"Huff— Huff…!"

Hani panted heavily. She had never imagined she could get this exhausted just from swinging her sword. Even the seemingly limitless stamina of a beastwoman had its limits.

"What's wrong? Already tired?" "You won’t be able to defeat me with just that." "This is boring. I think I'd rather play with this one instead."

Despite claiming to be powerless, Eight's form appeared everywhere, constantly multiplying, no matter how many times she slashed. Could it be some sort of cloning ability? What did he mean by "powerless"?

One of the Eight’s copies slyly reached out and groped Levi-tan, which filled Hani’s head with fury. Levi-tan, who had been animated and lively up until Eight started multiplying, suddenly became still—like a lifeless puppet, showing no reaction or movement. Seeing this only confirmed Hani’s suspicions. The evil organization must have brainwashed Levi-tan.

"You vile villain... Justice will never tolerate your existence!"

"Just-ice-thinks-otherwise." "Di-vid-ed-opin-ions." "Tha-is-wh-you-fa."

The three clones each spoke a syllable, further confusing Hani’s already scrambled mind. To make matters worse, their words were eerily clear, even though they shouldn’t have been.

Disgusted by the creepy clones, Hani closed her eyes and focused all her mental energy on her sword. Shortly after, her entire body, along with her sword and scabbard, began to resonate.

Her awakened ability was resonance. Through it, Hani could summon strength beyond what her muscles could naturally produce, cut through anything her blade touched, and even draw her sword at speeds that surpassed sound.

But none of that worked on Eight. How was she supposed to win against an immortal being who wouldn’t die, no matter how many times she cut him?

In the end, Hani decided to use her final trump card—an all-or-nothing move. Her plan was to destroy everything around her and escape with Levi-tan.

"—Oh, no. That won’t do."

Just before she could draw her blade for her finishing move, Eight waved his hand, and the ground shot up, delivering a harsh blow to her chin.

The forceful strike sent Hani sprawling to the ground, groaning as she watched Eight slowly approach her.

Was she about to lose another precious comrade? Was she about to lose her freedom again, just like when she was imprisoned in Z City? Would she be brainwashed and turned into an experiment?

‘…No—I won’t let that happen!’

A will that refused to break. The spirit of a hero.

A miracle that defied explanation occurred. Despite staggering, Hani rose to her feet, her eyes blazing with a resolve to resist until the very end.

Eight, surprised by her resilience, widened his eyes in astonishment.

"Impressive. You’re already standing?" "I will never give up—!" "Hmm… should I use this? It’s in the data, so I suppose I should."

Speaking cryptically, Eight began to rise higher and higher into the sky. He ascended until he was touching the clouds, where he raised his hand.

Suddenly, the space around them opened up, revealing massive battleships.

"In accordance with UN international law, this planet is scheduled for disposal…" "We urge all inhabitants to evacuate immediately."

"…What in the world?"

Hani blinked in disbelief, staring at the gigantic airships she had never seen before on TV or the internet. Was what she was seeing even real?

Before she could process what was happening, Eight lowered his hand.

"Fire."

In the next instant, Hani’s world was flooded with blinding white light.

Thud!

When Hani, who had been dancing with her sword, finally collapsed, I nodded toward Levi-tan.

"Alright, Levi-tan. Go pick her up." "…Me?" "Do you expect me to carry her? She’s a woman, and I don’t have the strength to lug around an adult female, even if she’s our enemy."

Some people worked hard on research and field application, losing hair from stress, while others just enjoyed their time off without lifting a finger. Was she really trying to skip the physical labor too?

I gave Levi-tan a pointed look, and she sighed in resignation, nodding as she hoisted the unconscious Hani onto her back.

As she carried her, Hani’s chest bounced noticeably.

I averted my gaze and, together with the two of them, returned to the hotel. From there, we got Arima’s help to transport ourselves back to Eblis Corporation headquarters.

‘Going back to work during vacation… This is a real black company.’

Grumbling inwardly, I laid Hani down in the same equipment Levi-tan had used when she underwent surgery. Upon seeing the familiar machine, Levi-tan grimaced, clearly not thrilled with the sight.

