Ethan Yang opened with a show of force.
Since he had no justification on his side, he immediately tried to pressure her with his status.
[I have to find a way to get this Mecha Girl's background out of her!]
Ethan Yang held up his Techmaster Medal, his cold eyes fixed on Falcon as his gaze swept across the interrogation room.
The instant he saw Crimson, he pressed his lips together, and his fingers tightened sharply around the medal.
Falcon lifted her eyes and met Ethan Yang's gaze without the slightest fear.
Techmasters were a highly special group among humans. Their numbers were extremely small, with fewer than one hundred born worldwide each year. To Mecha Island, Techmasters were vitally important.
That rarity also gave them a status far above ordinary pilots and ordinary Mecha Girls.
The hierarchy between humans and Mecha Girls could roughly be represented as follows:
Techmaster leadership = Mecha Island leadership > Techmasters = Mecha Island middle management > top-tier Mecha Girls > pilots = Mecha Girls > humans = functional Mecha Girls.
And Falcon was only a functional Mecha Girl.
Even though she belonged to the Armed Division, the highest-ranking branch among functional Mecha Girls, and was even a squadron leader, her status was still far below Ethan Yang's.
That was why, despite the many armed Mecha Girl guards at the Sharp Peak Black Market, Ethan Yang had been able to stride in openly with no one daring to stop him.
The Techmaster Medal in his hand carried the deterrent weight of Mecha Island's middle management.
How could those functional Mecha Girls dare block his way?
The reason Falcon was not afraid of Ethan Yang's intimidation was because Absolute Shadow stood behind her.
Absolute Shadow's status was equal to Ethan Yang's. There was nothing to fear.
"The Sharp Peak Black Market is suspected of illegal operations, and I've already obtained key evidence," Falcon said, fiddling with a pair of handcuffs, a cold glint flashing through her dark eyes. "You've arrived at just the right time. The Sharp Peak Black Market is an asset under your Crown Club. Since something has gone wrong here, you are also guilty of failing to supervise it properly. However, because you are a Techmaster, we do not have the authority to take you back for investigation. But the physical evidence and these Mecha Girls will be taken away immediately. The special transport has already arrived."
She raised her chin slightly and said flatly, "This is a compulsory order. I'm not discussing it with you."
The moment she finished speaking.
[Mecha Girl Restriction Regulation 2: Lifted!]
Whoosh! A black shadow flashed.
A cyan dagger was already pressed against Falcon's neck.
Wind Blade stood in front with the blade in hand, while Ethan Yang, standing behind her, wore the look of someone waiting to enjoy a show.
But that mocking expression lasted only a few seconds.
Because with the same notification announcing the lifting of the restriction regulation, Falcon raised her right hand, and a massive silver pistol was already pressed against Wind Blade's forehead.
The entire interrogation room instantly went silent.
The Mecha Girls huddled in the corner, too frightened to make a sound.
Crimson watched the standoff between Falcon and Wind Blade, her pale golden eyes narrowing slightly beneath her bangs.
Mecha Girl Restriction Regulation 2: Armory.
Only Mecha Girls who had completed a provincial-level track and placed in the top ten could unlock it.
Aside from that, only Mecha Girls in Mecha Island management, or Mecha Girls authorized by management, could use it.
Falcon had clearly received authorization.
That authorization allowed Falcon to activate her armory.
At the same time, it showed just how much power the person behind Falcon possessed.
Ordinary cold weapons and bullets did extremely limited damage to Mecha Girls, but the weapons drawn from an activated armory were different. They were innate exclusive weapons born with each Mecha Girl. Every Mecha Girl had only one exclusive weapon, and no two were the same.
Because these weapons were immensely powerful, and to ensure the safety of humans and Techmasters as much as possible, the Human Federation and Mecha Island passed the Second Mecha Girl Restriction Regulation in 2041.
Since then, only a very small number of Mecha Girls had been able to activate their armories.
