The Infiltration [3]

A hypocritical revolutionary who relied on his intellect.

That was Kudo Mitsunobu's assessment of him.

Still, his exaggerated, self-indulgent antics were exactly the sort of thing his followers would eat up. In that regard alone, he was indeed suited to lead a terrorist organization.

"So that's how it is! I was careful to leave you alive, so you should consider yourself lucky."

Kudo Mitsunobu said expressionlessly, raising a hand toward the terrorists who were pointing their guns at him.

"Don't be in such a hurry! I'm very interested in your abilities. From now on, you'll be one of us!"

Kudo Mitsunobu looked ready to attack without another word, cutting off Shiichi's attempt to continue speaking.

He took off his prescription-free glasses and flung them into the air with an exaggerated flourish. As Kudo Mitsunobu's eyes followed the glasses, Shiichi brushed aside the hair hanging over his forehead.

A strange light shone from Shiichi's eyes.

The cold expression vanished from Kudo Mitsunobu's face. His raised left hand also went limp and dropped unnaturally.

"Hahaha! So what if you're a member of the Ten Master Clans? You're still going to become my prisoner!"

Shiichi laughed arrogantly, his face twisted. To be safe, he had gathered all the Sun Crystals in this room to deal with Kudo Mitsunobu.

He'd done it to guard against the possibility that Kudo Mitsunobu's computational abilities might exceed the Sun Crystals' capacity to interfere. He hadn't expected to succeed so easily.

And he hadn't merely defeated him—he'd taken control of his mind. It was an unexpected bonus.

"You should be far more useful than those Course 2 Student wastes I've been controlling."

Shiichi stroked his chin, arrogantly plotting how to use Kudo Mitsunobu as a pawn.

"I see. An extra-system magic that interferes with consciousness—[Evil Eye], huh!"

"You really are exactly what you seem: all you can do is put on a monkey show!"

Kudo Mitsunobu suddenly spoke, interrupting Shiichi's arrogant laughter.

Shiichi's expression gradually grew frantic. His breathing grew more and more ragged, and his pupils dilated. Kudo Mitsunobu could even see the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes.

"How is this possible? How could you break free of my [Evil Eye]?"

"What, now that your magic's been broken, you can't keep up those exaggerated antics anymore?"

Kudo Mitsunobu taunted him. He truly despised people like this.

Just look at the pathetic state he was in now! The mere fact that his magic had been broken was enough to make him panic. He was even standing behind his subordinates, clearly using them as human shields.

"Didn't I tell you I'd spare your life?"

"I still haven't changed my mind. But leaving you alive without your arms and legs still counts as sparing your life."

Kudo Mitsunobu had no interest in explaining why [Evil Eye] had no effect on him. His heart was already filled with rage.

If the students from his school were simply foolish, that would be one thing. But being controlled by someone else was truly pitiful.

They only wanted to change how they were treated, yet this piece of trash had manipulated them.

"Impossible. Impossible."

Still unwilling to give up, Shiichi activated his [Evil Eye] again. This time, though, he had none of his exaggerated antics to distract Kudo Mitsunobu.

"Done testing it?"

The look of contempt in Kudo Mitsunobu's eyes deepened. He simply stood there, letting Shiichi meet his gaze.

What Shiichi didn't realize was that no matter how he activated his magic, the Evil Eye could never affect Kudo Mitsunobu's real body. This was another application of the Kudo Family's [Parade of Disguise].

The person standing there was only a false information body that Kudo Mitsunobu had copied. Unless Shiichi could break through [Parade of Disguise], everything he did would be futile.

"Shoot! Shoot!"

Shiichi had finally realized that his magic was useless against the boy before him. He no longer had the energy to keep up appearances and maintain his dignity.

Nor did he have the energy to notice the confused looks his subordinates were giving him. Fear and helplessness had already filled his heart.

Though bewildered, his subordinates instinctively pulled the triggers under the intense threat posed by Kudo Mitsunobu.

"What happened?"

"Why didn't we hit him?"

Question after question came from Shiichi's mouth. More than a hundred bullets passed through the afterimage Kudo Mitsunobu had left behind and struck the door behind him.

In the chaos, Shiichi was slowly backing away, thinking that no one would notice him.

But.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm taking your limbs."

"Mr. Shiichi, where do you think you're going?"

Along with Kudo Mitsunobu's voice, four [Atomic Rays] took aim at Shiichi's limbs.

"Clang!"

It was the sound of a body slamming directly into the concrete floor.

"Huh?"

Shiichi had been running toward the next room to regroup and prepare to face Kudo Mitsunobu. But why were both his feet suddenly off the ground?

Chapter 31: The Infiltration [3]

Shiichi sobbed, tears and snot mingling across his twisted face. The intense pain nearly made him pass out.

"It hurts!"

"It hurts so much!"

Blood gushed out like a spring, staining the ground red. Shiichi struggled several times to get up, but now that he'd lost both his arms and legs, it was impossible.