Academy SP 〜An Ex-Mercenary Reincarnated as a Mob in a Gal Game. I Ditched My Bodyguard Job to Enjoy High School Life, but When the Ultra-Rich Heroines Were About to Get Killed, I Stepped In… and Somehow Built a Harem Powerful Enough to Control Japan〜 - Chapter 32, 33 & 34

Chapter 32

“…Huh? Manabu Hirota… you say?”

The name was so unexpected that I asked back without thinking.

Isoyama, meanwhile, started talking, looking smug as hell.

“Yeah! Hirota-kun told me! The police contacted him and said they found the same DNA at the scene where those three guys were assaulted! And get this—turns out the DNA matches Takahashi and Wakita!”

“…………….What?”

Isoyama kept going, bragging about how Hirota always got top-tier intel, how quickly he acted on it, and just how incredible and capable he was…

But honestly, I wasn’t even listening to that part.

A chill ran straight down my spine.

That was bullshit.

I hadn’t heard anything like that from Hirota.

No—before that, there was no way our DNA could’ve been found in the first place.

There was no reality where Wakita and I had attacked those guys.

Because we hadn’t done it.

Which meant—

This meant that Hirota had fed Isoyama a lie.

Why?

Why would he do that?

Was this just Isoyama’s delusion?

Was he making things up to shift the blame onto Hirota…?

No—That wasn’t it.

“Hirota-kun asked me to do this—he ordered me to ‘protect Hagoromo-san’!! And just like he said, you guys showed up!!”

At that point, there was no way I could pretend not to understand.

This was a trap.

Hirota had been aiming for this all along.

Using Isoyama and Sara as bait—

“Right now, Ririko-sama is being escorted home by Hirota-kun and the others! They’re taking full responsibility! You’re finished! The police will be here any minute!!”

To separate me from Ririko Aketo—

I checked the time on my phone.

It was already late enough for Ririko to be heading home.

We’d been played—

By now, Ririko was already with Hirota—

“Y-Yuuji? Did you contact Hirota-kun—?”

Wakita seemed to grasp the situation instantly and hurriedly asked me, but—

All I could do was shake my head.

“I don’t have Hirota’s contact.”

〇

Side: Ririko

I was just following along, surrounded by Hirota-kun and the others.

I didn’t even know how long we had been running.

“…No more, I can’t run anymore.”

I stopped without thinking, put my hands on my knees, and tried to catch my breath.

My head had been full of thoughts, and by the time I noticed, it was already evening.

“Ririko-sama, are you alright?”

“Haa, haa… sorry… let me rest for a bit.”

“…Understood.”

After that, Hirota-kun moved behind me.

When I lifted my head—

Something felt off.

“Huh… where… are we…?”

An abandoned factory.

No people. No lights.

Rusty machines and iron pipes lay scattered everywhere.

Weren’t we supposed to be going home…?

“Hirota-kun… this place is—”

Crack.

Something snapped.

Splat.

Something warm splashed against my cheek.

—What is this…? This red stuff…

I looked at what had smeared onto my fingertips.

It smelled faintly of iron.

This was… no way…

Blood…?

That was when it happened.

“Guaaaah!!”

A scream tore through the air.

The next thing I saw made my mind go blank.

Hirota-kun had… punched someone.

One of the Aketo Conglomerate faction members.

Eh—why…?

Did someone mess up…?

I didn’t understand anything—but judging by the others’ frozen expressions, neither did they.

Everyone just stood there, eyes wide with shock.

“W-What are you doing all of a sudden, Hirota—guuaaaah!!”

Before anyone could react, Hirota-kun punched him again.

“H-Hirota-kun!? C-Come on, stop messing around—gyyaaaah!!”

And again, Hirota-kun struck another one of his own people.

“H-Hiie! Help—”

Hirota-kun struck yet another—

Before I knew it, the entire place had turned into a nightmare.

No one was moving anymore.

This wasn’t a fight.

It was slaughter.

With terrifying strength, he smashed his fists straight into their faces—teeth shattered, noses crushed—and they dropped instantly.

“Gufu…”

A twisted smile spread across his face.

That sound—

Did it come from Hirota-kun?

“Gufu… gufu gufu gufu…”

In the fading evening light, Hirota-kun stood among his blood-soaked comrades.

The sight of his back alone was enough to make my knees go weak.

“At last… it’s time.”

“H-Hirota-ku—”

He turned toward me.

His head twisted at an unnatural angle, like his neck shouldn’t even bend that way.

And when I saw his smile—

My entire body locked up.

“A… ah…”

That warped smile.

The madness behind it—

For a split second, it overlapped perfectly with the image of the person who had sent those threat letters.

That’s right…

I had been set up.

The real culprit was never Isoyama-kun.

“Ririko…… RirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRirikoRiriko！！！！”

What stood before me was—

Clearly, a complete lunatic.

