[Youth II]

In the midst of the commotion, students could still be seen in Class 2A. 

The first to leave were Nishino and Rose. Next to leave the classroom were Inchou, Takeuchi, Matsuura-san, Risa-chan, and Suzuki, led by Gabriella. And from then on, the classroom remained quiet, with no students coming in or out. 

They huddled together, frightened by the occasional sound of gunshots and explosions. 

In the midst of all this, an intruder's finally reached them.

"Oh, there it is. It says Class A, Year 2."

"Let's get this done while the others take care of the blonde and silver hair."

Two men with guns in their hands enter the classroom chatting. 

Both were dressed like thugs, and neither seemed like a very nice person. One of them had a cigarette in his mouth, and was smoking. Their distinctive smell wafted into the corners of the classroom, even from a distance. 

The students hissed and moved away from the doorway. 

Nora stood in the middle of the room to protect them as the two men appeared from the door at the back of the classroom and ran to the front where the blackboard was. Okuda-san, perhaps inspired by her appearance, lined up diagonally behind her with a model gun in his hand.

"Hey, one of the kids has a gun. Are you one of the Target's friends?"

"Look closely, it's a model gun."

"Tch, you surprised me..."

"All right, kids, stay put, all right? Now, send the guy I'm about to name over here."

One of the men said loudly, pointing his gun at the students. 

In his other hand he held a small notepad. 

This was around the same time as the incident. 

The two men were standing proudly, as if threatening the students. 

Their expressions suddenly changed as they stared through the window glass at the outdoors.

"What the hell is this?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Nothing can be seen outdoors. 

At least not for the students. 

The sky beyond the windowpane is a clear winter sky. The sun is gradually setting at dusk, and the colors of the western sun are becoming darker and darker by the minute.

The men exclaimed as they looked at this. 

Immediately after, they both start pulling the triggers of the pistols in their hands.

"Stop! Don't come! Don't come here!"

"Die! Die! What the heck is going on!?"

They screamed and fired a series of shots from the pistol in their hands. 

A series of high-pitched cracks rang out. 

The classroom window, already riddled with holes, shattered even more. 

When they ran out of ammunition, they ran out of the classroom, screaming for help. A notepad flew from the hand of one of the men, and the names of the students, including Inchou, Takeuchi, Risa-chan, and Suzuki, lined up on the notepad. 

Soon, the men's footsteps quickly receded into the distance and were no longer heard. 

It had been only a few minutes since they had visited the classroom.

"Eh, wh-what was that?......"

In the quiet classroom, Okuda-san's muttering sounded like a whisper. 

If Nishino, Rose, or Gabriella had been there, they would have judged that Nora must have shown them some kind of monster and incited their fears. In fact, that is how Nora drove the men away. 

However, from the outside, it was a one-sided escape by the two men. 

From the perspective of a student who did not know what was going on, it was like watching an amateur stage play. Why did the men suddenly panic and flee the classroom? I wondered if Nishino had put them up to it. Even at this stage of my life, I still had my doubts and fears. 

The members of Class 2A could not panic. 

The students naturally came up with active suggestions.

"Hey, can't we all just run outside?"

The girl who raised her voice was one of the top girls in the school caste. 

She was a student who shared a close friendship group with Risa-chan. 

The students, who are also upper caste, began to voice their approval, regardless of gender. After a moment of excitement, they turned their attention to the remaining students, those in the middle and lower castes. You are not going to oppose this, are you? They asked. 

As they feared, the lower caste students were the ones who would have normally voiced their disapproval of such a proactive action. Everyone had an opinion in their mind that they should just sit in the classroom and wait for the police to come. 

However, today's situation was a little different. 

For Taniguchi's group, this was an opportunity for an after-school date with the opposite sex that unexpectedly came to fruition. Regardless of the commotion at school, they were eager to go out for karaoke with Murai-san and her group. This is no exception for those who were invited. 

Also, having witnessed Nishino-kun's words and actions, Hori and Ishibashi have regained some composure. Thinking about their future school life, they sincerely feel that they would like to take advantage of the commotion here and quickly get rid of the scene. 

These aspects immediately nodded their heads at the proposal from the upper caste. The remaining students were also moved. They all shared the same desire to stay away from dangerous places. Finally, the consensus was unanimous, as voices of agreement began to emerge. 

Nora also gave her consent to the proposal, as there was a unanimity of opinion in the classroom.

"Okay. You can go outside the school."

"All right, then I'll leave a note for Nishino-kun and the others."

Tearing off the memo section of his student notebook, Okuda-san runs her fountain pen smoothly across the surface of the paper. 

The letters are squishy and clumsy against the stern design of the pen. 

Nora's voice rose as she confirmed that Okuda-san had put her fountain pen away in her pocket. 

"Then let's leave the classroom."

The students nodded with a solemn look on their faces and headed off to the outside of the school.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

The situation was different in the science lab, which was set up on a different floor from the 2A class. Inchou and her friends were attacked by an intruder, and were hit by a flashbang and knocked back and forth. They were kidnapped before they had time to put up any kind of resistance, and were trapped in this classroom. 

Everyone had their hands tied behind their backs and their wrists bound with ropes. 

A man who seems to be a guard stands at the doorway of the room. 

He has a pistol inserted into his waistband. 

Inchou and the others were sitting in a corner of the room, following the instructions given to them by the guard to stay where they were. Their heads were dizzy from the flash of light and the noise of the explosion until a few minutes ago.

"Just like in the movies. My ears are still ringing. "

"Risa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just a little nervous out, that's all. I'm more worried about Suzuki."

"Y-Yeah"

Inchou, Risa-chan, and Takeuchi were seen in the same place. 

Suzuki was also with them until a few minutes ago, but as soon as he arrived at the science room, one of the two men grabbed him by the arm and took him out of the room. Risa-chan's comment was made out of concern for him.

"I mean, I'm also concerned that Matsuura-san isn't here."

"Matsuura-san, I saw her suddenly start running just before the dazzling light started."

As the Inchou's question indicates, Matsuura-san was not seen in the same place. 

However, in her case, Risa-chan was right, before they were taken away by the men, she was separated from them in the hallway where the commotion was taking place. It was Matsuura-san who managed to escape from the scene of the crime by taking advantage of the gap created by the bursting of the flashbangs.

"Matsuura-san, you're not good at sports. How did you manage to escape from that situation? "

"Is it because she and Inchou have been taking idol lessons recently? "

"I've heard that she's been working hard and being serious lately. "

"Don't expect her to come to our rescue."

"........... Yeah, I don't."

It was a very unimaginable sight. 

Inchou nodded her head. 

They talked for a while, exchanging uninteresting conversation.

Takeuchi, who had been silently listening to their exchange, opened his mouth.

"Well, I have a proposal for you two."

The two girls naturally straightened their backs to see the handsome man with a formal demeanor. 

His serious expression on his face was even more handsome than usual. 

The man standing near the doorway was playing with his phone in his spare time. He had been gazing at the thighs of the Inchou and the other girls earlier, but he seemed to have had enough of that as well. Takeuchi-kun took advantage of this timing to chat. 

He told them in a whisper so that their voices did not reach the man.

"I'll take care of the guard. Why don't you get out of here?"

"Eh........"

"Takeuchi-kun, are you serious?"

Inchou and Risa-chan were wide-eyed and surprised. 

After all, the man had a pistol at his waist. Moreover, even after they were captured in the science lab, the sound of gunshots had been heard several times from far away. It was impossible to believe that they would not be standing on the extended line of the bullets fired in this way.

"I have a good idea. Could you please leave it to me?"

"Takeuchi, I don't expect you to be influenced by Nishino-kun, do you? "

"I don't know what Inchou means, but the odds are in my favor."

"Eh? What do you both mean by Nishino-kun's influence?"

"I'll explain the details after we're done, okay?"

He is a handsome man who has repeatedly worked hard for his classmates. Inchou and Risa-chan could not say no after being told so. After a few moments of deliberation, the two girls nodded their heads and agreed to the proposal. 

After the girls agreed, Takeuchi-kun made a move. 

He slowly stood up and walked toward the entrance of the science room. 

The man on watch, noticing his behavior, raised his eyes from his phone and said.

"What the hell? Stay down."

"Um, excuse me. Could you please let me go to the bathroom?"

"Oh ? In that case, go to the corner of the room."

"Huh?........"

Takeuchi quickly ran into a deadlock after negotiations began. 

But he never gave up. 

With an apologetic look on his face, the handsome man slowly approached the man's bottom. He rubbed his thighs together as if he was about to pee his pants.

"You know, there are girls' here, and I'm sure they can smell it. Can I please go to the bathroom? I'd like to do the big one if possible, and I don't want the smell to get on my body either. "

"I don’t care, just do it there."

