Following the soccer tournament, an absurd amount of money poured into Isono’s sports organization. We seized his account before he had a chance to spend a single cent.
“I... really don’t have any credit with you, do I?” Isono sulked.
I patted his shoulder and offered a smile. “Listen, Isono. Nothing good comes from an individual sitting on that much cash. You’ll just end up with a target on your back.”
“Leo, you’re doing just fine,” he countered.
“That’s because I’m a difficult target. I’ve always got the Imperial Guard Knight Order watching over me. Besides, everyone knows I can dodge bullets.”
“I can do a bullet catch too, you know?”
“Heh heh heh, but that information isn’t public knowledge! They’re coming, Isono—the troublesome factions! From sports results to political agendas, you’ll be hunted endlessly by idiots who’ve been riled up by the hype!”
“Guh!”
Score: one for me.
And so, the opening ceremony of the Fighting Tournament arrived. I prepared to face the ceremony in my formal wear.
Personal Shield, check.
Gloves... ah, instead of the white formal ones, I’d brought my Battle Gloves. My chamberlains must have been so busy they were going senile.
Well, whatever. It wasn’t like it bothered me. I headed out to the opening ceremony, waving to the crowd.
I read my opening remarks... Okay, now all that was left was the final day exhibition...
Just as I let my guard down, it happened.
(Bloodlust!)
In the next instant, a Pulse Rifle beam streaked toward me. I dodged the first and second shots... Oops, there were other snipers out there too!
I activated my Personal Shield for defense.
Of course, the Chronos Police were far from incompetent. Officers from the Ogre God Nation arrived immediately, but before they could act, the culprit was beaten to a pulp by the citizens.
“You bastard! What the hell do you think you’re doing to our King?!”
The enraged citizens began delivering Soccer Ball Kicks. It was a literal case of “Congratulations, today you're the soccer ball.” Not a single person held back; they were kicking for blood.
I have to hand it to the police for managing to rescue him before he was killed.
As for me, I was evacuated by the Imperial Guard Knight Order. I was truly saddened by the whole affair. Lou-chan's Mama and a camera crew followed close behind.
“Hahaha, it’s all right! I’ll protect you! Please, rest easy!”
“O-Oh.”
She gave me a look that suggested she was the one who'd have to do the protecting. It was just a “King Joke,” though.
Still, I laughed and waved at the camera. Then, I felt it again. Bloodlust.
“Die, Grand Duke!”
Someone screamed. They were using a handgun with live rounds. Rapid fire would mean a soldier; anything else meant an amateur.
I charged the assailant without hesitation. He opened fire, letting off a rapid burst.
Oops, a pro!
I could predict the trajectory of the bullets. Half of them were wide. Only a few were on target. I used my Battle Gloves to snatch only the ones that would have hit me. I sidestepped the shots aimed at my legs as best I could, and for the ones I absolutely couldn't avoid, I trusted my Personal Shield.
“Y-You’ve gotta be kidd—”
I threw the caught bullets back at him before he could finish. He flinched instinctively. They weren't going to pierce him, of course.
“Take this!”
I delivered a kick straight to his groin. If I felt something hard, it meant body armor. If so, I’d transition from a throw into a joint-lock hell.
I mean, he came here to kill me. There was no way he wasn't wearing armor, right? Hahaha!
Squish. ...Ah.
“Wait!”
No armor. The attacker's face suddenly became a canvas for all the despair in the universe.
“Ha... hahi...”
“You can’t breathe, can you? Take a deep breath!”
“A, aga...!”
Everything in this world had ended for him. In more ways than one. Ah, right... a warrior’s mercy. Neck Chop! But the thing is, I’m not very good at neck chops... so I went with an arm-based Guillotine Chop instead.
Crunch!
“Hebuh!”
“Whew... evil has been vanquished.”
Lou-chan's Mama and the other civilians were safe behind the shield, but it seemed my unsightly display had been caught perfectly on film.
“Can we keep that off the record...?”
“It’s a live broadcast.”
Dammit.
Well, talking about Bullet Catching earlier had been a total flag... My shameful display was broadcast across the galaxy. I was now a monster that bullets couldn't touch. That reputation had spiraled beyond my control.
The culprits turned out to be two Parcionians and one Ozenian. Apparently, the latter was a former Ozenian regular who’d been captured and spared by the Chronos Army during their earlier meddling—back before the Ozenians were wiped out. And so, he decided to vent his misplaced rage on me.
I could understand him joining the Chronos Army out of spite, but targeting me? I’m not the villain here. If anything, I’m the one avenging his people. No wonder he wasn't wearing armor. I wouldn't call him incompetent, exactly, but his training was abysmal. In the Galactic Empire’s Imperial Guard Knight Order, he’d have received an Iron Fist Sanction for such a poor performance.
...Then again, wearing Battle Gloves with formal wear probably warrants an Iron Fist Sanction, too. I’ll just shove these in my pockets and destroy the evidence. Yeah.
“I’ll try to avoid the groin next time, I suppose,” I said, beaming at the camera while hiding my gloves.
“H-He’s far too composed...” Lou-chan's Mama muttered in spite of herself.
“It’s not the first time someone’s tried to kill me. I’ve had tanks show up at my hotel before. I was lucky they were weak this time. Hahaha!”
For some reason, even the cameraman was staring at me slack-jawed. I mean, what else was I supposed to say? This was a regular occurrence!
I was whisked away to the Palace by my guards, and the opening ceremony was promptly cancelled. The tournament was postponed for several days. When I returned home, I received a message from the Pirate Guild. It was my Leo's Handler, that muscle-bound macho guy.
“Great Leader.”
“Could you please stop glitching out all of a sudden?”
“Well, it was decided at the meeting that we would henceforth refer to Lord Leo as the ‘Great Leader.’”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“More importantly, we have a problem. The bounty on the Great Leader’s head has soared.”
“I was a wanted man?!”
“Well, you are a celebrity.”
“What do you mean by ‘soared’?”
“It’s roughly the price of an entire planet.”
“But even if they kill me, the Galactic Empire and Chronos would just retaliate, right? A single planet isn't worth that kind of blowback.”
“...That is one way of looking at it. But as far as bounties go, this price is exorbitant.”
“Who is it, anyway? Who’s putting out the hit?”
“Rich refugees from Ozen. The Chronos Anti-Grand Duke Faction that defected to Parcion. Factions within the former Pirate Guild aiming for the Great Leader...”
“Oh no, that actually sounds plausible! I mean, we aren't cracking down on Chronosians, so they should just come home.”
“They’re Ozenian spies.”
“Death penalty, then.”
“Precisely.”
“Wouldn't it be faster to just slide some cash to the Ogre God Nation Yankees?”
“Do you really think the people of the Ogre God Nation would stoop to something so cowardly?”
“I suppose you’re right.”
In that sense, the Ogre God Nation people were quite reliable. Hmm, what to do...?
Galaxy of the Rakshasa Vol. 1
It’s apparently already on bookstore shelves! (I heard the Animate in my local Kawaguchi got its stock.) Please check it out!