her exasperation as though she was facing a problem child that wasn't obedient.

「The answer, is No.」

「……Is that, the truth?」

「Proving something that I haven't done is like proving that devil exist. If you are telling me to show the proof, then you have no more qualification to introduce yourself as the bureau agent. In the first place, why do you think that I have to the order to steal【Berserk】?」

Certainly, for the security bureau that didn't know how Emily and others planned to escape, it was a done deal that Emily and others would come to them. Even if the chief didn't intentionally order the stealing, the security bureau should be able to obtain everything, whether it was the【Berserk】, and the creator Emily, and also the antidote that Emily would create.

Therefore, it could be said that Chief Magdanese had no need to secure【Berserk】at that kind of timing.

The sources of Vanessa's doubt were all circumstantial evidences, her own instinct was also playing a large part in it. In the end, Vanessa who was self-aware of that could only attempt to thrust all those facts before the chief to try to shake her and then saw through the chief with her own eyes.

Vanessa couldn't say anything back. She focused her eyes to try to see through the truth, but Chief Magdanese wasn't shaken even for a bit. Vanessa was starting to doubt her own instinct……could it be, that the first attack was really caused by a completely different organization?

「Are you finished with your question? Then, Vanessa Paradis, you will need to be restrained. Don't tell me, that you are thinking you will be able to continue in your post after pointing a gun like that to me?」

「That's……」

Chief Magdanese raised one of her hand. The agent that was standing by beside the black car walked forward wordlessly. It appeared that he planned to restrain Vanessa.

Emily raised her voice seeing that.

「Wait! Vanessa did that only for my sake! Even until now, she has been protecting me all this time! That's why――」

However, that pleading was silenced forcefully by Chief Magdanese's eye glint.

「……Doctor Grant. I wish you can stop with your childish selfishness too. Have you thought about how many sacrifices that appeared in this case you are involved with?」

「-, that's……」

「You are a prodigy aren't you? Well, perhaps that is only limited to a specific field but……I wish you can have the discernment to know right from wrong when it's actually necessary. I have the authority to have you restrained as the person who created【Berserk】and make you create the antidote. After all this is a situation that threaten the security of the country. But, in that case the protection of your family won't be included in it you know?」

「Such thing-. Didn't you say, that you are giving safeguarding them properly――」

「Yes, that's because of our good will.」

In other words she meant, that if Emily planned to complicate this case, then the security bureau wouldn't safeguard Grant family. And then, Chief Magdanese would restrain Emily with the authority possessed by national security bureau and forced her to research the antidote. Most likely, even if Emily took this matter to the court, it wouldn't go through. After all, this was a case that threatened the national security just like Chief Magdanese said. And Emily wasn't a third party in this, but she was literally the origin of the case.

Vanessa lowered down her gun. Her instinct was still ringing the alarm bell loudly in doubt of the security bureau. However, there wasn't any hole in Chief Magdanese's logic. Shea also couldn't detect any sign of lying. And then, even Emily was also feeling that she was only being outrageously selfish after hearing Chief Magdanese's words, her shoulders dropped. Her anger deflated when she was told that her family wasn't kidnapped or anything.

Chief Magdanese sighed as though to say how troublesome all of these were and she was about to turn around. In her place, the agent walked forward to restrain Vanessa and took Emily into custody.

There, a voice suddenly came into hearing.

「Don't you think it's better for you if you read up again what is the meaning of the words good will in dictionary?」

It was an aloof voice that didn't match the place. Even though the voice wasn't raised too loudly, but it resounded with extreme clarity.

Every single people in that place were taken aback without exception. Vanessa, and Emily who was emotionally standing beside her quickly turned around so fast their momentum could make whoosh sound.

「……That reaction. That hurts you know. Why are you all looking like『WHO-!?』like that? Even Emily, even though you were holding on my sleeve until just now.」

Kousuke twisted his lips into shape of 'へ' in dissatisfaction. Vanessa and Emily averted their gaze awkwardly. There was no way they could say that they had completely taken off their mind from Kousuke who was right behind them and they were plainly shocked just now. Although, Kousuke had completely seen through that already from their reaction.