Takeuchi desperately appeals to the other man to use the restroom. 

While appealing to the man, he moved closer to him little by little.

"Please let me go to the bathroom. If you don't have enough guards, you can go right outside the doorway of the room. At least let me do it where the girls can't smell me."

"No. Do it inside the room."

The man makes no attempt to hide his irritation and repeatedly urges them to defecate indoors. 

Soon, the distance between Takeuchi and the guard approached a certain point. 

That was within the range of the former's extraordinary ability.

"You don't have any paper here. Um, maybe some pocket tissues or........."

"Do you want to be shot?"

At the same time as the man's hand reached for the gun at his waist, Takeuchi spit on him. 

The saliva that was sprayed out vigorously stuck to the man's face with a sticky substance. 

Inchou and Risa-chan were wide-eyed and surprised. 

In the next moment, the image of Takeuchi-kun being shot flashed through their minds. 

Naturally, the man was furious, and an angry voice emanated from his mouth.

"You son of a bitch, you've got to be kidding me......."

But that was not the last word. 

The man's own head, the part touched by Takeuchi's saliva, began to melt with a swooshing sound. It was the same reaction that had burned Rose's fingertips in the past. The affected area had somehow turned purple, and flesh began to show from under the skin.

"Ah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

A scream went up from the man. 

Takeuchi approached the dismayed man and swung his dominant leg wide. 

His strong legs, trained in the soccer club, struck the man clean through his jaw with a span of his legs.

"Ahg......"

The head was shaken so violently that the opponent swooned on the spot. 

Thereafter, he did not move even a twitch. 

The screams also ceased.

"What was that? ......"

"Takeuchi, you are so cool!"

The handsome man finished the man off with just one high kick. 

While Risa-chan was amazed at this fact, Inchou wondered how he could just spit on the man and start screaming. Come to think of it, she had witnessed a similar scene before.  

At the time when she and Nishino-kun were on the run, she had been attacked by a group of strangers at a shared house, but Takeuchi had saved them, just as he had done this time. At the time, Takeuchi was a handsome man who broke into the fray with a water pistol raised in the air. 

If I recall, I don't remember receiving any explanation as to what was in it, Shimizu. I remember Nishino-kun and the others talking about poison, but I never dreamed that the source of the poison was Takeuchi-kun's bodily fluids.

"No way, Takeuchi, is it possible that you and Nishino-kun are the same ...... "

"I know you have a lot on your mind, but why don't we get out of here first? "

"Y-Yes."

The science room is set up along the wall and contains equipment for learning. Breaking the glass door, Takeuchi got a knife used for educational purposes, which was stored inside. Returning to the Inchou and the others, he untied the ropes that bound each of their hands and feet. 

In addition, he retrieved a pistol from a fallen man.

"Takeuchi, you are awesome. You were like a real hero just now."

"This is nothing compared to my real job, Risa-chan."

"Your real job? Is that like Taro-san from the graduation trip?"

"I wish it was."

Inchou and the others, having escaped from the science lab, decided to go to Class 2A. 

They were going to meet up with Nora. 

If they were successful, they might also be able to reunite with Gabriella. If they could get her help, they could go to rescue Suzuki, who had been taken away. With this in mind, they hurried down the stairs to the lower floor.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

After parting with Rose in front of the staff room, Nishino was on his way to the gymnasium alone. 

On his way there, he met a familiar figure in the hallway. 

The place is on the first floor of the wing that houses the classrooms of the 2A class. The stair hall can be seen in the immediate vicinity. The fact that the general classrooms are lined up in order from A helps, and his classroom is just up the stairs from this.

"Suzuki, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, Ni-Nishino..."

In his hand is an opened school bag. Inside it were many plastic bottles and cans. It seemed to be carrying quite a lot, and the soft fabric was pressed from the inside, making it uneven. 

Suzuki indicated this with his gaze and said to the Futsumen.

"You see, I was getting a drink from the vending machine right there. You know how thirsty you get when you're cooped up in a classroom all day? People are starting to get anxious and nervous, so I thought this would somehow calm them down."

"That's the way to do it, Suzuki-kun. But you'd better refrain from doing anything dangerous. "

"...... I see."

Normally, Nishino's words would be sure to provoke a backlash.

However, Suzuki-kun nodded with a solemn look on his face.

He took out a drink from his bag and offered it to Nishino.

"How about one for you, Nishino?"

"You don't mind if I take it?"

"You're working hard for us, right?"

"No, I'm rather inconveniencing everyone by my own fault. "

"Even if that's true, you're doing a great job, right? Here, take it. "

"...Thank you, Suzuki-kun."

Nishino-kun nodded honestly and accepted a drink from Suzuki. 

As he had just explained, it was a canned coffee, which was also sold in a vending machine a short walk away. In front of Suzuki, the school-loving Futsumen immediately downed it in one gulp. 

Then, he stared gloomily at the empty steel can and said.

"It tastes somewhat better than usual."

As usual, he never stops believing that this kind of thing is cool. 

Suzuki thought.

Why can't this guy just say just thank you? 

But the handsome man swallowed the complaint that was rising to his throat and said.

"Well, I'm going back to class. "

"If it's possible, I'd like to walk you to class. "

"That's not necessary. It's just down the hall. "

"No, I must..."

"Just get the hell out of here. If you don't, a lot more people are going to be in trouble. If that happens, I'll never forgive you. So, please, just go."

"I understand. But please be careful."

"Yeah, I know."

Nodding at Nishino-kun's words, Suzuki went up the stairs, bag in hand. 

After watching his back until he was out of sight, Nishino also ran out again.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

At the same time that Takeuchi's group left the science lab, there was a person in a critical situation. 

The scene was a hallway near the stairwell. 

It was on a different floor from the one where Nishino-kun and Suzuki encountered each other. 

Numerous students and a man with a gun in his hand are seen. 

The latter is holding a pistol in one hand. In front of him is a female student lying on the floor, her clothes disheveled, and a male student standing to protect her. The remaining students are clustered on the opposite side of the hall from the male student with the man on the other side.

"You son of a bitch, you want me to shoot you?"

A man holding a gun in one hand snarled as he raised himself up. 

With the other hand, he was impatiently tucking inside his genitals, which had been exposed. In front of the students, he was about to play a prank on a female student when he seemed to be caught off guard by a male student standing in front of him. 

However, the situation was reversed when a pistol appeared. 

The life of the male student who was trying to protect the female student was in danger. 

Such a scene was unfolding right now at the same place.

"Ha! Do it if you can!"

The male student who stood on the firing line raised his voice loudly to agitate the man. 

At the same time, he turned to the fallen female student and indicated with a glance that she should run away quickly. 

She got up in a panic and distanced herself from the man.

"This kid doesn't think he won't get shot, does he? "

"You know, I don't think you got the guts to shoot someone."

He made a verbal appeal to the student to get out of the place. The students nodded their heads and turned on their heels to get away from the commotion. 

However, his words were immediately seen through by the other party.

"Don't run away!"

The man who turned around barked. At the same time, a pistol makes a high-pitched crack. A bullet is fired at the ceiling, shattering the area where the students are clustered, and the light above it. The broken fluorescent lamps fall to the corridor in pieces. 

The students stop moving and scream in rapid succession. 

The panicked male student continues to speak, trying to turn the man's attention to himself.

"He broke into a school and attacked a minor, and now he fires live ammunition. If anyone dies from this, you can't get away with the death penalty. Are you prepared for that? "

"If you keep quiet, it will be fine. "

"You don't have the guts to shoot a man."

"Fine, if you want to die that badly, I'll kill you!"

Repeatedly incited, the other party became agitated. 

The frustrated man pulled the trigger without hesitation. 

Immediately, having witnessed the movement of his arm, the male student made a selfless leap. 

He jumped sideways from the hallway toward the stairwell space. 

The bullet snagged his shoulder and landed directly in the hallway behind him.

"You little shit, I'm gonna kill you for sure!"

"Damn, I can't look as cool as my seniors..."

The boy muttered in a despairing tone of voice. 

At the same time, he heard a sign of people coming down the stairs behind him. 

It was Inchou, Risa-chan, and Takeuchi who had escaped from the science room. They descended to the middle of the staircase and stopped walking when they saw a familiar lower classman. Ahead of them, there was a rough-looking man with a gun in his hand. 

The Inchou's reaction was quick. 

She looked at the gun in Takeuchi's hand and said.

"Takeuchi-kun, I'd like to borrow that."

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

The handsome man nodded quickly and offered her his pistol. 

It was one of the guns recovered from the man he had beaten in the science lab. 

Shimizu took it as if to snatch it from him and immediately readied it. 

Her sights were set on the man holding the gun downstairs in front of the stairwell. 

Shimizu pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger without hesitation. 

