Chapter 12: Gin Is Knocked Out by a Gift
When Hikigaya deactivated the barrier, the environment previously imposed around Gin and Vodka began to shift.
The scene before their eyes started to twist and wrinkle, then tore apart like paper. What reappeared before them was no longer the cold-toned atmosphere; the floor-to-ceiling windows along the corridor were open, and the sunlight felt warm against their skin.
Directly in front of them stood a girl dressed as a maid.
"Guests, Hachiman has been waiting for you for a long time," the girl said. She looked them over, her expression incredibly steady.
Vodka stood mouth agape, while the aura of violence that usually filled Gin's eyes finally gave way to something else. No technology he knew of or had heard of could achieve this. After ruling out all impossible conclusions, he arrived at a fact he was unwilling to believe but had to tentatively accept—there might actually be such a thing as magic in this world.
Taking a step forward, Gin noticed that the floor no longer emitted that loud, piercing creak with every footfall, and the smell of decay in the air had vanished.
Gin silently deleted the plan to "beat the crap out of the new BOSS" from his mind... if that bizarre possibility was indeed reality, the likelihood of his own side being beaten into an unidentifiable substance was certainly higher.
After prompting Vodka, who was still dazing off, Gin walked toward the Japanese-style sliding door to the girl's left. Before pushing the door open, he suddenly turned his head to flash a signature "Gin-style" killing intent at the girl. However, she showed none of the expected reactions; instead, she looked at him strangely.
"Guest, is something wrong with your neck?"
Her expression was entirely earnest, yet it wasn't the response Gin felt he deserved... Gin could boast that his experience and micro-management of killing intent were top-tier in the industry. In the past, he had never received an "incorrect" response; even a mentally disabled child would have a normal subconscious reaction. If this girl wasn't worse off than a disabled child, she was a hidden powerhouse.
Gin chose the latter.
Seeing that he hadn't answered the question for a while, the girl thoughtfully reached out to slide the door open for him, warmly reminding him: "Guest, you may enter after taking off your shoes."
Gin replied with a mental "Heh," and raised his foot, preparing to step straight in. He wasn't going to accommodate some "powerhouse" who opened doors for people.
Then, he heard a sound like machinery operating and saw a flash of silver. A sharp blade had snapped out from the girl's elbow with a shink, leveling itself right in front of Gin's stomach. Judging by the reflection, it was sharpened to a lethal degree; disemboweling someone with it would be effortless.
"So, you are a bad person after all?" The girl's voice took on a hint of anger.
Gin maintained his cold, aloof expression, but the foot he had just raised slowly retracted. He saw it clearly: the blade had popped out from the elbow itself, not hidden in a sleeve—because the girl was wearing short sleeves.
Regardless, human elbows aren't supposed to have a "hidden blade" function. Gin liked the Wolverine movies, but he didn't believe the world currently possessed the technology to build a live-action version, so... was this also an effect of the legendary "magic"?
"That's enough, Moe. Let him in."
Just as Gin was wondering how to take off his shoes without looking like a coward or provoking her, he heard someone speak from the other side. Well, he had been so focused on the elbow-blade that he hadn't looked ahead. He recognized the voice; he'd heard it on the phone and had mentally complained about how young it sounded.
Gin looked forward. A youth sat in a chair, a basin full of water at his feet, with another girl holding a sword standing beside him.
This was his new BOSS?
Gin's gaze swept the room and settled back on the basin.
'What's the point of putting a basin here? Does he want to wash his feet? Tsk! The Japanese are so fussy, huddling in a room to wash their feet in broad daylight.'
Then he heard the girl blocking him say, "But this guest's shoes are very dirty."
"It's fine. This guest doesn't quite reach the level of 'dirty' yet."
Hearing the youth say this, Gin felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of irritation. However, she was no longer blocking him, so he stepped into the room. Just as he entered, the door slid shut behind him. The elbow-blade girl clearly had no intention of letting Vodka in.
Gin remained silent, simply staring at the youth before him, his heart full of doubt.
"You're Gin, right?" the youth said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hikigaya Hachiman. From today on, you're with me."
"I don't just 'hang out.' Are you the new BOSS sent by the Yomi organization?"
"Oh? You don't think I look the part?"
"No, I just think you're too young," Gin replied coldly. "Being too young makes it hard for me to trust you. Martial arts don't represent everything. My real boss believes this as well; has he not communicated with your superiors?"
"You're only half right," Hikigaya said.
"The person you speak of is just a minor character on the periphery of the Weapon Group. He can't reach the high-level leadership of Yomi, which means he has no capacity to contact me or my peers."
He stood up, walked over to Gin, and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Gin, who hadn't yet processed the content of Hikigaya's words but felt an instinctive sense of danger, asked reflexively.
"Ready to receive the gift I'm giving you. Also, as a friendly tip: in this world, martial arts can be everything."
The moment the words left his mouth, Hikigaya's pupils transformed into the likeness of the Sun and Moon. In an instant, the martial arts memories he had selected—along with the life-giving power bestowed by this Authority—poured into Gin's eyes.
Exactly as Hikigaya expected, Gin took the full brunt of the download, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot. He didn't even have time to shout in pain...
The Eye of Horus was just that useful. There was a reason the ancient Egyptians viewed His eye as the Eye of Magic; through these eyes, Hikigaya could not only flexibly use the power of life but also carry the casting of most magecraft.
He gave Ena a look, stepped over Gin—who managed to look aloof even while unconscious on the floor—and opened the door.
Outside was Vodka, waiting faithfully. It had to be said that even though this guy was naked save for his underwear, he was very loyal; as soon as the door opened, he saw Gin lying motionless on the floor. His large, square face changed color instantly.
"What did you do to my Big Brother!?" he roared.
Immediately afterward, Ena—who was annoyed to see him wandering around without clothes—struck him in the stomach with her scabbard. It knocked the wind out of him completely; he clutched his stomach and knelt on the ground, unable to get up.
Hikigaya didn't even look at him.
He simply told Moe to watch over the two of them, then took Ena toward the Yorozuya.
A certain comedic inspector was very satisfied with his purchase and had already made an appointment to come shopping again today, so business was bound to be booming.
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