When Epi saw the prisoners heading toward the fallen Kongkongi Gang members, he shouted, "Wait! Everyone, come back!"
"...Faust, do you really have to keep traveling with people like this?"
"Life is always full of questions."
"That is precisely why it may be called ideal."
Epi clutched his head at the two of them, who clearly could not communicate with normal people.
Somehow, he was starting to look pitiful.
He really had his work cut out for him.
"Where the hell is your head? Tell him to get out here right now!"
Heathcliff said that while shaking the collar of a Kongkongi Gang member who had already lost consciousness.
"Our boss is... at the car tower..."
"Car tower? Where the hell is that?! Speak so I can understand you!"
Just as Heathcliff was about to shake him harder, Epi stepped in and explained where the car tower was.
"He means the scrapyard around here."
"But you're seriously planning to take out the Kongkongi Gang boss too?"
"It's not like that'll show up on your performance review or anything. You know that, right?"
"That one isn't sharp enough to think that far ahead."
"If anything, it's more like they're getting angry and charging in on impulse because the other side keeps provoking them."
"They're filth with no relation to schemes or ulterior motives. Though they are close to nonsense."
Epi looked as though he had a headache from the combo of Ishmael, me, and Otis, but Sword seemed to catch some kind of hint from Otis's words and brightened slightly as she said, "No... maybe it does make sense."
"No problem, Epi. We always prepare up to Plan B, don't we?"
For someone claiming there was no problem, her voice was shaking an awful lot.
Sword continued speaking with a gentle expression.
No, every so often her expression wavered, so it looked less like she was gentle and more like she was trying to be gentle.
"If disguising yourselves is impossible..."
"Then we'll all disguise ourselves as Kongkongi Gang members."
"If we go in as a group, we won't stand out, and we'll be able to make it smoothly to the top floor."
"And while we're at it, we'll take the wish power from the Kongkongi Gang too."
...Surprisingly, that was a very realistic and good plan.
Out of Sword's mouth came a perfect strategy that could solve both the operation's success and the prisoners' complaints.
So this is what an elite is like?
The various brains among the prisoners must have thought it was reasonable too, because no one objected to Sword's plan.
Then naturally...
"No complaints, right? Let's go!"
People with initiative always move first.
Then I guess I'll follow along.
**
Following the guidance of Epi and Sword, who knew the destination's location, we headed for the car tower.
As we kept going, the dingy feel of the back alleys gradually faded, and a rather unusual place came into view, where cars were stacked up like towers.
The sight of countless cars piled up like a tower was so unreal, something you would never normally see in real life, that a strange chill crawled up my spine.
"Oho...? Everyone! Come look at this!"
Don Quixote pressed her face right up against a car's windshield and peered inside, clearly finding it fascinating.
"...What is all this?"
"Cars stacked up like a tower."
"How gloomy."
True to the nickname car tower, cars were layered one atop another all over the place, stacked like a tower.
"Why are there so many cars piled up like this...?"
"Oh, some of them have letters on them! Looks like they were sent by family members!"
As she said that, Don Quixote was holding a small letter in her hand.
Sinclair, who had been growing increasingly uneasy ever since he saw the car tower, started reading the small letter in Don Quixote's hand.
"It says... that they miss them. These people... they'll be coming back soon, right...?"
"As if."
"Even if they did come back from the casino, they wouldn't be in any condition to return to their families in one piece~"
"..."
At Rodion's cold words, Otis let out a small groan as if something had struck her.
"Well... if I'm going to do the guide's job as a bonus, this is the hidden landmark of this alley."
"The end of gamblers."
"This place was the springboard that let the Kongkongi Gang expand their influence through the used-car business."
Sword and Epi traded remarks as they explained the car tower.
...Was the strange chill I felt from the car tower because I had guessed they were all someone's lost cars?
"Rodion, you said you've been to places like this often, right? Don't you have anything to add? I feel like you'd have an interesting story."
"Ah~ no idea, no idea. I don't remember. I decided to forget the past and live with my eyes fixed on the road ahead."
"...If it weren't for those meddling pests, I'd probably be able to live by that resolution. Hmph."
Where Rodion was looking, there was a Kongkongi Gang member in familiar clothing.
