Phoenix Academy Maggie was frantic.
The man in front of her is clearly the type whose brain is a bit fried from drug use, he can't be reasoned with by conventional means. She has the backing of the Phoenix Academy, at least some support. But what about Aozawa behind her? Just because he has a handsome face? That only works on women! To men, especially madmen like Ono Taro, it's utterly useless. How could he possibly stop voluntarily?
Phoenix Academy Maggie held her ground, not wanting Aozawa to move.
"You're right, I indeed won't fire," Ono Taro chuckled, sitting back down on the sofa and setting the handgun aside.
This act left Phoenix Academy Maggie stunned.
The underlings familiar with Ono's temper were equally shocked into silence.
Ono Taro had an unpredictable and violent temperament. If not for his generous handouts and the ruthless way he dealt with traitors, no one present would willingly follow such a scumbag.
Ono Taro grabbed the knife handle, brought an apple to his mouth, and felt something wasn't quite right. But the young man before him had suddenly become very pleasing to the eye, making him reluctant to kill him. It must have been the calm expression on the young man's face, somewhat reminiscent of his own fierce fighting days.
Ono Taro found an excuse for himself. He bit into the apple with relish, chewed slowly, and let his mind clear a little before saying, "Do me a favor and call your mother. We need to discuss raising the protection fees."
Phoenix Academy Maggie pursed her lips. I'm worried, this man is so erratic. One wrong move, and Aozawa and I could both die here.
Despite her thoughts, she didn't hesitate, reaching into her bag for her phone.
Aozawa pressed down on her soft, pliant hand and smiled. "Leader Ono, let's have a one-on-one, man-to-man, bare-handed duel. If I win, you'll let us leave peacefully."
"Ha! You fool, what era do you think this is? Think you're in a movie?"
"Talking about a one-on-one 'man-to-man duel'? Heh, we're the Yakuza; we specialize in overwhelming the few with many!"
The surrounding underlings were amused by his naive statement.
Phoenix Academy Maggie anxiously turned back and whispered, "Don't say things like that to provoke them."
How could that villain possibly agree to such an unreasonable request?
"No problem."
Ono Taro's words froze the smirks on the underlings' faces.
The atmosphere in the warehouse turned eerily silent, so quiet it became awkward.
The minor leader's eyes nearly popped out as he blurted, "Leader Ono, are you really going to fight him one-on-one?"
"Nonsense!" Ono Taro seemed especially irate. He picked up the gun from the table and pulled the trigger, aiming at the minor leader's thigh.
BANG!
The loud crack of the unsuppressed handgun echoed through the empty warehouse, making Phoenix Academy Maggie shiver, her legs instinctively tensing. Her lips pressed tightly together, her heart pounding rapidly.
"AH!" The minor leader screamed, blood pouring from his leg.
"Don't question my decisions!" Ono Taro snapped, the strange feeling inside him intensifying.
Why am I willing to duel this guy? He couldn't answer. There's just a voice in my head repeating, 'duel the young man.' Could this be what Fujimura called the Voice of Soul? But how could such a lofty-sounding thing have anything to do with a gutter scumbag like me?
Ono Taro couldn't understand, and he also found the minor leader's voice grating. He simply pulled the trigger again. The deafening gunshot silenced the screams.
Exhaling, Ono Taro felt a sense of calm within. He lowered the gun and said, "None of you interfere. This fight is a one-on-one battle between him and me."
"Yes, sir!" The underlings bowed in unison.
Nobody dared say another word. The man's body on the floor hadn't even cooled yet, a stark reminder to everyone not to question their boss's sanity.
Aozawa patted Phoenix Academy Maggie's shoulder and smiled. "You stand aside for now."
"Oh." Phoenix Academy Maggie snapped back to her senses, her mind still struggling to process what was happening. What kind of development is this? Was he always this easy to talk to? I can't understand it!
She could only guess that Ono Taro had a screw loose, which was why he'd made such a decision.
It didn't matter that Aozawa was a high school student and the other was an adult. Their physiques weren't even in the same league. For Ono Taro, so frail he looked like he'd gasp for air after a few steps, to dare accept Aozawa's one-on-one challenge—his mind was definitely broken.
Ono Taro's frail appearance was no exaggeration; his body was even weaker.
When Aozawa landed a punch, it was like hitting a grade-schooler, knocking Ono Taro straight to the ground.
Ono Taro had survived in the underworld by being crafty and ruthless, utterly devoid of morals. But under the influence of the Hypnosis Ability, he became compliant, losing his greatest weapon and turning into a declawed cat.
Aozawa seized the opportunity, straddled him, and landed two heavy punches on his pockmarked face, shouting, "Give up?"
"I surrender!" Ono Taro quickly yelled.
Aozawa stopped and stared at him. "Then, according to our agreement, we can leave. You all will stay here."
With the last part of his sentence, he activated his Hypnosis Ability, then stood up.
"Phoenix Academy, let's hurry," he said, taking Phoenix Academy Maggie's right hand. It was soft, like a freshly served sticky rice dumpling, and warm to the touch.
The underlings didn't dare to stop them.
Ono Taro didn't move either, just staring blankly at the warehouse ceiling.
What just happened? I definitely didn't take any drugs, yet this feels like a hallucination. Am I dreaming?
Similar doubts flashed through Phoenix Academy Maggie's mind. She followed Aozawa, running out of the warehouse.
The gentle spring breeze caressed her cheeks, lifting strands of her hair.
Phoenix Academy Maggie glanced at Aozawa. Trailing behind, she couldn't see his full face, only his profile. She muttered, "No one's going to shoot us from behind, right?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"That's how it happens in movies. The main characters think they're going to escape, then one of them gets shot by the enemy. Amidst the screams, the survivor goes into a bloodthirsty rage."
"Heh, this isn't a movie."
"Isn't it?" Phoenix Academy Maggie was a bit dazed. She followed him out of the warehouse yard, striding through the interplay of light and shadow cast by buildings and along the streets.
As the familiar streets came into view, she suddenly realized their hands had been joined the entire time.
Aside from my father, he's the only male who has ever held my hand. Aozawa's hand is large like Father's, easily enveloping my right hand. The slight calluses are a bit unfamiliar against my tender skin, but not unpleasant. I even... want to squeeze it a little tighter...
Phoenix Academy Maggie's face suddenly turned bright red. Reason tells me I should pull away. But because of the suspension bridge effect, I really don't want to let go of Aozawa's hand; I even want to hold on tighter.
"You should be safe here. I need to get back to training," Aozawa said, proactively releasing her hand with a smile. "See you tomorrow."
"Ah, um, see you tomorrow," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied, her face flushed.
Aozawa paid it no mind.
Her blushing isn't because she likes me; she's just moved by the boy who rescued her in the warehouse. That boy didn't necessarily have to be Aozawa; it could have been Kurosawa or Shiraishi. So, there's no need for me to get any ideas. Time will dissipate that fleeting spark of attraction into memory.
Aozawa took a detour back to the warehouse, planning to take care of the "lab rats" inside.