Chapter 64

I'm now in my part-time job.

There's no customer.

It's in the middle of the night and the boss is out.

I look in the resting room to find a 24 inch led tv.

Looking around, the streets are awfully quiet and empty and I'm the only one in this convenience store.

I smirk and switch on the television, plug in the P6A and starts downloading games on it.

"Karma? Are you playing something?" Says Mino suddenly.

?!

How did she know that I'm?...

"Uh, yeah. Want to join in?" I ask.

"Really? I can?" Exclaims Mino and she immediately appears on the television.

"Woah!?! What the hell... You can jump from devices to devices?!"

"Mhm! As long as it is connected to the internet." Says Mino.

Suddenly, the game says that a second player is connected and I assume that it is Mino.

----------

"Uh... I need healing please!" Says Mino.

*click* *click* *click*

*BOOOM!!*

"E-Eh?!?? Why did you throw me to the front?!?" Exclaims Mino. "I died!"

"Don't worry, look!" I say and immediately execute a combo of skills and kills the boss, my hp is ridiculously low.

"This strategy was the last resort but we still manage to beat a level 200 boss while we are level 59," I say.

Mino pouts. "Using me as bait is a last resort?!"

"W-Well don't be so angry. Look, since we are in the same raid, you still get the loot even if you died!" I say.

"Oh, I did..."

"Yeah. It's all part of the plan... Don't be so angry...?"

"Hmph." Mino still pouts. I can see that she is pissed.

"Ugh... Fine. What do you want?" I say, succumbing.

Mino smiles. "Your legendary T29 darkness spear."

!!!

"What the-...you are trying to scam me aren't you?"

"Hm? I didn't scam you, you ask me what do I want after all." Says Mino.

"Hey, that's my best and easiest weapon to use! Choose something else." I say.

"Hmmm... Fine... Your T26 Dragonic Boots." Says Mino.

"Alright, that's acceptable."

...

"Here, done! Trade complete." I say, placing my controller on the bench and taking a bite of the strawberry doughnut.

*ding dong*

!!!!!

That's the sound of someone entering the convenience store!!

A customer?!?? Or is it my boss?!? Shit!

I immediately turn the television off and rush out to the counter.

"A-Ahem, welcome!" I say, to find Azusa right in front of me. "Oh, it's you."

"You look disappointed by seeing me." Says Azusa.

"Of course I am, you almost gave me a shock."

Azusa points at her lips and points at mine.

Oh... There are still remnants of the strawberry cream on my lips.

"I want to talk with you for a while, you are not getting a chance to refuse." She says.

"Huh? I have a job to do here-"

"I got permission from your manager." Says Azusa.

Tch.

"Fine."

------------------

...

This is my second time in her mansion.

"Don't you feel tired? It's 2 am." I ask.

"How can I fall asleep in front of you? You might kill me after all." Says Azusa.

Huh? What does she mean by that?

Azusa, unlike the last time we met, is being polite for some reason. She speaks normally now, unlike last time when she says everything and acts pridefully.

Not only that, I sense a type of fear in her...

Once we reach her mansion, I realised she increased the security of her mansion by 3 folds, is she being targeted and wants my help?

No... The security is not to pursue intruders... It's to prevent an escape?!

...

I start to glare at Azusa and she gulps.

"Sit down." She says

I sit down on the Sofa.

She hands me a cup of tea and I don't take it. She sighs and places the cup of tea on the small coffee table in the middle.

...

"You want to talk to me about Tobiichi?" I ask.

!!

"You figured it out huh..."

It was just a wild guess, doesn't expect it to be on point.

"Well, to be honest, I don't exactly want to speak about Tobiichi since that bastard deserves it... But those commands you gave to my men, is going too far!"

"Huh?..."

"You wanted my men to kill their entire family!! Why would you want to target them? They are innocent!! And even so, do you think they care about their parents at this age? They are naive and takes their parent's love for granted!! What do you think human lives are? You will not get away with this forever!"

...

"Pfft! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!" I laugh out.

?

...

"Did you just go through all that trouble to say that bullshit? Haha!! Besides, you are one to talk about values and a life's value." I say.

"At least I don't do something like-"

I grab her collar. "Shut up. You are pissing me off the more you talk. So what if you don't kill someone directly? Are you that proud? You should also know at this point, people around us are a human's greatest weakness. The fear of losing a loved one is the easiest to manipulate. Lastly... I show no mercy to anyone who tries to oppose me."

