Chapter 34 : Second Match (2)

The atmosphere was painfully awkward.

No one dared to speak first.

Everyone kept stealing glances at Kabi, clearly unable to forget what they saw yesterday—her crawling around the

operating room floor like a zombie, completely exposed.

Even though I had personally gone to Olbi, Way, and Kabi one by one to call them to the Kage training hall, no one

seemed to appreciate the effort. They didn’t even say a single word.

To be honest, I didn’t know how to start the conversation either, so I just kept my mouth shut.

But the problem was, if I acted even a little friendly, Kabi might sneak up on me again and beg me to press her “happy

button.”

Still, I couldn’t treat her coldly either—she was too valuable for the upcoming mission.

So what the hell was I supposed to do?

Surprisingly, it was Kabi who broke the suffocating silence first.

“Senpai.”

yeah?”

“About yesterday…”

Her face turned red as she tightly shut her eyes, clearly remembering the humiliation.

“Please forget what happened yesterday. That wasn’t the real me. It was because… the system reset caused side effects and

glitches to overlap…”

 I see. Don’t worry too much. People like us with lots of cyberware often experience emotional spikes or strange behavior

during resets.”

Of course, after I talked with Schneider yesterday and wandered around the Kage safehouse a bit, I figured Kabi would be

waking up around now and returned to my room.

Even from outside the door, I could hear her loudly kicking the bed and screaming into her pillow.

But hey—everyone has moments like that.

So please, promise you won’t use the Pleasure Amplifier again.”

 I can’t promise that.”

“We both know why you installed that weird thing in my head, right?”

Now that she mentioned it, I had explained it to her yesterday—though I forgot for a second because she’d said, ‘Please

call me senpai again’ in such a disturbing way.

I told her she was now my Tegomma, and if she didn’t behave, I’d use the amplifier to subdue her.

The real reason was I didn’t want to kill or release her, so I was keeping her like a hostage.

But honestly, that’s not so different from making her a Tegomma, is it?

“You just want to turn me into a s*ave.”

“That’s right.”

At my firm reply, Kabi’s already red face turned bright crimson like it was going to explode.

But why was she so embarrassed by the word “s*ave”?

Why was she fidgeting like that?

Are you really ashamed of being called a s*ave?!

Then what does that make Way, who became my s*ave before you?!

“I only said ‘s*ave’ to help you understand. The real term is Tegomma.”

“But yesterday you said Tegomma is basically the same as a s*ave.”

“No way! Tegomma is a term from Japanese shogi. It means capturing an enemy piece and reusing it as your own—it’s

totally different from a s*ave!”

“‘Tondemonai’? What does that mean? No one here speaks Japanese except you, so stop saying stuff only you can

understand, idiot.”

“Way. Kabi and I understand every language thanks to our implants. So really, you’re the only one here who doesn’t know

Japanese.”

“Etsu! Uso! (No way! That’s a lie!)”

Wow.

Way’s been hanging around Olbi so much he can now curse in Japanese.

So then why was he complaining about Olbi using Japanese?

“I see. So Tegomma means that. But whether it’s a s*ave or a Tegomma, either way, I have to betray the Order and join

you, right?”

“That’s right.”

“And you installed the amplifier in my brain to control me, just in case I betray you.”

“Exactly.”

“Then use this instead.”

Kabi reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, roughly made button.

“What is it?”

“It’s a remote that can turn my artificial heart on and off.”

My thumb, which was about to press it out of reflex, froze in place.

“Seriously? This can actually stop your heart?”

“Yes.”

“How do I know that’s true?”

“Try it. When the heart stops for a few seconds, it hurts, but I won’t die.”

It hurts, but she won’t die…?

That means she already tested it. Yesterday or today.

Who in the world tests whether their own heart stops properly?!

“My heart’s ready. Press it whenever you want. I really don’t mind.”

Why is her face turning red when she’s telling me to stop her heart?

I get being embarrassed about yesterday, but why now?

no, it’s okay. I’ll trust you for now.”

Kabi looked a little disappointed.

Why the hell are you disappointed?!

This girl was starting to freak me out—more than confused, I was now actually scared.

And so, another long silence fell over the training hall.

As I was worrying about how to fix the now completely broken atmosphere—

“Good morning, everyone! Did you all sleep well—”

Schneider cheerfully walked in, belly jiggling, then stopped dead when he felt the tension in the room.

“Did I come at a bad time?”

