「Fuhyohyohyoh! We can explode all we want if it’s here, ja! Ukekekeke!!」

A young girl with blond hair and blue eyes, who looked like a French doll, waved her hands in the air and makes strange noises. But this is no gothic mansion, nor is it a party venue on a luxury liner.

The bare rock surface and gravel-covered earth are a mismatch for the young girl. This is a quarry in Tochigi Prefecture owned by the Tagaden Group.

The blonde-haired young girl, Tagaraak, called this place “the experimental site No. 99”.

A butler and a maid, who look exactly the same, are busy attaching a mysterious device to a tall maiden.

「I- It’s going to explode……?」

The butler and maid responded to Minato’s uneasiness with precise hand movements.

「Please rest assured, Minato-sama, this is the latest model prototype manufactured by Tagaden Heavy Industries.」

「Safety has also been greatly improved, and theoretically it will not explode 79% of the time.」

「Doesn’t that mean it will explode 1 out of 5 times!!」

Wrapped in exposed wiring and a mysterious light-metal school bag, she looked like the protagonist of a science fiction movie with a lenient budget popular in the 1900s. However, the face of Minato Kenmochi, the young lady, looked like a mob that is going to be sacrificed at the beginning of the film.

Surprisingly, she has not been told what she is about to be subjected to. Samecchi’s eyes light up at the sight of the figure covered in complicated machinery.

「Minato is so cool, ssu!」

「Listen Samecchi, This is only just the beginning, jazo. It will be much cooler when it flies, zo!」

「Uhyooo, ssu! Samecchi wanna see it quickly, ssu!」

「Eh, Wait, It’s going to fly? Did you just say it’s going to fly?」

Despite Minato’s anxiety, the mysterious being butler Batram began a mysterious countdown.

「Disengage final safety, 10 seconds before launch, 9, 8, 7, 6…」

「Wait wait wait wait! Somebody take this off!!」

As Minato flailed about, a large wing unfolded with a clattering sound from the light metal school bag on her back. The roar and vibration, like that of heavy machinery, traveled down Minato’s back and shook her body.

「Three, two, one, ignition.」

「Take care, Minato-sama.」

As the butler and maid waved their hands respectfully, blue flames erupted from the wings. The surrounding gravel was blown up by the powerful jets of the small jet engine.

「Hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaーーーーー………………」

At the same time as her scream, Minato’s tall body was released from the earth’s gravity and shot out into the sky like a rocket firework. The figure quickly disappeared from sight, leaving a trail of white smoke behind.

On the ground, a young girl and a little girl were looking at the blue sky with their mouths open.

「Hmmm, it seems that the output is a little too strong」

「Amazing, ssu! Samecchi also wanna try it, ssu!」

「It may be a little too stimulating for children.」

「Samecchi isn’t a child, ssu! Ah, something is falling down, ssuyo.」

The butler and the maid silently opened their special bulletproof glass umbrellas. Immediately after, blades of all sizes rained down on the ground.

………………

…………

……

Meanwhile, at the same time. In the Ark Dominion underground secret base, Rintaro and Kirika were confronting each other with a map in front of them.

「As expected, I can’t find them anywhere.」

「Uun, exactly where did those two go?」

「It’s true that the three executives took them, but even if I asked them, they said they don’t know anything about it.」

Rintaro and Kirika are trying to track down Minato and Samecchi, who suddenly disappeared. The only clue they have is eyewitness testimony that they were taken away by three executives.

「It’s a little worrying… that they haven’t shown up for so long without saying anything.」

Rintaro could easily imagine Minato being taken away crying and screaming. However, the suspects were the three executives, and even Rintaro could not carelessly touch them.

Samecchi is with her, so she is probably not in any mortal danger.

「But why do Minato and Samecchi disappear without saying anything?」

「Senpai, you’ve been so reclusive lately that you’ve finally lost their affection, haven’t you?」

「No, that’s impossible…… Hahaha…… Could it be? What do you mean by finally, Hey?」

At Rintaro’s question, Kirika’s eyes narrow.

「After all senpai, you can be cool at times, but at your core, you are a rotten person, aren’t you?」

「Tell me about it, I won’t deny it though.」

It is true that Rintaro himself was not the type to be admired so enthusiastically. He has always been good at managing people, but it came from an inexplicable fear that “it’s dangerous if you go against this guy”.

As a matter of fact, aside from the Samecchi, He had pushed down Minato by irresistible force, so it’s not like there was no feeling that she would dislike him.

