Chapter 229 - Bloody Justice
Today, there is an announcement regarding the manga adaptation.
As the target university came into view, a new problem surfaced.
—How should I go about meeting Professor Otsuki?
That was it.
"Unfortunately, Hayasaka-kun, Kato-kun, and I are probably under quite a bit of suspicion."
From what I heard, Sugitani-san had apparently tried to contact Professor Otsuki just a week ago.
...Well, "contact" might be generous. I heard the latter half was closer to intimidation.
"He was a pointlessly argumentative man, and I figured talking wouldn't get us anywhere."
Losing his temper, Sugitani-san apparently pulled a blunder: "pressing the muzzle of his gun against the professor's temple and demanding he stop his research."
And on top of that, he had Hayasaka-san and Kato-san flanking him at the time. Unbelievable.
In short, the police trio riding in this patrol car was under extreme suspicion.
"Ever since that incident, the professor has had round-the-clock guards. He seems to think he's being protected by Japanese police officers, but in reality, he's being guarded by personnel arranged by the US Military."
"...More trouble..."
My apologies, Sugitani-san said, bowing his head. Exactly.
"Well, we're all invisible now, so it's possible to sneak in unnoticed and abduct the professor."
"...If we do that, to the bodyguards, it'll look like something invisible is dragging the professor away. I think it'd cause a huge commotion."
"No matter the method, once we separate him from his guards, he's ours. At worst, we just need to kill him."
"—No way!"
What the hell is this old man saying, I reflexively raised my voice.
"No matter how insane his research is, he's still a parent!? ...He has a high school daughter!? Do you understand what that means, Sugitani-san? You should... you have a wife and kids too..."
"But it's not worth risking the safety of a hundred and twenty million people. Precisely because I have a wife and children, I want to save more families."
Killing Masahiro Otsuki is the quickest way, Sugitani-san said.
His voice carried a strong will. A voice that resonated from the depths of the earth, conveying the pride of a Public Security Intelligence Agent and the dignity of a father.
"...Sorry, but I can't agree with that method. There has to be a more humane way."
A heavy atmosphere filled the car.
Erin looked down uncomfortably, Angelica fidgeted with an anxious expression, and Kato-san in the passenger seat started cleaning her pistol. What a joke. Was she planning to side with Sugitani-san and shoot me if it came down to it?
"I hold you in high regard."
Sugitani-san said with a sigh.
"The Nakamoto-san I know—doesn't choose his methods when the time comes. He slaughters his enemies by any means, solves problems, and minimizes casualties. That's the kind of man he is. ...Don't disappoint me. I believe you'll choose the best path."
"You don't have to tell me—"
Fine, I'll do it, whatever.
It's simple.
I just need to make Professor Otsuki want to leave the university, create a situation where there are no bodyguards around him, and get him to willingly cooperate with us.
A Hero who saved the world should be able to handle something like this as easily as saying hello.
If not, he has no right to call himself a Hero. He shouldn't have that right.
Because peace built on someone's death isn't true peace.
Because that's wrong.
So I won't let anyone else die—
"Stop the car here."
"Going in alone, are you?"
"No. I'm going to smoke him out."
"Oh?"
"Watch me. ...I'm going to summon Masahiro Otsuki to that public toilet over there right now. He'll probably come without his guards."
"...You have a plan? You might be using the professor's daughter, but even so, will it work? I doubt he'll come alone."
"The guys hanging around him are bodyguards with American backing, right? Then they should be more gentlemanly than Japanese men. It's bound to work."
"...This I have to see."
The moment the patrol car stopped, I rushed outside.
I operated my smartphone and called Ayako-chan.
"Hello!? Ayako-chan?"
'...What is it?'
"Do you remember your father's phone number!?"
'...Of course I do. A daughter who forgets her father's contact info would have early-onset dementia... Even if I forgot my own real name, I'd remember information about my father...'
Good, she seemed reliable.
If this Ayako-chan couldn't be counted on, I would have had to ask for cooperation from the Ayako-chan at the Otsuki Household.
"Sorry, can you call your father right now and say exactly what I tell you!? I'll send the text by email, just do as I say!"
'...Um... what is...'
"I'll pay you right now!"
I pulled up my shirt and photographed the crevice of my abdominal muscles with my smartphone. I made sure to capture my belly button hair in the frame too.
...Just in case, I also took a picture of what was inside my underwear.
"How about it!? Did the images come through!?"
'What am I supposed to do?'
"Glad you're quick on the uptake!"
While still on the call, I bit off the tip of my index finger.