...

I let her collar go.

Azusa narrows her eyes and looks down.

"Tch. Pathetic."

What a waste of time.

"Karma, you will have to bear the consequences of your actions...let me warn you this. As you said just now, your sister will be a prime target." Says Azusa as I was about to leave.

Oh? A warning now huh...

"Sure, bring it."

And I left.

I know that my sister is a prime target but I also did put precautions into place. The hospital she is admitted to is near a police station, she is placed in a room with spy cameras I installed secretly and sensors to trigger the alarm. The alarm will directly send an anonymous signal to the police and trigger a trap in her room.

Of course, I have coded the alarm not to set off using face recognition so that it won't suddenly sound in the presence of staff or a patient.

I also place a little device on my sister's hair clip and clothing just in case all of that fails.

Either way, if the alarm did not set off and my sister disappears, then I know it's one of the faculty members...

I have also considered the possibility of flaws. Although there are a lot of flaws, I have no choice but to only set up plans to counter them and save my sister before it's too late.

I'm running low on manpower and finance. Even after relying on Mino and technology, it is still limited and I cannot stop a kidnap if someone tried, I can only save her.

...

Whatever, all the time wasted travelling here, my shift is already over.

I immediately went back home, take a bath and changed for bed.

-----------

...

*creaks*

...

...

Hm?

I was awoken by a sudden slight noise in my house.

There's someone here... Someone broke into my house... To steal? No... He or she is walking towards my bedroom. Why would a robber be stupid enough to go inside a bedroom? That only means this person is here...to assassinate huh...

...

Because of my enhanced sense of hearing, I can hear every little muffled step to my bed and even the heartbeat. This person is anxious and nervous as if this is their first time.

...

...

The assassin raises his or her knife and aims to slit my throat.

I immediately grab the attacker's hand holding the knife and cut the wrist using my fingers but I did not cut deep enough to kill since my finger is not a blade and the attacker groans slightly in pain before prying her hand away and escaping.

!!!!

It's a woman huh...

... Ponytail... Black hair... And the voice is similar to Reina... Not to mention that strength, she can pry her hand away despite me holding it firmly.

Are my suspicions about Reina true all along?

...

I need to confirm it tomorrow.

-------------

I visit Reina and Ika the next day.

Hm?

I can see a bandage on Reina's wrist.

"Where is that bandage from?" I ask.

"Oh, this? I don't know what happened but my friend suddenly flips out and accidentally cut me hehe..."

"Friend? Who?"

"It's someone in her school, it is my first time seeing her too." Says Ika.

What?

That's odd... Is this a coincidence or?...

But if my suspicions are right, why is Ika in with this too?

Ugh... I'm not some sort of detective Conan or something!!! I can't do this shit!!...

But, I have no choice. I have to try to figure out what is happening...

The sixth stage will be a good place to find out if Reina is trying to backstab me.

"What's wrong?" Asks Reina.

...

"Reina, mind turning behind?" I ask.

??

She shows me a confused expression but still did so.

!!

I see...

"Reina, mind letting me meet that friend of yours who cut you?"

"Eh? She doesn't like meeting with strangers though."

"Hmm, then just the name is enough."

"Name? She's Hazuki Iroshi."

Hazuki Iroshi.

...

"Mino, help me find more about this person."

"Understood!"

For now, I will have to wait. I really can't jump to conclusions yet.

But there's one thing I know:

Someone is trying to kill me one way or another now.

...

Tch.

Don't they know to mind their own business? I don't bother with people who don't mess with me.

Anyways...

I look at my phone and smirked.

Time to collect my rewards from Stage 3.

Mino manages to find Kozumi's(flowerbloom) new phone number. Turns out she did not avoid my call, she just changed her phone number purposely.

I call her and waited for a bit.

"Hello? Who is this?" Says Kozumi?

"Hi~"

!!!!

"K-K-Karma??!!?!! H-How?! How did you get this number?!?! I changed my number!!"

"Oh come on, you are such a sore loser. I kept my promise and you should too!" I say.

"Y-You want to marry me that much?!" Exclaims Kozumi.

Marry? Wait, did I say I want to?

"Ah uh... No. I only said that last time to agitate you. My bad."

"Wha-..."

"But, let's meet up. I need you to help me with something, don't forget, you bet and lost."

"Tch... Fine." Says Kozumi.

"Don't worry. It will be short, I will also give some information about Stage 6."