After putting away the pistol, Aoi Hoshino left the alley where she was hiding without looking back before the plainclothes policemen arrived.

'Warning! Warning! Character OOC warning! The host has reached the edge of annihilation, please correct your attitude immediately.'

The system's harsh warning sound kept ringing in her mind, but Hoshino Aoi seemed to have gotten used to it. She complained casually while walking towards the Metropolitan Police Department without changing her expression.

"Don't accuse me, System. I'm trying to help Sister Bei."

However, the system, which was usually easy to fool, was completely unreliable this time.

"But didn't Vermouth tell you not to try to escape?"

But look at what you are doing now?

He knocked the organization member unconscious and then ran away with his gun?

"It's a good thing you didn't shoot directly at that member of the organization, otherwise it would have been more than just a warning."

It said coldly.

In response to this, Hoshino Aoi simply replied perfunctorily in her mind as she lowered her footsteps and walked towards the archive room.

"Yes, yes, so I didn't shoot. Isn't the fact that I didn't shoot enough for you to believe me?"

Although the system didn't speak, the alarm sound echoing in her mind slowly stopped. Hoshino Aoi knew that it believed it.

Of course, this "belief" does not mean complete belief, but a state of half belief and half doubt.

But that's enough.

Hoshino Aoi carefully searched for Vermouth while walking lightly and explaining to it:

"Look, wasn't Touko also suspected by Rum in 'Pure Black Nightmare'? His situation back then was similar to mine now. Rum didn't have direct evidence, so he was only temporarily under custody."

Touko also ran away at that time, but after confirming his identity, Rum did not punish him for his escape. So this shows that even if I ran away, as long as I didn't commit any substantial betrayal, it would be fine.'

Regardless of whether what Vermouth said was a threat or not, in the system, Aoi Hoshino directly defined her words as a threat.

"And if I help Bayonetta successfully obtain the undercover file, then wouldn't I have made up for my mistake to Rum? After all, I didn't kill that member of the organization."

The reason why Hoshino Aoi spared that man's life was to use him to buy time.

The result was as she expected, because she did not cause any substantial harm to the members of the Black Organization, so the warning against her behavior soon disappeared.

However, Hoshino Aoi no longer had the heart to be happy about this expected event, because -

She discovered Vermouth.

At the same time, the other party also discovered her existence.

"Why are you here?"

In the darkness, there was no light except the bright light reflected by the computer.

In such an environment, the two could only vaguely see each other's figures, but could not clearly see each other's expressions obscured by the darkness.

But even if she couldn't see clearly, Vermouth knew that it was definitely not a good thing that Aoi Hoshino, who was supposed to be tied up in the house, suddenly appeared here.

after all……

"Where's Sambuga? Didn't he come with you?"

"Ah, maybe I got up too early? Sambuga watched TV for a while and then fell asleep."

In the darkness, Vermouth thought she vaguely heard a chuckle.

"Asleep?"

There was a hint of amusement in Vermouth's voice.

Is she playing her for a fool?

Fell asleep?

Even if you have to find an excuse, you should find a better one...

However, just as she was thinking this, Hoshino Aoi seemed to have noticed her thoughts at the moment and quickly waved her hand and said:

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm not lying to you. Sambuga is really asleep."

"Yeah?"

Seeing this, Vermouth raised an eyebrow, showing a rare interest:

"So what exactly were you planning to do? If you were already running away, why didn't you just leave? Why did you go all the way to me?"

If she remembered correctly, she had given her a special warning, right?

Although her actual meaning was not just about this, it still couldn't explain why Hoshino Aoi had already run away but still ran in front of her...

Could it be...

Not only did she truly understand the hidden meaning in her words, she also had no intention of betraying the organization. Was that why she appeared in front of her so openly even though she could have escaped?

Vermouth's brow twitched slightly.

It was rare for her to not understand the other person's thoughts.

Especially when Hoshino Aoi said that she came to help her in order to make up for her mistake.

However, no matter how curious she was, Vermouth had no intention of asking her to come and help.

However, just when she was about to open her mouth to reject her, she found that she had moved step by step to a place not far away from her since she didn't know when.

Vermouth's eyes narrowed:

"No, I don't need help with this mission."

"Ah...Is that so...Okay then."

Hoshino Aoi sighed, seeming to feel a little sorry.

Then the next second, a fierce attack accompanied by the sound of wind came towards Vermouth with a "swish".

Vermouth quickly crossed her arms and placed them in front of her chest to block her attack.

"Are you planning to betray the organization? Hoshino Aoi."

Vermouth asked sharply in response.

"How could that be?"

Aoi Hoshino looked innocent, but her hands were moving more fiercely:

"Can't you see? I'm just trying to take the credit."

"Really? Then if I give you all the credit this time, will you stop?"

Vermouth snorted and laughed, and the strength in her hands increased. It was obvious that she didn't take her words seriously at all.

Hoshino Aoi naturally knew this, but the system hidden in her mind did not know it.

It only knew that Hoshino Aoi, who had just been talking to it nicely, started fighting with Vermouth in the blink of an eye, and did not stop even when she heard Vermouth say that she would give all the credit to her.

"Host! What on earth are you doing?!"

The sharp alarm sounded again in Hoshino Aoi's mind, and this time, along with the alarm, there was also the system's loud questioning.

"You said you were here to dispel suspicions, didn't you? By doing this, aren't you making them even more suspicious?!"

'Host!'

"If you don't stop, I'm really going to wipe you out!"