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POV Isao Tsumugi
The atmosphere in the car was calm, though no one was speaking, and judging by their faces, everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
Overall, it was pleasant to drive in silence, although... "silence" was a bit of a stretch. I was still killing zombies I sensed with my radar, using my metal sphere, and frankly, it was satisfying to watch those rot-green orbs popping in the dark.
Because of that, the lion's share of my attention—more than half, really—was focused on the zombie-slaying, while I kept only one eye on the road. Ugh, if Mom were sitting next to me right now, she'd definitely swat me upside the head for being so reckless behind the wheel.
Heh, it's a good thing they handled that mutant with such ease, very good indeed... it's just that the sheer simplicity of how they took it down felt, well, damn strange to me.
Yuriko's power was too much—I only realized it just now. Using less than a dozen coins, she managed to take down a Tank mutant.
On one hand, it was breathtaking, but on the other... I was a little worried about what kind of ideas might start popping into certain people's heads.
Look, I'm confident in my Charismatic Glasses, all my traits that make me handsome and naturally draw people in, and a few other traits that make me a capable leader. All of that combined should make me the preferred leader for any sane person.
But there are always exceptions. There's always some psycho who thinks they're right—and they might even actually be right. I wouldn't exactly trust a young guy who looks like a punk about to shake you down for cash either.
That's why I need to be careful with the people who came under my command just today. They definitely aren't getting any abilities, just like Souichiro. and fuck, you know what? I need to organize all these people better, split them into squads, and just get everything structured.
The car jolted slightly, making me grimace, but I kept driving in silence.
That was another problem. Despite the EMP, the Humvee kept going since it didn't have much advanced electronics, but it still felt like some parts were damaged. Honestly, I should just be glad this thing starts at all, same for the others.
But I was damn sure more than half of them would break down sooner or later, and we'd need to fix them all.
In an instant, a dozen life signatures blinked into my sensory range. I realized it was Takagi's convoy and let out a small smile, which Kiriko-san noticed.
"Something good happen?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
"More like something great!" I grinned and floored it. The engine roared as I hit a significant speed and swung sharply onto a new street, pulling up barely ten meters ahead of the convoy. "We've reunited with my group!" I smiled at her, and she nodded, glancing at the rearview mirror.
I "blinked" my taillights a few times, and the lead car of the convoy flashed its headlights back at me.
To be honest, I did it just to look cool. I don't even know why; it just felt like the right move.
And oh! I can already see the Mall!
POV Miku Yukiya
Miku... was angry.
She gnawed on her red-painted thumbnail, burning from the inside with envy and spite.
That stupid bitch Saya and that damn cow Busujima!
She should have been number one for Isao, her!
For someone who always got what she wanted thanks to her looks, being shoved into the background felt like a defeat... no, it was a defeat.
She hadn't even had time to try and attract Isao, and that infuriated her too. First it was Saya by his side, then Saeko, then he was busy with his sister and mother—she couldn't even get close.
Why was she so goddamn mad? The reason was simple, almost too simple.
She wanted the power that everyone around Isao had received—all those who had "proven" their loyalty to him. But what about her? Or Hayashi? Or Saki? They hadn't had a single chance to "prove" themselves like the others did!
Sure, maybe he trusted Takashi, Hisashi, and Rei from before, but what about Shizuka, that blonde cow?! She'd barely exchanged a few words with Isao the whole time, and ugh, god! Why did she even ask Shizuka about the changes in Rei?
That cow blabbed about everything, starting from how Isao learned to grant powers to her own abilities gained through it. That was exactly what put her in this foul mood.
It would have been better if she hadn't known for a while—at least until she got close enough to Isao for him to gift her superpowers himself.
But no! Now she knew, and she had to sit here and rot with jealousy over everyone else's powers, knowing she wouldn't be getting any anytime soon.
"Um, Miku-san?" Saki called out beside her, sounding slightly worried and snapping her out of it.
"Yes, Saki?" To be honest, she felt a little sorry for this girl, but at the same time, her own naivety and stupidity—along with her faith in Shido—had been her own mistake. You can never trust another person unconditionally; no one will ever care about your well-being as much as you do. "Did something happen?"
"N-no," she stammered in response. "I just wanted to know why you look so angry." Were her emotions that obvious?
