Unrest spread among the students.
Did Egos, someone called a hero prospect, who was trusted by not only students but teachers as well, really do something that foolish… Uno questioned Egos in order to get the growing unrest to settle down.
“Cutman… Is this true? Did you accept the responsibility of telling me they left the group?”
Uno asked quietly, but with an intensity that would not allow for lies.
And despite this being almost an interrogation, Egos spoke boldly and without any change to his expression.
“No, I have no idea what she’s on about. I failed to report to a teacher? I would never.”
He said with a light smile, shrugging and denying the accusations.
The girl’s face turned pale, and she yelled with a trembling voice.
“No way! I told you! I’m not lying! It’s the truth!”
“I don’t know about this. Didn’t she just slack off because she wanted to go on break right away? And now she’s trying to get out of this because she didn’t expect that to happen?”
“No! That’s wrong! I didn’t lie!”
The student asserted her innocence, but most of the other students trusted Egos.
The girl was shaken and looked suspicious, while Egos maintained his cool. That was part of the reason, but it was mostly his main character charisma.
It was a skill that charmed people and dulled their reasoning power, and through this he had far more credibility with the students than her.
Egos knew nothing she said would matter, and whispered to himself with a calm smile in his heart.
(Damn you. You should shut up and disappear like the background character you are. You useless character, getting in the way of a main character.)
He tried to use the event to have a monster armor beast kill Phi, but was beaten to a pulp by the enemy that evolved for some reason.
This derailed his plans, sent Yui’s favorability to Phi, and screwed everything up.
If he was blamed for Phi’s injury on top of that, it would be the worst.
But as he predicted, his main character charisma would prevent him from being treated like a criminal. And then Ramy stepped in.
“I don’t really understand, but… I find it hard to believe Egos would do such a thing! Stop trying to blame others!”
Egos thought to himself it was a good thing he raised Ramy’s favorability.
He was nothing but thankful for having her to back him up and accommodate him whenever needed.
His idea that being liked by someone with power would help him a lot was correct.
He also thought this would allow him to form and execute a somewhat crazy plan, and as he giggled internally at how the mood was shifting to his side…
“Excuse me.”
Another male student raised his hand.
Egos wondered what this background character had to say, and he thought his face looked familiar.
After thinking for a bit, Egos remembered he was in his group when they were showing their fighting skills to the combat miko. He remembered he was the one who was fighting alone.
“I saw it. This girl did talk with Egos. And Phi spoke to her just before that.”
“…Ah?”
Everyone went quiet, and the voice Egos raised echoed in their ears.
Egos had a half smile stuck on his face, as it twitched and he felt a prickling feeling on his skin.
Uno was surprised, and he turned to that male student.
“Are you sure that Cutman spoke with this girl?”
“Yes. I owe a debt to Yuugo… So I was concerned about his little brother. That’s why I saw him speak with this girl.”
That was when Yuugo and Ryuuga also realized it. This male student was the one they saved when gigantes was rampaging.
They realized that was what he was referring to, and he continued his testimony without any reluctance.
“After speaking with Phi, she was on her way back to Mister Castle… When Egos stopped her. Then they talked for a bit, she left the group, and everyone moved. But for some reason, Egos stayed there.”
“Are you absolutely sure of this?”
“Yes, I am. I wondered why he was doing that, but it makes sense if he wanted to have everyone move on and leave Phi and Renjou behind…”
“A-ah? W-what are you talking about? I-I would never…!!”
Egos’ face kept twitching as he tried to deny it, but… His composure was clearly gone.
He was having trouble articulating, he was sweating, and his eyes wandered.
“…It would be best for you if you said the truth now. You know what will happen if we find evidence that contradicts your testimony, right?”
“Uu…!?”
Many people were there, including elementary and high school students. There might be more who saw him speak with that girl.
He could continue lying, but he could not be sure that there wouldn’t be other things that would expose his lies.
In that case… It was time to shift gears and be shrewd.
Thought Egos with a light smile as he apologized.
“Hum, I’m sorry! I lied…!”
“…You admit it? You failed to report that?”
“Yes, I’m sorry! But I didn’t think it would turn out like this! I thought Phi and Yui looked so well together, that I wanted to give them some alone time. I couldn’t have predicted something like that would happen…!!”
Egos flatly admitted he did not report, and apologized with a bright tone.
Maybe, probably, most certainly, he should sincerely apologize. That was the path that would inflict him the least damage.
He did not do that, he could not do that, because this was a game world and his arrogance led him to believe a main character such as himself could get away with anything.
There was also the fact that he used to be an employee of a black company, and he subconsciously resisted the idea of bowing to younger students.
Various situations made his pride swell, meaning the option of bowing to videogame characters was simply not there.
He truly believed that his main character status meant a light apology would allow him to get away with a halfhearted scolding.
But of course, the world was not that soft. These mild delusions did not materialize.
Egos failed to notice but… The magic called main character charisma was already cracking and breaking.
The applause and respect he attained through this borrowed power, along with his main character front were rotting and falling, showing his real ugly self. He failed to notice this, and a hard fist hit his smiling face.
The sound of a nose breaking echoed, as lukewarm blood flowed from both nostrils. Egos looked up, bewildered, and saw Yuugo with an angry expression that could not be described by words like rage.
“…What’s so funny? What are you smiling about? Do you understand the danger you put them through because of your nonsense? You do… And that’s how you act?”
Egos held his broken bloody nose while looking at Yuugo, and his whole body stiffened at the anger being projected at him from Yuugo’s whole body.
Words could not describe it. Even explosive failed to capture it.
In fact, anger might be the wrong way to put it. The emotions being expelled through Yuugo’s whole body went beyond rage and into bloodthirst.
It was not like when he was hit by him during the incident with the cooking club. Yuugo was glaring at him with an anger that far surpassed that, and came close to being so red-hot that it did not show on his face.
Egos was afraid, but Yuugo smacked him with his anger as if groaning quietly.
“Get up, Egos…! I’ll never forgive you!!”
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F**k yes
Get him, Yuugo!
> Get up, Egos
Finally, about effing time!
Poor Yuugo, you better get your punches in