Chapter 230

I put Yakumo on my lap and we watched the screen together.

On the screen was Natsuki, who is talking in another room, and Eugene, the journalist.

“– So, are you going to buy this or not?”

“Suddenly called me in the middle of the night ......what do you want? I don’t think it’s money.”

Eugene stares at Natsuki with tired eyes.

“Isn’t it unreasonable to demand someone to decide whether to buy the information or not before hearing specifics?”

“This is forbidden fruit. Once you hear it, there’s no turning back.”

Eugene crosses his legs and clears his throat in response.

“–Well, if it was someone like Big-sis who could lay a golden egg, I might take the offer. I’m not going to gamble my job on a girlie story by a punk with little life experience like you.”

“This is to help Abby.”

“....What do you mean?”

“I want you to write the story and put pressure on them. The dark side of the 88 that Abby was investigating. An autonomous government that unjustly detains righteous women who expose injustice.”

“Ha, ha. Big-sis gave off that kind of vibe, didn’t she?”

Eugene sat up in his chair and huffed .....yawning and stretching.

“Well......but doesn’t that bring the suspicion of her being an alien spy evermore and put Big-sis at a disadvantage?”

“What do you mean?”

“See, it’s easy to make Big-sis the villain to quash that kind of rumor. She’s an alien agent, spreading false information to distract the Fort. If they issue a statement like that, you will lose the chance to free her.”

“Tsk....”

Natsuki glared at him resentfuly.

Eugene hastily explained.

“No, I don’t want you to misunderstand me. I want to help Big-sis, too, you know. That’s why you shouldn’t do anything rash now. You guys should lay low. Leave the heavy lifting to that mad dog. InoRyder is crazy, but she’s reliable. She is much more reliable than we are here in 88.”

“InoRyder is very dependable, but I’m not talking about that......”

Natsuki struggles to keep persuading him while avoiding my presence.

It’s going to be difficult for her to do it alone.....

“–That’s a good point, Eugene.”

“Who’s that?”

Eugene turned his head jerkily.

“Ahhhh. Can’t you let me talk this out a bit more! Jeez!”

Natsuki puffed out her cheeks in frustration and placed the golden straw doll on the table.

Kin bowed gracefully to Eugene.

“What is this, a lastest trendy toy?”

Eugene brings his face closer and looks at him. He wouldn’t guess that it was the mountain spirit Kodama.

I start to negotiate directly with him using the Kin and Gin.

“I want to stop the hand of the government. I mean, to remove all the suspicion on Abigail and get rid of it.”

“I don’t really like the idea of people peeping on me. And with a weird microphone, you sound like a criminal mastermind.”

“Well, listen to me. This is just my theory..”

I continued.

“?heory, huh?”

Eugene put his chin on his hand, he didn’t get up from his seat. How can you be a journalist if you’re not inquisitive?

“In regards to the recent case of murders and disappearances, it’s actually a combination of who want to expose the secrets and who don’t want to be exposed, eating each other’s evidence and witnesses. Both sides were unaware of it.”

Suddenly, Kin stepped gingerly across the table. He put his hand on his chin and moved in a thoughtful manner as if he was a detective presenting his speculation. I didn’t give him any such instructions. It was an improvisation. What a playful little guy.

“Hmm. Isn’t that a crazy story that started with the bombing of Colonel Declark’s house?”

“Colonel Declark is just the tip of the iceberg. The government had been using a cleaner to keep things in the dark, and the resistance had been stirring and moving in the shadows of the 88. Miraculously, the targets were not at odds with each other, and when both sides had almost completed their work, the incident occurred.

Kin continues to play detective on the table.

“An incident?”

“They finally ran into each other at the scene. This is how the government was able to get to the truth behind a series of mysterious incidents. In other words, the identity of the enemy who is currently preying on 88. On the other hand, the rival organization also has a weakness toward the government. Both sides have evidence. But neither side can be open about it because of their positions.”

The lieutenant general’s side will be held accountable if they disclose the dark secrets, and our position makes it impossible for us to accuse the government of wrongdoing.

“So you want me to disclose the truth instead? No! That would get me straight to jail! I don’t want to listen any more of this!”

Eugene frowned and covered his ears.

