263 Heaven's Gift Not Taken Will Surely Bring Harm
Mushibami Erimi was furious beyond measure.
That rage ultimately broke through her fear of death along with her dignity.
Her body began to wildly secrete adrenaline, even causing her to have the illusion that, even if her fingers were directly cut off, she wouldn't feel pain.
Her barren chest heaved violently, and she let out a mad roar: "Come on! Come on! It's just fingers, isn't it?! I, Mushibami Erimi, how could I possibly lose to trash like you!"
"Not bad, that look in your eyes." Hachiman Hikigaya gladly accepted her provocation. "That's the kind of resolve you need to really savor the deliciousness of bearing the consequences of karma! I hope you can hold on to that resolve until the end."
Soon, the finger-cutting gamble resumed once again.
Human strength has limits.
After adrenaline is secreted to a certain extent, it slows down until it no longer secretes heavily.
Adrenaline: You keep charging; leave the rest to me → Adrenaline: I'm tired; destroy it. This is what people commonly call the fading of passion.
The strength that arises from one's dignity being trampled and instinctively triggered ultimately could not stay with Mushibami Erimi until the end.
Soon, the gamble reached the final 18th cut. The probability of cutting the fatal connecting rope was as high as 50%. Facing such an exaggerated probability, Erimi's adrenaline honestly shrank back, leaving her host to fend for herself. This was no longer a situation that reckless courage alone could solve.
To reach this point, only someone deeply addicted to gambling could avoid losing composure! Erimi obviously was not among them.
She looked confusedly at Jabami Yumeko, who was already hyped to the extreme in front of her, feeling that her simple values were suffering an unprecedented shock.
"What exactly is this school?" "What exactly is this world?" "Why does the interrogation psychology I studied have no effect on these two?"
She looked down at the last two connecting ropes.
Because the adrenaline had faded, the fear that had been temporarily blocked surged back stronger than ever before.
Under this mental state, the two ropes seemed to appear with multiple overlapping afterimages, making it impossible for her to focus her gaze.
What a pitifully ugly scene.
Though she couldn't see it, Mushibami Erimi could imagine how ugly her current posture must be... Instinctively, she covered her mouth and violently gagged.
"I can't take it anymore... this fear of possibly losing my fingers at any moment."
After all, why did I bet my fingers with Hikigaya and the others? My body is obviously more noble than theirs! This gamble was never equal from the start.
That's right, exactly that.
This has nothing to do with dignity; it's entirely because the stakes aren't equal.
Giving up on the gamble doesn't mean I've abandoned my dignity.
Her fingers trembled slightly, as if trying to pull out.
"Mushibami—"
That cold voice dragged her nearly collapsing mind back to reality.
She looked up and met Hikigaya's gaze, which seemed to regard her as something more despicable than a frog's pee.
"Don't you want to pull your finger back?" "You said it yourself, didn't you? The Mushibami family's business is interrogation — enjoying how long others can endure.
And you're the Mushibami family's most excellent heir, chosen after rigorous selection, right?"
"In front of someone who makes a living by interrogation, I'm just showing off in front of masters.
This 'finger-cutting guillotine,' as the ropes decrease, the fear constantly grows.
No one can endure the gradually increasing fear.
It's a physiological rejection reaction that no amount of pride or belief can overcome..."
"From here on, the essence of this gamble truly begins to bloom."
"Anyone can leave early, but you, Mushibami Erimi, cannot! You are the protagonist of this story, the planter of karma, and only you must carry the gamble through to the very end!"
"W-why..." Erimi was terrified beyond words, her voice clearly trembling.
Anyone with eyes could see she was being driven to the brink of collapse by Hikigaya.
This was the purest form of verbal therapy, shattering the defenses of a person's heart through mere words.
"A glimpse is worth a thousand words. If even an amateur like me can easily manipulate the Mushibami family's most excellent heir who makes a living from interrogation... then, with all due respect, the Mushibami family is nothing special."
"It's just a crumbling building, rotten at its foundation, a completely useless family. Mushibami Erimi, you don't want your family to lose even the meaning of its existence, do you?" "Prove it. Come prove it to me!"
Hikigaya stood up straight, his figure tall and imposing, as if he transformed into a giant, crushing the insect called Mushibami into dust.
