You’re Right, They’ll Expel Me if I Run into the Store with a Weapon!!

The events unfold three days after the incident at Daiichi Bank.

“It’s unbelievable.”

“But it’s the truth!”

In the conference room of the Combat College School, the principal and the entire teaching staff have assembled.

Presently, Shiori is reporting the complete details of the ‘Daiichi Bank Incident. Beside her, a large panel displays surveillance camera footage from inside the bank.

“I’m not doubting you. Your report, along with the two of your subordinates and the bank’s surveillance footage, all match.”

The principal, looking troubled, comments while viewing the footage of the boy responsible for the incident in the bank. All the teaching staff, having seen the entire event, couldn’t hide their surprise, and the principal was among them.

“‘Unbelievable’ refers to what he did. He did something realistically impossible.”

The principal conveys his feelings to Shiori, having witnessed an unprecedented event.

“I shouldn’t be saying this, but I find him terrifying.”

This statement from the man at the top of Japan’s Combat College was significant, and its gravity was felt by everyone in the room, including Shiori.

“The most frightening part is, we don’t know what abilities he has. He subdued one of the enemy ability users without showing any visible powers.”

“Yes, I could only hypothesize and couldn’t reach a definitive answer.”

“Right. And the most likely scenario is that he possesses multiple abilities.”

“!?!”

Everyone in the room froze at the principal’s statement. There had been no precedent for someone manifesting multiple abilities.

If he were the first case, the fact that he had not been enrolled in Combat College until now was frightening.

He was an uncontrolled, unprecedented combat power holder, living indistinguishably among ordinary citizens.

He could have potentially caused significant damage to the city with his powers.

“Don’t be so shocked. Or rather, I apologize for making such a terrifying hypothesis.”

The principal tries to ease the tension in the room with a laugh, showing regret for his words.

“Really, what was the Examination Committee doing? They never found him until now.”

He explains the unclear points in a slightly youthful tone.

“Maybe he was hiding it. He might have realized his abilities at a young age, during elementary school, and has been hiding them ever since.”

Shiori recalls the rules for combat power holders.

The test was conducted in elementary school.

Those deemed to have combat power are granted the right to enroll in Combat College.

However, those who refuse to enroll undergo treatment to reduce their powers for their safety and have their abilities forcibly removed.

He had escaped that regulation.

He awakened his combat power before the test, and without telling anyone, mastered control over it, evading the test. It seemed impossible.

(No way a child could do that!)

Shiori imagined his background and denied the possibility, of asking the principal for his opinion.

“Is such a thing possible?”

“I want to say it’s impossible, but after seeing his actions…”

Indeed, his actions demonstrated perfect control over his powers.

“He captured a combat power user from a criminal organization, one who was even invisible. That’s not something an ordinary person could do. He’s no amateur.”

It was unthinkable.

“We don’t know how he managed to hide his combat power during the test. Did he manipulate the testing equipment, brainwash the examiner, or simply hide his power from the machine using his skills?… It’s futile to speculate.”

Just thinking about it was terrifying.

“And then, his actions at the bank. As far as we can tell, they could only be accomplished by someone with multiple abilities.”

This includes something that stopped the guards.

Something that frightened the female bank employee.

Something that found his subordinate hidden in the ceiling.

Something that detected the invisible enemy.

It was a reality I had witnessed.

“Now, here’s his file.”

The principal takes a few documents from the desk, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I had some government contacts investigate Hiroki Ogino, but despite the extensive information we gathered, there was nothing related to combat power.”

A person with combat power should be able to perform beyond an ordinary person and eventually show some sign.

“Currently, he is a first-year student at a regular high school. This means he’s been hiding his combat power for over three years.”

Normally, in school life, he would have used his powers to excel above others, but he did not, thus receiving the same evaluation as his peers.

“To avoid detection by the Examination Committee and us, he never showed any vulnerability. Amazing. You’d think a guy would use his powers to be more popular, right?”

