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“Ugh… what should I do with her…”

At my groan, Can, who was looking around, silently raised the alert level to the point of meticulously scanning every inch.

The scanner lights, flashing like stage lights, bothered the surrounding citizens, who turned to look… but they quietly turned their heads away after seeing his medals, which clearly indicated he had been through a fierce battle.

Just because they were looking for me on the network didn’t necessarily mean that Five Eyes remnants were waiting nearby. Especially if the opponent was a hacker who was relatively free from geographical constraints, the possibility was even lower.

But there was no harm in being careful…

“There’s no need to stick around in the crowd. If it seems dangerous, just pull back to the outskirts. It’s not something we’re responsible for.”

Understood. –

Seeing that Can had no particular objections and immediately began to slip away towards the edge of the plaza where the security guards were, I focused all my attention on the terminal.

I was just glad that Rosalyn’s obsessive target wasn’t Can, who had ripped off Asif’s arm, but me.

…Or was I? Could she be misunderstanding that it was all my intention? I’m not sure.

In times like these, it’s best to ask the person involved to be sure.

…You’ve really done it now. What was that about not snitching to the company? Thanks to you, some people are going to have to move their active bases!

As soon as I entered the channel, a flood of complaints poured out.

It was a weak voice, the complete opposite of the strong words like revenge that had drawn me in… but she probably knew it too.

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, this was mostly her own fault… mostly.

Let’s get our facts straight, shall we? Asif, your decision-maker, was the one who ignored my compromise first, and Rosalyn, you couldn’t stop him, so you’re not entirely innocent either, are you?

That’s…!! You’re right. Yes….

Huh? The reaction was more lackluster than I expected. Not just lackluster, but bland.

I was prepared for a full-blown tantrum, but she accepted it so calmly, without even a hint of panic.

Could it be that a casually dropped real name wasn’t a big deal to them?

Come to think of it, even if they were friends who preached non-violence, enlightenment, and idealism, they were still criminals who were wanted for anti-corporate activities and were hiding in major Metropolises.

Perhaps they were people who were so used to walking a tightrope that it was their daily life, making it difficult to gain an advantage with such petty provocations or psychological warfare…

…Wait! Wait a minute!! Anastasia, you! Why are you so casually calling our leader and my name?! Our eavesdropping countermeasures should have been absolutely perfect!

Hey, you….

“Haa…”

I barely managed to restrain my arm from slamming down on the touch panel.

It’s good to have pride in the results you’ve created, but… I think it’s good to keep more diverse possibilities in mind.

At this rate, how can I trust you when we work together in the distant future!

I changed the route of the anger rising from within and vented it in text.

I did some research of my own. So, now you really know, right? That if I had a dark heart, I would have released your personal information too.

Ugh… but…!

And! Before you chatter on any further, let me make one thing clear. Bickering over the network in the name of revenge is okay. But like before…

I reached out to the side and touched the handle of Asif’s axe. I could feel that it was firmly stuck in place, with no way for me to pull it out with my strength.

…Hey, hey, Can, I don’t need it! You don’t have to go to the trouble of taking it out and handing it to me!

I didn’t even know if there were any scratches on the machine, but I calmed down the Care Bot, who was already trying to twist the blade.

It’s a problem if you’re as clueless as Rosalyn, but it’s also a burden if you’re too sharp like him.

If you come at me in a way that crosses the line, I won’t stand it anymore. No, I won’t stand for it.

….

The replies that had been coming back tick-tock stopped abruptly.

If you need time to discuss it, you can have as much as you need… well, until I get off work. I don’t know after that.

The silence was so long that I was worried I had gone too far… but it seemed she agreed that it was a pointless dispute.

…Okay. We can’t afford to make unnecessary enemies, let alone secure allies for the great cause.

That’s a relief, that you’ll stop.

…Finally, it’s over. The unnecessarily long war of nerves, which was so long that I was wondering if I should even thank her for understanding, was officially ended with the approval of the parties involved.

Then, since there are no more schedules left, I was going to leisurely watch the Christmas event…

I’m not so shameless as to keep insisting on the word revenge without knowing the favor you’ve done. But instead… it’s a match! Anastasia Valentine…!!

What?

Before I could even reply that it was a completely unfunny pun, the event prepared by her and Five Eyes began to be demonstrated.

“Now, from now on! We will begin the countdown to the grand lighting ceremony in 1 minute!”

Behind the host, who was continuing the smooth proceedings according to the script.

