Vol 4 Chapter 13 – Revenge and Judgment (【Revolver Maid】 Arc)

“Have you heard about that case in the news lately—the one involving a murderer in a maid outfit?”

“Ah… I have. You mean the “Murder Maid Case,” right? It really is exactly as it sounds.”

Sitting on the opposite sofa was a woman with long red hair, dressed in a suit.

She listened with exasperation as the client before her spoke.

“I need you to apprehend the culprit behind the Murder Maid Case.”

“Hah… and what are you going to do once you catch her?”

“Isn’t it obvious!? I’ll exact my revenge with my own hands!”

Oh, here we go again.

(—————There’s no way I can catch a mass murderer like that…)

The Murder Maid Case—an incident that has been causing a stir all over Japan recently.

A murder targeting the late-night hours when hardly anyone is out.

The corpses were dismembered and arranged to form a human shape.

Head, torso, right arm, left arm, waist, right leg, left leg.

Even on its own, that’s enough to make it a macabre case, but the most terrifying aspect lay elsewhere.

That is, the dismembered parts came from different people.

In other words, each incident claimed the lives of seven people.

Perhaps because of the heinous nature of the case, the victims have been coming in endless numbers.

So far, over 50 people have been killed.

(—————There’s no way I can catch a mass murderer like that…)

Setsuna Natsuki, owner and private executioner of the Revenge Agency, was truly fed up.

Lately, many clients had been seeking retribution against the maid responsible for the case.

However, even as a revenge agency, she carefully selected her assignments.

If a case posed a major risk, she would only accept it if the terms were exceptionally good.

——————————————————

“Setsuna-san, please catch the culprit behind this incident!”

She stared coldly at the client, who bowed before her.

“…I understand your sentiment. Now, can you pay the fee? This is an exceptionally difficult case, so the fee will be quite substantial.”

“How much is the fee…?”

Upon hearing that, Setsuna jotted an amount on a blank memo sheet.

It read “200,000,000.”

“Wha—… this amount!?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but this case also poses a significant risk to me.”

“But this fee is nothing short of a rip-off—————”

“If you think that way, then perhaps you should try catching her yourself.”

The client clenched his fist and stared at the ground.

As if concluding a job, Setsuna sipped her tea.

“So, what will it be? If you can pay the full amount upfront, I’ll take the case.”

“…”

There’s no way he could ever pay.

She smiled at the fuming client before her.

(—————Ah, this moment feels so good…)

——————————————————

“Thank you very much. Please, come again anytime.”

“Who in their right mind would come to this rip-off joint!?”

Uttering those words, the client left the office.

After seeing him off, Setsuna let out a deep sigh.

“Sigh… How many cases has that been now, honestly…”

She activated her e-cigarette.

After a moment, she began drawing nicotine into her lungs.

“Ah… it makes me feel like I’m truly alive.”

She reclined on the soft sofa.

It was even more comfortable than a bed.

But she did have a concern.

“But I never get a proper case… everyone keeps coming with requests about the Murder Maid, and it’s not even making any money…”

It was at that very moment…

Knock, knock—the office door was tapped.

Could it be a client?

“Please, come in.”

Following Setsuna’s words, the office door swung open.

“Welcome. What kind of request—”

Just as she finished speaking, Setsuna froze at the sight of the newcomer.

She dropped the e-cigarette she had been holding onto the floor.

And then, before her, appeared —————————

“This is the Revenge Agency? It may be a shabby place, but… can you really get the job done?”

A white-haired, short-cut woman in a pure white tracksuit and—————

“Hey, hey! Let’s at least have a chat!”

She was a silver-haired woman with long hair tied back in a single ponytail, dressed in a black suit, and her energy was unusually high.

Setsuna understood in an instant.
She realized she was in for a troublesome time.

——————————————————

“It’s humble, but…”

“Thank you very much!”

Tension surged within Setsuna.
The two clients seated before her were clearly people who had probably killed many times before—the kind of individuals whom a revenge agent like herself, who had taken lives and witnessed death on numerous occasions, would recognize.
Their unwavering gazes and the look of having nothing left to lose said it all.

“I am Setsuna, owner of this Revenge Agency. What request have you come with today?”

Setsuna hesitantly began to speak.
One of the clients’ eyes lit up, as if to say, “Good thing you asked.”

“This time, our request is a missing person search!”

“…A missing person search?”

(Really? Not a murder case?)

“One of our comrades has been kidnapped. We want you to find our missing companion and also apprehend the culprit.”

“I see… By the way, how many comrades are there?”

The white-haired woman pondered for a moment.

“Just one woman.”

“No, no—you mean one man and one woman, right?”

One of the clients interjected with a disgruntled expression.

“The missing persons number two. Do you have any lead on the culprit?”

“Yes. Although it’s a group crime, we suspect that the main culprit is the woman with blue short hair wearing a black suit.”

“I see… Any other information?”

“Nothing noteworthy.”

“I see.”

(There’s no way I’ll find them with such scant information…)

Setsuna, leaning heavily against the sofa, screamed in her mind.

“Oh, come to think of it, there is one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Earlier I mentioned it was a group crime, but among them was a woman in a maid outfit.”

“A maid outfit? …Hm?”

(That means…)

“Oh, by the way, incidents have been happening recently!”

No more.
I mustn’t say it.
Stop it.

A warning bell rang in Setsuna’s mind.
Drawn in by the cheerful tone, the other client spoke up.

“—————The Murder Maid Case, huh? Quite intriguing.”

“Isn’t that maid suspicious? Why not try catching her before the blue-haired one?”

“That’s a good suggestion.”

As the clients continued their conversation, Setsuna interjected.

“I only assist with revenge. I cannot accept a case unless it clearly falls under your desire for retribution.”

“I’ll pay, if that’s what it takes.”

The white-haired woman said this as she held out the screen of her cellphone to Setsuna.
Her bank account balance was displayed on the screen.
1, 10, 100, 1000, 10000……
(——————————900,000,000?!)

Setsuna’s eyes widened.

“I’m sorry, but I overheard the conversation with your companion earlier. It seems you would accept the case for 200 million, correct?”

“Eh, well, um…”

“Well, if you’re really insistent, 300 million will do.”

The pressure from both clients was overwhelming.
Setsuna had only one answer.

“……I’ll take the case.”

She had narrowly avoided immediate death.

——————————————————

“Great! Then we’ll be leaving for today!”

“Indeed.”

The silver-haired woman said that and quickly stood up.
Following suit, the white-haired woman also rose.
Seeing the two about to leave, Setsuna was taken aback.

“Um, may I ask your names?”

“Oh, that’s right—I forgot to mention it!”

The silver-haired woman clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling.
But behind those eyes——————

“My name is 『Sugiyama Reina』! Please call the white one next to me 『Danjizusha』!”

—————The flames of judgment burned brightly.