“Ha!”
But of course, even without confirming that, just the fact that they were running around swinging about a weapon without care was enough for Rinko not to pay them any consideration.
With the family behind her and the civilians around in mind, Rinko stepped forward.
She dodged the knife coming at her and twisted the thief’s arm forcefully.
“Ow!?”
When she heard that the knife had been dropped, she pulled on the arm that was extended toward her and sent a kick flying toward the man’s stomach. Just that one blow was enough to force the man to squat and groan out in pain. Then she moved her fingers, and the wristwatch-type terminal on her shone. In the next moment, an energy rope wrapped itself around the man’s arms and legs. This was a skill meant to apprehend criminals.
“What!?”
“Countermeasure Department’s Mobile Force! You’re under arrest!”
As the other thief saw what was happening and became petrified, Rinko’s proof of identity was projected on the air from her wristwatch-type terminal.
The presence of a person from the Countermeasure Department and that sharp voice immediately caused the other thief to falter, but he quickly realized that there was a boy right next to him. His lips curved into a smile.
“Oh no!”
At a glance, the boy looked like a normal docile child carrying a baby.
Rinko had taken a step forward to take down the earlier thief, so this thief was closer to the boy than her.
The man thought himself fortunate, while the boy’s parents panicked.
“Hey, you better behave—!?”
But the boy himself just found the situation to be a pain.
The thief ran toward the boy to turn him into a hostage, while the mother ran to save him and the father tried to protect him, but before any of them could even put their plans into action, the boy kicked away the hand holding the stun gun.
The weapon left the thief’s hands and flew into the air, and then while his mind was still processing what had just happened, he felt the sharp tinge of pain spread from his stomach, giving sound to a pained groan.
“GAH… W-What?”
When he looked again, he noticed that the boy had a different leg sticking out from the one he raised up earlier.
After kicking once, Shinichi had allowed the momentum to keep his body going and sent out his other leg.
The man originally had confidence in both his agility and resistance rank, but the pain and shock he was feeling was telling him that this boy in front of him was likely his superior.
“W-Wait, Shinichi-kun!” Rinko cried out.
But it was too late. Before those words could make it, the boy had already moved.
When the thief saw the boy raise up his leg, he immediately tried to protect his head, but the incoming roundhouse kick was so strong it kicked him along with his arms.
The sound of something cracking resounded within the man’s ears as he was slightly lifted up into the air.
When he fell into the hard ground and tumbled about, he cried out miserably.
“BUBE, GAH, AH, UAH… GUGYA, OW, OW AH AH AH!”
As the man lay on the ground face up, words of pain poured out endlessly from his mouth.
Was the man unable to break his fall and so ended up landing initially with his face on the ground? Or was it because of some other impact? But whatever the reason may be, blood could be seen pouring out of his broken nose, while some of his teeth were missing.
There was also a dent that could be seen on the two arms that received that earlier kick. It was so evident that even the bystanders could see it.
The people where the man ended up tumbling to faltered back in fear. Even they themselves didn’t know what exactly it was they were afraid of, but regardless, the crowd distanced itself while feeling more shaken than before.
“Ow! Ow! My arms! My arms! My face!!”
It needn’t be said. Here was a boy who had just kicked an adult without the slightest expression on his face. Even those eyes of his that looked down on the man crying in pain were blank. Not a hint of the high from fighting nor the hate toward a criminal could be seen in them. No. Not even pity or compassion.
It was as if he merely kicked the man because he was annoying.
No one said anything, but it was exactly that atmosphere that caused everyone to falter.
The only ones who didn’t notice that was the man who has lost in mind from the and the person himself.
“S-Shinichi-kun, Are… Are you alright?”
The first one to call out to him was his mother, who was the first to regain her senses.
She herself didn’t know what exactly she was asking, but she just wanted to ask that question.
It was curious how Shinichi took her words, but in response, he broke that expressionless face and smiled at her.
“Yes, it’s alright. Shinji didn’t see anything.”
“Au, Ii, kya!”
“…”
“Please! Somebody call an ambulance! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! My bones are broken!!”
Shinichi showed a proud face to Rinko as he held his younger brother.
Shinichi calmly protected his younger brother while covering his eyes.
It seemed he knew enough (self-aware) not to show a scene like that to a baby, but unfortunately, he was still some ways off.
Shinji, who had his vision blocked, cried unhappily.
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