Covered in wounds, more severe than the Netsuhara battle, but… at least I managed the minimum victory.
I was satisfied with the result, but I felt Shinzaki’s gaze and turned to look at him.
“Amamori, you’re too weak. You can fight a bit, but I’ve pretty much figured you out. You’re no threat to me. Rather, I’m grateful!”
Saying that, he directed his gaze in a different direction.
Shinzaki’s interest had already shifted from me.
Likely, the ones he was now interested in were–Asahina Kasumi and Kuromitsu kanade.
“Asahina-san, don’t think this is over, okay?”
“Of course not. From this point on… you are on my watch list. I won’t tolerate any mischief.”
As soon as she said that, Asahina-san turned to look at me.
The determination burning in her eyes was clearly visible.
“I won’t betray the expectations placed on me. That is my current motto.”
Seeing Asahina-san smile like that, I closed my eyes.
***
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
Time passed a little.
“Hey, Amamori, are you alright…?”
After gym class ended, with a few minutes left until the next math lesson,
Touji Karasuma was recalling the unconscious Yuuto Amamori being taken to the hospital.
“Amamori…he acted totally fine even with severe burns from fighting Netsuhara…? But then he actually passed out and had to be taken to the hospital…?”
The decision to have Yuuto Amamori urgently transported was made by their homeroom teacher, Sakaki.
Even Ishino’s ability couldn’t properly treat him, and the treatment equipment in the nurse’s office was insufficient, so without hesitation she had Yuuto taken to the hospital on the academy grounds. This hospital was state-of-the-art, boasting it could revive anyone as long as they weren’t already dead.
In other words, Yuuto’s injuries were severe enough that he had to be admitted to such a top hospital. If the decision was delayed, he truly might have died.
At least, that’s how his classmates saw it.
“…I can’t believe it, but that bastard Shinzaki’s attack must be way more dangerous than Netsuhara’s ‘heat wave’.”
Responding to Karasuma’s words, Sakuma, who had fought Netsuhara before, recalled that past battle.
He had expended all his current power, yet he couldn’t use even one ability against Netsuhara. …Compatibility likely played a role, but it was undeniable that Sakuma was inferior to Netsuhara.
And all their classmates were convinced that Shinzaki was far stronger than even Netsuhara.
Even Sakuma, one of Class C’s top fighters, would stand no chance against him.
It was inevitable that most students would be branded as ‘below Shinzaki’s level’.
As many hung their heads in heavy silence, one girl kept looking forward.
“…It seems my unpleasant premonition came true.”
“…Huh? What are you muttering about, Asahina?”
Sakuma questioned the mumbled words that slipped out.
Asahina’s unpleasant premonition was that someone in Classes A and B was equal or superior to her. This was the view she had expressed to Amamori before gym class.
However, that view now seemed to ring true.
(Shinzaki is undoubtedly strong. …I might only be able to fight evenly with him alongside Kurotsuki. Then Class A definitely does not only have Netsuhara. There must be someone else there. Certainly.)
Kasumi Asahina was convinced. —But now was not the time to voice it aloud.
She would reveal it when the time came to make it public. Until then, this fact must be concealed.
She had recently come to realize that pure honesty was not always righteousness.
“I’m simply having you re-acknowledge Shinzaki’s threat. …At the very least, it’s inevitable we’ll be overwhelmed without any countermeasures.”
Asahina’s pessimistic words caused an uproar in the classroom.
Anxiety overflowed from each student, eventually spilling out as voices.
“Wh-What should we do, Asahina-san? Even if you say to take countermeasures…”
“M-Maybe we’ll be attacked like before…! Th-This time we need to protect each other!”
“But didn’t we request that fight with Class A after concluding it was ‘impossible to keep dealing with this solely within Class C’? Won’t that kind of countermeasure be difficult?”
Hearing the words “request that fight,” Asahina’s chest tightened.
For her, it was a terrible failure that made her feel her head might split just thinking about it.
If possible, she never wanted to recall it again—but great failures also offer many lessons.
She took a deep breath and carefully revisited that past incident.
