"So what's your plan? I can be the bait, but you still need a hook for this to work."
Although it had already been confirmed that Ravenlock was preparing to make a move against Geno, judging from the previous two encounters, the other side surely knew just how hard Geno was to deal with. On top of that, with the recent news that had broken about Timefield, a great many people now had their eyes on Geno.
The enemy shouldn't be foolish enough to do something so stupid.
"That's exactly why you need to deliberately show them an opening. Tomorrow's Public Security promotional lecture—isn't that a perfect opportunity?"
"The Public Security lecture? They'd make a move in such a public place?"
"In theory, no. But what if I told you that a few unnecessary 'accidents' will happen at tomorrow's lecture... Don't you think they'd seize the chance to stage an accident of their own?"
Geno's eyes narrowed slightly. If things really went the way Jane described, then Ravenlock wouldn't just be turning him into an accident—they'd be turning him into mincemeat.
"What kind of accident are you talking about?"
Geno thought Jane's plan was workable, but he needed to know the more specific details.
"As for that, I—"
"Here you go, Master—your [Sky-Blue Heart Throb-Throb Jingle-Jangle Special Drink]. Please enjoy."
Before Jane could finish, a young maid walked over, carrying a sky-blue fizzy drink in her hands. Looking at her outfit, Geno suddenly remembered—they'd come to a maid café.
That tail... she's a Shark Thirren. Such a rare species... Nekomata would definitely love her.
Geno recalled that his own little cat seemed to have no resistance whatsoever against a mackerel's tail; come to think of it, a shark's tail was probably much the same.
Wait—?! I don't think I ordered this thing. Sky... sky-what again?
Just as Geno was about to ask the maid whether she'd brought the wrong order, Jane—seated across from him—stood up first.
"Looks like today's conversation ends here. Someone will fill you in on the specifics."
With that, Jane even shot the maid a wink, then skillfully made her way toward the kitchen at the back of the shop and slipped away through the escape passage.
Leaving behind only a thoroughly bewildered Geno, who still had no idea what was going on.
"What... is even happening here."
"As for that, Master, could you wait and ask me after my shift ends? I have to clean up now, and I don't like talking while I'm working."
The shark maid pushed her cart back toward the kitchen, showing not the slightest intention of explaining anything to Geno.
And not long after Jane left, a gang of fierce-looking thugs in strange uniforms—their faces full of brutish, fleshy menace—came charging in through the café's front door.
"That guy's gotta be here. Search carefully!"
Seeing this pack of vicious brutes pour in, the few customers still in the shop fled in a panic. Soon the whole place held no one but Geno and this rowdy bunch.
"Tch, that stinking bitch! She got away again?!"
The leader, with no class at all, spat on the floor, making Geno frown slightly.
"Oi! What're you lookin' at, you little punk?! Want me to gut you?!"
Whoosh!
Just as Geno was about to teach this bunch of foul-mouthed thugs—who clearly didn't know the meaning of breeding—a lesson on what manners were, a giant pair of scissors came flying out of nowhere and stuck firmly into the table.
"I could've gone out to study with my friends today..."
A flat voice carrying a trace of resentment reached their ears. Looking up, they saw that the maid who had just served Geno his drink had returned. With one hand she hoisted up that giant pair of scissors, effortlessly smashing apart the solid wood door panel beside her, and with an unfriendly expression she addressed the gang of hoodlums.
"...So you're the ones who got me stuck working overtime?!"
So cool!
Geno couldn't help but blurt out in admiration from the sidelines—coolness on this level, how many hot-blooded shounen manga would you have to read to pull it off?!
Just as Geno was considering whether to make a similar character in his next game, the rest of the thugs had also snapped back to their senses.
"Hmph! What's there to be scared of?! She's just a little girl! Does she really think picking up a pair of scissors lets her play the hero? All together! Take her down!"
The thug leader was the first to recover from his shock, then very smoothly rallied his underlings to prepare for a fair, gang-up-on-one fight.
Hearing this, Geno was about to step in and help, but then he heard the young maid speak up first.
"Tch, what a pain!"
Crunch! The maid bit down lightly, and the lollipop in her mouth was instantly crushed to pieces.
And that sound was like the starting pistol at a sports meet. The maid's figure blurred, and the scissors in her hands opened and snapped shut in wide arcs, tearing into the thugs' bodies like a shark's fangs.
Howling, wailing screams rang out. This gang of thugs didn't even earn the right to fight back before the maid effortlessly mopped them all up, leaving them collapsed on the floor, knocked out cold.
"Tsk, down already? What a waste of time."
Planting the scissors on the ground, the maid looked at the thugs on the floor with a face full of disdain.
These guys, with mouths tougher than their bones—so utterly annoying!
Then she turned her gaze toward Geno and said with a touch of displeasure.
"Please come with me. The boss wants to see you about something."
The... the boss?
It wouldn't be some gang organization or something again, would it?
Putting it together with the scene he'd witnessed earlier, Geno strongly suspected he'd gotten dragged into a gang turf war. But if that were the case, why hadn't Jane taken him along when she left?
No, no, no—more importantly than that, the maid in front of him was obviously still a student, right?
Were gangs already recruiting members this young these days?
"Oi, hurry up and move. Don't waste my time—I've already worked overtime long enough today."
"Oh."
Either way, he'd follow along and see for now—besides, this maid wasn't giving off any sense of hostility.
After the two of them left, another group appeared in the café, gathering up the beaten thugs and carrying them away while beginning to deal with the damage caused by the fight.
Meanwhile, Geno followed the shark-tailed maid out the back door through the staff passage, where he ran into another old acquaintance he hadn't seen in a long time.
"It's been a while, Mr. Geno."
"Lycaon? It's actually you? So that means this young lady is one too."
"Mm, this is your first time meeting, isn't it? This is one of the members of Victoria Housekeeping—Ellen Joe."
"I'm only part-time."
Ellen, scissors and all, leaned against the wall feigning a doze, seemingly unwilling to bother much with whatever the two men had going on.
"Ahem—Ellen, it's work hours right now."
Seeing Ellen so listless, Lycaon couldn't help but speak up to remind her.
Yet why did Geno feel that Lycaon's gesture, rather than a scolding, was more like a helpless compromise?
"Tsk, I got it."
Fortunately, Ellen was still willing to give Lycaon some face, and she obediently stood up straight.
____
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