Still, whether they had a conscience or were concerned about aesthetics, the monitors that had been broadcasting product advertisements were temporarily stopped and began to blur one by one as they broadcast Christmas decorations.

Static… Static!

The citizens who were looking at it head-on were just staring blankly, thinking it was part of the production, but such a bizarre art of covering the screen with noise symptoms one after another, like a horror movie, would not exist even in the 22nd century.

I never agreed to such a match!

What kind of terrorist asks for consent!!

She’s only right when it’s convenient for her!

I hurriedly checked my Cyberware, but there were no Bizarre Radio Waves detected separately.

I assumed they had infiltrated the plaza network or the computer network adjacent to the event equipment… I never thought I would get to see the backdoor technique that I used to use so often.

Besides, even I, who knew the inside story, was taken aback, so how much more would ordinary people be?

More than half of the monitors densely hung on the huge tree were emitting only white noise, and the speakers that had been playing Christmas carols were also taken over, and the atmosphere was gradually becoming strange.

!! Lulling me into a false sense of security with words and then ambushing me? You were so full of the will to compete, so why did you pretend to back down!

“Oh?”

The equipment that had been hijacked gradually returned to normal, and the complexion of the host, which had been dark, gradually recovered.

I don’t know if Rosalyn, who was so excited, would believe me if I told her honestly, but I didn’t do anything.

This was… someone had finally noticed her daring attempt to seize the central system (Main Frame) of the venue and stopped her.

Not me, but other hired hacker mercenaries.

You, I was just saying that I was attacked, and now you’re cowardlyly doing this multi-tasking fight again…!

I don’t know how many of them are still alive in that cold wind, but Rosalyn, who was clearly suffering from their all-out offensive, which must have been heating up, burst into anger.

Eeeeek!! In this case, I’ll force a traffic overload to shake off the multiple users!

Ah?! You let your guard down! You restricted administrator privileges by assigning unique numbers, but the firewall settings are so defenseless!

Ahahaha♪ How do you like it! How does it feel to be kicked out of your own home?

Aren’t you panicking too easily, Anastasia! Your reaction is noticeably slower than it was during the day!

Oh… yeah.

Looking at it again, I don’t know if I should say that she’s not angry, but that her competitive spirit has been ignited, and it seems like she’s having a good time in her own way?

Rosalyn, who quickly regained her composure even while facing the network ghosts, who I remember numbered in the dozens, head-on, is also no ordinary person.

So, I was going to deny that the person she was fighting was me… but I changed my mind.

It might be hard to say this, but if the person involved is happy, isn’t that all that matters? This is my personal opinion, with the expectation that this tomboy will become a little more docile after she relieves her stress to her heart’s content.

At this rate, the outcome will be decided soon!

Yeah, yeah. Make yourself comfortable, make yourself comfortable.

People are so fickle.

Just by taking a step back, just by slightly deviating from the issue, my mind becomes so much more at ease.

It was as if a revolutionary system had been invented that automatically played with nephews and nieces during the holidays.

Well, as a result, the host was clutching the back of his neck. The people who were watching the anti-corporate propaganda that was slowly being output on the monitor were either covering their mouths and trying not to laugh, or whispering…

Did they prepare the stage equipment on purpose for this? They are a fairly moderate resistance group. They are even childish compared to their reputation. –

“They’ve always had that kind of slogan.”

I nodded at Can’s declaration that he would lower the risk level.

Before I knew it, the walls of the darkening building were illuminated by lights in the shape of eyes, symbolizing Five Eyes.

Sentences such as ‘Corporate oppression is not a matter of course’ were coming from the sound equipment near the stage and the speakers hidden in various places.

Finally, the huge tree became a hotbed of illegality due to the propaganda videos that were plastered all over it.

Hmm… this will definitely be a humiliating incident that will be splashed all over the news.

So, how was the ‘terrorism’ we prepared! If you are also planning to continue anti-corporate activities, instead of using methods that threaten ordinary citizens, such as blowing up gates, focus on making companies fail, following the example of Five Eyes!

Oh? I never thought she would return the lecture that I called hypocritical like this.

Even in the midst of all this, it was funny that she was now treating me like some kind of independent anti-corporate activist.

Then, should I avenge the patients in the situation room who struggled in a harsh environment?

…Why are you trying to trample on the sprouts of growing democracy again?

The answer is extremely simple. Aaron, who must have been watching this scene live, called me on the number that he had decided to use only when he had something to say…!

Help me.