"The truly important things cannot be seen with the naked eye. Compared to your fingers, isn't the family's dignity more important?"
At that moment, Yumeko, still sitting on the sofa, looked dreamily at Hikigaya.
Truly good and bad people in this world are rare; most are ordinary.
They go with the flow but reveal their fangs for self-protection at critical moments — however, the fangs revealed to protect others are the most terrifying of all.
"Hachiman, showing those fangs — who are you protecting~?"
"Ugh haaaa—" "Stop joking around, Hikigaya Hachiman!"
Hikigaya's words seemed to reignite the embers in Erimi's heart.
Her tears stopped flowing, her body stopped shaking, and even the nausea was suppressed deep within.
"Among these two connecting ropes, there will definitely be a result." "Even if fate favors you, as long as there's the last rope..." "I will prove that when it comes to the last rope, both you, Hikigaya Hachiman, and Jabami Yumeko will pull out your fingers and lose to the fear in your hearts! Because that fear cannot be avoided!"
"The Mushibami family's dignity, the foundation of the Mushibami family, under the witness of the Momobami family head, I will protect it!"
"Hmm."
Hikigaya's scissors hovered between the last two connecting ropes, hesitating: "It's really hard to choose. Either one could be safe before it falls." "Maybe this is what they call Schrödinger's connecting rope~" "But I, Hikigaya Hachiman, have never gotten this far by playing it safe!"
With lightning speed, Hikigaya's thumb and index finger exerted force; the scissors spread wide, enclosing the only two remaining connecting ropes.
Everyone's pupils suddenly contracted. They watched in disbelief what was happening. Hikigaya's intentions were clear: he never planned to leave only one rope.
His goal was to cut them all.
With mental preparations made and for family honor's sake, Erimi might persist to the end and fight to the death. But this sudden change was completely outside her expectations.
The instinct to avoid harm and pursue benefit is deeply ingrained in human blood.
Under stressful danger, people instinctively try to escape.
Time seemed to slow down. The falling guillotine blade appeared to slow infinitely in Erimi's eyes. As her gaze dropped, it kept falling.
"It will cut." That was her first thought.
Without a shred of doubt, in just two seconds... no, two seconds is too long, maybe just 1.5 seconds — blood would spurt, flesh and bone would be separated, and the tragic material would be herself.
"I can dodge." That was her second thought.
Erimi had never been so glad for her reflexes. Although the finger-cutting blade fell fast, she was sure she could pull her finger back in this brief moment.
Heaven's gift not taken will surely bring harm.
Family dignity, family foundation... karma of interrogation, gambling resolve... "Go to hell, all of it! Only I, only I Erimi, am the most important!"
Countless thoughts raced through Erimi's mind, the moment of decision seemed eternal.
Finally, she pulled her finger out.
Bang!
Kokoro only held Saotome's arm, trembling all over, closing her eyes, unwilling to face the bloodied and mangled scene before her.
But strangely, the expected screams did not come.
She opened her eyes again, seeing nearby the Momobami president with her arms crossed, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth, as if her long-planned scheme had just achieved its first success.
Looking at the gambling table, the sharp finger-cutting blade seemed blocked by an invisible steel plate; it stopped just before cutting the finger.
Looking at the finger hole, Erimi's finger had somehow already been pulled out, leaving only a flesh-colored and a red fingernail, while two fingers still stayed in the finger hole.
Yomozuki Runa's dramatic voice interrupted everyone's varied thoughts: "That's the end, all connecting ropes have been cut, the result is decided!"
"The one who pulled out the finger, Lady Mushibami, has lost; Lord Hikigaya lost for illegally cutting two connecting ropes. The result is, Lady Jabami wins!"
However, Yumeko, the sole winner, showed no joy fitting a victor, only a faint disappointment and dissatisfaction.
She grabbed Hikigaya's arm and shook it: "Really, Hachiman, you selfishly kept the thrill of this crisis all to yourself. The last connecting rope could have been left for me to cut~"
"Well, that's my fault. Next time, I definitely won't do that."
Hikigaya scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Wh-why?! Hikigaya Hachiman, why did you cut two connecting ropes at once?! What are you thinking? Have you gone mad?!"
