Chapter 35:

Sabrina’s explanation was concise yet included all the key points.

Nemesis had kidnapped Reine to conduct large-scale human experiments, and David’s act of terrorism was his desperate attempt to save her.

The blackout and the dispersal of sleeping gas were meant to minimize potential casualties.

The only thing left now was for David to reach the VIP banquet hall and rescue Reine.

Having heard everything, Raven stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded.

“Hmm… So that’s what’s going on. Hexahemia Syndrome, huh.”

“You know about the disease Reine has?”

“People in the know are aware of it. It’s a rare condition where blood reacts to magical energy. No wonder Nemesis’ shady business revolves around this.”

Raven seemed to find no major flaws in Sabrina’s argument.

The notion of Nemesis planning large-scale experiments to produce Hexahemia serum was hard to stomach. But in this city, where insanity wasn’t exactly rare, it wasn’t entirely implausible either.

If Hexahemia serum could be stably supplied and used to perfect prosthetics for other species, the resulting economic benefits would be overwhelming. It was enough to make anyone’s head spin with greed.

However, this was still a one-sided claim from the perpetrators of the attack.

Whether the story could be trusted was a different issue than whether it made logical sense.

“Rookie, do you believe what she’s saying? Is that why you tried to help her?”

“It’s not a lie! It’s true!” Sabrina protested vehemently, her voice tinged with frustration at being doubted.

But Raven, a seasoned adult who valued evidence over emotions, remained calm. While the fight with Lexi had been unavoidable due to the situation, convincing him to help further would require solid reasoning.

Could I manage it?

‘Hmm… I don’t have any concrete evidence. And I can’t just say, “I read the original story, so I know it’s true.” Besides, I can’t even talk in the first place.’n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

In the original storyline, the problem resolved itself somehow. But now that I was in this situation, I struggled to figure out what to present as proof.

Besides, the plot of the original story had gone off the rails enough that it was no longer reliable.

As I racked my brain for a way to expose Nemesis’ scheme, a sharp, unfamiliar voice echoed from the hallway entrance.

“Hey! What are you doing here?! This area is off-limits to unauthorized personnel!”

The hysterical tone immediately drew the attention of all three of us toward the source.

There stood a woman with a stern face and red glasses, exuding an air of authority.

I recognized her face. I’d forgotten her name, but she was the researcher in charge of the Hexahemia experiment plans—the one who orchestrated Reine’s kidnapping.

Why was she here? Shouldn’t she be in the VIP banquet hall?

Confused by the sudden appearance of evidence, I tilted my head. But then I remembered this was just after the blackout.

‘Ah, she must’ve been managing the staff on the lower floors before the blackout hit. This is… incredible luck.’

Without hesitation, I grabbed Raven’s sleeve, tugging hard to make him look at me. Then I pointed straight at the woman, gesturing urgently that we absolutely had to catch her.

If we searched her, we’d undoubtedly find something valuable. This was a golden opportunity.

“Guards! Where are the guards?! These lunatics are messing around in our area! Kill them—ack!”

Whish—thunk!

Before the woman could finish shouting, Raven casually tossed his pistol. The spinning gun struck her forehead with pinpoint accuracy.

It didn’t seem like she exercised much, as she failed to react to the flying pistol before it hit. Her reflexes were practically sloth-like.

Thud. The researcher collapsed to the floor, eyes rolled back.

Raven scratched his head, muttering in disbelief, “Is this really the right way to handle this…?”

“…!”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, I can tell that myself.”

I nodded firmly at Raven, clenching both fists to reassure him despite his exasperation.

Then, without hesitation, I dashed over to the fallen researcher and rummaged through her belongings. It didn’t take long to find a suspicious-looking data chip.

I could feel it—this was it. One hundred percent.

“This… let’s check what’s on it.”

Raven took the chip from me and inserted it into his device.

Immediately, an overwhelming flood of data began to load, causing his terminal to lag under the sheer volume.

How much information could possibly fit on this tiny chip?

As Raven carefully scanned through the contents, his expression darkened, and furrows appeared on his forehead.

“This is…”

“What’s in it?”

“It looks like a presentation prepared for the VIPs. It even details the large-scale human experiments you mentioned earlier. This… it’s too damning to sweep under the rug.”

See? I told you it wasn’t a lie! Why do you insist on doubting people and making things difficult?

I shrugged my shoulders as smugly as possible, glaring at Raven for his skepticism.

Annoyed, Raven grabbed the top of my head and pressed it down again.

