Chapter 14: Security Kivotos

Barely safe… barely safe? Or was that actually not safe? No, it was safe. They didn’t find out—so it’s still safe. Being suspicious is still acceptable. As long as I’m not caught, I’m fine.

And so, some time passed since that first day in prison—truly the worst opening imaginable, the kind that would make you reset immediately if this were an RTA. Somehow, I managed to adapt to prison life.

"That pudding for dessert is mine!"

"Like hell I’m letting you have it!"

Words like “prison” or “correctional facility” made me tense up because of memories from my previous life. They sounded rigid and terrifying. But in reality, this place was much softer and fluffier than expected. I mean, there weren’t any ridiculous punishments like “2,000 squats just for talking,” or “100 laps around the yard doing bunny hops because the guard felt like it,” or “1,000 push-ups because I yawned.” None of that unreasonable bullying existed here.

By the way, all the above punishments really were enforced back in Arius. I can still picture Aina-senpai hopping around making bunny ears with her hands. It was absurd.

"You damn traitor!"

"You’re the one who sucker-punched me earlier!"

"That pudding is mine!!!!!!!"

As I said before, meals come three times a day. And even to an amateur’s eyes, the nutrition is well-balanced. After leaving Arius, all I could get were expired canned food, hardtack, tossed-out bento past their shelf life, or half-eaten sweet bread scavenged from the trash. Compared to that, this was my first proper diet since before I was even born into this world—since my past life. It was honestly moving. It was so good I nearly cried. Even the bed was wonderful. A warm room sheltered from the wind and rain—even if one whole wall was bars and gave a sense of openness—it was still the closest I’d had to real living conditions since my previous life. And the futon was shockingly fluffy. I’d expected a bamboo mat or one of those wooden roll-out pads like the ones used to store calligraphy brushes. But what I got was a soft, fluffy blanket so thick I couldn’t even feel the concrete beneath it.

"Hey, who’re you betting on today?"

"Come on, obviously the guys from Block B. They’re built different."

"Nah nah, the new arrivals in Block A are no joke either. Especially that Sayuri chick—she’s insane."

Really, truly—I’ll say it as many times as needed—the living conditions here are amazing. Let me brag about it as much as I want. That’s how deeply it moved me.

But even paradise has one or two complaints.

The first complaint:

"Raaaaagh! Today I’m winning for sure!"

"Shut up and lick the dirt off the floor, you filthy rag!"

The security here is pure Kivotos.

It feels like they condensed the already terrible security of Kivotos into something even more concentrated. Probably way worse than prisons in my previous life. I wouldn’t know—I’ve never been in one. But normally, fistfights aren’t supposed to break out every day. Yet here, it happens daily—no, it’s practically the main entertainment of the entire prison. For the inmates… and for the guards as well.

"Go! I bet my cheesecake on you!"

"Win!! I’m counting on you for my free meal!!!"

The inmates enjoy fighting, and the guards enjoy betting. What was the prize today? The dessert that was supposed to be distributed to the losing group… today’s was pudding, I think… would be confiscated. Absolutely insane stakes. And the guards—who are supposed to stop this—are instead the ones hyping up the bets. Truly hopeless.

"You keep sneaking looks at me! I saw you glancing!"

"Why would I need to look at you?"

I flick aside the delinquent’s weapon as he charges in, then knock him out with a spinning kick. I just want to eat my meal peacefully. At least guns are confiscated as “dangerous items.” That’s one saving grace.

"………"

"Sayuri-chan, are you alr—whoa!?"

I dodge a steel pipe swung down at me from behind at the last possible moment. When I turn, I see Saori standing there, face blank, pipe still raised.

Yes—this. This is my second complaint.

For some reason, Saori-chan keeps trying to hit me in the head at regular intervals. Always from a 45-degree angle.

"…As expected. I still cannot reach you. Just like before."

"How many times do I have to say it!? I’m not that Kou person, I’m Nonaka—hey!? Seriously!? Do you not think attacking someone while they’re talking is rude!?"

I dodge her strikes—hop, hop—while getting increasingly irritated.

"But just once… just once is enough. Let me hit you."

"Why!?"

"You’ll remember. I’m certain of it. The princess always said a good smack from 45 degrees fixes most things…"

"Don’t compare me to a CRT television!"

Damn it, she’s completely lost patience and is coming at me from every angle now. At first it was only the downward 45-degree strike, but now she’s trying 45, 135, 225, 315—every direction.

She probably thinks I have amnesia or something. Damn it… I thought I was safe after what I did on day one, but was I actually not? Is there any insurance I can still apply for at this point?

"Hm? What the—?"

Suddenly, Saori’s hand stopped mid-swing with the steel pipe, and I realized she was no longer looking at me. Her gaze was fixed in another direction.

I followed her line of sight, and amid the usual chaos, I spotted a brown-haired little girl being chased by about three delinquents.

"…? What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you suddenly felt a sense of justice or—"

"Tch."

"!?!!?!?!!?"

She clicked her tongue!? She actually clicked her tongue!? You weren’t like that before—well, maybe you were—but I never raised you to be like that!

While I was panicking internally, Saori left my side and rushed toward the little girl. With that handsome face of hers, clicking her tongue is terrifying enough to make anyone freeze.

Whoops, I’d better follow her too. Saori is definitely a kind kid, but if I remember correctly, her kindness was mostly directed toward her family. She wasn’t the type to go out of her way to help complete strangers. Though… back then she didn’t really have the luxury for that. Maybe she’s changed. As someone who knows her childhood, I wanted to see how much she’d grown, so I walked closer.

"Ah? What the he—"

"I’m gonna hit y—"

"You think one girl can beat thre—"

One-two-three. In an instant, the delinquents were knocked out cold.

"Th-thank you very much."

"…It’s fine."

"Peep."

The little girl, on the verge of tears, hid behind my legs. It seemed Saori’s face scared her a bit.

"You’re nicer than I expected, Sayuri-chan."

"…It’s an assignment."

"Assignment?"

"Yeah. The reason I came here this time is to carry out a job—protecting that child."

"Heeeh."

An assignment. I see. An assignment. So Saori is properly working now. For someone like me who remembers the days we all huddled together in a rundown shack in the slums, it’s deeply emotional. That Saori… working responsibly…

Assignment…

"…Assignment?"

An assignment? I feel like I’m forgetting something. Why am I in this prison in the first place? Oh, right—that’s easy. I also came here because I accepted a job. And that assignment was… to show a certain “pink-haired” little girl a special, trauma-inducing video. There were also some warnings. Ah, yes. I was told another operative, hired by a rival organization, had infiltrated this place. That person had blue hair, a distinctive mask, and a cap—…

"…No way."

"What is it?"

I looked at Saori. A cap. A cool, distinctive mask. And her beautiful dark blue hair fluttering behind her—her unmistakable trademark.

"Um… thank you so much for saving me."

"It was work. No need to thank me."

"I can’t let it end like that. I have to give something back… ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet!"

The little girl clapped her hands together with a bright expression and introduced herself.

"My name is Yatsude Shie! Nice to meet you, onee-chan!"

With the brown-haired girl’s cheerful voice, my consciousness flickered for a moment. Memories flashed before my eyes like a dying montage. Oh, right—now that I thought about it, that target photo… the pink hair had one strangely brown-haired one mixed in.

"It was a wig…?"

"Kou!?"

"Onee-chan!?"

Thud—collapse.

The third drawback to this paradise:

Apparently, my job was going to be far more complicated than expected.