264 This secret, I'll keep for a lifetime~
Mushibami Erimi sat kneeling on the ground with her calves splayed out, speaking in a tone that was hard to accept:
"Why is the iron plate still here?!"
She pointed her index finger at Yomozuki Runa: "Didn't this guy say? 'That thing' was taken away!"
"Oh, you mean that thing..."
Hikigaya squatted down, picked up the anti-slip corner piece from the table that Yomozuki Runa had thrown there.
Under the light, it showed some worn and slightly chipped appearance from abrasion.
"Of course, I mean this."
"Huh?"
Mushibami Erimi was dumbfounded.
"When you tested the sharpness of the knife blade using the doll in your hand, the table shook, right? That's because the anti-slip corners on all four legs were worn out, so I just took them all off to keep the table stable."
"As for the steel plate you mentioned..."
Hikigaya Hachiman stepped forward and knocked on the hidden steel plate of the device:
"At first, I wasn't sure either, but I thought, how could a young lady like you, who enjoys torturing others for fun, put yourself at the same level of risk as someone like me, a 'commoner'?"
"What you seek, what you enjoy, from beginning to end, is watching commoners struggle in pain, not simply enjoying the risk like Yumeko or the president."
"That viewpoint was confirmed when I said those misleading words to Yomozuki."
"Mushibami... you really can't hide things on your face. Just by seeing your flustered expression, your inner thoughts are laid bare."
Mushibami Erimi clenched her fists tightly, unwilling, unwilling, unwilling!
To be completely deceived by such a low-level trick, and to show such disgrace in front of a commoner...
Damn it, this Hikigaya Hachiman, who has such gambling skills, is exactly the talent she needs.
After this gamble, she completely verified his ability.
If it weren't for Momobami Kirari's intervention, she could have used Yuri Blair to force Hikigaya to work for her at school.
"Since the outcome is decided, Miss Mushibami, you should fulfill the bet and release the person."
"Heh... about that..."
She still wanted to argue a bit more.
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
This Mushibami seemed unwilling to accept defeat so comfortably.
He clapped his hands, and Shimotsukiuri Ouri, who had been silently standing behind them, took out a phone that had been recording continuously and handed it to Hikigaya.
On it was clearly playing the footage of the gamble, completely recording Mushibami Erimi's disgraceful act of backing down at the last moment.
"You actually recorded?!" Seeing the contents, Erimi's pupils shrank sharply as she suddenly stood up.
"Although bets like this will certainly be enforced under the president's witness, I prefer to do it my own way." Hikigaya toyed with the phone holding the footage, dodging Erimi's attempted grab, speaking softly: "It's obvious the internal competition in your Mushibami family is quite intense."
"If this video were spread inside your Mushibami family, wouldn't the Mushibami family become a laughingstock?"
"Or, using the condition of not spreading the video, have the head of the Mushibami family strip you of your successor position, or even your family name... Erimi, do you think your family head would refuse?"
During the conversation, Hikigaya's gaze casually looked at Momobami Kirari, who was crossing her arms with a teasing expression.
This was an unspoken tacit understanding between the two.
Hikigaya knew Momobami wanted to use this opportunity to severely suppress the rebellious voices from the Mushibami family.
And he also wanted to use this chance to gain benefits from the Mushibami family members...
Both parties took what they needed.
Moreover, aiming to become the head of the Momobami family, Hikigaya, while helping Kirari suppress rebellion, was also clearing obstacles for himself!
From any angle, Hikigaya Hachiman was profiting.
"You, you you!" Mushibami Erimi pointed at Hikigaya speechlessly.
She had to admit, his threat worked.
No one knew better than Erimi how cruel the head of the Mushibami family, that old man, was.
If he found out she hadn't defended the family's dignity in the end...
Losing her family name might be the best outcome.
If it got worse, the torture methods she developed might all be used on her.
That would be hell!
Erimi's body went limp, her spirit collapsed.
She trembled uncontrollably, and the ground between her legs seemed to reflect crystal clear light.
She said weakly: "I understand. I'll immediately have them release the person. As an exchange, you absolutely cannot make this video public or use it as a threat again."
"Miss Mushibami, you seem to misunderstand something." Hikigaya adjusted his collar and lazily leaned back on the soft sofa.
Yumeko slyly nestled into Hikigaya's arms, placing his hand on her fragrant shoulder.
