The “Surprise Party to Celebrate the Formation of the Heinous Legion” was a big success.

A girl with glasses who has dragonfly wings flew around while blowing her trumpet. A cheetah man performed a Cossack dance while riding a ball. Maid-robots with the same faces brought luxurious dishes and fine wine one after another.

And in front of Rintaro, the new legion leader, there is a long line of mysterious beings that stretches endlessly.

「My name is Strong Arm Mysterious being Franbolt, degansu! Come, let’s have a drink, degansuyo, sir!」

「I am Bechatris, a quagmire mysterious being. Come on General, drink first……」

「Umm, my name is Chelipo, a disguise mysterious being, masuu. I’ll pour you a cup, masuu!」

The sight of dozens of mysterious beings holding sake bottles in their arms was like an endless wave of attacks. Rintaro continued to smile awkwardly against the back of the newly installed army banner with the image of the Grim Reaper on it.

「Samecchi is aniki’s number one sister, ssu. Samecchi will naturally join, ssuyo!」

「In terms of strength, I’m the number two. I won’t let senpai down.」

「Don’t use tricks, ssuyo! Also, in term of being ‘carrier’, Samecchi is longer.」

「Mumumu…… In terms of seniority, I’m higher! Right, senpai!?」

Doppodoppodopopopopopopopopopopopo……

「Stop pouring alcohol while you guys are fighting. It’s not wanko soba.」

Just when he thought that the queue was finally broken after reprimanding Samecchi and Kirika who were competing with each other.

Don!　Tappun!

In front of Rintaro, who had already drunk a lot and was about to collapse, a huge barrel of sake was placed. There is only one guy in the Ark Dominion who can carry such a thing with ease.

「Iyoo brother, you look like you haven’t had enough to drink yet! Gahahahaha!!!」

General Bearion, a large man who looked like a combination of a bear and a lion, poured sake into an earthenware pot and offered it to Rintaro. Rintaro’s eyes, which were already dull, became even darker, and the light began to fade.

「Listen brother, a general has to be strong!　And of course, he has to be strong with liquor! As for tea, that thing is no good!　That’s for skinny little butterflies to drink!」

Unfortunately, there is no such word as “alcohol harassment” in the mysterious being society. Perhaps even if he said it, Bearion, whose brain was soaked in alcohol, would not understand it anyway.

But a warm bed awaited him if he could just make it through this big wave. Rintaro determinedly poured himself a cup of sake from an earthenware pot, which must have contained at least fifteen cups.

「……Itadakimasu…… Uph! Ooph!」

「Oh brother, You sure drink well, aren’t you! Hey, What’s wrong? Are you really going to go down on the “first round”?」

「……F- First round……？」

Rintaro could not believe his ears when he heard those words. Bearion was right, there was once again a long waiting line behind his big back.

That night, Rintaro’s cup was filled with sake like a Niagara Falls, and words of congratulations flowed like a never-ending cloud.

………………

…………

……

A windowless room with white sheets, white curtains, and the smell of disinfectant. In the infirmary of Ark Dominion’s underground secret base, a man lay in agony on a bed.

「Haaaa……! My head is is is is…… Ugigigigi!!」

「How much did you have to drink to become like that.」

「Cause I couldn’t escapeeeee…… Ogogogo!!!」

The party surrounding the heinous mysterious, or rather the heinous general, Death Green, lasted well past morning and into the late night of the following day. The guest of honor, Rintaro, was dutifully given the toast, and he drank and vomited without sleep or rest.

The result is this.

「Haaaaaan!! Id hurdssss!!!」

It was one of the biggest hangovers Rintaro had ever experienced in his life. The pain was so intense, as if his skull was being crushed in a vise, that Rintaro could not even sleep.

However, even if he tried to twist his body, his limbs were in a state of no strength. Rintaro looked like a sea bream that had been freshly killed.

「You really don’t think about the future, huh, Rintaro.」

While heating the kettle, Kenmochi Minato, aka Sword Mountain Mysterious Being, Swordminas, clad in a white robe, looked at the man writhing in bed with disbelief. Then, pour lukewarm water into the skillfully warmed mug and pour in powdered sports drink.

Minato swallowed the scolding that was about to come out of her mouth and thanked Rintaro for his hard work in short words.

「Anyway, thank you for your hard work.」

「Uuu…… Thank you, ShwodMinash.」

After putting Minato-sensei’s special drink in his mouth, Rintarō fell down on his back as if the pain had eased a little. Minato let out a small sigh as he saw Rintarō fall asleep in pain.

「In the end, I couldn’t say it……」

Rintaro is a reckless man, but Minato knows that there is always a reason for his recklessness.

A celebration is not just a place to celebrate and drink.

