Shirley was busy working in the room. She made a rather horrible face while working at her desk. She was so focused on her work that it was as if she was trying to divert her attention from something else.

She's been in a particularly bad mood these days. Because of this, her subordinates are very careful not to let her mood worsen.

Everyone in her gang knew why Shirley was in such a bad mood. The one who hasn't been to the base these days is Akira. While this is a simple reason, it is also a serious one.

Thanks to Aki

As of support, She

The YLS gang was able to exist. Although they are heavily armed, they only have anti-human weapons such as pistols. And none of its members are familiar with combat. Unlike the Stone Islands, the Sherris Gang does not have the ability to assert their position on their own.

The only reason they were able to be relatively safe in the slum city was because the other gangs were wary of Akira. Shijima and Aki

The incident between the slums has spread among the gangs of the ghetto city.

As long as they have Akira behind them, no one will risk their lives to fight the Sherris gang. Because of this, in such a violent place, the safety of her gang is guaranteed.

But Akira didn't visit Cheryl's base recently. So her concern was to be expected, and all the kids in the Cheryl gang understood it. But there is a slight difference between Shellis's thoughts and her subordinates' understanding of the situation.

Shiryl is alone in her room, so there's no need for her to keep her appearance to deceive the other kids. But even so, she deliberately made a terrible expression. Instead of lying to others, it is better to lie to yourself.

Shirley desperately tries to suppress the panic, anxiety, and fear that wells up inside her. She disguised her emotions with an angry expression.

By now, she had been able to fool her men. Everyone thought she was just in a bad mood. But its impact on itself is close to its limit.

Why Shirryl was so flustered, why she was so worried, and why she was trembling because of fear, it was all for a simple reason. That's because she can't reach Akira.

Since he hadn't been to her house recently, Shirley tried to contact Akira through her message terminal. But her phone didn't work at all, not just because she couldn't establish a connection with the Aquilas information terminal, but because she couldn't find the target terminal. Every time she tried to make a call, her messaging terminal would say so.

Aki

a used to say yes to She

Yl has said that if she can't reach his message terminal, then she should assume he's dead. And that's exactly what she's facing right now.

She

yl actually relies on Aki on a deeper level

a。 Her heart is anchored by the fact that Akira is willing to help her. To support her spirit, maintain her position, and act as the boss of the gang, she relies on Aquilas's words when he says he will help her.

She noticed an ominous sound inside her, which signaled a crack in the anchor that supported her spirit. The moment the anchor breaks completely, she will immediately scream and cry.

Shirley's calm side is counting the days before the core collapses, as if it had nothing to do with her. A few weeks at best, a few days at worst. If anything bad happens, it could even be a few hours. The voice in her head silently counted down the number, and Shiryl felt her spirit being shaved a little bit.

Shirley has been trying to distract herself as much as possible and distract herself from what is in front of her. That's why her eyes are so terrifying. But she won't last long.

Elio didn't knock on the door and suddenly walked into her room.

Shiryl turned to Elio and glared at him, looking terrifying.

"Didn't I tell you to knock on the door before entering my room?"

As he answered, Elio was frightened by Shiryl's silent pressure.

"I'm sorry, I'll be careful next time."

"So, why are you here?"

"Mr. Akira is here. Do you want me to take him to this room? ”

Hearing Elio's words, the intense pressure emanating from Shellyl's body disappeared in an instant.

***

Akira, who was taken to Shirille's room, was sitting on the couch with a very uncomfortable expression. This is because Shirley is sitting on his lap.

Shirley wrapped her arms around Achillas's neck, looking pleased. He knew that something like this would happen, and he thought he should adapt quickly, so he let Shirley do whatever she wanted.

Shirley looked completely relaxed, as if she was in heaven.

"Nice to meet you. I'm sure you're busy, but I hope you'll come here often if possible. So, are you too busy? I ask you what's going on, okay? ”

"Well, I almost got killed."

Akira replied in a low voice, as if whispering. Because of this, for some reason, Shirley took it as a bad joke.

For Shirley, Aquilas' survival is paramount. So, even if it's just a joke, she can't ignore such a statement. Whether it's for the well-being of her gang or for her mental health, it would be problematic if he died.

Shirley looked worried and asked hesitantly.

"Uh-huh, if it's a joke, I've heard of it too. Sorry, it's not funny. So please don't say such jokes. ”

Cheryl's expression was half deliberate. She deliberately adjusted her expression to fit her voice.

From her usual daily routines, she has developed the ability to control the impression she will make on others. If she does this to the other kids in her group, her beauty will magnify its effect and make that person feel guilty for telling such a bad joke, while also worrying about him or her because there is such a beautiful girl.

But what she is saying now is also what she really feels. Her voice and facial expressions are nothing more than high-quality tools to help her get her message across.

But then Akira calmly replied.

"I'm not lying, I'm not joking. I was really close to being killed, and this time too. ”

Shiryl understood from his tone that Akira meant something. His voice doesn't sound like he's exaggerating or boasting of lies.

She panicked now and realized that Akira had really almost been killed twice, and her mask immediately collapsed.

She

yl takes her hand away from Aki

As move back to his shoulders while pushing yourself out of the way so that you can sit face to face with him.

"Y-Are you okay?"

"As you can see, I'm super fit now. I didn't feel any pain and I didn't get hurt. ”

Shirley breathed a sigh of relief. She understood that Akira wasn't saying this to appear strong.

Then she went back and hugged Akira.

