Chapter 15 - Persuasion Accompanied by Physics
Right after going up to the second floor, there was a door labeled 'President's Office.' Perhaps wary of an attack, the material was metal.
I twisted the doorknob, but it was locked and wouldn't open.
Out of necessity, I punched it and pierced my arm through. I reached for the inner doorknob and unlocked it.
It was a performance that also served as intimidation.
I'd be grateful if they understood the difference in power and stayed quiet with this.
I slowly opened the door.
The first thing that caught my eye was a leather sofa.
When I turned my gaze to the side, a man was sitting there.
A tall man wearing a black suit.
He had completely lost his color, but normally he would probably look tougher than the guys downstairs.
The impression was that he had very unpleasant eyes.
Thin, upturned eyes like slits cut into clay with a utility knife. There was a mean light in them, similar to a rat or a stray dog.
His age was probably in his early forties.
As Rio said, he was missing the pinky on his left hand; this man was undoubtedly Gondo.
"You were watching earlier, right? Like a cat tearing through a paper screen to play, I can rip through even metal doors. Surrender quickly."
"...Don't screw with me. How many shots are you on? How much doping does it take to end up like this?"
"You're Gondo, aren't you?"
"So what if I am?" Gondo answered bluntly.
"I came to collect the eldest son of the Saito household. Also, don't lay a hand on the younger sister anymore. Break up with the mother. Withdraw from that house."
"You bastard, what are you to those brats?"
"What are you? Looking at Rio with those lewd eyes, and then half-killing King Leo. Don't you feel ashamed... wait, both of those are boomerangs aimed at me."
Having realized a terrible fact, I jumped into action before my flaws could show.
I grabbed Gondo's collar and put on a threatening air.
"You can listen to what I say, right?"
Since I showed him my physical abilities directly, he should comply.
No matter how much of a scumbag someone is, it's best if I don't have to resort to violence.
"Yeah, I'll listen, I'll listen. I won't go to the Saito house anymore. Is that enough?"
"...Is that the kind of line you say while pressing a stun gun against me?"
"Hi, hihi. Hihi. You let your guard down! You let your guard down! You let your guard down! Hahaha! Serves you right! Hyahahahahaha!"
Gondo laughed like a madman while repeatedly sending electric currents through my body.
A dull sparking sound of bzzzt bzzzt could be heard.
To correct one thing, it's not that I particularly let my guard down.
This guy had been thrusting his hand into his pocket and fidgeting for a while now.
It was easy to predict he would do something.
But what if I silently took that "something" and then showed him a perfectly fine face afterward?
Maybe the discussion would proceed more smoothly. That was my judgment.
"...What the hell is this? You bastard, why can you still move? Am I seeing a bad dream? Hihi, hihihi."
"I have higher magic defense than physical defense. Electricity and flames are the least effective."
I'd just punch him with non-attribute high firepower. There probably wasn't any other means to damage me.
Though even if I gave a game-like explanation like that, nothing would get through to this guy.
"Drugs... I must be flying on drugs right now... Hihi, hihihi."
While wearing a vulgar smile, Gondo tumbled off the sofa.
He moved on all fours and approached a sleeping bag lying in the corner of the room.
When Gondo opened the zipper, what came out from inside was a blood-stained King Leo.
"You came to save this brat, didn't you!? Well!?"
Gondo pulled out a Japanese sword that was displayed nearby and pressed it against King Leo's neck.
"Try anything funny, okay? I'll blow this kid's head right off."
Footsteps could be heard from behind.
When I looked back with just my head, men holding rifles were gathered in front of the room.
Four in total. That meant four muzzles.
I was sandwiched.
There was no problem if I got shot, but it would be bad if a ricochet hit King Leo.
Even if I could heal with magic, it was impossible to resurrect a human who had reached death.
On the other hand, I couldn't leave Gondo alone either.
To prevent that?
I had to handle both Gondo in front and the rifles behind simultaneously.
"Hey, hey, what are you gonna do, Mr. Superman? The tables have turned, huh?"
Gondo narrowed his eyes with a face that looked like he was having the time of his life.
His eyes, which were already like threads, became even more like slits.
"Stop it. Don't you want to be liked by Rio? If you kill her brother, she'll hate you for the rest of her life. Isn't it hard being a stepfather who isn't liked by the stepchildren?"
Whatever he thought of my words, Gondo began to laugh loudly while drooling.
"...I see, you bastard, you're an acquaintance of Rio's. Did that brat ask you!? Did you already get to do it with her!? Huh!? Bring her here! Bring her here! Tell her to come here stark naked and be my pet! Depending on how well she learns her tricks, I might let her precious big brother go!"
A piercing laughter echoed.
Even for a yakuza, he felt too lacking in class.
Could someone like this really be a boss, even if it was a criminal organization?
He might be on drugs.
