Volume 1 Chapter 9.2
Murderous Intent and Silence, Things
Disappearing in the Flames Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
Bennett's subordinates
were filled with despair and seething anger after being betrayed by the one
they had trusted. Emma, who seemed to have not quite grasped the full picture
of what had happened. Nina gazed at her accomplice, who had miraculously
survived, with an almost tearful look on her face. A couple of students at the
entrance of the dormitory were watching intently as they waited to see the
outcome as it unfolded.
Jin, under all their
gazes, approached Bennett step by step.
"......Why are
you alive?"
A tremor filled
Bennett's voice.
"Surely, you
should have been engulfed by the flames!"
"Well, I wonder
why. Will you give me an earful once you know the answer?"
At the moment the fire
that imitated a giant's arm attacked, Jin jumped into the pit that Nina had
also secretly prepared for him.
It seemed as if he was
fleeing aimlessly, but Jin had been aiming only at that particular spot from
the beginning.
All he had to do was
crawl out of the hole while Bennett was distracted by Nina and get to the
student dormitory ahead of him.
Of course, Jin had no
intention of revealing such a simple trick.
"Oh, and it's not
just those photos I'd like to show you."
Jin instructed a
nearby student to press the button on the playback device on the sofa at the
entrance.
A rough sound peculiar
to magnetic tapes ran through the silent room.
[Hahahahaha! Run, run!
If you don't run faster, my monster will devour you!]
[Your memories will
disappear anyway. There is no way this torture will be a crime!]
[Still not enough
....... The ones I killed in the past were more amusing.]
[Oh, have you passed
out already? It's too soon this time. I'll have to find another target then. ......]
Even without any
visual images, everyone present could vividly imagine Bennett's madness.
The excessive amount
of violence, abusing the memory sealing measures of the expelled students.
Moreover, he even made a remark that implied a murder in the past.
Not to mention the
rules of society.
Bennett Lohr is a true
villain.
"Y-You
......!"
"Looks like
you're suffocating. Do you perhaps need some oxygen? Oh, well, you've brought
this on yourself though."
"Just answer my
question, Jin! How did you know all about this!?"
"Oh, can I take
that as your confession? ...... Well, aside from me impersonating a police
officer, it was relatively early on that I realized that you were the C-rank
hunter. You know how Emma and I once attended a meeting you hosted? By that
time, I already had my suspicions."
"Don't be
ridiculous! On what basis you-......"
"A~, there's no
basis whatsoever."
Jin stated
nonchalantly.
"I just had a
hunch it was suspicious. There is no way that an elite with such a powerful
psychic ability would be doing charity work to help the weak. He must be doing
something very bad behind the scenes."
"...... For such
a vague reason."
"I'm a skeptical
person after all. So I started my investigation after I first suspected that
the C-rank hunt was a staged act of your own making. If I was mistaken, I
thought if I apologized later, you'd forgive me."
Bennet's expression
could be seen becoming distorted.
Was it anger or
despair that was swirling inside him?
"First, I looked
into your background."
Jin continued while
observing the other party's facial expressions.
"Bennett, you
were born into one of the largest landlords in the Ruskett region. Your father
seems to run a wide variety of farms and candle factories on his vast land. As
the only son of a wealthy man and possessing a powerful psychic ability, you
have had an arrogant personality since you were a child. You are the type of person
who wants everything to go your way. If we include the cases that your family
covered up, you had a bad reputation."
In truth, the order
was reversed.
It was six months
before the entrance examination that Gasta, who has contacts throughout the
country, made contact with a detective in the Ruskett region through an
intermediary. Jin, who believed that there was a <shepherd's dog> among
those who were exempted from the entrance examination, had already investigated
as much as possible about the profiles of all six students in advance.
However, it would be
more effective not to tell the other side of the story on this occasion.
"Your true nature
is that of a genuine psycho who loves to dominate by force. There is no way
that a man like that would change his mind and devote himself to charity work
the moment he enters the academy."