Ack! Stop it! I’m going to shrink if you keep doing that!

“Hm, I’ve got an interesting idea.”

“An interesting idea?”

“Yeah. This data—I’m going to send it, word for word, to a journalist I know. There’s no juicier scoop out there right now. How about this for a headline: The Hidden Darkness of Nemesis, the Leading Prosthetics Company for Other Species—Illegal Large-Scale Human Experiments? The moment that article drops, the views will explode, and Nemesis will be ripped apart from every direction.”

With that, Raven immediately contacted someone through his terminal.

A journalist he knew… Well, it definitely had potential. If I remember correctly, this one was a notorious tabloid paparazzo.

Even if he was unscrupulous, a famous figure in the industry could still be useful.

I didn’t need to look far ahead to see what would happen next.

The dragon mayor, already furious over the Nexus Project’s failure, would react first, ordering a full investigation to confirm the report.

The police, who had rushed to capture the terrorists, would end up detaining the Nemesis personnel at the scene as suspects instead. They’d scrutinize every detail to determine if the experiments had actually been planned.

Naturally, the plan for large-scale human experimentation would surface in the chaos, exposing the conspiracy. Amidst the uproar, David would disappear with Reine, bringing their part of the story to a close.

What’s that? Won’t the police eventually catch them?

No need to worry. The pragmatic dragon mayor, after calculating the incident’s context and the damage caused, would subtly instruct the police to let them go.

Thanks to the blackout and the use of sleeping gas as relatively mild methods, there were no casualties to speak of.

Besides, our bold dragon mayor would probably dig into his own pockets to ensure full compensation for any damages. Who would complain after that?

‘Phew… it’s over. Somehow, I managed to tie it all together. When I saw David and Lexi facing off, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest.’

Relief washed over me, and the exhaustion I’d been holding back came crashing in.

Wait… I haven’t eaten all day, have I?

Once I got off work, I decided I’d indulge in a steak sandwich—double the meat.

As I rubbed my empty stomach and glanced around, I noticed something strange.

Where’s Alice? Why is Raven the only one here?

“…?”

“Huh? Looking for Alice?”

“…!”

“She probably inhaled too much sleeping gas and is snoozing peacefully. She should wake up soon, though.”

Oh, she got knocked out by the gas.

Chuckling at the thought of Alice being out cold, I suddenly turned to look at Raven, a thought crossing my mind.

Wait, can this guy read minds or something?

How did he always know what I was thinking?

“I’m not reading your mind. I’m just observant. You’re so transparent it’s easy to tell what’s on your mind.”

“…!!”

“What? Did I nail it again?”

Terrifying! That’s scarier than if he could actually read minds!

I shuddered, unnerved by Raven’s uncanny ability.

Was I really that easy to read? Even with a mask covering my face?

As I despaired over my pathetic poker face, Raven suddenly placed a hand on my head. His awkward attempt at consolation made me feel twice as miserable.

Rumble.

A faint tremor rippled through the building.

It was a subtle shake, but enough to instinctively signal that something significant had occurred.

“This is…”

“No way, my brother!”

Exchanging urgent glances, we dashed down the corridor and stopped at a large window overlooking the outside.

There, I spotted two figures soaring through the sky in the distance.

“It’s Reine and my idiot brother…!”

“Oh, what a picture-perfect scene.”

“…!”

A bloodied man clutching a woman in a flowing dress as they flew through the air.

At first glance, it looked like something out of a painting.

The shards of glass sparkling in the sunlight around them made it seem as though the world itself was blessing their escape.

Pressing my hand against the window, I watched them. Memories of the original story surfaced, recalling the exchange they’d likely be sharing up there in the blue sky.

“Idiot. You didn’t need to push yourself this far and bleed so much… I’m not worth it.”

“Reine, you’re my precious person. You’re the one who made me fully David, someone remembered by name instead of fading into obscurity.”

“Pfft. How is that thanks to me? That’s because you worked so hard to achieve it yourself. I didn’t do much.”

“…And I’m sorry for failing to keep my promise to make you happy.”

“Idiot. What are you saying? You already kept it. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been…”

Childhood friends deserve their happiness, I thought, smiling softly as I watched David and Reine safely touch down and disappear into the distance.

They’d face some hardships for the next few days, but after that, the road ahead would be smooth. I hoped they wouldn’t worry too much.

The Nemesis terrorism incident came to a dazzling conclusion, its climax full of drama.

No matter how it ends, a happy ending is always the best, I thought, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face.