His attitude and the way he handled the unexpected situation was third-rate, but his gun wasn’t shaking.
Apparently, the three men with automatic rifles were more used to handling guns than the rest.
The suited man alone pointed an automatic rifle at Shinichi from in front.
The rest took his flanks and aimed their guns at the girl and child behind him.
They way they secured the hostages was simple, but because of that Shinichi couldn’t move.
It was a formation that clearly prioritized the new threat, and yet the suited man’s finger on the trigger wasn’t quivering in the slightest.
Although the same couldn’t be said for the others, the three men could definitely pull the trigger without any problems.
“Got a problem with that?
Everyone knows that trash is meant to be thrown into the garbage bin.”
But despite knowing that, Shinichi confidently mocked the suited man with a face that said that much was obvious.
But those words weren’t meant for that man alone.
“A-Are you calling us trash!?”
“If some filthy terrorists aren’t trash, then what are they?”
When someone reacted angrily, Shinichi mocked them even harder.
—There’s something wrong with your brains.
Because of that the anger of the armed criminals gathered toward the boy, but he didn’t seem to care one bit.
In fact, he smiled fearlessly as he looked down on them.
“We’re not terrorists! This battle is necessary to recover the things Garesto stole from us!”
“As if I give a damn about the things you went and lost by yourselves.
Don’t throw a tantrum like some kids. Aren’t you ashamed of acting like some snotty brat at your age?”
Those cold eyes and that disgusted voice mercilessly provoked the criminals to no end.
Shinichi spoke without missing a beat, causing the three men to have no opportunity to interfere.
“What a mess. Even people like this can get their hands on guns.
Japan’s Sword and Firearms Control Law sure have gotten loose in the short time I wasn’t around.
Before you complain about some otherworld, you should do something about yourselves first.”
“That’s also Garesto’s fault!
Their equipments have been going around, so guns don’t have as much value anymore.
The manufacturers that were able to get a license for their weapons were able to survive, but those that couldn’t were crushed. The gun makers have no choice but to rely on the black market to survive!”
“Hah, what a terrible excuse.”
Shinichi scorned, but deep inside he was grateful for the information.
Though he was only going to treat it as a rumor.
Garesto’s equipment has become the standard equipment for police and military, but Shinichi didn’t think about how the equipment until then was treated.
That was mostly because he neither knew nor held any interest about this world’s weapons.
But now that it’s been brought up, it does seem obvious that the guns that were used until now would be eliminated.
They were weaker, harder to use, and also more difficult to carry, while Garesto was able to create weapons that were truly non-lethal thanks to their advanced technology.
Moreover, guns were also useless against Garesto’s equipment.
They weren’t strong enough to be used in live combat, and they did too much damage to unarmed humans.
With these two disadvantages, guns were destined to be abandoned.
But that ‘wasn’t all’.
“That’s why even civilians can get guns with a little effort?
Haa, pathetic. If this were originally a society with a strong gun culture, I might have still sympathized, but this is Japan. The fact that you people could get your hands on that just goes to show how pathetic you all are as adults.”
“What was that!?”
If they focused their efforts on legislation, things wouldn’t have turned out like this.
Saying that they had to turn to the black market just to survive is just them depending on others too much.
There are plenty of ways to keep the technology they have alive.
But even without that, if the objective is just to survive, then there’s no reason to fuss over having a job of the same system.
Companies going bankrupt happens even without otherworlds.
If you ask Shinichi, all that really happened was that a huge event occurred which happened to be the interaction with the otherworld.
It’s only natural that their company wouldn’t be able to function as they’ve done until then.
“Are you going to blame this on Garesto too?
Blaming the world because you couldn’t adapt!? Hah!
What a load of bull. Hey, hey, aren’t you aware of how embarrassing you’re being?
You misunderstand, you get mad, you act violent, and you seriously think things will turn for the better?”
That’s impossible. There was no way. Reckless. Futile. Meaningless.
The boy valued their uprising as such and mocked them.
He denied them thoroughly and made a fool of them. As a result, their hands began to shake in anger.
“You… Do you realize you situation right now? If we shoot you, you’ll die!”
“Hmph. Do you understand?
That’s a murderer’s tool in your hands. The sort that won’t even dirty your hands. The worst kind of weapon that can take a life without even touching it. If you want to use it, then use it, and then you’ll turn into someone even lower than trash – a murderer.”
“!”
Shinichi scorned them even more, but this time there was a deep resentment mixed within.
Those words were like curses that made them fear to use their weapons.
Shinichi knew right from the start that most of them didn’t have the resolve to use it.
The resolve to use a weapon. The resolve to take a life. The resolve to commit a sin. The resolve to become a murderer.
Those are necessary for a person of decent spirit to aim a weapon at someone on their own will and use it.
But these people were merely fooling themselves through anger.
To Shinichi who was forced to cross that line against his will, their behavior was not something that could be forgiven.
That’s why he spurred their anger and provoked them.
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