Then I let drops of blood fall pat-pat onto the ground, and it was done.
'...Yes... yes... I understand. ...I see... Nakamoto-san wants to see my father, right. ...But why...? Huh?... That can't be... Haah... It sounds like things have gotten complicated... I understand. I'll try.'
Thirty minutes later. I successfully captured Masahiro Otsuki, who had come to the toilet all by himself, and put him to sleep with magic.
Carrying a middle-aged man who looked a lot like me, I returned triumphantly to the patrol car.
"I'm back. Open up."
When I knocked on the rear door, everyone inside stared with wide eyes.
"Wh—!? H-How in the world...!?"
Sugitani-san opened the door, his mouth hanging open.
"The car's gonna get cramped again. ...Maybe I should just put him in the trunk?"
"...Hayasaka-kun, Kato-kun, give him a hand."
"Yes sir."
At Sugitani-san's command, the two female officers pulled Professor Otsuki from my arms and began stuffing him into the trunk with practiced ease. Did these guys regularly kidnap people?
"...I don't get it... It's true that if you asked Ayako Otsuki for cooperation, it would be possible to get him outside. But why didn't the bodyguards follow...? Nakamoto-san, what kind of magic did you use...?"
"It's not magic. —It's justice. My righteous heart, which wanted to resolve this without anyone dying, taught me this method."
"...Jus-tice..."
Daddy's so cool, Angelica said, clasping her hands as if in prayer.
Erin also looked up at me with glistening eyes.
"Won't you tell me? What trick did you use? ...I have absolutely no idea."
"Fatherhood. I simply appealed to the warm heart that humans possess innately."
"Fatherhood...?"
"Yeah."
It's simple if I explain the trick, I began.
"First, I sent Ayako-chan some lewd selfies and made a deal. Her help was absolutely necessary."
"Excuse me, but that sounds like it jumped from justice to the exact opposite direction."
"Don't nitpick the details, it'll slow things down!"
"R-Right. Even though you're a criminal caught in the act of sending obscene images to a seventeen-year-old, I'll choose not to react."
"For the record, I showed her a picture of my lower abdomen. That's the most effective."
"That's the part you absolutely shouldn't send, isn't it!?"
Ahem, I cleared my throat and continued.
"I gave Ayako-chan instructions and had her call Professor Otsuki."
"...Anyone could think of that much."
"I added a twist. I had her say in a tearful voice, 'D-Daddy, what should I do... suddenly my... my girl time, started... The blood is already dripping down to my ankles... There are so many people around... and I don't have a napkin... There's no convenience store nearby...'"
"Are you a demon!? A-Any father with a daughter that age would go half-mad!"
"'Daddyyy... help me... I'm, sniff, at the, toilet, in front of, your university, right now...'"
"Ah, he'd fly there... Daddy would fly there, even if it cost him his life!"
"As expected, Professor Otsuki came flying with sanitary pads. I don't know if he explained the situation and got some from a female student, or if he bought them at the university co-op."
"Whichever he chose, it must have been a more painful act than dying for a man in his fifties. I'd shoot myself in the head with a pistol after it was all over."
"I'm sure the bodyguards, upon hearing the situation, were like 'Just go already!' They probably couldn't follow him out of embarrassment either. After all, Masahiro Otsuki was heading to the women's restroom where his seventeen-year-old daughter was crying and bleeding."
"A demon... You're a demon..."
Plus, I had scattered blood around the public toilet. The credibility must have been perfect.
"So, when Professor Otsuki started knocking on the stalls of the women's restroom one by one, I knocked him out from behind, and here we are. That's the story."
"..."
"For the sake of justice... I don't hesitate to hurt my own body. Do you understand, Sugitani-san? This is the way a Hero lives."
"...J-Justice? Is that really justice...!? Justice... what even is justice..."
I don't really get it, but I've decided not to oppose you anymore, Sugitani-san said, hanging his head.
Huh? Do I really look that dangerous? I asked Angelica, but she latched onto an irrelevant part, saying, "I'm curious about the sexy pictures Daddy sent to Ayako." Erin had the same reaction.
Incidentally, the female officers were busy stuffing the professor into the trunk and didn't seem to have heard the conversation.
The information has finally been released on the official blog, so here's the announcement.
Regarding the manga adaptation announced on the obi of Volume 2, the serialization magazine is, surprisingly, Dengeki Daioh-sama!
The manga will be handled by Robo Nazuna-sensei!
The link to the blog is here.
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http://blog.over-lap.co.jp/torotoro_comic/