With a dry crack, the pistol flew out of the man's hand.

"Ugh.........!"

The other party let out a short scream and arched his back to protect his shot hand. 

This surprised Takeuchi and Risa-chan. 

The latter, in particular, stared at Shimizu with wide eyes.

"Inchou, seriously?"

Inchou, not telling anyone, was glad that she visited the shooting range on the school trip to Guam that she had just returned from the other day. Still, if Nishino and Francisca had witnessed it, they would have been surprised.

".....Good."

On the other hand, the male student, immediately ran out. 

The man ran out for the pistol that was blown away, and behind him, a shoot to his head. 

The opponent, who received a direct hit to the back of his head, fell forward and went quiet. 

After waiting for a while, no movement was seen in the man. 

Behind him, Inchou and the others who had descended the stairs rushed under him.

"Kousaka, are you all right?"

"Thank you ! Thanks to my seniors, I was saved!"

The male student responded to Takeuchi's question with a smile. 

Yes, he is Atsushi Kousaka, the head of the breakdance club. 

On his way to club activities, he came across several female students being attacked by a man. He rushed to the scene and kicked at the latter, which was fine. However, he was in a pinch when the other party took out a pistol and began to resent him.

"Was that gunfire coming from one of your seniors? "

"Huh? Oh, no, this is ... "

Mukosaka's attention turned to Inchou and the pistol in her hand. 

Shimizu hid the item behind her back in a panic. 

Although she had shot the gun on the spur of the moment, it was an illegal item. That's fine if it's Guam, but if you shoot in the country, you won't be able to avoid a criminal record. Moreover, the bullet had hit a person. She couldn't just nod her head and smile vaguely. 

However, the other students who were present witnessed her activities.

"Isn't that Shimizu Senpai from the second year?"

"She's from the same class as Takeuchi, right?"

"I mean, wasn't that really awesome?"

"I'm sure that was real."

"It sounded like a huge bang!"

Still, Inchou somehow had a hunch. 

Maybe she would not be caught violating the firearms law. 

Even if the police officer did find fault with her, if she had explained the situation to Francisca, she would probably do something about it. Inchou has a history of being forced into similar situations several times in the past, yet still being overlooked. 

To follow up on the flustered Shimizu, Takeuchi told Kousaka.

"If you don't mind, could Kousaka and the others come with us?"

"Is that okay?"

"I think it would be safer."

"I'd really appreciate it!"

The girls who had been attacked and those who were hunched over behind them nodded frantically in response. Risa-chan, who was on the lookout for the girls, called out to them, and it turned out that all of them, with the exception of Kousaka, were first-year girls. 

It seems that they were about to go out for fun after school.

"Thank you so much, Kousaka-kun."

"I thought we were all screwed."

"That last one, was so cool!"

"Does the breakdancing that Kousaka-kun does involve techniques like that?"

The girls began yapping around Kousaka. 

Inchou and the others, who had increased in number, took their course toward Class 2A, as originally planned.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

At the same time that Inchou and others were busy, Nishino arrived at the gymnasium. 

He was a Futsumen who visited the place as directed by the school's public address system. He entered the building through the front doorway, past the corridor connecting it to the school building. The door was left open as usual, and I was able to easily enter the building. 

The spacious floor of the building was filled with silence. 

The usual signs of students, the sound of the basketball team hitting the ball, and the volleyball team's cheering, did not echo through the hall at all. Not a single student was to be found in the building. 

Instead, there was a man standing on the stage. 

It was a man in a suit. 

Stepping into the gymnasium, Nishino leisurely approaches the bottom of the stage. 

He did not forget to put his hands in the pockets of his trousers. 

Because the other man has his hands in his left and right pockets as well.

"Was it you who called me by name? "

"Nice to see you here, [Normal]."

The face of the other party was one that Nishino also remembered. It was none other than the target of the job Marquis had given him the other day. He was a white male who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He had an excellent face and was quite tall, a head taller than the Futsumen. 

His blond head of hair, cut in a slightly long crew cut, is typical of the attire that Asian people associate with Caucasian men. His long legs and slender physique, which looks good in a suit, are ideal for a Futsumen. 

The reply was also in fluent English.

"I had repeatedly confirmed this on the documents, but when I looked at the real thing like this, amazement preceded fear. I had suspected that Francisca might have been passing on false information, but I had never imagined that he was really such a young boy."

"You seem to be more manly than you looked in the picture. "

"I am honored to be described as such by no one other than [Normal]."

In line with the other party, the Futsumen also began exchanging English. 

If one were to look at the stage set up in front of the gymnasium, with the handsome man standing in the center of the stage and the Futsumen looking up from below, the latter would appear to be desperately trying to get into it against the former, who is poised and unperturbed. 

In reality, however, it is the handsome man inside his pants pocket, desperately holding a compact gun with his hands that never stop shaking. Meanwhile, inside Nishino's pants pocket, his fingertips are battling with a used tissue that he failed to throw away in the trash.

"I'd like to ask you why you went to all this trouble?"

"I'm going to be straight with you. I'm looking for help from [Normal]."

"If you're talking business, I can get you an intermediary."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for that."

"That's your problem. It has nothing to do with me. "

"We have a sufficient amount of money to pay you. If you follow the instructions that Francisca gave you, it will be nothing compared to what you've been getting. If you want, I can offer you more than just money. I am a man of many faces."

The man in the suit speaks lightly, as if to cover up the tremors in his body. 

Nishino, on the other hand, faced the man with his usual face.

"Then you can use your face to find someone to work with."

"I think this job is impossible for anyone other than [Normal]."

"You're looking for asylum? "

"Francisca told you? What a chatty coworker."

It was a composition reminiscent of a scene from a movie. 

The Futsumen talk shows tend to lead to this kind of composition. However, the lack of face deviation of the actor himself, which is overwhelming, significantly lowers the credibility of the scene. The presence of the man himself makes the scene seem suspiciously odd.

"By the way, I don't see any students."

This was a matter that had been on Nishino's mind ever since he visited the gymnasium. 

He said as he looked around the building. 

It was almost time for club activities to begin. Normally, students in sportswear would have been seen in the gymnasium. However, not a single person was to be seen. Basketballs left lying around and a volleyball net that was in the process of being set up made Futsumen feel a sense of urgency.

"I'd be willing to discuss the case with you on that as well. "

"...... Okay."

Nishino responded with a small nod to the other party, who smiled at him. 

"What do you want? "

"I want you to accept this job."

"All right, let's hear the details. "

"Really? I didn't think it would be so easy to get Normal's cooperation. I should have asked your acquaintance for an intermediary earlier. Funny how things work out in the world, isn't it? "

"Just get on with it."

"The matter is simple. I need you to get me to the asylum. "

"Is that all?"

"We'd like you to work for us. "

"You're being extravagant again, aren't you? "

"It's the same as working with Francisca."

"I had no intention of teaming up with that woman."

"I've even heard rumors about what happened in Guam."

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about."

Normally, Nishino would have spoken more superciliously and lightly. However, having the entire school taken hostage, his conversation lacked sharpness. While holding an oblique stance, he pondered how to deal with the situation.

"In any case, you don't have a choice. Right? [Normal]"

"Your head could be flying off in the next moment."

"At that moment, those who have entered the campus will turn their guns on people you know and people associated with the school. I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but at this point, there hasn't been any real damage done."

"..........."

The man speaks with a smile on his face while trying to maintain a level head. 

For once, the Futsumen was unable to come up with a good response.

◇ ◆ ◇

 

Inchou, Takeuchi, and Risa-chan, plus Kousaka and several female students, arrived at the classroom of Class 2A as originally planned. After meeting up with the latter, they did not encounter any students. 

What we found instead was a note left on Nishino's seat. The lettering was squishy and unflattering, while using many stiff expressions. Inchou caught a glimpse of Okuda-san at the end of the note that had been left behind.

"Inchou, what should we do? "

"There's no point in waiting here."

It was too unfortunate turn of events. Shimizu was ready to rely on Nora from then on. Shimizu was about to think, If that's the case, why didn't they at least contact me in advance? when she remembered that the local wireless system had been out of service. 

Above all, he was being watched closely not only by Takeuchi and Risa-chan, but also by Kousaka and the other underclassmen, so she could not whine. If she did so, she would end up just like Matsuura-san, she thought to herself.

"Shouldn't we follow Nora's lead?"

"Yeah, I agree with Takeuchi. "

"Then let's go!"

Risa-chan, who tried her best to act cheerful, still loves Inchou. 

Not a single dissenting opinion was raised. 

The absence of the Futsumen made it easier to reach a unified opinion. 

The students went out into the hallway and headed for the entrance to the school. 

After everyone had changed shoes, they proceeded outside. 

Just as they were about to reach the main gate, Takeuchi shouted out.