"......How did
you get these photos?"
Bennett asked again,
no longer trying to mend anything, but Jin couldn't just answer that question.
Every time he looked
at those photos, Jin felt an unbearable dull ache in his chest.
It was the kind of
pain he would have to carry for the rest of his life.
First, Jin made
contact with several of the C-rank students surrounding Bennett. If Bennett
wanted to make his men more unified, more willing servants, he would first
choose one of them as a target for the hunt.
If someone close to
them were to be the casualty, the threat would become more tangible. All that
remained was for a powerful leader to create a virtual enemy and show them a
countermeasure that they might be able to employ, and the weak would feel
vaguely relieved.
This is a technique
often used in state-sponsored brainwashing programs. Bennett used it without
even realizing it.
As Jin probed the
inner workings of the situation, he came across a pair of individuals who were
likely to be his next targets.
Both were students who
harbored distrust of Bennett's methods and had the potential to become
insurgents if left unchecked.
At the time, it was
the perfect time to eliminate any future uncertainties without being perceived
as an example to the others. Besides, bringing two rebellious students to their
knees was just the kind of thing a sadist like Bennett would love to do.
So Jin offered them a
deal.
In exchange for a
large sum of money, he asked them to challenge Bennett to a <duel>.
Although he had fully
explained the risks involved, the two students, who were originally tired of
competing for survival at the school, seemed to have made up their minds as
soon as Jin handed them the paycheck. They laughed and said that they might be
happier if they could go to an affiliated school with a large sum of money in
their hands.
As long as they knew
the date, time, and location of the <duel>, the rest was up to them.
Jin, who was hiding in
the bushes, kept filming the whole thing after strapping a recording device to
a tree near the starting point.
The two were rescued
by a rescue team called by Jin, but were forced to stay in the hospital for
about a week. Bennett will never understand the frustration of having to simply
watch the scene of violence by heretics who have abandoned their hearts.
Having already lost
their memories of the school, they no longer remember the horror they felt at
that time. That's the only saving grace, Jin told himself over and over again.
From that point on,
things went very smoothly.
After obtaining the
evidence, Jin first asked Emma for her cooperation.
Bennett had 21 men
working for him. It would be impossible for Jin, who was being watched closely
by Bennett, to take any conspicuous action, such as contacting them one by one.
Therefore, Jin put a
copy of the evidence and a memo in an envelope with the following instructions:
[Meet at the dormitory at 1:10 p.m.], [Hide in another place until the time
comes so that Bennett will not know you are there], and [All the points taken
from Bennett will be divided among all of you].
Emma's communication
skills and kindness were the trump cards that would make the impossible
possible.
─Looking at the current situation, it seems that my
decision was the right one.
Jin walked toward
Bennett and thanked the two students who had risked their lives to fish him
out, Emma for persuading Bennett's men, and the other 21 students who had made
the crucial decision.
"You won't just
be expelled from the school. You're going to be handed over to the police as a
psychic with dangerous intentions. If you can think of a clever excuse, please
let me know."
Bennett's shoulders
slumped and all expression vanished from his face.
Everyone present
thought that everything was now settled. The silence dissipated from the room
as the students, who had been watching the event, made a commotion.
In the relaxed air,
only Jin was still keeping his guard up.
The tension spread to
Nina, whose eyes suddenly met his, and a soundless exchange took place between
the two of them.
─Don't let your guard down. This is not over yet.
This man is still
looking for a way to turn the tables.
"...... You had
me fooled. I thought that your secret plan was to have insurance on the points
from the <duel> with Emma. At the very least, I thought it was a passive
measure to avoid expulsion from school. ...... I never thought you'd made my
men turn on me without my knowledge."
Bennett, looking up,
had a half-moon smile on his face.
However, there was no
emotion in his eyes. Although one could tell from the shape of his mouth that
it was a smile, there was no substance to it.
