Yukino tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled faintly. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll just stay here."
Nanashi let out a sigh.
It seemed her mindset hadn't shifted yet.
"Yukino, you're too naïve. I covet your body—how could I let you die?"
"...Huh?"
Her heart skipped a beat at his words, but before she could react, Nanashi continued.
"Remember the prompt when we entered the game space?"
"The prompt?"
Still slightly flustered, Yukino frowned in thought.
She couldn't recall the details.
Nanashi didn't expect her to remember, so he explained directly.
"The game space said this was the first game."
"If there's a first, there will be a second… and a third."
"My guess is, since this is a game, it's meant to make players stronger. Survival is just the foundation—performance is likely rewarded with points."
"If there's another game, do you think you can survive without growing stronger?"
Yukino fell silent, lost in thought.
The more she considered it, the more sense it made.
Her first instinct was to follow Nanashi.
But then, reality hit her.
She was weak. Helpless.
She could easily become a liability.
Her fists clenched.
She hated feeling powerless.
She wanted to repay Nanashi for saving her, but she had nothing to offer.
If the time came… would her only option be to give herself to him?
Meanwhile, Nanashi rubbed his chin in contemplation.
It would be ideal if Yukino had a way to kill zombies from a distance.
But firearms in the game's shop required points.
And even if he bought her a gun, a novice like her might not even know how to use it properly.
Then, suddenly, an idea struck him.
The chat group!
His eyes lit up as he opened the group chat.
Nanashi: "@March 7th, you there?"
March 7th: "Here! What's up?"
Nanashi: "Are you still at the Black Tower Space Station?"
March 7th: "Yeah, the Star Rail is still docked here."
Nanashi: "I need a weapon from Lady Black Tower or Estelle. Can you help me get one?"
March 7th: "What kind of weapon? We can't afford anything too powerful."
Nanashi: "Something simple—small, like a pistol. It should have long-range attack capabilities, sufficient energy, and be strong enough to blow a zombie's head off with a normal shot."
Saeko: "Are you going to fight zombies, Nanashi-kun?"
Nanashi: "That's right."
Lemuel: "What do zombies look like?"
Nanashi: "Here's a picture."
Lemuel: "Ugh… that's disgusting."
Saeko: "They look just like the ones from horror movies."
March 7th: "Ew, gross. But your request doesn't sound too hard. I'll ask around and see if I can get something for you."
…
After a While
A reply came from March 7th.
March 7th: "Got it! Estelle gave me something. She called it a 'small toy,' but it's actually a pistol powerful enough to blow someone's head off. It runs on solar energy and charges quickly."
March 7th: "I'll send it over now."
[Ding! March 7th has sent a private red envelope to Nanashi!]
[Ding! Nanashi has received it!]
Nanashi: "Thanks, Seventh."
[Ding! Nanashi sent a private red envelope to March 7th!]
In return, Nanashi transferred 500 Doomsday Points to March 7th. Consider it a fair trade for the weapon.
"What!"
Yukino's eyes widened as a sleek blue firearm materialized in Nanashi's hand.
That wasn't from the in-game shop.
"Here, try this."
Nanashi handed it to her, explaining as per March 7th's message.
"A solar-powered energy gun!"
The futuristic design alone made it look like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
They moved the cabinet aside and carefully opened the dormitory door.
A horde of zombies was gathered outside.
But since it was daytime, they were sluggish and unresponsive.
"Try shooting it," Nanashi instructed, gently guiding Yukino's hand to aim at one of the undead.
"..."
She could feel the warmth of his hand over hers, his breath tickling her neck.
His gaze was steady, expectant.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, gripped the pistol, and pulled the trigger.
A burst of blue energy shot forward.
Bang!
The zombie's torso exploded instantly.
"This... is amazing!"
Yukino stared in shock.
The gun was incredibly powerful—like a shotgun at close range.
Yet, what was even more shocking was the complete lack of recoil.
"Perfect. You can help me clear out the zombies now."
Nanashi took her hand again, leading her forward.
Yukino felt the warmth in his grip and, without realizing it, squeezed his hand tighter.
"You've helped me so much… If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know," she said softly.
Nanashi turned to her with a smirk.
"I'm greedy for your body."
"..."
Yukino didn't respond.
She simply followed him, her face turning red, thoughts racing.
Nanashi led the way, using Black Lightning to clear paths.
Yukino followed closely, picking off stragglers with the energy gun.
Nanashi's vector manipulation also proved invaluable.
With the Doomsday Chat Group upgraded to level 2, his abilities weren't as overpowered as Academy City's Level 5 espers, but they were still formidable.
For reference, the power scale in Academy City varied drastically:
Lv.1 (Low ability users): Nearly useless.Lv.2 (Special ability users): Slightly better, but still weak.Lv.3 (Strong ability users): Practical in combat.Lv.4 (High ability users): A huge leap from Lv.3.Lv.5 (Superpower users): Literal monsters who break the game balance.Based on this scale, Nanashi's Level 2 vector manipulation was comparable to a Lv.2.5 esper—somewhere between Special and Strong Ability users.