In the courtyard of a large and luxurious mansion, a blonde woman sipped tea while waiting for the chief of police, who had called her just a few hours earlier. When he called, he had sounded exhausted and euphoric, claiming he had found a "hope for humanity" or something along those lines. She hadn't quite understood what he meant, as the man was so excited he could barely explain what was going on.
Now feeling anxious, the woman hurriedly drank her tea while glancing at the clock, waiting for Brian to arrive with this supposed "hope for humanity." She didn't want to be pessimistic, but she had heard that phrase so many times before, and it always ended in disappointment. Her expectations were low.
After a few minutes, a maid approached her and bowed politely.
—Eleonora-sama, Chief of Police Brian is here —the maid said, then left and returned shortly with the aforementioned man.
Turning her head toward the man who had just arrived, the blonde woman looked him up and down with an expression of disdain.
—So, what is this "hope for humanity" you were going on about? —she asked, putting heavy emphasis on the phrase.
The man paid no attention to the scornful tone in her voice. Quite the opposite of what one might expect, he smiled as he carefully pulled some devices out of his bag and placed them on the table, right beside a luxurious tea set.
The blonde glanced at what she could only describe as modern art junk or some kind of bizarre sculpture. She picked one up disdainfully to get a better look.
—What is this supposed to be? Is this the hope for humanity? Hmph! They look like cheap Star Trek cosplay props —she expressed her displeasure.
—Believe me, I know they look like pieces of trash!... but —but! I assure you this is exactly what the Fourth Faction needs. Please! Let me show you —the chief of police nearly begged.
Seeing her old friend pleading in such a way, Eleonora closed her eyes for a moment as she considered his request. Brian waited in silence, knowing better than to interrupt her while she was thinking.
—Tsk... fine, fine! Show me how this thing works and what it's supposed to do —the blonde woman finally said. Brian's eyes lit up immediately, though his expression quickly turned serious.
—Very well. I'll need Specimen 001 for the demonstration.
At those words, the woman nearly choked on her tea.
—Cough, cough You! Do you even realize what you're saying? Do you know how many men we lost just to capture him?! —she asked, stunned.
—I know, and I'll take full responsibility if anything goes wrong with the specimen —he said. Seeing the seriousness in her friend's face, the woman clicked her tongue and reached into her clothing, pulling out a remote control.
—Fine. Now show me what's worth risking your life in such a stupid way —the blonde said. Then, the ground began to tremble violently, and the courtyard split open down the middle.
From the space created by the splitting courtyard, something began to emerge—though it was difficult to make out clearly due to the large number of chains and metal parts bolted to the ground to restrict the creature's movement.
Brian grabbed one of the devices from the table and leapt toward the creature. As soon as it spotted him, it began to thrash with tremendous force. One by one, the restraints that bound it began to give way. Nevertheless, Brian ran toward it with confidence—not without first glancing back at Eleonora.
—Pay attention, big-breasted blonde! Because what you're about to witness will change everything you know about the world. —Eleonora stared at him, incredulous at what he had just said. A single thought crossed her mind:
—He's insane.
Albedo sat with his feet carelessly propped on the table. In front of him was a busty blonde woman wearing a low-cut blouse that left little to the imagination. Her outfit consisted of a white, long-sleeved button-up shirt and a very tight black skirt that accentuated her curves. She had deep blue eyes and a visible frown etched on her face.
Albedo wondered how the woman could even walk, given how tight her skirt was—it looked like it would be hard to breathe, let alone move. The woman, for her part, shot him a piercing look. In response, Albedo gave her a slightly arrogant smile.
Eleonora could barely believe that the boy in front of her was a technological genius—or a genius at all. The foreign-looking child, possibly American or European, didn't look the part. Yet her friend insisted this boy had built the so-called Tadenite Paralyzer, as he had named it.
—First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Eleonora Nakamura. It's a pleasure to meet you —she said, extending her hand. But the boy simply stared at it without returning the gesture, making a vein bulge on her forehead.
—Get to the point —Albedo said, unwilling to waste time. Humans, in his experience, were always going in circles before getting to the real issue. That was a bother he had no patience for.
Clearing her throat, the woman continued speaking.
—Very well, I'll be direct. How many of those Tadenite Paralyzers can you make?
—With the materials I currently have, a few hundred. But if you provide the right resources, I can mass-produce them. In less than a week, I'd have the first 5,000 —Albedo replied, lying about the timeframe. If he wanted, he could easily make 30,000 in just three days. But there was no need to reveal that now.
If Albedo's assumptions were correct, humanity in this dimension was constantly under threat from angels and demons, and lacked the means to defend itself. His plan was simple: due to malfunctions in his DNA stabilizer, he was stranded in this world in the body of a 12-year-old boy. Without access to his transformations—because of the danger they posed—he could only scavenge a few materials to start repairing it. But his child form limited what he could obtain. The best course of action now was to find an ally who could supply what he needed. This so-called Fourth Faction seemed to fit the bill: easily manipulated and satisfied with low-level technology.
—However, I'll be keeping the construction and programming processes to myself. I hope that won't be a problem —Albedo said. He wasn't a fool. He knew that if these humans got their hands on the blueprints, they'd start making demands or try to dispose of him. What he needed now was for them to be entirely dependent on him—not the other way around.
—Of course, that won't be a problem. Just ask for whatever you need, and you'll have it —Eleonora said, hiding a subtle smile. This would be the Fourth Faction's first real step forward since its inception.
—In that case, I want a laboratory equipped with the highest technology you can get your hands on —Albedo said. Eleonora nodded in response. In fact, she had already prepared such a lab before calling him.
—Though I wouldn't be surprised if it's garbage, like everything else made by inferior minds.
Eleonora said nothing in response to the boy's arrogant remark. What could she say? His arrogance wasn't baseless. The technology this child could create from mere scrap was astounding. The Fourth Faction had no shortage of resources—they had recruited an immense number of scientists and inventors—but none of them could build what this 12-year-old could, and with discarded parts no less. It was terrifying to think what he could accomplish with proper equipment.
—Good! With that settled, I'd like to begin negotiating your other benefits—such as your salary —Eleonora said. In response, the boy raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to bring that up. Eleonora's eyes widened in shock.
—Does this kid not plan to ask for anything beyond the lab?
Albedo waved his hand in the air dismissively.
—Those things don't interest me. I'll leave that to your judgment. Just make sure I get what I ask for.
Still surprised, Eleonora nodded slowly.
—In that case, follow me. I've already prepared a lab in advance —She stood and began walking toward the interior of the mansion, but stopped abruptly at the sound of a terrifying voice.
—Wait. —Along with Albedo's incredibly serious voice, the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. A chill ran down Eleonora's spine as she slowly turned until her eyes met the boy's. His gaze was intense—dead serious.
—W-what is it? —Her voice trembled slightly. Internally, Eleonora cursed herself. Why did the calm, composed boy from before suddenly seem so terrifying? Albedo stared straight into her eyes, his red irises glowing with an eerie light that made her uneasy.
—Before we begin, I need you to get me something —Albedo said flatly.
—What is it? —Eleonora responded immediately. She had no idea what could bring such a chilling expression to the boy's face, but she was sure it wouldn't be easy.
—I need… some chili-flavored chips.
—Eh?! —Eleonora blinked in confusion.