Only a mortally broken
person could make such an expression.
"I think you guys
did a great job. Certainly, the photos and recordings could be important
evidence. If they were submitted to the proper authorities, even I wouldn't be
able to get away with it."
Bennett remained
unperturbed in the slightest, despite the barrage of jeers telling him to stop
wasting his time and to surrender quietly.
He has definitely
already figured out a way to turn things around.
"Fine, I'll admit
it. I am indeed the mastermind of the C-rank hunt, the liar who brought all you
people together by forging an imaginary enemy for myself. The statements I'm
spouting in the recording about the murders are true as well. Well, it was an
accident though, and I wasn't even arrested for it."
"What's the
matter? Have you suddenly opened your eyes? Are you fed up with your life all of
a sudden?"
"Stop puffing on
air, Jin. You do realize it, don't you?"
"I don't know
what you're talking about."
"A~, don't play
dumb with me. You should know that all this evidence is meaningless. It doesn't
matter how accurate your claims are. ─Because, I have the power to obliterate all of you."
With that last word,
the entrance was suddenly engulfed in chaos.
No way, no sane person
would ever do such a thing.
Killing everyone here
would be nothing short of a demonic act──.
But they are aware of
it.
They are aware of
Bennett's madness as recorded in the photos and in the audio tapes.
They know the man in
front of them smiled, a smile so distorted that it was almost inhuman.
"The maximum
firepower of the <Executioner of Immolation> is 1200 °C. A human body
would be easily reduced to charcoal. Do you know what that means? No one will
be left behind, not even a trace, and disappear from this world. Who can prove
my murder when there is nobody to prove it?"
"Can you really
do such a thing? You're just acting though ......"
As Jin said this, he
knew it was impossible to defeat Bennett with logic.
There is nothing more
powerful than a negotiation with a hint of insanity and violence.
He doesn't even really
need to kill all of them. Just burn a few as an example and then offer everyone
else the escape route of being expelled from school.
The mere concern that
Bennett might really decide to go through with the massacre would prevent
anyone from even coming to the negotiating table.
What is truly
troubling is not the ability to summon a flame-clad monster.
It is the ability to
play the "foul card" - the power of negotiation to move everything at
will, which is reserved for those with overwhelming power - that has allowed
Bennett to reign supreme until now.
No matter how many
tricks and elaborate lies he may concoct to drive his opponents into a corner,
a powerful opponent will always be able to regain the upper hand at the end of
the game.
If the entire board is
destroyed, there is nothing the weak can do.
"T-There is
another witness here, you know!?" Someone shouted in anguish. "Murder
can't be tolerated. Isn't that right?"
[What are you bastard
talking about?]
The tin doll's
inorganic eyes were looking up into the middle of nowhere.
[I'm only here to oversee
the rules of the <duel.> I don't give a shit if you guys get killed or
not.]
"...... That's
how it is, guys. Do you finally understand? In this school, strength is
everything. Justice and truth mean nothing in the face of psychics. All of you
who were born weak have no choice but to become my food."
Without any
preliminary movement, Bennett called out five fireballs in front of him.
The fireballs kept
growing at a rapid pace, transforming into five puppets. The fact that the
flames did not spread to the floor on which the fireballs were stepping on told
everyone that they were beings beyond human knowledge.
This school is a
miniature of the world.
People born with
powerful psychic abilities are the ones who control everything, and the lives
of those who don't have it are continuously being trampled on. While the empire
with the <White Knights> keeps expanding its territory, the countries
that were not blessed with miracles continue to suffer disadvantages.
The world's system is
designed to suit the powerful, and they don't care about the feelings of those
who are cast out of the system.
That's why Jin as a
child had to stand on the street with a tin box in his arms.
That's why Rusty had
to fight the world alone.
That's why Nina had to
shed tears in front of the fountain at that time.
