Inside the Armored RV.
"Although I'm super glad Mugino is still alive... it's really ridiculous that he did that to her."
Kinuhata Saiai clenched her fists. Seeing her proud leader reduced to a collared pet made her blood boil. "But... at least she's alive. If Mugino died, ITEM would be finished."
"He left," Frenda swallowed hard, looking at the screen. "He abandoned Mugino there. Should we go back and pick her up?"
"That collar looks like a tracking device," Takitsubo murmured. "If we go back, we might lead him right to us."
The trio hesitated.
...
The Driver's Cab.
Snap.
Yuuya appeared instantly in the passenger seat. The middle-aged agent driving the vehicle jumped, his hands tightening on the wheel. He opened his mouth to shout—
Click.
The cold muzzle of a Desert Eagle (from the System Inventory) pressed against his temple.
"Shh." Yuuya put a finger to his lips, smiling devilishly. "Drive back to the Abandoned Factory. Did you hear me, sir? If you didn't, I want you to listen to my gun."
Cold sweat poured down the agent's face. He nodded stiffly and turned the wheel.
...
The Command Center (Back of the RV).
"Hey! What's going on?" Kinuhata shouted, feeling the vehicle swerve. "Agent! I super didn't tell you to turn around!"
There was no answer.
"Something is wrong." Kinuhata frowned. She moved to the partition window separating the cab from the back. It was usually closed for privacy. She slid it open.
"Hello~"
A boy's face appeared in the window, smiling brightly at her. Kinuhata's blood froze.
"Frenda! Takitsubo! Jump!"
She didn't hesitate. Like a cheetah, she punched the rear door open.
"Wha—?" Before Frenda could react, Kinuhata grabbed her and Takitsubo by their collars and hurled them out of the speeding vehicle. "Sorry, Agent," Kinuhata muttered.
She pressed the Self-Destruct button on her console and leaped out after them.
Tumble. Tumble.
The three girls hit the roadside grass, rolling violently due to inertia.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted behind them. A massive fireball consumed the road as the armored RV was torn apart from the inside. The shockwave sent the girls rolling again.
"Ouch! That hurts!" Frenda sat up, rubbing her scraped arm. "Kinuhata! What did you do all of a sudden?! I didn't even have time to react before you blew us up!"
"Ouch... my shirt..." Takitsubo winced. Her tracksuit was torn, exposing her pale skin.
"Wow... The Agent must have been blown to bits. Poor guy," Frenda stared dumbfounded at the burning wreckage. "But why?"
"I saw him!" Kinuhata panted, crouching in a combat stance. Her eyes were fixed on the inferno. "The Level 5 who beat Mugino! He was sitting in the passenger seat!"
"What?!" Frenda shrieked.
"Run! Split up! That explosion super didn't kill him!" Kinuhata shouted, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. 'Less than a minute passed since he left Mugino. How did he find us so quickly? Does he have a tracker? Or is his range infinite?'
"Huh?" Frenda froze.
From the heart of the raging fire, a silhouette walked out. "It's... it's him..." Frenda stammered, tears forming in her eyes. "Kinuhata... I'm afraid we can't escape."
If even Mugino was taken down instantly, what chance did they have?
"That's outrageous!" Yuuya stepped out of the flames. He brushed soot off his shoulder. "You actually tried to kill me with a car bomb? How rude. Although I wasn't injured... you killed that Man in Black. He was your driver, wasn't he? How can you be so ruthless to your own allies?"
Kinuhata swallowed hard. 'He's blaming me? He was holding the guy hostage!'
"And..." Yuuya pointed at his chest. "You ripped my clothes to shreds! Again! This was my spare shirt! How are you going to compensate me?!"
Kinuhata took a step back. Against a Level 5 with invincible defense and teleportation... they were ants.
"What do we do...?" she whispered.
"I... we surrender," Takitsubo said hastily, raising her hands.
"Takitsubo?!"
"Surrender is the only option," Takitsubo whispered. "We can't win."
"Yes! Yes! We surrender!" Frenda immediately jumped behind Takitsubo, waving a white handkerchief she pulled from nowhere. "We demand that prisoners be treated well!"
"Surrender?" Yuuya paused. He blinked, looking disappointed. "You're so spineless. It's really boring. I was all ready to play a fun game of Tag with you guys. What a failure."
"If you can't beat them, of course, you have to surrender!" Frenda shouted shamelessly. "In the end, living is winning!"
Kinuhata didn't relax. She watched Yuuya warily. 'He hasn't agreed yet. Just because he didn't kill Mugino doesn't mean he won't kill us.'
"Tsk tsk. Fine. I accept your surrender."
The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"However..." Yuuya's grin widened. "I'm not without conditions. Since you are prisoners of war, you must accept my terms unconditionally." He stroked his chin, sizing them up. The lazy, naturally beautiful Takitsubo. The energetic, cute Frenda. The leggy, cool Kinuhata.
"Heh... Be my most obedient Maids," Yuuya said playfully. "Hehe."
Thump.
Just as they thought. The three of them felt their hearts leap into their throats.
"Maids...?"
....
.....
.....
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