He had said something to that effect.
Then his sense of pain should be dull too. There would be no need for restraint.
I poured magic power into my limbs and prepared to activate my skill.
【Hero Keisuke consumes 2000 MP. Activating [Skill: 『Double Action Skill』]】
【For 180 seconds, two actions per turn will be possible.】
A mechanical system message flowed before my eyes.
When handling multiple enemies at once, this was the best way.
"Bring Rio here! Rio! Hurry up!"
Immediately after Gondo barked, I moved.
[Skill: 『Double Action Skill』] was a bit different from the type of skill that just raised speed.
If anything, it felt more right to say it interfered with the rules of the world.
With a single thought, I became capable of two actions. In exchange for magic power, I made that deal.
The contract was mechanically observed.
When I thought "I want to twist off Gondo's arm" and "I want to neutralize the men behind me," it happened exactly like that.
In my own subjective view, I just stepped in deep, delivered a hand-blade strike, and severed Gondo's arm.
But at the same time, countless screams rose from behind. I heard the sound of rifles being destroyed.
A moment later, the memory of "I had also attacked over there. I stomped on and broke the rifles" was generated.
It was as if an invisible clone appeared and performed "the option I wanted to do but gave up on."
The clone returned inside me once the job was done, bringing back memories and experience.
The sensation while using [Skill: 『Double Action Skill』] could only be described this way.
A skill that twisted the laws of physics probably exceeded human cognitive abilities.
"Ah...?"
"Why...?"
The yakuza who were attacked from two directions at the exact same time were lying there with stunned faces.
I pulled King Leo out of the sleeping bag and spoke to Gondo.
"Watch from there. I'm not just good at breaking things, I'm perfect at healing too."
When I cast recovery magic on King Leo's swollen face, it returned to its original contours before my eyes.
The cheeks that had been puffed up became a clean line, regaining a sharp impression.
I was made to realize that sharp atmosphere alone resembled Rio.
Under the gazes of myself and the yakuza, the lion kid who cared for his sister quietly opened his eyes.
"...The arcade mister...?"
Why are you here, King Leo asked in a voice that seemed like it would fade away.
"Be grateful to your sister. She bowed her head and asked me to save her brother."
"...I was trying to beat you up, mister... and yet you came...?"
"Because I was asked."
"...Seriously, that's insane..."
"Besides, you're still a kid. You still have more room for rehabilitation than these guys who are yakuza at their age. You have to live to go back and stop being a delinquent."
"...Totally insane..."
King Leo, whose head had slumped, was smiling while saying "insane."
His vocabulary seemed poor.
"Now, Gondo-san, you understand, right? I can even heal people on the verge of death. I can even heal that right hand that was torn off, but what will you do?"
"...Ah... ga... heal me, ...heal me..."
He must have thought he was being shown mercy. With fawning eyes, Gondo crawled toward me.
"Heal me... my hand, my right hand... heal me... heal me..."
"Are you misunderstanding something?"
I said while picking up Gondo's severed right hand.
"From now on, I can destroy you until you're on the verge of death, then regenerate you. I can even repeat destroying and regenerating you. I can do that."
Gondo finally started foaming at the mouth and convulsing.
Was it from fear, or some kind of drug seizure?
It was unbearable to watch. Let's end this quickly.
While grabbing Gondo's hair, I admonished him at close range.
"You'll listen to what I say, right?"
Gondo, who was shaking his head up and down vigorously, no longer showed any fighting spirit or madness.
He was just a dog who would obey me, a slave.
Not laying a hand on the Saito family.
Not contacting the police.
Preparing a change of clothes for me, since I was covered in blood spray.
If he was eating at the ramen shop 'Sekiryudo' in front of the station and heard the sound of a plate breaking and the manager shouting, he was to heckle and stop him by saying "Leave it at that, manager!"
After making him swallow all the necessary demands, I treated the yakuza with magic.
It was better to use them as underlings than to kill them.
Walking while supporting King Leo's shoulder, I went outside the office.
It was a dignified return through the main gate.
"Leo! Nakamoto-san!"
Welcomed by a laughing and crying Rio, my mission was over.
A fanfare echoed in my head, and a massive amount of text messages floated up before my eyes.
【Keisuke Nakamoto won the battle!】
【Gained 226 EXP】
【Gained 15 Skill Points】
【The performance of the unique skill [Skill: 『Fatherhood』] has been strengthened】
【Party Member Rio Saito's feelings toward Keisuke Nakamoto have changed from 'Interest, Admiration' to 'Love, Lust'】
【Rio Saito's Affection Level has reached a level where sexual intercourse and marriage are possible】
【Do you designate Rio Saito as a spouse?】
Give me a break already, I thought, as I repeatedly tapped with my index finger to clear the windows.
I pretended not to see Rio's feverish gaze.