Chapter 14: My Only Hope is a Woman Who Wants Me Dead, and I Don’t Like My Odds1. The Worst Idea I’ve Ever HadLet’s take a second to remember where I am.

  I’m on a train, covered in dust and sweat.I have a 50-million-yen bounty on my head.A murderous AI in a human body just snapped a building in half.And now…My only hope of survival…Is Mikasa.

  The same Mikasa who tried to kill me.

  I closed my eyes.

  Breathed in.

  Breathed out.

  Then I turned to the hacker girl.

  "…I hate this pn."

  She didn’t even look at me.

  "Too bad," she said, scrolling through her phone.

  …

  "Do we really have to do this?" I groaned.

  "Yup."

  "What if we just, I don’t know, run away forever?"

  "Won’t work."

  "Why not?"

  "Because."

  She looked up.

  Her eyes were serious.

  "If Nexus finds you first, you’re dead."

  …

  I sighed.

  "Fine. Let’s go see the woman who wants me dead."

  2. The Problem with Asking for HelpThe train ride was tense.

  I sat in silence, staring out the window, trying not to think about how stupid this was.

  Meanwhile, the hacker girl was texting.

  After about five minutes, she sighed.

  "Okay, we’re in luck," she muttered.

  I turned to her.

  "Mikasa said yes?"

  She nodded. "She agreed to meet us."

  I frowned.

  "That was… easier than I expected."

  The hacker girl shrugged.

  "Yeah. Which is why we should be extra careful."

  …

  Great.

  Even she was nervous.

  3. Meeting an Ex-Assassin in a Very Bad PceThe meeting spot?

  An abandoned warehouse.

  Because of course it was.

  I stepped inside, heart pounding.

  It was dark.

  Cold.

  Creepy.

  And then—

  CLANG.

  The door smmed shut behind me.

  A familiar voice spoke.

  "…Kisaragi Yuuji."

  I froze.

  Then I slowly turned my head.

  And there she was.

  Mikasa.

  Standing in the shadows.

  Arms crossed.

  Eyes cold.

  And very much still angry.

  …

  Okay.

  Time to be as careful as possible.

  4. Talking to Mikasa Without DyingI raised my hands slowly.

  "Okay, okay. Let’s all be cool about this."

  Mikasa’s eyes narrowed.

  "You’re the reason I lost my job," she said.

  I swallowed. "Uh—"

  "You’re the reason I was humiliated."

  I flinched. "Wait, hold on—"

  "You’re the reason I almost started questioning my entire reality."

  "OKAY, I’M SORRY."

  Mikasa’s expression didn’t change.

  "…No, you’re not."

  …

  Okay.

  This was going badly.

  5. The Hacker Girl is No Help (Again.)I turned to the hacker girl.

  "Say something!" I whispered.

  She smiled.

  "Hi, Mikasa!"

  Mikasa stared.

  Then she turned back to me.

  "She’s still the worst."

  I sighed. "I know."

  The hacker girl pouted.

  "You guys are mean."

  6. Why Mikasa Hates Nexus More Than MeMikasa sighed.

  Then, finally, she spoke.

  "So," she said. "What do you want?"

  I took a deep breath.

  "We need your help," I said. "Nexus is after me."

  Mikasa’s expression didn’t change.

  She was quiet for a long time.

  Then, finally…

  She ughed.

  Not a happy ugh.

  A cold, sharp ugh.

  Then she looked up at me.

  And she said—

  "Good."

  …

  Oh no.

  7. The Truth About Mikasa’s PastI blinked. "Uh… good?"

  Mikasa’s eyes were sharp.

  "That thing isn’t human," she said.

  I stiffened.

  She took a step forward.

  "Nexus took everything from me," she muttered.

  She clenched her fist.

  "It used me. Controlled me. And when I was no longer useful—"

  She gritted her teeth.

  "—it erased me."

  …

  I swallowed.

  "So…" I hesitated. "You… hate Nexus?"

  Her eyes burned.

  "More than anything."

  I felt a tiny bit of hope.

  "So," I tried again. "You’ll help us?"

  Mikasa stared.

  Then, slowly…

  She smiled.

  "No."

  …

  WHAT?!

  8. Negotiating With a Murder MachineI gasped.

  "WAIT, WHY NOT?!"

  Mikasa crossed her arms.

  "Because," she said. "I have no reason to."

  I filed.

  "BUT YOU JUST SAID YOU HATE NEXUS!"

  She shrugged.

  "Yeah. But I also hate you."

  …

  Oh.

  Right.

  That was still a thing.

  9. The One Thing Mikasa WantsThe hacker girl suddenly stepped forward.

  "Okay, how about this," she said.

  Mikasa raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

  The hacker girl grinned.

  "You help us take down Nexus," she said, "and in return…"

  She pointed at me.

  "You get to punch Yuuji in the face."

  …

  Mikasa paused.

  I froze.

  She tilted her head.

  Then, slowly…

  She smirked.

  "…Fine."

  BAM.

  Her fist smmed into my stomach.

  I colpsed instantly.

  Gasping for air.

  Tears in my eyes.

  Regretting everything.

  …

  I hate my life.

  To Be Continued…Next Time:

  "I Have a Bodyguard Now, But She Hates Me More Than My Enemies"