「……Who are you? It seemed that you were hiding inside the car?」

「No, no, I got down the car together with Emily there! When you were questioned by Vanessa-san, I was also standing normally behind her!」

「……」

Chief Magdanese's dubious expression! Kousuke was wounded further! But, he was used to it so he was fine!

「Answer the question.」

For now Chief Magdanese ignored Kousuke's retort and repeated her question. Kousuke simply ignored her order and replied back with a really "nice smile (complete with vein on the forehead)".

「It doesn't matter who I am right? Rather than that, stop lining up pretentious statements and bring Emily's family here right away. No matter what you are going to talk about, everything will only start after you do that, right?」

「A foreigner boy like you, do you know who you are talking――」

A cold air that was incomparable with before struck from Chief Magdanese. But, even when Vanessa was reflexively sweating coldly from that, Kousuke only deflected it away in stride. So what if she was an authority of a country. Compared to the god apostles that were smeared with inhuman killing intent or the pressure of the demon king that was lacking in even a speck of mercy, this woman looked like a puppy making a menacing look.

「Something like the words of someone who was behaving worthlessly to fan up the talking partner's anxiety, no matter how consistent it sounded like, it cannot be trusted at all.」

「Fanning up anxiety?」

Chief Magdanese tilted her head as though she didn't know what he was talking about. Seeing that caused Kousuke to replace his expression into a cold one.

「Wasn't that what you did? What the hell with that message in the tablet. Don't tell me that it was just for keeping it a secret from other people. Stop it already with the stupid excuse. After all if you want to make contact with Vanessa-san then there are so many other ways to do that.」

They could simply leave behind a single cellphone that was filled with only one contact number to call at. There were many ways to make Vanessa to make contact with the bureau. Even if the one that made the contact wasn't Vanessa, then that could also be a chance to investigate just who they were facing against. There wasn't any need to expressly leave behind the video recording of Emily's family in that way.

They were leaving that kind of message, they were taking that kind of method was in order to carve a message in Emily's subconscious. That if they felt like it, then they could do anything they liked to her family. That they were still safe for now. All those was to make it easier for the scale in Emily's heart to tilt to one way when she was approached with option that was putting on the face of protection. To instill into her what was the pecking order in their relationship.

Kousuke understood that, he understood just how much Emily was worrying for her family, he had already heard from her of her feeling that didn't want to lose her important people anymore for the second time.

Those were why, the voltage of Kousuke's anger was rising up without stopping.

「Even now you are acting like that. You dare putting on air as though everything is Emily's fault. The one that caused this case the first time, and then everything after that, all those, they are all the fault of the stupid idiots who got their eyes blinded by greed. The scramble for that thing that was created accidentally and even dragged in the important people of this child, those are the doing of some other stupid idiots somewhere. Don't get mistaken here. This child is the victim, not the perpetrator.」

Of course, she had the responsibility as the creator of【Berserk】. That was why Emily was here. She even had the option to hold her head down and turned small, and waited until everything was over like that. But, she resolved herself, that there were things entrusted to her, that there were things that she had to do no matter what, and so she was standing here.

「She is still sixteen you know? And yet, she lost her important people that were like family to her, and she was also not allowed to meet her blood-related family……and against a child like that, here you are fanning up her anxiety and guilt. I absolutely cannot trust someone like that.」

「……」

Kousuke's aloof words were mixed with anger in them. It was unthinkable that this was the man that was forgotten even by Vanessa and Emily until just now. Something that couldn't be ignored by any means was oozing out from him. Chief Magdanese was staying quiet, however her body was facing straight toward Kousuke. That attitude of hers was the proof of the existence of that unidentified pressure.

Kousuke walked forward passing through Vanessa and Emily. And then, he stopped walking when he reached in the middle between Chief Magdanese and Vanessa, and then he asked without looking back.

「Hey, Vanessa-san, what is your instinct is telling you? Who cares about logic. Your heart that has been protecting Emily wholeheartedly until now in any kind of situation no matter what anyone said to you, what is it telling you now about that woman?」

Vanessa's gaze wandered around. However, even that was only for a moment. She responded with a cold expression, as though to cut off her hesitation.

