A Scientific Urban Detective

“Don't worry,” Takitsubo Rikou said, seemingly understanding Kinuhata Saiai's concerns, “Giving new recruits a change of clothes is a tradition in 'Item'. You don't have to pay for this shopping trip yourself, so feel free to choose whatever you like, otherwise…”

“No, no, no, newbies don't have the right to choose for themselves!” Frenda quickly interjected. “In the end, you still have to listen to the person who's paying. Takitsubo, don't favor the newbie too much! You know, when I first joined, I went through your 'tracksuit hell'!”

Kinuhata Saiai probably understood that Frenda was paying for this shopping trip. Although she didn't know why she was so happy to spend money, one thing was certain—her first good set of clothes would probably have to follow this girl's advice.

Kinuhata Saiai was a little uneasy, but looking at Frenda's outfit, which was very fashionable and cute, she figured her taste wouldn't be too bad.

“Ah, right, here, this is for you.” Frenda took out a fluffy doll from who-knows-where and handed it to Kinuhata Saiai.

“Eh?” Although she didn't quite understand, Kinuhata Saiai quickly reached out and took it. “Thank you!”

—Come to think of it, this is the first time someone has given me a toy since I entered the research institute.

Kinuhata Saiai was a little touched, and hugged the doll in her arms, treasuring it. Although the doll's design was a bit strange, somewhere between cute and terrifying, making it hard to describe, there was no need to be picky since it was a gift from someone.

“I made this doll myself, I hope you can make good use of it,” Frenda said.

“Yeah, yeah, I'll treasure it…” Kinuhata Saiai nodded quickly, then noticed the strangeness in the girl's words. “Huh? Use it?”

“Yes, make good use of it,” Frenda nodded.

Kinuhata Saiai felt confused, so she turned her gaze to Takitsubo Rikou.

But she saw Takitsubo Rikou quietly retreating, already creating a slightly subtle distance.

“Please be careful, that's a bomb,” Takitsubo Rikou said.

“Eh?” Kinuhata Saiai was stunned.

“Yes,” Takitsubo Rikou said with a serious expression, “A bomb.”

From their interaction just now, Kinuhata Saiai knew that Takitsubo Rikou's personality was more serious and not the type to play pranks, so she probably wouldn't be joking at this time.

—Well, it's not strange, after all, it's a dark side organization, so giving a bomb as a gift is normal, right… No, it's still super strange, right? Is this girl really okay? Why would she give me a bomb?

Out of basic politeness and vigilance, Kinuhata Saiai didn't rashly throw the doll away, but she immediately wrapped it in a thick layer of nitrogen armor.

She was on high alert.

“Ah, don't be so nervous, have faith in my skills,” Frenda said confidently, “I hid a non-lethal bomb inside, it won't cause any life-threatening danger.”

“No, that explanation already sounds super bad, right?”

“The doll contains a rumble bomb, which is characterized by being able to make a loud noise, but its destructive power is very weak…” After thinking about it, Frenda added, “Well, it's still pretty damaging to the eardrums.”

“Uh… so, is there any purpose in giving me this bomb?” Kinuhata Saiai asked cautiously.

If Frenda's description was accurate and she wasn't lying, this bomb wouldn't actually cause any substantial damage to her.

—'Nitrogen Armor' can completely physically block any damage caused by air vibrations.

“It's an alarm,” Takitsubo Rikou explained, “You can think of it as an emergency measure in case of a sudden situation.”

“Putting it in the room, can it be used to scare enemies?”

Kinuhata Saiai imagined the scene. If an enemy infiltrated the apartment and encountered this “scare toy” while searching the room…

“Although the actual damage isn't great, it seems super interesting,” Kinuhata Saiai said, trying to be objective. “What's even better is that a non-lethal bomb can avoid causing serious damage to the room, which makes it even more suitable.”

She remembered Takitsubo Rikou's warning earlier—damaging the apartment room would incur Mugino Shizuri's wrath.

“Well, that probably can't be considered a benefit, right?” Frenda shook her head. “In the end, the house will definitely be destroyed anyway.”

According to Frenda's idea, the biggest function of this rumble bomb was actually to summon Mugino Shizuri, and in a furious state. At that time, no matter what kind of intruder it was, they would inevitably be blasted into powder by her 'Meltdowner'.

After hearing her explanation, Kinuhata Saiai and Takitsubo Rikou looked at each other, but felt that Mugino Shizuri in a rage was even more terrifying than the intruders.

Frenda, who was keen on dancing on the edge of a minefield, was completely unaware and was still enthusiastically introducing how to activate the doll bomb.

“Like this…” She reached out and pressed one of the doll's glass eyeballs. “Press here three times in a row to activate the bomb, and then it will trigger an explosion as long as it encounters a slightly violent vibration.”

Seeing the bomb in her hand that had already been activated, Kinuhata Saiai didn't dare to move, and just looked at Frenda in front of her speechlessly.

Frenda reached out and pressed the doll's eyeball three times in a row again: “Okay, this disarms the safety. Don't worry, it won't explode even if you squish it now.”

Kinuhata Saiai carefully patted the doll and found that it was indeed very stable and showed no signs of exploding, so she was slightly relieved.

She decided to put this doll in the most conspicuous place in the room, constantly reminding herself not to accidentally touch it… and then find an open space to dispose of it after a while.

Fortunately, Frenda had no malice—Kinuhata Saiai could tell—she sent the bomb doll over to give herself a means of protection.

And it seemed that Frenda had already promoted this “alarm device” within 'Item'.

“No, I didn't accept this kind of doll,” Takitsubo Rikou shook her head and denied. “Although I am also a Level 4 esper, my body isn't that strong, and I can't use such a violent alarm device.”

Apart from the bomb's creator, Frenda herself, perhaps only Kinuhata Saiai, with her top-notch defense, could handle this kind of doll?

Frenda herself was well aware of this, so she was so excited to give the doll to Kinuhata Saiai.

“So, be sure to make good use of it, and tell me how it feels to use it when the time comes,” Frenda said with a smile.

“…If I have the chance, I will use it,” Kinuhata Saiai was in a difficult situation, but as a newbie, she couldn't directly reject her senior's face, so she had to agree for the time being.

“Don't worry, with your Level 4 ability, there will definitely be no problems,” Frenda said, and then asked as if inadvertently, “Speaking of which, Kinuhata, shouldn't there be another nitrogen manipulation esper among your companions?”

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