"Please don't worry me so much."

In this case, most people will hug Cheryl back and tell her something to reassure her. But a man as twisted as Akira replied calmly as if nothing had happened.

"That's impossible. Facing danger is an occupational hazard for us as hunters. ”

It was clear from her face that Sheryl didn't like Akiras's answer, and then she said to Akira worriedly.

"That's true, but still"

Looking at Shirley's painful appearance, Jing struggled to think about the reason behind it. But sure enough, since he has a twisted personality, he can only come up with a twisted answer.

Akira thinks that Shellyl is ingratiating herself with him in order to sustain her gang. He could accept that reason. After all, having spent his life in the slums, he also knows how terrible life in the slums is, and he can understand why Shirrill is so desperate.

Although Shirley only did this because Akira pushed that job to her, with his support, she has also maintained her position as the head of the gang. That's why it's no surprise that Akira thinks she's so desperate to try to stay with him.

This also meant that once the Shirley Gang gained enough influence to support itself, it would no longer need Aquilas's support, and Shirley would lose any reason to maintain a relationship with him. At that point, they might as well leave him alone. Akira thought so.

Shiryl's expression became even more worried, and she said to Akira in a trembling voice.

"I'm doing my best to strengthen the gang. I understand that they have always relied on you. But please don't talk about your death. ”

"Huh? All right. ”

From Shiryl's performance, her voice in pain, and her arms around him, Akira at least understood that he shouldn't have said what he said at the time. But he still doesn't understand how many times he has made such mistakes.

Akira didn't know what he was supposed to say and remained silent. Shirley didn't speak, still hugging Akira.

Ever since Shirley cried and pleaded with Akira, Akira responded to her pleas, from the time she looked for someone to rely on, Akira gave her a place, from the day her spirit was shattered by her true circumstances, supported by the security provided by Akira, and although on the surface she seemed to be doing the same thing, her motives for acting were completely different compared to before.

The reason why she worked so hard to develop her gang was so that after the gang had developed, she could give it to Akira in return for her kindness.

Shirley once offered Akira her body, but was rejected by Akira.

She was a very beautiful girl by the standards of that place. As a city girl in the slums, she is very healthy, neatly dressed, and her overall appearance is even better than most people in the lower district of Kumayama City. Because she lived happily under the protection of Sibis, the beauty she gained was not tarnished by the living conditions of the slum city.

But when Shirley tells Akira that he can do whatever he wants with her extremely beautiful body, Akira completely rejects her offer, saying that if they fight monsters, she won't be able to help him, not even as a pastime. As a result, Shirley understands that she can't repay Achillas with her body and maintain a good relationship with him.

Shirley doesn't know why Akira is helping her. She didn't consider the possibility of Akira doing so, as he thought that doing good might help him fight his own bad luck. After all, she couldn't imagine that he would believe such a baseless thing. She thought he was just doing it on a whim with good intentions.

At the moment, she had nothing of value to repay Achillas's kindness. But even so, he was still helping her, piling up the kindness she hoped would one day be repaid.

Shirley thinks that if she doesn't expand the gang's influence and somehow make some profits, she can give back to Akira, and if she doesn't make him feel like he's glad he helped her, Akira might abandon her one day.

In fact, Akira wasn't as eager to abandon Shirley as she thought. At the same time, she was not as eager to cut ties with him as he thought. But both believe that the other will eventually end their relationship, and this misunderstanding makes her even more attached to Akira.

Cheryl thought that after that little exchange, she had to do something about the strange silence. So she came up with another topic to talk about.

"Well, I tried to contact you, but I couldn't reach you at all."

"Ah, by the way, the information terminal I used is broken, and today I came to tell you the contact number of my new information terminal."

Akira pulled her aside and pulled out a small information terminal. Shiryl also walked over and picked up the information terminal on her desk.

She then sat down next to Akira and operated her terminal to exchange their contact numbers. After completing her mission, she placed the terminal on the table next to her and was about to turn around and sit on Aquilas's lap, facing him.

Akira thinks Shirley has finished hugging her, so she stops her.

"Wait, are you going to keep doing it?"

"yes. Since we've exchanged contact numbers, I'll just keep hugging you, right? ”

"Since you've already done it once, it should be enough, right?"

"No, I'm worried to hear that you're almost killed, so I won't let go until the pressure is fully restored. It's tiring enough to manage a gang, so I need to hug you longer than usual. "

"But like, you have your own job to take care of, right?"

"I'm in order of priority, and I'm relying on you to relieve mental stress while also letting other gang members get along well, so it's a very important thing to maintain the gang and keep the status of the gang." In other gangs in the slum city. ”

"Isn't it pointless to do that kind of thing here, though no one is watching?"

"Should I call someone, then?"

"Please don't."

Aki

A is also clear, in order to keep She

YL's position in the gang is important to show others that they have good relationships. But he wasn't so brazen and was held in the arms of a girl to show off to others.

As long as he and Shirley were alone in her private room, the others would at least guess what they were doing inside. Akira tolerated at least so much.

Shiryl sat on Achillas' lap again, holding him. People will surely be mistaken when they see them now.

After a while, Elio knocked on the door and entered the room.

Shirley turned to Elio while holding Akira.

"Elio, I did say that you had to knock on the door before you entered the room, but you can't enter the room until the people inside allow it, you know?"

Elio replied with a scared look on his face.

"I-I'm sorry."

"So, why are you here?"

Shiryl stared at Elio, as if to say that he would pay a lot if he didn't interrupt her for a good reason.

