Opening them, I found out that it was a remote-controlled bomb instead of a timed one. Probably they would decide whether to explode this depending on the negotiation result.
I couldn't see what kind of bomb it was since it was covered in black paper, so I decided not to mess around with it. It was too risky.
However, this was the best chance for me to have my revenge on that fucker who planned this.
Carefully, I grabbed the bags and raised it. I had to be careful, though. I was carrying something dangerous. One wrong move could end up killing myself.
Where should I put them, I wonder? The best spot to keep the girls safe while damaging the enemies the most would be...
"Right behind their security line."
Which meant the entrance. It might be dangerous but that's the best spot to place them. At the very least, that should be enough to take down most of the enemy's strength and provide the two enough time to flee from the explosion.
With my body and physical ability, it was easy to carry those three duffel bags from one place to another. As I approached the entrance of the supermarket, I placed them in strategic places, hidden from the guards' sight but close enough for the explosion to kill them.
Only a few people were left guarding, which meant the negotiation would soon be finished. I had to get close to their room soon.
Just as I thought about that, I heard a low beep and realized it had started.
I quickly jumped behind with all my strength without hesitation. The noise caught the guards' attention, but it was too late.
Boom!
An explosion ate the wall of the supermarket in an instant, shaking the whole building. I was blown away by a shockwave of an explosion. The sound was deafening, and I couldn't see anything in front of me. I fell onto the floor, feeling the pain of impact throughout my entire body.
'Ugh...' I grunted. 'Shit... Even with high STR and VIT, my ears aren't that lucky.'
My ears rang and my vision blurred. But even in that state, I managed to stand up and recover quickly. My head was still ringing but I could walk straight. The pain slowly faded away.
I used the wall as support to get up, and I noticed my shirt had been ripped apart in some parts by shrapnel.
'Phew. Good thing I didn't die.'
"Help!"
"Aarrrghh! My leg!!!"
Shouts rang from outside, along with moaning and crying. Rubble was everywhere. Some parts of the building had collapsed, and there were even pieces of the ceiling lying around.
'They survived? I guess the bomb isn't that strong.'
Enough to destroy the surrounding area but not enough to destroy everything. Even so, if it exploded in the previous place, I was afraid that Miss Rika and Saeko wouldn't survive the fall. What a relief it didn't go like that.
'Now I have to go...'
***
Saeko blinked when the explosion didn't reach the room. She raised her head, seeing Ryan look as confused as she was. He kept pressing the button repeatedly, but nothing happened.
'Is it malfunctioning?' Saeko thought before quickly shaking her head. 'That's not important.'
She quickly pulled herself up and ran toward Ryan. Her sword was swung at him. She aimed to slice the arm holding the trigger first, but only managed to break his bone because it was just a wooden sword.
However, that was enough for him to drop the trigger and shout in pain. Following that, Saeko kicked the man on the stomach and pressed him down with her feet.
Rika had also gotten up at this moment. She aimed the gun at Ryan's forehead. The safety lock was released, and she shot at the same moment.
"You're dead, you crazy bitch!" Rika shouted. Her hand trembled as the gun fired, and blood splattered everywhere.
Fortunately, it only hit his shoulder. Even when angry, she knew killing him here would serve nothing to the country. Instead, she would bring him for intense interrogation.
She was sure she could get useful information from this maniac.
"Fuck!" She cursed, "I almost killed him! Shit!"
Saeko stared at her before glancing back at the man, who was bleeding from the wound on his shoulder. He was still breathing.
"What now?"
"... We'll interrogate him." Rika answered. She was panting, her chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily. "This crazy guy is dangerous and we have to find the other bombs and their comrades. Most probably he's not the real mastermind behind this group. And we have to know their next step."
"I'll help carry him."
Thud!
Just as she said that, she hit his head hard to the point he fell unconscious. The bleeding from his shoulder was fatal and he would die if they didn't stop it. Because they needed his information, Rika decided to stop the blood loss herself by ripping his sleeve and binding his shoulder.
She knew basic first-aid but that would only be a temporary solution.
On the way out of the building, Saeko spotted Daiki walking towards her direction. His lips curled into a smile upon seeing them and he waved his hand.
"Are you guys okay?" He asked, ignoring the state that he was in. Torn clothes and bleeding scratches. It was clear that he was the one who saved them from the bomb.
Noticing that, Rika sighed.
"Did you notice the bomb?" She asked.
"Yeah," He nodded at them, "I noticed that the one negotiating with you guys isn't the boss and there are so many people lurking outside the supermarket so I decided to infiltrate. However, when I was inside, I accidentally heard them talking about danger and connected the dots that there must be a bomb in this supermarket. I found them easily."
"I see..." She said as she sighed again. "How did you get the bombs outside?"
Daiki only shrugged, and Saeko noticed his eyes didn't meet theirs when he replied, "Well, it wasn't hard. They're in a duffel bag so I can carry them with my strength and place them near the entrance. When it exploded, it took out the guards outside as well, but... We won't be able to use that entrance anymore. Most probably the enemies are alerted to us as well."
"No worries, I know a shortcut." Rika smiled, patting his shoulder, "You did good, Daiki. We have a prisoner so it's not a complete waste of time."
"... Yeah." Daiki replied shortly, "But we better be careful."
***
We managed to step out of the supermarket through the emergency door on the side. I secured the path with Miss Rika before Saeko stepped out with our prisoner.
Just as I had expected earlier, the area became a hotspot due to the explosion. Crowds gathered around the entrance, making it difficult to move. So we had no choice but to go through several narrow alleys before getting to a less populated street, which was easier.
Miss Rika also had to call for backup to pick our prisoner and escort her to safety. She wanted to go alone with the prisoner, leaving me and Saeko. We didn't need to join her and she told us to have a rest instead. She didn't want us to be spotted.
I agreed with her. I knew that she could handle the situation, so it would be better to leave it to her.
[Ding! You have received 100 Shop Points!]
At least it was finished for now. So I could rest easy knowing that we had completed the quest and the reward was added to my shop point.
"Brother..." Saeko called as we walked back to our place. She looked worried about me. I understood why she did it.
"It's fine. I am okay." I gave her my best smile. I wanted her to worry less. "Don't worry."
"... I'm glad that you are okay, Brother." She said with a smile. "But you are so dirty now. Let's take a bath when we arrive at home. We have to clean you up, alright? Let me help you."
"Sounds like a good idea."