Vol 4 Chapter 18 – Stalker (【Revolver Maid】 Arc)

I hate happiness.
No, to be precise… I hate happiness that isn’t my own.
How about you?
…Oh, really? How unexpected.

When I see people happily strolling through the city, I become irritated.
I want to shatter your happiness.
Is that wrong?

Haha, I see.
Well, I can’t say I don’t understand your way of thinking.
But seriously, think about this:

“No matter how much suffering you endure, they keep living happy lives.”

Heh. Got it?
That’s why I killed this woman.
I hated her.
No matter how much I suffered, she remained completely nonchalant.

You say that she was suffering too?
Hmm… well then,
I killed her simply because I hated her.

——————————————————

I first sensed something was off when she rejoined after having gone missing.
Her expression was unusually calm.
The timing of her reappearance was almost too perfect.
Her gaze swept over us, as if she were following a pre-written script.
I don’t trust every member of our organization, but none would act unless they meant to cause harm.
But she… Satsuki Tsutsuka would undermine the organization.
That’s what I felt.

Honestly, all I could say was “unexpected.”
At the very least, I assumed that anyone chosen as an executive would be loyal to the Boss.
I, too, have deep gratitude and respect for the Boss.
Even Meido Arisu—even the one who’s now become a problem—seemed that way.
Well, in her case, it was abnormal…
With this incident, I’ve come to realize that not all the executives can be trusted.
Now that the Boss is unlikely to awaken, the organization called Empress is on the brink of collapse.
That must be prevented at all costs.

“…Email, huh?”

I check the message from the notification on my cell phone.
The sender was Hirata Shizuku.

…

To break through this situation, I shared the information with the people I trust.

『I had my executives look into it, and it seems there’s almost no doubt—they’re almost entirely “kuro” (see notes).』

That was a message from Hirata Shizuku—she is the person I trust most among my executives.
Despite her youth, she possesses a charisma that earned her a direct appointment by the Boss as his proxy.
She has a brilliant mind and has contributed significantly to Empress.
Even by that alone, I can trust her completely.

However, the reason I trust Hirata Shizuku above all is her abnormal fixation on the Boss.
That intensity is almost on par with Meido Arisu’s.
Crossing that line, it might even be considered stalking.
And that’s precisely why I trusted her and provided the information.
The effect was immediate.

『Satsuki Tsutsuka goes to a hotel in Tokyo every Wednesday night. And every time, it’s the same room number.』

Satsuki rarely discusses her private life, but we know she lives in an apartment in Tokyo.
Now that the organization is barely functioning, there’s no reason for her to be drifting from one hotel to another.

『And, importantly, several people are coming and going besides her.』

Several people… and, of course, they aren’t from Empress.
That makes it highly likely that another organization is involved.

“Hmm… so what is Satsuki Tsutsuka’s objective?” I wonder.

Although many mysteries remain, it seems highly likely that Satsuki Tsutsuka was involved in the recent attack on the Boss.
Could she be secretly planning something?
While detaining her before more trouble arises is possible, it would be best to act only after identifying the involved organization.

Yet there’s still something that doesn’t sit right with me.
I still can’t believe she betrayed the Boss.
But that truth is gradually emerging.
Sure, her actions and words often carried a touch of humor, yet her loyalty to the Boss appeared genuine…
Is it all just a misunderstanding?

“Today is Wednesday, huh…”

With so many questions lingering, I head toward the hotel that contacted me—to verify the facts and confirm that I wasn’t mistaken.

——————————————————

“It seems you’re drawing quite a bit of suspicion, doesn’t it?”

Those were the first words.
Is the person lying before me one of the minions that Hirata Shizuku was controlling?
A bullet had pierced his head, and red liquid flowed across the ground.
There was no doubt—the culprit behind this series of crimes was none other than Satsuki Tsutsuka herself, standing right before me.

“Satsuki Tsutsuka… explain what’s going on.”

Those words finally escaped my lips in sheer disbelief.
In contrast to Kuzuryuu Kazuto’s demeanor, Satsuki Tsutsuka answered coolly.

“I killed him because there was a stalker.”

“A stalker, you say…”

Clutching a revolver in both hands, her face remained exceptionally calm—like that of a hitman who has just finished a job.

“Well, it appears the instigator behind the stalker was someone else.”

Satsuki Tsutsuka shook her head with a dismissive “yare yare.”
This made Kuzuryuu Kazuto heighten his caution.

“—So, for now, let’s settle this one-on-one.”

In that moment, the sound of gunfire rang out.

“…Nice shooting skills.”

A bullet struck the head of the executive standing behind Kuzuryuu Kazuto, and the sound of his quiet collapse resonated in my ears.
Satsuki Tsutsuka, upon witnessing the scene, broke into a wide smile.

“This technique was originally something I acquired from you all, you know.”

“Are you saying that your own lapdog bit you?”

Satsuki Tsutsuka’s eyes widened.

“Fufu, fufufufufu.”

“…Did you find something amusing?”

It was like the laugh of a devil—a laugh filled with madness and malevolence, a laugh that evoked terror.

“Yes, very much so.”

Kuzuryuu Kazuto sensed that this was the first time he had truly seen Satsuki Tsutsuka laugh from the heart.

“Is that the moment your mask falls away?”

“My mask? Ha, well, it does seem that way. Just like the Boss.”

While laughing, she turned and walked away from Kuzuryuu Kazuto.

“Come with me. Let’s discuss something important inside.”