TEORA 6: Well of Course.

“Oy, Eda.”

What did that guy say just now? Oy, Eda or somehin’? The weaklin’ who hasn’t offered a word of resistance, this guy did? To me? To a former sumo and a senior in Metallica, no honorifics, huh?

“Are you listening, Eda?”

“… You……!?”

Neito’s expression was cold enough to send s.h.i.+vers down his spine. His eyes looked as if darkness itself had resided in them. Black, and deep. There’s something scary in this man. That’s how he felt. From this guy I’ve been overwhelming for a while? Why?

“… Hey, you know your sister? The one that lives in Setagaya? Yeah, the one that finishes badminton practice at 7:00 p.m., and goes straight home? Truly an exemplary high school girl there. But she walks that path home alone, you know. Now doesn’t that sound dangerous?”

What was he saying? Seriously, what is this guy saying? If I don’t down him soon, he’ll be dangerous.

That’s how Eda felt.

“Her house is on the third block, her room on the second floor, facing due west. It seems you’ve cut ties with your parents, but you treat that sisters of your quite dearly. To even give her Christmas and birthday presents every year, you really are a nice guy, aren’t you?”

His junior coworker indifferently continued on. This is strange. This guy is strange.

“You told me on the first day, but our locker here… it sure has a lot of things in it. It sure is amazing that a form’s all you need to bring out a gun or bomb.”

He was scared. He was scared of such a weak man. Eda had forgotten. That strength wasn’t the only thing to make a person hold fear. There was something far more basic: malice. To something like that, strength was irrelevant. It was scary in itself that such a thing was pointed at him.

Eda was a known delinquent from his school days. From that experience, he could plainly tell. This guy is no delinquent. He’s evil.

“You still don’t get it? In this match, killing was banned, right? That’s why you won’t be able to kill me. And you see, I don’t want to lose.”

“W-what are you saying…!?”

“Now if you end up defeating me, then I can’t say for certain what might happen to that sister of yours.”

A shudder. His response to the cold voice Neito let out could only be described as such.

“…! Wa… it…”

“Don’t want to. Now here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to hit you. You’re going to be hit, and fall.”

“Wha…!?”

“You can dodge it if you want. But if you do, I’m going to peacefully forfeit this match. And after that…”

“Stop!!”

His mind couldn’t keep up. But at the very least, he could tell it didn’t sound like a bluff. It’s quite probable this man would do it all for real. And if he tried to stop him, he’d just take another measure. So to stop him, there was no other option but to kill this man. But in a workplace practice battle? Surely you’re joking.

“…!!”

The pride of the man called Eda wasn’t something stable enough to stand against ill intent of this level being sent his way.

The gentle punch Neito sent made a dull sound as it stuck into his body. Eda fell down quite unnaturally, and the match ended.

“Winner, Komori!”

The supervisor let out the decisive call. Thank G.o.d It looks like it went well.

To be honest, I wasn’t really sure it’d work out. Ah~ thank goodness.

“Fu… thank G.o.d… he… hehe…”

Neito took a deep breath in relief at his current victory.

Perhaps because he had quite consciously let out an unfamiliar tone of speech, the fatigue set in on him severely. And in the first place, his entire body was in pain.

But he had won. With a gentle punch.

The winner was much more beaten up than the loser. But even so, Neito felt a sense of fulfillment… however…

“That was dirty! Dammit!!”

After the match had ended, Eda declare what was on his mind.

The life of his sister was taken hostage. This match is null and void. He wanted to a.s.sert that.

?? I mean… huh? That’s no good? Why?

“Eh? Eda-san? Why are you so angry? I mean, you let me win after all, so there’s no way I’ll do anything to your sister! What do you have to be angry about?”

Yep. It’s a good thing he was such an understanding person. Is what Neito had thought.

“That’s not what this is about!! You even used such a dirty bluff!! Even I won’t be able to concentrate if you say somethin’ like that in the middle of a match!”

Eda said that in a rage. This is bad, I think he’s coming to hit me. This time, I’m so dead.

What should I do? In the first place, this person is making quite a fundamental misunderstanding.

“Lay off him, Eda!! A bluff that looks cowardly is but a single sort of strategy!! I said to fight like a member of Metallica, didn’t I!!? Vicious means are fair game!!”

The supervisor held back a rampaging Eda. Yep, for now, let’s run away. I did win, for argument’s sake. Yeah, let’s leave it at that.

Neito left the area, and Manaka followed behind to talk to him.

“You did it! I never thought you’d be able to say something like that! Hooray! We’ll have a celebration tonight!”

A bit roughly, Manaka was praising him. A little into his congratulations, Manaka spoke as if he just remembered something.

“… Hey, Neito. If… Eda had chosen to ignore what you were saying, and defeated you… what did you plan on doing?”

Eh? Even Manaka-san’s saying something like that?

“? Then of course I would have inflicted harm unto his dear sister.”

I flat out said that at the very start. Why is everyone acting so strange?

Of course, I wouldn’t want to do such a thing. So I really was glad when Eda folded like that. I mean, if it didn’t go like that, I’d end up doing it for real.

Neito hadn’t noticed. That the special talent he had had begun to sprout. And that normal society would never evaluate a trait as black as his.