Bright lights flood my vision. As I groan under the onslaught of this blinding illumination, someone standing beside me starts carefully dimming the lights.

Once the brightness is manageable, I squint ahead to see a guy with countless stitched scars on his face, shining a light this way and that, poking around like he’s hunting for treasure in my eyes.

“—Looks like you’re fine.”

“……Who are you?”

“I’m a doctor. Can’t you tell?”

The man introducing himself as a doctor continues with a few more checks, then stands up as if satisfied and calls someone in. Moments later, familiar faces start flooding into the room—Regalia, Aile, and Bira, my partners in evil.

“Dr. Magical Medical. Was the treatment okay?”

“All done, Chairman. You really didn’t need to call me for a minor injury like this. Even the local clinic could fix it easily.”

“I just wanted the best for my people.”

“I’m being paid for this, but honestly, it feels like a waste of money.”

“So, will you give me a discount?”

“Not a chance. Anyway, the treatment is complete, so I’ll be leaving now….”

As the scar-faced guy exits, the three of them rush over to me. I look at them with a bemused expression.

“Scien, Scientist… I’m so sorry!”

“……What for?”

“B-because of me….”

Aile bows her head, tears in her eyes, as if she thinks it was all her fault that I ended up like this. Strictly speaking, she’s not wrong. If it weren’t for her, I probably wouldn’t have gone to such a crowded place, and if it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have fainted after being hit by debris from that collapsing building…

However, I’m not the kind of scientist who lives with nothing but cold reason and a lack of empathy. Those types don’t survive in the world of budget negotiations through politics and emotions. What matters more is the ability to empathize, to compromise, and to play ball.

“—Sorry. I don’t really remember what happened before I fainted.”

“Yes, y-yes? Huh?”

“I clearly remember you saying something about going to that Magical Girl Comic whatever… But what happened after that?”

A little white lie. Fortunately, Aile seems to buy it. The two behind her look absolutely flabbergasted, though.

Aile bites her lip repeatedly, hesitating before speaking.

“……Nothing happened.”

“Really?”

“Yes, y-yes… The Scientist, the Scientist… just tripped in the shower, that’s all!”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Y-you remember now!?”

Aile, oh Aile…

My plan to comfort her with a little fib has completely backfired. You can’t just feed a fish and expect it to swim by itself.

I let out a sigh, shaking my head. Then I turn to look at the boss. Regalia raises her eyebrows as if to say, “Is this ridiculous act over yet?”

“Scientist. End your dull performance. We have a lot to talk about.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Wait, was that a skit?”

While Bira chuckles at Aile, who hasn’t caught on at all, Regalia updates me on what happened after I passed out.

“They’ve locked all the kidnappers up in the Villain Detention Center. They probably won’t see the light of day again.”

“They’re still kids, aren’t they?”

“They’re kids, which makes it worse. Choosing that path with such abilities means there’s no hope for rehabilitation.”

The kidnapper with the rare teleportation ability had chosen the path of villainy despite his potential. That’s a bad sign.

And unlike Earth, where criminal rights might trump victim rights, once you go villain here, you’re stuck rotting in detention for life.

I understand why they don’t just execute these dangerously-armed villains. They couldn’t exactly hand out murder licenses to heroes. Villains and heroes differ only in whether their powers are misused against civilians or in a lawful manner, after all. Just because a hero has a license doesn’t mean they won’t go on a rampage.

“Why’s that? Do you have a soft spot for kids? Are you hoping for mercy for them?”

“Not at all. I just think it’s pretty generous of them to just lock them away.”

“……Hearing you say that is kind of scary. Let’s not discuss it further.”

Nodding as if I get it, I agree because honestly, they still are kids. No matter how you slice it, it could be a touch too much for them.

I lean back against the bed, looking at Bira. She seems like she has something to say.

“Bira? Why are you here?”

“Well, I….”

“Shouldn’t you be fired for failing your security detail?”

“Uh, um, I mean….”

Caught off guard by my words, Bira just flutters her lips, unable to say anything properly. It’s not like I’m wrong.

Watching once vibrant Bira shrink to a corner like Aile makes me feel a strange sense of satisfaction. I even want to poke at her some more. This can’t be right—I’m not some petty jerk!

“What’s with that face? Cheer up. If someone saw me, they’d think I did something wrong.”

Seeing Bira’s face go sour in real-time, I briefly thought, “Am I being too harsh?” But I don’t regret it. Next time I get the chance, I’ll tease her to my heart’s content.

However, when she keeps sulking, Regalia joins me in teasing Bira.

“Scientist. Sure, Bira made an error, but she’s not a deficient guard. Instead, this experience will probably make her more determined to improve. I assure you.”

“I know, Boss. If she were incompetent, you wouldn’t have assigned her as my guard.”

“Still, now I’m beginning to think maybe she was mistaken about something…”

“Oh, Young Lady…!”

Caught in despair over Bira’s shock, Regalia and I share a glance and burst into laughter. As we laugh like hooligans, it finally dawns on Bira that she’s been had, and her face twists in a grimace.

Facing Bira’s contorted expression, I lightly bow my head.

“Sorry, Bira. I couldn’t help but find your face too amusing…”

“……No, but you’re not wrong either, right? Yeah, it’s my fault. It’s like a kid who just grew legs after being a paraplegic is all thrilled—it’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

After a few exchanges, Bira starts throwing self-deprecating jokes back.