「My instinct says, that she is black.」

「Isn't that right. I also think so.」

Kousuke's gaze shifted quietly from Chief Magdanese and he casted his gaze to behind her.

「In the first place, just what is the woman who was sending her shitty subordinate, one that pointed his gun at Vanessa when we escaped from the hotel, is saying at this late hour?」

Kousuke's gaze flowed smoothly toward Allen.

「Eh, m, me? What are you, saying so suddenly……I'm just a humble analyst――」

「Don't play dumb, gauze man. Is that your true face? Your disguise is pretty good. But, the scar from my ashtray attack isn't something that can be treated somehow right away isn't it?」

「I really don't understand what are you talking……」

「I'm not merely bluffing or just guessing. I remembered your presence. That's why, the hoodlum standing in our way that time, that was unmistakably you.」

The analyst with gauze on his nose, Allen Parker's gaze was wandering around in bewilderment. He was muttering「Oh maann, really, what is this about……」, but Kousuke lost interest already and he took off his gaze from Allen. Behind Kousuke, Vanessa believed Kousuke's words and now she was making a questioning face, about why was a mere analyst was present in that hotel.

Chief Magdanese sighed once more.

「……And, you cannot believe me, so then what will you do? As you know, the organization of Kimberly will be chasing after Doctor Grant mercilessly. They won't even care how many sacrifices will turn up from the surrounding.」

She implicitly declared that in the end, they had no choice but to obey the security bureau. Normally that was how it would be. An organization could only be opposed by another organization. That was the reason why Vanessa was trying to ascertain the true motive of the chief.

Just what could one agent and one foreigner boy do only by valiantly speaking sharply?

「I'll protect her then.」

「……What did you say?」

Chief Magdanese reflexively asked back after she heard those words that were said really casually. That was natural. Even though the speaker was a boy from Japan that was often said to be peace idiot country, but that big talk was really far away from reality. There was a limit even in being out of place.

However, Kousuke didn't show even a speck of shame or looking like he was drunk with the situation, he continued his words matter-of-factly.

「I said that there isn't any problem. It's fine if Emily carried out her duty through the path that she decided herself. Together with her family. Of course, the best thing would be if the security bureau "respectably" give her protection without doing any messing around intervention. Even if we cannot obtain the backing of you guys, there will be no problem. It doesn't matter, I won't let anyone be a nuisance. Whether it's Emily, or her family, I'll protect them with my all.」

「……It seems that you are getting in a little high spirits after experiencing boy-meets-girl. I wonder if you have been watching movie too much?」

Behind Kousuke, a girl was pressing on her chest saying「hauu-」as though she was shot through by something. Chief Magdanese gave that a passing glance with an exasperated look on her face. Seeing that, Vanessa objected with a self-assured gait.

「Chief, he isn't a normal boy you know? At the very least, if he become serious then the like of one analyst and one agent won't be his match. In addition, he excelled in information war and can assassinate any kind of opponent. Chief, you are not an exception.」

「……It looks like you evaluate him really highly, Paradis. And so? This boy who no matter how I see it is nothing more than a dreaming boy that misunderstand himself as a main character, who are you saying he is?」

Vanessa made a smile that while small was clearly a fearless smile, and then she spoke her greatest trump card.

「He is the one, who got his name recorded on the blacklist of the security bureau just from a few years of activity――Mr. K.」

'That's why, don't do anything imprudent. Protect Emily and her family properly. And when she finished the antidote, dispose all the【Berserk】that currently exist. Promise us that.' Vanessa conveyed that. 'I don't know what kind of ulterior motive the chief has, but concentrate only to resolving this case' She meant.

Vanessa returned threatening words in response of Chief Magdanese's similarly threatening words. For a moment Chief Magdanese showed an expression as though she was looking at a surprising scene, but at the next moment she sniggered.

「……What is so funny?」

Vanessa's gaze sharpened in irritation. Chief Magdanese's shoulders trembled seeing that.

