This voice.
This tone.
Even though it's been about two months since I heard it, there's no way I can't recognize that awful man's voice that still lingers in my memory.
"new year… mind."
No. 13?!
[OK. This is No. 13.]
The sly voice is annoying.
No, rather than that.
"Why are you using Mr. Apple's number…?" "What, why did you call me?!"
[I picked it up on the street. If I want to return it, where can I send it? Are you going to give me a reward? This looks quite expensive.]
"Don't play around!"
I don't even think that Apple would carelessly drop the phone.
Above all, it is difficult to believe that the villain picked it up.
Plus, he called Spade right away about it.
[…] Heroes can't even tell jokes. In times like this, at least pretend to accept it. Doesn't it already make me feel sick to talk to you? Do you know how much it hurt the last time you got hit?]
"… … ."
[No answer...? Yes, I understand. I won't say any more unnecessary words. Let's move on to the main topic.]
From beyond the smartphone speaker, the sound of No. 13 sighing was heard.
The exaggerated sound and the exaggerated attitude were extremely heated, but...
Spade blinked several times and calmed down.
[I just sent you a photo, so please look at it.]
I lower the smartphone from my ear and check the screen.
Sure enough, there was a message from Apple's number. When I opened it, there was no text, and only a photo was attached.
And, in the photo.
"Apple… Seed… !"
Apple, a fellow 7th Division hero, was tied to a chair with his head down.
I couldn't tell what had happened, but at least I could see that the white sleeveless shirt and uniform skirt she was wearing were disheveled enough to be seen at a glance.
At that moment, heat rose to Spade's head.
"hey… ! you… … !"
[I understand how you feel, but I want you to calm down first, Spade.]
Calm? Calm down?
While my eyes seemed to be spinning from the heat boiling in my head, Number 13 continued speaking.
[Understand the situation properly. Now this woman is in front of me, in my hand.]
The clanking sound of metal was heard as if to be seen.
There's no way I can't understand what that means.
[Do you understand?]
I don't know if that thing is what Spade thinks it is or not.
But no matter what, it was clear that the power of Apple's life and death was now in his hands.
I feel angry.
I'm angry.
I feel like my head will explode with excessive anger.
――But you have to endure it.
Calmly, always calmly.
Villains taking hostages are not new these days. Spade, who has gone through all sorts of hardships, has experienced this many times.
Close your eyes for a moment, then take a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, Spade's face had become expressionless and his head had regained its cool.
No. 13's voice of admiration was heard, as if the Spade's presence could be seen through the cell phone.
[That's amazing. After all, he is a class A hero. Does this situation seem familiar?]
"… … "Shut up and tell me your business right away."
[Let's talk leisurely. Otherwise, when will I ever have a proper conversation with you?]
"I told you to shut up."
I just got out of the shower, naked.
Spade clenched his fists and growled.
My head is cool, but that doesn't mean the anger in my heart has disappeared.
No. 13 on the other end of the speaker clicked his tongue as if there was nothing he could do about Spade's fierce attitude, as if he would kill a person with just the sheer force of his voice.
I feel envious of that carefree attitude.
[Hero Spade, from now on, come to the place I instruct.]
[If you come, I will release this woman. As long as you don't do anything useless, I won't do anything.]
[However, you must come alone.]
[If you see another hero or do something useless... There's no need to say it, right?]
[You and I--let's settle the matter, hero.]
With those words, the call was disconnected.
Spade lifted the smartphone in his hand from his ear and stood silently in the middle of the room for a while, with scary eyes full of murder.
* * *
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh !
Click, click... .
――And then, about 15 minutes later.
Spade stopped his motorcycle in front of a building on an abandoned street, took off his helmet, and got off.
The streets, which are like remnants of past villain disasters, are still completely abandoned and dead.
The only people living within a radius of a few kilometers are probably vagabonds who use the ruins as a base to escape the wind and rain without a home or anything.
"… … Is it here?"
I checked again with my smartphone. As expected, this is clearly where the GPS coordinates sent by No. 13 are pointing.
Spade looked at the eerie building, which had the atmosphere of an abandoned factory, with narrowed eyes.
… It looks like an abandoned building, but light is leaking from inside.
[Senior Spade, have you arrived?]
The club's voice came from the Bluetooth device in my ear.
There was a warning from No. 13, but that doesn't mean we can come without any measures, so we gave a brief explanation to the club.
However, other than that, there is no solution.
This is because the time limit was set very tightly, perhaps in an attempt to prevent other measures from being taken.
Even though I briefly told the story to the club and started right away, I was able to run with all my might and barely beat the time.
"First of all, I think this is the right place. … But the club, the sound is crackling."
