Tanimoto had befriended Nakazato because of his father's wealth; he'd received money from Nakazato multiple times. Their friendship was based solely on this financial advantage. Seeing Nakazato’s impending downfall, Tanimoto tried to excuse his past actions, claiming he’d been forced to bully Shoot under Nakazato’s orders to obtain money. It wasn’t a genuine apology, merely an attempt at mitigation.

“S-so! Ohigashi and I were told by Nakazato to bully you! He said he’d give us money! We wouldn’t have done such a thing otherwise! Right!?”

“Y-yeah! What Tanimoto said! I didn’t want to, but he said he’d give me money… so…”

Ohigashi echoed Tanimoto’s desperate plea to escape Shoot’s wrath.

“S-so! Just one punch to the face? I know you’re furious about what we did! You don’t have to do this to us like Nakazato! Let me punch you, and if you go easy…”(THUD) “…gah… !?”

Before Tanimoto finished, Shoot’s devastating strike landed on his throat, silencing him.

“Who are you to decide the terms of my revenge? I told you: the only sounds I want to hear are your screams of pain and terror.”

Grabbing Tanimoto’s hair, Shoot lifted Ohigashi by the neck with one hand. Ohigashi struggled, his legs kicking wildly.

“Ga… ugh…”“~~~!”

“You got money from Nakazato, but the part about being forced is a lie, right?

And I told you lies don’t work on me. Are you stupid? Were you not listening? Do you have shit for brains?”

Shoot’s grip tightened. Their faces turned purple from pain and suffocation.

“I’ve been punched and kicked countless times, and I’ve seen your faces. You always enjoyed hurting me! That’s a lie? I don’t believe it! Someone who doesn’t want to do something wouldn’t enjoy it so much!”

Shoot’s anger flared. Tanimoto and Ohigashi cringed in terror.

“And what’s with ‘let me punch you’? What are you so high and mighty about? You want to just get one punch to the face? Do you not realize how much you’ve hurt me?

A single punch to the face doesn’t compensate for what you’ve done to me.”

Shoot, still holding them, levitated them into the air. Gohara and the other delinquents stared in disbelief.

“Ah…”“St-stop…”“I’ll mess you up, you bastards.”

Throwing them down, Shoot slammed Tanimoto and Ohigashi to the ground.

CRASH x2 “Guh…!”

They gasped for air after the impact and then cried out in pain. Shoot descended, lifted them again, and threw them from a height. Tanimoto’s arm and Ohigashi’s leg were broken.

He repeated this multiple times.

“Gah! Hi!? N-no—agh! Ag-again—haah! Stop—ugh!”

“Gya! W-w-waaaah—begiya! Aa… aaaaah—gouh… aaah! Nooo—beun!”

Their cries of pain and terror echoed across the rooftop. Gohara and the others cowered in fear, some wetting themselves.

When Shoot stopped, Tanimoto and Ohigashi were battered. Their limbs were broken and twisted, their ribs cracked, and their internal organs injured. They were barely alive.

Shoot then delivered a series of devastating kicks to their stomachs, causing them to convulse, drooling blood.

“Ah, they’ve passed out. Not enough… I’ll deal with them later.”

He threw them towards Nakazato. Seeing the three in such a state, Gohara froze in terror. Shoot then turned his attention to Gohara.

“Hi!? Aaah…”

Realizing he was next, Gohara tripped. As Shoot approached, the lunchtime bell rang.

“Ah, time’s up. It takes a while with so many. I should have done this in the other space, where time flows slower.”

Gohara was relieved, but his reprieve was short-lived.

“Let’s take care of everyone else here first.”

“Eh…?”

Before Gohara could react, Shoot swiftly moved, incapacitating the other delinquents. Gohara despaired as he heard their screams.

Seconds later, only Gohara remained unscathed.

“I’ll deal with them later. But there’s still someone…”

Looking at Gohara, Shoot had an idea. He approached Nakazato, Tanimoto, and Ohigashi, placing his hands on them and activating a skill.

“Healing”

The “Healing” skill, acquired in the other world while treating his own wounds. Focusing his intent, he could heal injuries.

His skill was still undeveloped; he couldn’t fully repair broken bones, only alleviate pain.

Nakazato and the others remained unconscious but were breathing normally.

Gohara was awestruck, and Shoot gave him an order.

“Gohara, attend afternoon classes. I will too. I’ve healed their injuries. They won’t die. After class, bring those three to our classroom. Tell them I’ll kill them if they don’t obey. And you’ll do the same if you don’t obey me.”

Gohara nodded repeatedly, his face ashen.

“Aaah~~~ What a great feeling! Seeing them like that… this is amazing!”

Shoot shouted joyfully, removing the earth before leaving.

“I… I’m… safe…? Why?

M-maybe… he knew I was forced to bully Mitsuki by Nakazato…? Because I was bullied by Nakazato too…?”

Alone on the rooftop, Gohara believed he’d been spared because Shoot knew he’d been forced.

He was wrong. Gohara would soon realize that.