Rebelle and Ookuma

In an abandoned warehouse, Rebelle gasped for air as she suddenly found herself being waterboarded. Hilda, Ruka, and Benise along with some of the rank and file demon queen cultists, watched in silence, until Hilda decided it was time to start the interrogation.

"So Geneva," Rebelle sneered as the sack and gag were removed.

"And it's getting even more Geneva with a side of truth serum," Hilda glared as some of the cultists forced Rebelle to drink some truth serum. "Now, let's start with the questioning; did you betray Ruchi Ookuma?"

"No, and I never would," Rebelle smiled as she thought back to the day she first met Ookuma.

...

A seven year old Rebelle scowled as she sat at a stall at her family's farmer's market. "Why must I sell this inorganic slop? It is filthy, cheap, and should frankly be outlawed," she thought to herself.

She then noticed a woman with sludge-colored hair approaching her.

"Inorganic produce, and you're not happy about selling it," the woman chuckled.

Rebelle blinked as she understood what the woman had said. Even though she had been born and raised in England, she was fluent in Japanese due to her mother being Japanese.

"Y- You realized it?"

"So you are fluent in Japanese. I figured as much due to your mother. But yes, the look on your face says it all, you're miserable that you can't improve your living conditions despite putting in the work to do so. It's a shame your parents are so stubborn, if they were out of the picture, you could become a rich and successful woman."

"You really think so?"

"Yes, you posses a wide variety of hidden talent, but your stubborn parents oppress it, notably your mother."

"What do you mean?"

"Has she not told you of your roots? Well, if you decide to ever rise up and carve a path for yourself, use this to take care of your parents, but only if there's an element of surprise you can take advantage of," the woman stated as she slipped Rebelle a small box before walking away.

Curious, Rebelle peeked open the box to find a series of poisoned needles, however, she didn't cower in fear or tell anyone about it, rather, a deranged grin appeared on her face.

That night, the farm was attacked by hoodlums. Rebelle and Zuina's father, Casper, tried to fight them off, but was outnumbered and beaten to death. The girl's mother, Miyoko, then grabbed them and began running off with them.

"One sod is dead, now just one more, and I'm free," Rebelle thought as she secretly jabbed her mother in the leg with a poison needle, causing her to go limp and hit the ground with a thud. Zuina went tumbling along the path, as Rebelle managed to stick the landing.

In her final moments, Miyoko stared up at Rebelle. "Why?" she sobbed before breathing her last.

Despite already being dead, the hoodlums decided to have their way with her as Rebelle and Zuina watched.

"And now, I'm the owner thanks to inheritance law. Now let's see if those hoodlums are in a negotiating mood. If not, I've got more poison needles," Rebelle thought.

Once the hoodlums had their fill with Miyoko's corpse, they turned their attention to Rebelle and Zuina. Zuina cried uncontrollably while Rebelle stood her ground and even demanded the hoodlums invest in the farm since she'd be making everything organic from hereon out. The hoodlums laughed her off, but decided to let her and Zuina live and headed off.

A few days later, Rebelle glared as she walked down the street. "Damn those hoodlums, damn my poor parents, damn them all! Why could they not grasp that growing organic produce would solve it all!? We could have been elite and rich, but no, they did not want to invest in growing organic, thus the hoodlums came and wrecked the farm. And said hoodlums laughed off my proposal, do they not understand organic is elite and healthy!? Damn them all. DAMN THEM ALL!"

After the incident, the far ended up being seized by the government and as a result, Rebelle and Zuina were sent to an orphanage. Outraged, Rebelle then began collecting black mail material on everyone in order to gain control over them. However, she had yet to get anything on the big fish.

"My, you look troubled, is there anything you wish to discus with an adult?"

Rebelle turned to find herself staring at the woman from the other day.

"You're that woman from yesterday morning."

"Indeed I am. I heard about what happened to your farm. So the stubborn man and the farmer he married refused to grow fine organic produce despite the pleas of their intelligent daughter, and as a result, they died."

"You- You truly think I'm intelligent?"

"Quite so. Had they listened to you, the farm could have been England's finest Organic produce farms, but instead they decided to succumb to poverty and make due with growing inorganic waste. You however, persevered. I heard as the hoodlums ravaged the place, you demanded they invest in the farm so that it could grow organic produce."

"How do you know all that?"

"I got it from the hoodlum's mouth. They just so happened to try and pick a fight with me, so I exercised my right of self-defense, and as a result, they died.

"Y- You killed them!?"

"Of course. I am much stronger than I appear. My name is Ruchi Ookuma and I am currently a Representative serving in the National Diet. I was wondering if you would like to accept a donation from me in order to become a chef in Japan."

"What's the catch."

"If you think you'll get more out of this deal simply because I revealed what I did to those hoodlums, you're out of luck."

"...!?"

"I've been observing you these past few days. You've become quite the blackmailer at only age 7. Like I said, you have hidden talent which is why I took measures to unleash it."

"So you're saying you're with them!?"

"Yes, though I dare say you're also considered a colluder. After all, you used those poison needles I slipped you to kill your mother. You did well."

Rebelle stared in shock before bursting into laughter. "So you saw potential in me from the start."

"Exactly. And if you're wondering what I want in return, I want you to be my right hand woman and become the world's greatest blackmailer for me."

"So I can fulfill my dreams simply by blackmailing your opponents? Very well. I assume you have the means to make the impossible possible."

"Very well. I now dub thee, Rebelle," Okuma stated.

"'Rebelle'?"

"You were given the name Reina which is associated with zero, yet chose to rebel against your poverty. Therefore, Rebelle is a far more fitting name for a young woman like you that will sail to great heights."

"Rebelle Milverton Adler. It has a much better ring to it than the name those deluded peasants gave me!" Rebelle grinned.

...

Hilda grew visibly frustrated as Rebelle smugly answered everything without giving her any new leads on what happened with Ookuma. "Shit, shit! If she's innocent, I'll get even more hell for taking out a valuable cog. But I NEED to make her the scapegoat, otherwise I'LL be joining the cult too, and effectively dying. There's got to be some way to justify this... ...!"

It was then Hilda remembered something about Ookuma that she could use to her advantage. "Rebelle, did Ruchi Ookuma ever consider betraying I.L.U. and hatched her plan to become prime minister just to bail out and make us look the fools?"

The question shocked Rebelle for a second, but she quickly burst into laughter. "Madam Ookuma, did mention how much hell I.L.U. put her through, and did consider selling them out a few times, but only if she couldn't rule it. So the answer to your question is no. Madam Ookuma doesn't quit when she's winning."

"Shave her head and assimilate her," Hilda snarled.

"Oh thank you. I was actually going to have this all shaved off anyway."

"Gag her again as well."