Haruki turned his eyes to Hiroko standing in front of him with a tired and exhausted look. The air filled with tension and promised uneasiness.He didn't hold back and uttered words infused with anger and resentment:
- I made an appointment to spit in your filthy face.
Hiroko smiled as if thinking about it and replied with gentle sarcasm in his voice:
- Oh, so you're telling me that all the terrorist attacks we're talking about are because of the stupidity of the Special Patrol? You think we're responsible for our pain, our losses?
His words hit with shards of truth and make Haruki reflect on his own prejudices. But the resentment and anger don't leave him, and he struggles to stand up, feeling the cutting pain in his leg that the knife left still buried in his flesh.
- Yes! That's exactly what I think! Special Patrol made a mistake in their data and paperwork, they led us astray, led to the deaths of innocents. And now, when I'm already hurt and dying in pain, you're sticking that knife in my leg. You damned mediocrity! - Haruki blurted out, unable to contain his feelings and rage.
Hiroko looked at the knife sticking out of Haruki's bruised leg and said with a slight chuckle:
- You want me to pull that knife out? Fine, it'll even be cool for you if that's what you want!
He reached for the knife, wanting to help however received a strong kick from Haruka, causing his glasses to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.Without saying anything, he pulled the knife out of his leg himself, resigned to the pain and agony, and hurled it towards Hiroko with furious words:
- Get out. Bastard.
*Skyscraper in Yukisaku City.*
Sakura stood on the roof of a skyscraper, welcoming the gentle breeze that playfully caressed her cheek.She sighed thoughtfully and spoke the words:
- Fear not only death, but also life. Inherent in the absolute truth of our own making is our inevitable and inescapable destruction. No one can escape this inevitable fate.
*Investigation Committee Headquarters*
The atmosphere in the Investigation Committee Headquarters was tense. Suddenly, all the phones started ringing almost simultaneously, and notifications appeared on all the screens. Separate sounds of ding-ding-ding and br-br-br-br filled the room, and all the committee members looked anxiously at their devices.
- What does this mean, Yukio? - Ryoma looked startled, his voice shaking with nervous tension.
- I don't know myself! - Yukio replied, his voice sounding unsteady, as if he was badly shaken by what was happening.
*Living Street of Yukisaku City*
Meanwhile, on the streets of Yukisaku City, panicked whispers spread among the crowds of people. They were discussing the mysterious notifications they had received on their phones.
On one of the devices, an angry voice reported:
"Unknown sender. Have you heard about the terrorist attack on the chemical plant? Hundreds of thousands of people will die today."
At the Investigation Committee headquarters, consternation gripped everyone. Kazuto, shaking his head in bewilderment, asked:
- Is this really their doing?
- Most likely... They asked thousands of questions in front of us," Yukio continued, vaguely trying to shed some light on the situation.
Alarmed, Yukio abruptly jumped up from his seat and rushed over to the telephone that was nearby.His voice sounded panicked as he called out to the other committee members:
- Hurry up and call Haruki! Tell Haruki and Takumi! Alert them immediately! Do it quickly!
In a fierce panic, all the committee members grabbed their phones and started dialing Haruki and Takumi's numbers.However, all they heard back was a voice message:
- Subscriber unavailable, call back later.
This made Kazuto furious, he shook himself and shrieked with undisguised anger:
- I'm going to kill Haruki and that little idiot! We're about to have terrorist attack number two, and they're not talking!
Ryoma appealed to him to calm down:
- Now is not the time for anger! We need to think about the next steps!
Just then, Yukio, wobbling with panic, turned back to the rest of the committee and exclaimed:
- I have very bad news! Someone has decided to cut off our communications! A communications tower has just been blown up, and now communications throughout the city are down!
Masao, the head of the Committee, suddenly appeared from the library and anxiously asked what was going on.Yukio quickly turned around to Masao and gave him the terrible news:
- The Poison Queens have planned another terrorist attack. We have very little time left, we must find a way to stop them!
*Haruki's car*
Takumi and Haruki, following Hiroko, left the warehouse where they had just had their meeting.Takumi, still a bit dumbfounded by what was happening, decided to make sense of the situation and turned to Haruki with a question:
- What was the point of this whole meeting? I don't even understand where we're going now.
Haruki, clearly annoyed, clenched his teeth, but even in his mood he found the strength to answer:
- Well, first of all, I don't really understand what was going on at that meeting. Secondly, all I know is that we're going wherever the hell we want to go.
*Investigation Committee Staff*
- What are we going to do, Yukio? - A worried Ryoma asked, looking at his colleague anxiously.
Yukio hesitated for a moment, his face pale and it was obvious that he was struggling with panic.He struggled to answer:
- I I have no idea what they're up to. We find ourselves in complete uncertainty.
Kazuto, feeling anger overwhelm him, didn't hold back:
- Asshole! Why don't you use magic? They're clearly up to something serious, and you're standing there like a darned idiot!
Kazuto's anger and frustration was palpable. He was used to relying on Yukio's magic, on his critical thinking ability. They had always found a way out of difficult situations thanks to that gift. But now Yukio was failing, and it scared everyone.
Yukio, who had come to his senses, looked at Kazuto and said:
- Okay, I'll try to use my magic. Magic: Critical Thinking!
The atmosphere around Yukio changed: the air began to move as if expecting something. Yukio was obviously in a state of receiving and processing information much faster than usual. He raised a finger up and uttered:
- Great! Mm, uh-huh...But even when using critical thinking, we've encountered a dead end, friends!