“No, you’re just in time! What I asked you for yesterday?”

 here it is.”

Thud.

He dropped the pile of items he was carrying onto the table.

“But Schneider, do you usually handle minor deliveries yourself? You looked super busy last time. Can’t you get someone

else to do it?”

The Kage safehouse I used to visit was just a small bar run by Inori and Olbi.

But this place was massive—Kage staff seemed to come and go often, so it didn’t look like they were short on hands.

Schneider twitched his mustache and replied like it was obvious.

“Leilia, I think you misunderstand how serious this mission is. This might put us at odds with both the Kyro Society—

Haven City’s most powerful religious group—and one of the top five megacorps, Virasion. Even Kage isn’t confident

handling this. So of course I have to be directly involved.”

“Oh, I see.”

Yeah, come to think of it, it’s way too big to call a “minor” mission.

“What are you saying? Oppose both Kyro and Virasion? Leilia might have no choice, but who else would be crazy enough

to do something like that?”

Unlike Schneider, who talked to me yesterday, or Olbi, who was already used to my madness, or even Kabi, who’d picked

up the gist of things—

Way looked totally lost.

“Who would do something like that?”

“You.”

“My precious Tegomma #1! Mr. Way Fernandez, you’re going to be that crazy guy! Congratulations!”

I clapped enthusiastically, and Kabi joined in awkwardly.

Everyone else just sat there looking sour.

“Me?”

“Oppose Kyro and Virasion?”

Why?”

Me? This? Why?

That line of questioning sounded very familiar—and mildly irritating.

“Need me to say it again? You’re my Tegomma. You go where your master goes, even into hell.”

“Wait… fine. Let me at least hear what the plan is.”

Way gave up and dropped into his chair, holding his forehead.

“Listen up. On June 2nd, we’re going to rescue the Saint.”

“What?”

“The Saint? You mean that girl Kyro claims can perform miracles?”

That was Olbi, Kabi, and Way’s reactions, in that order.

Kabi must’ve already known.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Leilia, didn’t we agree that whole ‘Saint’ thing was a scam? Wasn’t Wolfhild already stirring

up enough trouble spreading that Connect nonsense? Why add fuel to the fire?”

“I’m not some divine Saint who performs miracles. I’m just the strongest man in human history.”

“Man…?”

“But Veritas… she really is a Saint. Everything she showed me was real.”

I literally owe her my life. How could I deny that?

…Wait, does that mean what Semolina said about Shamayim and the gods is also true?

As an atheist nun, that thought shook me to the core. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Anyway, Virasion is going to kidnap her. I’m going to stop it.”

“That’s on June 2nd? How do you know?”

Olbi narrowed his eyes.

“That’s a secret.”

“Oh please.”

“Why would Virasion kidnap a Kyro Saint?”

Way again.

I didn’t go into full detail like saying the evil heads of Virasion and the Kyro Society were in cahoots.

“Bad guys doing bad stuff. Probably about money.”

“You’re skipping the most important part, Senpai. Even if the Saint’s kidnapped—why are you trying to rescue her? Didn’t

you leave the Kyro Society and reset your implants to be done with them?”

True. I did leave because I hated them.

Funny how life turns out.

“Veritas is my friend. A very dear friend. That’s why I want to save her.”

The three lackeys went quiet—probably expecting a bigger reason.

Only Schneider, who already knew the story, didn’t react.

“To stand against such powers for a friend—how noble,” Schneider said with a smile.

Olbi cut in quickly.

“Schneider. You knew everything?”

“I did.”

“And you still agreed to let Kage support this insane mission?”

“Well, I owe Leilia something.”

“What else would an information broker want? Information. She gave me something valuable.”

What can you say when your own boss says that?

So. That’s one down.

“I think I’d rather walk into literal hell.”

“When this mission’s over, I’ll release you from being Tegomma.”

Really?”

“Yup. When have I ever lied?”

Way still looked unsure, but I could tell he was starting to get hopeful.

In 2075, this whole “Tegomma-s*ave” thing is ridiculous…

But a s*ave who’s grown used to their chains doesn’t realize how wrong it is.

Well, lucky for me.

“Senpai.”

“Yes, Kabi. What do you want?”

Please don’t say “press the happy button.”

“I don’t think we should rescue the Saint.”

why?”

I didn’t mean to, but my voice came out irritated.

But Kabi answered seriously.

“Because the Order already knows you’re planning to rescue her.”