Chapter 136: Pervert, Hero, Madman
Chapter 136: Pervert, Hero, Madman
The man raised his gun-loaded hand and pulled the trigger.
He was truly crazy!
“Careful!”
Himekoji shouted anxiously.
But the frenzied people below only had eyes for the flood of money they wanted to grab. Not one cared about what the frantic Himekoji was yelling from upstairs.
“BANG!”
Only when the gunshot rang out did some finally snap out of their greedy daze.
“Ah!”
The guy at the very front, the one grabbing money most fiercely, fell to the ground.
A bullet had torn through his shoulder. The wound was awful to see. His clothes at the shoulder turned red with blood almost instantly.
“M-murder! Someone’s killed someone!”
In that instant, panic started spreading—coiling and fast, like a huge, cold snake leaving its lair.
“C-call the police!”
“Security! Someone’s firing shots!”
“I-it’s the one throwing money!”
The idea that this “lucky money” falling from the sky could hurt someone was too much for anyone to accept.
Scared and angry, people frantically ran away from the spot while loudly cursing and shouting, pretending they stood for justice and peace.
“A terrorist? We must catch him and punish him!”
“How is the mall run? Letting this madman waltz in and do what he wants?”
“This world is getting worse and worse!”
“Lunatic?”
…
Up on the third floor, the masked man pulled out two more thick stacks of bills from his bag. With a wave of his hand, money filled the air again.
After the earlier lesson, now only a few who couldn’t think straight and wanted to grab one last payoff stayed. Everyone else ran far away.
They hid in shops, ducked into hallways, sticking only their heads out to peek from a distance.
That first man shot seemed too scared to move. Slumped on the ground, he stared dumbfounded at his shoulder.
Blood gushed nonstop from the bullet hole.
“H-help! Save me!”
His lips trembling and pale, he screamed, voice shaking with fear and panic.
But under the threat of that dark gun muzzle on the third floor, no one dared step forward.
“Security? Security! Help him!”
“Why aren’t the police here yet?!”
Citizens shouted justice with their mouths.
“I—I don’t want money anymore! I was wrong! Spare me! P-please don’t—don’t!”
He threw all the money he’d grabbed away. Panicked, he even dropped to his knees with a thud, crying and bowing his head like mad, begging for mercy.
But tears can’t stop bullets.
Begging, groveling, none of it worked.
It only gave the killer more twisted joy and sick thrill as he hurt others.
The second shot happened right in plain sight.
That made it even more shocking and bloody than the first hasty one.
“Madman…madman!”
Finally, some snapped and bolted for the mall exit like lunatics.
The crowd scattered, running every which way.
People like a good show, but they won’t risk death for it.
Customers on the third floor especially shoved and pushed trying to get through the stairs. People poured downward in waves.
At this moment, only Himekoji forced his way upwards against the tide, pushing forward.
It was dangerous now…
Eriri was in danger!
An idiot? How did she get tangled up with a madman like that?
No, he was the idiot! If he’d just agreed to watch that movie with Eriri yesterday, this wouldn’t be happening.
“Exchange!”
Himekoji screamed it mentally to the System.
[Apologies. Your choice was B. Consequences are yours.]
“I said, exchange!”
Himekoji hardly ever got angry. That’s why almost no one knew the fierce, raw, beast-like rage hidden beneath this rarely-seen fury—worse than lions, crocs, or dragons.
[Consequences are yours.]
Same flat, cold mechanical voice.
“Consequences?”
“Do you see? That guy has a gun. You and I will both die. Eriri must stay safe—that’s the consequence.”
“Assuming, of course, you’re even alive.”
His legs pushed hard. Himekoji knocked aside everyone blocking him. Fighting upstream through packed stairs, he broke free and burst onto the third floor.
Now the whole mall belonged to screams, fear, and the madman.
The masked man, loving the panic and chaos, fired several more bullets down without hesitation—joy in every shot.
“How many bullets do you think he has left?”
Himekoji asked.
Outward emotion faded from his face now. Blank expression. Walking straight toward the center of the madness.
The System wouldn’t answer that.
But Yukinoshita did—
“The P226 handgun? Assuming a full magazine, eight left. Fifteen total. He’s fired seven shots so far. Enough bullets to kill everyone here twice over.”
By “everyone here,” Yukinoshita meant Eriri the hostage, Yuigahama who came with her, Himekoji who’d just barged up, and herself.
Right now, these four idiots—staying put when they should be running—were the last ones stuck in danger.
…
“Run! What are those students doing?”
“Forget them! You want to die too? That guy with the gun’s a lunatic!”
“Leave it to the police!”
Yes, the adults were right. Leaving it to the police was the solution.
Heroes always show up, even if they’re late.
…
Himekoji didn’t wonder why Yukinoshita and Yuigahama were here. Such unimportant questions weren’t his concern right now.
“You two go downstairs.”
“You take Yuigahama and go first.”
Their voices overlapped at almost the same moment.
Yukinoshita stretched out her arm to block Himekoji. She always acted this way－cool, projecting an attitude that she alone could handle everything.
For just a second, blocked behind Yukinoshita, Himekoji stared at her long-haired silhouette and froze briefly.
Beautiful, honest, truthful, carrying responsibility with crisp resolve.
Yukinoshita needed no one to depend on, yet stood firm.
Her form looked beautiful yet distant, like cold, blue flames－unreal and untouchable.
If－and Himekoji meant if－
If this were any other matter, entrusting it to such an outstanding person would bring peace of mind.
But this wasn’t just anything.
This was about Eriri. A life hung in the balance!
That gun-waving madman didn’t want hostages. What he craved was the dark thrill of breaking laws and morals! Impure fanaticism and pleasure! Cruelty and madness!
What could Yukinoshita possibly do?
Even if she was the top student in the grade, Yukinoshita was only a seventeen-year-old high school girl. What could someone like her achieve?
With her Aikido?
Don’t be ridiculous!
Yet after blocking Himekoji, Yukinoshita stepped forward alone.
“What are you doing?”
Himekoji couldn’t understand.
“Negotiation.”
Her voice was cold and sharp.
To him, it looked like sheer confidence in walking to her death. That was Yukinoshita at this moment.
“That should be my job.”
Himekoji grabbed her hand tightly.
Were they racing to catch eight bullets with their bodies?
Both seemed eager to rush ahead.
Nearby, Yuigahama looked near tears.
“Why… why are you both being so stubborn? Let the adults handle this!”
[Ding!]
[Option triggered!]
[A: Cover the masked man’s eyes from behind and quiz him: “Guess who I am?”]
[B: Cover the masked man’s eyes from behind and quiz him: “Guess what color my underwear is today?”]
“I am an adult.”
Himekoji murmured softly.
An adult capable of taking eight bullets alone.
……
……