A ground-shaking sound echoed from the entire building, and the Director’s office shook violently. Even the staff members who remained inside the new Hero Headquarters building, let alone the intruders, could barely stand.

「Awawawa…… Messed up, ssu……!」

「Damn, I didn’t think there was an alarm installed in the safe! That’s ridiculous, I checked it so many times!」

Since the alarm was triggered at the exact same time the safe was opened, Rintaro had no way of knowing that it was the work of Samecchi. In his panic, Rintaro received a message from the Ark Dominion Operation Headquarters.

『Rintaro, something strange is going on with the building! Is everything okay inside!』

「Yeah, no worries here!　But it’s going to be difficult to continue the operation!　Switch to Plan B!」

『Okay, I’ll send a helicopter to pick you up immediately!』

「Please do, Minato!」

Rintaro hung up the phone and looked around the room. Kirika was already packing a bundle of documents in her bag for Plan B: “rob the documents and retreat after inflicting as much damage as possible”.

If the plan details cannot be stolen, the strategy is to deliberately leak information to delay the plan itself.

「Samechi, that’s it for the desk! Help me over here!」

「R- R- R- Roger, ssu!」

「Mayuzumi!　When you’re done with the bookshelves, get ready to escape, and do it with a bang!」

「Understood.」

Samecchi and Rintaro worked together to pull the heavy door of the huge safe.

「Fununununununununu, ssu!!」

「Ngyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!! M- my ribs!!!」

The door attached to the wall opened slowly and silently, but its weight was clearly felt. The interior of the room was as large as a small room, like a bank vault.

Rintaro tossed a stack of papers from a wall of drawers into a bag without looking at the contents.

With all this commotion, it won’t be long before people come rushing in.

「……Clear the name, Clear the name(おめいばんかい、おめいばんかいッスぅ), ssu……」

Samecchi chanted the incorrect phrases like a Buddhist prayer and opened one large drawers after another. The contents of these drawers include a prototype weapon, a high-end violin case, and what appears to be a mummified kappa.

Gripping the handle of one strangely heavy drawer, Samecchi put all her weight on it.

「Mumumu, ssu! Only this part is really hard, ssuuuu!　……Fugyaan!」

It seemed something got stuck. The drawer slid open with such force that Samecchi tumbled from one end of the vault to the other.

Samecchi continued to roll back until she arrived at her original place, her eyes widened as she peered inside the drawer. Inside was a bright red file and something long and rod-like wrapped in black cloth.

「Harararararara… it’s spinning around…」

『Rintaro, Samecchi, Kirika! The staffs are on their way to you. You have approximately 30 seconds until they arrive……! Hurry up!』

「Awa, ssu! No other choice but to do this, ssu!」

However, the bag she had prepared was already at full capacity. Samecchi forced the rod-shaped package into the back of her tights and placed the red file in her mouth.

「Hamumumun, ssu!」

「Samecchi, I will lift you!」

Rintaro and Samechi jumped out of the vault and the door to the Director’s office was kicked down at about the same time.

「That’s enough, bandits! Be obedient!」

A short-sleeved man rushed to the scene and shouted as soon as he saw the three intruders. It was the first time in twelve hours that Rintaro had heard that hot, energetic voice.

The alarm and mysterious vibrations had stopped the elevator. Retto had run up the emergency stairs of the 40-story building.

「You again, Red! How many times do you have to get in my way before you’re satisfied?」

「The voice is… Death Green! What a brazen bastard to break into the hero headquarters!」

「I don’t want to hear that from you! Mayuzumi, the explosive! Do it!」

As if on cue, Kirika presses the switch in her hand. Without a pause, the small bombs installed on the window frames all spark off at once.

Less than 10 days after its completion, the top floor of the new Hero Headquarters building was shattered.

Then, as if timed, a loud rotor noise came.

「Everyone! Please jump in, oraui!」

A high-speed helicopter driven by the zako fighters appeared outside the window. A storm blew into the room, sending papers scattered on the floor soaring.

「Nice timing. It’s not quite perfect, but it got the job done! Let’s retreat!」

「Roger that!」

「Hamumu, ssu!」

「Kuh! Damn you…… I won’t let you get away, Death Green!」

Ignoring Retto who tried to stop them, Kirika and Rintaro jumped onto the rope ladder hanging from the helicopter.

The moment when Samecchi, the last remaining, was about to take off.

Gogogogogogogogogogogo……

Again the entire building vibrated loudly.

Samecchi’s foot got caught just before she took off, causing her to lose momentum.

「Hamomomomoffu!!」

「Samecchi, hold on!!」

Without hesitation, Rintaro released his hand from the rope ladder. He flipped his body and grabbed the hand of Samecchi, who was being pulled down by gravity.

「Senpai!」

Kirika, who was also holding onto the rope ladder, reached out her arm to grab Rintaro’s body. The moment her fingertips touched the soft-to-the-touch tights, Kirika clutched them selflessly.

Byoyoyoyon, the elastic fabric stretched like a bungee cord from around the buttocks of the tights that Kirika was holding.

It was literally just the skin of his teeth…no, just the skin of his tights.

「Phew, the tights saved your life, senpai.」

「Wait wait wait a minute! It’s coming off, it’s coming off!!!」

「Hamomo! Hamumumumuffuu!!!」

Almost suspended in mid-air, Rintaro’s group looked at the top floor of the government building where they had just been.

「What a bunch…… Damn, if only I have my gear……!」

The figure of Retto, clenching his fists in frustration, grew further and further away.

As the helicopter pulled away, the full extent of the new Hero Headquarters building comes into view. The sight left everyone speechless, from Rintaro down to Samecchi, Kirika, and the zako fighters.

Gogogogogogogogogogogo…………

When they were inside, they didn’t notice, But.

The new Hero Headquarters building, 40 stories high and 200 meters above the ground. The building was broken into two pieces.

But the surprises didn’t stop there.

「……What…… is that……?」

Rintaro forgot about his stretched-out tights and couldn’t help but marvel.

Only an odd silhouette emerged from the darkness of the night.

A government building split in half.

Standing at the center of it all was a huge humanoid shadow.

---

<168: Hero Headquarters Infiltration Operation Again
170: Kazami Masayuki>