Elio replied, looking frightened under Shiryl's gaze.

"Katsuragi-san's here. He said he had something to discuss with you, so I asked him to wait in the reception room first, do you want to tell him that you are busy right now? ”

Although he is not as important as Akira, Katsuragi is also an important figure for the gang's well-being. After all, most of the gang's income comes from Katsuragi. Therefore, they cannot be rude to him.

"Tell him and I'll see him soon."

Shiryl suppressed her desire to remain attached to Crystal and replied.

***

Katsuragi sat on a sofa in the reception room. On the other side of the table, Akira and Shiryl sat on another couch, with Elio and Alicia standing behind them.

Elio and Alicia are officials in the gang because their main duty is to organize the gang members. Every time Shirmile has a meeting with people outside the gang such as Ishishima and Katsuragi, Elio and Alicia are also present. Eventually, both of them were given the responsibility of solving problems inside and outside the gang, but now, standing behind Shiryl was hard enough for both of them.

At the moment, She

The meeting was attended by the bosses and cadres of the YLS gang, as well as two key figures of their gang. But Akira is only with Shirley, and Elio and Alicia have no say in the meeting.

One of Shirille's men walked over, placed three meals on the table, and quickly left the room. Elio and Alicia, who were not used to staying in their rooms, looked enviously at the child who had just left.

Shirley said to Katsuragi with a smile.

"Truth be told, I want you to contact me before visiting us so we can welcome you without having you wait. After all, I'm not like I'm always in a gangster base. Ah, did you tell me one"

Katsuragi replied with a smile.

"No, it's just that I have a business to take care of around here, so I decided to take a visit. Sorry, I came without notice. ”

"Please don't. So, do you have what you need from me? ”

Katsuragi glanced at Akira, then replied.

"It's just that I haven't seen Aquilas's face lately, so I wanted to ask if you know where he is. But since he's here, I don't think there's any need. ”

Judging by the performance of his subordinates, Katsuragi thinks that Ming Ming may have cut off contact with Shirley. The reason why he came inadvertently was to see how Shelly reacted.

For Katsuragi, if it weren't for his relationship with Akira, his partnership with the Shirleys Gang would be of little value. If Aki

A is already dead, or with She

The yls have cut contact, Katsu

Agi doesn't want to continue working with her gang.

If Katsuragi had told her in advance that he would be visiting, Shellyl would have had time to come up with a plan to hide the fact that she couldn't contact Akira in case Akira abandoned her. Shirley will also warn her subordinates to hide this fact as well. So in order to prevent her from doing something like that, Katsuragi deliberately came to her base inadvertently.

Shirley knew very well that this was the reason for Katsuragi's sudden visit. The reason why Katsuragi didn't say it was because he was cautious. But because he knew that Shiryl could easily guess from his movements.

Both Shiryl and Katsuragi understood why they were there. But now that it's been resolved, there's no need to deliberately expose it. The only person who didn't try to read Katsuragi in depth was Akira.

After the affair with Shiryl, Katsuragi turned to Akira.

"Akira, then. How's your quest for ruins going? Are you collecting relics to sell with me? Or are you dealing with a request for temporary headquarters construction? ”

"I've completed this request and I have no plans to continue accepting it."

"Okay, then you're going to go back and explore the ruins, right?"

"That's the plan. For now, though, I'm going to take a break until I get my new gear, which will take about two weeks from today. Then I'll go back and explore the ruins for about a week before selling my relics to you. So wait a little longer. ”

Katsuragi looked displeased.

"New gear? Wait, then you should buy it from me, you know what I sell, right? ”

But Akira immediately rejected the offer.

"I'm sorry, I have a regular store where I can buy my equipment."

Katsuragi looked even more unhappy now. Shiryl, who was beside Akira, interjected, trying to give Akira a hint.

"Uh-huh, Ming. Katsuragi-san, you don't sell relics or buy equipment now, what's the point of your partner? Even if the two of you face life and death together, there is a limit to how far he can go. Can tolerate this. ”

Although Ming thinks that Shiryl is indeed right, he has no intention of buying equipment outside Shizuka's store. But if he doesn't buy anything, or at least contribute to Katsuragi's profits, he can't alleviate Katsuragi's displeasure. So, Aki

a Try to mention something he might have purchased from Katsuragi.

"I see, in that case, sell me some medicine."

"It doesn't make sense if you only buy cheap stuff"

By saying this, Katsuragi was clearly expressing his displeasure that Akira only bought something so cheap from him. But Achillas' next words quickly dispelled his displeasure.

"I'm going to spend 10 million gold coins."

"Huh?"

Katsuragi couldn't help but express surprise when he heard how much Akira was going to spend.

Akira continued with a serious face.

"I don't want cheap drugs that have almost no effect. I'm looking for drugs that can even heal broken bones instantly, like those powerful relic medicines from the old world. You used to sell things on the front lines, right? So I bet you have at least that medicine in your inventory, right? ”

Katsuragi asked questions and quickly shifted to a business model.

"How are you going to pay?"

"If it's okay, I'll go to the bank to transfer money. Do you have any medicine? ”

"I have 2 million orum in a box of medicine, because I have it in my trailer, I just need to go and get it, you can have it today."

"Then give me five boxes."

And then Aki

A handed over his Hu

te

ID to process the payment. Katsu

Agi receives the ID and puts it on his Hu

te

ID reader terminal, and complete the payment process.