"Ugh… Isn’t this the thing Levi-tan had to be naked in?" "Yes, that’s right." "Then… does she need to be undressed too?" "No, she’s fine. This machine doesn’t require her to be naked."

"…Then why was I naked?"

Well, because you tore your clothes apart during your transformation.

Too tired to explain, I remained silent, causing Levi-tan to look at me with eyes full of suspicion, as though she were dealing with some kind of deviant. She was the one who ripped her clothes to shreds, yet she looked at me as if I were the pervert.

"And besides, we’re not turning her into a human like you, Levi-tan. We’re here to punish her, so there’s no need to undress her."

The reason we brought Hani back to the lab was to punish her. For daring to tarnish the name of Eblis Corporation. For framing us and ruining our vacation.

It wasn’t like Levi-tan, where we painstakingly modified her DNA to turn her into a human. This time, it was purely for retribution.

Levi-tan, realizing this a bit too late, gazed sadly at Hani. Despite being a former comrade and fellow experimental subject, there was a deep melancholy in her eyes as she looked at the fallen beastwoman.

"Um… Eit-tan." "Don’t even think about asking for mercy. This is a direct order from the boss." "Ah…" "But… well…"

"Yes?"

Technically, we should destroy her to the point of no recovery. But when does life ever follow the rules exactly?

If a criminal turns out to be the judge’s family, they get leniency. Even if they cause a car crash, they might get away with just a scolding if they’re family.

This situation was similar. According to protocol, we should break her beyond repair, but her motive was to rescue Levi-tan, and if Levi-tan didn’t want to see her punished too harshly…

"We can change the direction of her punishment."

"…We can?"

"No, we can’t. So don’t tell the boss, okay?"

As I subtly altered the software I’d input into the machine, a small smile appeared on Levi-tan’s previously somber face. I wasn’t a monster, after all. If we could handle things diplomatically, I preferred that.

What good would come from turning Hani into a brainwashed vegetable or shredding her mind to bits? Nothing. It would just damage the reputation of Eblis Corporation. Other villains would see us as just another bunch of thugs.

'Let’s start by reading her memories…'

When people cross us, we don’t want them to fear dying from a beating. We want them to experience an entirely different type of fear.

One that would stop them from even thinking about crossing us again. They needed to understand that challenging us was the worst decision they could ever make.

When Hani opened her eyes again, she found herself standing naked in a white, sterile space. As she looked around, confused, a system window appeared before her.

[Welcome, user Hani.] "…What is this?" [I am the AI Morality Teacher in charge of the ‘Good Child Project.’] "Wait, what is this place—"

Before she could finish her question, the world shifted, and Hani suddenly found herself dressed in what looked like a kindergarten uniform. The outfit was clearly not meant for a grown woman, and it stretched tight across her chest and hips.

Struggling against the tight fabric, Hani glared at the system window before her.

[I have been designed to turn user Hani into a ‘good child,’ and I will use any means necessary to achieve this goal.] "What are you doing to me?!" [Let’s start with a lesson in morality. Do you know what to do when you want to borrow something from someone, user Hani?] "…Hold them at sword-point?" [Incorrect. The correct answer is: politely ask for it. As a result of your incorrect answer, you will be sentenced to 100 hours of ‘Borrowing Etiquette Simulation.’]

The world shifted again. Now, Hani, still in her kindergarten uniform, found herself in the middle of a city. Shocked, she crouched down as people began to whisper and gossip around her.

"A grown woman…" "What kind of outfit is that…" "Someone call the police—"

"A-ah…"

Overwhelmed by the stares and embarrassment, Hani bolted and ran away from the crowd. But that was the wrong move.

[Incorrect. Time extended.]

Hani was teleported back to the crowd. Red-faced, she adjusted her uniform and hesitantly approached people to ask for help. Unsurprisingly, no one took her seriously.

So embarrassed and disoriented, she didn’t even realize her entire body was on display.

It took her 300 hours to pass the first task.

Siiiigh…

In the real world, Hani suddenly smiled.

Levi-tan, noticing this, asked in a concerned voice, "Eit-tan—? She’s smiling…"

"Leave her be. She’s probably having a good dream."