A casual, drawling voice drifted through the air. Hearing it, the shorter-tempered of the two men stared intently at my face, glanced at the sky, looked over at Kugimiya and Kakizaki, and then finally snapped his gaze back to me.
"…Who the hell are you?"
"You seriously forgot?!" the first man barked. "Look, about a month ago, we were hitting on some girls and this punk jumped us out of nowhere!"
…Excuse me? If my memory serves me right, I was the one who stepped in to help Kugimiya and Kakizaki when these two were aggressively harassing them.
I glanced toward Kugimiya; she gave me a firm nod, her expression saying, That's exactly how it happened.
"…Did that happen?" the short-tempered one muttered, tilting his head as if the memory simply wouldn't surface.
While he struggled to process, I scanned our surroundings. The loud shouting had initially drawn a crowd, but since the angry one couldn't remember the grievance and nothing immediate was happening, the prying eyes were starting to drift away.
"Look, sorry, but we have errands at that supermarket over there," I said. "Do you mind?"
"Y-yeah, that's right! We have to buy snacks and drinks for the welcome party," Kakizaki added quickly.
Even for someone as spirited as Kakizaki or Kugimiya, causing a scene in the middle of a busy shopping district was the last thing they wanted.
"Shut up! You stay right there and keep your mouth shut!" the man screamed, ignoring us to focus on his partner.
"I'm telling you, remember already!"
"Hmm… now that you mention it, I feel like maybe something like that did happen…"
As I watched the two idiots bicker, I gave the girls' uniforms a light tug. When they looked at me, I gestured toward the supermarket. My silent message was clear: Staying here is just going to lead to a headache. Let's slip away while they're distracted.
Understanding the plan, they both nodded and began to creep away quietly, until—
Clink… clatter, clatter…
It was a small sound, but in the tense air, it echoed perfectly. I looked toward the source. An empty soda can—likely kicked by a clumsy Kakizaki—was rolling across the pavement, coming to a stop right at the men's feet.
"…"
The men went silent, their eyes snapping toward us. Kugimiya and I both turned to stare at Kakizaki. For a moment, the only sound was the distant bustle of the shopping district.
"I believe I told you to stay quiet, didn't I?" the man growled. "So why the hell are you trying to run?"
Seeing his partner fail to remember and then catching us trying to escape must have pushed him over the edge. A vein throbbed in his forehead as he stomped toward us. He didn't seem like the type cursed with an abundance of patience to begin with, so I suppose this was inevitable.
"Besides… if you hadn't stuck your nose in last time, we would've had a real good time with these two… HYAH!"
He whipped a collapsible baton from his trousers, flicked it open with a sharp crack, and swung it down directly at my face.
"Eeeek!"
Kugimiya and Kakizaki screamed in unison, the sound piercing the air.
"You really should eat more calcium," I remarked, watching the arc of the weapon. "It might help your self-control… Hup!"
I kicked off the ground, putting distance between myself and the girls. I read the trajectory of the baton and stepped aside just as it whistled past. As the tip struck the pavement, I pinned it down with my left foot. Simultaneously, I delivered a calculated, low-power kick with my right leg, targeting the man's wrist.
"Gah!"
With an ugly cry of pain, he let go of the baton. I didn't stop, moving immediately toward the short-tempered partner.
"See! Look at that!" the first man yelled. "That's exactly how he messed with us last time!"
"…Oh. Right. I remember now," the short-tempered one growled. "This is that brat. The one who slammed me into the dirt."
"That's him! Come on, help me out. Show him those fists you're so proud of. Once we leave this kid half-dead, those girls are coming home with us for the real party."
Third-rate thugs to the very core, I thought.
Kugimiya and Kakizaki were looking at them with pure loathing. The only reason they hadn't run yet was likely because they didn't want to leave a "child" like me to face these two alone.
"Hey! Give it a rest!" Kakizaki shouted. "Aren't you embarrassed? Two grown men ganging up on a kid?"
"Exactly," Kugimiya added. "Besides, there's no way you guys can beat Axel-kun anyway. You got completely destroyed last time!"
Hey, Kakizaki, I thought. Are you trying to chase them off or provoke them into a frenzy? Pick one.
"Kugimiya is one thing, but Kakizaki, you should probably stay quiet for a second," I said.
"Misa, I think Axel-kun is right," Kugimiya whispered.
"Wait, Madoka? Axel-kun? That's a bit mean, isn't it? When a cute girl like me is cheering you on?"
Well, to be fair, for a middle schooler, Kakizaki certainly had a certain… charm. But only "for a middle schooler." If she wanted to tempt someone who had spent time around womanly figures like Lemon, Cornelia, or Murrue… no, focus.
"I'll be fine. Just stand back," I told them, stepping toward the men who were glaring at me with murderous intent. "You don't want to get caught in the crossfire."
It was better to keep the people I was protecting behind me rather than moving around aimlessly and risking them being taken hostage. Besides, I could feel a familiar presence approaching. This mess would be over soon enough.
"…"
The two men and I faced off in silence. But that silence was abruptly shattered.
"Alright, that's enough."
"Mr. Takahata!"
"Wait, seriously?"
Takahata appeared, hands stuffed casually in his pockets. He was a man I had become quite well-acquainted with.
"Takahata…?! It's 'Death Glasses'!" one thug hissed. "Crap, this is bad!"