Katsu

AGI is skeptical that the terminal will show the usual payment completion notification. But once he confirmed that the payment was indeed completed, he smiled.

For those with Hu

te

s people who do business, with a decent income of Hu

te

Making connections is more important than selling their goods. Katsuragi thought as he glanced at Shiryl.

[He just gave 10,000,000 Au.]

um, like nothing. It's fantastic. Even though he did it just to show off in front of Shirley, he still contributed to my income. I'll count on you to stick with it, okay? ]

Katsuragi stood up and prepared to pick up the medicine Akira had just bought.

"Okay then, I'll pick up the goods, you wait a minute, you don't plan to go anywhere, right?"

"Yes."

Katsuragi was just about to leave the room when he turned to him and asked him a question.

"Well, you gave me so much money so easily. But what would you do if I ran away with your money or brought you bad goods? ”

Akira answered Katsuragi's question quickly and calmly.

"If you take my money and run away, I'll hunt you down. If you bring me bad goods, I will cut off my contact with you. ”

"I see. It seems that we will get along well in the future. ”

Katsuragi smiled with satisfaction when he heard Achillas's answer, and left the room.

Elio and Alicia were dumbfounded when they saw the 10 million Orum deal being completed right in front of their eyes. For Elio and them, even if they collect the wreckage all day and sell it to Katsuragi, they rarely get a thousand Orum. In addition, the gangs that were cut will be subtracted before the balance is distributed equally among all the children who do the work. So in the end, every child gets less than that. They felt conflicted as they watched Akira close the deal, which involved a huge amount of money beyond their means, as if there was nothing.

Elio and Alicia know that Akira is also a child of the slums. Their age and upbringing aren't much different, but now, Aki

A stood before them as if he had come from a completely different place. While this gives them hope that if they are lucky, they may be as successful as Akira, at the same time, it also makes them feel unfair that Akira can be so successful despite their age and being alive. In the same place.

Although Shiryl looks calm on the surface, she is actually shocked inside. This is because Akira actually makes a lot more money than she thinks.

Being able to pay 10,000,000 Au so easily

um, indicating Aki

A is at a different level compared to the average hunter. This means that Shirley has taken advantage of such a great hunter for her benefit, even though she has nothing to repay him.

She

Yl thinks if she can't give back to Aki in some way

Alas, he may eventually abandon her gang. But since Akira is a good hunter, then she should give him something of value for such a good hunter.

But she couldn't imagine that for a man who could earn at least 10,000,000 AU on a regular basis

What is the value of the people of um.

It didn't take long for Katsuragi to return with the medicine.

"I've been waiting for a long time, this is a box of 200,000 orums."

Katsuragi said, placing a few boxes of medicine on the table. All of them are small enough to be carried in one hand, and they don't look heavy.

Akira looked at the medicine boxes and frowned.

"I bought 5 boxes, right?"

There were only four boxes on the table, and one box was missing.

"When I went to check my inventory, it turned out that I only had 4 boxes left. That's it. ”

With that, Katsuragi took out three more boxes and put them on the table.

"As my apologies, I will give you 3 boxes of this 1 million olum per box. So, you only need a total of 10 million Olum to get 11 Million Olum worth of goods. Do you agree? ”

"Well, I really don't mind, so I'll take it."

"I'm sorry about that."

Aki

a does not hesitate to get more goods at the price he pays. As for Katsuragi, although the profit is less, he is willing to endure.

But more importantly, as a businessman, he wanted to make up for his mistake of not being able to meet the customer's request even though he had already accepted the payment. After all, this is not a problem that he can solve by returning the money received.

Now that he's solved that problem, Katsuragi immediately moves on to the next task.

"By the way, I'm going to restock it as soon as possible, and I can order more of that medicine if you want. So, what do you think? ”

"When I have money, I'll go to your trailer and buy it, if I have money and you don't have the goods, should you go to another store to buy something? As for the money, I really don't dare to say, "Can you get it, after all, that's what hunters mean." But your inventory, in the first place, is yours, after all, that's what the merchant means, right? ”

"I can't deny it, it's good, I'll hope for you and contact me when you have money."

If Akira asks Katsuragi to place another order, Katsuragi may use this as an excuse for him to buy his leftovers. But, Aki

a Such mistakes can always be avoided. Deep down, Katsuragi smacked his tongue, but he smiled at his merchant outside.

Katsuragi decided to move forward and raised another topic.

"Ah, by the way, you're going back to explore the ruins, right? In addition to the ruins of the old world, I actually buy and sell other things, such as ruins location information, ruins maps and other things you can't buy are generally in public circulation, if there is still no place to sell, you can bring them to me, you can also let me sell them on my behalf, of course, I will take some commissions from them to take care of all the trouble for you. But it's easier than selling it yourself, right? ”

"Even if I want to sell the data inside the ruins, what about the data format?"

"I know someone who specializes in analyzing data collected by information collectors, and as long as it's not a special information collector, it should be fine. With this, you won't be without results even if you don't come back. ” "

"Well, I'll do it if I like it. However, I see that you are dealing with all kinds of goods. ”

"To be successful under corporate government, I need more than just money, you know. Of course, I also need money, so I accept investments from time to time. ”

"I'm sorry, I don't have that much money."

"Think so."

After that, Katsuragi exchanged numbers with Akira and left the building.

Akira stuffed her newfound medicine into her backpack. But just as he reached for the last million Orum and a box of medicine, and was about to stuff it into his backpack, he suddenly stopped.

