The hated nemesis muttered.

「It seems to be working」

「…………You!」

Asaka repeatedly put strength into her fingertips, but her fingers remained frozen like stone statues and did not move.

Asaka intuitively determined that it was poison. But if that’s the case, when exactly was she poisoned?

Death Green couldn’t even lay a finger on Asaka.

If there is a possibility then.

「My vision is finally starting to clear. But, damn it. To kick me with all her might.」

「Is aniki alright, ssuka? aniki’s head made quite a noise, ssuyo.」

「This much is no problem. But more importantly, Samecchi, you did a great job.」

The small shadow stood next to her nemesis, who stood up leisurely. Samecchi was holding a small needle in her hand.

「Fufufu, ssu, a good woman has thorns, ssu.」

「……Saya……?」

The scene from just a moment ago flashed through Asaka’s mind.

It’s that moment.

Saya was clinging to her leg and pleading for Death Green’s life to be spared. At that very moment, she was stabbed.

「The plan was a success, ssuyo, aniki!」

「Plan…… Since when……?」

The poison had spread throughout her body, and she could barely lower her arm, which was holding the gun. Rintaro answered Asaka.

「If I had to say, it’s been from the beginning. I’ve had Samecchi hold a poisonous stinger even before we landed here. So, Samecchi, it’s about time. …Samecchi? You don’t need the poisonous stinger anymore, do you?」

「No, ssu. Samecchi will use this on Kirika next time, ssu.」

「Don’t get too used to it. Now, give it back!」

「Noooooooo, ssu! Samecchi want to use it more, ssuuu!」

Samecchi looked like a child throwing a tantrum because she doesn’t want to let go of her new toy.

No, she was just like a spoiled brat. At least that’s what Asaka had thought until just now.

A child who is not a threat, An enemy that was not considered worthy of fighting. Powerless and unable to do anything, a blank area that is unlikely to contribute to the fight.

To this Samecchi, Rintaro had entrusted his poison needle, his real counter move. Asaka herself had complete trust in Samecchi, whom she had underestimated from the beginning.

Rintaro walked up to the immobile Asaka, snatched the gun from her hand, and threw it on the floor.

「Your narrow perspective helped me」

「W-What about the hostage operation…?」

「Huh? A hostage operation? What are you talking about? There’s no way that hostage game, like something you see at an elementary school cultural festival, is a strategy. Are you an idiot? You’re an idiot. So you are an idiot huh?」

Taking advantage of Asaka’s inability to move, Rintaro hurled elementary school level insults at her.

「Well, the way I pretended to be in a pinch was pretty convincing, wasn’t it? I may look like this, but I’m a good actor.」

「Samecchi did her best too, ssu!」

「That was amazing, Samecchi, you deserve an Academy Award. I wish you could have finished her off before aniki got beaten to a pulp..」

「Because aniki said, “Don’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary!”, ssumon!」

Asaka thought they looked like real siblings. And at the same time, she wondered why she, the real sister, was not even allowed to stand next to her younger sister.

How did this happen?

Where did she go wrong?

Rintaro turned to Asaka, who was now cornered, and asked her a question.

「Onee-chan. No, Samejima Asaka. Do you really think this village plan, this paradise plan where humans and mysterious beings can live together in harmony, will succeed?」

「……You, the one who interrupted the plan, saying that?」

「No, that’s wrong. You’re smart. You could see right away that this place isn’t going to work. This place can’t be paradise. It’s like charcoal dregs stuck to the bottom of a pot of hell that can’t be cooked or roasted.」

Asaka felt as if a huge stake had been driven into her frozen heart.

It could be seen by looking at the staff’s response and the data collected here.　 She thought she had to change it. To turn this hell where humans exploit mysterious beings into a paradise where humans and mysterious beings can coexist.

However, the wall of reality that stood between them was too high.

So at the same time, she also thought: Perhaps Rintaro’s words were correct.

As long as humans find use in mysterious beings, as long as mysterious beings pose a threat to humans, coexistence where they join hands, or harmony where they accept each other, is probably impossible.

