Ryunosuke arrived at the supermarket, purchased everything he needed, and was now standing by the exit with two large bags in hand.
He hadn't expected to run into an acquaintance here. Specifically, Aoyama Nanami, who was working a part-time shift as a cashier. However, Ryunosuke didn't greet her. They didn't actually know each other personally, so what would be the point?
If Ryunosuke were to dig a little deeper, he would discover that this city also housed a place called Sakurasou Dormitory.
Returning to his house, Ryunosuke donned a dust mask, rubber gloves, and boots, ready to begin the deep clean. He soaked a mop and started on the floors. It didn't take long to finish the task.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. However, because the house was so old, the wooden floors emitted a heavy, musty scent of decay. He inspected the crawl space beneath the building and found that the support pillars had been decimated by termites. It was crystal clear: this house was officially a collapse hazard.
Ryunosuke clapped the dust off his hands, planning to find a contractor tomorrow for a total renovation. This place was no longer fit for human habitation. As for tonight? He was forced to find an inn.
After locking up, he sought out a reputable construction firm in the area, paid a deposit, and requested they come by tomorrow to assess whether the house could be saved or if it needed to be razed and rebuilt.
Currently, his remaining liquid cash after settling all debts was around 500 million Yen. 480 million came from his royalties, and the rest was the surplus from his previous funds. Since he wasn't yet certain if the court had officially lifted the asset freeze, he hadn't dared deposit the money yet.
Banks have the right to immediately debit funds to settle outstanding debts if a status hasn't been cleared. Even if the debt is paid, the money remains "stuck" unless the creditor actively reports the settlement to the court. Carrying that much cash made Ryunosuke incredibly anxious. Who would he blame if it went missing?
Fortunately, for convenience, his 480 million in royalties had been converted into a portable check. However, he was still lugging around 20 million Yen in cold, hard cash.
Right then, Kirishima called. He reported that the application to lift the freeze had been filed, and Ryunosuke could now use his bank cards normally.
Ryunosuke finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately headed to the bank to deposit the cash and the check. Walking around with that much money solo was just asking for trouble.
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Inside the Bank.
Across the lobby, a mother and daughter were trembling with fear. They huddled in a corner, watching the savage bank robbers. The mother held her daughter tight, keeping her head bowed as low as possible.
Despite their efforts, the pair still drew the robbers' attention. The reason was simple: they were far too beautiful to go unnoticed.
Asada Shino and her mother had come to the bank to collect the insurance payout following her father's death. He had passed away in a car accident on a mountain road while heading to her mother's family home. Because it happened in such a remote area, help arrived too late, and he bled out. It was just the two of them now. Before he died, her father did indeed have insurance, and just as they came to claim it, the robbery broke out.
Shino closed her eyes in despair, not daring to look at the robbers as they approached. One of them grabbed her mother's wrist and yanked her up. Seeing how youthful and beautiful the mother still looked, the scoundrel intended to drag her away. Shino tried to stop him with all her might, clutching the hem of her mother's clothes.
Ryunosuke felt like he was having a run of absolute rotten luck. He just wanted to deposit his money, and he ends up in the middle of this... But he had no intention of staying idle.
Crouching with his hands on his head, Ryunosuke stealthily shifted positions. When a robber was distracted, he lunged, locking the man's neck, striking him down, and snatching his AK-47. These thugs were only brave because they held the steel.
Hearing the commotion behind him, another robber immediately leveled his weapon at Ryunosuke. With a flare of bravado, Ryunosuke raised the AK-47 and shouted, "Weapon in hand, the world in my grasp!" But when he pulled the trigger... it was empty. Not a single round.
Ryunosuke fumbled with the gun for a second, confirming it was indeed dry, then promptly tossed the rifle aside and threw both hands over his head.
"Gentlemen, this is all just a big misunderstanding."
The robbers weren't interested in explanations and opened fire. Ryunosuke nimbly flipped a wooden desk to intercept the bullets.
[Note: A wooden desk cannot stop bullets; please do not attempt this in real life.]
Cold sweat poured down Ryunosuke's face. No matter how well he could fight, he was still terrified of bullets. Suddenly, a woman's voice drifted from beside him.
"Not a bad move there, Big Brother~"
Ryunosuke turned sharply to find a girl with short, silvery-blonde hair and red eyes, wearing a red tactical outfit. Ryunosuke froze, his brain lagging as he recognized exactly who this was.
Ignoring Ryunosuke's reaction, the girl charged out into the open, pistol in hand. Ryunosuke reached out to stop her, but remembering her abilities, he pulled his hand back.
The girl moved as if through a vacuum. In the middle of a hail of bullets, she dodged with casual ease. The robbers couldn't believe their eyes; they reloaded and kept firing blindly. Yet, not a single bullet grazed her.
Shino, watching from the sidelines, was mesmerized, her eyes sparkling. The girl who had come to the rescue even had the audacity to yawn.
"Yawn~ Are you guys done shooting yet?"
Enraged by the mockery, the robbers fumed but were powerless. The girl then leveled her own weapon. "Since you're done, it's my turn~"
The robbers panicked, trying to reload, but they had already exhausted their ammunition. As the girl fired, a miracle occurred: her bullets zipped harmlessly past their hair. She didn't hit a thing.
The girl tilted her head. "Eh? I missed? Again!"
She kept firing, scaring the robbers half to death and sending them into hysterical tears. But strangely, not a single shot found its mark. The girl finally got frustrated, reloaded, and kept shooting until her ammo was gone—and still... a score of zero.
The girl threw her pistol to the floor and stomped on it in a fit of rage. Initially, the robbers had been prostrate, begging for mercy and promising never to do it again. But as time went on, they realized something was very wrong.
Eventually, their fear vanished. They all stared at the girl with blank, weary eyes.
"This girl... it looks like her marksmanship is actually pathetic..."