Vol 4 Chapter 14 – Humans Don’t Die as Easily as I Thought (【Revolver Maid】 Arc)

A few days after Empress withdrew from Hokkaido.

In the seaside cave, there were two figures.

“Humans don’t die as easily as I thought.”

That was the first thing Sugiyama said when confronted with the corpse-filled well. The area reeked of decay, and a heavy atmosphere hung in the air.

“…No, though it’s practically a miracle to be unscathed after being caught in the explosion.”

The speaker—a woman in a white coat, Nee-chan—looked slightly surprised.

“Our base burned to a crisp, didn’t it? ——— or rather, the ‘entire town’ did.”
“It burned even more than expected.”
“Who was it that was watching the town burn with a smile!”
“———Sorry, sorry. My bad.”

Nee-chan clasped her hands in apology. There wasn’t an ounce of sincerity in it. Sugiyama sighed.

“Well, it’s fine, as long as this ‘well’ and ‘offering’ remain intact.”
“This is really in bad taste.”
“—————Weren’t you the one who came up with the idea in the first place?”

Sugiyama looked exasperated. The corpses spilling from the well were half-rotted, with swarms of insects emerging. For ordinary people, it would be utterly repulsive. Yet Nee-chan, wearing gloves, handled them like a child playing with a toy.

“How many have gathered so far?”
“Ninety-seven!”
“I see. Just a few more, huh?”
“I think it’ll remain like this for a while, thanks to some unnecessary interference.”

Nee-chan nodded in satisfaction and stood up. She discarded her gloves and pulled out her cell phone.

“Well, aside from that interference, there’s something I need you to do, Sugiyama.”
“I’ll do anything I can.”
“That’s the spirit. I can count on you.”

Sugiyama looked at the screen of the cell phone Nee-chan handed over. On it was a picture of a woman.

“…Who exactly is this?”

Sugiyama asked, confused. Someone she had never spoken to—a complete stranger. Seeing her hesitation, Nee-chan spoke up.

“———————Sugiyama, do you know about ‘Empress’?”

“Empress… you mean the gigantic criminal organization?”

———————Empress. It’s a colossal criminal organization that nearly everyone in this world knows about. They commit heinous crimes day after day, yet only their brainwashed, doll-like minions are ever caught, while the executives have never once stepped into the spotlight. To Sugiyama, Empress embodied all the evil in the world.

“This is an executive of Empress.”
“……What!?”

Displayed on the cell phone was a photograph of Satuki’s face.

“Is such a beautiful woman really an executive of Empress?”
“Yeah, it’s quite shocking, huh.”
“Hmm….”

Sugiyama, still astonished, continued.

“I understand that this woman is an executive of Empress, but what exactly should I do?”
“Well, it’s a simple task.”

Nee-chan’s expression shifted dramatically.

“—————Sugiyama, I need you to find someone.”

It was like a predator stalking its prey.

“Finding someone…?”
“Yeah. Do you remember the face of the person who caused the explosion?”
“I don’t remember the details, but I do recall some features—like blue hair, for instance.”
“Hmm… well, I guess that’s enough.”

Sugiyama seemed lost following Nee-chan’s monologue. Nee-chan continued.

“This interference was caused by Empress.”
“……Really?!”
“Yeah. So it’s Empress’s fault both for causing the explosion and for kidnapping Kuroko.”
“Kuroko… I see.”

At the mention of Kuroko’s name, anger welled up in Sugiyama. While she had been caught in the explosion and rendered unconscious, Kuroko was abducted. That was her greatest loss; she didn’t know where to direct her fury.

“……It’s been a while since I saw you this angry, Sugiyama.”
“Yeah, I do have some things to think about regarding this case.”

Sugiyama found it odd to feel this way, then asked a new question.

“But why do you say Empress is the mastermind?”
“It’s simple. ————— because the person in that photo we just saw said so.”
“……Huh?”

Sugiyama’s eyes widened. That can’t be possible. It’s just like——————

“—————Does this mean that this person has ‘betrayed Empress’?”
“Correct. She’s now one of my allies.”

Nee-chan then showed another photo. It displayed Nee-chan and Satuki together.

“……I’m shocked. I never thought you’d even turn someone from Empress into an ally.”
“Well, with my abilities, it’s no big deal.”

“I understand the situation. For now, I plan to find the person who caused the explosion and rescue Kuroko as soon as possible.”

Sugiyama’s eyes filled with determination. She steeled herself, intent on saving her precious comrade as the head of the organization.

From behind her, a third voice spoke up.

“—————May I help with that?”

The voice belonged to a Judicator dressed in an all‑white tracksuit.

“Oh, Kaneshiro‑chan, are you alright?”
“Thanks to some mad scientist, I guess.”

Seeing the Judicator glaring at Nee-chan, Sugiyama expressed her concern.

“You’ve just gotten up; you don’t have to overdo it, you know?”
“No, I’m already fine. I’d be happy to help.”

Sugiyama noticed that the Judicator’s left arm was missing.

“Hmm…? Oh! I can still feel my left arm, so it’s fine—my dominant arm is my right, after all.”

At the moment of the explosion, the Judicator had positioned herself protectively in front of Sugiyama. As a result, she lost her left arm.

“Compared to life, it’s a small price to pay—just one arm.”
“Don’t you say that.”
“Hehe, I’m sorry.”

Nee-chan’s lips curved into a mocking smile at the Judicator.

At that moment, Sugiyama suddenly spoke as if she’d just remembered something.

“—————Ah, Nee-chan, I almost forgot something!”
“……? What is it?”
“Actually, it’s not just Kuroko I want to rescue; there’s another person I’d like to help.”
“Oh? Weren’t you guys a trio?”
“This man has also joined our group.”

Sugiyama handed Nee-chan a photograph. In it was a picture of a man.

“Heh….”

Upon seeing the photo, Nee-chan —————
“———————What a fine man.”

She beamed with a full smile.