「No, you headed toward the house of Grant family on your own accord, you pointed your gun to me, there are many of your actions that were really self-assured. I was wondering just what was up with that, but to think that the basis of that confidence is "Mr. K" of all thing. Well, though certainly you were contacting Mr. K, so perhaps it's understandable for you to mistake that boy as him.」

「What are you saying――」

「He is not Mr. K.」

Her trump card was laughed at, and in the end it was denied decisively like that. Vanessa became speechless. She was about to argue back just what was the basis of her saying that.

Chief Magdanese showed a gesture as though she was thinking of something for a moment, and then she answered with a gaze as though she was looking at something pitiful.

「Paradis. You see, Mr. K is a member of security bureau.」

「……Eh?」

Vanessa's eyes turned into dot in incomprehension. Toward such Vanessa, Chief Magdanese continued her words slowly and thoroughly as though to grind her hope into dust.

「It's natural that you don't know. He is a staff that is outside the law. ――【JD(John Doe) Agency】. Intelligence bureau and security bureau, these two large organizations of our country oppose the dangerous and disturbing people and organization inside and outside the country. But JD Agency is a non-existent organization that extends over these two organizations. The members are all called with alphabet or number.」

「Bu, but, Mr. K, he is an assassin――」

「Yes, that's why I told you didn't I? That it's outside the law, and non-existent.」

Vanessa was speechless. Of course she would. After all the organization she belonged to was carrying out murder outside the boundary of law. It was truly like the world in movie. How darkness was an unavoidable part in a huge organization.

And then, this information that was originally known only to the highest class of leadership other than the chief was now disclosed here, it was in order to break the heart of Vanessa and Emily. In order to convey to the two of them that the bureau wouldn't pull back, they wouldn't let them get away. In order to display the mightiness of state organization.

「It was a surprise that you made contact with Mr. K separated with your contact to the headquarters. Because it was an unthinkable method to be taken by you who are still young with sense of duty and justice more than others even if you usually endeavor to be cool-headed. Although, even though I dispatched him to give back-up to the two of you, for him to be taken out by a passing by ashtray……I wonder if your ability ought to be reassessed, what do you think, Allen――no, agent "K"?」

Chief Magdanese looked behind and stared with a pressuring gaze that even emitted killing intent. Ahead of her gaze, was analyst Allen.

Yes, just as Kousuke said, the man that fainted due to the ashtray throw when they escaped the hotel, and furthermore got his crotch stepped on by Vanessa, was Allen in disguise. At the same time, he was actually Mr. K who received Vanessa's request for back-up. The reason that Mr. K who was supposed to be assassin, agreed to receive the work of being Emily's bodyguard was now said here.

「The, then, Kousuke, is……」

Beside Vanessa who was astonished from catching a glimpse of the organization's darkness, Emily muttered with trembling eyes.

Allen was walking forward with table in hand while shivering from Chief Magdanese's gaze. He had been operating that tablet all along right after he confirmed Kousuke's presence here, and the result of that seemed to be the answer of Emily's question.

「Chi, chief? Certainly I have been continuously committing failure in these few days, but that's because I'm an assassin, everything other than that is like outside of my specialty, can you see……that's why, what I want to say is, please don't be so angry……」

「Shut up, incompetent.」

「Yes, Ma'am.」

Allen who got the tablet snatched from him dropped his shoulders dejectedly. Chief Magdanese's gaze moved toward the information Allen gathered. There, the face photo of Kousuke that was taken from who know since when and his photo in the airport a few days ago were projected. And then, Kousuke's age and nationality were calculated based from the passenger list and Kousuke's true identity was pinned down.

Even though Allen was calling himself an assassination specialist, but as expected his skill as analyst was super first class. He was famous as an assassin that was strong in information war, but it seemed that fame wasn't merely because he was backed by security bureau.