Kirika continued her words in a tearful voice, holding her mouth and sounding very deliberate.

「Uuu, poor senpai… At this rate, senpai will be the only member of the heinous legion…」

「Alone?　Hey, wait a minute Mayuzumi. You said you wanted to join my legion.」

「I am so “super” talented that I have already received enthusiastic offers from three other corps. It’s also a VIP treatment at that!」

A tinge of impatience slowly spreads through Rintaro’s mind. Following Samecchi and Minato, even Kirika is going to defect from his group?

Rintaro, however, calmly assesses his situation.

It’s probably Kirika’s bluff that they belong to another corps. Kirika is no doubt trying to sway Rintaro by taking advantage of their absence.

（Mayuzumi’s…… going to negotiate a contract with me at this stage……?）

（Fufufu… The current senpai is doubtful because he feels helpless. I’m not the type to miss this opportunity…）

Rintaro’s prediction was actually true. He thought Kirika’s words are lies, but he’s not quite sure.

After all, these are “those” three executives. They are not the kind of people who would choose the means if it is to strengthen their own corps with talented people.

Hundred Beasts General Bearion tried to force his way in by establishing a fake relationship. Machinery General Tagaraak tried to tempt him like a devil’s bargain by swaying his desires. Strange Insect General Zazoma gripped his weakness and forced him to join his group through blackmail by making a loan to him.

Above all, Rintaro’s own experience speaks for itself.

（Would it be wise to play it safe here……?）

Rintaro chose his words carefully.

「No no no, you’re kidding, right? There’s no way Mayuzumi would choose another corps even if she’s been tempted by someone. After all, we know each other inside out, right?」

「Now what do you think?　”If you want to get the upper hand in negotiations, let the other side make the decisions.”…… Right, Senpai?」

「Ngugh…… where on earth did you learn such a crook’s words?」

Needless to say, these were the words of Rintaro himself in his school day.

Mayuzumi Kirika is, by all rights, a woman who is called a genius, something rarely seen in the past. It was clear that any attempt to dodge her would be met with a sharp counterattack.

In order to establish a higher position in the heinous legion, Kirika intended to bring Rintaro to the negotiating table at all costs. The post she was aiming for is Rintaro’s confidant, the number 2 of the heinous legion.

「Please rest assured. I have no intention of selling myself cheaply. And I’m sure that Senpai will pay a lot for me. Fufufu…」

This skillfulness of her political bargaining probably resembled her master (Rintaro). Rintaro finally gave up and raised his hands.

「I give up……. So, what exactly do you want?」

It was Rintaro’s judgment that there was no other choice but to leave it to the other party, including the authenticity of the words. At that reaction, Kirika’s face brightened as if she had been waiting for it.

「Nnー, This feeling if leading someone by the nose is nice. I might get addicted.」

「It’s bad for my heart, so hurry up. I’m not a good-natured person so much that I can keep up with jokes forever」

「That’ true…… Then……」

Kirika teased Rintaro, looking up at the ceiling and pretending to be troubled. Then she teased his lower lip with her thin, white fingertips and opened her mouth with a mischievous smile.

「Then say, “I’m begging you, please join the heinous legion!” and “In the meantime, marry me!”. Fufufu…… If it’s a request from senpai, I……!」

In the middle of her words, Kirika was forcefully pulled by her arm.

Rintaro’s serious face looms before Kirika’s eyes. His dark eyes, which do not light up with highlights, stare into sky blue eyes at a distance of a dozen centimeters.

「You see, I have no intention of giving you to other people, in the first place. It’s fine, so hurry up and register. Your response?」

「Hahyu…… A……、……Hai……」

Caught off guard by this unexpected action, Kirika involuntarily nodded her head. Any plans she might have had to trap her senpai and play a prank on him were all blown away in an instant.

「Au…… Auaua……」

「All right, I’ve got your word. No more “I’ve decided not to do it after all”.」

As soon as Rintaro let go of her hand, Kirika quickly moved away and covered her cheek. Kirika’s face turned bright red and she was shaking, but Rintaro smiled at her.

「Listen, Mayuzumi. “The rule of thumb is to play cards out of each other’s reach. Otherwise, you will get a fatal blowback”, just like now. Remember that.」

「Ugh…… Yes, senpai…… Hau……」

Kirika remained frozen in the corner of the room for a while.

（Phew…that was dangerous… I can’t let another corps take away someone who knows my secret…）

Rintaro was relieved, unaware of the “fatal wound” he had inflicted on Kirika.

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<99: Nightmare Saber
101: Tent Paradise>