He thought for a moment and handed the medicine to Shirley. She caught the pillbox with both hands, and it flew towards her in a parabola.

Akira then said to Shirley.

"You can have it and use it when you need it."

"Thank you so much."

Shiryl tried her best to smile at Akira, but she couldn't put on a natural smile and appeared a little stiff. Even people who barely knew her could tell that she was forcing herself to smile. At least, that's not her usual smile at Akira.

Akira noticed something strange about Shellyl's expression. He at least understood what he was doing wrong, but he couldn't tell what he was doing wrong.

"Alpha, am I doing something wrong again? I just thought that these kids could get hurt while working in the slum city, so I gave her that medicine"

Alpha seemed to think before answering.

"I don't think you're doing anything wrong. But people think you and Shirley are a couple, or maybe lovers? They might find it strange that you gave her something as uncute as that pillbox. And, if you give a discounted gift, it means that your love is also discounted. Basically, if you give away a 10% discount as a gift, does that mean you have 10% less love and gratitude or something? No, I guess I just read too deeply. ”

"Although I didn't think that far when I gave her that medicine. However, I guess I wouldn't have given her that pill if I hadn't gotten it as a reward. ”

"Well, as the object of showing off your lover to others, if someone asks you which is more suitable for you between a necklace and a ring and a box of pills, I think you know the answer is obvious. After all, it's not like she can take a box of pills to prove to others. ”

"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Well, I did say that I would help her, and I think I would give her something that she could use for that purpose later. ”

Aki

A and Alpha are talking to each other, even though they are not talking about the exact same thing. Of course, they didn't even mention why Shirley made such an embarrassed face.

Shirley looked at the medicine box she was holding in both hands, and thought to herself that now that she had received more favors, she should repay it. While she already had enough questions considering how to repay Akira, now she had raised the obstacle.

Shiryl was in a panic at this point.

Shiryl kicks Elio and Alicia out of the room. While from the outside, it looks like Shirley is just telling them to go back to work, Elio and Alicia feel that Shirley is actually telling them to leave that room and not disturb her and Akira. So they left the room in a panic.

Cher stood up. Akira thought she would hug him again, but instead she sat across from him. Then, she said to him with a serious face.

"Akira, is there anything you want me to do for you?"

"It was so unexpected."

"You've always helped us, so I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to repay you after receiving so much stuff. You can ask me anything, even from all of us. ”

Judging by her expression, Shiryl didn't seem happy after receiving such a valuable thing. However, it seemed to make her a little desperate.

Akira thought for a moment what to say, but there was nothing in her head.

"I can't think of anything right now. When will I come back and ask you what I want. ”

Normally, Aki

a Having said that, She

YL will stop here, but not this time. Looking at him, she maintained a serious expression. From Aquilas's point of view, it was as if Shirley was begging or pleading with him.

"Is there really nothing? Anything can be asked. Whether it's easy or difficult, can you ask something, what? ”

Shirley thought, even if it was just a little, and not reciprocating Aquilas's favor, it would be really bad. But she didn't even give the slightest hint of what she could do for Akira.

Because of this, Shiryl decided to ask directly. If it was at Aquilas's request, rather than her own thoughts, there would be less chance of annoying him, and at the same time more of a chance to make him happy.

Shiryl doesn't want Akira to abandon her, and she will do whatever she can for Akira, even if he makes difficult demands on her. If he had made her naked, on her knees, and licking his feet, she might as well have done it without hesitation.

Cheryl's seriousness was conveyed to Akira. But he didn't know what had suddenly entered her body. Even if she asked him for something, he couldn't think of it.

"Well, even if you ask me that, I really don't have anything to ask you now."

Aki

a understand She

YL won't back down unless he asks her to do something.

Cheryl pressured him, racking his brains to ask her something. He didn't think it was enough to get her to give him a shoulder massage. At the same time, Shirley's serious gaze was counterproductive, which made her move further and further away from her goal, as it made Akira feel that he shouldn't ask her for simple things.

After thinking about it for a long time, Akira finally thought of something.

"Ah, yes. In that case, give the children in the slums good food and teach them to read and write. ”

Shiryl was stunned when she heard Akira's words. When she asked him, she looked confused.

"Is it really enough?"

Shirley didn't know what kind of benefits would come if she did what he asked.

But Akira sounded a little surprised when she replied.

"Honestly, I thought I was asking some really difficult things, you know. If this is really easy for you, can you do it for me? I leave the details to you, but make sure it's a realistic plan. ”

Shirley replied quickly with a serious face.

"I see, I'll do my best."

"Ahh If someone asks you why, just make an excuse. ”

Shirley nodded firmly.

"Well, I'll never tell anyone."

She

yl doesn't know why Aki

a would ask her to do so. She is well aware that Akira is not the kind of person who is kind enough to ask others to do good. His request for her was not something that would bring him direct benefit. And even if Akira did it to make his reputation good, then he would never let her hide her name.

But for Shirley, that's not the point. Importantly, Aki

a asked her to do so, while considering it to be a difficult request for her. So if she can do it, at least Akira will think she's useful to him.

Shirryl was determined that she would stop at nothing to fulfill Achillas' request.

Alpha didn't understand why Akira would come up with such an idea. She always observes Akira quietly and closely, assessing his way of thinking, trying to understand the principles behind his actions, and constantly trying to control him.

But Aguilas's move just now didn't even happen to Alpha. In order to get to know him more deeply, Alpha felt the need to understand the reasons behind this action.

