Heinkel's Day of Suffering
「The thuggish Heinkel barged in abruptly, mocking his father and son with everything he had. His voice was incredibly piercing, instantly chilling the room where the warm atmosphere had been building toward a peak.」
「Reinhard's smile vanished in an instant; a look of pain appeared in his eyes as he remained silent.」
「Wilhelm's eyes bulged with rage, trembling with fury. The veteran "Sword Devil," still robust in his old age, was dyed in sorrow by this sudden strike. "Shut up, Heinkel!"」
「Neither he nor his grandson was entirely innocent, so they found themselves unable to retort even while being insulted. However, they were far from the only two people in this room.」
「Even though the excellent lords and knights present were gentle and understanding enough not to blame them, being stepped upon so wantonly in such a setting was unbearable. Because his own existence was linked to his late wife's honor, Wilhelm felt that his presence was now causing these kind people embarrassment and blocking their uplifted spirits.」
「For Wilhelm, this was more painful than death.」
「"What, you hit the truth and now you can't face it? My dead old lady is watching you from the heavens, hey—"」
「Heinkel clicked his tongue playfully and let out a cold sneer. Just as he was about to continue insulting his father's dignity, his expression changed drastically. He lowered his body and rolled across the floor, narrowly dodging a sword that had been hurled with lethal force. Despite his evasion, the blade grazed his cheek, slicing through the skin and into the flesh, drawing blood.」
「"—You brat, are you trying to kill me?!"」
「The disheveled Heinkel, controlled by the fear of a near-death experience and burning rage, twisted his face and screamed at the man who had shown no mercy in throwing the sword.」
「"It's a pity I didn't succeed. Consider yourself lucky."」
「Squinting his eyes and looking at him with a gaze as cold as if he were staring at a corpse, Hikigaya Hachiman stroked his scabbard, contemplating whether to throw that as well.」
「"You bastard!" Spurred by this attitude, Heinkel lost his composure. "I am the Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard! For a rookie knight who just joined to attack a superior—I could have you executed right now and it would be perfectly within the laws of the Kingdom!"」
「He roared hideously, attempting to use his official authority to order the other knights present to apprehend Hikigaya Hachiman.」
「"So you actually remember you're the Vice-Captain of the Royal Guard?"」
「Hikigaya Hachiman let out a preemptive sneer. "Occupying a high position in the Kingdom, yet you show zero respect and act as if the Royal Candidates aren't even there. You burst through the door abruptly without notice—oh, and you're armed! Tell me, can you give me one reason why I shouldn't treat you as an assassin?"」
「"There are only five candidates in the entire Kingdom, and four of them are gathered right here. If anything happens because of your intrusion, can you take responsibility? You've got a lot of nerve, Heinkel!"」
「BANG!」
「Hikigaya Hachiman slammed the table and stood up. His aggressive reprimand left Heinkel breathless.」
「"Julius, apprehend this assassin! If he dares to resist, add it to his crimes. I'd like to see just how 'noble' this Vice-Captain truly is!"」
「Cold sweat instantly drenched Heinkel's forehead. He felt as if he were standing in a frozen wasteland, a chill running down his spine. "Wa-Wait... no, don't slander me, you bastard! I didn't mean it like that, an assassin? I—"」
「"Or perhaps you're a spy? Did you take bribes from the Northern Nations or the Holy Vollachian Empire to scout the status of the candidates?"」
「As soon as Heinkel's defense left his mouth, Hachiman slapped an even larger label on him, making Heinkel shake like a leaf.」
「He widened his eyes... No, this was wrong. According to his intel, weren't all the candidate camps—except for that Priscilla woman—relatively kind and easy to push around?」
「To brand someone an assassin or a spy just because of a disagreement—this kind of explosive, fierce temper... you've got to be kidding me!」
「Heinkel understood. He knew how wretched his current behavior was and how poor his reputation in the Kingdom had become. If he were taken down now with such an excuse, the other knights and nobles certainly wouldn't hesitate to support Hikigaya Hachiman in taking his head!」
「Judging by the force with which Hachiman threw that sword earlier, he couldn't even beat this rookie, let alone the "Finest Knight" standing over there.」
「Heinkel cast a desperate glance at his father, hoping he would save his life. "Wa-Wait! I just heard there was a banquet celebrating the subjugation of the White Whale, and I came for my father, so—"」
「"The White Whale subjugation was a year ago. How could a celebration banquet be held an entire year later? Just how much do you intend to insult everyone present? Surrender quietly and leave some dignity for your wife and mother. Stop humiliating them by making a fool of yourself here."」
「Hikigaya Hachiman's aggressiveness was staggering.」
「He knew Heinkel perfectly well: the man was an unmitigated piece of trash. Because Reinhard and Wilhelm were his friends, he was all the more determined to show no mercy and excise this cancer on their behalf.」
「Truly killing him was impossible, as that would only cause those two pain, but throwing Heinkel into a dungeon was definitely for the best for everyone involved.」
"Still the same flavor, still the same feeling."
If anyone felt this scene most deeply, it wasn't Heinkel, but the members of the Sage Council. Hikigaya Hachiman had once used this exact method of "counter-accusal" to crush the arrogance of the entire Council and establish Emilia's prestige. Hikigaya Hachiman was that kind of person: when facing an enemy who abandoned morality and acted without restraint, a Hachiman with "no lower limit" was a terror that left anyone unable to parry, speechless and stunned.
「The battlefield changed in a flash. From Heinkel's arrogance to Hachiman's shouting, Emilia and the others didn't even have time to intervene. Anastasia and Crusch could only stare at Hikigaya Hachiman's imposing figure, becoming slightly entranced.」
「After a brief moment of internal conflict, Julius couldn't help but follow Hachiman's lead, drawing his blade to arrest Heinkel.」
「Reinhard and Wilhelm hesitated several times to speak, but seeing the situation, they both managed to hold back.」
「"Even if a foolish commoner deserves punishment, it should be meted out by Me. Others have no right to take such liberties, you rampant madman!"」
「Accompanied by the sharp Snap! of a fiery red fan closing, the condescending, arrogant Priscilla, who looked down on everything, abruptly broke into the scene.」
「Her gaze was sharp, and the moment she entered, she fixed a cold sneer upon Hikigaya Hachiman.」
「Incomparably insolent!」