Chapter 13: I Smell It, I Smell It~! The Stench of Scum Lower Than Vomit!
The LHR ended up just being about deciding the executive committee members for the Sports Festival and the School Festival. Because they had taken too much time, there were other things they should have done, but Tanaka, who had given up on it as unavoidable, sighed, ended homeroom as it was, and returned to the Faculty Office.
After school, the students each met up with their close classmates and headed to their club activities or committee meetings. Kazuma, likewise, met up with his usual group and left the classroom.
Meanwhile, Momoko quickly gathered her belongings and headed off to make her regular report.
As usual, a meeting was held in a classroom prepared by the academy for Momoko and the other National Defense Force intelligence agents.
“This meeting is also about Satsuki Kazuma, but… may I ask one thing?”
Raising her hand, Momoko asked the other two for permission to speak.
The two looked at Momoko and nodded as if to say, “Go ahead,” granting permission.
“Well, regarding today’s events, during LHR, it was decided to choose the executive committee members for the Sports Festival and School Festival, and it ended up being by roulette. As a result, I ended up being paired with the surveillance target, but is this an order from our superiors?”
“No, that’s not it. We checked on our end as well, but it wasn’t an order from above. In the first place, there were too many uncertain factors. There was also the possibility of volunteers stepping forward. If it had definitely been a lottery, it would have been a different story, but… Well, this time, we got lucky. We never thought Shinonome would end up paired with the surveillance target.”
“I see… So, our superiors weren’t involved then.”
“Yeah. But they were pleased, saying this incident is a golden opportunity.”
“That’s right~. They were saying to make up for the previous failure here.”
“…Yes, that’s right. I understand. I’ll use this opportunity to investigate him thoroughly.”
“We’re counting on you.”
“We’ll be relying on you, okay?”
Reluctantly, Momoko decided to be on the executive committee with Kazuma for the sake of her mission.
◇◇◇◇
A bustling downtown area where many people came and went. In the glittering city, there were shadows where the sun didn’t shine. It teemed with those who preferred the shade.
In an underground clubhouse in a corner of the downtown area, events were held, though not every day. There were Inoue and Tamura, the problem children of the Combat Course. They too had undergone the special curriculum, but their fundamental nature doesn’t change so easily.
“Aah~… Not just those bastards from the Support Course, I wanna fucking kill those stuck-up teachers too.”
“Going as far as killing them is a bit much, right? But just remembering that pisses me off.”
The two of them, drinking near the bar, were intoxicated by the clubhouse’s atmosphere and the pervasive smell of alcohol. Of course, being underage, they couldn’t be served alcohol, but there was no one here to enforce the law. In other words, it could be called a lawless zone.
Therefore, what they held in their hands was alcohol. Clink. Ice cubes knocked against their glasses, making a sound.
“I mean, come on~, we’re chosen people, right? We’re protecting everyone from the threat called Ibinom, so we should be allowed to do what we want a little, shouldn’t we?”
“Exactly. Why do we have to put up with stuff?”
“It’s the politicians’ fault, right? And the stupid populace. Those guys, they’re experts only when it comes to complaining.”
“True that.”
Laughing boisterously, the two chugged their drinks. Just as they saw their empty glasses and were approaching the bar to order more, they were spoken to from behind.
“You two over there. Are you enjoying yourselves?”
“Huh? Who the hell are you?”
“What’re you doing, talking to us so casually?”
“Now, now, calm down. First, please listen to what I have to say.”
A man with a suspicious appearance, unsuited for the clubhouse. He wore a silk top hat, and a costume eye mask on his face. No matter how you looked at him, he was a suspicious person, but no one paid him any mind.
“Actually, I happened to overhear your conversation just now.”
“Hah? You were eavesdropping!”
Their earlier conversation was one they wouldn’t want the academy to hear. So, to hear that he had been eavesdropping on it, it was only natural for Inoue to raise his voice and threaten him.
“Yes. But, rest assured. I have no intention of spreading it around. In fact, I feel the same way you do.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Fufufu… It means that you and I are kindred spirits.”
“Kindred spirits? Pfft! Hahahahahaha! Don’t make me laugh. There’s no way we’re the same as some freak dressed like you.”
Tamura, who had been listening to the man’s words beside Inoue, clutched his stomach laughing. It must have been hilarious, as tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
“Hahahaha. Shall we put aside my attire and continue our conversation? It seems to me that you harbor dissatisfaction with the current world? Am I wrong?”
“So what if we are? Are you gonna do something about it? Huh!”
Tamura, who didn’t like the top-hatted man’s way of speaking, raised his voice threateningly. An ordinary person would probably flinch at that, but the top-hatted man merely curved his lips into a crescent moon.
“Yes, what if I said I could?”
At his eerie aura, the two involuntarily stepped back and swallowed hard. However, the tiny bit of pride remaining in them held them back.
“L-Let’s hear the details. But if it’s a boring story, I’ll fucking kill you!”
