Chapter 92
Fortunately, I didn't have to drink the entire 5000cc Beer Mug on the spot, or anything dangerous like that.
It was just a mild initiation and a joke, and to liven up the mood, Dragon President and Tony just made me drink a little beer.
Just a few sips to get slightly tipsy. It ended with a buzz and my cheeks slightly red.
Even I, who can't drink well, can handle this much.
All that talk earlier about making me drink until I passed out and taking me home was just to scare me a little.
There was no way they'd actually Tell me to drink all of that.
Even with a Liver Detoxification Aid Implant, I wouldn't be able to endure that, and my cyberware would probably break.
"...Right?"
When I spoke anxiously, Tony grinned next to me.
"Well."
[That depends on what you do, Nakamura-kun.]
And then came the sudden interjection of Dragon President's mechanically Distorted Voice.
[I will ask you one question. Depending on the result, the amount of alcohol you drink might be decided, so Answer carefully.]
What's with the sudden question?
I was the one who had things to ask the people at the bar, but somehow it felt like I had been stripped of the initiative.
What was he trying to ask? The problem was that there were too many things I could guess.
Right off the bat, taking down both Man Hunter and Ned Ludd with my Physical Ability made no sense, and it was bound to raise suspicions.
If there were testimonies from the scene, they might have heard that I activated Schneider's Katana that day, so he could ask about that.
Or he could ask about my background or my relationship with Isiho...
Either way, they were all Awkward questions that were hard to Answer easily.
As I gulped,, Dragon President looked straight into my eyes and spoke.
[Between the sword and the gun, which do you think is the Superior Weapon?]
"..."
Ah, that.
My tense body went limp. I had been worrying like an idiot.
Dragon President in front of me and Tony beside me craned their necks, watching me as I shook my head.
Seeing them like that gave me a premonition that no matter which side I chose, I would suffer Retaliation from the Unchosen Faction, so I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
"Ahem, but didn't that issue end earlier with Tony winning?"
He had a pretty good point. It's an undeniable fact that a sword cannot surpass the range of a gun.
I said that without much thought and suffered a disaster.
BANG!!!
As a fist clad in Power Armor pounded the dining table, the beer in the giant mug overflowed.
Startled, I pulled out a Pulp Napkin to wipe the table, while Dragon President shouted loudly at me.
[Silence!!!!!!! Nani o itteru da (What are you saying!)! Don't Tell me you were a filthy gun-wielder too, Nakamura! And here I trusted you!]
Ugh, I thought my eardrums were going To burst.
Toward Dragon President, whose speech had shifted to a historical drama tone as if he had recently watched a samurai film, Tony spat out his lines in an equally exaggerated tone.
"Heh, just give up already. Nakamura simply chose the more rational and obvious side. There's no way he'd abandon guns to choose a short and weak weapon like a sword, right?"
[Sonna (No way)! Uso (Lies), there's no way Nakamura-kun would do that!]
And suddenly, the dynamic shifted to a third-rate Thug and a Japanese JK who had her friend stolen by that Thug.
I absolutely couldn't keep up with this flow.
Hoping she might put a stop to this madness, I looked diagonally at Sey, but she seemed to have already given up, paying them no mind as she diligently picked up and ate her Volcano Roll with chopsticks.
...She sure eats well.
It was simply amazing how food kept disappearing into that Slender Face and tiny mouth.
The way she swallowed everything down without chewing much oddly resembled that pink character from a Nintendo game that sucks up everything.
She must be tall and good at fighting because she eats so well. I should eat my fill too.
[No, range isn't that important! What does it matter how long it is? There's no guarantee you'll actually hit the target.]
"By that logic, the sword is actually the one with no guarantee of hitting. No matter how much you swing it, they just have to dodge."
[I can Attack with a sword so they Zettai (Absolutely) can't dodge! Huh? Do you know how many gunmen I've sliced down on the Battlefield? Do you think any enemy Ever survived by dodging my blade?]
"Ah, here we go again."
Because of these guys, I couldn't chew anything in peace.
Avoiding Dragon President, who was starting to lay out a bunch of War-era Exploits, and Tony, who was shuddering in disgust, I picked up a large meatball with my fork and moved it to my plate.
As soon as I took a bite, I felt the familiar flavor of Substitute meat and Instant Sauce. Frowning at the Bland Taste, I opened my mouth.
A Battlefield, huh.
"President, were you a Veteran Soldier?"
Too focused on their overheated sword-gun debate, Tony and Dragon didn't seem to hear me, so Sey swallowed her food and spoke up instead.
"Yeah. The Second and Third Corpo Wars."
The Second and Third were both Corpo Wars that occurred around the same time, relatively recently.
I knew it was from over a decade ago, even if it was recent.
If he were active as an active-duty soldier back then, I would have guessed as much from how he usually spoke, but it seemed Dragon President was definitely on the older side.
They called him a Legend in the Mercenary industry. Did he also go to war while doing Ronin Work in the past? And twice, at that.
“First off, the Second is the war where Militia and Valentine cooperated to Disband the Sino-Japanese Cartel Block formed by the East Asian megacorps. And the Third is...”
At the Fragmentary Thought that suddenly came to mind, my face turned completely white.
The very war in which PepsiCo emerged victorious against the Coca-Cola Company and took over the Hegemony of the Global Beverage Market.
The World calls that the Third Corpo War.