「Kousuke Endou. Japanese, 18 years old. Born from a really normal family, a really normal high school student. Are you traveling abroad using your winter vacation? ……My, you are one of those "returnees" that agitated the world previously. I see, so you aimlessly traveled like this and poked your nose into this case. That baseless confidence of yours, I wonder if that is because of your optimistic thought that you will be okay this time too because you had come back once from that disappearance?」

Vanessa and Emily were shocked. Sometimes they got the thinking「Is he really a virtuoso hitman?」. He couldn't drive a car. He didn't bring gun, far from that he even said that he couldn't shoot properly. And above all else, the atmosphere he was clad in was too light. To the degree that saying that he was really a student from Japan fitted him to a tee.

Even so, they thought that he was Mr. K because they could cut their way through the assault in that hotel thanks to him. And then, the expression that that he sometimes showed them made them got the expectation that "as expected he really is the one".

But, it turned out he was really just a student from Japan.

「That's why I told you two many times already. I'm not Mr. K. You two didn't believe me at all……」

Kousuke looked behind with a wry smile. Chief Magdanese announced to such Kousuke.

「Mr. Endou. I'll consider that nothing happen if you just go home now.」

「Hee. You don't think that I will blabber about JD Agency or that various other things?」

「Just who will believe that kind of story when it's a Japanese boy who is telling it? Stop putting on air like you are a main character in a tale already.」

Right after that, a single gunshot rang, and a bullet gouged the ground near Kousuke's feet. Allen said「Sorry, okay」while firing so fast his gun drawing movement was unseen. That was the last warning. If Kousuke didn't turn around and run away with his tail between his legs here, then there would be news report about how a Japanese boy met an unfortunate accident in his travel.

That was conveyed to Kousuke really clearly. But,

「Well, I cannot go home though.」

「Are you still unable to look at reality?」

「No, I'm aware of it. ――There are thirty two armed men. They are lurking inside the buildings around us and completely surrounded this spot. I know at least that much.」

Chief Magdanese's expression changed for the first time since coming here. Her eyes opened really wide with her shock laid bare. Even while she was like that, Kousuke's gaze ran through places like a building's window, the shadow of a street corner, behind a pillar, and so on. ――All those places were the spots where the special squad of the security bureau's assault section was hiding themselves based on Chief Magdanese's arrangement.

「You are moving personally, bringing only those two because you have no one you can trust. That was what you say, but it looks like you are bringing really a lot despite of that.」

「You are……」

Chief Magdanese's words got caught in her throat when she saw that piercing eyes of the person that should be just a student. Her preparation for the worst case backfired on her. Faint indication of agitation leaked out from the surrounding. Allen who was standing at the side narrowed his eyes slowly with his frivolous act thinning down.

The night breeze felt like it was growing warmer and damp. Even after seeing through the squad's position, Kousuke was still not showing even a fragment of agitation, his hands were still inserted inside his pockets with composure. He then said.

「I'll say it one more time okay. You cannot be trusted. And then, in this three-way fight, the enemy of the enemy actually can be trusted more than you. After all that hint from Kimberly is spot-on. The shitty bastard that infiltrated the research building and dragged this child's important people into their death, it's that Mr. K over there. Just now, he said that he already failed continuously.」

「……I also said this before. There is no need for me to do something like――」

「The talk about motive? Something like that is not important. If it's reason then I can imagine many. It can be to use it as weapon, or for pursuing profit, or because of the country's decision, or maybe it's for your own greed……」

Chief Magdanese stared at Kousuke for a while. And then, she suddenly lifted up her hand.

Right after that, the members of the special squad showed their figure all at once. The muzzle of their machine gun that could shoot in full-auto was aimed at Kousuke. At the same time, Chief Magdanese gave an order through the wireless on her collar. Her command was to bring the people of Grant family here.

「In order to protect the large ship that is the country, there is time when evil is necessary. There are opponents that law or negotiation cannot do anything against, and yet something still has to be done against them to protect the large ship that is the country. The incarnation of that necessary evil, is the JD Agency, this Mr. K. 【Berserk】is also like that.」

The gaze of Chief Magdanese caught Emily.