“Kukuku, I don’t mind. Well then, shall we change locations slightly? Please follow me.”
Following the top-hatted man with the creepy smile, the two passed through a door deeper inside the clubhouse. Beyond the door was a spiral staircase, leading to an even deeper underground area than the clubhouse.
Having never seen such a place before, and brought to a location they had never even heard rumors about, the two stopped in their tracks.
“Now, it’s just ahead.”
“…Alright.”
Driven by fear, they had stopped, but as the top-hatted man in front of them descended the stairs, the two followed so as not to be left behind.
At the bottom of the stairs, another heavy-looking door blocked their path. Moreover, a burly man, evidently a gatekeeper, stood in front of the door.
“These two are guests.”
“Understood.”
When the top-hatted man told the gatekeeper this, the tightly shut door began to open. The two shielded their eyes so as not to be blinded by the light leaking from within. Eventually, the door opened completely, and the two were astonished by the sight inside.
“What is this…”
“Whoa…”
The scene unfolding before their eyes was like a secret base. And not a crude one made of cardboard like a child might build. It was an underground secret base that Gifted must have spent a long time creating.
“Fufufu, what do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, well. But that’s all it is.”
“Please don’t jump to conclusions. There are other things I want to show you.”
And then, they were brought to an Underground Fighting Arena swirling with frenzy and madness, jeers and roars. It was, in short, a place for illegal gambling.
“Whoa, whoa, seriously…?”
“This is like something out of a manga…”
“It’s too early to be surprised yet.”
“”Eh?””
Then, the sound of a gong rang out, the crowd’s excitement surged, and they began to hurl roars, jeers, and cheers at the two Gifted fighting in the arena (ring).
“O-Oooh~! Awesome!”
“Whoa… Hmm? But what’s this got to do with anything?”
Tamura had been excited by the suddenly started match, but he recalled their earlier conversation and questioned the top-hatted man. He’d been asked if he was dissatisfied with the world, and when he answered “Yes,” he was brought to an Underground Fighting Arena. Frankly, he didn’t understand what the man was trying to do.
He wondered if perhaps he was supposed to fight a match here, but that was probably not it.
“Fufufu. This place, you see. It’s a gathering of those who, like you, are dissatisfied with the world, and those who are bored.”
“Well, I can tell that by looking. Real fights between Gifted are illegal, after all.”
“Yeah. Nowadays, you can only battle in Virtual Space. Even an idiot can tell this place is illegal.”
As the top-hatted man and the two were talking, the crowd erupted. Voices so loud they sounded as if people were going mad could be heard.
“Oh my, it seems the match has been decided. Shall we take a little look?”
Doing as they were told, the two followed the top-hatted man and looked at the Gifted in the ring. He had probably killed his opponent. Seeing him stained bright red with splattered blood, the two involuntarily looked away.
“Actually, he used to be very weak.”
“I didn’t see the match, so I don’t know how strong he is, but these are guys doing illegal stuff. There’s no way he’s weak.” Inoue, unable to believe the top-hatted man’s words, questioned him.
“You’re lying, right? Someone in a place like this can’t be weak.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you? However, please take a look at this.”
Inoue and Tamura peered at the offered terminal. Displayed on it was footage of a man being beaten by multiple people.
“What’s this supposed to be?”
“The man currently standing in the ring is the man being beaten in the video.”
“Whaat!? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“No. I am not kidding.”
When the top-hatted man operated the terminal, different footage began to play.
The video showed a frail-looking man fighting, and a robust-looking man fighting.
“What’s this?”
“That’s him, standing in the ring. Of course, they’re the same person.”
“Huh? That’s just edited, isn’t it! Or maybe it’s doctored!”
“It’s a fact. He changed his weak self.”
“W-what do you mean by that…?”
The two of them looked utterly disbelieving, but upon witnessing the dramatic transformation of the person in the footage, they turned to the man in the silk hat, questions dawning in their eyes.
“It’s this. He used this to change his weak self.”
What the man took out from his breast pocket was a small capsule that resembled cold medicine.
“What the hell is this? This pill looks shady as hell.”
“Rest assured. This is a medicine that can make you strong simply by taking it. You saw its effects, didn’t you? He is the living proof.”
“No way… You mean that scrawny guy took that and became like that?”
“I’m glad you’re quick on the uptake. That’s exactly right. If you just take this, you’ll be able to make all those who mocked you eat their words, you know?”
No matter how they thought about it, the offer was clearly suspicious, yet for the two of them, it was an incredibly alluring proposition.
“Are you gonna charge money for it?”
“No, I won’t charge a thing! To celebrate this fateful meeting between us, I shall give it to you free of charge!”
“This ain’t a lie, is it? And there are no side effects or anything, right?”
“It is not a lie, and there are no side effects whatsoever.”
“…………Alright. I’ll trust you.”
With those words, the pair accepted the medicine. Professing it as a token of his gratitude, the man bowed deeply, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.