Niekawa-san was surprised just because I defeated Kieryu.
Apparently, the Demon Race are quite strong over here.
‘Well, not just over here, the Demon Race are strong in the other world too, you know.’
R-right… I’d forgotten.
“Master, you forget things so easily. Is there anything you can remember?”
‘You’re one to talk, Windows 0.’
“Zero!? The number’s finally gone!?”
Ignoring the bickering sisters, I spoke to Niekawa-san.
“Was it bad that I defeated it?”
‘No… nothing bad at all. In fact, I’d like to give you a letter of appreciation for removing a threat to humanity.’
That’s exaggerating… No, maybe it’s not an exaggeration.
For the people here, the Demon Race is an even greater threat than back in the other world.
But a letter of appreciation? I don’t need that. It’d be a pain to go get it, too. I just want to get back to the other world quickly.
“Just the thought is enough. Well then.”
I hung up with a click.
Niekawa-san called again immediately…
“What is it?”
‘My superior insists on meeting you to express his gratitude…’
His boss?
“No, thank you.”
‘But still…’
“Ahhh, the connection’s baaad.”
With a click, I turned off my smartphone. Good grief…
“Are you sure? You could get a letter of appreciation.”
“I told you I don’t need something like that.”
More importantly, I want to achieve my goal quickly.
“Alright, shall we go?”
“Roger that.”
I returned to the limousine.
Niekawa-san’s son was talking on the phone.
“‘I have work, so I’ll be taking my leave now.'”
With a click, Niekawa-san’s son turned off his smartphone.
“Thank you for waiting. Shall we depart?”
“Yes, please.”
Suddenly, something occurred to me, so I asked Niekawa-san’s son.
“Was that call just now perhaps from your father?”
Since I turned off my phone, maybe he contacted his son instead.
“Yes. But there’s no problem.”
He probably turned off his phone so as not to bother me. He’s a good person.
“Thanks.”
“Not at all. Well then, we shall depart.”
It was at that moment.
‘Wait, don’t get in the car.’
A monitor appeared before us, and Tenri stopped us.
“What’s wrong, Tenri?”
‘The Demon Race has planted a bomb on this car.’
“Huh…? A bomb?”
Both Niekawa-san and I were startled by that.
Niekawa-san’s son spoke to Tenri.
“What do you mean?”
‘Kieryu’s Ability, Ignition, has been applied to this car.’
Ignition… wasn’t that just an Ability that caused a small explosion right in front of you…?
‘Kieryu activated its Ability right before it died. As a result, it became capable of setting a remote bomb.’
“Its Ability… evolved?”
From an Ability that caused a small explosion to one that self-destructs upon contact.
‘It seems that for the Demon Race here, Abilities left behind right before death grow stronger after death.’
It looked like Tenri had researched it using Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet).
“An Ability that strengthens after death… is what you mean!”
Sinri said smugly. …Normally, researching this kind of thing is your job… but oh well.
“…My apologies, Nagano-sama.”
Niekawa-san’s son bowed his head.
“Why are you apologizing?”
“I didn’t notice at all that a bomb had been planted…”
The son bowed his head deeply. But still.
“Don’t apologize. You’re just an ordinary person.”
It’s only natural you wouldn’t notice.
“Thank you very much.”
“Still, what should we do?”
Since a bomb has been planted, we can’t just get in and drive off.
“Should we ask Kaida-kun? If you say you want a new car, I think he’d just give you one, poof.”
Said Sinri. Hmm, that’s scary because he actually might. He’s the type to transfer 200 million yen just like that.
‘But that would mean leaving this bomb here, you idiot sister.’
“Grr! Well then, Tenri, do you have any good ideas?”
True. Does she have a good idea?
‘If you use the flames of the Vermilion Bird, the curse strengthened after death will be dispelled.’
“You mean Akahane’s flames?”
Oh yeah, Akahane had the power to burn curses.
“But Akahane is over there.”
“That’s right, you mean transfer her here? Even though we can’t send her back?”
Currently, if someone comes here, they can’t return.
‘Therefore, I will transfer only the flames.’
“Ah… I see. You mean you’ll have Akahane put just enough flames for this use into the ■(Box), and then transfer that.”
‘Exactly. I have already transferred it.’
Th-that was fast…!
“Hmph, not bad work, Tenri, hmm? Though you’re still inferior to your big sister.”
‘Hmph…’
“You just snorted at me!? You’re making fun of me, aren’t you!?”
‘No.’
“Oh, okay then.”
‘I’m mocking you.’
“Mukyaa!”
Alright… ignoring the friendly AI sisters, I opened the ■(Box).
‘Ah, Master, sto—’
“Akahane Fiiire!”
Inferno erupted from the ■(Box).
It burned the car.
The sound of something sizzling… juuuuuu…
‘Damn iiiiiit… how did they knoooooow…’
I thought I heard the resentful voice of One-Punch De-Kieryu.
It seemed the Ability strengthened after death had been dispelled.
“Thanks, Tenri.”
‘………………Haaaah.’
Somehow, Tenri sighed as if exhausted. Huh, what’s wrong…?
“Wh-what’s that!?”
“It’s a fire!”
“Call the fire department!”
…When I noticed, there was a large crowd of onlookers. And they were pointing their smartphones this way.
Ah!
Shoot…!
“If you use fire in a place with this many people, of course you’ll stand out, Master.”
Sinriiii!
If you knew, you should have stopped me!
‘For the record, I was trying to stop you.’
Right, you were!
“Let’s depart at once.”
Niekawa-san’s son sat in the driver’s seat. The fire had long since died down, but the onlookers were still staring at us.
I grabbed Sinri by the scruff of her neck and got into the car.
We immediately departed for Nagano Prefecture.