"So, Takitsubo, why are you saying anything good about that guy?! He's absolutely awful!" Frenda stared wide-eyed at Takitsubo Rikou in disbelief as they walked.
"That Great Demon King is super terrifying," Kinuhata Saiai said, shivering and hugging her arms. "There are many kinds of disgust in the Dark Side, but that Great Demon King is the most super disgusting kind. Especially his capricious personality. You can never guess what he's going to do next."
"That's true, but judging from the intel, he hasn't actually done anything horrific. He was probably just trying to scare us," Takitsubo said groggily, her half-closed eyes staring straight ahead.
She didn't have any particular good feelings toward Takahashi Yuuya, but she didn't harbor deep hatred either. After all, the real culprit behind their current predicament was General Superintendent Aleister, who had forcibly transferred ITEM's command to Yuuya. Technically, Takahashi was just utilizing the tools he was given.
"Huh? Why would you think that way, Takitsubo?" Kinuhata frowned. "I super don't think that Great Demon King is just talking nonsense."
"But he is our direct commander now. If we constantly antagonize him, we will probably have a very hard time," Takitsubo reasoned softly. Since they couldn't change the facts, they might as well adapt to survive.
"That's exactly why I'm super troubled!"
Kinuhata buried her face in her hands. "This is super unlucky! What a super terrible outcome!"
Frenda and Kinuhata both sighed simultaneously, their shoulders slumping.
"There's nothing we can do to change this..."
Mugino Shizuri crumpled her empty iced coffee cup in her fist, crushing the plastic to vent her immense frustration.
"Hey, Mugino, try to take it super easy," Kinuhata warned cautiously.
"I know! Really!" Mugino snapped irritably.
"Let's just get to the meeting spot."
...
District 7. An Open-Air Ice Cream Parlor.
Iisu Rita, Sakuragi Naru, and Yakumaru Itsuki were sitting at a patio table, nervously clutching their cold drinks. Their eyes occasionally darted over to Yuuya and Kozaku Mitori, who were sitting at an adjacent table.
'Is that girl going to be our teammate too?'
Rita wondered, observing Mitori. 'Her purple eyes are filled with darkness, and she exudes an aura of pure hatred. But she looks very capable.'
'The Number One, Accelerator, is also a team member... This is insane,' Rita thought, her mind spinning. 'We were originally just a low-tier squad taking orders from a Board Director. I never expected to be drafted into a supreme Dark Side organization directly under Aleister! We'll probably become infamous throughout Academy City.'
'But... in an organization this powerful, surrounded by Level 5 monsters... can we really survive?'
None of the girls in Scavenger had actually wanted to join the Dark Side. They were forced into the shadows because there was no place for "defective" students to survive in the light of Academy City.
"Hey. When are you taking me to see Dolly?" Mitori asked impatiently, sitting across from Yuuya.
"Call me Captain," Yuuya said indifferently, sipping his drink.
"I haven't seen Dolly yet," Mitori retorted stubbornly.
"You're really stubborn, but I actually like that kind of personality," Yuuya smiled playfully. "If you'd like to call me 'good brother' and give me a kiss right here, I can take you to her immediately." He tapped his cheek.
"Are you the reincarnation of some perverted old ghost?" Mitori propped her cheek on one hand, looking at him with utter disgust.
"Always using such low-level, sleazy humor to flirt with girls? This kind of womanizing is just pathetic."
She felt she had a pretty good read on what kind of person this guy was.
"No, no, no. It's completely normal for a teenage boy. I'm just being honest," Yuuya defended himself shamelessly. "It's the guys who act outwardly respectful but harbor dark, twisted thoughts who are truly disgusting, aren't they? I wouldn't underestimate the bond you share, Mii-chan."
Mitori's pupils contracted violently.
Mii-chan. That was the secret, affectionate nickname Dolly had given her.
'How could he possibly know such deeply private matters?!' Mitori's heart raced. 'Is Dolly... is she really still alive?!'
Despite her cynicism, a slight, hopeful smile involuntarily appeared on her lips.
"Okay. I believe you. I'll bear with this a little longer," Mitori said softly.
"Ah, they've finally arrived," Yuuya said, looking down the street with a smile.
Mitori and the Scavenger girls looked over, fixing their gazes on the four older girls walking toward the patio.
"Gulp..."
Frenda looked at Yuuya under the patio umbrella. She immediately began trembling, her hands involuntarily tightening their grip on the nearest person.
Kinuhata frowned, trying to pry Frenda's vice-like hands off her shoulders.
"Frenda, you have a super strong grip! You're digging into my flesh!" Kinuhata complained with great dissatisfaction. "You're about the same height as me, so even if you're scared and try to hide behind me, it won't help! Go hide behind Takitsubo!"
Although Kinuhata's Level 4 Offense Armor gave her incredible defensive capabilities, a teammate grabbing her shoulder in terror didn't trigger the automatic nitrogen shield.
"Hehe... sorry! It's just... I have psychological trauma now!" Frenda chuckled nervously, playfully sticking out her tongue.
That terrifying guy had nearly scared her to death during their last encounter. Anyone who could casually tear a factory apart with his bare hands was too scary for her to handle.
"If you're super scared, then you shouldn't have come," Kinuhata muttered.
"If I hadn't come, that guy would definitely have killed me!" Frenda shuddered, cautiously glancing at the Great Demon King.
"Frenda, you'd better shut up and watch your mouth," Mugino Shizuri hissed, glaring fiercely at the blonde bomber.
"Yes, ma'am!" Frenda immediately stood up straight, acting completely obsequious.
"You've finally arrived. I've been waiting for you for twenty minutes," Yuuya said, gesturing to the empty chairs around his table.
"U-Um, excuse me... what do you need us for, super Captain?" Kinuhata found a seat, her muscles tensed up as if she were sitting across from a starving tiger.
Seeing Kinuhata talking directly to Yuuya, Frenda quickly scrambled to the seat furthest away from him. She sat up straight like a model student, looking at Yuuya with a perfectly well-behaved, innocent expression.
Mugino and Takitsubo also found seats and sat down.
At the adjacent table, Iisu Rita's eyes widened instantly. She felt as if she had just been plunged into an ice bath. Cold sweat broke out on her brow once more.
'It's a Level 5... AGAIN!' Rita screamed internally. 'If I remember correctly, that tall woman with the brown hair is the Number Four! Meltdowner!'
Rita knew perfectly well that Meltdowner was the leader of ITEM, an elite A-Rank assassin organization directly under the Board of Directors. They were in a completely different league compared to small fry like Scavenger.
'Even the terrifying elites of ITEM are treating the Number Eight with the utmost fear and respect! What on earth is going on here?!'
Rita looked at Naru and Itsuki, seeing her own absolute shock mirrored in their eyes. Accelerator, Meltdowner, and the Space Master. This unit was an apocalyptic force of nature.
"Let's get down to business," Yuuya said, his playful expression fading into absolute seriousness. He tapped his index finger lightly on the table.
"I have a very important first mission for all of you. It's a kidnapping... or, if things get messy, you can simply destroy their entire organization. Whichever you prefer."
Yuuya looked at his newly assembled Dark Side army.
"The target is the MAR (Multi-Active Rescue) unit. I want you to infiltrate their facility and bring Therestina Kihara Lifeline directly to me. As long as she's breathing, I don't care what condition she's in."
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