The atmosphere that had lightened up is starting to feel tense. Thankfully, Regalia doesn’t just sit idly watching it go down.

“Bira, knock it off. What if the Scientist makes a bodyguard android? You’d be out of a job otherwise.”

“Ah, yes, Young Lady. But honestly, even Aile here wouldn’t be able to make something like that…”

“Right. Of course not?”

The two of them look at me with dubious eyes.

I meet their stares, half-amused.

“Of course, there’s no way I’d make one. That’d violate labor laws.”

“Hmm- Really now… wait, what?”

“No, I’m talking about labor law violations. Making robots take jobs from humans is an infringement on human rights… Uh.”

I suddenly remember we aren’t on Earth, and such laws don’t exist here. In other words, I could create such robots without any regulations whatsoever.

Their expressions begin to cool as they realize this point. It’s the look of workers worried about losing their jobs.

‘Don’t worry, I have no intentions of making such robots.’

Fortunately for the world’s workers, I have no plans to create anything like that.

If anything, at most…

‘Self-defense items, perhaps.’

*

What’s the most important aspect of self-defense items? Performance? Sure, being able to subdue an opponent easily is vital, but even more important is the practicality and stealth factor.

Who doesn’t know that carrying a gun around and shooting anyone who approaches is the safest route? But then, you’d be tagged as a crazy person and end up in a holding cell for a long time.

So, when it comes to self-defense items, the most significant criterion is that no matter how often you use them, they shouldn’t be condemned by society. Following that—is the stealthiness that keeps it from looking like a weapon at first glance.

If something looks threatening, the opponent will just try to grab it from you or neutralize it. It mustn’t feel dangerous from their perspective.

‘A watch or a bracelet would do the trick.’

But wearing a bracelet feels a bit too flamboyant for a guy, plus if it looks expensive, there’s a chance someone might snatch it. So, I’m left with the watch option.

Even in an era where you can check the time down to the second microsecond, watches are still popular. Kidnappers might take a hostage’s phone, but none have ever bothered to swipe their watch.

In other words, it’s perfect as a self-defense item.

‘Teleportation is the one to watch out for. I need to definitely block that.’

Fortunately, I already know how to counter teleportation. I demonstrated this world operates under the same rules just recently. The Quantum Space Folding Phenomenon discovered by Professor Emilia is the key.

Years ago, Professor Emilia figured out that you could fold space using quantum wave interference and won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Later physicists researched the phenomenon to create technologies to prevent spatial movement, which is what I used against the kidnappers back then.

‘A barrier should do… just enough to block a single hit, I suppose.’

If I can block teleportation, I wouldn’t even need to stop an attack. Bira is around. Her powers act as the highest shield in our evil organization, near the pinnacle of human abilities. Any attack she can’t defend against would certainly break through my self-defense level.

And I certainly don’t want to wear those annoying, restrictive suits every day just to prepare for that.

So, I just need a barrier that can withstand a single hit; that’s all. Next up is how to counterattack—essentially, I need functionality to subdue an enemy.

This is where I’m stuck.

What level should it be set at?

“Hmm….”

Enough to pierce Bira’s barrier in one strike? No way. That kind of output couldn’t possibly come from a small watch-sized weapon.

Enough power to make Aile flinch? Nah. Aile is just an ordinary high school girl outside her Magical Girl outfit. While a high school girl might have the strength of a tank, with abilities existing in this world, I can’t base it off her.

In the end, what I need to test is…

“—So you came looking for me, Scientist?”

“Yes, well. You can refuse if you don’t want to.”

I stand before Galm, fiddling with a tiny handgun. Small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. I plan to eventually store it in the watch, but for now, I’m making it easy to shoot.

I point the gadget at Galm, who smiles as if to say, “Go on, shoot me.”

“With a toy like that, you can’t hurt me—.”

Pew—!

The beam fired from the handgun pierces through Galm’s abdomen.

He stares blankly at the hole in his gut, dazed.

I look at him and say, “I’m shooting you.”

“……Nah, you already did that.”

“I can’t take it anymore, just let me know when you think it’s time to subdue you.”

I pull out a freshly upgraded pistol. It’s slightly bigger to differentiate it from the last. Still small enough to fit in my palm, but Galm swallows hard, opening his mouth cautiously.

“Ha, ha— yeah. With just this much, you—”

Pew—!

“……It’s a bit spicy for a toy—.”

Pew—!

“No, hold on—”

Zzziiiing—.

Once I’ve got something bigger than a palm-sized weapon aimed at him, Galm raises his hands as if to say, “That’s a little too much.”

“—I surrender.”

“Oh, sorry. Already pressed the trigger.”

Lightly smiling, I fire again. A large hole opens in Galm’s abdomen. Turns out, his claim of not being able to endure it was true, as he foams at the mouth and collapses.

As I pour a red liquid down his throat, at the same time, I confirm the level of firepower required to incapacitate someone effectively.

‘Starting power should be just right.’

Even if he was off guard, the fact that he’s down after just one hit is proof. While I knew the power was sufficient, I’ll admit it—I just wanted to try shooting it once.

There’s absolutely no ulterior motive here.