Chapter 20: No, that can’t be right, can it?

Just as Aizen Sou Hazuki had thought.

The girl’s calf was pale, slender, almost no curve at all, giving off an impression of extreme fragility. Yet the muscle was unexpectedly soft and plump; when her fingertips sank in, she felt warm, cottony give, like touching fresh snow.

So Aizen Sou Hazuki rubbed it once, then gently pinched again.

A rabbit.

The thought came unbidden.

It reminded her of the snow-white lop-eared rabbit she had kept in the lab for three months.

Quiet, docile, timid. When fed, it would always gaze up at her with those wet, black-gem eyes, innocent and harmless. But more than that, she remembered the sensation of the scalpel slicing open its belly, the handle trembling in her grip as the rabbit twitched, struggled, stilled… and the thick, metallic scent of dissection filling the air.

Those memories were far more vivid.

“I… I really am poor…”

Oblivious to Aizen Sou Hazuki’s thoughts, Someya Sara barely regained her composure under Xiao Nuosang’s soothing. She shrank back, stammering, “K-kidnapping me… won’t do you any good…”

Aizen Sou Hazuki said nothing. She simply leaned forward a little, staring, completely focused, at the fragile, pitiful, wriggling girl in front of her. A moment later, half her face in sunlight, half in shadow, an odd smile unconsciously surfaced.

Pure. Innocent.

The same kind of smile children wear in the park when they crush butterflies underfoot or grind beetles into the pavement, pure, innocent, yet soaked in cruel delight at the disappearance of something weaker.

That was the smile on Aizen Sou Hazuki’s face right now.

“I know.”

From the passenger seat, Kanzaki Sumire glanced at the still-silent Jakui Rinrincho in the driver’s seat, then turned to Someya Sara.

“You’re a blind pauper who stays home leeching off your girlfriend.”

“Then…” Then why kidnap me?

Someya Sara almost asked, but Kanzaki Sumire gave a cold laugh and continued.

“But today we’re kidnapping you anyway.”

“We watched you all day.”

“Yesterday Rinrincho and I were soft and let you go. Today we won’t.”

Hearing Kanzaki Sumire’s last-ditch attempt to save face, Jakui Rinrincho finally spoke.

“Sumire.” Her voice was cool as always, but laced with helpless amusement. “Who was the one yesterday who righteously declared we mustn’t bully the weaklings and physically stopped me from bullying the weakling?”

Kanzaki Sumire: “…”

Kanzaki Sumire: “Nonsense!”

“Hey, hey, Sumire.” Jakui Rinrincho didn’t even try to hide her laughter. “What was that guilty silence just now?”

“Shut up!”

…

While Jakui Rinrincho and Kanzaki Sumire were busy “fighting,” our Miss Someya Sara silently begged Akarin and Little Loneliness to grant her stealth and lower her presence.

“I… I really don’t have money…”

But she couldn’t turn invisible.

She could only whimper the same line, shrinking deeper, trying to escape Kanzaki Sumire’s murderous glare that screamed Some↓ya↑Sa↓ra, you deserve to die! I’ll julienne you a thousand times and it still won’t be enough! while struggling to free herself from Aizen Sou Hazuki’s touch.

Yet the more she struggled, the more one wanted to touch her, to keep going until she showed her most vulnerable side.

“Who said anything about money?”

Kanzaki Sumire’s peripheral vision stayed locked on the trembling girl. So pitiful, so weak. Tiny waist you could circle with one arm, long silver-white hair scattered messily across the seat, making that delicate, adorable face look even more heartbreaking.

Perhaps scared out of her wits, she looked like a soaked little animal: wary, cautious eyes, glossy cherry-pink lips gently bitten by pearly teeth. When she breathed, the tip of a small pink tongue peeked out.

The color was tempting, shy, maddening.

“N-no… since you don’t want money…” Kanzaki Sumire suddenly changed tack, inspiration striking. “Then how about we take your body instead?”

Someya Sara: “…”

Someya Sara: “?”

EHHH!!!

What the heck are you saying?!

This isn’t right!

You three drove such a nice car here, and you’re still parked, aren’t you waiting for Hoshiori Tsukiyo to show up and do some weird car play with her?!

That scene exists in the game!

And didn’t Xiao Nuosang say I’m just a tool?!

Why is Kanzaki Sumire saying this?!

Someya Sara was confused.

Someya Sara was lost.

Shouldn’t they be going after Hoshiori Tsukiyo?

How…

How did it turn into taking her body?!

Someya Sara wanted to cry. Her face went even paler.

“U-um…”

After a moment, she cautiously lifting her head, she tried:

“B-but… I… I already have a girlfriend…”

Go find her instead.

Leave me alone.

QAQ!

“So what if you have a girlfriend? You’re not married yet.”

Kanzaki Sumire had never been a good person. She was merciless toward those she disliked. Back when she still hung out with the yakuza gangs, every delinquent in and around Tokyo who claimed to be tough had been beaten into submission by her alone. They called her: The Legend of Tokyo’s Strongest Noble and Absolutely Vicious Tiger! Kanzaki Sumireko!

But now, looking at Someya Sara’s bloodless face and the utterly wronged expression, she suddenly found it hard to continue.

No, no way!

She scolded herself inwardly.

She’s the enemy.

She tricked me yesterday.

I have to hit hard.

…

“Didn’t you spread rumors that we love doing awful things?” After a long pause, Kanzaki Sumire turned away, avoiding the trembling lips, paper-white cheeks, and tear-soaked, even mistier, emptier eyes.

“You said we used despicable methods to lock your girlfriend in a little dark room. But your girlfriend is perfectly fine, so what do we do?”

She frowned slightly furrowed her brows, as if genuinely troubled.

“Ah!” The next second, she clapped as if struck by revelation. “How about we lock you in a little dark room instead?”

Kanzaki Sumire’s voice was gentle, but the words held no warmth. She was still convincing herself: it’s all this girl’s fault; she lied first and slandered them online. This is just fair, rational revenge. Nothing wrong with it.

*

After leaving Someya Sara’s apartment yesterday, Jakui Rinrincho had immediately put the girl under surveillance and installed cameras in her home. This morning, the new slanderous video was posted at the exact same time Someya Sara had gone out.

Just remembering how she’d been deceived by this girl’s pitiful act yesterday made Kanzaki Sumire furious, like an inflated pufferfish about to explode.

After all, she hated being lied to more than anything, especially by someone this weak. It was the ultimate humiliation!