Chapter 135: The Lizard

Mai's mother held the contract tightly, looking at her daughter as if to verify Haruto's claim.

Mai nodded without hesitation.

The woman hesitated.

She seemed to want to ask why Mai wanted to leave. But before she could, she seemed to already have an answer.

In the end, all of her emotions condensed into a single sigh.

"Can... I take a look at Mai's contract with your company?"

That was her only request.

Haruto, of course, had prepared for this and handed over Mai's contract. Although, in truth, it was just an ordinary-looking piece of paper.

What truly mattered was the signature on the Absolute Contract Codex.

The woman carefully examined the contract, repeatedly scrutinizing certain clauses. Only after confirming there were no hidden traps did she set it down.

In fact, to the woman, both contracts seemed almost too good to be true. The terms offered by 'Umbrella' were so generous that they were downright shocking.

At last, the woman looked at Mai again.

By this point, Mai had already seen enough of her mother's expressions to understand.

She smiled, relieved, and nodded.

Finally, the woman signed the contract.

Haruto transferred the payment on the spot.

From that moment on, Mai Sakurajima belonged to 'Umbrella'—or, more precisely, the SCP Foundation.

Now, the only question was how to let the public perceive Mai Sakurajima's existence once more.

The reality dating show Starting Love Today had already garnered significant traction with several trending topics from its first episode.

After the investment backing switched to 'Umbrella,' even more promotional resources were poured in.

What was once an obscure little dating show suddenly became the talk of the entire nation.

And amidst all the attention, the second episode of Starting Love Today was once again broadcast live. Surprisingly, the hottest topic among the show's cast members was none other than Haruto, despite not even being an idol.

With his impeccable looks, the existing fanbase from his alias as 'Takatsuki Izumi-sensei,' and his incredibly charming presence in the first episode, Haruto was on the verge of becoming a top-tier trending star.

And in the midst of this hype, Haruto suddenly turned to the camera with an unexpected smile.

Viewers were puzzled until they heard Haruto say,

"Let me introduce an absolute angel to everyone! She's got beauty, a sweet voice, a stunning figure; graceful when calm, but energetic when she moves—Mai Sakurajima!"

"If true love had a color, it would be Mai-colored! Long live Mai Sakurajima—"

Before he could finish, Mai lunged at him and put him in a chokehold on the spot.

"What the hell are you saying?!"

Amidst her embarrassed exclamation, the world once again perceived the existence of Mai .

Of course, the price of this revelation was...

'What kind of girl moves "as swift as a rabbit"? She demonstrated it live on air!'

'Starting Love Today concludes perfectly—fans go wild!'

'If true love had a color, it would be Mai-colored!'

Many related topics shot up the trending list once again, making the show an even bigger success.

From then on, Mai continued her career under 'Umbrella.'

The only difference was that now, she had complete freedom to choose her projects and endorsements.

The career she once loved but nearly abandoned was now once again something she could enjoy and pursue with passion.

At the same time, Mai transferred to Sobu High School.

Haruto introduced her to Megumi , hoping the two could get along.

After all, both of them had anomalous anti-memetic properties and had experienced being ignored by the world...

They should get along well, right?

Plus, Megumi could help Mai better control her own anti-memetic anomaly.

However, Haruto failed to notice the sparks flying in the air when the two girls exchanged glances.

Time passed, and soon, the day of the grand banquet invitation approached.

Haruto wasn't particularly interested in attending.

But since it was an invitation from Kaguya Shinomiya, he figured it was only polite to make an appearance.

However...

"Momobami Clan wasn't invited?"

Upon receiving Ririka's report, Haruto asked in surprise.

This banquet was being jointly hosted by the Shinomiya, Suzuki, and Senzaemon families.

Among the Four Great Conglomerates of Japan, three were involved.

Even if their relations weren't ideal, basic etiquette among the upper class dictated that they wouldn't ignore the Momobami Clan.

Otherwise, wouldn't it make the Four Great Conglomerates look petty and divided?

And yet, the Momobami Clan had indeed been left out.

That was unexpected.

Ririka pondered for a moment before speaking in a low voice,

"This isn't the first time. Similar incidents have happened several times recently."

Haruto raised an eyebrow.

"Is it because of the Momobami Clan's growth? Are the other three conglomerates uniting to suppress you? In recent times, the Momobami Clan has been rising rapidly with the Foundation's support. If they're being targeted, it's understandable."

But Ririka shook her head.

"Master Haruto, that's exactly the issue, there has been no suppression from the other three families. In fact, even in industries where the Foundation isn't involved, the Momobami Clan has been gaining ground. And the reason is simple: the Shinomiya, Suzuki, and Senzaemon families have been managing their businesses poorly, allowing us to profit."

Haruto tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.

Was this... a deliberate display of weakness?

The wolf feigning sleep to lure its prey?

Now this was getting interesting.

The Four Great Conglomerates were the strongest organizations in Japan, aside from the official government.