In the past few months, the number of mysterious beings registered with the organization has exploded due to Ark Dominion’s major breakthrough in the Kanto region. For those newcomers who are not yet members of a corp, the celebration is their best chance to appeal themselves to the new corps leaders.

The only reason Rintaro did not leave the celebration halfway through was because he took each of them seriously.

「You really are a sweet guy, Rintaro.」

「Uu…… I can’t drink anymore……」

「Umm, if you don’t mind, …… I’d like to join your legion……」

「Nhoo… It can’t go in anymore, I’m going to die…」

Talking to his sleeping face was all Minato could do at the moment. Of course, there was no way she could get a response, and all she could hear were unintelligible sleep-talk and faint sighs.

Death Green is an emerging mysterious being, and there is no end to the number of people who wish to join the heinous legion led by him. Of course, not all of them get their wish, and it is said that the ratio of applicants is quite high.

Samecchi and Kirika were the first to raise their hands, but Minato was still unable to convey her own words due to everyone’s enthusiasm.

If Minato earnestly asked, Rintaro wouldn’t shake his head. It was precisely because she understood this that she hesitated to take advantage of Rintaro’s good intentions.

The tall maiden quietly gazed at Rintaro’s sleeping face and gently touched his red cheek. His cheeks were a little hot, perhaps because the liquor was still in his system, or perhaps because he kept smiling, something he was not used to doing.

「Uun…… Minatoo……」

「……! No- This is!!」

Minato’s face turned as red as Rintaro’s and she flinched as if she were a child caught playing a trick. She was relieved as soon as she realized that he was talking in his sleep, but her heart was beating so fast that the sound could be heard outside.

「……Come to think of it, the painkillers had run out」

Even though no one was listening, Minato distracted herself and covered up her embarrassment by talking to herself.

But the fact remains that the stock of painkillers is running low. The last banquet had brought in the hangover mysterious beings like a wave, and the medicine cabinet had been completely emptied.

It would take two days at the earliest if she ordered by slip as usual. However, even if she asked someone to run errands, nearly 90% of the members of the Ark Dominion were down with a hangover.

「Hmmm, I don’t have a choice. I’ll just have to go out and buy it myself……」

Minato hung her white coat on a chair and put on her outdoor coat. She is not as fearful of going out alone as she once was.

The headquarters of the heroes, which she was wary of in the first place, is now almost completely destroyed. In addition, the “seizures” that spread blades everywhere have recently calmed down.

Above all else, Minato――

「Uuun…… Id hurdssssー……」

「Hang on, the doctor will be going on a run」

　――didn’t want to see Rintaro suffer.

………………

…………

……

A winter breeze ruffled Minato’s long hair as she exited Tagaden Tower.

「Ugh, it’s cold… let’s finish it quickly. taxi!」

Bending her tall back, Minato got into the cab and told the driver the name of a nearby pharmacy. Of course, the driver was a mysterious being, and the destination was also a store that Ark Dominion breathed life into.

It was strange to think that two years ago she was just a human being, but now she felt safe in the underground community, surrounded by mysterious beings.

Minato’s long, downcast eyelashes and cool eyes erre reflected in the window glass.

The view from the taxi window slowly drifted by. Powdery snow was flickering from the gray sky between the buildings.

――Among those snowflakes, she saw what looked like a red light.

Zudoon!!!

With a sudden impact, the engine compartment was engulfed in flames and the body of the car went flying through the air. Although she was wearing a seatbelt, the tall Minato hit her head on the ceiling of the back seat.

The taxi continued to roll two or three times, finally stopping when it turned its underside to the sky.

In her dazed state of consciousness, Minato notices that the scenery outside is engulfed in flames.

「Uuu…… What exactly…… Hey, get a hold of yourself!」

Minato called out frantically, but the driver did not respond. He was bleeding from the head, but fortunately seemed to be breathing.

The unpleasant smell of gasoline tickles the nostrils of Minato, who wasn’t clear of the situation. There was no longer a moment to lose, let alone imagine what would happen if the fuel caught fire.

「Kuh, this is bad, it’s going to explode!」

Minato quickly slashed the seatbelt with the knife she had “created” from the palm of her hand. Dragging the driver with her, Minato moved away from the abandoned taxi.　 Immediately after, the thing that had been carrying them was engulfed in a red-hot blast of flame.

「It blew up so spectacularly. As expected, hunting must be done this way!」

「YEAH！　But I can’t believe you’re still alive. What a TOUGH GIRL, I like you.」

As Minato’s eyes widen, two shadows appear before her, stepping over the flames. Red and green, they looked like hellish prisoners who had come to reap her soul.

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<93: The Melancholy of Johnny Aikawa
95: Are You Afraid?>