"Nishikawa-san! Nishikawa-san!" Just then, Chika rushed over to Makoto in a fluster.
She wasn't wearing her Shuichi'in uniform anymore… instead, she had changed into a women's business suit and tied her hair into a ponytail.
However, this outfit didn't add any air of a strong, capable woman to her… instead, it gave the impression of a child wearing adult clothes.
It couldn't be helped… Chika just had that cute style… well, except that one part of her was too big, which didn't quite match the word 'cute'.
And those familiar with Fujiwara Chika knew that if she was dressed in a suit, it meant she was in Prime Minister mode, not student mode.
"What is it now?"
Chika swallowed, barely calming herself down before saying, "The, the President of the United States just contacted me, wanting to negotiate with you! He said that your actions violate the spirit of the contract..."
Haha.
"Hahahaha!"
Nayuta, with her mouth full of pepper pie and grease dripping down her chin, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Hey! Makoto, did you hear that? He said you don't have a spirit of contract, hahaha!"
Makoto lightly tapped her on the head, looking casual: "I didn't do anything, my subordinates did."
"S-So, how should I respond to Mr. President?" Chika asked, conflicted.
"Sis! As Prime Minister, how can you bother Makoto-sama with everything? What's the point of having you?" Moeha stepped forward to stop her.
Chika looked like she was questioning her life.
'Seriously, whose side are you on? Anyone would think you were Makoto's sister.'
To be honest, after becoming Prime Minister, Chika rarely bothered Makoto. She understood what Moeha meant.
But the problem was, this matter was too huge… neither she nor the old men in the cabinet could make a decision.
Makoto said nonchalantly, "Tell him he can do whatever he wants… mobilize more troops to fight back, or throw a nuclear bomb at me, I don't mind."
Hearing only the first half of Makoto's sentence, everyone didn't think much of it. After all, after fighting until now, even the dumbest person could see the disparity in strength between the US military and the Nishikawa Family.
But when Makoto mentioned the latter half, no one could remain calm.
A nuclear bomb.
That was the ultimate weapon of humanity at this stage!
And Makoto dared to let the President drop one on his head? How confident must he be?
Instantly, major capitalists like Shiro and Senzaemon, who had already latched onto Makoto, trembled with excitement.
They knew Makoto was strong, but they didn't think he was that strong.
It seemed that when Makoto agreed to sign the ceasefire agreement with the President last time, he was just doing the other side a favor… the strength of the two sides was actually on completely different levels.
"Erina, quickly, quickly, add a few more dishes for Nishikawa-sama." Senzaemon hurriedly waved to his granddaughter.
"No need, Grandpa, I'll do it." Alice came over with a smile, carrying a plate of new molecular cuisine.
The smile on Senzaemon's face froze for a moment… remembering that his two granddaughters were currently in a rivalry.
Alice, her face beaming, handed two small tea cups to Makoto and Nayuta: "Here, this is cassava cold soup I made, perfect for summer."
Chika glanced at her sister and then left to respond to the U.S. President.
After a while, Chika returned to relay the other side's message.
"Nishikawa-san, the President said… since that's the case, we'll all perish together."
"Oh." Makoto nodded, downing the cold soup in one go, clearly not taking the President's threat seriously.
But no matter how calm Makoto was, many people couldn't help but panic.
After all, it was a nuclear bomb. In human history, it had only been used twice, and coincidentally, both times were in Japan.
This instilled a fear of the word 'nuclear bomb' in the Japanese people… a fear etched into their very bones.
The mushroom clouds that rose over Hiroshima and Nagasaki remained a lingering nightmare for this nation.
Now, that thing was coming again.
"U-Um, Nishikawa-sama, aren't you going to leave?" Among the crowd, Ichika suddenly asked, her voice carrying a barely suppressed tremor.
Makoto glanced at her face, which was identical to Yotsuba's: "Where would I go?"
Ichika forced a smile at the corner of her mouth: "J-Just now, the American President said he was going to drop a nuclear bomb. I-If you're still here..."
Before she finished speaking, the expressions of everyone around them changed drastically.
That's right, even if Makoto could handle a nuclear bomb, the blast radius was huge. If one dropped, could they survive?!
In an instant, it felt like an invisible hand squeezed everyone's hearts.
Even Senzaemon, who had looked so smug moments before, now felt his throat go dry.
Shiro's face turned even paler, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Everyone looked simultaneously at Makoto, still sitting in his original spot, eating the dessert Alice had brought.
'Please! Leave!' Everyone screamed internally, but no one dared to say it out loud.
Yet, as time passed by, minute after minute, Makoto remained seated, showing no intention of moving.
Many people were nearly crying with anxiety.
Some kept glancing at their watches, others clenched their fists until their knuckles turned white, and a few bit their lips until they bled.
The air was thick with a suffocating tension, as if everyone was counting down with their own heartbeat.
'Seriously, are you really not going to leave?'
Many people began to speculate about Makoto's thoughts, 'Did he not care about other people's lives, allowing the US to drop the bomb? Or was he absolutely confident that he could protect everyone here, even if a nuclear bomb fell?'
'Even if Nishikawa Makoto was that strong, could he really protect tens of thousands of people from a weapon like that?'
No one could be sure they wouldn't be the unlucky one.
So, the best course of action was for Makoto to quickly move and not drag them into it.
"U-Um..." Shiro started to speak but was tugged by his youngest daughter's sleeve, signaling him to be quiet.
Sonoko suddenly felt her father was getting truly senile… he had already latched onto this powerful figure, and now he was saying this? Wasn't he afraid of losing all the progress they'd made?
Since you've already bet your chips on him, don't start regretting it… otherwise, you'll just end up pleasing no one.
The same situation had occurred with Senzaemon, who had also latched onto Makoto… he was about to speak when Alice stomped hard on his foot.
As time continued to pass, the fear in the air grew thicker and thicker.
Finally, someone couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Um... Nishikawa-sama, perhaps you could change locations to eat, would that be okay?"
Everyone looked sharply at the speaker, the first heir of the Shinomiya Family, Shinomiya Oko.
Ai, standing next to Kaguya, had a pleased look on her face.
'Hehe, you're dead!'
Ai had originally been placed by Shinomiya Oko to monitor Kaguya.
However, over the years, Ai had become like a sister to Kaguya.
If Shinomiya Oko died, that would be an excellent thing for her.
"Why?" Makoto asked, feigning ignorance.
Shinomiya Oko, estimated to be around forty, over twenty years older than his sister, forced a smile filled with flattery and unease: "Th-That's a nuclear bomb after all. If it falls, there are so many of us here..."
"He's doubting you, Makoto!" Nayuta pointed at Shinomiya Oko in an exaggerated tone.
Before Makoto could even respond-
Bang!
A hole instantly appeared in Oko's forehead, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The tens of thousands of people around looked on in shock… who fired?!
Just then, Yu, who had arrived at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, said coldly through the live stream: "How dare you doubt Makoto-senpai? Your death is deserved."
Seeing Yu's cold stare into the camera on screen, everyone was dumbfounded again.
'Wait, what?'
'You can shoot from that far?!'
'Washington was over 10,000 kilometers away from Tokyo!'
'And how did you hear that?'
Makoto took out his phone, looking a bit surprised: "Oh, I forgot to hang up."
Everyone: "..."
Countless Shuichi'in students facepalmed inwardly, 'Damn, Ishigami Yu was becoming more and more terrifying.'