"Want to guess whether one shot can blow you apart?" Falcon's lips curved into a nasty smile as she coldly stared at Ethan Yang's starting Mecha Girl, Wind Blade. "You're a top-tier Mecha Girl, aren't you? You've won plenty of glory on the track, haven't you? Dying here would be a bit of a waste. But I'm different. I'm just a functional Mecha Girl."
Click. She released the safety and hooked her index finger around the trigger.
Her lips moved slightly. "Well? Want to try?"
Wind Blade's pale green pupils trembled. She said nothing, but she did not retreat either.
Ethan Yang's expression turned ugly. He clenched his teeth, but had no choice but to order, "Wind Blade, lower your weapon."
Wind Blade lowered her weapon and stepped back behind Ethan Yang.
Falcon gave a cold snort and put her gun away as well.
Ethan Yang now understood exactly how powerful Falcon's backing was.
Since force would not work, Ethan Yang changed tactics. After a brief pause, his harsh expression softened into a mild smile. "How about this? We each take a step back. You can shut down the Sharp Peak Black Market and take all the evidence. Crown Club will accept whatever punishment follows. But you can't take her."
Ethan Yang pointed at Crimson in the corner.
"No." Falcon rejected him coldly. "She has Level 5 injuries. She is an extremely important witness, so she must come with us."
"You insist on taking her?" Ethan Yang's smile faded.
"I will protect every Mecha Girl here who was persecuted by the Sharp Peak Black Market," Falcon said, refusing to yield an inch.
"You can't protect her." Ethan Yang took out two settlement agreements and spread them under the light, his voice cold. "She is Crimson, the Mecha Girl who tried to assassinate me one year ago. If you take her away, I'll revoke the settlement agreements immediately, and she'll be sent to the Recycling Yard. You'll be sending her to her death!"
Falcon remained unmoved and said calmly, "But she says her name is Blaze. There is no Crimson here."
"She is Crimson! You can verify her AI Core!" Ethan Yang held the settlement agreements high, his face full of smug confidence, as though victory was already in his grasp.
"Are you certain?" Falcon's gaze grew even colder.
"Of course I'm certain. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Then I'm sorry, but you are suspected of abusing a Mecha Girl. Under the laws of Mecha Island and the Federation, we have the authority to arrest you, and even more authority to protect the abused Mecha Girl." Falcon's lips curved as she took out the handcuffs.
Ethan Yang seemed to have expected this. He even found a seat, sat down, crossed his legs, and looked completely calm. "There's no point trying to trap me into saying something. I only sent her to the dueling arena at the Sharp Peak Black Market. I've never asked how those arenas are managed. I only collect money from them on a regular basis.
"You can say I failed to supervise them properly, fine. But if you want to accuse me of abusing a Mecha Girl, please show me the evidence. Otherwise, I'll report this to the Techmasters' Alliance and let them see whether the Mecha Girls of Mecha Island have lost all sense of their place and now think they can trample all over us humans."
"You want evidence?" Falcon clapped her hands.
Two armed Mecha Girls escorted the dueling arena owner inside.
Ethan Yang felt even calmer when he saw this.
He had already told Old Zhang that he would take good care of his family.
His two sons would become pilots at the Crown Club in the future. They would be assigned Mecha Girls, and they would have the chance to compete on the track.
So he believed Old Zhang knew exactly what he should and should not say.
The dueling arena owner, sweat beading across his forehead, glanced up at Ethan Yang and clenched his teeth, not daring to meet Falcon's sharp gaze.
"Talk," Falcon said, pulling over a chair and sitting down in front of the dueling arena owner.
"T-talk about what?" the dueling arena owner stammered. "I've already confessed. I just wanted to make a little more money... I know I was wrong now. I shouldn't have abused the Mecha Girls. I accept the punishment."
Falcon took out a silvery-white metal sphere and aimed it at the dueling arena owner.
Then she asked, "Was the abuse of the Mecha Girls something Ethan Yang ordered you to do?"
"No!" the dueling arena owner denied it flatly.
But in the next second...
[Error!!]
A loud electronic voice rang out from inside the metal sphere.
...
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