Alpha then asks Akira in a very calm manner, which makes it impossible for him to read Alpha's true thoughts, thus hiding her surprise.

"Akira, why did you let Shirley do this?"

"Well, uh, it's a good thing to provide education and food to the children of the slums, right?"

"Well, that's true."

"If I let Shiryl do it, it's indirect, but that's my good thing, right? I just thought this might help me fight my bad luck. ”

So basically, it's like Aki

as a subcontract for good deeds. Bad karma begets bad karma, and good karma begets good karma. In short, by pushing Shirley to do a good deed, Akira thinks it might help remove some of his bad luck.

After all, putting aside the superstitious metaphysics of Akira's pursuit of good luck, the only reason he asked Shiryl to do this was for his own selfishness.

"Then why do you want her not to say it was your idea?"

"If people knew it was my idea, I always felt that it would only cause me trouble."

Akira kept Shiryl a secret to avoid getting into trouble afterwards. It's not an uncommon story of someone coming to help someone in need, only to quickly disappear, asking for no reward and leaving no name. Aki

a twisted enough to explain such a heroic story, as if that person doesn't want others to know his or her name because people will flock to that person for free help. So, if other people knew his identity, it would be a great pain.

Akira pushes any trouble that this good deed may bring to Shirley while trying to profit from it. That's why he said he thought it was a tough request for Shirley.

Alpha breathed a sigh of relief, it wasn't that Akira suddenly changed her mind and became a good person, after all, it meant that she didn't misunderstand him. The more selfish Ming is, the easier it will be for her to control him, and if he suddenly turns into a selfless person, she will be in trouble.

"I understand, I understand now. Although, I don't think it will give the results you would like. ”

"Well, to be honest, I don't have much hope for it anyway, I just came up with the idea casually, and even if it doesn't work at all, it won't hurt me much."

"That's right. Well, even if it causes you some damage later, I don't mind, as long as you don't risk your life to cover for others. Remember, I only have you, so I don't want you to put yourself in unnecessary danger, okay? ”

"I have no problem giving up a hostage that has nothing to do with me. So I'm not going to do that kind of thing. You know all too well, don't you, Alpha? ”

"Since you say so, that's right."

When he was underground, even though Yajima took Reina hostage, Akira didn't lay down his arms. Akira herself knows that she is a ruthless person.

But on the other hand, Alpha remembers when Akira didn't hesitate to shoot someone who threatened to hurt Shizuka inside the Shirrill base. Aki

A also accepted an SOS request that he denied, when he knew about Sa

a and ele

A was involved in intercepting the monster horde, even though it meant he had to go alone.

If one day Shizuka or Elena or Sarah are taken hostage, Alpha can't predict Aki

a What will be done.

After the two returned to Shiryl's room, Shiryl began to snuggle up to Akira again. Although he had planned to leave the base immediately, he was pulled to his room by Shirille, which made him a little overwhelmed.

Shiryl hugged him tightly and charged at her. Akira doesn't know, but Shellyl is actually using him as her spiritual support. When she can't reach Aki

a, she was under a lot of pressure. Because of this, when 1 hour is usually enough to bring her back to her composure, she will spend a lot more time hugging him than usual.

When Shirley regained her composure, two things crossed her mind.

First, she's thinking about how to build a deeper relationship with Akira. Shiryl understands that Akira is now in a situation where she is easily swept away by the current. At this moment, no matter how far he goes, he will be enveloped by this emotion. So, Shirley was thinking about how to use this opportunity to get as close to him as possible so that he wouldn't abandon her easily.

Although it was just her unfounded instincts, Shiryl thought that if Akira did something about her, it would be a clear indication of their relationship and prove that she was his favorite.

Another thing that crossed her mind was that it was time to leave, as she was still clinging to Akira. Even though there was a beautiful girl of the same age, who had told him before that he could do whatever he wanted to her, and now he was attached to his side, he did nothing to her at all. Shirley didn't know if it was because Akira wasn't interested in this kind of thing at all, or because she knew it would cause her a lot of trouble, so she put up with it.

It would be pointless if she was in a hurry to get close to Akira just to annoy him. If Akira looks angry when she snuggles up to him, it will also damage her mental state, which is something she doesn't want to happen.

Aki

noted She

There are a lot of things in YL's head. But he didn't know what she was thinking, and he wasn't interested in knowing at all. He just felt that Shiryl, as a gang boss, must have a lot to worry about, so he didn't think about it anymore.

He then spent some time talking to Shirley to gather some information about the slum city. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. The two of them hurriedly looked towards the source of the sound. The person who had just knocked on the door was outside waiting for an answer.

"Come in."

After Shiryl responded, Alicia walked into the room. Show her with Aki

A's intimacy is for She

It is important for YL to maintain her position as the leader of the gang and the safety of her gang. Akira also understood this, so he didn't try to get Shirley out of his lap. But he still felt a little embarrassed to be looked at like this, so he moved his gaze away from Alicia to a random place in the room.

Shirley asked Alicia while she was still holding Akira.

"Do you need anything?"

"Ah, nothing, it's already time for you to take a shower. So I want to know if you want to take a shower today, and if you don't take a shower, then you can replace it with someone else. ”

Alicia was there to remind Shirley that it was her shower time.

There is a bathroom inside the gang base. Everyone in the gang is taking turns using the bathtub because it's not big enough. For the same reason, the bathroom is always occupied, except for cleaning or when it is the turn of the next person. And as more and more children join the gang, it's hard for everyone to take their turn to bathe every day.

