You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!! - Chapter 16: The most important thing in battle is “the moment.”

Amakusa was astonished at the image displayed on the large monitor.

It wasn’t just her; the outcome perplexed everyone in the gym.

“Teacher… this result is…”

“Yes, I understand.”

The student who calls her can also pay attention to the monitor.

On the monitor, Himeji Shiori was lying there, covered in blood.

Thirty minutes before this outcome occurred.

◇◇◇

“Amakusa-sensei! Himeji-san and Ogino-kun have entered the simulation training machine! Is it okay if we watch on the monitor?”

A female student came up with a surprising request.

(Shiori-chan is in there!?)

While the students were bursting with curiosity, Amakusa-sensei was at a loss for words at the unbelievable situation unfolding.

“No way! I want to see too!”

“Could it be! A showdown between the tenth-ranked and a multi-ability user!”

“Sensei! I want to see too!”

The chatter spread like wildfire, and now all eyes were fixed on her. But is it okay?

(Without knowing what he might do…)

Amakusa’s evaluation of Hiroki-kun was that he was “a cute student,” but that excluded his “abilities.” She was still unfamiliar with him beyond the documents and was at a loss in this situation.

Influenced by the students’ eager voices, the desire “to know his true abilities” sprouted in her heart.

“Alright then! Let’s watch it!”

Contrary to my hesitant inner thoughts, I responded positively to fulfill the students’ wishes.

“Teacher! Everyone who heard about it has gathered, and one monitor isn’t enough!”

Indeed, almost the entire class had gathered in front of her.

Not just them, but students from other classes who happened to be training in the gym were also there.

“Ah! Alright, alright!! Then I’ll display it on all the monitors on this floor!”

“Ooooooh!!”

The students were thrilled at her response.

Feeling satisfied just seeing their smiles, she asked the gym manager to display the virtual reality image on all the monitors on the floor.

“What are those two doing?”

“Looks like Himeji-san is explaining something.”

“I wish we could turn up the volume.”

Responding to the student’s request, the manager increased the speakers’ volume throughout the floor.

“Then, let’s meet again.”

The audible voice indicated they were about to engage in a combat simulation.

Shiori’s words marked the beginning, and then both of their figures disappeared from the spot.

“Hey! This is a combat match! And it’s a showdown between the two of them!”

“Whoa! This is going to be good!”

“Who will win, I wonder!”

Everyone on the floor stopped their activities and focused on the scattered monitors.

This situation was likely largely influenced by the presence of “the tenth-ranked.”

(Shiori-chan is really popular, isn’t she?)

The monitor split into two images, showing both of them on either side.

“Himeji-san with a Desert Eagle!?”

“Choosing such a powerful weapon!”

“She must be really strong!”

“There are stories about her capturing criminals with abilities!”

The students were abuzz over Shiori’s armament.

She was taken aback by her appearance, too.

(Shiori-chan is serious!… But after the bank incident, she must know what he’s capable of…)

In this place, the only one who knew Hiroki Ogino’s true abilities was Shiori Himeji.

It was he whom she took seriously.

That thought was planted in the minds of those watching the monitor.

“Hey! What’s with all that stuff Ogino’s got?”

“AK-74, CZ805 Bren, Scorpion EVO3, PP-2000… some guns I’ve never seen before…”

“Hey, hey! How many guns does he have? Over twenty!”

“He’s also got spare magazines and bullets! And more than he can use!”

All eyes watching the monitors were confused at the sight of the iron mass covering the ground at Hiroki’s feet.

(Hiroki-kun… what on earth are you doing…)

What was he trying to do? She didn’t understand. He was supposed to have been living as an ordinary person until now. But what does that mean?

(What is he checking…)

He touched each gun with practiced hands, like a flow assembly line. She didn’t understand what it was for but realized it wasn’t a mistake.

“He’s leaving all the guns on the ground!? Why!?”

“Isn’t he going to use a gun!?”

“Hey, is that a sword at his waist?”

“Yes, it’s a sword.”

“Going against the tenth-ranked without guns…”

“No! Ogino has multiple abilities! The power of guns is nothing to… huh?”

“Hey? Why did Ogino bring out those guns?”

Questions arose. Indeed, it was contradictory. Why did Hiroki, who could wield combat skills and multiple abilities, bring out guns and leave them there? As mysteries dominated the scene, the monitor showed Hiroki going the guns on the ground and starting to walk with a sword in hand.

(Shiori-chan has grasped his position early on.)

Shiori moved down the floors without hesitation, deliberately using a collapsed hole to take the shortest route to him.

(Certainly, you can only expect a short battle against an opponent with unknown abilities.)

If he had clairvoyant abilities, the probability of being found quickly was high. Apart from that, considering everything, it was right for Shiori, with fewer moves, to bring about a short battle.

“Himeji-san has found Ogino!”

“Ogino hasn’t noticed her.”

Shiori approached Hiroki as planned.

But this is…

(As per Shiori-chan’s plan… but why this ominous feeling?)

A tremor ran through what was visible. Shiori seemed to have the upper hand, yet why this chill?

And then, a thought occurred to me.

(If Shiori-chan’s plan… was his plan…)

The moment that thought crossed her mind, the situation turned drastically.

“Ogino’s using a grenade!? No, it’s a smoke bomb!”

“He’s pinpointed Himeji-san’s location. Did he enhance his hearing for combat?”

“No! Himeji-san approached carefully without making a sound!”

“Then, is it clairvoyance?”

“Himeji-san is running!”

He had figured out Shiori-chan’s location. She realized it was all his scheme.