「I wonder if you know how many personnel, how many soldiers died in the battle against terrorist each year? If we can turn captured terrorists into mad monster to send them in as the substitute of those noble people……just how useful that will be. How can we save the noble life of our country without paying any sacrifice. However, surely Doctor Grant won't be able to understand that.」

「That's why you tried to steal【Berserk】itself while making her create the antidote?」

「Correct. Because Doctor Grant seem to hate【Berserk】, there is a possibility she would build some kind of bug in the data through the process of researching the antidote. It's necessary to secure the original drug. There is a necessity to have at hand the antidote that the girl creates voluntarily and unaltered【Berserk】. Next if the girl dispose【Berserk】by herself, we can just advance the improvement of the drug by ourselves using the stolen data.」

But, even that farce would end here. Now they would force Emily to improve【Berserk】for the sake of the country. Rather than making antidote, she should make the control drug for【Berserk】. And then, what would be used to motivate Emily was her family that was taken hostage.

Emily's face turned pale. She must be imagining the future where【Berserk】was put to use as weapon. And then, she also imagined one other thing at the same time. The reason why Chief Magdanese was starting to talk like this.

Chief Magdanese's gaze returned to Kousuke as though to prove that.

「This too is a necessary evil. You know too much about this case. This is incomparable with something like gossip about state organization that doesn’' exist. It will be a little troublesome if you talk about Berserk to the media that is currently heated up. The cost of getting carried away with boy-meets-girl like this is a costly one. This time, you cannot be a "returnee" anymore you know?」

「Run away Kousuke! I'm sorry! I'm sorry to drag you into this! Quickly run away!」

「Kousuke-san……my apologize.」

Emily yelled. Even while she understood that it was already impossible, even so, she couldn't help herself from yelling. Vanessa tried to rush at once, but she saw the red lights of laser pointer showering her body and her movement stopped reflexively. And then, when she saw Kousuke who was similarly covered with red points of death like her, she spoke her apology with expression that was colored by regret and guilt.

Seeing the two who were like that, Kousuke who had death thrust before himself was,

「Don't be so worried like that. I told you right, I'm not Mr. K but……I'm the right-hand man of the demon king.」

Kousuke's face couldn't be seen. His face that was slightly looking down was hidden by his forelocks. Like that, it even looked like he was assaulted by fear of the fate that would happen to him after this, where he looked like he would crumble down anytime. But, even while he looked like that, his voice that spoke back to Emily and Vanessa resounded pleasantly like a gentle breeze.

And then, hearing Kousuke saying something like "right-hand man of the demon king" now that the event had reached this point, Chief Magdanese sighed thinking that this was a pitiful boy who was living in world of delusion while she was about to give the signal for the execution,

「Hey, chief-san.」

Her attention was diverted for a moment from Kousuke addressing her. And then, she noticed how her own arms were getting goosebumps without her noticing it. Toward Chief Magdanese who was feeling doubt about her own state, those words softly reached her.

――Emily's family, they still haven't arrived yet?

Feeling taken aback, Chief Magdanese spoke into her wireless, questioning just what were her men were doing. *zaa- zaa-* After listening carefully to the grating sound from the wireless that felt excessively eerie for some reason, an impossible voice replied back.

『Just now, they resigned from their duty. For the chief who has business with them, please do over your life again from beginning after the beep sound.』

She understood even through the wireless. That voice was unmistakably the voice of the person who had been talking with her until just now. It was impossible. How could the voice of the young man that was here in this place could come from the communication device of the personnel that she was sending to monitor Grant family?

She couldn't comprehend it. A chill was creeping up her spine like worm. Chief Magdanese was slowly raising her gaze from the wireless on her collar while feeling terror――and then, she saw.

With his expression still hidden by his forelocks, only Kousuke's mouth was splitting wiiiidely. It was as though she was looking at the crescent moon shining in the sky tonight.

「You dogs of the state that sing the praises of necessary evil. Are you prepared? Are you resolved? If not then you better hurry. The abyss is already here.」

Chief Magdanese was feeling a terror that was like a black ink painting out her whole consciousness while swinging down her arm half unconsciously.

It happened at the same time with the appearance of "that guy".

「Now, it's showtime.」

AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.

Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.

He is coming, that guy, he is cominggg

The next update is planned at 6 P.M Saturday too.