I have to appear in court.
When I only vaguely knew this fact, it didn't bother me, but once I learned the exact schedule, every minute felt like it was suffocating me.
I wish I hadn't found out.
I wish I could have remained ignorant.
"Hah..."
It's not that I didn't know I'd be facing trial.
After causing trouble at the hospital and running away, I heard all the explanations when Hyun caught me—how could I forget that?
It's just that remembering it was so painful that I pretended to forget, pretended not to know. That effort allowed me to stay with Hyun and live normally, without issues.
...But that effort was wasted when some trivial incident made me remember everything again.
I sighed for what felt like the hundredth time and leaned back against the sofa.
Until yesterday—no, even until this morning—this sofa felt comfortable and this space felt like my home. Now it all felt unbearably uncomfortable.
Should I really be here? Should I be this comfortable?
Should a monster like me, a Kaiju, be staying at the home of a Hero like Hyun, even if we are childhood friends?
These useless worries kept surfacing.
This is exactly why I tried to forget—the moment I remembered, I ended up like this.
I kept shifting my position, trying to get comfortable, but no matter how I sat, the discomfort wouldn't go away.
Of course, the discomfort wasn't actually about my posture, so this was expected.
But knowing that didn't solve anything, so I was just going in circles.
"Haah..."
In the end, all I could do was sigh.
Knowing that made it even more frustrating.
Until all my problems were solved, or until I completely forgot about them, I'd have to carry this frustration with me.
"Shit..."
I finally cursed in frustration.
Like a child who knows no other way to manage anger.
* * *
Sia has already made contact with Harmageddon.
I had suspected this to some extent, and I already had circumstantial evidence to support it.
But I hadn't expected that Sia herself had already been in contact with Harmageddon's puppet... no, at least an Executive-level member.
It was an oversight. I was too hasty. I should have been more careful. More, more...
"Haah..."
Knowing that regret was already too late, I exhaled my self-reproach with a sigh.
What matters isn't the past but the future ahead. There's plenty of time for regret when I'm on my deathbed.
Now isn't the time for self-blame, but to think about what to do with Sia going forward.
I closed my eyes to collect myself, then opened them again. The situation was still bleak, but there was hope.
At least I know what they're after.
*First, the most critical day is next Wednesday when the trial is scheduled.*
Whatever happens, that day will definitely be when it begins.
Even for Harmageddon, attacking the home of an S-Class Hero would be quite burdensome.
They'll probably cause chaos on the day of the trial. Whether it's terrorism or an attack, they'll do something. Their goal is either Sia's rampage or retrieval, or if not that...
No... if they wanted to retrieve her, they could have done so when she was in the hospital. So in the end, only one possibility remains.
*Sia's rampage.*
Why are they specifically aiming for a rampage?
I can't be certain, but based on the circumstances, the rampage itself isn't likely their goal.
If the rampage was their goal, they've had plenty of opportunities.
Back when Sia was still staying at the hospital.
While I was deep in thought, I remembered the terrorist incident that Sia's grandmother was caught up in.
*Was it from then?*
Come to think of it, wasn't that also orchestrated by those Harmageddon bastards?
The chance of her getting caught up in it by coincidence is slim. That means it was a planned crime targeting Sia's grandmother.
So, is Sia's rampage really their goal?
Is that all?
What benefit would they gain from Sia going berserk?
Thinking simply, they could cause major chaos.
No, that would only be a secondary benefit.
Causing chaos alone wouldn't be worth expending a monster created from the Berserk Dragon.
If not that, are they dreaming of reviving the Berserk Dragon?
If weapons made from Sigmus the Berserk Dragon can induce hallucinations and auditory hallucinations, Sia, who has completely fused with Sigmus, would be affected even more.
Noona also mentioned this concern directly, so it's not an unfounded worry.
But... doing that would only result in mutual destruction. Even if the Berserk Dragon awakens inside Sia, it benefits no one.
A deal? If that were possible, the Giman Catastrophe wouldn't have happened in the first place.
Above all, attempting to negotiate with a monster that can't communicate is foolish.
Then, assuming they don't intend to awaken the Berserk Dragon but still want to make Sia go berserk...