The principal humorously suggests what a typical boy might do while explaining Hiroki’s background.

“But now, he’s revealed himself. We don’t know why. Knowing that the bank was targeted by us and a criminal organization, he took that action.”

That’s right.

“That funny disguise must’ve been to hide his identity. It was amusing. Well, his face was identified after we analyzed the surveillance camera footage.”

That’s her only question.

“Maybe he also used an ability to change his body. We couldn’t see much of his skin in that outfit.”

This would make sense: an ability to change the body. Abilities like covering oneself with hedgehog-like spines, or growing bird-like wings to fly. He might have demonstrated powers beyond those of ordinary humans, akin to those of animals in the natural world.

“Well, now we need to discuss something serious…”

The atmosphere in the room shifted from casual to serious as the principal’s expression changed.

“Hiroki Ogino is aware of our existence. And he knows that we suspect him of possessing combat abilities. It’s not just a suspicion anymore, it’s a certainty.”

He explains the relationship between Hiroki and themselves.

“So far, he has concealed his combat abilities, but he revealed his true nature in front of us, without showing the true nature of his abilities.”

He made them understand he had abilities without revealing their true nature. An impossible feat.

“So, what do you think his next action will be? He’s revealed the secret that he had been concealing until now. He must be planning something big.”

His words sounded simple but carried a terrifying implication. There must be a reason why he showed his abilities in public.

Considering his past, it’s unlikely that he would reveal his secret without a reason. Surely, whatever he’s planning next is related to us.

“Now, Shiori, I have a question for you, if that is alright?”

“Yes.”

The principal, now with a gentle face and tone, asked Shiori a question.

“I want to hear your impression of Hiroki Ogino during that time at the bank.”

“Don’t worry, just answer honestly,” he added, looking at Shiori. There’s a sensation one can only feel in the moment.

The principal was trying to understand the atmosphere Shiori felt around Hiroki at that time. She was the only one who had approached and spoken to him.

“My first thought was that he was an idiot. But then, it turned into fear, and finally, respect and gratitude.”

“Respect and gratitude?”

Shiori spoke her thoughts candidly.

“When I realized that the strong enemy I thought we had was suddenly on our side, I felt fulfilled.”

Shiori, placing her hand on her chest, conveyed her honest feelings to the principal.

“How can I become like him? He seemed like a true powerhouse. When I realized he was on our side, I felt invincible.”

She shared her final thoughts.

“If he were to join us… become a member of the Combat College Japan Branch, I feel we could stand above all other Combat College branches worldwide.”

This was Shiori’s complete impression of the boy.

The teaching staff saw the shadow of Hiroki Ogino in her words. The principal, thinking deeply, sat in his chair, looking at Hiroki displayed on the panel.

Then, turning to Shiori with a decided look, he made a suggestion.

“Do you think we can make him our ally?”

“I believe there is a possibility.”

“I see… Then, Shiori. I’m assigning you a mission.”

“Yes?”

“Approach him and try to transfer him to Combat College.”

“That is…”

“It’s too late to take his abilities away now. We don’t know what kind of resistance he might show. The only option is to take him under our wing.”

While the teaching staff was shocked by the principal’s words, Shiori listened calmly.

“I’ll prepare for the transfer. You just need to make contact with Hiroki Ogino.”

“Understood.”

Finally, the principal added,

“If he refuses to join Combat College, retreat immediately. We don’t know what he might do.”

The teaching staff could only imagine being killed before they could retreat if he decided to act. But Shiori, who probably understood this the best, responded firmly.

(If he becomes an ally! If Hiroki-kun joins us!)

Her mind was filled with thoughts of Hiroki.

Her heart burned with the desire to impale everyone in the room with thorns in a fit of power outburst. Despite her thoughts wandering, Shiori was excited about the prospect of Hiroki joining Combat College.

Below the conference room where Shiori and the others were, there was a document storage room. The next day, someone visiting the storage room found objects that had been skewered, leaving a trail of destruction.