106. The Powerless’s way of fighting
Let’s organize the current situation.
First, the regular customer who’s a little strong. Well, my guess was wrong because he’s not doing this under any conditions, but my guess went to the wrong way.
The guy who confessed that he’s actually a criminal, took Senpai as a hostage who probably came to bring something, and holed up in the store.
And Manager and I were caught in it.
「Well, what to do?」
「It’s not what to do, Nagumo-kun! Look, look! It’s the Absolute, Esashi Sansan! Ah, I wonder if she would give me an autograph!」
「……You’re unexpectedly composed」
Manager seems to be surprised by the fact that the famous Sansan came, and he looks outside while his hands raised.
However, for me, I can’t let this goes on. Therefore, I look at the criminal after breathing out softly.
「……Are you sure you’re okay with taking a hostage with such hair color?」
Upon hearing my cold voice, Manager and Senpai were startled.
Well, as expected, if I expose my real nature, then I don’t think that I can be here, but still, I can’t help but to do so if I think that one of them might die.
「……Ah?」
「The girl you took as a hostage. Her hair color is chestnut. Although it shows that she’s not so strong, it’s a proof that she has a power to a certain degree. So, what will you do? If her power has a bad compatibility with yours」
「……」
The man frowns upon hearing that and holds the knife pressed on Senpai’s neck tightly.
Blood flows from her thinly cut neck, she leaks out a small shriek, and I continue.
「Then, you should just kill her now, and take someone with a dark hair color like me as a hostage」
I said that unconcernedly, and the man’s movement stopped.
However, he pulled himself together instantly, and look back at me with a smile.
「Brat, do you think that you can use your head just because you don’t have powers? If so, then, you’re just escaping from reality. In this world, superpower is everything. Don’t b.u.t.t in if you don’t even have any powers–」
「–King of Heroes (Pantheon)」
When I threw the name to him as if ridiculing him, he looks outside through the window.
There’s the figure of Sansan showing off some air swings, and the man who met eyes with her, becomes pale.
「–Superpower is everything. I’ll say that back to you. Your lifeline now is that the fact that the hostage is still alive. Just try killing her. You’ll be killed by that person before you can even touch us」
King of Heroes.
The ally of justice who loves justice and destroys evil.
However, she’s also popular with a 『lunatic』 face. There’s a tale saying that once she considers the person as evil, she would behead the person without giving them time to explain.
「E-Esashi…Sana……」
「Right, Esashi Sana. Just like you don’t see me as a threat, she also doesn’t see you as a threat. That’s why, I’m telling this with good will. Don’t kill the hostage」
When I said those words indifferently, the man clenches his teeth and glares at me.
「……Are you sure that if I kill this b.i.t.c.h, I’ll be killed by that b.a.s.t.a.r.d before I can kill you even though she’s that far?」
「I’ll ask it back to you. If you think she can’t kill you, then you can just do as you like. But will you take the risk that you might get killed if you kill the hostage?」
I smile.
「–Now then, is that really a worthy decision?」
The man couldn’t reply to my question.
However, the knife that dug into her neck parted a little, and Senpai trembled as she sighed.
「W-Wait. N-Nagumo-kun? It’s better to not provoke him now……」
Manager whispers into my ear, but this is the safest but wrong choice.
「……If the situation with hostage has no improvements, police tend to break into using military force. In this kind of situation, it’s very troublesome if the police decided something like 『There’s no problem if we conceal our presence and enter from the back』 or 『We should take position for sniping』. After all, in the worst case, the hostage might be killed」
「……」
To be honest, I don’t know whether the police has the confidence to attack or not.
Whether they think that they can save the hostage because they are fully trained or they will try to save the other hostages by sacrificing a hostage.
Either way–it’s not good.
「As long as the King of Heroes is at the outside, the superiors can’t easily give orders. Probably, night……until tomorrow morning」
Manager who trembles a little upon hearing my words, opens his eyes wide and looks at me.
「……I have thought that there’s something with you, but. Nagumo-kun……What exactly are you?」
When I look at Manager, I can see worry and fear from his eye. Aah, looks like I might get fired.
「What, I’m just a powerless guy」
I who said that with my hands raised, might be considered uncool.
The man drinks water.
His eyes are looking at Sansan who’s waiting outside while Senpai is trembling.
Suddenly, our eyes met.
–Saying, save me. I smile at her in order to make her feel relief, and at the same time, the man throws the water bottle.
「Hii……」
A small shriek leaks. It’s Senpai’s.
When I look at Manager, he looks like he’s quite tired. In this nerve-wrecking situation, Manager suspends his breathing and the man whos holding the knife, looks at me.
「Hey, brat. What’s your superpower?」
「……Body strengthening, weak」
「Hah, just weak? By the way, mine is Body Strengthening・Great. I’m way different than you all. The so called elite」
By the way, Nee-san’s one is Body Strengthening・Extreme, but I better not tell him because he might get irritated.
「So?」
When I asked shortly, the man points at the back toilet, and mutters in displeasure.
「I’m taking a p.i.s.s. Brat, come with me」
I stand up obediently, and Manager raises his face impatiently.
「P-Please wait! If you want a hostage, take me–」
「Shut up, old man. I said that because I don’t want to leave this eerie brat somewhere where I can’t reach. Ah, try doing something while we’re not here. This brat will die」
「……」
Upon hearing those words, Manager looks up at me.
「N-Nagumo-kun……」
「Don’t worry. With this, Senpai won’t be his hostage anymore. Isn’t that good?」
While saying that, I head to the door, and the man follows.
Senpai who looked painful by the arm choking her, was released.
After that, the man felt intimidation from Sansan, but he quickly presses the knife to my neck to conceal his fear.
「……Tch, you’re right. Dammit」
While saying that, the man presses the knife properly to my neck, and walks toward the door.
Giving a signal with his chin, and I open the door silently.
When I look at the man, he seems to treat me as a 『small fry』 because he’s pointing the knife at Manager and Senpai, and I can’t help but to smile upon seeing that.
「Hey, you two! You understand, right!?」
「W-We understand! W-We just have to stay here, right!?」
「……」
The man frowns upon hearing Manager’s reply, and closes the door with the hand holding the knife.
–After that. as if erasing the sound of the door locking, a sound of the window breaks beyond the door, resounds.
「Wha–」
Don’t tell me they run away already. Leaving this brat here.
The man who’s shocked by that, quickly tries to turn the doork.n.o.b–but immediately following, his body was on the air.
「Fu–」
–A shoulder throw.
It’s one of the technique of the martial arts called judo before the superpower started manifesting.
Sweeping the opponent’s leg, gripping his hand, and throwing the opponent’s body to the front.
However, the man who quickly reacted to the technique, avoids being thrown by staying on the ground with both legs.
「T-This brat……!」
「Nn? What’s wrong, criminal?」
When I smiled at him, the man who brushed off my arm, takes a distance.
This is a narrow pathway.
The pathway connecting to the toilet. There are toilet doors left and right, and this pathway can only fit two people at most. It’s not that wide. But
「This is more than enough」
I prepare my fist.
Then, he sneers, and prepares the knife.
「Hey hey, don’t tell me you want to oppose me. This world is not that generous to let a brat with weak superpower to do such thing!」
Upon hearing that, I close my eyes.
As if feeling that it’s a chance, the man ran towards me–immediately following, I appeared behind him.
The man opened his eyes wide upon seeing me disappearing from his sight in an instant.
「……Certainly, you’re right about that」
He faints there with a hit on his nape.