"Oh, it's nothing special really, just worried about a few things." She wanted superpowers for herself. Once she had them, she wouldn't have to rely so heavily on her looks to get what she wanted. At the same time, she'd be useful enough to work actively under Isao's lead, which would give her far more chances to snatch him for herself... though, that was probably impossible now. Since Saeko and Saya already had their pieces of Isao, getting all of him was out of the question, which was quite disappointing.
"Mm-m, okay..." Saki fell silent, staring out the window, while Miku took the chance to look at Saki's appearance.
Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail and she still wore those big round glasses, which slightly irritated Miku. If Saki wasn't such a stupid, naive girl, she'd have a much better shot with Isao than even Saya. But no, this idiot didn't realize how beautiful she actually was and had no clue how to use it.
Which was a disgrace for a woman. If you're a woman, you must know how to masterfully use the beauty you possess. That was why she looked at the fool with a hint of disdain—hidden, of course.
But what if... what if she used Saki's beauty and her own skills to seduce Isao? Guys and men never, ever turn down a threesome. Never! The idea alone makes their lust flare up like a wildfire that nothing can put out. That way, when Isao is at his most relaxed, she could talk him into giving her powers—and maybe Saki too.
The idea was good, but how to organize it?
The problem wasn't Saki. That little fool already believed in Isao's divinity so much she wouldn't even need convincing; she'd jump on him the moment he said the word. Not to mention her "slut nature" that Shido had ingrained in her practically craved men. For her, getting a piece of Isao right now would be like a one-way ticket to paradise.
The problem was more about finding the time to get Isao alone and hogging thirty minutes to an hour of his time. People were always buzzing around him.
But she hoped she'd figure something out. If she could pull this off, the winnings would be worth far more than the price of failure...
She wasn't going to be a loser like her mother, who was just a whore. No way.
She would secure Isao for herself, and he would take care of her with all his love. Yes.
POV Kiriko Miyamoto
Kiriko looked in the rearview mirror and saw a whole column of cars behind them. She looked at Isao with an impressed gaze as he drove with a slight smile.
Yes, this boy really was something else.
She lifted her hand slightly and let a tiny spark of her new toy escape, allowing a small current to run across her palm. It made her smile from the light tickling sensation.
She was grateful he had given her strength. In his position, she might have hesitated to do the same, but he had shown he trusted her—especially since most people wouldn't do that for someone they only knew through a friend's recommendation.
But a lingering worry still wouldn't let her go—worry for her dear daughter, who seemed to have changed quite a bit, from her appearance to the way she viewed the world in general.
To a good mother—which she considered herself to be—any change in a child's behavior is incredibly noticeable, and Rei's changes were extensive.
Yes, she was still herself, but with just one look, Kiriko had noticed shifts. Though she didn't fully understand the nature of those changes yet, she saw them, and that alone was enough to make her uneasy.
She hoped, though—hoped that these weren't too many changes that came along with the powers, and hoped they were only for the better.
Because if she had gained even a single bad trait along with that power, Rei might react very strongly to the news Kiriko and Rei's father were planning to tell her.
She sighed, trying to process everything that had happened over the last two days. It was difficult—damn difficult.
But the main thing was that she was safe, her daughter was safe, and Tadashi? He was likely safe too, along with Takashi's mother.
Clicking her tongue softly, she turned toward Isao and studied his features. They were masculine yet sharp; his jaw was well-defined and strong, and his skin was radiantly clear. He looked very manly—not to mention several of his traits were exactly her type.
She felt a gaze on the back of her head and turned toward the feeling. She saw her daughter watching her with squinted eyes, before Rei gave a tiny shake of her head, as if saying "don't even think about it." It made Kiriko smirk and let out a soft chuckle.
"Something wrong, Kiriko-san?" Isao asked, forcing her to tear her eyes away from her daughter and focus back on him.
"No, I just remembered a joke."
"Ah, alright then. And hey, get ready—we're almost there." Oh, what a damn good voice this young man had. It made an older woman like her give him her undivided attention.
"..." She didn't answer, only nodding slightly as she looked ahead. She saw the Tokonosu Mall, surrounded by an eerie silence—no "them," no normal people, not even corpses. It was grim.
The parking lot in front of the mall was massive, so Isao pulled up right in the center, and the other cars began to circle around.
She sat in her seat for a few moments, then took a breath and stepped out after Isao.
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