“No, I’m asking you to do something more roundabout. Something you’re good at.”

“Me?”

“I want you to create a fake hero, increasing your page views in the process.”

“Hero, huh?”

Eugene’s face turned serious as Kin pointed a finger at him.

“It seems that here in 88, there are some horrible human experiments going on.”

“That’s a little....wait, what!”

I pushed the subject forward as I unfolded the story.

“The kidnapping of the slum people is just one part of it, and the gangs are the perpetrators, the autonomous government is the one behind it. The government is also the one that is distributing drugs throughout the city and illegally capturing the aliens into 88.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on!”

Eugene held up, gesturing me to pause.

“Right now, it’s the victims who are fighting to expose the evil of the government. The victims who have suffered so badly at the hands of the government are fighting a desperate battle against a huge organization in order to get revenge. They are going around exposing those who were involved and eliminating all the evil who are still taking unfair advantage of them. I want you to spread the image of such a hero.”

“Holy hell .... who are you anyway?”

“You probably already hear about me.”

“What?”

“Abigail found out the truth while she was being held at the 89. After she returned, she went to 88 to find evidence of government wrongdoing. That’s why she was captured to keep her mouth shut. Now the unnamed hero is angry to lose her, one of very few people in their lives who understands them. From now on, they will continue to punish more and more 88 villains. Unless they admit their wrongdoing themselves and reveal everything to the light. This is what I want you to do—-.”

This story would pack a punch and much stronger than the double agent accusations. People will definitely be more interested and believe this made-up story. A masked hero who puts down the evil is the kind of thing that the common people like.

I don’t think that would make the government admit fault by any stretch, but that’s okay. That will increase doubt. The greater, the harder it will be for the lieutenant general’s side to touch Abigail and the election is near.

This kind of manipulation is not my forte, but right now we really needed an information war, and I needed the help of a professional information expert.

“But, they have the footage of Big-sis, so if they show that to the public, It’ll blow our story out of the water in a single shot.”

Eugene crossed his arms and groaned. He was probably referring to the video that showed Abigail and me.

“You don’t have to fool everyone. If we could make even 20% of the public believe it, that’s good enough. It doesn’t matter if the video comes out later. We just need to temporarily divide them before the election. If we make it scandalous, the lieutenant general’s side will have no choice but to act.”

“....”

“So, while you’re at it, why don’t you go ahead and ask Abigail for an interview. I’d like you to pull her out to the public eye.”

I’d like to take advantage of the timing.

“But a lie like that–“

Eugene looked reluctant.

“I may act like this, but I don’t make things up. I’m a professional and I’m proud of it.”

“Professional......”

If I had a decent face, I would have grinned.

“It’s looking better and better, I like it.”

Kinn echoed my sentiments with a nod.

“–So, I guess it’s about time you showed up. You seem to be a very well-informed person. I’ll pay you a good price for the information with proof.”

Eugene tapped Kin with his finger and said.

“If I have proof, will you believe me?”

“Well, yes. Of course.”

–The statement was made.

I opened the door

“–Hmm....? UoooooOoo!?”

Eugene kicks his chair, stands up, and backs up against the wall. He’s so freaked out that his hat has slipped off.

I have no skin on my face right now. So now I have a real butcher’s face. No wonder.

“Calm down, Eugene-san. It’s gonna be all right.”

Then Natsuki took him by the arm.

I walked over to the middle of the room and pulled out the chair he was sitting and sat down on it.

“The story I just told you, it’s not exactly a lie.”

“Oh, oh ....!?”

“Do you know what I am?”

“....” Eugene’s gaze wandered a bit, “.... Butcher?” He replied.

“I’m impressed. You are indeed a very diligent journalist. And I’m sorry, but from now on, this is no longer a request to write an article.”

“–and by that, you mean?”

“It’s a threat, plain and simple.”

“Oh, bloody hell.....”

Eugene held his head.

“–Natsuki .... what the hell is going on? What about Big-sis? She’s really an alien spy after all?

“No.” I denied firmly in return.

“Oh, that’s great! What a story! Are you an alien otaku? Is this some kind of cosplay or something? —- I guess not.........”

Eugene’s face turned dark as my tongue licked his face, and realized the situation he was in.