"Wait a minute, there are some suspicious looking vans parked at the main gate."

As he pointed out, several cars were parked just outside the school property. These are the types of vehicles often used for business purposes. The windows, with the exception of the front, were smoked. When there were several of them, it seemed quite dangerous considering the situation.

"Well, I wonder if it's empty?"

"Risa-chan, don't you think it's a little scary to take that chance?"

"What about going out the back door by the gym? "

"I agree with Risa's idea. "

"Okay, then let's go with that. Is that okay with Kousaka and the others?"

"Yes! I will follow the seniors' decision!"

Inchou and the others, who have turned around, rush down the outdoor walkway. 

They proceeded along the school grounds toward the gymnasium. 

They had just reached the hallway connecting the school building and the gymnasium when two men with pistols in their hands blocked their way.

"Wait a minute. You're off-limits from here on out. "

"Cause they're in the middle of an important conversation."

Like the other intruders they encountered on campus, they were dressed as if they were members of a yakuza or semi-gangster gang at first glance. The tattoos on his head were not exactly what one would expect of an honest member of society. 

Shimizu and the others, who had been rushing forward, stopped right then and there.

"I-Inchou........"

An anxious voice escaped Risa-chan's mouth. 

Takeuchi and Kousaka also became grim-faced and stared at the men. And behind them, the first-year girls, consisting of several of them, screamed. A few of them crouched down on the spot and cried out that they couldn't do it anymore. 

Inchou, on the other hand, held up the gun without a moment's pause. 

The posing, which had become a conditioned reflex, was startling even to the men. 

The other party, in a panic, pointed the gun in his hand at the other party. Although they thought that it was impossible for a student to have a gun, they could not deny the possibility that they might have picked up the gun by accident, which they had brought with them. 

The result was a stalemate with both sides holding their guns.

"Hey, little girl, where'd you pick up that thing?"

"I still have six bullets left."

"........"

Inchou is a woman who is smart enough to check the remaining ammunition. 

Incidentally, her self-report to the other party was also a little off. 

The actual number of remaining ammunition is 8. 

Risa-chan and Takeuchi shared the same opinion that she looked a little like Nishino-kun.

"You know what, little girl? There are a lot of surveillance cameras in these schools these days. See that one right there? They're all recording, so they can identify you later."

One of the men began to speak to the Inchou as if to admonish her. 

She was a young girl still in her teens. 

He was trying to talk his way out of it.

"Of course, if you shoot a gun, you're in big trouble. The young lady is a convicted felon for violating the Firearms Act. You'll be out of school and out of a job. So, you know, just put it at your feet. If you keep quiet, we won't shoot you for no reason."

The man tells her with a small smile. 

Risa-chan's honest thought was, Yes, that may be true. However, Inchou, who has had too much contact with bad adults in recent days, could not listen to what the man said. There is a possibility that she could be taken away as a hostage.y, was unable to listen honestly. Isn't there a possibility that they might be taken away as hostages?

" ...... "

"What do you think? Little girl."

A normal person would have become extremely nervous and confused. In fact, the men were getting impatient. Sweat was pouring out of their bodies, soaking their shirts. Even though they do rough work for a living, they rarely have the opportunity to be held up at gunpoint face to face. 

Inchou, on the other hand, had been held at gunpoint not once, not twice, but three times in just a short period of a few months, and had even experienced a gunfight. Moreover, she has friends and juniors behind her whom she must protect. In this situation, Shimizu could not stop. 

Driven by a sense of mission, she was surprisingly calm about the situation. 

At the very least, she had to get Risa and the others off campus.

Keeping the gun in the ready position, she moves her eyeballs around to look at her surroundings. 

Her eyes are moving around to see if there is anything useful. 

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees Tarosuke and Alice Kurusugawa. 

They were a few meters from the scene of the commotion. They were in a blind spot from the men. The two were hiding behind a building, spying on them from a distance. What's more, the former had a pistol in his hand, just like Inchou. 

Their eyes met each other, and the other party saw a reaction. 

While holding the pistol in one hand, Tarosuke indicated the muzzle of the gun with his index finger. Next, he pointed his fingertip directly in front of him and then moved it to the right with a small motion. He repeated this process endlessly while maintaining eye contact with Shimizu.

" ...... "

What is that person doing? 

After thinking frantically, the Inchou suddenly came up with an action in reply. 

She kept her gun in a two-handed stance and lightly rubbed her cheek around her left shoulder. 

There was a moment of tension among the men, but not enough for a shot to be fired. Perhaps they were wiping away sweat, perhaps their skin itched, or perhaps their arms were tired from holding the guns. Either way, it seemed to be perceived as a physiological movement. 

A nod came immediately from Tarasuke. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a handsome man holding up an OK hand sign. 

Upon confirming this, the Inchou made a move.

"I-I understand."

He raises his hands above head with the gun in the air.

The muzzle of the gun points to the sky and the finger also comes off the trigger.

"Can you please let the rest of them go, except me"

"Yes, of course. Instead, take the bullets out of the gun and put the gun at your feet. "

"I can just shoot what's left of these into the air? "

".......... Stay in that position and pull the button next to the trigger."

The Inchou did as the man asked and pulled the magazine release button with one hand. 

The magazine, which had been pulled straight out, fell to the ground at her feet and made a loud clunking sound.

"Next, pull the top sliding part with your other hand......."

The man's voice of instruction continued. 

As if to drown this out, a high-pitched bang, sound echoed through the area. 

At the same time, one of the two men collapses. 

Underneath his prone body, blood immediately seeped out, and a bright red pool of blood began to form around his face. Apparently, he had been hit in the head. The sight of this caused an extraordinarily loud scream from the female students. 

The one remaining man grasped the direction from which the bullet had come from, from the direction in which his partner had fallen.

".........!"

Immediately, he takes up his gun and goes on the alert. 

However, he did not see Tarosuke in sight, who had already retracted his head. 

Having confirmed that the muzzle of the gun is pointing elsewhere, the Inchou moves. 

She holds the gun, with a bullet still in the chamber, up to the man. 

The other man had no time to react as far as he was concerned.

Shimizu's behavior is caught out of the corner of her eye, and her eyes widen in astonishment at the thought that such a thing was not possible. Despite this, she is now staring at the man through the sights with a look on her face as if she is sure that if she pulls the trigger, a bullet will come out. 

Inchou pulled the trigger without hesitation. 

The man, fell to the ground with a bullet. 

Like the first man, he was shot in the head and immediately stopped moving. 

With the men no longer reacting, the girls regained their composure. With fearful expressions on their faces, the girls looked at the men lying in the hallway from a distance. Risa-chan and Takeuchi-kun looked the same way. 

As they were doing so, Tarosuke appeared from the shadows of the building. 

Alice Kurusugawa can also be seen beside him. 

The two of them came running to the Inchou and the others.

"Everything okay? Things have been quite a mess again. "

"Shimizu-san, it's been a while."

"Thank you very much for helping me in this dangerous situation."

Inchou responds with a grandiose bow of her head. 

Beside her, the girls begin to buzz with excitement at the sight of Tarosuke. 

Risa-chan, Takeuchi, and Kousaka, who were already acquainted with Tarosuke, straightened their backs, more or less aware of his presence.

"No, half the credit goes to you. And we were also saved. If you hadn't gone in first, we would have found ourselves in the same situation. So in that sense, it's a win-win situation."

Tarosuke, on the other hand, also had his heart beating wildly from nervousness. 

He had not expected Shimizu to take a shot. 

Naturally, a voice of doubt escaped from his mouth.

"But I think you could have persisted a little longer. "

"Um, being persistent..."

"I assume releasing the magazine was an act as well? "

"Sorry for my selfish decision. I thought it would make it less likely that a gun would be pointed at us. But I'm really sorry that the attention instead went to Tarosuke and the others, and, uh, I'm really sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, that's fine. I was just a little surprised."

She rocks, was his diminutive response to Shimizu. Tarosuke wonders if he can do the same thing. When he comes to the conclusion that he probably can't, the handsome guy feels defeated on his own. 

Risa-chan overhears their exchange, and a voice rises up from her.

"Inchou, how did you manage to shoot that? "

"Even if that little rectangle comes off, it can still fire one shot."

"Oh, really?"

"I heard that some of them are impossible to shoot, but this one was okay."

"How did you know that?"

"Nishino-ku...... I saw it in a movie. It was an action movie. "

"........"

Inchou picks up the magazine on the ground and loads it. 

Risa-chan looks at her with suspicion as she sees her hands are very skilled at it. 

I don't think this is normal, she thought. 

Inchou had been repeatedly lectured by the Futsumen when they were attacked by an armed group at the share house and when she received a gun in Guam. Since then, my natural interest in the subject has given me the opportunity to look at gun enthusiast websites in my spare time. 

