A villainous girl created by paranoia

As she spoke, Hanamiya Karen picked up her phone, which had been lying face down on the sofa, and turned the screen around to show me.

"mom!"

I wanted to reach out and grab the phone, but when I saw Hanamichi's index finger straining to pull the trigger, I finally gave up.

As for why I was so excited, it's because Hanamichi Karen showed me a video call, and the blonde elf in the video... that familiar face, that familiar figure, who else could it be but my mother?

At this moment, the mother was sitting in a chair with her head down, seemingly asleep. It was pitch black all around, with only a faint light coming from above.

Standing next to the mother was Inukai Tsubaki, who held a fruit knife in his hand, as if he might use it to slit the mother's throat at any moment.

"Hana-gyo, you're so pitiful! What exactly do you want?!"

"Don't get excited, Miss War Maiden. This is just a precaution. After all, a weak woman like me is no match for you."

"What will it take for you to let my mother go?"

"Miss War Maiden, please don't say that. The way you talk makes it sound like I'm a vicious criminal."

"Aren't you one of them?!"

Upon hearing this, Hanamichi shrugged pitifully and helplessly, then calmly gave an order to Inukai Tsubaki on the other end of the video.

"Chun, please do a manicure for Madam."

"Yes."

I had a bad feeling because what Hanamichi Karen meant by "manicure" was definitely not what it literally meant.

Sure enough, my premonition came true, because what Inukai Tsubaki did next proved what the so-called manicure was. I saw Inukai Tsubaki pull out her mother's little finger and hold up a fruit knife as if she was about to chop it off.

"No! Please don't hurt my mother! I'll do anything as long as you don't hurt her!"

Upon hearing this, a meaningful smile appeared on Hanamichi's pitiful lips, and then she muttered to herself softly.

"You're willing to do anything... Tsubaki, stop."

Her second half of her sentence was addressed to Inukai Tsubaki. In the video, after receiving instructions from Hanamiya Karen, Inukai Tsubaki indeed stopped swinging the fruit knife and then stepped aside.

I was getting anxious, and my destructive urges were growing stronger. But I knew I couldn't act recklessly now. If I did, being killed by Hanamiya Karen would be a minor matter; the real problem would be my mother getting hurt.

"Do you know, Miss War Princess, my family has always been very strict. If I say something wrong, my mother will punish me severely."

You've said something wrong. You've slandered me as a criminal. Don't you think you need to be punished?

Hanamichi Karen smiled faintly, a very commercial smile that gave the impression that she was faking it, and it was this fake smile that sent chills down my spine.

What do you want?

"Come on, slap yourself, Miss War Maiden."

"what?"

I was a little stunned; I didn't expect Hanamichi Karen to make such a request.

"Did you not hear me clearly? It's alright, I can repeat it for you. I just said you should slap yourself, Miss War Maiden."

I was silent for a while before asking with a serious face.

"Will slapping you make me release my mother?"

"My answer is no, because slapping yourself is punishing yourself, and it has nothing to do with my insurance."

A surge of anger welled up inside me, but for my mother's sake, I suppressed it. She knew that this matter concerned my mother's safety, so she simply behaved herself and didn't do anything reckless.

Take a deep breath, and then...

Snapped!

A loud slap echoed as I slapped myself, just as Hanamiya Karen had instructed. I used about three-tenths of my strength in the slap, just in case Hanamiya Karen said something like, "You didn't have enough strength, so I slapped you again."

“Miss War Maiden, didn’t you have dinner? You only used such a tiny bit of power. I suspect you’re just going through the motions and have no remorse whatsoever. So I demand that you slap yourself again.”

Damn it! Why?

--split line--

This chapter is a bit short, only about 3,000 words. After all, if it weren't for the exciting plot, it would probably be more than 10,000 words.

Chapter Thirty-One: Pain

"Hua Gong is pitiful! Don't go too far!"

I know that if Hanamichi can make me slap myself again using the excuse that I'm not strong enough, then I can make me slap myself a second time. If this continues, it will never end.

"Okay, I won't force you?"

You're not forcing me anymore? Really?

No, Hanamichi is not that kind-hearted.

Sure enough, the next moment, Hanamichi Keikaku revealed his true colors.

"Chun, you..."

When I heard her call out Inukai Tsubaki's name, I knew what she was going to do, so I quickly interrupted her.

"Fuck your mother!"

But... I unconsciously spoke out, as if I had said what I most wanted to say.

Even Hanamiya Karen was stunned when she heard my swear word. When she came to her senses, she actually put the AUO45-Sky Strike on the table, shrugged, and said with a hint of helplessness.