Because of this, Shiryl wanted to limit herself to the bathtub for a long time. It's not that she can't do it, but it's sure to cause unhappiness among her subordinates. So Shirley bathed at a fixed time every day.

Since it was shower time, Shiryl wasn't taking a shower either, so Alicia came over to check on her. If she doesn't plan to use the bathtub, Alicia plans to use the bathtub with Elio before letting the other kids use it.

Shiryl was a little surprised when she realized how long she had been talking to Akira.

"So late? I'll go, wait a minute. ”

She

yl from Aki

A walked down and picked up her toiletries, which had been kept in the room because if she had left them in the bathroom, they would soon be gone.

Then Akira muttered to herself.

"Take a shower, well, I think I'll go home and take a shower too."

It's been a week since Akira last bathed. Although he felt refreshed after receiving so many treatments, it didn't change the fact that it had been so long since the last bath. Akira was thinking about getting home quickly, reaching for her backpack, when Alpha suddenly asked.

"Akira, where are you going?"

"My hotel, of course."

"The inn you stayed in before you were hospitalized doesn't have a room anymore, you have to find a place to sleep before you can rest, you know?"

Akira stopped, and Alpha was right. It's past the time spent at that inn. Everything he left in the room, including all his medicine and ammunition, would be confiscated by the hotel.

"So I should find a place to live now, right? Well, I'm sure I can find one. ”

It's already dark and there's a good chance that all the good rooms are already occupied. The rooms he could find were either cheap with showers or ultra-luxe, but Akira didn't plan to stay in such a room. Although he wanted to take a shower, he didn't have any extra money to waste on a luxurious room.

When Akira imagined himself walking around the Lower District in the middle of the night looking for a good place to rest, it made him lose the motivation to leave. Now that he was thinking about going home and resting, the thought of having to walk around the lower area with a heavy backpack made him much less motivated.

Shiryl notices the subtle change in Akira and asks him.

"Akira, what's wrong?"

"Well, I just realized that it was late, but I still have to find a place to stay."

Judging by Akilas's voice and actions, Shiryl knew he really didn't want to do that.

"If you're okay, you can stay in my room for one night, and although it doesn't have the furniture like the inn, at least there's a bed to sleep in."

"Are you sure? But I also want to take a good shower."

Akira didn't know what to do. He wondered if it would be better to accept Sherleys' offer than to walk through the Lower Zone when it was already dark and relatively dangerous. He knew that it had been so long since the last time he had taken a shower, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to take a shower, which made him more inclined to find a place to live in the lower district.

Having regained her composure, Cheryl understood Achillas's thoughts. So, she gave him a suggestion, even though she knew he would refuse anyway.

"Do you want to go with me? We can take our time to enjoy the bath before others come. We have a big bathtub where you can even reach and stretch your legs. And I'm sure no one in this gang is stupid enough. Steal your stuff. If you're still worried, you can leave your stuff near the tub and look at them through the clear glass. ”

Akira hesitated. The biggest reason for his hesitation was that he was worried about his belongings. He's inside the base of Shirill, not in the alleys of the slum city, so he doesn't know how safe it really is. His hesitation speaks to some extent. He thinks it's safe, but at the same time, he doesn't think it's safe. He was in a dilemma.

Shirley's words did ease his worries, but they weren't enough for him to decide what to do.

Since Akira can't seem to make a decision anytime soon, Alpha also gives him an extra boost to make a decision.

"If you're worried about being attacked, don't worry, I'll be watching your surroundings as usual, and if someone steals from you, you'll be the first to know."

"Really? That should be fine, right? ”

Shiryl then said something that made Akira make a quick decision.

"We're getting shorter and shorter in showers now, aren't we?"

Shiryl looked at Achillas' expression, and before she could say anything, she knew his answer.

***

Aki

a in She

Take a dip in the large bath at the YLS base. He stretched out his legs and arms, buried himself around his neck, and immersed himself in the pleasure of a warm bath.

He could feel tired, and after all the treatments he had received, it shouldn't be in his body, melted in the water. Neither mental fatigue nor hallucinations could change the fact that he was being healed.

He left everything in the locker room. To make sure no one snatched them, Elio and Alicia waited outside the locker room.

When Shirley and the other girls took a shower, there were always guards present. There have been cases of children peeking in, and of course, those children have been kicked out by the Shelllis.

Akira numbly looked forward to seeing Shellyl washing her body in front of him. He had already washed himself with the soap he had borrowed from Sheryl before he went into the bathtub. Although the two of them began to wash their bodies at about the same time, Sheryl took much longer than him.

Akichi momentarily doubted that it was really necessary to wash so thoroughly, but his doubts were quickly swallowed up by the pleasure of bathing and disappeared. After all, for him, this is not an important question.

She

YL washes her body and hair very carefully. She is well aware that in order to gain the upper hand in negotiations, her appearance is an indispensable asset. As a result, she put a lot of effort into polishing her body.

The cosmetics and soaps that Cheryl had received from Katsuragi the other day were luxury goods by the standards of a slum city, and she used them to embellish her appearance. It is because of this that she was able to regain the beautiful hair and skin that she had lost due to the poor living conditions in the slum city.

The hot water enhances the beauty and charm of Sheryl's radiant skin. Beautiful enough to make the little boys in the slums gamble all the benefits of joining the Shelles gang just to catch a glimpse of her beauty.