But I don't think the day will ever come when it will be truly useful. 

"This is a different topic, but why did Tarosuke-san and Kurusugawa-san......"

Feeling uncomfortable with the stares from those around her, she takes the initiative to change the subject. The news of Alice Kurusugawa's visit during today's lunch break, as conveyed by Ogino-kun, had not reached Inchou, who had left the classroom for lunch with Nishino. 

Then, a third party's voice interrupted her statement.

"Hey, there they are!"

It was the sound of a wild male shout. 

Immediately afterward, a flurry of footsteps could be heard. 

Quickly, they turned their eyes to see a large number of armed men.

"Come on, let's go back inside the school building!"

Tarosuke said as he shouted. 

The Inchou nodded honestly and turned on their heels in a great hurry. 

They entered the school building at the end of the cross hallway. 

Then, several bullets were fired as they followed their backs. They seemed to be in a frenzy because their comrades had been killed. However, none of the shots seemed to be aimed properly, and fortunately no one was hit. 

They entered the school in an avalanche and hid behind the walls of the building. 

Not wanting to be approached at this point, Tarosuke stuck his arm out from the doorway of the school building and fired his gun without any hesitation. Shimizu followed his lead and repeatedly pulled the trigger in the direction the men had been seen.

"Watch out, they have guns!"

A voice of alarm echoes from the other side after hearing the response of the two.

The sound of gunfire never ceases, and the walls of the school building are constantly scraped.

With this in mind, Tarosuke and Takeuchi-kun exchange a question.

"If we don't do something, we're going to be screwed. "

"Do you want to run away?"

"If we run from here, we're not gonna make it ........"

"What about climbing the fence? ''

"I just checked and there's electricity everywhere I can see. "

"Are you serious? "

"I'm serious. I saw a student here, getting electrified in front of the fence. "

"Eh........"

Alice Kurusugawa also added to the mix. 

Understanding the seriousness of all the intruders, the handsome man also turned blue. He did not seem to have thought that the other party was that thorough. Combined with the presence of the men who had approached from the hallway, he was becoming increasingly anxious about the future. 

Hearing their exchange, the other students began to feel sorrowful. 

Everyone was disheartened, wondering if another chase was about to begin. 

The reaction of the female students whom Kousaka saved was quite remarkable. 

In the midst of all this, something strange was happening to the men outside. 

"Wait a minute! I'm being shot at!"

"Where are they shooting from?"

"Aah! Aah! Aah!"

"Are you sure it wasn't these guys?"

"Get the fuck out of here! Oh, shit!"

It all started with the sound of gunfire, which suddenly gained momentum. 

At the same time that their number increased, screams started coming from the men. 

Inchou and the others, timidly, peeked out of the doorway of the school building to see what was going on outside. There, they could see the men hiding in the shadows, frantically trying to get out. Everyone was holding a gun, but struggling to find someone to point it at. 

And while they watched, the sound of gunfire echoed repeatedly. 

One by one, the men fell to the ground.

"What, what is this ...?"

"This is not Nishino, is it? "

"Nishino-kun wouldn't use a gun in this situation."

Risa-chan raised her voice out of surprise and Tarosuke sensed something. 

Inchou expressed her calm opinion. 

Soon, all of the men were shot and immobilized. 

One after another, they were shot and fell to the ground, either while looking for the invisible sniper or immediately after running away from the scene out of fear. And after that, even after waiting for a while, there was no sign of anyone in the vicinity. 

Inchou and the others froze in place, wondering what was going on. 

Then, on the opposite side of the outdoor area from where they were focusing their attention, there was a stairwell close to the entrance. 

The sound of footsteps echoed from the stairwell close to the entrance.

"......"

Inchou and Tarosuke quickly took a stance with their guns pointed at them. 

The person who appeared from the upper floor said to them in a light tone.

"Inchou, isn't it cruel to point a gun at me after I saved your life? "

"Eh, Matsuura-san?"

Just as Shimizu muttered, Matsuura-san appeared from the floor above.

She went down the stairs and walked straight up to Shimizu and the others. 

Then, without trying to hide her own excitement, she said with a big smile on her face.

"Did you see that? Isn't that awesome? It's like a real FPS."

"........"

Overhearing their exchange, everyone present understood who had shot the men who had fallen outdoors. This was evident from her appearance as she was happily taking credit for her work with the Inchou. 

In short, Matsuura-san was fully armed. 

She has a pistol in each hand and a stern light machine gun slung over her shoulder. Over her uniform, she wears a tactical vest, and her pockets are stuffed with spare magazines. It looked as if she was about to go to war.

"You can't just come out in the open without a decent grasp of the terrain, or you're going to end up dead. "

"Matsuura-san, what's up with that? You're wearing a lot of strange stuff."

"I got it from a guy that Gabu-chan killed."

"Ahh......"

Gabriella was separated from the others after the collapse of the staircase. 

Apparently, Matsuura-san was moving around the school alone in search of her presence. As soon as she could, she headed for the site where they had become separated. There, she stripped the men she thought Gabu-chan had killed of their armaments and equipment. 

As a result, Matsuura-san, the winter AIM festival in the school.

"You know, looting corpses, it's a basic concept of an FPS."

"No, this is not an FPS."

"I didn't have enough money in Guam, but now I can shoot as much as I want, isn't that great? I mean, aren't you glad we went to a shooting range on our school trip? Inchou must have fired at least one shot, right?"

It is a frustrating Inchou that cannot deny at all. 

"I don't want you to do this Matsuura-san. It's against the law to do this kind of thing."

"To be honest, isn't it better than being dead myself?  I say this because I have no life left."

Matsuura-san is Matsuura-san, and it seems that she has been on various kinds of quests. 

It seemed as if another world was reflected in her eyes as she spoke. 

If you look closely, you can see many small abrasions on the exposed skin. The back of her hand was partially burned as if it had been roasted over a fire, which Shimizu felt uneasy about after witnessing it for the first time. She wondered if it was safe to leave it alone.

"Listen, Inchou, I lined up the magazines and loaded them one after the other ... "

"............."

Matsuura-san speaks with her eyes glowing. 

The smile that stuck to her face was scary and pleasant. 

The Inchou looked at her and thought, This person is a full-fledged disaster.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

Inchou and the others were excited to join Tarosuke, Alice Kurusugawa, and Matsuura-san. 

Inside the gymnasium, Nishino and the man in the suit were still facing each other. 

It was the Futsumen who had been making up time by endlessly exchanging casual banter. Perhaps Rose, Gabriella, and the others might be able to eliminate those who had entered the school. He had such faint hopes. 

However, his intentions were quickly discovered by the other side.

"You've been very talkative. Are you buying time? "

"Did you not find anything in Francisca's report? "

"We cannot ignore their presence here. "

"Then you'll understand."

"But that's meaningless."

"How can you say that? "

"You were concerned earlier that there were no students in the gym, weren't you?"

"......."

Once again the topic was raised, the presence of students who would have been engaged in club activities. 

Naturally, the Futsumen's expression became more serious than ever.

"I feel bad, but I had to shove them all together into the gym storage. Poison was planted along with them. One flick of the switch and the gas will fill the room. They will die within minutes. "

"Such poison, wouldn't this place be unsafe as well? "

"I took the antidote beforehand. I'll be fine."

The man in the suit took something out of his pocket as he spoke. 

It was a vial with substance inside. 

When he shook it lightly, the liquid shook inside.

"How did you manage to get your hands on so many things, firearms and all? "

"Francisca's got her own way, too, doesn't she? "

"Yeah, no doubt. "

"This country has a lot of flexibility. But now I've scraped it together with what little manpower I have left. It would be difficult to do the same thing again."

"..........."

"Why don't you spare the hostages? I wouldn't say it's too much to ask."

The man in the suit stares at Futsumen with a serious look in his eyes. 

In this situation, Nishino had no choice but to break. 

He could not risk the lives of the students.

"All right, I'll take your job."

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd say that. "

"I'll get right on it. I'd like to discuss escape routes out of the country."

The determined Futsumen responded with a nonchalant nod.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

After passing through the cross hallway, the Inchou and the others headed for the back entrance of the school as originally planned. 

Tarosuke, Alice Kurusugawa, and Matsuura-san accompanied them. Upon hearing from the latter, they said that they had also thought of escaping through the back entrance and had made their way to the vicinity. In the process, they found the Inchou and the others being attacked. 

The group went through the side of the gymnasium and headed for the back entrance of the school. 

On their way there, Shimizu suddenly stopped.

"..........."

The last school broadcast she heard, Nishino had been called to the gymnasium. Having come so close, Inchou couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside the building. She thought it might be okay to just take a little peek through the window.

"Inchou, what's wrong?"

