A Pure-Hearted Bitch

"Don't you know how terrifying a false accusation is?"

Kushida Kikyo didn't understand. Her heart grew even more frantic.

In Sakurajima, there were countless wrongful convictions caused by a justice system biased toward women. In that regard, Tokyo University was still miles ahead.

That was why they called it an early-access server.

"False accusations are terrifying, yes. They could make me pay a huge price."

"But is it possible that if you were planning to falsely accuse me, you wouldn't actually need any evidence?"

Makoto Nishikado spread his hands, finding Kushida Kikyo a little cute.

People who didn't know might not realize that Sakurajima's justice system had become absurdly biased in favor of women.

A woman could falsely accuse someone without any concrete evidence. As long as her story was consistent and had no obvious holes, the man could be convicted.

Because no girl would ever risk her own virtue to falsely accuse someone. (Cue the sarcastic doge.)

It was true that Advanced Nurturing had a lethal number of cameras, which might be able to prove Makoto Nishikado's innocence.

But cases like the Gotemba Case had already shown that in Sakurajima, men could have camera footage proving they were elsewhere and still end up convicted.

That wasn't just because Sakurajima's justice system had been brainwashed by woke ideology. It was also because the relevant industries had their own KPIs to meet.

A falsely accused man was a performance bonus delivered right to their door. Framing the innocent to claim credit wasn't exactly unusual in Sakurajima.

Lawyers like Hiromi Higuruma, who upheld justice, were bound to despair when faced with Sakurajima's legal system.

So, if Kushida Kikyo made up her mind to falsely accuse him, she'd probably win even without evidence.

Do you understand the significance of Sakurajima prosecutors having a conviction rate of 99.99% in cases submitted for preliminary review?

Getting her to swear an oath was completely unnecessary.

"..."

Kushida Kikyo opened her mouth, but it felt as though something had lodged in her throat. She didn't know what to say.

She stood there, dazed, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Perhaps even girls protected by Sakurajima's justice system couldn't understand why the law worked that way.

Seeing her stunned expression, Makoto Nishikado found her adorable and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Kikyo-chan, you really are a pure-hearted bitch. You actually think you should gather evidence before making a false accusation."

"Also, you've got a great feel to you. Ten out of ten."

"The process doesn't matter. You've got dirt on me now, too, so you can't threaten me anymore!"

"I'm not helping that bastard Horikita. If you ever piss me off again, I'll blow everything up with you!"

Kushida Kikyo's face flushed bright red in an instant, like a ripe apple. Her body temperature rose, too.

After GSL watched Xiaohu's performance at S9, his face had gone almost as red as hers.

Warning! Warning!

"But you still haven't destroyed the evidence I have on you."

"That means, at most, things have gone from me threatening you alone to the two of us becoming accomplices."

"Other than making us closer, what does that matter to me?"

Makoto Nishikado was completely unfazed. He even raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You'll pay a much higher price. The cost of being convicted for making a false accusation is much higher than anything I'd face!"

Kushida Kikyo was so incensed by his nonchalant expression that she wanted to go over and chop off his hand.

She was supposed to have the upper hand. Why was she the one getting angry?

"You're wrong. The point isn't whether the consequences are severe. It's whether you and I are willing to accept them."

Makoto Nishikado gave a casual smile, seeming not at all worried about his situation.

"Why aren't you scared at all? Your life really could be ruined."

Kushida Kikyo was more confused than angry or humiliated now.

From where she stood, she simply couldn't understand Makoto Nishikado's reasoning.

If this matter blew up, it would hurt her, too.

But in the end, she'd been at Advanced Nurturing for less than a month.

Even if she dropped out and started over somewhere nobody knew her, she wouldn't have wasted much effort.

At most, since she'd already failed twice in a row, Kushida Kikyo might lose the confidence to keep trying.

She'd never feel joy again in the life ahead of her.

But the price Makoto Nishikado would have to pay was even higher. He was gambling with his life.

Even if he said he could successfully make a false accusation without evidence, she hadn't thought of that before he pointed it out.

What was Makoto Nishikado trying to do, taking such a huge risk?

"Do you really think the risk you have to take is smaller than mine?"

"Let me make it clear. If you falsely accuse me, we'll end up in court, and I have proof that you're not a perfect victim."

"I won't just sit there and let myself be slaughtered. I'll contact the media and make a huge fuss. What do you think will happen then?"

"I'll be convicted, and the tabloids will publish your name and face. An entire generation will remember you."