Little did Kuroneko know, it wasn't just her talent that Eishi wanted.
It is her.
'Three SSS rated confidantes… Tokyo is a gold mine.'
Eishi managed to gather eleven SSS rated confidantes in Yokohama. He hasn't forgotten how big of a help they gave him upon their binding. The long collection of buffs he gathered was the starting capital to his current strength.
'Ten buffs… and there would be more.'
Currently, he has the following:
[Romantic Link], [Lucky Eyes], [Healthy Circle], [Martial Master], [Swift Runner], [Study Expert], [Dao Heart], [Elemental Lord], [Absolute Shield], and [Bonafide Healer].
There are some buffs with overlapping effects. For example, [Healthy Circle] and [Bonafide] healer both increase self-recovery speed. The two combined increased their self-recovery speeds to 300%. For Eishi who has access to the base buff, it further increased it by another 600%, reaching 900%.
There are also [Martial Master], [Dao Heart], and [Study Expert] that increase one's comprehension, or in simpler terms, 'intelligence' and 'adaptability'. The [Romantic Link] born out of Airi enables Eishi to teleport wherever his confidantes are, while [Absolute Shield] nullifies one killing blow every day.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that these buffs combined turned the apocalypse's difficulty mode from hell to easy. Haruno, who was on the clear with the buffs' benefits, worked hard to convince Yukino just so she can benefit from it too.
'I wonder if there will be any proactive ones here…'
Eishi accepted every SSS rated confidante who ran up in his arms. It didn't matter if they only came for security, food, and survival. He is confident he could raise their affection and develop their 'shallow relationships' as time goes by.
His confidence wasn't baseless. The moment the favorability meter gained a numerical value, Eishi peeked on his confidantes' favorabilities.
The ones who knew him prior to the apocalypse generally have higher favorabilities. Airi, Mahiru, Megumi and Shizuka-sensei shared the [95] points. Following from behind was Saeko with [93], and then Haruno and Utaha with [92] points. Yukino had a score of [86], the ditzy Shizuka with [85], and Saya with [82].
'Airi and Mahiru… it was that time on the sofa. Megumi and Shizuka-sensei were during the road ambush…'
Eishi soon recognized a 'pattern' as he drove the car.
Those with "Devoted" favorability—those with 95 and up score—fully depended on him. Airi and Mahiru did not have filial love. Megumi is extremely grateful for saving her parents as well as herself. Shizuka-sensei is dedicated to fulfilling her role as an 'adult', dying for Eishi if she needed to.
Simply put, they all went through a special character development. It did not happen overnight. Their pent-up emotions accumulated over the span of twenty days before bursting out. It was just that Eishi hadn't personally seen Megumi and Shizuka-sensei's developments as they rode on different cars.
He absent-mindedly glanced at the quiet Kuroneko, her dark red pupils meeting his gaze. What was supposed to be a pair of contact lenses turned real once she gained superpowers.
Kuroneko's 'desolate' figure seemed just as fine in Eishi's eyes. He had already experienced Yukino's 'desolate' chest… and he thoroughly enjoyed that experience. His tastes also became diverse with Mrs. Yuigahama's addition.
Every single SSS-rated confidantes, in his eyes, has their own strengths. It is up to him to appreciate them.
'I am turning more and more into a pervert… I need to stop this habit.'
Soon, they arrived in front of the villa. Eishi scanned the surroundings present beyond the window. Several faint orange lights camped around them.
Eishi picked up his phone and made a call.
"Asada-san. Try peeking at our surroundings."
"Ah? Oh…"
Moments later, a suppressed gasp came out of her mouth.
"Since when..?"
"Probaby when I saved Shiina-san. There's also a chance your whereabouts got exposed. Either way, we'll have to deal with them…"
Kuroneko, who was listening on the sidelines, felt out of place. She looked outside the tinted glass window.
Before she could react…
Bam-!
Bam-!
…loud impacts resounded from it. Her eyes did not see it directly, just that the window shook slightly.
Eishi was different. His eyes caught the object thrown… no, shot at them.
"Take cover."
Shino could not respond from the other side. He heard the shattering of glass windows on the other side along with frantic movements.
"Hiraoka-san. There are four shooters positioned in three different buildings. Do you see the tall shopping mall outside?"
Shino's voice made him feel more relieved.
"Shopping mall… the one with the 'Haratsuki' sign?"
"Yes, it's that. Three shooters came from that building. The other one is in a residential house three-storeys tall."
With her God's Perspective, things became easier. She easily pinpointed the attackers as they all fell within her one kilometer radius.
"Let me deal with the ones at the shopping mall."
"Alright. Let me deal with the one at the residential building."
Eishi waited for two minutes before Shino came back.
"Two of them are dealt with. The other one ran away."
"Outside your range?"
"Hm."
He no longer thought of the sniper who escaped. He was gratified that Shino was able to deal with two snipers on her own.
'I really have a thing with independent women…'
His list of 'preferences' grew by the day. He liked women who depended on him, but he also liked women who could resolve troubles without his help. Each had their 'flavors', all of which he likes.
It would be unsurprising if his preferences are as long as the silk road; his dislikes being a select few.
Eishi looked at the bewildered Kuroneko.
"Remember how we are also wanted fugitives? That's it. Snipers are sent after us."
"..."
She thought her trouble was big enough, but she did not expect for Eishi to have an even 'bigger' bounty atop his head. It made her feel a bit of apprehension, but when she thought of her sleeping sisters, she forcibly suppressed it.