〇

Side: Yuuji

When everything finally clicked into place, I let out a slow breath—and then spoke to Isoyama.

“Isoyama. Listen carefully.”

“Hah? What the hell are you trying to say—”

“…It’s Hirota.”

“…Huh?”

“The one who attacked the Aketo faction students—was Manabu Hirota.”

Isoyama just stood there, mouth hanging open, completely stunned.

Chapter 33

“Hirota-kun is… the real culprit?”

For a split second, Isoyama stared at me—

Then he burst out laughing.

“Hahahahahaha!! You’ve got to be kidding me! Of all people, you’re trying to pin this on Hirota-kun!? That man—more serious than anyone else, strong, and completely devoted to serving Ririko-sama—and you’re saying he’s the culprit…!”

Then, in the very next moment, his eyes went bloodshot as he completely snapped.

“You bastard!! Cut the crap already!!”

What a ridiculous mood swing.

But now wasn’t the time to point that out.

“…Isoyama. I’m done playing along. Where is Hirota!?”

“Hah!?”

“Ririko Aketo—no, your own teammates are in serious danger right now!!”

“The one who’s in the most danger here… is you!!”

Finally losing his patience, Isoyama lunged straight at me.

From a karate stance—straight punch.

Fast.

Yeah, he had some serious speed.

“I’ll take you down right now and hand you over to the cops!”

“Y-Yuuji!”

Sara screamed from behind as Isoyama roared and threw his punch.

Seeing someone come at me like that, of course she’d panic.

But relax, Sara—

There was no need to worry.

“Gah!?”

I slipped past his straight punch and, in the same motion, clamped his fully extended right arm under my left armpit.

My right hand locked his shoulder in place.

The joint was completely caught.

“Ow ow ow ow ow!?”

Using the momentum, I slammed him face-first into the ground and pinned him there.

“I-It hurts…!”

“Don’t move. You’ll break something.”

“Shit… shit!”

At this point, Isoyama could only spit out empty bravado.

His body was entirely under my control.

“A-Amazing…”

Sara stared in shock.

“That was… judo? No, that didn’t look like it… I’ve trained in martial arts myself, but I’ve never seen movements like that…”

Wakita watched closely, analyzing my technique with clear interest.

“T-Takahashi…! H-How are you this strong!? To take me down that easily…”

“Enough. Isoyama—tell me where Hirota is. Now.”

“F-Fuck off…! There’s no way Hirota-kun is the culprit!”

“Isoyama!! I told you we don’t have time for this!! Talk, or I’ll snap your arm!”

“…T-Then snap it.”

“…Huh?”

I expected him to break.

Beg. Panic.

But instead—

Isoyama showed genuine resolve.

“Hirota-kun is… someone I look up to! He’s strong, people trust him, and more than anything—he stands for justice…! I only joined this faction for connections with the Aketo Conglomerate at first, but… before I realized it, Hirota-kun became my goal…! So there’s no way I’d casually say something that could put someone I admire in danger!”

“Tch…”

I clicked my tongue—

And let him go.

Still clutching his shoulder, Isoyama looked at me in disbelief.

He probably thought I’d break his arm without hesitation if I truly believed Hirota was guilty.

“W-Why…?”

“Isoyama. Sorry, but I don’t have time to argue with you. If you won’t talk, stay right here. —Wakita! We split up and search!”

“Aye aye, sir!”

Then I turned to Sara.

“Sara, stay in the academy for now. The library should help pass the time, right?”

“Eh, b-but…”

She glanced anxiously at Isoyama, but I shook my head.

“It’s fine. Isoyama won’t hurt you. Even if he’s wrong… it looks like he was trying to protect you.”

Isoyama looked at me again, stunned.

But there was no time left to explain.

“Sorry. Right now, I need to make sure Ririko Aketo is safe. I’ll come back for you. So wait here.”

“O-Okay… I understand… Yuuji.”

She grabbed the sleeve of my uniform and looked up at me, her eyes trembling.

“Promise you’ll… come get me.”

“Yeah.”

After that, we ran.

“—That can’t be true… No way… Hirota-kun… Hirota-kun…”

Isoyama’s muttering followed us from behind.

〇

After that, Wakita and I split up to search separately.

Wakita headed toward the riverbank, while I went toward the industrial area.

Somehow, without me noticing, Wakita had built up a wide network of contacts. He started calling everyone he knew, asking if anyone had seen Manabu Hirota.

If they were moving on foot, he couldn’t have gotten far.

So I ran at full speed—

And then my phone rang.

It was Wakita.

“Yuuji!”

“Did you find Hirota!?”

“Probably headed toward the industrial zone! A student saw members of the Aketo faction taking Ririko-san that way! But that’s all the details I’ve got!”

“That’s more than enough. I’ll find him. No matter what.”

“And… there’s more. Something bad.”

“What is it?”

