"Hm?"
Higashi's brain short-circuited.
"Ah?"
Satoru gave the purest, most angelic smile in existence.
Everything had started because Higashi believed Akane's "recording" threat.
Now the kid says it was a bluff the whole time?
Surprise, motherfucker.
Heart attack on the spot.
"I'LL KILL YOU!!"
Higashi lunged, fangs bared, cuffs rattling. Sakura and Ayaka yanked Satoru back like bodyguards.
The two cops slammed the gorilla down. "Move again and we add charges!"
Old cop + young cop.
Satoru pocketed his hands, spring-breeze smile. "Hard work, officers. Anything else?"
"Nope. Back to class, kid."
Satoru nodded, threw Higashi a frosty side-eye sneer, and strolled out.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
Impote rage, zero damage.
The second the door shut, Japan's police rigor kicked in harder than a drama finale.
They hadn't even reached the hallway end when—
"BAD! HE RAN!"
Satoru spun.
Higashi had snapped the cuffs like rice crackers and bolted for the stairs.
Smart enough not to charge Satoru (distance + unknown monster strength + two kendo demons). Straight escape route.
He was two steps from freedom.
"HYAKUHO FLYING SWORD!!"
Satoru yeeted his sheathed wooden sword like a javelin.
BANG! Gunshot.
Young cop, one-handed, perfect stance. Bullet punched clean through Higashi's thigh.
The gorilla went airborne, spine met wooden sword mid-flight (crack), then gurgled down three flights of stairs like a broken meat hill.
Old cop: "…Why?!"
Young cop blinked. "Oh shit, forgot this is Japan."
"Last month I was in America with my parents…"
Old cop despaired. "Discipline! You might get fired!"
"Nah." Young cop shrugged. "Parents America."
Nepotism activated. Old cop instantly understood.
Satoru was already downstairs.
Higashi wedged between 3rd and 4th floor landings, sword stuck in the wall beside his head, leg blooming red.
Still breathing. Barely.
"Relax, we aimed for the leg," young cop said with a pro idol smile, tossing his jacket over the blood. Ambulance already called.
"Suspect attempted escape + threatened hostage (points at Satoru). Shot to stop. Perfect report."
Satoru nodded silently. Done.
Gunshot on the fourth floor of the admin building during class hours: zero students around. Incident contained.
Principal wiped cold sweat, eternally grateful.
Strict gag order issued. No leaks, or the school's reputation tanks.
Then jail, reports, meetings… and math class.
Satoru begged for a "kicked-in-the-balls" holiday.
Principal personally escorted him back legs spinning like Road Runner. No chance.
Dropped off Sakura, Ayaka, and a sulking Arisa at their classes.
Door of Class F.
"KOBAYASHI! Quit standing there like a ghost—GET IN!!"
"…Yes, ma'am."
The mightiest pure-love warrior cannot escape second-period math.
…