CHAPTER 136: CHAPTER 136: ACTION!

Baraka watched as the individual pointing a gun at the hostage’s head slowly stepped out of the car. The gunman didn’t even seem careful at all, just casually moving one foot and the next before planting the muzzle onto the hostage’s temple.

"I apologize, Ms. Kent."

"It... it’s fine." The student from the other class, Clarice, awkwardly chuckled as she kept both her hands in the air. But when she realized they were both breaking character, she gasped and started shaking her head.

"N-no! Please... please save me!" She bellowed. Riley tilted his head at this, and when he noticed that she was actually performing, he nodded and also started to put on a performance of his own.

He turned his focus back on Baraka, looking at him from head to toe before pressing the muzzle on Clarice’s head even harder. He even moved behind her, trailed the muzzle across the side of her head, and then pressed the gun onto the back of her neck.

This entire time, of course, he also had a hand holding onto the back of her clothes, so it would make it hard for her to escape.

"Make any sudden moves, and this person dies, Hero," Riley said, leaning his head to the side to look at Baraka. "I want to inform you that if I see any one of your tentacles appear, even in the width of a hair, I will shoot this beautiful lady."

"O-oh..." Clarice blinked a couple of times when she heard that. But sold the performance more when she started shaking her head. "I... I don’t want to die!"

"Do you hear that, Hero? She does not want to die—but she will if you do not back off."

"You think—"

"I will start counting now, Hero."

Riley cut Baraka off before he could even say anything.

"Should... should I start kneeling?" Clarice whispered, glancing back at Riley as she started lowering herself. Riley, however, pulled her back up.

"No, that would make it easier for him to have vision of me," Riley whispered. "One thing you have to learn, Ms. Kent, is that if ever you want to hold someone hostage, you should always stay behind them and try to hide your weapon from the rescuer’s sight as much as possible. L—"

A tentacle suddenly came flying out from the car, shooting straight onto Riley’s hand and swatting away the gun—well, at least that was what was supposed to happen, if he actually had the gun in the hand he was pointing at Clarice’s head.

Riley spun, using the momentum of the hit as he pivoted in place, and then raised his other hand, only for Baraka to see that the gun was in that hand. Riley then aimed at the back of Clarcie’s head once more.

This time, however, he pulled the trigger.

"Eep!"

A loud pop exploded, causing Clarice to flinch and move away. She then touched the back of her head, which now had red paint on it. She then glanced at Baraka and then at Riley before nodding and dropping to the ground without saying a word.

Suffice it to say, she was very dedicated to her role.

"I believe the fault in that is both mine and yours, Hero," Riley said, sighing as he kept the gun aimed at Clarice and started unloading more of the paintballs.

Baraka watched this with wide eyes, and then when he turned his focus back to Riley, he was no longer there.

"What the fuck...?" Baraka muttered, quickly scanning his surroundings for any sign of the young man in front of him. Although he hadn’t really seen him before, he was sure that was the Riley Ross everyone was barking about.

[Baraka - One hostage, dead.]

"No!" Baraka’s eyes turned wide, sucking in a deep breath as he heard the announcement ring throughout the entire city. He was going to make another move toward the bridge, but several people in police uniforms started crowding around him.

"Move out of the way!" He bellowed, but the students playing law enforcement weren’t budging at all.

"I think it’s time for you to leave, Hero. You’ve done enough damage!"

"I said move out of the wa—"

"Arrest him for resisting!"

"What?!"

And before Baraka could even find out what was happening, several students already crowded around him and pinned him to the ground. And of course, the one who ordered his arrest and played the role of lieutenant was none other than the other Ross.

"What the... what the hell?!"

[Oh no! Tough luck from our brother from South Africa!]

And as if to pour salt in his wounds, Benjamin’s flamboyant voice echoed through the entire city once again.

[The police have arrested him for failing to comply! I’m afraid that’s it for him! Everyone, give him a round of applause, even though the only thing he had achieved was getting a hostage killed!]

"What?! No! That wasn’t..."

Baraka was lifted up by the freshmen students of Mega Academy back to his feet, and he finally saw the crowd around him all taking pictures of his failure. He knew this was only a test...

...but why were all these students so dedicated to playing their roles that he actually believed for a moment there that he truly got a hostage killed in a real-life situation?

Even the girl playing as a hostage seemed incredibly disappointed at him, glancing up at him from the floor with a look of pity in her eyes.

...No.

He did get a hostage killed. Even if this was a test, the actual scenario wouldn’t have played that much differently.

He... couldn’t even get close?

[Mr. Baraka, everyone! And now, while we reset the entire scenery, which shouldn’t be hard to do since Mr. Baraka barely did anything, refreshments will be available to everyone next to the entrance of the city. If I were you, I’d try the mini strawberry shortcake before they’re out, and then you’d be left with the matcha, ew.]

***

"Damn it!"

Several minutes later, Baraka was back inside the building, where the other candidates were. His tentacles, throwing all sorts of random things on the walls in frustration. He was also going to throw the board holding the map, but he stopped himself and let out a scream instead.

"...Wow, he got you that good, huh?" Hera was sitting on the floor, chewing gum as she chuckled at Baraka’s show of frustration. "I told you, Riley is like... up there in terms of strength. His TK is crazy. What did he do to you?"

"He..."

Baraka’s rampage instantly stopped, and he felt a wave wash over him as soon as he heard Hera’s words.

"He..." He whispered. "He... didn’t use his TK at all."

"Oh..." Hera sucked in a deep breath, wincing at the same time as he looked at the other candidates. "...That sucks, buddy. I forgot to tell all of you that our local Sweet Snowy Little Baby Boy is also a master martial artist, and not to mention an expert marksman."

"And not to mention a very good actor." Jeff, with his arms crossed and his back against the wall, whistled as he joined in on the conversation. "I’ve seen the sneak peek. Can this guy do everything? And he’s also the son of, arguably, the most powerful normal human and the wealthiest man on the planet."

"I believe that is exactly why he can do everything." Butcher, with his shiny bald head, also joined the conversation while picking up all the things that Baraka scattered. "He was diagnosed with autism at a very early age. There is a 100% chance that Bernard Ross had provided everything and done everything so that Riley Ross would be able to adjust to the world around him."

"What’s he prepping him for, hey—a bloody war?!" Baraka shouted, voice cracking, before he dropped and slumped on the floor. "Jislaaik, man, what are they feeding these laaities? The first years at my school weren’t like this, not a chance. Shem... Shem!"

"You got unlucky." Hera sighed, standing up and patting her leg clean as she moved to the map to review it. "Fortunately for the rest of us, we’ll have a different—"

[Aha! Our friends in the Hope Guild liked the scenario and players so much that we are no longer rotating the roles of my fellow freshmen! Ah, too bad. Too bad! I was looking forward to joining in on the fray!]

"Oh..." Hera looked up at the speaker. "...Isn’t that just great?"

"I am going next." Butcher immediately approached Hera. "What else are you able to tell me about Riley Ross?"

"What the—?!" Baraka quickly got between them. "Do not tell him anything! That would be unfair!"

"On the contrary..." Butcher gently placed his hand on Baraka’s arm and then pushed him so softly—but even with that minimal amount of force, Baraka found himself sliding across the floor.

"I believe it would be more unfair for her not to say anything," Butcher said. "She is from this school. Therefore, she knows more than we do, which is an unfair advantage. So...

...What else can you tell us about Riley Ross?"