"...!"
My head snapped around.
Dragon President was still busy casting his “Back in my day...” spell and preaching his Sword Supremacy Theory.
[Huh? You can block bullets with a sword. You just have to slice them or block them with the flat of the blade. But you can't block a sword with a gun!]
"What kind of nonsense is that? That's only possible with cheap bullets. The new weapons coming out these days have a basic travel speed of supersonic, and there are plenty of railgun-type firearms that reach Hypersonic Speed! How do you react to that?"
[I've even dodged a pulse bullet before! Railguns are everywhere when you go out to the Battlefield. sword masters like me can easily slice through things like that. Hmph.]
Does that make any sense?
Scientifically, it seemed absolutely impossible, but since the opponent was Dragon President, I found myself tilting my head in doubt again.
Hearing his words Alone made it sound like nothing but a bluff, but when I faced the sheer presence exuded by the figure known as Sasha Dragon Head-on, it made me think, “Could it be?”
However, Tony, who had known Dragon President for much longer than I had, shook his head as if he was dumbfounded.
"No, boss. You have to say things that Make Sense. Haven't you had too much to drink?"
[It's Riaru (Really) though?]
"You're really driving me Crazy. This guy thinks he's a Jedi or something."
[Shut up, Punk. If you're mad about it, you should've fought in the war too! A grown man who hasn't even experienced war once shouldn't be running his mouth so carelessly... Cut off your balls, Punk!]
"Wow, I genuinely felt sexual humiliation just now. Is it okay for a Workplace Superior to harass a subordinate Employee like this?"
[This is the President's authority. If you don't want to feel even worse humiliation, obediently Admit it. Admit that the sword is a Superior Weapon to the gun!]
"I'll just Resign. It's been fun."
[Sonna (No way)!]
And just like that, the Duo's Comedy Routine broke off, bringing a brief moment of respite.
I quietly watched their conversation before blurting out.
"President. You said you participated in the Third Corpo War."
[Yeah, Sou Datta (That's right). It's already in the past, though. Back then, I...]
"Could I ask which Faction you were on?"
It was a very calm question, but an unhideable heat could be felt boiling inside me.
My gaze was sharp, and my hands were trembling. The nails of my clenched fists dug into my skin.
This was perhaps...
With everyone's Attention focused on him, Dragon President shouted while chugging his beer, seemingly oblivious to the unusual atmosphere.
[Me? I was obviously on the winning side! Back then, Sasha Dragon was the icon of victory.]
Which meant...
"So, you were on PepsiCo's side?"
[Sou dayo (That's right). It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Pepsi became the best cola brand thanks to me. Pepsi-Cola really ought to pay me a commission for every can of cola they sell.]
I see. So that was it.
I let out a gasp at the sudden, flashing realization and fiddled with my Cyberwatch.
"President."
[What? Are you trying to Praise the greatness of Oresama (My Great Self) now, even if it's a bit late? Too bad, but it's already too late. You should have Taken my side earlier...]
"I wondered why Coca-Cola went under, but it turns out it was all because of you, President."
[Huh?]
Closing my eyes, memories from my Previous World surfaced.
The past me, who wouldn't even glance at anything other than Coca-Cola... There was a time when I was a fervent Coca-Cola lover.
A young man who didn't even acknowledge Pepsi-Cola as cola had crossed over to Dusk City and was forced to taste a bitter reality.
the reality that Coca-Cola no longer existed and the cruel providence that the only cola in the World was Pepsi's.
And the culprit was right in front of my eyes.
If only that culprit hadn't been there, I would have been able to drink Coca-Cola here too.
If so, this Hell-like city would have been a much more livable place.
[Uh, Nakamura-kun. What's with that expression? That blank look is somehow Kowai (Scary). Did I take the joke too far? You don't have to drink all the alcohol. It's Fine.]
"...President."
[Why are you suddenly standing up... Oh, now that I look, did you buy new clothes? They look really cool. A black suit! Where did you buy it? It looks expensive. Did you stand up to show it off?]
As if I stood up just to show it off.
I pressed the button on my Cyberwatch and activated the suit.
[Combat Mode Activation. Kinetic Drive Activation. Do you approve?]
Approved.
Feeling the nanofabric correct every single Subtle Movement of mine, I took a Deep Breath.
At the decisive moment, my eyes snapped open.
The young man who loved Coca-Cola had now become an adult.
He had realized reality, but even so, the thirst for revenge in his heart remained unextinguished.
"...!"
Swoosh-!
I took a lightning-fast Step close to the off-Guard Dragon President's body.
That damn Green Tea Cola, Mackerel Cola, spinach-flavored cola...
Recalling the countless monstrosities of Pepsi-Cola that had tormented my tongue all this time, I put strength into my fist.
If only you hadn't been there...!
[W-Wait. What─.]
"Coca-Cola's Enemy─!!!"
Letting out a fierce Roar, I struck Dragon President's Metal Jaw hard with an Uppercut!
CRASH─!
The Mecha Dragon Helmet flipped upward with a loud noise. Everyone around us looked over in shock.
Their gazes captured the sight of the Red Dragon slumped over on the sofa.
I wiped my nose as I looked down at Sasha Dragon, who had miserably sunk before my Fiery Iron Fist.
This was my revenge.
This was Coca-Cola's vengeance.
Never look down on Coca-Cola again, you wicked evil dragon!