How did I miss it?
The moment I thought about it...
Everything suddenly made sense.
My hands had burned when I shook his hand.
His hands were red.
Not red gloves.
His actual hands were red.
And the most unexpected person in the entire building...
Was the speaker himself.
I looked toward the stage.
He continued talking as if nothing was wrong.
But now I understood his plan.
He wasn't trying to scare everyone away.
He wanted everyone to stay.
The longer his speech continued, the more people gathered.
And when the speech ended...
He would use his Blood Demon Art.
The entire room would be surrounded by his boiling demon blood.
Then he'd burn everyone...
And eat them.
"That's his plan..."
I slowly stood up.
The speaker looked at me.
"Everything alright, Mr. Fogo?"
"Yeah."
I smiled nervously.
"I just need to use the restroom."
I walked toward the exit.
But the moment I reached the door—
WHOOSH!
A huge pool of red, bubbling liquid blocked the way.
I stopped.
"...Fuck."
The floor in front of me was covered in what looked like lava.
Except it was blood.
Hot demon blood.
I stepped back.
I immediately touched my watch.
"Marie. Tobisa."
"Yes?" Tobisa replied.
"Don't fire."
"Okay."
There was a pause.
"Wait," Tobisa said. "Is it because firing would reveal our identities?"
"No."
"Then why?"
I stared at the pool of blood.
"Because we've got a big problem."
"What problem?" Marie asked.
"There is a giant lake of hot demon blood blocking the exit."
"And if everyone realizes he's a demon..."
I looked at the hundreds of people sitting around me.
"...they're going to run straight outside."
"And straight into the blood."
Tobisa was silent.
"So..."
"They'd basically become deep-fried samosas."
"Tom!" Marie shouted through the watch.
"What?"
"Seriously?!"
"What? I'm nervous!"
Marie sighed.
"Okay."
"So what's your plan?"
I looked around.
"...Don't have one yet."
"Great."
Then Marie suddenly spoke.
"I think I have one."
I immediately became serious.
"Go on."
I sat back down.
The speech was almost finished.
The demon was getting ready.
His hands were glowing red.
The blood outside was beginning to bubble more violently.
We didn't have much time.
The speaker smiled.
"So..."
"I would like to conclude by stating that..."
This was it.
I raised my hand.
"Excuse me."
The speaker looked at me.
"Yes, Mr. Fogo?"
"How much is this train going to cost?"
He blinked.
"Well..."
"A few hundred thousand."
"And where are you going to get that money from?"
The speaker looked confused.
"Well, we have shares..."
"And we've been investing..."
"Investing in what?"
I interrupted.
"And which shares?"
The room became quieter.
The speaker's smile weakened.
"The shares of our company, of course."
"Your company manufactures..."
I paused.
"...what, exactly?"
"Umm..."
"A lot of things."
I smiled.
"I don't think trains are one of them."
A troll sitting nearby frowned.
"What do you mean?"
I turned toward him.
"The Chizunai Private Limited has never manufactured a single train."
"Or a car."
"At least not until the Anti-G."
An elf suddenly stood up.
"Wait..."
"Isn't that the company involved in that meeting where hundreds of people were scammed?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
A murmur spread through the room.
People started looking at each other.
"Wait, he's right."
"I remember that!"
"That company was investigated!"
"Why are they presenting trains?"
The speaker's expression changed.
He realized what was happening.
People were beginning to doubt him.
And doubt was exactly what we needed.
Slowly...
People began standing up.
Then they started walking toward the exits.
The demon couldn't stop them without revealing himself.
Marie had done it.
She had found the one thing that could make hundreds of people leave without knowing there was a demon among them.
I smiled.
"You're a genius, Marie."
"Obviously," she replied through the watch.
The room was emptying.
The demon watched helplessly.
His hands began glowing brighter.
The blood outside started boiling.
He was running out of time.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the room.
Tobisa.
The bullet flew straight toward the demon's neck.
He barely moved in time.
The bullet grazed past him.
His eyes widened.
He had no choice.
He raised both hands.
The boiling blood that had surrounded the building suddenly rushed toward the vents.
WHOOSH!
All of his Blood Demon Art was forced away from the crowd.
The people escaped safely.
The demon stood there, breathing heavily.
I slowly walked toward him.
"So..."
I smiled.
"Never thought you'd be so smart, Tom Fogo."
I tightened my grip around my katana.
"You're not the only one who can plan ahead."