“Look! Himeji-san is throwing more smoke grenades ahead of her! He’s completely predicting her moves! It’s not just clairvoyance!?”

“Is it foresight!? Does he have multiple abilities?”

The eyes of those watching his figure were drowning in excitement. This unknown being, Ogino, captivated everyone watching.

(Principal… you’ve assigned me an incredible student.)

Teacher Amakusa mentally complained to the superior who had put Ogino in her charge, now fully aware of his danger and importance.

As the situation on the monitor progressed, Shiori, with a determined face, turned back the way she came.

“Of course, she’d turn back.”

“Going down a smoke-filled path would allow him to approach with clairvoyance, and then she’d be cut down with a sword.”

“Ah, and it’s useless to create extra distance. If he has clairvoyance, hiding anywhere is meaningless.”

“So, it’s down to a short battle now.”

The students analyzed the situation, understanding that the climax of this battle was near.

Her next move was to turn back.

But that, too, was within his calculations.

A metal object flew towards her head as she ran.

“A flash grenade!?”

“Yes, a regular grenade takes a few seconds to explode.”

“With that delay, Himeji-san could escape, and the blast would blow away the smoke, exposing Ogino.”

“So, he threw a flash grenade! And the flash can blind her!”

Everyone reached that conclusion. But there was more to the complete answer.

“Himeji-san disappeared!?”

“No! She fell into a collapsed hole!”

“Could it be, this was also calculated…”

“Idiot! That’s impossible!”

Voices of denial rose, refusing to admit that his will orchestrated this situation. But what was shown on the monitor was all the evidence needed.

Next, Shiori was attacked by the flash of the grenade.

She lay on the ground, squinting and closing her eyes, her figure astonishing everyone watching.

The tenth-ranked is losing.

That possibility dominated the scene.

Still, she held her Desert Eagle and raised her upper body.

“She hasn’t given up…”

“Yes, she probably discarded her vision information. All she has now is her hearing. She must be enhancing it as much as possible in that situation.”

Then, as she listened, the sound of the grenade he had thrown hitting a wall echoed above her.

In response, Shiori forcefully kicked off the ground.

“She dodged it.”

“Yes, with her enhanced hearing, she could sense it. And she could also predict where it would fall.”

“If she can’t identify a protective obstacle with her eyes, her only option is to create as much distance as possible.”

That assessment was correct. But it took only a moment to realize that this was within Hiroki’s calculations.

Everyone saw where the grenade was about to fall.

Fear reflected in their eyes when they recognized it. Yes, the pile of weapons and ammunition Hiroki had left behind. It was close to where Shiori had fallen.

Everyone present saw it.

They watched the grenade sink smoothly into the pile of weapons and ammunition.

The result that this would produce was…

“!?”

A massive explosion resounded. It wasn’t just the sound of a grenade; countless rounds of ammunition detonated in a series of blasts. And faintly visible were the linear shadows of shrapnel scattering, creating a space etched with terror.

“Hey… that’s…”

The scene where she had been was what everyone had feared.

She had been showered with a rain of bullets. The resulting scene and what it entailed was clear to anyone familiar with combat.

Red and black stains spread from her clothing. The walls and floor were splattered as if red paint had been thrown everywhere. Her form was so devastated it was a wonder her limbs were still attached.

“Ugh!”

“Hey! Are you okay?”

“Seeing that, anyone weak would throw up.”

“…Hey, Himeji-san is still moving!?”

“She’s alive!? …But with that, she’s…”

“Hey! Ogino is still…”

“He’s planning to continue…?”

As the smoke in the corridor cleared, Hiroki Ogino, staring intently at the visible hole, appeared on the monitor. His expression embodied the words, “I’m not done yet.”

“!”

A shadow moved amongst those present – it was Teacher Amakusa. She headed towards the simulation training machine, where the two were ‘sleeping,’ rushing to its control panel. Her fingers flew over the panel, and a display appeared before Hiroki.

“Victory”

The appearance of that word halted Hiroki’s advance, bringing a sense of calm to many students. But…

“…What?”

“!?”

Everyone present was gripped by fear at the sound of his voice from the monitor. What did it mean? Was it a voice of dissatisfaction, thinking, “Is this the extent of the tenth-ranked’s power?” Or a plea to “Let it continue”? The answer was shrouded in darkness, a question no one could ask.

The enigma of Hiroki Ogino consumed this moment.

“Teacher… about this outcome…”

“Yes, I understand.”

She turned away from the monitor, gently stroking the hair of a nearby student.

The outcome was that the tenth-ranked lost.

The result of my decision to stop him from continuing.

But it had to be accepted. He had the abilities of a ranked individual. Everyone who witnessed the scene knew this.

The terrifying capabilities of Hiroki Ogino.

“It will take a few minutes for them to wake up. If you are feeling unwell, please go to the infirmary. The rest of you return to your classrooms.”

Reacting to my call, the students dispersed from the scene, regardless of their classes.

(I really… made a mistake…)

She regretted it. The students would now fear him. While bullying would not occur, it was inevitable that they would keep their distance.

She sent a message to the entire class through my device, “Forget what you saw in the gym. And don’t be afraid of him.” Then she waited for the two to wake up.

(TL|N: Hello, I’m the translator. I’ve made some small adjustments to this chapter. The author frequently alternates between first and third-person perspectives, which can be quite confusing for readers unfamiliar with this style, which is common in Japanese literature. To enhance clarity, I’ve modified the narrative to maintain a consistent third-person perspective.  If you have any feedback on these changes or believe a different approach would be better, please feel free to leave a comment.)