Chapter 88
Shurado-san gently placed her hand on my head with a pat. As I trembled, thinking she might rip my neck off, a gentle smile peeked down at me.
"Good job, really good job, Akagi-san!"
She gave my head a good ruffling.
Deep down, I was ridiculously happy. Maybe I should just let myself be tamed.
"The Doctor too! That was impressive, talking back to that great star, Dr. Shita Chichigasky. I've gained a new respect for you!"
Huh? I thought I was the only one getting praised? Why does this feel kind of frustrating...?
"I now understand the full course of events, and it matches the intel we have. Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure you won't be held responsible, Akagi-san."
"Really? Are you serious? But what if there's a massive compensation fee or something?"
"If it's a massive compensation fee, we can just shake down Dr. Shita Chichigasky's wallet and take care of it."
How reassuring is that?
"Well then, I'll be off. I've somehow ended up with some work to do after this!"
Shurado-san polished off a heaping plate of pepperoncino and stood up. I thought, beautiful girls never seem to smell bad no matter what they eat. Period.
"But, I'm still not full..."
Oh? Looks like Shurado-san isn't satisfied. Seems like she's Hungry-dou again today.
"Ah!"
She locked onto my Margherita.
"Let's trade!"
Huh, for what? I thought Shurado-san didn't have any cards left in her hand—but then she picked up the plate with the Margherita from in front of me, smiled, and walked off just like that.
Today's exchange rate
One Shurado-san smile : One Margherita
I think we've really reached the point of no return.
————
——Shurado's perspective
In a corner of the inner sector of the Chiba Class 4 dungeon camp, inside a tent secretly set up and shielded with anomalous substances to prevent any view inside, a report meeting about the Finger Man was underway.
This report meeting was closely tied to the incident that had just occurred at Chiba Civic Hall.
While the public was told it was some kind of gas explosion, agents from the Dungeon Foundation knew from Dr. Shita Chichigasky's testimony that it was actually the work of the Finger Man.
The resulting scenario that emerged was that the Finger Man had attacked Dr. Shita Chichigasky for some purpose, and destroyed his bodyguards—Vladimir Bazarov, the Former A-rank No. 1 'Giant of the Frozen Wastes,' and Shirokko, the S-rank explorer 'Catania's Dust.'
Though there were no civilian casualties, his methods were extremely violent, and blowing up a public facility is obviously an act of outrageous savagery.
"That's exactly why I think the Finger Man should be eliminated."
"No objections, Agent C."
The agents voiced their agreement with Agent C, who was the boss of their boss's boss—a girl from the Outer Sea Six Paths named Chikusendou. Or rather, they had no choice but to agree.
"You never know what that guy—the Finger Man—is plotting."
Saying this, Chikusendou loaded a special magazine filled with 'Sacrifice Bullets' into her modified M1911A1 'Apoptosis' and cocked it.
Even if it could all be covered up, the fact that she was ready to fire a gun in the middle of a Japanese city and kill the Finger Man had the agents swallowing nervously, thinking, "As expected of the notoriously ruthless Agent C..."
Just as Chikusendou was about to stand up—someone threw open the tent flap with a loud swish and walked in.
That person was chewing on a Margherita with a sharp gaze in her eyes.
"I have no choice but to say your judgment is mistaken!"
"...Shurado, what are you doing here?"
The atmosphere in the tent loosened at Shurado's entrance.
After swallowing the Margherita with a gulp, she tucked the plate into her skirt and then pointed directly at the gun in Chikusendou's hand, saying, "The Finger Man, Akagi Hideo, is the hero of this incident! I won't allow such cruel punishment!"
To the confused crowd, Shurado reported the events she had heard directly from the Finger Man.
"——And that's why, in the end, this incident was brilliantly resolved thanks to the heroic efforts of the 'Finger Man,' Akagi Hideo!"
Shurado said this with a deeply satisfied expression.
"The 'Finger Man,' Akagi Hideo."
"Exactly. Oh, and I heard this from Jigokudo-chan. Chikusendou-chan, you spared Akagi-san's life, didn't you? Doesn't that show that Akagi-san isn't humanity's enemy after all?"
"I'm not so sure. You're quite invested in him, but objectively speaking, it's still a fact that he's dangerous. The growth of the black dungeon factors... by consuming the S-rank explorer 'Catania's Dust' Shirokko, he's advanced to another level. And the one who understands that best is you, Shurado."
Chikusendou gave her a dark, piercing look.
Shurado met that gaze head-on, her eyes blazing brightly like fire.
"Akagi-san will be fine."
"That's just your opinion, isn't it? Besides, we agents had already cornered him pretty thoroughly this time. Even without the Finger Man, we could've handled it. There was no need for him to be a hero. It's better to eliminate things we don't understand. We already have stable, reliable forces to depend on."
"Fufufu, that's where you're wrong, Chikusendou-chan."
"What is?"
"Stability and certainty are boring in the face of the unknown."
A dark shadow fell over Chikusendou's eyes.
Shurado's defiant attitude came dangerously close to denying their very strength.
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant. I didn't intend to insult you, Chikusendou-chan."
Shurado immediately apologized in a flustered voice.
With things moving so fast, it was hard to stay angry.
Chikusendou tilted her head and sighed, clearly exasperated by the ever-unpredictable girl.
"I'm not really angry, you know. There's no real reason for me to be angry."
"That's a relief!"
"...But just because something is unknown doesn't mean it'll turn out for the better. Araragi is a perfect example. If that happens, Shurado, can you take responsibility?"
"That won't happen. Because Akagi-san is a hero of justice."
"...I don't get it. What do you mean?"
"You know how they say great detectives need the talent to encounter incidents?"
"That they can't solve cases unless they encounter them in the first place? Why are you bringing that up now? I don't follow."
"It's the same for heroes of justice! What makes them heroes is the ability to appear at the right time, in the right place! No matter how strong someone is, if they're not there, they can't be a hero of justice!"
"......So you're saying the Finger Man has that talent?"
"Exactly right, Chikusendou-chan!"
"That's just coincidence. Logically, there's no way that keeps happening over and over."
"Fufufu, or is it...? (dark chuckle)"
"What's with that face... It's kind of annoying."
Chikusendou let out a sharp sigh.
"I'll hold off on firing the 'Sacrifice Bullet' for now."
"You won't need to fire it. I won't let it come to that."
"Oh really... Do your best to protect him, then."
"I will. This is Shura's repayment."
"...So you owe him something, Shurado?"
"Hehe, well, a few things."
Shurado was recalling a nostalgic memory.
Akagi Hideo's warm kindness, and the desire to repay it.
Once saved herself, Shurado was now trying to save Akagi Hideo in return.