Risa-chan, who was advancing next to her, raised her voice. 

Naturally, she stopped walking. 

Everyone who had been working together turned their heads to look back.

"I'm going to check out the gym."

"What? That's dangerous."

"I'm sorry, I'll just be a minute. You guys can go ahead. "

"I'm sure he'll be fine if we leave him alone. "

"I'd rather they take us hostage or something."

Tarosuke and Takeuchi-kun immediately voiced their opinions. 

Nevertheless, Shimizu stubbornly persisted.

"There's a window right over there, right? I just need to check it out."

The first two men they encountered in the cross hallway, one of them said. They were in the middle of an important discussion in the gymnasium or something. Inchou was worried about Nishino because the topic had been brought up again. 

What came back to her mind was the injured figure she had witnessed in Santorini in the past. Although he is a Futsumen who is usually very strong, he can get injured or even fall down. 

Recalling this fact, she naturally started running. 

Without waiting for Risa-chan and the others to respond, she moved at a run. 

Shimizu headed for a window in the gymnasium, a few meters away from everyone else. 

After school, the windows are always open for club activities. 

On the inside are iron bars to avoid balls. 

Inchou looked into the interior from there. 

The gymnasium is deserted. That is why it was easy to see who was inside the building. A man in a suit was standing on the stage. Opposite him, downstage, was the figure of Nishino. 

As soon as she caught them in her vision, she heard a fluent English exchange.

"I feel bad, but I had to shove them all together into the gym storage there. Poison was planted along with them. One flick of the switch and the gas will fill the room. They will die within minutes. "

"Such poison, wouldn't this place be unsafe as well? "

"I took the antidote beforehand. I'll be fine."

Inchou stiffened nervously. 

English was something she should have been good at. The English language, which she felt was part of her identity, seemed distant these days. But recently, it has seemed so far away from him. She was even beginning to remember that she was not very good at it. 

But she was listening carefully and listening hard. 

She approaches conversations with a level of concentration that is even better than during the national mock examinations.

"How did you manage to get your hands on so many things, firearms and all? "

"Francisca's got her own way, too, doesn't she? "

"Yeah, no doubt. "

"This country has a lot of flexibility. But now I've scraped it together with what little manpower I have left. It would be difficult to do the same thing again."

They were quite a distance away from Nishino and the other men. Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult to overhear their conversation. However, after school, when all other hustle and bustle had long since been lost, their exchange, which reverberated through the spacious gymnasium, could be picked up by the Inchou, who peeked in through the window. 

I think I just heard Francisca's name mentioned. I mean, Poison, right? Warehouse?. I think it might refer to the storage room in the gymnasium, given the circumstances.

"Why don't you spare the hostages? I wouldn't say it's too much to ask."

There Inchou's ears picked up a familiar word. 

According to him, hostage.

"........."

She heard the sound and thought. 

I think I learned that word somewhere. 

Immediately afterward, she recalled an English conversation she had had with Nora at a private house in Guam during a school trip. 

Yes, hostage. 

As soon as she understood the meaning of the key word, a series of English sentences made sense in Inchou's brain. The conversation, which had almost disappeared from right to left, emerged once again, and although some of the words remained unclear, she understood the key intention. 

"......"

Nishino-kun is being threatened by a hostage. 

No, it's not. 

Nishino-kun is being threatened with hostages. 

In the gym warehouse

"Ah, Nishino-kun is really here ... "

Risa-chan, who arrived late to Shimizu, also recognized the Futsumen in the building and muttered to herself. 

As she did so, Shimizu appealed to her with a serious look on her face.

"Risa, it looks like there are hostages in the storage room of the gym. Probably students from this school. "

"What? Really? "

"So we need to get there as soon as possible."

Inchou ran out without waiting for Risa-chan's reply. 

If Shimizu remembered correctly, the warehouse was equipped with a window facing outdoors. From there, she thought it might be possible to rescue the students trapped in the warehouse. From a series of conversations, Inchou sensed that Nishino was in trouble. 

Risa-chan also started running after Shimizu, who suddenly started to run. Takeuchi, Tarosuke, and Kousaka were not to be ignored. And once they were on their way, the students under their protection followed behind them. 

They arrived at a small space behind the gymnasium. 

Inchou arrived at a window on the ground floor.

"........"

As one would expect, there were window panes there. 

However, like the gymnasium windows, the warehouse windows were fitted with iron bars. These bars prevented the students from going outside. Through the open window panes, they could see the trapped students. 

The earlier group saw the Inchou and the others outdoors and gathered by the window. About a dozen students, both male and female, were kept inside the warehouse in their jerseys. Some of the iron bars showed signs of shallow, brand-new dents. They were probably the marks of an attempt to smash them.

The students who were trapped in the room tried to speak up as quickly as they could. 

Shimizu, in a panic, put a finger to her mouth and gestured for them to be quiet .

"I'll help you in a minute. Can you please keep quiet?"

In response to her appeal, the students in the warehouse nodded obediently. 

Inchou stopped, and in response, Risa-chan and Takeuchi-kun caught up with her. They must have felt relieved to see students who were well-known on campus. A few of them were students who knew them well. 

However, even so, the iron bars on the windows seemed sturdy. 

They are not likely to be removed by the slightest bit of force.

"Inchou, do you want me to go look for Gabriella? "

"Y-Yeah. I'm sure that would be a good idea..... "

Immediately, Takeuchi made a proposal. 

The sound of gunshots and explosions could still be heard coming from inside the school. 

The handsome man who somehow guessed the source of the sound made a judgment. 

It seemed that it was not impossible to meet them by following the signs. 

However, it was in the midst of such a situation. 

There was a person who raised their voice.

"Inchou, I think this is where I come in. "

"Huh?......."

Yes, it was Matsuura-san. 

She was holding a rifle with a loaded ammunition belt in her hand as she spoke with a smug look on her face. She was also wearing an additional ammunition belt on her shoulder, just like a hero in an action movie. It seemed to be quite heavy, and the arm supporting it was trembling.

"I've always wanted to try something like this. "

"Wait a minute, are you sure you're okay with shooting that thing? "

"Don't you think you can handle it a little faster than going for Gabu-chan? Inchou, do you really want Takeuchi and the others to get caught again? There's no guarantee that they'll escape safely this time. "

"You talk big, Matsuura-san, but you just want to shoot them, don't you?"

"Is that wrong? "

"...... Okay, I understand."

At the Inchou's direction, the students in the warehouse move to the corner. 

Facing the windowpanes was a reinforced concrete wall. It was decided that this would prevent bullets that broke through the windows from flying elsewhere. Gymnastics mats, a ping-pong table, and a jumping box were lined up in front of the building in large numbers to prevent ricochets. 

As soon as the preparations were completed, Matsuura-san's gun opened fire. 

As the trigger was pulled, a buzzing noise began to echo through the air. 

Matsuura-san fired a full burst. 

The bullet, fired from a distance of several meters, traces a bullet hole through the iron bars of the window frame. It was nothing short of terrifying to see the bullets, some of which hit the bars, flying in the opposite direction.

If Rose had been there, she would have stopped them with a scolding shout. Inchou and the others, who had no knowledge of firearms handling, hid in the shadows of the building and looked on. Only one person, the one pulling the trigger, was happy. 

With a look of excitement on her face, she set her sights on the target.

Even the ricochet that grazed her cheek was nothing to her. 

Matsuura-san's strange voice echoed high in the neighborhood. 

The sound of gunfire was heard for only a few dozen seconds. 

Confirming that Matsuura-san was satisfied, Takeuchi rushes toward the window. 

He kicks it several times from the outside, and the bars come off.

"Okay!"

Because the windows were of a reasonable size, it was easy for the students to escape. 

Within a couple of minutes, everyone was out of the gym storage room and outside. 

Fortunately, no one was injured. 

Upon confirming this, Inchou immediately started running. 

The destination was the entrance and exit of the gymnasium. 

As she stepped inside the building, a loud voice came from her.

"Nishino-kun! All the kids in the gym warehouse have been released!"

The gymnasium still showed a man in a suit on stage. Facing him head-on, Futsumen stood below the stage. Unbeknownst to Inchou, the two were discussing future arrangements between them. 

Shimizu burst into the middle of the discussion. 

This surprised even the Futsumen.

"I don't think so, but was it Inchou and the others who just fired shots?"

" It was Matsuura-san who was shooting! "

"..........Okay."

Behind Inchou, who responded in a loud voice, came Risa-chan and Takeuchi-kun, as well as Matsuura-san, who had just been raised as a topic of discussion. Tarosuke, Alice Kurusugawa, Kousaka, and the rescued girls did the same. 

The quietness that had prevailed up to that point had changed drastically, and the area around the entrance to the gymnasium became instantly lively. 