*Are they planning to isolate Sia?*
The rampage is just a means to an end.
What they're truly aiming for is to make Sia go berserk in a situation where all eyes are on her, completely isolating her from society.
No one wants to embrace a bomb that could explode at any moment.
And then they plan to pick up Sia when she has nowhere else to go.
That would explain why they did such crazy things at the hospital.
And why they recruited the broadcasting station director to put what happened at the hospital on breaking news.
"Vicious bastards."
What did Sia ever do to deserve this?
I sighed with a feeling of tightness in my chest and brushed my bangs up.
...No, they would have done the same to anyone else, not just Sia.
They wouldn't have cared who it was. As long as the person could accept a part of the Berserk Dragon with a high enough synchronization rate, they wouldn't have cared who it was.
They just happened to discover Sia, Sia just happened to have a high synchronization rate with the Berserk Dragon, just happened to...
"Haah..."
Feeling my thoughts spiraling in an increasingly negative direction, I cut them off immediately.
In a situation where hope is scarce, there's no need to dig myself deeper with negative thoughts.
Isn't it a Hero's job to instill hope even in the worst situations?
—Are you alright, young man.
Isn't that the kind of Hero I've always admired?
I exhaled sharply and slapped both my cheeks hard.
With the stinging pain in both cheeks, the negative thoughts that had been creeping in disappeared.
That's enough thinking. Now it's time to do what I need to do.
Time to return to reality.
* * *
Bubble, bubble——
"Hmm..."
Standing in front of a massive tank emitting a green light, a young man tapped his chin with the end of his pen and hummed thoughtfully.
Looking down at a paper filled with symbols and equations incomprehensible to ordinary people, the young man let out a deep sigh.
However, it wasn't a sigh of frustration but rather one of relief.
Taking his eyes off the paper and looking at the tank, the young man smiled with satisfaction and began operating the panel connected to the tank.
At that moment, a crack suddenly appeared in the space that was already cramped with pipes and electrical wires connected to the tank.
Startled by the cracking sound, the young man checked the tank in alarm.
But the tank was smooth without even a fingerprint, let alone a crack.
Confirming this, the young man sighed in relief once more and returned to his work.
"Doctor, I'm here."
"..."
The one who appeared through the cracked space was the fox-faced man who had introduced himself to Sia as Han Yeong-Seok.
But despite the man's call, the young man referred to as Doctor didn't even acknowledge him and continued operating the panel.
Seeing this, the man tilted his head with a troubled smile.
"Oh? Can't you hear me? Doctor?"
When he called out to the Doctor again, the Doctor finally glanced briefly in the man's direction.
But that was it—the Doctor made eye contact with the man once and then turned away again.
"Well, you seem quite focused. I'll just talk since I'm sure you can hear me."
"..."
Again, there was no response, but the man started talking anyway.
In a place full of eccentrics, this wasn't particularly unusual.
"It's about Test Subject No. 441. Quite impressive performance, don't you think? The fact that so much of its ego remains is a bit of an issue, but that's something that will resolve itself over time, so it's not a problem."
"...You're telling me early. I already roughly understood that from the breaking news."
"Oh? I thought you wouldn't know since you're holed up in here. Is there a TV in here?"
"I hijacked one of the spare panels to check the broadcast. However, if I had known beforehand that it was a garbage failure that couldn't even output 10 percent of the firepower I was aiming for, I wouldn't have bothered."
Watching the Doctor suddenly pour out words as if making up for his previous silence, the man shrugged.
Seeing the man's smiling reflection in the tank, the Doctor frowned deeply and turned his eyes back to the panel.
"You still talk a lot when it comes to your favorite subjects."
"If you came here to spout nonsense, get out. I need to complete my masterpiece."
"Hey... I'm the Leader, you know. I'd appreciate a little respect."
"..."
Seeing the Doctor completely ignore him after his little joke, the man scratched his head.
"I came to authorize the use of No. 445... Oh well. Guess I'll have to leave for today."
At those words, the Doctor straightened his back and turned toward the man.
"Tell me more about that."
"Shall we sit down and talk?"
The man smiled brightly at the Doctor's completely reversed attitude.