Listening to the man who had wiped out his entire security force in a single instant, Hasaka forced himself to swallow his fear and stammered, "W-who… who are you?"
"Me? Mayor Hasaka, hearing you say that really hurts my feelings. Didn't we just meet not long ago?"
An electronic tone slipped from Roland's voice as he slowly removed the exoskeleton mask from his head.
"Now then, Mayor, you should recognize me, shouldn't you?"
Seeing that familiar face, Hasaka's complexion turned a sickly shade of gray. He swallowed hard and shakily pointed a finger at Roland.
"Vimers, don't be impulsive. If you have any demands, just tell me. There's no need to flip the table like this."
Hasaka was still shocked by the sheer power Roland had shown, but surviving took priority—he absolutely didn't want to die here. Rescue services and insurance wouldn't help him now.
If he angered this man, he'd die all the same. In situations like this, admitting defeat was the smart choice—and he had always been someone who understood the times.
"Hasaka Hammos, there's nothing left for us to discuss. And besides—villains die from talking too much. I've never claimed to be a good person. So… farewell, my dear Mayor."
"Y-you bastard, you— Aaaaagh!!!"
Roland didn't give him the chance to finish. His figure blurred, and he drove the puppet chip straight into Hasaka's body.
When doing something unpleasant, the faster the better. Delay only invited complications.
"Lissandra, send a squad of robots to Hasaka Manor. I need them to ensure our Mayor's safety."
After issuing the command, Roland sat down on the sofa, quietly watching Hasaka undergo the final stages of transformation.
Before long, the man who had been lying with his eyes rolled back, drooling like a fool, slowly moved his gaze. A faint red light began to glow in his pupils.
"Greetings, my master."
Roland nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the "Hasaka" standing before him, eyes glowing red.
"Good. I assume you've fully taken control of his body. From today on, your name is Hasaka. You will help me take control of this city and aid PROJECT Corporation in absorbing Hammos Industries."
"Understood."
The puppet-Hasaka nodded, then stiffly raised his arm and tapped the screen on the desk, initiating a video call with his secretary.
"Mayor Hasaka, what are your orders?"
"I need you to draft a document. 'Plan for Introducing PROJECT Corporation Into Municipal Security Operations.'"
"Huh? But earlier this afternoon you—"
"Hmm?"
"I—I understand! I'll draft it immediately!"
One glance at Hasaka's displeased expression was enough to smother all of the secretary's doubts.
"Good. Next, I want restrictions placed on Hammos Industries' product output."
After giving a series of instructions, Hasaka finally ended the call. By this point, Roland had a clear grasp of the puppet virus's limitations.
The body moved awkwardly, with noticeable stiffness. Fortunately, speech remained unaffected, so the issue wasn't serious. There were occasional spasms as well, but according to Hasaka,
these were only remnants of the original consciousness struggling back—something that would fade completely with time.
Roland didn't bother worrying about it.
With Hasaka—the key piece—now under control, the next step was to move directly against Hammos Industries. All it required was careful setup.
...
One week later, on the rooftop of the Hammos Industries building in Agas City.
Crash!
Papers scattered across the floor as Pico shot to his feet, face twisted with disbelief. On the television in front of him, the global news was broadcasting report after report on Hammos Industries' scandals.
Violent coercion, contract killings, forced acquisitions, kidnapping and extortion, predatory business practices… the evidence was overwhelming. And this wasn't local news—it was global.
That meant only one thing:
Hammos Industries was about to face a total collapse.
"H-how… how is this possible?!"
Pico's expression contorted even further. But soon, he saw something on-screen—something only he and Hasaka knew.
In an instant, the teenager's face flushed with rage.
"Hasaka! What the hell are you thinking?!"
After shouting, Pico immediately called his subordinates, ordering them to begin PR damage control and to inform the city council to initiate impeachment proceedings against Hasaka.
"Yes, yes, understood. I'll begin the impeachment process immediately."
A city councilor answered nervously, glancing up from time to time at what stood in front of him. Only after hanging up did he cautiously sit back down.
A small dog with a chainsaw-like head paced across his desk, baring a maw full of alloy fangs.
The councilor instinctively scooted back a little.
"I've done everything you asked. C-can you let me go now?"
"Don't worry. Our boss honors his agreements. And really, there's no need to resist us so much. Compared to Hammos Industries, our company is far more appealing, wouldn't you say?"
A man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses chuckled, adjusted his frames, and motioned for the Fanged Hound to return.
Only after handling everything did Pico let out a long breath, before slamming his fist down in fury.
He had no idea what Hasaka was thinking, but he was certain the man had made his decision. Confronting him now would gain nothing but unnecessary anger.
What troubled him more was what PROJECT could have offered Hasaka to make him betray his own family and abandon all his existing interests.
At the same time, he began calculating what losing Hasaka meant for Hammos Industries.
First, Hasaka held a significant portion of the company's shares. Combined with other stakeholders, whoever controlled him could threaten Pico's position.
Second, much of Hammos Industries' operations relied on government policy. Losing that support meant losing massive market share, and many branches could be shut down overnight for "violations."
Bang!
"Damn you, Hasaka!"
Pico's face darkened as he continued to think. His attention locked directly onto PROJECT Corporation.
It was the company gaining the most benefit by far. After getting approval from the slums, they had quickly resolved the Flame Kid issue.
When Pico had prepared to move against them back then, Hasaka had stopped him. Remembering that made Pico's expression grow even darker.
He suddenly realized—Hasaka had probably already defected to PROJECT at that time.
After all, PROJECT began establishing factories at a terrifying pace, encountering zero resistance from the government—in fact, they received generous support.
And then there was that damned security document.
A chill shot through Pico.
In just seven days, PROJECT Corporation's armed presence had spread throughout the entire city of Agas.
This was all thanks to Night Corp and the hidden Lissandra factory established earlier.
"No… this can't continue…"
Pico murmured as he sat in his chair. He finally understood that PROJECT's actions had gained overwhelming public support—and now Hasaka himself stood with them.
Even impeachment wouldn't be easy. If Pico didn't act, he would only face a slow, inevitable death.
So…
A ruthless glint flashed through Pico's eyes.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser