Chapter 120: Terrorists!
"Sorry, I'm going to the restroom for a bit."
"Oh my, I'll go with you."
After buying the movie tickets, Ikki said he was stepping away to use the restroom. Alice took that chance to follow him.
"Shiro, what are you thinking about?"
Stella looked at Shiro, who had been staring thoughtfully at Alice's back since earlier.
Shiro revealed a slightly mysterious smile. He beckoned Stella and Shizuku closer, then waited until Ikki had walked far enough before whispering to the two girls.
"I was thinking, Alice keeps saying he's a girl trapped in a man's body, so why is he going to the men's restroom with Ikki?"
After all, this country currently had no separate restroom for people whose gender was Walmart shopping bag.
In that case, shouldn't a transgender person like Alice hurry into the men's restroom while no one was around, finish quickly, and come right back out?
Why was he going there together with Ikki?
Someone who considered themselves a girl taking the initiative to invite a boy to the restroom carried an implication Shiro did not dare think about.
Clearly, after hearing Shiro's words, Shizuku also understood the meaning behind them. She showed an indescribable expression and murmured,
"N-No... Brother isn't that kind of person..."
Even as she said that, Shizuku could not stop herself from thinking in that direction.
'What if Alice really likes Brother?'
'Even if Brother doesn't like Alice, they're roommates. I wouldn't know if Alice secretly did something to him in the middle of the night.'
'And why didn't Brother stop Alice when he asked to go to the restroom together?'
'Could it be that Brother has already been taken by Alice without me knowing?!!'
The moment she imagined Ikki having this and that done to him by Alice somewhere she did not know, Shizuku's face turned ashen. The grand image of Ikki in her heart also began to collapse.
"No. I'm going to the restroom too."
At the very least, she had to remind them to pay attention to hygiene.
Thinking that, Shizuku slapped the table and stood up.
At that moment—
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
Gunshots rang out together with the sound of shattering glass and people screaming.
The peaceful shopping mall was instantly swallowed by chaos.
Several people in black combat uniforms and gas masks charged into the mall, holding M4 assault rifles.
"Everyone, hands on your heads and stay where you are! Anyone who keeps running gets shot!"
One of the armed men fired two shots into the air and roared at the panicked crowd.
Under his threats, the people on the first floor were quickly taken hostage by the criminals.
"A robbery?!"
Stella shot up from her chair. Just as she was about to rush forward, Shizuku pulled her back.
"Don't be reckless. They still have an entire floor of hostages."
She looked at Stella and shook her head. At the same time, she silently apologized to Ikki in her heart.
'I'm sorry, Brother. Shizuku can only remind you about hygiene next time.'
"Look at that person."
Shizuku pointed from the fourth-floor window toward the only criminal who had no rifle and wore a black hood. At the moment, he was saying something to the armed men around him.
His unique outfit and position among the criminals both revealed his identity.
"A Blazer..."
Stella's ability was fire, while Shizuku's was water control. Neither of them could guarantee the safety of all the hostages against a Blazer whose ability was unknown.
And so, the two of them looked toward the strongest member of the group.
"Huh? It really did get interesting. This trip actually came with an unexpected bonus."
Under their gazes, Shiro spoke with great interest.
"How can you still think about having fun at a time like this?!"
Stella nearly broke down.
Did this man have no sense of danger at all?!
Shiro found a hat with a wide brim at the ticket counter and placed it on Stella's head. The title of Vermillion's princess was still too famous. If the enemy had seen related news online, they might recognize her, so it was better to cover her first.
"Relax. Just follow my orders when the time comes."
Seeing Shiro's confident look, Stella and Shizuku relaxed a little.
"Don't move! Put your hands up and get downstairs!"
Two criminals broke through the emergency exit door and roared at Shiro's group while pointing guns at them.
Just as Stella and Shizuku thought Shiro was about to act, he suddenly raised both hands in a French salute and showed a harmless smile.
"We surrender!"
...
"Hey, bro, what should we call your boss?"
"Bro, bro, how much do you get from one job?"
"If the cut isn't big enough, why risk your life? Why don't you come with me and do something huge?"
"Bro, why aren't you talking? You can't be too shy in this line of work. I know someone who talks a lot when she fights. Those chuunibyou lines just keep coming out nonstop."
In the dark hallway, Shiro, Stella, and Shizuku had their hands tied together with hemp rope. Two criminals were escorting them back to the first floor.
"Shut the hell up. Make one more sound and I'll blow your brains out!"
One criminal pressed the gun muzzle against Shiro's head and spoke viciously.
'Damn it, how can someone's mouth be this annoying? If Boss hadn't told us not to touch the hostages, I would've already put a bullet through this bastard's skull.'
"Don't be like that, bro. By the way, did you check your gun? What if it jams when you fire because you didn't inspect it properly?"
"You little—!"
"Why are you getting anxious, bro? Calm down. I won't talk, okay? I won't talk anymore."
Seeing that the criminal really seemed angry, Shiro hurriedly shut his mouth.
Taking him down here would be boring. He still wanted to see if he could fish out a bigger target.
Stella and Shizuku looked speechlessly at Shiro as he fooled around.
They had to admit, this method was cheap, but it was indeed somewhat useful.
At the very least, they had learned the name of the terrorist organization before them.
[Rebellion].
It was a criminal organization infamous throughout the world.
They believed that Blazers with magic power were [humans chosen by God], while ordinary people were defined as [lower humans]. They intended to use that idea to disrupt the current social order.
Even their current actions were all for the sake of creating their own paradise.
In other words, a new world where the so-called [humans chosen by God] ruled over the [lower humans].
…
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