"You brats! You know this is our turf and still you're walking around here?"
"Or are you here to sell your car?"
"No! We travel by bus!"
Please stop answering things like that one by one, Don Quixote.
Maybe because she had nearly blurted out the company's name earlier, I felt uneasy every time Don Quixote spoke in front of someone.
"We don't handle livestock. Hm, though if it's a rare color like your eyes, I'd pay quite a bit..."
"So we did come to the right place! We've come to find your boss!"
"Where the hell did you come from, acting so damn bold?"
"We are Lim..."
"Ahem..."
For a moment, an awkward silence fell.
Don Quixote... you've grown!
Just as I was feeling a little moved, a huge shout shattered the mood.
"I asked where you came from! Why'd you stop talking halfway through!"
"Um... so, we..."
"...Attack, everyone!"
Dante gave the order to engage, apparently deciding our cover was blown anyway.
Then let's strike first—!
Whoosh—
No, what the hell. He dodged?
"It's an ambush!!"
The Kongkongi Gang member who had evaded my attack called over the others and hurried off somewhere.
Whoosh——!
"Got you...! Huh?"
After dodging Heathcliff's follow-up attack as well, he slipped beyond our range.
We tried to chase after him immediately, but...
"You're not going any farther!"
We were blocked by another Kongkongi Gang member summoned by the one who had fled.
Another fight, huh...
Why is it that not a single thing ever goes smoothly?
I spent a brief moment lamenting my miserable situation, then resigned myself and tightened my grip on my weapon.
Still had to do the job, yeah.
**
Thanks to us, strengthened by gacha, the Kongkongi Gang members were quickly dealt with, and we were able to pursue him at speed.
There, we found a man who looked blatantly sleazy.
Seeing that he was the only one wearing a Hawaiian shirt of a different color, was that the boss?
"Huff... huff..."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Boss! Some guys who didn't even identify their affiliation suddenly barged in!"
"Who sent you? Judging by your clothes, you're not with the Habanero Gang or the Butcher Gang..."
"If you apologize properly and back off now, I'll let you leave with all your limbs intact."
Somehow, all these gang names were...
Anyway, just because the other side was acting like that didn't mean we could back down.
Knowing that, Yi Sang stated our purpose.
"...If you would kindly take off the clothes you're wearing, we'll withdraw."
"That sounds a little weird when you say it like that."
...With a word choice that left room for some misunderstanding.
"Boss... those rumors... the ones about a group that does weird things with human scent... I think that's them."
What?
"Ugh... disgusting bastards... don't live your life like that..."
The words to rebut them rose all the way to my throat, but I couldn't bring myself to say them out loud.
If we said we needed the Kongkongi Gang's identity here, wouldn't it make it far too obvious that our target was the Golden Bough?
This was, after all, a covert operation; there was no need to raise the enemy's guard against us this early.
Of course, that didn't mean I was going to let this frustration go.
"...This is the first time I've ever wanted to win this badly."
I agree, Dante.
I was going to vent all of this anger in this fight, no matter what.
"Everyone, battle stations!"
At Otis's words, the prisoners quickly assumed combat posture.
"Time to clean up, idiots."
Thud——!
Swish, stab——
"How's that? Feel like dying yet?"
Ryoshu and Heathcliff's attacks landed cleanly.
They're usually the bus's biggest headaches, but once they're in a fight, they become reliable.
If only they could be like that all the time.
Well, I couldn't just stand there watching either.
Normally, once the head is gone, the rest of the rabble lose all morale. I chose the Kongkongi Gang boss as my first target.
"Hup!"
Clang!
He blocked it?
Clang—!
Clang——!
Clang— clang— clang— clang———
An unnaturally long exchange continued.
My attack was clumsy too, but somehow it felt like the other side wasn't making a single mistake.
The exchange went on and on...
An opening!
Thud——!
WDhTRGFNY2x3d3VFV05BZnl6K0ZFTjkzMG51WTFBMnNxMzJDYlVWUlJEVDBncmZYUkpTUkErZkFXNXk4SEJuZw
"Ghk!"
With the razor-thin difference carried over from the opening exchange, I managed to win.
Still, if he was that skilled...
This might take quite a while to finish.