"Yeah, I know! You… brat! Remember this!"
The moment Takahata appeared, the two men spat out a textbook villain's parting line and bolted down the street.
"Is everyone alright?" Takahata asked.
"Hmph. You're a little late, aren't you?" I replied.
"Don't be like that. Even I have a lot on my plate these days. I'm busy."
"Regarding Negi?"
"Well… let's just say that's part of it."
"Um, Mr. Takahata, thank you so much. You really saved us," Kugimiya said, bowing her head.
"But if Axel-kun had just fought them, he would have—"
"Misa! Shhh!"
"Yes, yes. Thank you very much, sir," Kakizaki finished with a grin.
"You're very welcome," Takahata said with a wry smile. "But please be careful. I've heard reports that these kinds of lowlifes have been increasing lately. …Though, I suppose as long as Axel-kun is with you, I don't have much to worry about."
He gave a forced laugh. As the strongest "General Supervisor" of Mahora, I wondered if he should really be saying things like that.
"Well, I should thank you for saving me the trouble of cleaning up," I said.
"Axel-kun! You shouldn't talk to Mr. Takahata like that!" Kugimiya scolded.
"No, it's fine, Kugimiya-san," Takahata waved it off. "He and I have a relationship that goes a bit beyond just teacher and student."
"…Really?"
"Yes. More importantly, weren't you out getting supplies for Negi-kun's welcome party? It might be better to head to the store now rather than wasting time here. Yukihiro-san seemed quite concerned."
"Ah-ha. So Axel-kun and Madoka's secret 'date' has already been leaked to the Class Rep?" Kakizaki teased.
Kugimiya's face turned bright red at the suggestion.
"Misa, stop! Why do you always try to lump me in with—!?"
Kugimiya was cut off by the trill of a ringtone.
"Wait… this timing. Don't tell me…"
"I think we're both thinking the same thing, Madoka. Look, it's your phone. You better answer."
"…"
In silence, Kugimiya pulled her phone from her bag and pressed the call button.
"Kugimiya-san! Just who gave you permission to take Axel-kun out all by yourself!?"
The voice was so loud I could hear it clearly even standing several feet away. There was no mistaking it: Ayaka.
"You're certainly loved, aren't you?"
Kakizaki giggled as she reached over and patted my head. Then, another phone began to ring. This time, it was Kakizaki's.
"Huh? …Eep!!"
She answered tentatively. Even from my position, I could see the screen. It was a video call from Ayaka. She had a vein throbbing in her temple and was emitting a terrifying aura through the tiny lens.
"Kakizaki-san! You're also patting Axel-kun's head? How unfair! I mean… stop loitering and buy the snacks immediately!"
"Y-yes! Understood!"
Crushed by Ayaka's sheer intensity, Kakizaki nodded frantically.
"Haha. Yukihiro-san's intuition is as sharp as ever," Takahata laughed. "Well, I have some errands to run before Negi-kun's party, so I'll take my leave here. Even with Axel-kun around, you're still girls your age. Please stay safe."
"Right. We really do need to buy the snacks as quickly as possible and get back. Sorry, Class Rep! Talk later!"
Before Ayaka could finish her sentence, Kakizaki cut the call and powered off her phone. I glanced at Kugimiya; she had already done the same.
"Now then! If we keep the Class Rep waiting any longer, I'm genuinely afraid of what she'll do. Let's go!"
"Seriously… if those pick-up artists hadn't shown up, we'd be done by now."
"Don't say that, Misa. At least they showed up while Axel-kun was here. If it had been just the two of us…"
"…True. Actually, do you think Sakurako chose not to come with us because she predicted this would happen, and not because of Naba-san?"
"Oh, knowing Sakurako? That's totally possible."
Laughing weakly, we finally stepped inside the supermarket.
"Let's grab the standard snacks first. Then we can look for the weird stuff or new products," Kugimiya directed.
"Wait, wait! Madoka, look at that!"
I followed behind them with a shopping basket, only for Kakizaki to suddenly grab Kugimiya's arm.
"What is it?"
"Look! 'Grilled Saury Juice.' Don't you think Yue-chan would love this?"
"What kind of eldritch horror is that…?" I muttered, feeling a genuine chill. Grilled Saury Juice? If you want the flavor of grilled fish, wouldn't it be better to just… eat a fish?
"Oh, did you not know, Axel-kun? Yue loves drinking weird juices," Kakizaki explained. "Apparently, the more suspicious it looks, the higher its 'rarity' score."
"…But why is something as unidentifiable as 'Grilled Saury Juice' even for sale?"
"This is Mahora, remember?" Kugimiya said. "There are so many clubs and research groups. They often put their experimental creations on the shelves for trial sales."
I see. So the bitter melon crepes were part of that lineage too.
Fortunately, the "juice" only came in two-liter bottles, so we decided to pass on it and filled the basket with snacks and drinks that were actually fit for human consumption.
Status Window
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272
Defense: 272 | Evade: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Consumes SP to enhance Slime performance)
Growth Type: All-rounder / Special
Terrain Ratings: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands:
Accel (SP 4)
Effort (SP 8)
Focus (SP 16)
Direct Hit (SP 30)
Awaken (SP 32)
Love (SP 48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9 & SP Regen & Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
Infight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Gray)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summon)
???
???
Total Kills: 376
-------------------------------
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