Manabe of Class c was attacked by Netsuhara, which led them to be dragged into requesting that fight.
The failure then was underestimating Netsuhara’s malice.
But this time, she had discarded any naivete from the start.
She was operating under the premise that [Shinzaki would naturally resort to such means].
That was only fitting for him.
Kasumi Asahina considered further.
They were now wary. So the focus should be solely on [how to deal with it this time].
It would be difficult to remain vigilant against potential attacks for all three years.
That conclusion had already been reached. So—she had to think beyond that.
Previously, she had tried to resolve the issue by requesting a fight against Netsuhara.
Putting it bluntly, it was simply brute force, trying to crush the problem through sheer might.
—And she failed.
Which is why Kasumi Asahina kept thinking.
How could she eliminate evil from this academy? How could she maintain a more righteous order?
She considered and considered, envisioning various methods until—
She finally realized:
[Ah, it’s impossible for just us alone].
Once she realized that, her subsequent actions were swift.
“For that reason, I established a ‘security organization’ for the academy.”
She spoke in the past tense. While living a peaceful daily life, she too had been acting in the name of justice.
The result was the establishment of the organization she mentioned.
“A security maintenance organization separate from the student council, broader than them but more thorough than the disciplinary committee. Providing care, support and protection to each individual student. A defense system by students, for students.”
The biggest hurdle—getting the academy to approve it—had already been overcome.
“The organization was permitted by the academy as an ‘extracurricular club’.”
This academy was remarkably lenient when it came to clubs.
Even if a self-policing organization was formed as a club activity, the academy would turn a blind eye and permit it.
But one question then arose:
“A club…Asahina-san, didn’t you get tricked by Amamori into joining the art club—”
“I wasn’t tricked. Yes, I absolutely wasn’t tricked, but there’s no rule prohibiting being in multiple clubs at this academy.”
Asahina quickly denied it, suddenly speaking rapidly.
She cleared her throat and surveyed the classroom.
She had entered this academy filled with confidence. But that small pride was utterly shattered.
Unable to protect those she should have, breaking the promises she had sworn.
When she had reached the depths of despondency as a hero of justice, this class did not abandon her.
Therefore, she could never again…betray their expectations.
As a hero of justice, she showed them a confident, beaming smile.
“As a hero of justice, I will protect you all. I won’t lose again.”
–The impossible challenge once posed by Yuuto Amamori:
To foresee every possibility. Recalling his words, she looked out the window.
(Difficult…but the minimum requirement for a hero of justice, isn’t it, Amamori-kun?)
Yes, it was only natural when considering her aim.
Kasumi Asahina was resolved.
To do the natural as natural. She would give her full effort to protect everyone.
She would definitely become a hero of justice—
Her resolve shook everyone.
However, Kurashiki, who was listening, coldly observed her classmates’ reactions.
Her objective was to keep allowing Kasumi Asahina to win.
That alone was the order she received from Yuuto Amamori. The top priority.
Therefore, while she planned to turn a blind eye to other matters……
(……What is that guy plotting this time?)
Recently, Yuuto Amamori had been spending time with Hoshina Tsubomi.
Attending classes normally, diligently doing club activities, spending after-school hours with his favorite girl.
Just like an ordinary high school life. …And yet, this was Yuuto Amamori.
(If he seems inactive, that’s proof he’s active, you liar.)
Kurashiki Hotaru believed Yuuto Amamori is a liar.
From start to finish, she couldn’t fully trust him, but when it came to lies, that man was honest.
If he seemed inactive, he was definitely active behind the scenes.
If he lost to someone, there was a reason for that defeat.
That was the kind of man Kurashiki believed him to be.
He would certainly do something, absolutely making moves they couldn’t see.
……If there was an issue…If there’s a problem, it’s that Kurashiki don’t want to know about his secret activities.
That man is the exact opposite of a hero. So, his actions can’t possibly be just.
While we spend our time like this… how much malice is swirling around behind the scenes?
As Kurashiki frowned to herself,
unheard by others, she overheard the voices of students from another class coming from the hallway.
“Hey, have you seen Shiki from Class B? She suddenly disappeared…”
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