Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Evidence (5)
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If I had to compare the person standing before me right now to an animal, he'd be a massive bull.
Or rather...
-Thud!
"How long are you gonna keep running away?!"
A raging bull it was.
I leaned forward, clicking my tongue at Kumoto as he braced himself to grab me.
'He's got way too much composure.'
Well, unlike me—where getting caught even once means it's game over—he had plenty of leeway.
'If I'd known it'd turn out like this, maybe I should've gone for the knockout back when we were boxing.'
No, if I'd tried that, one punch from him would've twisted my guts into knots.
My initial strategy had been to wear him down since a guy his size must burn through stamina faster, then go in for the kill...
'I underestimated a PE teacher's endurance.'
Kumoto looked far fresher than expected. His breathing was a bit ragged, and sweat beaded on his skin, but his stamina seemed solid.
Clearly, he hadn't been slacking on his workouts.
With those thoughts, I eyed the PE teacher, who looked ready to charge any second, and pondered my next dodge.
-Tack!
The moment he saw my eyes dart around, Kumoto lunged. I ducked low to evade his grab and rolled sideways.
-Crash!
'Ugh! Damn it, mistake!'
Unlucky me—I slammed into a metal box while rolling and twisted my ankle.
Even though I'd mostly adapted to this body, my real-combat data was thin, leading to this blunder.
And the problem was, he'd noticed.
"Heh heh. Twisted your ankle? No more slithering away like an eel now, huh?"
I scrapped every backup plan in my head as he assumed his stance with that twisted grin.
I'd planned to avoid lethal force or weapons just in case, but things had gone too far.
With that resolve, I pulled my most familiar weapon from my pocket.
"A combat knife? Bold for a kid to carry that around."
My combat knife—a vital partner from my military days.
Far from intimidated, Kumoto just sneered at the sight.
"Think I haven't handled punks with knives before?"
He clearly mistook me for some amateur kid who'd swung a blade a few times.
But he'd learn that error soon enough.
Kumoto had laughed when he first saw the combat knife.
Before becoming a PE teacher, he'd trained in dagger combat with the Self-Defense Forces.
Against a kid wildly swinging a knife like that, who wouldn't scoff?
But there was one thing Kumoto hadn't anticipated.
While his skills were honed in drills, Takuya's were forged in blood-soaked real combat.
-Stab!
Takuya struck first, slashing deep across Kumoto's thigh to cripple his mobility.
'When the hell did he close in and stab?!'
The precision and speed were so blinding that even the victim only registered it after the fact.
This was no child's plaything.
Panicking, Kumoto reached for Takuya, but Takuya stepped back precisely, controlling the distance.
-Whoosh!
"Tch!"
But Kumoto wasn't one to give up after a single try.
He lashed out with his longer-reaching leg at Takuya's retreating gut.
-Crack!
"Guh."
The unexpected strike landed true.
Takuya hadn't anticipated legwork after all the hand and body strikes—it exploited his assumptions perfectly.
Normally, that blow would've ended it.
"Cough..."
A hit from a brute like Kumoto could fell someone his own size, let alone the much smaller Takuya.
Yet Takuya rose.
No—his eyes burned not with venom, but killing intent.
Chills ran down Kumoto's spine at that gaze.
It evoked soldiers he'd seen on a past deployment.
The mad glint of those marching to die.
Even the composed Kumoto sensed danger and moved to act, but Takuya was a fraction faster.
He pulled something from his pocket and flung it in Kumoto's face—sand.
Blinded by the grit, Kumoto squeezed his eyes shut in agony. Takuya seized the moment, shoving him backward.
Kumoto tried to brace with one leg, but the deep gash hindered him.
-Boom!
He toppled helplessly. The impact nearly knocked him out, but Takuya wouldn't allow it.
Takuya balled his fist and pummeled Kumoto's face like a sandbag, no holds barred.
-Pow!
"Gaaahhh!!!"
Kumoto couldn't pass out even if he wanted—the pain sharpened his senses instead.
"You damn bastard!!"
-Crunch!
After an eternity of punishment, Kumoto summoned his last strength, grabbing and snapping Takuya's fingers.
"That all you got?"
Takuya scoffed, carving dozens more slashes into his arm.
"Monster... freak..."
"Better than a beast."
With that, Kumoto realized his utter defeat.
-Smack!
-Thud!
He endured as the much smaller boy's sandbag for what felt like ages.
Until blackness finally claimed him.
"Huff! Huff!"
I panted roughly, muttering at Kumoto sprawled—unconscious—on the filthy warehouse floor.
"If this were my old body, you'd be dead today. Ptui."
I spat blood-mixed saliva onto the ground.
Seemed the fight had battered my esophagus and organs pretty good.
My innards felt all twisted up.
After spitting, I fetched a Stamina Recovery Potion and gloves from my subspace pocket, slipped them on, and chugged the potion.
Not sure how much it'd help the pain, but better than my legs shaking like a newborn fawn's.
One-shot down. It worked wonders—at least no more trembling.
Emboldened, I descended the stairs and marveled at the scene below.
'What the...'
The basement brimmed with adult toys of every kind.
Like this high-quality cat ears headband and tail in my hand.
I ogled them briefly before pocketing a few in my subspace.
"What kinda stash is this?"
I rolled my neck, muttering as I snagged a handful.
With my haul secured, time for the main goal: rescuing Haru.
She was locked in a cage-like cell deeper in, bound to an X-frame.