「Your anger isn’t directed at me. You’re angry at yourself for not letting go of your ideals even though you know they’ll never come true.」

「Don’t be ridiculous. I just don’t like you.」

「Of course you hate me. You cling to being a hero and you can never achieve your dreams, but I’ve given up on being a hero and made them come true.」

The stake was driven deeper into the icy depths of her heart.

Who was it that clung to the position of hero and used it to try to take her sister back? Who was it that trampled on the identity of mysterious beings, waving the banner of justice because they were a hero and an older sister?

She told herself that she was trying to take back what had been stolen from her in the past.

From her older brother, her little sister. Deciding that it was the correct way things should be.

「You don’t hate me. You’re just a big sister who loves her little sister.」

「～～～～～～～～!!!」

A voice of indescribable regret escaped from her mouth.

To a man like this.

A scumbag who would give a poisonous needle to a young girl. She can’t believe he was able to tell her true feelings, which she wasn’t even aware of.

It’s frustrating, infuriating, humiliating, and annoying.

Is that why?

Why her tears were flowing like this.

「Onee-chan……」

「Sa- Saya……」

「Onee-chan, sorry, ssu.」

A thin arm was wrapped around her body, which was as stiff as stone and motionless.

「Sorry for stabbing you with a poisonous needle, ssu.」

In a position that made her feel like she was being hugged and held. She felt the warmth of her sister that she had been longing for so long.

「Sorry for saying horrible things, ssu. Sorry for revealing embarrassing secret, ssu. Sorry for breaking onee-chan’s favorite mug, ssu. Sorry for not turning off the lights in the bathroom, ssu. And, and…」

Along with the pounding of her heart, she could hear her rough breathing.

「Sorry for turning into a mysterious being, ssu.」

With a pitch-black stake thrust into the depths of her heart at its center, a crack appears in the wall of ice that never seemed to melt.

Ever since the day the two were separated when the mysterious being awakening happened.

The ice that had been keeping her heart closed breaks.

「I’m sorry, Saya. onee-chan is the one who should be apologizing.」

Those were the only words that emerged from beneath the ice.

「Onee-chan……」

「I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…」

Asaka repeated the same words over and over again.

Words that had been sleeping under the eternal ice and could never be said.

…………

「Well, that settles it. I’ve won.」

「Shut up, you idiot. Let’s have another one-on-one battle, you lolicon bastard.」

「Oh, what’s that? Let’s start round two right now, you emotionally unstable cyborg. Just so you know, the only reason I’m not stripping you naked and tying you up in an embarrassing position is because of Samecchi.」

「D-don’t fight, ssu!」

Stopped by Samecchi, Rintaro reluctantly sat down on the only remaining desk in the monitor room. He undid the transformation from his tattered suit and turned his muddy eyes, as always, towards Asaka, who was still unable to move.

「Hey, Asaka Samejima. Why don’t you come to our side too?」

「What…… What a stupid thing to say.」

「Sorry, but I wasn’t kidding. I just thought it would be better for Samecchi. Or are you saying you still owe the Hero Headquarters?」

「……………………」

Asaka didn’t answer right away. Living with her sister Samecchi again was Asaka’s only wish.

In that case, it wouldn’t be a bad option to just give up her title as Chief of Staff of the Hero Headquarters and live as a mysterious being like Kuriyama Rintaro.

However, if Asaka makes the most of her current position, it may be possible to drive a wedge into the internal movements that seek to oppress and exploit mysterious beings. Although, with corruption like this even at the lowest levels, it’s impossible to predict how much backlash there will be.

Above all, there was one more person right now who Asaka wanted to be with.

The image of his bright red mask, the very picture of justice, flashed through her mind. She couldn’t throw him away now, after using him so much to realize her own selfish ideals.

「I……」

After a long silence, Asaka finally spoke.

At that moment.

Gogogogogogogogogogogogogogo……

The monitor room, no.

The entire offshore platform “Village” shook violently.

---

<225: A Demon That Hunts Demons
227: The Determination of A King, The Determination of A Loyal Subject>