Nanashi soared over the playground, his gaze fixed on the chaotic scene below.
The ground was teeming with the undead.
"Hold on tight," he warned.
Without further hesitation, he let himself fall.
Boom!!!
The ground trembled violently as he landed.
A massive shockwave rippled outward, sending dust and debris flying. It felt as if the entire school had shaken from the impact.
Nanashi, having manipulated the vectors upon landing, redirected all the force into the earth beneath him.
Crack!
The ground split apart, shattering beneath his feet. The surrounding undead were crushed under the sudden collapse.
As the dust settled, two figures emerged, completely unharmed.
"Wh-what was that...?"
The commotion had not gone unnoticed.
From inside the school, Saeko and her group—who had been cautiously navigating through the undead—turned their attention toward the source of the tremor.
In her grip was a sharpened, bloodstained katana.
Behind her, three others clutched their makeshift weapons.
"Did an earthquake just hit the playground?"
Saya Takagi, the pink-haired girl with glasses, frowned.
The blonde school nurse, Shizuka Marikawa—whose proportions were undeniably impressive—tapped a finger against her chin in confusion.
"But earthquakes don't just stop like that, do they?"
At the back of the group, Rei Miyamoto, the orange-haired girl, appeared visibly shaken, her mental state fragile.
Before they could speculate further, a loud voice rang across the school grounds:
"Saeko! Lemuel and I are waiting for you at the playground!"
"What?!"
The three girls turned to Saeko, eyes filled with questions.
Someone was calling for her.
And whoever it was had caused that kind of destruction.
"Isn't that basically inviting every zombie in the area?" Saya muttered, exasperated.
Yet, to their surprise, Saeko's crimson-tinged pupils gleamed with excitement.
Her lips curled into a beautiful, almost predatory smile.
"I'm heading to the playground."
Without waiting for a response, she sliced through a nearby zombie in one fluid motion and strode forward.
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
Whoever had called out to her was reckless. Loud.
Going there now was practically suicide.
Even so, after a moment of hesitation, Saya clenched her fists.
"Ugh, whatever! If it wasn't for Saeko-senpai, I'd be dead already. I'm going too."
With Saya leading, the other two followed without another word.
—
"Geez, do you have to be so loud? My ears are ringing!"
In Nanashi's arms, Lemuel rubbed her ears, clearly unimpressed.
"Haha, didn't I warn you?" He chuckled. "Anyway, we've landed. You can get down now."
It had only been a simple manipulation of sound waves.
As he placed her on the ground, the undead began closing in again.
"Heh, a bunch of mindless corpses, huh?" Lemuel grinned, drawing her twin pistols. "Alright, let me show you what I can do!"
With deadly precision, she fired.
Every bullet found its mark.
Every shot was a clean, lethal headshot.
Nanashi, seeing that she had things under control, turned his focus elsewhere.
Five-Elements Lightning-Dharma.
From his outstretched hand, arcs of black lightning erupted, reducing a cluster of zombies to charred husks in an instant.
Lemuel clicked her tongue.
"Ugh, not only can you manipulate vectors, but you also have lightning powers? That's just unfair!"
"Stay focused."
With a flick of his wrist, Nanashi sent a gust of air to knock away a zombie lunging at her.
"Ohhh! Right, right—no time to get distracted. Overload Mode! Barrage!"
—
"Damn it, these things just keep coming!"
Saya panted as she swung her weapon, hacking through the undead.
Together, the group fought their way forward.
They were close to the playground now.
But as they moved, a grim realization dawned on Saya.
There are too many.
If they went any further, there would be no turning back.
Just then—
Saeko, leading the group, came to an abrupt halt.
She stared straight ahead, frozen.
"Saeko-senpai?"
The others rushed forward, only to stop in their tracks as well.
Their eyes widened.
The playground was unrecognizable.
The ground had caved in, forming a massive crater.
The edges of the collapse were littered with corpses.
And in the center of the devastation—
Two figures stood.
A red-haired woman, her halo glowing above her head, moved with effortless precision.
Light-forged wings stretched behind her, and around her, six—no, eight—guns hovered in midair, unleashing an unrelenting barrage.
A technological angel of destruction.
Beside her, a black-haired man calmly extended his hand.
From his palm, black lightning surged, electrocuting and annihilating the undead in droves.
Shizuka covered her mouth in awe.
"Are they… angels?"
Saya, though still stunned, managed to recover her composure.
"They look more like superpowered monsters to me."
She turned to Saeko.
"Saeko… are they your friends?"
Saeko took a deep breath, then exhaled.
A small smile formed on her lips.
"Friends… Yes."
Even she was surprised by their power.
Still, she quickly regained her usual composure and called out:
"Nanashi-kun! Lemuel! I'm here!"
Both figures turned toward her.
Nanashi raised his hand.
"Alright. We're coming. Lemuel, let's go."
Wide Range—Five-Elements Lightning-Dharma!
The ground rippled as black liquid spread outward, forming a deadly minefield.
Any zombie that dared approach was instantly devoured—either by the black thunder or by the insatiable hunger of the energy field.
With Lemuel at his side, Nanashi cut through the horde without hesitation, forging a direct path to Saeko.