'Some tastes.'
I glanced at the high school girl strapped in X-form, but with Kumoto possibly waking anytime, I hurried to free her.
Midway through untying the leather straps on her wrists...
"Ow, damn, this hurts like hell."
That PE teacher had snapped several fingers during our scrap, making the task agony.
Adrenaline fading, the pain sharpened.
Not a bullet in the side, but still gripe-worthy.
'And how do I explain this to the moms...'
Bonus worries about excuses.
Gritting through, I finally unbound her.
Good—she stayed out cold the whole time.
'Waking mid-untie would've been awkward.'
I hoisted her limp form onto my back and climbed up.
At the top, I laid Haru and Hiro side by side in a corner, then trussed the PE teacher with jump ropes and whatever else from the warehouse.
"Phew. That do it?"
Post-cleanup, I descended again, dumping photos, tapes of his misdeeds, chairman deal records—clear evidence—by the scum.
The chairman's connections might try burying it, but no dice.
Victim recruits were done; we'd tip off media with reports.
No response? Miyagi Prefecture flips.
That settled, I ascended, booted the screen for progress.
The scenario was barreling toward the endgame.
'Just need Hiro to confess and her to accept, right?'
Feeling the fatigue lift a bit at that thought.
Anyway.
"Ah, hello? There's a kidnapper who snatched a high school girl here. Location..."
Report first.
To dodge traces, I used the PE teacher's flip phone for the call and tip-off.
"Oh, arriving in 10? Got it."
Done, I tossed the phone aside, knelt before sleeping Haru, and tidied her disheveled hair.
"Sorry for dragging you into this mess. Next time, family restaurant—your fave. Forgive me."
I stroked her hair, conveying my apology, then stood.
"See ya, sis—no, Haru."
Final check—no oversights. I slipped out through the brush to Miyuki's waiting car.
"Master! Your wounds!"
"It's nothing..."
"Nothing?! Quick, to the hospital..."
"I'm really fine..."
A brief hiccup, but I erased my traces, got home safe...
"T-Takuya?! Your face!"
"T-To the hospital, quick!"
"I'll take you to my hospital!"
Not quite. Home erupted instead.
Thus, despite late evening, I was carted to the hospital, tucked into a bed, and nursed by nurse-mom Ayaka.
An unforeseen wrinkle, but no scenario or personal threats, so I relaxed under care.
Takuya relaxed, unaware of one lurking variable.
-Beep beep beep.
"Agh! Don't poke there!"
"Secure the area quick!"
"Ugh, so many reporters!"
"Victims? Eh, probably too shaken. Interview later."
In the noisy scene, Haru sat in the ambulance, head bowed, murmuring softly.
"Why... why'd he save me while getting hurt that bad..."
-Thump.
-Thump.
Why that boy went so far for her. Why those final words.
Haru had heard everything Takuya said.
A few days passed, media in frenzy.
The PE teacher was infamous, but local bigwigs were entangled too.
Normally, power buries it? Luck or curse—their yakuza ties made cover-up impossible.
Escalation nabbed many heavies.
'Real' bosses unscathed, naturally.
But that wasn't the point now.
What mattered? Obviously...
"U-Um! Haru! I have something to tell you!"
"Yeah? What?"
Hiro's confession event.
From behind the school, I watched him stutter his heart out with warm satisfaction.
'Filling the final piece at last.'
[The second scenario has been cleared!]
You succeeded in maxing out Salvation Progress, but failed to reach the designated salvation goal! Penalty applied!
"What the fuck."
Like Hiro, I stared blankly into space, half unhinged.
Or trying to.
Penalty: Physical Ability Nerf (Permanent)
Excess Achievement Reward contests the penalty!
Penalty adjustment in progress...
Adjusted Penalty contested by Excess Achievement Reward! Re-adjustment in progress!
.
.
.
Until the screen erupted in their internal brawl.
'Why are they even arguing among themselves?'
I waited for my penalty reveal. It came soon enough.
Final verdict: simple.
Final Penalty Decided.
Overall Physical Ability Reduction
*Adjustments: Exclude virility from reduction; add separate size control for lower body; change duration from permanent to 3 years.
A weaker body as penalty.
Scenario Excess Achievement Reward: Physical Ability Enhancement (Receivable after penalty ends.)
Bonus: far stronger body later.
'Give the poison then the cure, huh.'
Just like that, my reward was locked behind 3 years.
*Penalty starts in 3 days! Proceed with caution.
I killed the screen. Clear rewards could wait; not in the mood.
As sourness lingered...
"Oh? Takuya-kun? Hi~"
Haru, fresh off rejecting Hiro clean, spotted my hiding spot and beamed.
Her gaze nearly sparked my temper, but I cooled it.
'Yeah, whatever. Not her fault.'
No guarantee she'd accept Hiro anyway.
I aimed for maximum kindness.
"Hi."
Scratch that—impossible in this mood.
Gruff reply it was. Haru just grinned wider and glomped me.
'Why's this grown girl so clingy... Wait, hold up?'
Her face—unthinkable after icing Hiro—sparked suspicion.
'No way... she likes me?!'
That exact thought.
Probably delusion.
What'd I do? Mysterious entrance, Cupid duty. No way I seduced her.
I glanced at Haru glancing at me.
Her eyes...
'Damn it all.'
Not street-kid fondness.
The look of a female eyeing her beloved male.
I could only smack my forehead.
Crushed under the disaster I'd wrought.