"What did you do..?"
"Nothing big. I just came from Yokohama today." He paused before adding, "I raided an entire building who specialized in abducting women. The number of espers that died in my hands number in the hundreds."
"..."
Strong.
That was the only thing she could think of. The car window's feat of withstanding unscathed a round of armor-piercing bullets flew out of her mind.
"This should be over in an instant."
Kuroneko heard his signature line. Before she could even think, she saw fresh blood appear on Eishi's jacket. The familiar iron-like stench of blood could not be hidden from her nose.
"Done. Let's get your sisters somewhere more comfortable first."
The two got out of the car and carried the sleeping Gokou sisters with them. Shino was slightly surprised when she saw a new arrival, but not entirely.
When Mashiro saw Kuroneko, her lazy eyes lit up. She stood up and awkwardly gave her a hug, burying the shorter Kuroneko's face in her chest.
On the other hand, Saeko could not stop sending Eishi smug looks.
"You work faster than I thought." She remarked as she whispered, "It's already the third one."
"...Yeah."
Eishi did not push the blame towards his 'superpower'. It was this 'superpower' (i.e., system) that gave him most of what he had now. While he is somewhat confident in surviving without the supplies, buffs, and additional rewards, the best he can do is to end up like Kuroneko.
To that, he willingly shouldered the title of a scumbag—not that he did not like it.
"Do you want me to convince them? Haruno-san's method is feasible."
He paused for a moment, remembering Yukino's looks when they did the thing.
More than half of the blame came from Haruno. She somehow found a way to talk her sister into doing it with him. It was unsavory, yes, but that was before the apocalypse. Most of the human norms and limitations do nothing to contribute to their survival.
Facts aside, just the 'buffs' given by Eishi is a game changer. Haruno wanted her sister to become stronger. Doing so is the equivalent of having greater chances of survival.
"...We'll talk about that later."
Eishi did not decline because of his change of heart. He has a preliminary grasp of the hearts of the three women. Mashiro could be 'talked' to. She is somewhat gullible and clueless about the real world.
As for Shino, Eishi is uncertain about her reaction. His act of giving her an entire base was huge, but that didn't mean he could act arbitrarily. She is completely unlike the women in Yokohama. He was right beside them from the start. Shino learned how to act independently and operate on her own.
Kuroneko was the same. Her sense of responsibility towards her sisters is what pushed her to become a strong person this time around, devoid of the chuunibyou mask she wore prior to the apocalypse.
Meeting a woman at her most vulnerable state and at her strongest state are two different things. The former was the scenario at Yokohama; the latter here in Tokyo.
Fortunately, Eishi still has his advantages.
'To take it slower… no, that won't work. It's better if I start at the weakest point.'
Upon making his mind, he said to Saeko:
"I'll go out to look for Airi's sister. Watch over this place for now. If there are any officials willing to talk, wait until I come back."
He gave his usual instructions before leaving. Shino wanted to stop him, but then she thought of his strength. He can kill through an entire building of espers with ease. The scene of him dispatching one hundred people is still fresh in her mind.
"You don't have to worry. It should be his enemies who should be worrying about themselves."
"...Right."
*****
Tokyo does not have enough manpower. They haphazardly recruit espers left and right, granting them 'official' status as long as they worked on the tasks handed to them. This results in a lack of supervision, allowing these espers to do their 'small things' as long as it does not affect the overall safety and order of the New Tokyo Shelter.
Nobuyuki was but one of the offenders.
Akizuki Marina's boyfriend, Masato Oono, was one.
Before the apocalypse, he seemed nice, approachable, and knew others' boundaries. It was these aspects that led Marina, Airi's sister, to attend the same college as him. They went away from home and enrolled in Tokyo University. They lived in the same apartment building, their affection growing day-by-day.
Things changed once the apocalypse came. It was pure chaos at first. Murders appeared left and right. Then came the frantic hoarding and scavenging for food. When greed took over others, men began targeting defenseless women.
Masato… did something.
He established order on their apartment building due to his overwhelming strength as an esper. His rapid growth brought by a lower rated talent caused a surge in his physical attributes, allowing him to handle a dozen men all by himself.
To the others' eyes, it was a change they looked forward to. Having a good and reliable leader in times of crisis meant someone is willing to stand in front of the danger. His efforts paid off when they survived in the insect swarm incident. The New Tokyo shelter recognized him as an "official" esper. He was given the position of a Guard Commander, responsible for directing security forces that roamed the shelter.
His position was two notches lower than Nobuyuki, but that did not stop his ego from showing his true colors.
It was simple rumors at first, but then it quickly devolved into a tacit fact.
Masato likes to steal others' women. Willingly or unwillingly, he's had dozens of women succumb to his grasp. Most shockingly, nobody escapes unscathed. Masato's needlessly violent side flares up every time his kink is satisfied. He beats up women, steals them from their lovers, and orchestrates several disgusting 'plays' to satisfy his vanity. Though he tried his best to 'hide' it, nothing remains a secret as long as there are others who witnessed it.
His only remaining bottom line was Marina. For some reason, he did not touch her. It was this that scared Marina of her wits.
Seeing her ideal boyfriend turn out to be a ruthless and disgusting psychopath shook her to the core. All those kisses, handholding, and cuddling made her feel nauseous.
She thought of her sister, separated from her by an entire city. A bitter sense of regret arose on her throat, anxiety and disgust making her vomit nothing but air.
'I trusted the wrong person... Airi...'