In just a few moments, the once-rowdy apartment had fallen into a state of absolute ruin.
Under the dim, flickering light, the delinquents who had been so arrogant and overbearing just minutes ago were now scattered across the floor in various states of disarray. Some were curled into fetal positions clutching their stomachs, while others nursed broken limbs, letting out low, pained moans.
The air was heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of sweat.
"Mayuzuki!" Orizaka Midori rushed to her friend's side. She gingerly tore away the ragged cloth gag, her face a mask of guilt and self-reproach. "I'm so sorry... I'm late."
"...I'm fine, Big Sis," the blonde girl croaked, forcing a grin.
When that man had moved to assault her, Mayuzuki had been paralyzed with terror. But seeing Hayashi Shuichi and Midori storm the room—watching them systematically dismantle her tormentors with such ruthless efficiency—had sent her fear flying out the window. Now, her only desire was to be free of her bonds so she could jump up and kick these bastards herself to settle the score.
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson yet," Hayashi Shuichi said, looking down at the girl with a deadpan expression. "Spill it. Why did they snatch you?"
"It wasn't even my fault!" Mayuzuki barked back instinctively. However, when Hayashi Shuichi narrowed his eyes at her, she shrunk back toward Midori, her voice dropping an octave. "This morning..."
"Start from yesterday. Why were your two groups looking for a fight?" Hayashi Shuichi interrupted impatiently.
The blonde girl pouted, looking reluctant, but she didn't dare cross him. Taking a deep breath, she continued:
"Yesterday, I was out with a few members of my crew and we ran into them. I don't know who bumped into who first, but we started arguing."
"The cops showed up and cleared us out, so that woman and I set a time and place to settle it with a fight."
"But when we got there in the afternoon, Big Sis showed up and stopped us before we could even start."
"Then this morning, I headed out for school like usual. I hadn't even gotten far from my house when someone blindsided me from behind. Next thing I knew, I woke up here."
Mayuzuki reached up to gingerly rub the back of her head. The dull throb still lingering there made her wince.
"That's all?" Hayashi Shuichi asked, his voice dripping with skepticism.
"Oh, right! That bitch said I called her ugly yesterday and said no man would ever like her," Mayuzuki spat, her anger flaring up again. "So she decided to sell me off! Said she'd find plenty of men to 'like' me!"
"Well, you were just telling the truth. She really isn't much to look at," Hayashi Shuichi remarked. He used the tip of his wooden staff to idly poke the caked-on makeup on the pierced woman's cheek. "You kidnapped someone over a petty insult? And planned on human trafficking?"
"...I-I was wrong! I made a mistake!"
Yuko was shaking so hard her teeth were chattering.
She pointed a trembling finger at the man who had tried to assault Mayuzuki, her voice cracking. "It wasn't my idea to sell her! It was him! He said he knew people in the Nisanhai Syndicate. He wanted to use her first and then sell her to them!"
"You're full of shit!"
The man, lying on the floor with a face bruised purple and blue, turned livid. He struggled to sit up, gasping through the pain. "You were the one who called me! You said you wanted this brat sold! Now you're pinning it all on me?!"
"I don't even know anyone from the Nisanhai! If she was being sold, it was through your connections!" Yuko shrieked back.
"...I'll kill you, you bitch!"
Driven by pure rage, the man scrambled off the floor and lunged at Yuko.
Hayashi Shuichi and Midori didn't bother stopping them. They stood to the side, watching the internal collapse of the gang with cold indifference.
However, the man didn't actually tackle Yuko. As soon as he got close, he pivoted and bolted for the apartment door.
Hayashi Shuichi hadn't expected the man to have enough spirit left for a ruse. He was about to give chase when Yuko suddenly reached out and threw her weight around the man's ankle.
"If I'm going down, you're coming with me! Don't even dream of escaping alone!"
"Let go! Bitch, let go!" The man kicked out frantically, trying to shake her off.
Seeing her death-grip wouldn't loosen, and with Hayashi Shuichi and Midori looming like twin reapers nearby, the man grew desperate. He began stomping on the woman with his free leg, putting every ounce of his strength into each blow.
Just then, Koizumi Akane, still hovering outside on her broom, drifted toward the window. "Hey! The cops are here! Run, quick!"
Run my ass, Hayashi Shuichi thought, shooting her a dry, exasperated look.
Akane blinked, and then it clicked. She remembered the rumors at Teitan High—Hayashi Shuichi supposedly had deep ties with the police.
That jerk... he was hitting them so hard I completely forgot! I thought he was some high-ranking yakuza! The witch shook her fist at him in annoyance.
A few minutes later, two patrol officers from the local koban arrived on their bicycles.
Taking in the scene of devastation and the blood splattered across the floor, the two officers felt their skin crawl. They stood in the doorway, hesitating to even step inside.
"Officers, help! He's going to kill us!"
The moment she saw the uniforms, Yuko turned on the waterworks. She buried her face in her hands, her body quaking as if she were a traumatized victim. "I just wanted to play a little joke on their friend, and they... they did this to us!"
"Yeah... yeah!" the "boss" added, nodding frantically.
"You two! Don't move! Come with—"
Before the officer could finish his command, Hayashi Shuichi had already pulled out his Consultant ID and held it up to their faces.
"These people kidnapped my friend and were preparing to sell her to a criminal syndicate. I was merely conducting a rescue. Please notify the Metropolitan Police Department; this case is outside your jurisdiction."
"...Yes, sir!" After verifying the ID, one of the officers nodded quickly.
"...Even so, isn't the force a bit... excessive?" the other officer muttered, looking at the delinquents lying motionless on the ground. "I should call for an ambulance. We can't have anyone dying on us."
"Don't worry, I know exactly where to hit," Hayashi Shuichi said. To demonstrate, he stepped forward and ground his heel into the hand of a woman lying "unconscious" nearby.
The woman, who had been playing dead, let out a piercing shriek and bolted upright like she'd been electrocuted.
"See? Perfectly healthy," Hayashi Shuichi remarked.
As he made a move to "check" the others' hands, the remaining delinquents scrambled away on all fours, showing no signs of "critical injury" whatsoever.
"We're fine! Really! No ambulance needed!"
(End of Chapter)
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