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Ryoma and Kazuto were dumbfounded. Always when Yukio used his critical thinking magic, they found a way out of any difficult situation. But now that they really needed help, even that magic doesn't help.Kazuto's fear and confusion arises, and he shouts out:
- Impossible! How is this possible?
Ryoma also feels a slight panic because even Yukio's magic, which has always made plans and helped in difficult situations, now can't help them understand what the Poison Queens are up to. He realizes that any further action may be futile. Yukio looked into the faces of his colleagues and realized that the time for panic had not yet come.He gathered his inner strength and spoke forcefully:
- This is not the time to panic. We need to look at the situation from a more insightful perspective. Maybe then my magic will prove useful.
Kazuto turned around, his eyes expressing horror and confusion:
- How can you remain so calm in such a situation?
Yukio calmly sat down on a chair, took a sip of water and answered Kazuto:
- Easy. We just don't have time to panic. We need to sort through everything to find a solution. Perhaps then my magic will be useful.
Ryoma got up from the couch and supported Yukio:
- He's right, Kazuto. We have to save people, and panic won't do any good in this situation. We have to stay calm and collected.
Kazuto sighed and agreed with them:
- All right. Let's solve the problems.
Yukio, Ryoma, and Kazuto headed into the hall, where Yukio sat down at his laptop and began to make his way through the information chaos.He said without taking his eyes off the screen:
- Communication towers throughout the city have been destroyed. There is no cell phone service or internet within a 40 kilometer radius of the city.
Ryoma looked around and asked Yukio:
- Why do they care about all this? Why do the Poison Queens care about destroying communication and the internet?
Yukio turned away from the laptop and looked at Ryoma:
- First, we cannot be sure that it is the Poison Queens who are doing this. Second, their goal is probably to weaken local police services and local governments by depriving them of communications. Third, it could also be their attempt to cause panic and chaos by paralyzing the city's communications.
Kazuto's worries did not subside, and his heart clenched uneasily at the thought of Takumi and Haruki. He couldn't help but express his worries out loud:
- Where are Haruki and Takumi now? We need them so much at this moment!
Ryoma and Yukio turned around to him.Yukio tried to reassure Kazuto:
- They are most likely on their way to our headquarters. But we must hurry to save people and find the Poison Queens.
Ryoma interrupted Yukio and suggested:
- Let's leave a note here so they know what's going on and give them the address where we're going. They'll find us sooner or later.
Yukio and Kazuto supported the idea. Soon, Yukio got up from his seat and said:
- It's time to go. We left a note. We're heading to the chemical plant where the attack took place. I think that's where the Poison Queens are.
Yukio's words made Kazuto a little wary, and he asked a difficult question:
- Yukio, every minute is precious. Is it just you, or do you have reason to believe they're at the chemical plant?
Yukio left the question unanswered and headed for the elevator, confirming with his silence that he had his own thoughts and premonitions.
*Haruki's car*
Haruki's car was slowly moving down the serpentine road. Suddenly, Haruki felt like he had no signal on his phone. He frowned slightly, not realizing the reason for such a trouble.
- Hm, Takumi, that's strange. I don't have a connection. I'm trying to call, but it's not working," Haruki said, a little perplexed by what was happening.
Takumi, staring intently at the road, turned to Haruki curiously:
- Who are you trying to call?
- To the number 666. I just want to go to hell," Haruki replied, laughing merrily.
Takumi didn't hide his surprise and some concern:
- Asshole! Why would you do that?
- Just kidding, Takumi, just kidding," Haruki smiled.
A momentary silence swept over the car, and Takumi saw that he too had no signal on his phone. His face contorted with surprise and disbelief for a moment.
- That's weird, I don't have a connection either. What's going on? - he whispered under his breath.
- Okay, let's forget about it," Haruki decided. - We'll be at headquarters soon, and we'll have to focus on solving the problem. Let's not waste any time.
*Unknown Warehouse.*
In a quiet room filled with a mysterious twilight, an old voice rang out, imbued with cruelty and anger. Its owner, Rin Hanada, the female leader of the Poison Queens, looked truly commanding and determined. She was looking at a tank of small fish that exuded pity and managed to find potential victims in them. Next to her was Sakura, her loyal friend and associate. Sakura nodded in agreement, fully sharing the head's intentions. After all, it was those vicious and bloodthirsty characteristics that made the Poison Queens the most feared and dangerous organization in the entire country. Miyuka, the third member of the group, drew attention to herself with her unpredictable and elusive characteristics. She asked Rin about her future plans, spectacularly releasing air bubbles from her ajar lips. Rin, with a smile on her face full of disdain and confidence, began to recount her ingenious plan. It was clear to her that she had to show the Committee, who were constantly building traps and uncovering secrets, that the Poison Queens could be one step ahead. Their plan was simple, blow up the industrial sector responsible for the production of the dangerous substance, Benzene. The Head continued to explain that there were no pitfalls or hidden obstacles in this plan. Using their cunning intelligence abilities, the Poison Queens have gathered all the necessary information and carefully thought out every detail of the operation. They would deceive the Committee, who would not expect such a bold and overt move, and would be one step ahead of their pursuers. Yuka, the fourth of the group, didn't hold back her admiration and joined the conversation, praising Rin for her intelligence and cunning. She laughed, enjoying her power and already anticipating the triumph of the Poison Queens over their enemies.