The students decided that under the circumstances, it would be safer to stay near Nishino.

"Isn't that Nishino-senpai from second year standing in front of the stage?"

"Is it related to the announcement that was made earlier?"

"I'm really curious about what Shimizu-senpai said."

"I mean, what's the situation here?"

"Nishino-senpai's standpoint is too confusing."

The girls, who are unaware of what is going on, begin to exchange a few words. 

The main discussion is about the disturbance that the out-of-place Futsumen is causing. 

With the girls in the background, Nishino turns from Inchou to the man in the suit.

"It appears that the tables have turned. It is against my belief to withdraw from a job once accepted, but I hope you will tolerate me for this one time. Oh, and I'd also like to finish the prior arrangements I had made here on this occasion, too."

Another cynical remark was made in front of the students. 

But even so, the man's demeanor remained unchanged. 

His gentle smile remained unchanged, and he said in a nonchalant manner

"It's unfortunate that the hostages were lost, but it doesn't change my advantage."

"Did you plant any poison or explosives on campus?"

"That was just taken care by one of your friends. "

"That's a pretty straightforward answer. By the looks of things, I doubt my friends could do such a thing."

Nishino continues his conversation with the man in the suit with a native-like pronunciation. 

Nishino's tongue irrepressibly strikes a nerve with the students.

"[Normal]. It's your own life."

Witnessing the conversation between the two, the students' attention also turns to the man in the suit. The hustle and bustle that immediately followed their entry into the gymnasium gradually subsided, and all eyes turned to the exchange between the handsome man and the Futsumen, wondering what on earth was going on. 

As if in response to the expectations of the crowd, the man in the suit continues to speak.

"Why do you think I went to all the trouble of buying you time?"

"Are you bluffing at this point?"

The man brings his watch to his face with an air of dignity. 

If a Futsumen had done the same thing, the students would have been repulsed. However, if a handsome man had done it, the behavior would have seemed natural. It would have been a very beautiful sight. Everyone held their breath and paid close attention to their conversation.

"I think it's about time, though."

"Ugh......"

At the same time, Nishino's body changed. 

His posture, which had been standing under the stage looking up at the man, collapsed with a thud. He fell to both knees on the gymnasium floor as if he had been knocked to his knees. He desperately tried to stand up, but it seemed that he could not free his body. 

He puts his hands on the floor and somehow manages to support himself. 

However, his arms also began to tremble. 

Even to the casual observer, it was a frightening sight.

"Good."

The man says with a big smile on his face.

"I was chilling my guts out, wondering what I would do if you were even resistant to poison! "

"I see, it was back then ........."

Having overheard the other party's statement, the incident just a few minutes ago came to Nishino's mind. 

What he recalled was the canned coffee given to him by Suzuki in the school. They had met in the hallway and talked about how he had procured drinks from a vending machine for his classmates. 

Although he didn't think it was possible, he saw no other chance.

"Nishino-kun?"

The Inchou's plaintive cries echoed loudly throughout the gymnasium.

 

◇ ◆ ◇

 

In contrast, here is Rose rushing around the school. 

After dealing with the situation in the staff room, she was following Nishino to the gymnasium, following the complaint delivered by the school's public address system. She is a blonde Lolita who understands in her head that he will be fine, but she is still anxious.

"What's that?"

She runs through the school with the agility of an Olympic athlete. 

As she caught sight of the cross hallway in front of her, she saw the entrance and exit area of the gymnasium. 

There, she saw an unexpected sight. 

A large number of students had gathered around the gymnasium door. Considering the lack of popularity of the Futsumen on campus, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. How many students would risk their own safety to move their feet when they questioned the school's announcement? 

Rose wondered, but headed straight for the middle of the commotion.

"I was chilling my guts out, wondering what I would do if you were even resistant to poison! "

"I see, it was back then ........."

"Nishino-kun?"

A familiar tone of voice was delivered from inside the building. 

It was not only Nishino, but even the Inchou's scream-like voice could be heard. 

The disturbing tone of the conversation made Rose hurry her steps.

"Do you mind if I come in for a minute?"

Pushing her way through the crowd, she stepped into the gymnasium. 

When the students noticed Rose, they naturally stepped aside and gave up their places. Aided by her petite frame, she quickly made it to the front of the line of people. The only area that was crowded was near the entrance and exit. As her path opened up, the inside of the gymnasium became apparent. 

She saw a Futsumen kneeling on the floor.

"If you want the antidote, please take the job. "

"And if I say no? "

"Then it's over for both of us."

In front of Rose's eyes, Nishino collapsed to the floor. 

He was holding himself up with both hands for a moment, but even that became difficult, and he slumped down on his face. At the same time, blood spurted out from the back of his throat and stained his mouth. This drew a few gasps from the students. 

Everyone was staring at the Futsumen.

"N-Nishino-kun!"

Rose rushed out to the bottom of Nishino's body, not daring to look at her surroundings. 

She dropped to her knees on the floor and embraced the body with her own hands.

"Oh, you. You've caught me in a bad situation. "

"What's this all about?"

"As you can see. I've been caught off guard."

Rose's sense of urgency is heightened by Nishino's unusually somber demeanor. 

A white man stands on the stage looking down at them. In his hand, he is holding a vial of chemicals that was taken out just moments ago. He slowly tells the Futsumen in Rose's arms in a calm tone of voice.

"The poison you ingested can be treated with this medicine."

"........"

He runs to the bottom of Nishino, but as soon as he does, Rose's attention shifts to the man. 

The next moment, she was on her feet, ready to leap toward the stage. 

Then, the man, anticipating her reaction, immediately stopped her.

"Don't move any further. I don't want you to ruin this medicine."

"......"

"You work for Francisca, right? I've heard a lot about you. I don't want to go head-to-head with you. If you care about [Normal], I'd appreciate it if you could persuade him."

Rose's gaze went back and forth between the man and Nishino. 

It was as if she didn't know what was going on, but she could only determine that Futsumen's life was in danger if she didn't do what the man on stage said. 

"Nishino-kun, your life is the most important thing right now! "

"How was the staff room?"

"You can rest assured. They're all alive. "

"That's good"

Rose's report brought a slight smile to Nishino's face. 

Seeing the serene look on his face brought her anxiety to a climax.

"This is my last chance. [Normal], will you take the job? "

"Sorry, but I refuse."

"Are you serious?"

"I don't want to put my fellow students in danger. If I nodded my head here, the same thing will happen again in the future. I would be lying if I said I did not fear for my life. But I am not willing to accept the job to survive that long."

The expression on the Futsumen's face as he spoke was the same as usual. 

The man responded with a small nod, probably sensing the stubbornness of his intention.

"I see."

"Nishino-kun, now is not the time to be thinking about that!"

"......It's a shame, [Normal]"

In response to Nishino's reply, the man's hand shows movement. 

In front of Rose's face, a vial falls at his feet. 

He steps on it with his own foot. 

A cracking sound is heard, and liquid splashes out of the broken glass tube.

"It can't be..."

Rose looked as if she was about to cry. 

Nishino looked at her and whispered to her.

"I know I've been a constant burden to you. I'm sorry."

"N-Nishino-kun? Why do you say that?"

"I thought I'd do you a little favor at least at the end."

He was a cynical Futsumen until the moment of his death. 

Looking at Rose, who is embracing him, he speaks without any hesitation. As his lips move, blood drips from his mouth, but he cannot even wipe it off. The response is a small smile.

"No! Nishino-kun, you cannot give up like this!"

"It's impossible to deal with the poison once it reaches the organs. "

"You won't know unless you try! "

"Don't think too much. One of your colleagues who screwed up will just disappear. This is not an unusual situation for you. I am sorry to leave it to others, but I would like you to talk to Marquis. "

"No, that's not true! That's not true!"

"Then what is it?"

Nishino is breathing more and more heavily. His complexion was very pale. 

Witnessing this, Rose reached the limit of her patience. 

Naturally, her mouth emitted an overflowing emotion. 

These were honest words that she could never convey to him, no matter how crazy she felt about them.

"Nishino-kun, I like you! I love you!"

"...... This isn't like you. You're joking. "

"I'm not joking! Really, it's not a joke!"

Unable to contain herself, Rose revealed everything. 

Her mouth overflowed with feelings for Nishino.

"I screwed up my job and you saved me. I've loved you ever since then. I have only thought about you. I did a lot of tricks to make you my own, and I even used this school to get to you. "

"You, that's ... "

"I was sad when I found out I couldn't go with you on your graduation trip. That's why I was so happy when we met up there. The ring you gave me is my precious treasure. I still carry it with me always."

Rose shows more emotional behavior than in the past. 

Nishino was at a loss for words to continue. 

It is the interaction between her and him that has been going on from before the festival until today.

