The three crawled in single file through the narrow, elongated ducts.

『Umm, Samechi, please go west around the next corner.』

「Got it, West, ssu. Um, the hand holding the chopsticks is East, ssukara…」

Sametchi, who was leading the group, followed Minato’s instructions and struggled with a compass in hand. Seeing this from behind, Rintaro, the commanding officer, became a little worried.

「I’m the one who left it to you, so I shouldn’t be saying this, but can you do it, Samecchi?」

「It’s okay, ssu! Samechi is the type who can withstand adversity, ssu.」

「Aah, we’ve already been put in adversity.」

However, in the narrow duct, there was no way for him to take her place even if he wanted to. All Rintaro could do was to hold his breath and wait for Samecchi’s decision.

A cold hand brushed up Rintaro’s calf.

「Hyaoooohh!!?」

「Aniki! Stay quiet or we’ll be found!」

「……So- Sorry.  Oi Mayuzumi, what is it all of a sudden! You startled me!」

Rintaro twisted around and looked at his feet. Kirika, who was in charge of the rear, was stroking Rintaro’s calf with a serious look.

「Please don’t mind me.」

「No, of course I would mind…… It’s my leg.」

「I am wondering if the feel of the tights is different from mine because they are a different color.」

Her cold fingertips reached out and crawled up Rintaro’s legs, wrapped in thin tights. Then she gently caressed the backs of his defenseless exposed knees.

「Hyaaoahh! I’ll let you touch it as much as you want after I take it off later, so just be quiet for a bit!」

「I’m really curious as to why it feels so nice on the skin. Senpai, the development of human civilization has been brought about by curiosity.」

「What exactly are you trying to enlighten in a place like this?」

「Hou…… This feeling is…… Hohou……」

Finally, Kirika’s hands reached down to the inside of Rintaro’s thighs.

Kirika’s eyes, stroking the tights with uncharacteristic seriousness, were those of a craftsman.

「……Fuumu, they did a good job……」

「Hurry up, Samecchi! A terrible crisis is looming right under my feet!」

「Awawa, ssu! Please wait a minute, ssu!」

Rintaro had no escape route because the front was blocked by the Samecchi.

Suddenly, Rintaro felt Kirika’s “shoulder” touch his calf. Inside the narrow duct, She was getting very close.

「Hassu! Stop, Mayuzumi! Not theeeeeeeeereee!!!」

…………

In addition to the various departments, a larger medical facility has been established in the new Hero Headquarters building. This is a part of the welfare program that includes medical checkups and mental health care, in addition to the fact that the profession always involves fresh injuries.

In one of the rooms, Retto was spending a sleepless night.

It’s not that he was anxious and can’t sleep, it’s just that he had been sleeping all day.

「I’m sorry for dragging you along, Asaka-san. Even though you could have just gone home by yourself.」

「I can’t leave my subordinate behind after he was hit by a car and thrown 25 meters.」

「You and the doctor worry too much, Asaka-san! I’m already in good health!」

As soon as he said that, Retto started doing sit-ups on the bed. Incredible as it may seem, his body was virtually unharmed.

「Please calm down, Kurenai-san. I have brought some apples.」

「What? You’re going to peel apples for me? Asaka-san, you usually do very little cooking.」

「No, I’m not good with blades, so I bought one that doesn’t require peeling.」

Asaka then pulled out a can from her bag. On the label of the can was an illustration of a cut apple.

Certainly with canned food, you don’t have to worry about cutting your fingers while peeling.

「I do no blunder.」

「Asaka-san, where’s the can opener?」

「……………………」

Asaka put the canned food back in the bag without saying a word.

The two had not yet noticed the intruder on the top floor far above their heads.

…………

In the unoccupied Director’s office, with the lights off, the ventilation cover flapped open. A girl emerged from it, and after repeatedly checking that there was no sign of anyone, she lands on the floor.

「OK, ssu, there’s no one here, ssuyo. Infiltration successful, ssu.」

Following Samecchi who took the lead, a man with his face covered fell to the floor with a thud. His whole body, which had been thrown out without even taking a catch, was still and damp with a disgusting sweat, with particular emphasis on the lower half of his body.

「Shiku shiku shiku……」

「Is aniki crying, ssuka?」

「I am not crying…… I am fine.」

The last person to show their face was Mayuzumi Kirika, who was advancing at the rear. She grabbed the edge of the ventilation opening and flipped her body around, landing soundlessly on the floor.

The sky blue eyes peeking out from under the balaclava were shining brightly for some reason, and her skin looked somehow shiny.

「Now, let’s get to work.」

Kirika put on her gloves and immediately started looking around the room. The development plan documents they were looking for were not necessarily stored in the safe.

「Samecchi, Mayuzumi. I’ll leave the bookshelves and desk to you……」

Rintaro also unsteadily rose to his feet and, lock-picking tool in hand, faced the large safe that was integrated into the wall of the room.

The massive and heavy safe was locked, as it should be. It was Rintaro’s job to deal with this formidable gatekeeper.

However, from what he saw, there was no troublesome system such as fingerprint authentication. Even though it’s Hero HQ, it’s a national organization, so they probably couldn’t allocate that much budget to it.

「Well, I’d say three minutes.」

With an oddly familiar hand, Rintaro set about unlocking the safe.

Rintaro Kuriyama is a gifted man who graduated at the top of his class at the Hero School, and was even called “the epitome of a jack of all trades, master of none”. He has 256 different qualifications, including, of course, the “locksmith” qualification.

「Aniki, aniki.」

「……Nn?」

Samecchi tugged on Rintaro’s sleeve, her eyes looking strange. She looked just like a child in a toy section asking for a toy.

「What’s the matter, Samecchi?」

「……Samecchi, made this, ssu」

With a big smile on her face, Samecchi held out a card. On the card, along with the silhouette of a shark, was written the following.

“I‘ve come tonight to take your important thing. ＳＡＭＥ’Ｓ　ＥＹＥ”

「……………………」

「…………Ehe, ssu.」

Rintaro looked back and forth between the cards and Samecchi in disbelief. Seeing her aniki’s reaction, Samecchi smiled back bashfully.

Of course, Rintaro didn’t make a “Well made!” impression while being surprised.

「……Samecchi. We shouldn’t leave any trace of our intrusion this time, so let’s save this for another time.」

「Hah, now that aniki said it, that’s true, ssu!」

Rintaro patted the Samecchi’s head with the palm of his hand and put Samecchi’s card in his own pocket. Perhaps the opportunity to use this card would never come again.

A few minutes later, the three intruders split up to search the Director’s office.

Rintaro was in charge of the locked safe, Kirika was in charge of the overstuffed bookshelf, and the director’s desk was occupied by Samecchi, who has a reputation for her sharp eyesight.

Samecchi was immediately drawn to a box of manjuu on the desk.

「This is suspicious, ssu. Will need to look into it, ssune!」

Cautiously and boldly, Samechi popped open the lid of the box. Carefully yet boldly, Sametchi popped open the lid of the box. What came out was a steamed bun filled with sweet bean paste… not……..

「Mumumu, ssu? What is it, ssukane?」

There was a bright red button with a yellow and black border. It was a button with a suspicious and dangerous feel.

「According to Samecchi’s brilliant deduction, this must be a button for opening a drawer. Click, ssu!」

Samecchi pressed the button without hesitation, and Rintaro succeeded in opening the safe at the same time.

「Alright…… It’s open. Now then, what’s inside……」

Diririririririririririririririririri!!!!!

A deafening alarm rang out, shaking the entire building.

---

<167: Tagaraak’s Request
169: Giant God>