“Th-That’s right, Nagumo. Isn’t that a gun!? Just, how did you get ahold of that!?”
Chase reacted to Tamai’s shout.
“Gun? Tamai, do you know anything about that?”
“Eh? Ah, that’s right, I know of it. It’s a weapon from our world.”
Chase’s eyes shone because of Tamai’s words. But afterwards, he stared at Hajime.
“Hou, in other words, it isn’t an artifact from this world… If that’s so, it must be made by someone from a different world… and of course the maker is…”
“It is me.”
Hajime easily answered that he made it. Chase, because he held the impression of Hajime as a secretive person, was surprised by how easily he admitted it.
“You admit it so easily. Nagumo-kun, do you know what it means to hold that weapon? That…”
“It could completely change the situation of the war in this world,… right? That’s if you can mass-produce it. Mostly, you want me to return with you and teach you how to make it, or something like that? Naturally, I reject it all. Just give up.”
Hajime’s words had left him completely helpless. Those words seemed to be prepared beforehand. But, Chase didn’t give up. That’s how attractive the gun was.
“But, the Soldiers with low levels can have high offense if it could be mass produced. When that happens, we can make use of a lot of people in the upcoming war, and our chances of victory will also greatly increase. If you cooperate, doesn’t it mean you also help your teacher and friends? If so…”
“No matter what you want to say, I won’t cooperate. If you try to take it, then it means you’re my enemy. At that time… be prepared to be annihilated even before the war breaks out.”
Hajime’s quiet words sent a chill toward Chase’s whole body and he shut his mouth. Then, Aiko managed to intervene there.
“Chase-san. Nagumo-kun has his own intentions. Please don’t force my student. Nagumo-kun too, please stop saying such extreme things. Be more peaceful… Nagumo-kun, are you seriously not coming back?”
“Ah, I don’t want to return with you. Tomorrow morning, after I complete the request, I’ll leave as is.”
“Why…”
Aiko looked at Hajime with a pained expression, she wanted to know his reason, but Hajime rose from his seat before she could ask. Unbeknownst to them, Yue and Shia had also finished their meals. Although Aiko tried to stop him, Hajime ignored her and climbed the stairs to the second floor, accompanied by Yue and Shia.
At the time Aiko and the others were left behind, a subtle and indescribable atmosphere was in the air. They were glad the classmate they thought was dead was actually alive. But, for the person himself, they seemed to have not even registered in his eyes. Moreover, he had become strong to the point, that it was impossible to compare him to his past self. He was not the same as the one who was once called “incompetent” in contempt as they looked at him from above.
Moreover, about the contempt, they had pretended not to notice Hiyama and his friends bullying him. Followed by that “friendly fire” incident, they could only feel more indebted because of Hajime’s ambiguous attitude. As a result, no one could proactively reach out to Hajime.
Aiko herself was greatly shaken by her student’s change and angered by the current development in her mind, so she was unable to stop Hajime.
Chase, while he looked at the currently recovering David at the side, seemed to think of something.
With their meals completely cooled, their appetites also disappeared. Without looking at the food in front of them, all of them began to deeply think about how “Hajime survived” after he left them.
Just what on Earth could completely change a person like that, what did Hajime think at that time when the “friendly-fire” incident happened, what the current Hajime thought of them… Most likely, he held a grudge against them. With those thoughts making revolutions in their minds, all of them became depressed, and the day was over.