[My senior's voice keeps breaking up as well. Is it because it is a ruin?]
"well… "I don't think so."
When I checked the smartphone screen again, there was only one antenna left.
As I moved a little further away from the warehouse, the antennas quickly expanded into two spaces.
"It looks like they've done something."
I heard that the villain organization [Abyss] that No. 13 belongs to has a genius who comes up with all kinds of inventions.
Even if that's not the case, jamming devices that interfere with radio waves can be obtained more easily than you think.
"Let's stop communication here. I rush in... 30 minutes… No, if I don't contact you again within an hour, then proceed as we discussed in advance."
* * *
Step by step… Step by step…
Spade carefully entered the abandoned factory.
There might be a bomb or something planted somewhere in the factory, so we proceed with utmost care to every nook and cranny.
With Spade's specialty, [Body Strengthening], he can withstand without dying even if a C4-sized bomb explodes at close range.
If there are multiple of them, or if it is enough to blow up the entire factory, no matter how spade it is, instant death is possible.
A heavy pistol in one hand. Instead of live ammunition, it contains rubber bullets for suppression.
In the first place, the entire body of the spade is like a weapon, but for simple suppression purposes in an emergency, a gun like this or a stun baton that is often used on a daily basis is better.
The lethal power of a fist is so high that a handgun is safer.
As #13 emphasizes several times, there is no doubt that Spades is a monster.
'Until the time designated by No. 13... Just one minute now... 'There's only 20 seconds left.'
Thinking of it as a trap makes me cautious, but if it's too late, something might happen to Apple.
Stop worrying for a moment. Spade quickly made a decision and ran inside.
Inside the warehouse, LED lights were turned on sparsely, and countless containers were lined up in a disorderly manner as if they had been abandoned.
The deeper you went, the more doors there were, and beyond them were lined with creepy hallways. There are multiple floors, so it will take time to look at each one.
It's somewhat like a maze.
『… … ! … !』
As I was expressing these sentiments, Spade, who was hurrying down the hallway, heard something in his ears.
'This… … … … ..?'
――It's like being popular.
It was a quiet abandoned building, and there was enough noise to be heard.
My hearing, strengthened by magic, clearly caught the sound.
'It's over there…' .'
I know it's a trap, but I can't help but move on.
In the direction from which the sound is coming, the spade goes inside, beyond the space lined with containers.
After passing through the heavy iron gate, let's go through a hallway that feels like a concentration camp a little further.
I found a room with the door left open and the only light on.
"town… ! town… !"
"Mr. Apple!"
A stuffy space with concrete walls on all sides, like a warehouse.
In the middle of the space, which felt quite cramped, Apple, a colleague from the 7th Division, was tied to a chair as shown in the photo.
There is tape over his mouth.
'What about number 13?'
It's not visible.
Only Apple is left here.
Spurt, swat, swat――
I knew at a glance that something was strange. At least you shouldn't step inside.
I'm sure I would have judged it more calmly, but the object lying at Apple's feet instantly turned my head blank.
There was a box there with a blinking red light on it.
'bomb?!'
If it is a time bomb, it must be within the 15 minutes specified by No. 13.
So what time is it now? How explosive is it? How much of a shock?
Apple before your eyes. No, before anything else.
Is it okay to dump it? Will it explode? Should we embrace Apple?
No, how many seconds are there before that? If we run now, won't we be late?
"――Aaaaaaaaa!!!!"
Shhh!
Several thoughts crossed, and Spade rushed into the room.
Let's hug Apple's body and run straight into the room. Let's move away from the bomb even a little and protect ourselves as a shield.
I don't know how big the bomb will explode, but it's more likely that Apple will survive than endure it with its bare hands... .
Spurt, swat, swat…
Bleep!
'Oh, no way.'
After jumping over the bomb, the outstretched arm is about to reach Apple.
The sound that used to ring regularly has changed. It was an alarm sound indicating time over.
There is no time to play with Apple. Spade hugged Apple in that same position. My heart is pounding fiercely.
Ah, I might die today.
While I was thinking that, I was surprisingly disappointed.
A popping sound was heard from behind.
* * *
… … … … … … … … … … … … … …
… … … … … … … … … …
… … … … … …
'… … … pop?'
hmm… … … … … … .
Isn't it a bit too light to be called an explosion?
I thought it was somehow strange, so I carefully turned my head.
With a feeling of 'Dyong~ Diyaong~'.
In the box I thought was a bomb, a clown head toy was bouncing and shaking on a spring attached below.
Meowing with my tongue out.
With a humorous smile as if he was very angry.
… … … This fucking guy is real.