"The work experience and part-time job at the hospital are also precious memories for me. We were in different classes, so we had to go through a lot of hardships in order to work together. Your attitude became kinder and kinder to me, and I enjoyed every day of my life."

Rose began to speak, as if remembering the events of the past.

His arms hugged the normal man tightly.

Nishino listened obediently to her uncharacteristic attitude.

"My work experience and part-time job at the hospital are also important memories for me.I was in a different class than you , so we had to go through a lot of trouble to work together.From around this time, your attitude became kinder to me. I couldn't help but have fun every day."

Naturally, the interaction with her comes back to Futsumen's mind. 

Those were lively, noisy, and joyful days.

"I wasn't kidding when I was pushing for you at the host club, was I? And yet, you were so preoccupied with the girls in your class that you never paid any attention to me."

And Rose was always by his side. 

After all this time, Nishino felt the warmth of the opposite sex in the person who held him. 

Under the circumstances, the words Takeuchi, did not even come up.

"So I spent a lot of time with you on the school trip and had a lot of fun. And I thought that we would be together forever. So I really, really can't accept such a quick goodbye. ......."

Rose conveyed to Nishino as best she could the feelings she had been keeping in her heart. 

A drop of liquid overflowed from her eye, and fell onthe Futsumen. 

It was a very slight sensation that could not be described as stimulation. 

But it numbed Futsumen's body and soul.

"I didn't realize that......"

For Nishino, it was a kindness he had never dreamed of. 

At this point in time, he is surprised with his eyes wide open. 

I don't think she is lying to me. 

He understands that the approach given repeatedly in the past was not to [Normal], but to himself. In the midst of his fading consciousness, memories of Rose come back to him one after another. 

He understands that all of this was a result of the affection he had received from Rose. 

That is why Futsumen came up with the idea. 

It is the most important goal for him these days.

"I already enjoyed my youth to the fullest."

"..........Nishino-kun?"

As he mutters this to no one in particular, his body suddenly relaxes. 

The plain, blank expression on his face changes to a calm one that does not seem like him.

"Now that I think about it, my school life wasn't that bad."

"Nishino-kun, don't say such sad things!"

On the other hand, it is Rose who is growing stern. 

She desperately calls out Futsumen's name, wondering what he is talking about. She repeatedly pleads with him to please pull himself together. But the man she holds in her arms seems to have already made up his mind.

"Youth ,days gone by, its colors, looking back they are lush."

"......."

This is an occasion for the Futsumen, to recite a verse. 

From the point of view of a student who has never been in a relationship, it is inevitably irritating. However, under the circumstances, they had to ask themselves what it would be like to be a human being, and they had to pain their own conscience. Nishino's passing was too much of a nuisance. The emotions of those present were at an all-time low. 

The man in the suit standing on the stage was no longer in the air. The five fingers of Rose, who was holding the hand of the Futsumen, were filled with strength, and there was no room left for Nishino to return the grip.

"Living with you, now that I think about it, it's an extraordinary thing.........."

The parting words were not voiced until the end. 

Still in Rose's arms, Nishino's head lost its support and tilted with a jerk. 

At the same time as this, a shout was delivered below them.

"Sister! It is blood and flesh, sister, give him your blood and flesh now!"

".......?"

Rose turned around to see Gabriella. 

She was standing near the doorway of the gymnasium.

She had been quite active, and there was blood all over her body. Her uniform was covered in red splatters here and there. She was taking care of the intruders inside the school, and she must have seen the students gathered near the gymnasium doorway and stepped over there.

"I am fearful, but sister's flesh and blood will heal him!"

Even so, she did not expect to find Nishino down. 

She rushes over to Rose and the others with a startled look on her face.

"Look at this tongue of mine!"

Gabu-chan stuck out her tongue, regardless of the eyes of the students. Originally, there was a deeply cracked split tongue there. At least Rose and her friends had confirmed it shortly after they met.

"To my surprise, the split ends are sticking together!"

As she declared, 80% of them were attached to each other. 

The only crack left was a few millimeters at the tip. 

Rose could not hide her surprise when she looked at Gabriella's moving tongue. In the past, at Francisca's request, her bodily fluids had also been examined. The benefits of her immortality had never been passed on to others, not even for a short time. 

The question of why this was the case flashed through her mind. 

But Rose moved quickly. 

If there was even a small chance that Nishino could be saved, she responded with a strong nod of her head.

"I-I understand!"

She took a knife from her pocket and slit her own wrist deeply. 

A large amount of blood spurted out, staining Nishino's body red as he lay in a kneeling position beneath her. Most of it was directed to his mouth, according to Gabriella's words. She sticks her finger into Futsumen's mouth, letting the gushing blood flow in. 

But there is no reaction. 

The Futsumen remains limp with his eyes closed.

"........! "

Impatient, she takes further steps. 

She slit her own chest open and removed a hunk of flesh from within.

"Please, Nishino-kun, don't die. Live more!"

She muttered a prayer and squeezed this on Futsumen's face. The overflowing blood and crumbled bits of flesh land on Nishino's face as he lies on his back. Rose's fingertips forcefully entered the open mouth. 

Witnessing the scene so gruesome, the students screamed. 

Many students turned away.

"I don't care what happens to me, please, please, please, Nishino-kun......."

Rose's liverless body collapses in front of him. 

She arches her back and drops her own mouth to her beloved's. 

Their faces are still on top of each other's, and they are motionless. 

They both lose consciousness. 

The man in the suit watches from the stage and mutters to himself.

"There have been no reported cases in the past of people coming back from this situation. As for Francisca's subordinates, we already know the extent of what they can do. No matter how they try, we should assume that [Normal] is lost. "

"So what are your plans?"

Gabriella responded to this. 

She turns to face the man with her back to them, as if to protect Nishino and Rose.

"Your presence like that makes me think a lot. "

"If Gokyou Nishino is lost, are you planning to use me next?"

"We had considered such a case in advance. We did not expect that you would go on such a rampage in front of students and faculty members on campus. Almost all of the forces that we had prepared were defeated."

She stood at the scene with a prayerful thought in her heart, too. 

Still, in the face of men, she speaks with a firm attitude.

"I think that's a unnecessary concern, anyway. "

"How can you say that?"

"Sister is quite a pervert. I believe in what she does every day. "

".....What do you mean?"

"I do not believe that you have been doing this on a regular basis."

She doesn't seem to want to talk much about it, and her words are very straightforward. The man in the suit could not understand what she was saying and could only raise his eyebrows. 

As he was doing so, he saw a change behind her. 

Nishino, who seemed to have run out of steam, moved. 

Her fingertips trembled. 

Then, his eyes, which had been closed, snapped open. 

It was the odd eye, which is known among his classmates.

"What......"

A gasp of astonishment escaped the man in the suit. 

Without speaking, Nishino raised his upper body on the floor. He then slowly stood up, holding Rose, who had been decaying in his own arms, in the opposite direction. His steps are firm and he does not wobble as he picks her up. 

The weakness he had shown earlier seemed to be a lie. 

Gabriella's smile returned to her face when she felt someone moving behind her. 

She turns around happily and calls out to the person standing there.

“How does it feel to have survived a narrow death? Gokyou Nishino.”

"Ah, I wonder what's going on. My mouth smells like iron."

"JJust to be safe, I suggest you swallow what you have in your mouth. "

"Are you serious?"

"You're in love with a real pervert, aren't you?"

"......What do you mean?"

"I mean that you've been taking it on a regular basis, not just today"

"........."

Looking at Rose's chest, which was greatly gouged out, the Futsumen understood the source of the flesh and blood. At the same time, he thought that she was dead, but combined with the fact that her body was fully regenerated, he could somewhat guess the efficacy as well. 

However, I tilt my head at the word pervert.

I wondered if it was possible that he had been ingesting it on a regular basis.

"Do you mind if I get rid of who is standing on the stage?"

"No, wait. That man is our target. "

"Then get the job done quickly. "

"I don't need to be told."

Nishino and Gabriella's eyes turned to the stage. 

There they could still see the man in the suit. 

However, he has lost the relaxed demeanor he had earlier, and even the casual observer can sense his impatience. His face is drawn, and his knees and other parts of his body are visibly shaking. In his hand was a gun, the muzzle of which was pointing at Nishino's as he trembled with fear.

"You are dangerous. I'm going to dispose of you right here and now."

"Wait a minute! We still can......"

Nishino waves his arm at the man who was about to say something to him. 

As if in response, the head of the man in the suit flies clean off. 

The head is severed at the root and falls to the floor with a thud. As has been the case in the past with the Futsumen's work, the severed surface froze in an instant. No blood spurts out, staining the inside of the gymnasium. 

The headless body loses its balance and immediately falls over. 

From then on, no matter how long he waited, he saw no reaction from the man in the suit.