Soft and warm in his embrace, this standard villainous boss posture made Hikigaya feel as if he was the real villain.
He did not refuse Yumeko, holding her as he leisurely said:
"Releasing the person is the responsibility you must fulfill as part of our bet."
"As for not making it public, that's a different price. Not to use it as a threat?" Hikigaya leaned forward, speaking in a low, sinister tone: "This secret, I'll keep for a lifetime."
That sinister voice sent a chill through the two minor characters, Saotome and Kokoro Aiura, who instinctively stepped back as if meeting Hikigaya for the first time.
Honegami Miroslava' eyes flashed oddly.
Although such threats were common tactics, when Hikigaya Hachiman used it, it had a special flavor...
If Hikigaya continued growing at this rate, maybe soon he could bring her ecstasy.
"Don't go too far, Hikigaya Hachiman! Aren't you afraid I'll have someone kill him right now?"
Mushibami Erimi's voice suddenly rose a tone, but anyone sharp could hear that her voice was all bluster.
"As I said just now, Miss Mushibami, you're the kind who absolutely wouldn't put yourself at the same risk as a commoner."
"If you want to go all out, fish dying in the net, be my guest."
"..." Seeing force didn't work, Mushibami Erimi had to soften.
She didn't want to be discarded by the family head, nor did she want Hikigaya to keep her secret for life.
She could only give a pitiful look, clutching the broken doll in her arms and looking at Momobami Kirari:
"Mo-Momobami family head, look at him, he's really too much!"
"Too much?" Kirari smiled slightly, showing no intention of intervening in their dispute.
As the lofty master of Eden, she just enjoyed the drama:
"I don't think so~"
Kirari leaned down, cupping Erimi's pitiful face:
"This is the dispute between you and Hikigaya-kun~ Of course, you must resolve it with your own methods.
Whether you want to go all out, using the enemy's corpse to prove your worth, or kneel before Hikigaya-kun and pledge loyalty, it's your choice..."
"But asking me for help like this, I'm very dissatisfied."
Seeing Kirari's cold smile, Erimi felt like she had fallen into an ice cave, hopeless.
She knew her last hope was mercilessly erased.
She had no second path to choose.
If she could, she would also want to prove her dignity by going all out, but...
Humans are inherently flawed beings.
She could not give up everything she had, nor could she exchange everything she had for a commoner's life... In the end, Mushibami Erimi said nothing, lowered her proud head.
Seeing this, Hikigaya Hachiman's heart finally settled.
Though he had seen through Erimi's true nature, human nature was always complicated; no one knows what kind of courage would erupt until the last moment.
But in the end, the fact proved Hikigaya was right—Mushibami Erimi was a person who had lost courage.
But that was fine.
If she had really chosen to exchange one for one with Yuri-san at the end, Hikigaya didn't know how to explain it to Miss Yor.
"Good, it seems Miss Mushibami made the wisest choice." Toying with the phone, he sent good news to Miss Yor:
"The first request: hand over the most disobedient troublemaker inside your Mushibami group, the one with blood on their hands... hmm, just hand them to Yuri-san. Consider it compensation for detaining him these days."
The 'blood' Hikigaya mentioned referred to commoners who harmed ordinary people.
He believed there must be many such people inside the Mushibami group.
If something happened due to gang conflicts, that was each serving their master, just deserts; but those who harmed ordinary people had no place in Hikigaya's eyes.
Mushibami Erimi's fists clenched then loosened.
She finally said nothing, obediently took out her phone and dialed the phone of her deputy officer.
"Lady Erimi, any orders?"
"Release the person."
"Huh? Just release him?"
"Also handle Nozaki Kosuke, Sakakibara Choichi, Morii Yuri... those guys too. Hand them over to him."
"What?!"
The deputy officer was shocked.
These few, called the fiercest hunting dogs of the Mushibami group, gathered lots of information efficiently and ruthlessly, covering their past crimes to gain protection.
Erimi usually turned a blind eye to them to deal with dirty and tiring jobs, so why on the first day at school did she give such orders?
Could it be she was infected by the youthful atmosphere of the school, wanting to cut ties with these crimes?
The deputy officer dared not say more, responded with a nod, and commanded subordinates to wrap up the work.