And now, they lost the bet when they were spied on, and not only did they not see Shirley's beautiful naked body, but they were also kicked out of the gang with only the clothes they were wearing. If they were still alive, they would have regretted their decision, but also thought they should at least take a peek before they could be kicked out of the gang.

After washing her body, Shiryl walked in the direction of the bath. Something in her eyes suddenly moved, and Akira reflexively quickly turned her gaze to her. Shiryl felt his gaze, blushed, and walked to the edge of the bath.

Even though Shirley had given Akira permission to take a bath with her, she still felt embarrassed to be looked at by people of the opposite sex her age. But even then, she did not hesitate at all, did not try to hide her body with her hands, and walked to the edge of the bath. Though a little embarrassed, she dipped herself in the bath as if she were showing off her near-perfect body to Akira.

Shirley carefully watched Akira's reaction. His gaze was simply following an object moving in his field of vision, so after she didn't make a big move, his gaze returned to the empty space in front of him. Except for one part, to be precise, the chest, she is actually quite confident in her body. That's why when Aki

A barely reacted, as if he wasn't interested in her body at all, She

yl was quite shocked.

Shirley asked embarrassedly.

"Well, what do you think?"

Aki

A look around before answering.

"It's huge."

Some of Aquilas's consciousness has been incorporated into warm water. So when Shirley asked him this question, he could only use his half-baked brain to decipher it, and then answer in a state of confusion.

Shelly, whose brain was still functioning, understood why Akira had come up with such an answer. Although she was embarrassed to ask him such a question, he thought she was asking him about his impression of the bathroom, to which he replied that he was impressed with the size of the bathroom.

She was a little depressed when she found that her body, which she was so confident in, had turned into an ornament in the bathroom. She sank deeper and deeper into the tub, bubbles coming out of her mouth underwater, and it looked like she was speaking ill of Akira.

[I said the bathroom is big, he should have known about it a long time ago, right?] 】

Shirley pouted and stared at Akira. From her gaze, Akira realized that he might have said something bad. But half of his consciousness was taken away by the warm water, and he couldn't read her question correctly, nor could he react correctly.

Whenever Akira is bathing in the hotel, Alpha is always with him. Although it is just an image, he has become accustomed to taking a bath with others. This is one of the reasons why Shirley, who is now bathing with him, hardly bothers him.

Akira is somehow used to taking a bath with an extremely beautiful and charming girl. Because of this, his libido is extremely low. This may be the result of Alphas anti-honeypot training. Or maybe it's just because, for Akira, there's nothing quite like the pleasure of a hot bath.

Judging by Akiras's reaction, the time she spent polishing her body seemed to be in vain after she told Akira that he could do anything for her. Shiryl understood this fact and let out a long sigh.

She decided to move on and looked at Akira, who was taking a shower. As Akira was so immersed in the pleasures of bathing, he seemed to have completely let his guard down. Akira in front of him didn't seem to be a skilled hunter who could easily pay 10 million gold coins. His completely relaxed expression made him look like one of those ordinary little boys that could be found anywhere in the ghetto.

Looking at the laid-back Akira, Shirley thought to herself that if he was really one of those ordinary little boys, using his body to seduce him, maybe he would be able to solve most of the problems. If she takes Achillas' hand and guides her body, or wraps Aguilas around her legs and then presses her lips to his, Aguila should at least be awakened. She thinks her body should be glamorous enough to be liked by most members of the opposite sex. If her assumptions are true, then deep down, Aki

A may not actually hate the idea.

Shirley imagined what would happen if she pushed herself towards Akira. She thought he would accept it, but only verbally resisted. Aki

As her seemingly defenseless state makes her less cautious, as her imagination and assumptions are more inclined to the good case scenario. These perverse thoughts corroded Shiryl's judgment. Although she didn't know it herself, she was actually in a state of euphoria.

When Shirley reached out to reach out to touch Akira, she noticed that he was staring at her.

Akira stared coldly at Shirley. He carefully watched her every move, judging whether the person in front of him posed a threat to him.

Akira could subconsciously feel some kind of suspicious meaning in Shiryl, although it was not malice, but it was definitely not kindness. Because of this, he quickly came back to his senses.

Shirley immediately froze in place. The ordinary teenager in front of him completely disappeared, and was replaced by a cold-blooded young hunter who killed without hesitation. Seconds ago, all the optimistic imagination in her mind was erased. Then, the next moment, Aquilas's gaze returned to normal.

Akira herself was not aware of the change in him. So it seemed to him that it was just that Shirley was just about to leave when she suddenly stopped.

Akira asked Shellyl with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Ahh

"Huh? I understand. ”

Akira ignores the fact that Shiryl stammered in her answer, and he once again focused on enjoying the bath. Achillas looked relieved and returned to before. As his body relaxed again, his consciousness melted into the warm water once more.

Shiryl breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this, and Aquilas's mood seemed to return to normal.

[That's dangerous, I'm so stupid.] If the temptation is against Aki

a worked, he had long been tempted. I should have been more careful. ]

Then Shirley tries to imagine what would happen if she pushed herself on Akira. In her imagination, she saw him quickly grab her by the throat and press her to the floor. Seeing such a scene, she decided not to think about anything more.

[As I thought, my only choice was to either let Akira take the initiative, or get his consent first, and then go and seduce him.] ]

Shirley felt that it was enough to be willing to take a shower with her now.

So Shirley decided to spend the rest of her bath time enjoying the bath and recovering from all the fatigue she had accumulated from her work.