And if three of them were joining forces, they might just be able to stir up some waves.

What was originally a dull event of attending the banquet merely to honor Kaguya Shinomiya's invitation, suddenly became interesting.

"Ririka, dress up nicely tomorrow and accompany me to this banquet," Haruto said with a bold wave of his hand.

However, Ririka seemed unenthusiastic.

"Master Haruto, my elder sister seems to miss you. Please bring her along instead. My sister's abilities surpass mine by far. I believe she can provide you with the greatest assistance."

Haruto decisively shook his head.

If he brought Kirari along, he wouldn't get to have any fun at all.

With Kirari's capabilities, even if the other three major conglomerates joined forces, they wouldn't be able to make waves before her.

Having risen to the top of the Hundred Devouring Families at such a young age, Kirari's abilities far surpassed those of the other three conglomerates' leaders.

Moreover, with the Foundation supporting the Hundred Devouring Families now, it was simply a one-sided battle.

So, bringing Ririka was the better choice.

Ririka was soft, cute, and moderately strong.

Ririka let out a deep sigh.

She had already come to understand the twisted amusement of her Master and could roughly guess why he insisted on bringing her along.

Why was someone so powerful also so fond of such strange amusements?

Meanwhile, Haruto, full of anticipation, left to prepare for the banquet the next day.

However, before dawn even arrived the next morning—

Before the sun had risen, in the dim early hours, the system panel popped up.

Anomaly Detection System has identified an abnormal presence.

Haruto woke from his sleep and pulled up the system panel to check. The anomaly was detected on the west coast of the Northern Nation.

Haruto felt his scalp tingle.

Grabbing his satellite phone, he immediately called the personnel at the Foundation's containment site in the Northern Nation.

After informing the Foundation staff of the anomaly's location, Haruto suddenly felt like the place seemed familiar.

Not certain, he decided to check again!

"This location—search the database and see if there's any relevant information," Haruto instructed through the phone.

On the other end, the sound of rapid keyboard typing came through.

Then, the Foundation staff reported:

"President, we found it. This location was flagged during a routine investigation not long ago as a base of operations for a certain organization."

"The organization is called 'The Distillery.' It is a non-supernatural group of moderate scale."

"According to the Foundation's action plan, we originally scheduled a cleanup operation against this organization in three days."

"Past investigations indicate that 'The Distillery' does not have the ability to contain or create anomalies. Awaiting your instructions, President."

(T/N: Here comes the problem, I don't really know if this is the right organization as I scoured the net for such organizations but found none. 

I'd probably come back here to revise the right organization if this ever be wrong.)

Haruto raised an eyebrow.

No wonder the address seemed familiar.

So, it was a base of that damn Distillery.

As a transnational crime syndicate, 'The Distillery' had bases not only in Japan but also in various countries overseas.

And their largest base, their headquarters, was located precisely on the west coast of the Northern Nation, at location 697.

Which just so happened to be where the anomaly had appeared this time.

Rubbing his forehead, Haruto said,

"Send a team of D-class personnel to investigate the anomaly's interactions with 'The Distillery'—but no direct contact with the anomaly."

"Deploy three squads of armed personnel to blockade the base's perimeter and clear out surrounding civilians."

"Agents must be equipped with Black-1 armor and remain on standby thirty miles from the location."

With Haruto's orders given, the Foundation's personnel at the Northern Nation's site immediately began operations.

However, things escalated quickly.

Just before dawn, before the sky fully brightened, the Northern Nation's site sent over footage of an anomaly encounter.

Haruto opened the video.

What appeared on the screen were several figures dressed in bright orange prison uniforms—D-class personnel.

"I am D-475 (not important), carrying out the anomaly observation mission. My current location is North Street, West Coast."

"The anomaly site is within the headquarters of the organization 'The Distillery,' located at the warehouse district at the end of North Street."

B-07 Agent reported that the area had been fully evacuated and requested permission to begin the observation mission.

The director of the Northern Nation's containment site issued the order: D-class personnel, enter the designated area and commence anomaly observation.

"Understood. Beginning anomaly observation mission."

The footage moved forward.

Sticking close to the walls, the personnel carefully advanced through the deserted streets.

The civilians had already been evacuated.

Their only concern was avoiding The Distillery's surveillance.

After crossing a street, a large warehouse district came into view—dozens of storage units.

Ordinarily, this area was used to store goods for the port, but in reality, it was The Distillery's headquarters.

The footage continued forward.

Using Foundation tools, they cut through a chain-link fence, and the D-class personnel entered the warehouse district.

But then—

A horrific, sharp screech echoed through the air.

The sound was completely inhuman—a monstrous, primal roar.

The footage trembled.

The D-class personnel froze in fear.

Usually, in such cases, the Foundation would immediately instruct the D-class personnel to continue the mission, or face immediate termination.

However, before an order could even be issued—

A deafening explosion roared through the area.