"Of course,
you're the first one I'm going to kill, Jin. I'm telling you, this is not a
threat. I will definitely kill you. I will not even allow you to escape by
suicide. I will put my own pride on the line and make sure you are
obliterated."
The five <
Executioners of Immolation> all bent down at once. They seemed to be ready
to leap at once, their bodies bent down like a spring.
At the edge of Jin's
vision, Nina was shouting something.
She was probably
saying something along the lines of, "give up on everything and run
away".
─But still, Jin did not move.
He has a fierce smile
on his face, his eyes wide with joy and excitement, welcoming the madness of
this game.
"You both, are
monsters──."
Nina muttered quietly.
Indeed. Jin was not
sane from the beginning.
The very idea of a
mere human being trying to fight monsters with nothing but lies and trickery is
insane. It was as if he was enjoying a thrill from the bottom of his heart.
If there is an
existence that can compete with Bennett's demonic power, it is probably only a
monster with a mind like Jin's.
So Nina decided not to
look away any longer.
As an accomplice, as a
friend who would deceive the world together, she decided to face the
consequences head-on.
"Now, be
obliterated!"
Bennett's signal
triggered the five monsters to fly out like bullets.
Scorching the
atmosphere, the puppets spread their arms and legs to their fullest. It would
be impossible for anyone to survive, let alone avoid the first blow.
Hot winds pounded into
his entire body.
Hot enough to cause
burns even without direct contact.
The presence of death
has increased in density to the point of inducing dizziness.
Beyond that, Bennett's
distorted smile was visible.
Jin held up his right
hand in front of him with an expression of acceptance.
"──Disappear."
Engulfed by the fire,
Jin let out a desperate scream. In a short time, he ceased to exist, and was
transformed into an ugly burnt corpse. Bennett looked satisfied and began to
search for the next victim among the surviving students.
That was the ending
that everyone was prepared for, however, did not become a reality.
The moment the
onrushing <Executioners> attempted to touch Jin, everything was
transformed into nothingness.
An army of terrifying monsters,
the radiant heat that
was produced as a side effect,
as well as the dense
madness that filled the entrance,
disappeared as if
nothing had ever existed in the first place. There was nothing left but
silence, as if everything had been nothing more than an illusion.
In the stillness of
the world, someone's muttering echoed through the air.
"Did he nullify,
the psychic ability ......?"
People with psychic
abilities tend to possess an independent physical law within themselves.
It has been considered
impossible to interfere with it from the outside, as evidenced by scientific
research that has barely made any progress in this subject.
What Jin has just
accomplished is a supernatural phenomenon that directly contradicts such
beliefs.
Even in the Heiberg
Academy, where monsters abound, no one has ever heard of anyone being able to
nullify another person's psychic abilities.
"Son of a b*tch,
how ......!"
"Eh~,
Bennett-kun. Looks like this time you've completely lost your composure."
Jin slowly approached
Bennett, who was kneeling with a pale expression on his face.
Everyone could only
watch the outcome without saying anything.
"So what was it
again? If we all get obliterated, everything will be resolved. What kind of
thought process could have made you believe in such a thing?"
Like a prison guard
making an ominous sentence to a criminal, Jin concluded in a voice devoid of
warmth.
"You're finished,
heretic. You were not worth deceiving."
Bennett clutched his
own head as he was pummeled with a defeat so merciless that it was so perfect,
leaving no loophole prepared for him at all.
His reaction was also
already anticipated by Jin.
There is no way that a
man who has only known nothing but life as a victor could endure such a
decisive humiliation.
"Uuuuu............"
Having run out of
options, Bennett's last choice was to throw everything away and run away.
Bennett managed to get
to his feet and walked unsteadily, like a terrified child, toward the door.
However, his escape route was completely cut off.
Nina Stingray stood in
front of the door with her arms crossed.
"Are you running
away now after everything you've done, Bennett-san?"
"...... A,
a."
