They say people are struck speechless when they hear something too absurd. But for all five people besides me to be at a loss for words… was what I said really that outrageous?
Why? What? Why? To be fair, Makoto is handsome, isn't she?
In any case, believe it or not, I am currently proceeding with my plan exactly as intended. I had decided to lead the negotiations myself, and it was obvious that Makoto would have a fit if someone from Trinity took the lead. Therefore, I needed to throw her off balance first, and the method I chose was to open with a completely random compliment.
The key was not to say something utterly nonsensical. It had to be based in fact, but used to completely rattle Makoto.
"What's this, why are you the one who's so surprised? Have you never been told you're handsome before? Hmm, the people around you must have no taste☆"
Is Makoto handsome? That's a fact. I added a dash of exaggeration, but I didn't lie.
If your opponent is unpredictable, then you just have to meet fire with fire. No, don't just meet fire with fire; force the opponent to match your pace.
"You, you… did you hit your head or something?"
…Wow, that's actually a little infuriating. I never expected to hear that from Makoto.
"Pfft…"
I can hear Iori trying to stifle a laugh. The moment I heard that, your attempt has already failed, Iori. How about you just have a good laugh and let me smack you one?
Ako, your expression is a complete mess. How can you be so bad at controlling your face? You're really making me want to tell you to get on all fours.
Iroha… would you please stop looking at me like I'm some pathetic animal? And no matter how you look at it, you're the one who's more pathetic here, not me.
"…"
And Hina… Hina, why do you look so shocked? As if I've betrayed you. I don't recall doing anything that terrible.
"No, that trivial matter isn't what's important. Kikikik! You sly Trinity wench, if you thought this great Makoto couldn't see through such a clumsy ploy, you are gravely mistaken!"
…Oh, how did she know? See, she's unbelievably sharp in the weirdest ways.
"How truly pitiful."
"…What?"
"To be unable to accept a pure compliment as a compliment… what a sad story. How little must the people around you praise you for you to react with suspicion when you hear a compliment? Yes, I understand that feeling a little…"
"Ghk… Th-That's enough! No more strange talk, you sly pigeon! If you have proper eyes in your head, it is only natural to praise the great Makoto. It is, in fact, the very logic and law of the world. I am only suspicious because I cannot trust the sly tongue of a Trinity wench!"
"Hmm, Trinity is sly and treacherous, you say… Well, you're not entirely wrong."
Damn, it's a fact, so I can't really argue with it. It's all true that our Trinity is a place full of sly, treacherous people who are mad with power and busy slandering each other.
"Kishishish—!! Yes, admit your defeat! If you confess all of Trinity's secrets without leaving out a single detail, I shall return you to Trinity without a single scratch!"
Oh, hearing it like that, maybe this Makoto kid is nicer than I thought.
"Of course, that's after I extort a massive amount of money through a prisoner negotiation! Kikikikik— cough, cough!!"
…I take back what I just said. There's probably no one else in the world who's this much of a blockhead.
"Haaah… What a troublesome person. Makoto-senpai, that person is…"
Iroha approached Makoto's side and whispered something in her ear. I could hear her emphasizing words like please and president. Hmm, Iroha really is competent. Thanks for cutting in at the right time!
"W-Wait. What are you saying, Iroha! That sly pigeon is Trinity's student council president!"
"Ahaha! Yup, that's right. It's surprising, but it's true. I'm one of the three current student council presidents of the Trinity Tea Party, and I'm also the Tea Party's Host. My name is Misono Mika. Feel free to call me Mika-chan or just Mika☆"
"What… did you say…?"
"Ah, not just a student council president, but the Host… We're well and truly screwed."
Makoto with a dumbfounded expression and Iroha closing her eyes and putting a hand to her forehead. Hmm, a familiar flavor. This is how the Pandemonium Society is supposed to be.
"Don't you think you've been a little harsh, going on about how Trinity is sly, calling me a pigeon wench, and what not?"
"Ghk, I merely spoke the truth. Th-That's right! Kishishish—!! Nothing has changed! No, this is, in fact, the greatest opportunity for us!!! Hey, subdue this insolent Trinity wench at once!!!"
Makoto slammed her desk and shot to her feet. At the same time, the members of the Pandemonium Society emerged from the shadows of the office.
I mean… she is technically the President of Gehenna, so it's natural she'd have guards. Does that mean they were just standing there, watching her sleep this whole time instead of doing what she told them to do?
…Maybe a situation where Makoto just sleeps instead of causing trouble is more reassuring for them.
"If we capture you here, Trinity will be thrown into great chaos. In that case, we no longer need a ransom! We will detain you for daring to crawl into Gehenna and then crush Trinity until not even a trace remains!!!"
Click-clack—
The sound of multiple guns being loaded echoed through the room.
About… eight of them? Well, this seems like it'll be easier than my usual training. The ones with bolt-action rifles are somewhat threatening, but not to a degree that's particularly bothersome.
"Kikikik—!! And you, Disciplinary Committee Head, if you have not truly betrayed Gehenna, then do not interfere. The moment you do, the Pandemonium Society will declare you a traitor of Gehenna!"
"…I had no intention of interfering in the first place, Chairman Makoto."
Hina, frowning, answered calmly.
"Yes, of course, you shouldn't! I shall graciously overlook your rudeness today, Disciplinary Committee Head."
Hearing Makoto's nonsense makes me want to laugh. She really must be a natural-born gag character. What could you guys possibly do if Hina did interfere? Frankly, if Hina had even the slightest desire to seize power, she would be the one in your seat, not you.