“Someone with a relative in the police told me—things are in chaos over there. The DNA from the assault on those three Aketo faction guys… it matched the son of the National Police Agency chief.”

“DNA—? Then that means…”

“Yeah. Manabu Hirota was already confirmed as the culprit.”

—No way.

I never thought there’d be evidence that decisive.

Chapter 34

“—Yeah, and apparently there were signs of hacking at the National Police Agency too. They think that was Hirota’s doing as well. He probably checked the investigation’s progress and realized the police were about to come for him.”

“Realized…? Wait—then does that mean Hirota is… completely cornered now?”

Wakita hesitated before answering.

“Yeah… this is bad, Yuuji. There’s no telling what Hirota might do anymore. That’s exactly why Ririko-san’s life is in serious danger…!”

“…Damn it! Wakita! If you hear anything, call me immediately! I don’t care how small it is!!”

I hung up and ran.

—This place was deserted. Abandoned buildings. Factories no one used anymore.

She had to be here.

Ririko had to be here!

But when I turned the corner—

What spread out before me was a massive industrial zone, rusted and decaying.

Because of the recession, factories had shut down one after another.

Not just one or two—there were dozens.

“Damn it… where the hell are you…?”

That was when my ringtone echoed through the empty area.

The name on the screen was—

Sara.

〇

Side: Ririko

“Nn… mfnn…”

I’d been dragged into a dusty factory, and before I knew it, Hirota-kun had bound my hands and feet with duct tape.

My mouth was sealed too.

“Sorry, Ririko. If you make noise here, it’ll be troublesome. Just endure it for a bit, okay?”

“Mfm… mmm…”

Manabu Hirota—

The man standing right in front of me—

The way he spoke, sweet and clingy, like he was playing with a toy.

The way he looked down at me with that sticky smile—

Was this really the Manabu Hirota I knew?

He felt like a completely different person.

Was this what they called a split personality…?

“Ah… I’ve wanted this for so long. To be alone with you like this… Ririko.”

As he said that, Hirota hugged me tightly, breathing heavily.

That alone sent chills crawling all over my skin.

“…Do I maybe disgust you?”

In the very next instant, his expression twisted.

His pupils widened, and he glared at me with pure hatred, like he was dumping it all onto me at once.

I shook my head desperately—lying—again and again.

Then, as if satisfied, he smiled again.

His emotions flipped back and forth without warning.

Like a child—

Like someone who didn’t understand that beating his teammates unconscious, tying me up, and locking me away were crimes.

Everything about him felt warped… detached from reality.

“Y’know… I’ve liked you for a long time, Ririko. Being a girl from the Four Great Conglomerates or whatever—that never mattered to me.”

Hirota rubbed his cheek against mine, his voice clinging.

No… stop…

This is disgusting…

I felt sick.

“To begin with, being the son of the Police chief means I don’t need conglomerate connections anyway. I only joined this ‘Academy SP’ because my father told me to. He said the achievements here would help when I became a police officer someday.”

“Mfm… mmm…”

“But I never cared about any of that. I never wanted to be a police officer. I didn’t even want to become an adult. I hated the idea… I always have.”

“Mnn… mnn…”

“But after I met you, Ririko… I finally found a goal. Do you remember the entrance ceremony? When we stood on that stage together for the first time? From that moment… your face wouldn’t leave my head. You were beautiful—but there was a shadow about you too. And that’s when I thought—someone this beautiful—”

Hirota smiled.

Like slicing into a tomato and watching the red flesh split open.

With that unnatural smile—

“I wanted to make that shadow of yours—darker and darker. Slowly hurting you, breaking you bit by bit… I wanted to dye you in despair.”

“………………!?”

“It was incredible. Watching you suffer over those letters. You couldn’t sleep at night, right? Seeing you grow weaker every day… it thrilled me. Everything went exactly as planned. Sending those letters meant I’d be assigned as your escort more often, after all. Watching you suffer from up close made me so happy. Kufufufufufu…”

No way…

All that harassment… was just for that?

“Ahh, I wanted to make you suffer more… more and more.  But there’s no time left now. The police will catch me soon. I’m a minor, so I’ll probably get out quickly—but I won’t get another chance to see you again, Ririko. So before that… I want to see your face completely filled with despair.”

He said it all with a smile—

But his eyes were empty.

Pitch-black.

That hollow gaze sent a shiver through my entire body.

—This man…

He’s completely broken.

And then I understood.

I was going to die.

By this man.

“Mmff! Mrmnnnn!!”

No…

I don’t want this…

I don’t want to die like this…!

Someone—please—help me…!

Giiii—

At that moment, the rusted door creaked open.

Orange evening light spilled into the dark factory, and Hirota’s eyes widened in shock.

—Someone came…!?

I turned toward the entrance—

And standing there was someone familiar.

Someone who was always with us.

The one closest to Hirota—

—Isoyama-kun?