Even the person who
had once proved to be a fake would have looked like a monster to Bennett, who was
in a state of emotional breakdown.
Nina's smile was so
contorted that it had a hint of death in it.
With a slow movement,
Nina removed the brooch attached to her chest.
The moment Nina
Stingray removed the brooch, her previously sealed psychic ability was
released. A true monster is born, one that destroys everything around it
indiscriminately.
A rumor that had been
spreading throughout the school.
The first lie that Jin
and Nina made up together.
The red gleam of the
jewel in her hand seemed to be the most sinister thing Bennet had ever seen.
"Isn't it
exciting, Bennett-san? I wonder how long you can keep your sanity."
Something that was
created in the shape of a human being by an ominous being that transcends human
knowledge──.
Nina pasted a smile so
fierce that everyone present felt it, and reached out her hand to Bennett, who
hung his head.
It was as if she was
trying to crush his defenseless head.
"Anyone who
doesn't want to die, get down!"
Her accomplice, who
had accurately read Nina's intention, raised his voice.
After confirming that
everyone's eyes were turned away from her, Nina kicked the floor and leaped
into the air.
Her right leg, swung
out horizontally, precisely caught the temple of the defenseless Bennett.
There was no way that
Bennett, who was in a state of disarray, could have remained conscious after
the impact to the side of his head. Looking down at the fainted monster, Nina
laughed dryly.
"......Huh, are
you broke already?
"............ Did
we win?"
As Emma muttered this,
a wave of cheers erupted as if a dam had been broken.
Everyone shouted words
of gratitude to Jin and Nina and celebrated the miracle of still being alive.
Looking around, the
tin cat that had witnessed the <Duel> was already gone. It must be that
once its job was done, it had no interest in the other students.
Amidst the clamor,
Nina looked for Jin.
The person who was
supposed to have saved everyone was walking toward someone's room in the back,
completely out of sight. The students didn't seem to realize that the main
character, Jin, was gone, and they didn't seem to pay any attention to his
direction.
Nina asked Emma, who
was nearby, to keep Bennett restrained, and then chased after Jin, who was
leaving the joyous crowd unnoticed.
"......
Wait!"
It was all
fine until I was about to call him out, but then what exactly should I say to
him?
Nina felt that neither
expressing gratitude nor smiling at him in celebration of his victory would be
appropriate.
What words
should I say to my accomplice after the battle?
In the drawn-out
moment, it was Jin who opened his mouth first.
"I was vaguely
aware halfway through the fight, but it seems that Bennett was a miss. A
dangerous person who runs amok and tries to massacre students can't possibly be
a <Shepherd's Dog>.
"But it wasn't a
waste of time. We were able to save everyone by defeating Bennett."
"...... It's not
that I wanted to save anyone..."
Indeed, his original
purpose might have been to snuff out the headmaster's spies.
But in the end, Jin
still went out of his way to protect everyone.
It's obvious in his
grim expression, which is clearly fake.
Nina finally found the
right words to say.
"............
Thanks for your hard work, Jin."
No more words are
needed right now.
She wants to hug him
and grasp the joy of him being alive, but she holds back on that as well.
Because Jin had been
fighting beyond his limits for a long time.
Even if he wears an
apathetic expression and a composure that makes him look like he is
manipulating everything, it does not change the fact that he is just a human
being.
The burn on his left
shoulder is obviously painful, and she doesn't want to imagine the intense pain
of being repeatedly burned by fire.
Even so, Nina decided
to say a few words to Jin, who had fought so desperately.
"I'll go patch
you up later. Please leave your room unlocked."
"A~, no need, no
need. I'll get better after I sleep."
"I know that. So,
I'll just do it on my own."
His battle would
continue. He could not let anyone see him endure the pain with greasy sweat on
his face.
Only I should know
such weakness.
Nina clenched her
fists in secret as she watched his back disappear behind the door.
End of Chapter 9
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