After everything on this side was settled, most of the rescued people chose to withdraw from the trial.
They decided to press the distress button and leave.
After all, this secret realm had become far too dangerous. With their strength and lack of trump cards, leaving was the safest option.
However, Lorelei chose to stay and follow Chen Shi's group.
Lance pointed the way for the others, guiding them back through the cave they had entered from.
Once everyone else had left, Steven Stone asked:
"So, Chen Shi—where do we go next?"
At that, everyone's gaze fell on Chen Shi.
Chen Shi twitched.
"…Don't tell me you're all planning to follow me?"
"If not you, then who?" Steven rolled his eyes.
When Tabitha had tried to attack earlier, Steven had seen it clearly—
Chen Shi had taken out a Poké Ball he'd never seen before.
He definitely still had hidden cards.
More importantly—
following Chen Shi meant having Jirachi's protection.
Steven wasn't stupid.
In a place this dangerous—
why wouldn't he cling to a powerhouse?
Cynthia spoke calmly:
"What? Do you want me to leave?"
Chen Shi: "..."
Diantha smiled lightly.
"Chen Shi, just tell us what to do. We'll follow your lead."
Seeing that everyone had made up their minds, Chen Shi sighed.
"Fine. Then let's wake that guy up first."
"He's a Team Magma executive—he should know a lot."
Hearing that—
Lance immediately stepped forward.
"Leave that to me."
As a high-ranking investigator, interrogation was second nature to him.
He walked over to the tightly bound Tabitha.
This guy was truly unlucky—
he hadn't even gotten to send out his other two Elite-level Pokémon before being instantly knocked out by Urshifu.
Lance raised his hand—
Smack! Smack!
Two loud slaps echoed through the cave.
Even Chen Shi could see Tabitha's face jiggle.
"…Wow. Is this the investigator wake-up service?" Steven clicked his tongue.
Seeing that Tabitha still hadn't woken up, Lance frowned.
How hard had that hit been?
Another two slaps followed.
Smack! Smack!
Finally—
Tabitha regained consciousness.
Feeling the burning pain on his face and seeing Lance's cold expression—
he froze for two seconds—
before realizing—
he had been captured.
Lance took out a badge from his pocket.
"Do you recognize this?"
Tabitha glanced at it, frowning as he thought.
"…That looks like a League Senior Investigator badge."
He recognized it because—
two years ago—
he had killed one.
And had seen the same badge.
A smile appeared on Lance's face.
"Good. Saves me the trouble of explaining."
"So—are you going to talk?"
"Or do I make you talk?"
Tabitha sneered.
"Do you even know who controls this secret realm right now?"
"I admit—you're strong."
"But our leader is here. And there are plenty of Team Magma members."
"And I'm one of the three executives."
"You'd better release me—otherwise, when our leader returns, you're dead."
Lance didn't look surprised at all.
He slowly lifted his foot—
and stepped on Tabitha's fingers.
Tabitha's heart skipped.
A bad feeling surged up.
"W-What are you doing?"
Lance crossed his arms and smirked.
"Ever heard of ten fingers, ten hearts?"
Then—
without hesitation—
he stomped down.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed sharply.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
Tabitha screamed in agony.
"You'll regret this! You'll regret this!!"
"I'll remember you—when the leader returns, I'll make you wish you were dead!!"
Chen Shi shook his head.
This guy still didn't understand the situation.
Even if Maxie showed up—
he wouldn't make it in time.
Lance could finish him long before that.
The scene was too brutal.
Cynthia and Diantha instinctively turned their heads away.
Lance said coldly:
"Still not talking? Then let me help you some more."
He threw out a Poké Ball.
A Dragonite appeared.
"What… what are you trying to do?" Tabitha's voice trembled.
"What am I trying to do? Didn't I already tell you?"
"You just didn't cooperate."
"Dragonite—break one of his arms."
"Grru!"
The usually gentle-looking Dragonite turned serious instantly.
As Lance's long-time partner—
it had done this kind of thing many times.
"No! No!!"
Tabitha scrambled backward desperately.
The pain from his crushed fingers—
he never wanted to experience that again.
But Dragonite didn't hesitate.
It grabbed his arm—
and snapped it cleanly.
His arm bent at a grotesque ninety-degree angle.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!"
The screams echoed endlessly through the cave.
Steven shivered.
"…That's brutal."
Chen Shi chuckled.
"For people like him? This isn't even harsh."
Sweat poured down Tabitha's face as veins bulged on his forehead.
"You bastard!! What do you even want?!"
For some reason—
Lance suddenly got even angrier.
He rushed forward and started punching and kicking.
"Your bones that tough, huh?!"
"I'm asking you—are you talking or not?!"
Punches rained down like a storm.
Tabitha broke down completely, crying and shouting:
"DAMN YOU!!"
"You keep asking me whether I'll talk or not—"
"BUT YOU NEVER ASK WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY!!"
"I WANT TO TALK—but you have to ASK first!!"
…
Silence.
Total silence.
Lance froze mid-punch.
Chen Shi and the others also stared blankly.
The atmosphere—
instantly turned awkward.
After a long pause—
Lance slowly turned his head.
"…Did I… not ask?"
Before anyone else could answer—
Tabitha exploded:
"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T!!"
"You just started beating me!"
"Kept asking me to talk—WITHOUT ASKING ANYTHING!!"
"I WANT TO TALK—but WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT?!"
Lance: "..."
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