"Ah, we really should have gone with my Plan F. Now that things have gone completely sideways, all that effort was for nothing…"
"C-Captain! Is this really okay?! If you want, I can…"
"It's fine, Iori. That much is nothing to her, so there's no need to worry."
Hina stood by, watching with her arms crossed. She hadn't even brought a gun with her. She must not have felt the need to carry that heavy thing all the way here. After all, if a problem like this arose, I would take care of it myself.
I guess I have no choice but to live up to that expectation.
"…However, I will forgive you☆"
"…What?"
"Huh!?"
Not just Makoto, but Iori was surprised as well. Hmm, was that not a fitting thing to say in this situation?
"Because I, more than anyone, am a person who knows the heart of one Hanuma Makoto."
Demons are not to be trusted. They are nothing but a target for you to exterminate. You are the one who stands at the forefront, against the legions of hell.
Quis ut Deus.
Who is like God?
"I am no different from you, Hanuma Makoto. Because I hate Gehenna. Yes, I really, really hate Gehenna. I hate it so much I want to crush it the moment I see it."
Today, my gun feels perfect in my hand. I feel even more powerful than usual. I've always said that if I fought Hina, I would lose, but in this moment, I could declare it with certainty.
If we fight, I win. A demon is no match for me. Even if that opponent is you, Hina.
"To be honest, I didn't come here to fight you all today, but…"
"What are you all doing? Fire already!"
Reacting to Makoto's shout, the gun muzzles of the Pandemonium Society members spat fire. Shotgun, submachine gun, bolt-action rifle, assault rifle. Different bullets from different firearms were shot at me, but my reaction was impassive.
"This isn't nearly enough, you know? Makoto."
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—
The moment the gunshots rang out, I kicked off the ground. Just because I can withstand being hit doesn't mean standing still is anything but incredibly foolish. As always, the first target is the sniper. In this case, the executive using the bolt-action rifle.
"Kyaak?!"
Five 9mm rounds accurately hit the forehead of the executive who was steadying herself behind a pillar to aim again.
It's common knowledge that the people of Kivotos are sturdy, but five shots to the forehead will naturally render all but the most durable students combat-incapable. There's a reason you take out the sniper first. A clean headshot can take you down in one hit, so you have to be especially careful.
I immediately lunged toward another executive hiding behind a different pillar. Startled by my approach, the executive fired her gun wildly. Sorry, but I can just take that with my body.
KRA-BOOOOOM—!!
A punch that could shatter walls slammed into the pillar. There's no way it could withstand that. With a shockwave like a bomb had gone off right next to her, another executive fell. That's two.
"A-A pillar, with her bare hands?! Guhk…!"
"What kind of nonsense is… Uwaah!!"
Rat-tat-tat— Rat-tat—!!
Seven more 9mm rounds unerringly found the foreheads of two executives who were frozen in shock. Seeing the pillar collapse entirely, they knew that cover was now meaningless.
No, wait, it seems one of them over there hasn't accepted that fact yet.
I raise one hand, forming a shape as if to deliver a flick to the forehead. A handful of stardust blooms in front of it.
Flick!
As I released my lightly drawn-back finger, the sound of a nail flicking echoed as the stardust shot out, drawing a milky way. And then,
KWAAAAANG—!!
The pillar was "donuted," and another executive was rendered combat-incapable at the same time.
Now there are three left.
"W-What the. In that short amount of time, she's already taken down five of them…?"
"So that confidence was real. The moment I give her distance, I'll be in danger too."
"Eehk? She's strong enough for you to say that, Captain?!"
"She's completely off the charts in terms of power. To take an assault rifle to the chest at point-blank range and not even flinch… She might even be able to continue fighting after taking an anti-tank missile head-on…"
"By the way, was she being serious when she said she hated Gehenna? She didn't seem like it at all."
"Well, we probably can't be sure until we hear it from her."
It's one-sided. They're no match for me. Even as they thought that, the remaining executives fought on with all their might. In the first place, the Pandemonium Society's leadership is a mess, but the executives themselves are not an incompetent group.
But they are no match. Of course not. It might be a different story if I had neglected my combat training, but ever since avoiding the crisis of failing my exams, I've been training diligently without missing a single day. And it is I, possessing the body of Mika, one of the powerhouses known as the strongest in all of Kivotos's many academies.
To catch me, they would need more people. They would need more serious firepower. All things the current Pandemonium Society lacks.
Before long, two more executives fell. One sniper tried to keep me in check, but I didn't miss the moment her body peeked out from behind cover and planted a bullet in her forehead. One of them fell as soon as she poked her head out, without even getting a shot off.
"This is impossible…"
Leaving Makoto's hopeless muttering behind, I leisurely walked toward the last remaining executive to subdue her. In this situation, it's better to act leisurely to leave a stronger impression.
Realizing she was the only one left, the executive charged in a desperate act. She doesn't choose to surrender. She knows she'd get a severe scolding from Makoto later, so she must be thinking it's better to go out in a blaze of glory.
"Uwaaaaaah!!"
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tang!!
My opponent charged, gleefully firing her assault rifle. I was about to dodge to avoid getting my clothes any dirtier, but I realized that Iroha was caught in the line of fire. Iroha is a T.S. type, so if she takes those hits, she might get knocked out.
In that case, I have no choice. Nagisa will scold me for getting the Tea Party uniform tattered, but I'll just have to take the hits myself.
The sting of being shot is not a pleasant sensation, but I don't want the subsequent cleanup to be delayed because Iroha got knocked out, so I decided to endure it.
The last executive fell, and after brushing off the front of my uniform, I approached the shell-shocked Makoto, whose expression was a wreck.
"Well then… now that we've taken care of the pests. Let's start our conversation again, from the beginning, Hanuma Makoto."