I don’t want to scare you. Let me try to explain.

If I replace some parts of the story I just told you, it is the truth.

the one who is against the government is not the victim of human experimentation, but the victim of human modification at the hands of aliens. In other words, me. And it seems that the government is not far from being responsible for such a situation. I am seeking the truth of this.

“Human turned butcher? Well, that’s going to be a big scoop for sure ..”

The evidence that I had presented to him was solid. In other words, my presence seems to have struck a chord with him.

“You wrote an article about Bigfoot, right? That’s me.”

“Geez, so .... then .... you’re the one who attacked that transport truck and saved the slum people? Is that you?”

I don’t have that particular one in mind, but .....

I just crossed my arms, neither affirmed nor denied.

“–and about the evidences.. I’ve got a pretty decent amount of evidence that the government was doing ‘bad things’, actually. I was going to give it to Abigail but..”

So far, we’ve recovered the IT director’s terminal, the Procurement Bureau’s PC data, And various items from the colonel’s office.

It was a shame they burned the terminal in Dominic’s safe house. That really caught me off guard. I had no idea that someone was going around erasing evidence. I have nothing but bitter feelings.

Eugene was silenced in front of all the evidence I had laid out on the table.

“....”

“It’s all about timing. I want to set the tone before they make up false accusations against Abigail.”

“–But, cooperating with aliens is a bit ....”

“Cooperation you said? more like, I just want you to do your job. I’m the whistleblower, so to speak. You wrote an article based on a story that was provided to you. You did nothing wrong. It’s the same old thing. I can tell you other interesting stories if you want. The construction of the alien city. Their way of life, their customs, the story of the other world. Why do they wage war on Earth? Aren’t you interested in the Demon King and the heroes? But there are limits to what you can publish. The most obvious one is that if you write about me, I’ll kill you.”

“....Evil spirit goes away. Evil spirit goe....”

“Eugene. You are the type of person who has passion but no sense of justice, are you not? I understand. I can feel the similarity between you and me. Ultimately, you are the type of person who acts according to your own rules rather than the laws. Is holding the balance between the truth and 88 fascism something a journalist would have to worry about?? The collapse of the upper echelons of 88 is none of your business. It won’t suddenly exterminate the human race. Come on —-.”

I spread my arms. And on the table, Kin spread his arms as well.

“What do you say?”

“Mmmm .....”

Eugene crossed his arms and grunted with a bitter look on his face.

After doing so for a moment, he looked up and asked Natsuki.

“–You, why are you with this guy?”

Natsuki then hugged my arm and answered.

“Because I’m his girlfriend.”

“........Alright?”

Eugene looked curiously at Natsuki, who smiled and declared herself as my girlfriend then looked at me. Then he thumped his palm with his fist as if he just concluded something.

“By the way, what’s your relationship with Big-sis?”

“Well, we risked our lives together to escape from there. We’re comrades in arms you could say. I trust her and she’s risking her life for me. That’s why I want to help her.”

“I see, I see........ alright!”historical

Eugene stands up, slapping his knee.

“I get it now. I’m on board!”

“Why all of a sudden?”

I’m a bit puzzled by the sudden change in his attitude.

“You see, we can borrow the eyes of others when we look at a person. Women from the slums will instinctively ride a winning horse. You are the one who receives great trust from such a strong-minded match girl. Besides, if Big-sis is willing to go that far, you’re a good partner to risk life with.”

“It sounds like you’ve been watching Abigail for quite a while.”

“I’ve been a journalist for a long time. No one else has ever been able to stir up the 88 alone like her. I was in love with her. I knew that if I followed her, one day I would hit a mountain,..... And now.. the mountain I hit is Mount Everest–“

Eugene chuckled and held out his hand.

“Hello again, I’m Eugene. Please let me hear your story. Oh, and I’m not going to help you with the killing or anything like that.”

“The journalist should act like a journalist Eugene. I’m Gevaudan.

“Gevaudan........Beast of Gevaudan?”

I nodded my head

“Yes.”

I said, squeezing his hand lightly.

“I am the beast sent by the beautiful goddess. the Grim Reaper that will takes all the bad folks who lurk in the 88. Like they say — if you do something bad, Gevaudan will come for you–”