"Look, Miss War Maiden, you've said the wrong thing again. Slap yourself again."

I looked at that face that looked like it wanted to be torn apart, and then at the AUO45-Sky Strike she had placed on the table.

I'm thinking, could I threaten Hanamiya's pitiful life into making Inukai Tsubaki release her mother?

As if she had read my mind, Hanamiya Karen spoke again to Inukai Tsubaki on the other end of the communication channel.

"Tsubaki, if Miss War Princess wants to threaten you with my life, you don't need to care about me, just kill me."

Hearing this, I was furious again, and I wanted to rush up and tear this woman apart right now, but I didn't dare, because of my mother... because I promised my father that I wouldn't let my mother get hurt.

"Miss War Maiden, aren't you going to slap yourself?"

Gritting my teeth, I finally bowed down to the evil force that is Hanamichi.

Snapped!Snapped!

Two crisp, pleasant slaps resounded. I used about 50% of my strength in those two slaps, and I even felt my face swell up a little.

I thought that Hanamiya Karen wouldn't let me off so easily; she would definitely make me continue slapping her. But, to my surprise, Hanamiya Karen didn't ask me to do that.

"Alright, Miss War Maiden, let's get down to business."

I was a little confused. If my position and Hanamichi Karen's position were reversed, I would definitely make Hanamichi Karen slap herself a few more times.

However, it would be best if she didn't do that, so I quickly spoke up to prevent her from bringing it up again.

"Is it about a transaction?"

"That's right, but before we talk about the deal, I must tell you something absolutely correct."

As she spoke, Hanamiya Karen extended one index finger.

"That is, I do not want to kill you and your mother, and I will never kill you and your mother. I can guarantee that with my life."

I frowned, somewhat not understanding what Hanamiya Karen meant by that.

"Alright, I've conveyed this information to you. Now let's get down to business."

Is it finally happening? Hanamichi Karen's so-called deal... I don't think it's any good news. After all, what kind of good deal could a vicious villain like Hanamichi Karen possibly make? Guaranteed profit? Bah!

"Miss War Maiden, I want to become a player. I want your player status."

"what?"

How did she know I was a player? Was she a player too? No, if she were a player, she wouldn't have said she wanted to be one.

Ignoring my surprise, Hanamiya Karen continued talking to herself.

"If I'm not mistaken, your mission is to arrest me as a police officer, right? Then this mission is either going to fail or it has already failed."

You, as a player, know much better than I, a non-player, what the penalties are for failing the mission, so this deal is a sure win for you.

As for how player ownership is transferred, I think you should know.

It's a sure thing... a sure thing, absolutely a sure thing. I'm about to enter execution mode, but if I transfer my player identity to Hanamichi Karen now, I can definitely escape execution mode. As for whether Hanamichi Karen knows how terrifying this game is? Who cares! She'd better die in the game.

But before that, there's one thing I need to confirm, and that is...

Does Hanamichi Karen meet the criteria for an heir?

As if she could read my doubts, Hanamiya Karen gave a faint smile and then continued.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ichiryu and the others took me to the port for the purpose of inheriting the right to leave, and I am qualified. It's just that I didn't know what the game was at the time, so I accidentally overreacted in self-defense. Now that I think about it, I really regret it a bit."

If conditions allowed, I really wanted to record everything Hanamichi Karen is saying right now with a voice recorder, and then use it as evidence to give those idiots in the police station a good slap in the face.

But no, I've finally found a chance to live, I can finally escape this game, I finally have hope, how could I give up like this?

After leaving the game, I returned to the Hero Association. This time, I will definitely not do things the same way as before. I will definitely find evidence before catching the criminals.

Instead of being the hero I see myself as, I want to be the hero that everyone recognizes.

From now on, I won't let my mother go to work anymore. She can rest at home every day. My salary is enough for my mother and me to live a comfortable life.

"Okay, I promise you."

Karen Hanamiya shook her head. Seeing this, I thought Karen Hanamiya had changed her mind, but what Karen Hanamiya said next reassured me a lot.

"Miss War Maiden, please don't rush. I have a few additional conditions to consider. Please see if you can accept them."

I didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly, signaling her to continue.

"One additional condition is that after the transfer of player identity, Miss War Maiden cannot intervene in the investigation of me and Chun, nor can she entrust others to investigate. After this transaction, we will be strangers and no one will know each other."

I'm not surprised by this, and I can accept it.

"The second condition is that you, Miss War Maiden, should apologize to me. As for the reason..."

Because of yesterday's events, coupled with the effects of the truth serum, my intelligence rating has dropped to D. I am a mental patient, and my intelligence rating is already lower than others. And then you gave me the truth serum yesterday...