Clown

Everyone in the bus was still on edge. Faced with Koichi Shidou's words, they remained somewhat silent. Until he demonstrated the bearing expected of a leader, they would not make any rash decisions. After all, their lives were at stake.

Koichi Shidou did not seem embarrassed. The years of upbringing from his family showed here as he smiled faintly at the students he had brought along and briskly returned to his seat. For students who had never been tempered by society, that gesture inevitably made them feel a little awkward...

From the corner of Busujima Saeko's eye, the mysterious girl had been staring out the window all along. Little did she know that Kurumi was browsing a virtual interface...

The second main quest had been completed the instant the school bus crashed through the school gates. The reward of 20 Reincarnation Points had already been issued. She glanced at the total... 23 Reincarnation Points.

Main Quest 2: Completed (reward issued)

Main Quest 3: Reach Nanri's residence (Success: 30 Reincarnation Points; Failure: all Reincarnation Points deducted)

Side Quest 2: 100/71

New Side Quest: "Drive Out Koichi Shidou"

Seeing this, Kurumi's gaze toward the "window" sharpened slightly. She read a great deal into those words. Why "drive out" rather than "kill"? Could he be connected to later quests? Would killing him lead to irreparable consequences?

For now, she should listen to the Main God. Who told her she had no right to resist yet? She sighed softly and continued browsing the shop...

Honestly, 23 Reincarnation Points was an awkwardly small amount. She could not afford anything valuable, while the worthless things seemed excessive. As for why she did not exchange them for firearms?

It was not worth it. After all, when they reached Nanri's residence in the anime, there was supposed to be a whole cabinet of guns inside. Besides, she did not know whether Dead Bodies killed with firearms would count toward the side quest.

There was no rush anyway. Judging by the Reincarnation Points listed as quest rewards, nightfall was not far off. Nothing major should happen again. She calmed herself and looked out at the scenery beyond the window...

"You'll regret it. You'll absolutely regret saving him!"

The deliberately lowered voice made Komuro Takashi turn toward Miyamoto Rei, whose face wore a serious expression of disgust. She leaned forward, revealing her impressive curves. Komuro Takashi did not understand why she thought that way... They all went to the same school, so why could they not help one another? Wouldn't one more person mean one more pair of hands?

Just as Komuro Takashi was about to argue back, a nameless boy in the rear compartment suddenly cried out, "The city!"

The school bus was traveling along an elevated road, giving everyone inside a good view. Although they could not take in the entire urban district at once, they could see most of it in a fan-shaped field of vision.

Perhaps because this world's level of development lagged far behind reality, the buildings were not tall enough to block their view. Looking into the distance, they could even see the sea where water met sky.

The sun had sunk toward the west, bathing the horizon in dazzling gold. The coastal city was also dyed by the afterglow, yet that beauty was marred by several towering plumes of black smoke. Flecks of fire glimmered within them, carrying an ominous air...

Looking farther into the city, some places had already grown dim. Streetlights had begun their nightly work along the side roads, yet not a single person could be seen where crowds had once been dense. Blood was splattered all over the roadside, telling of what had happened here.

Along the coast, many boats had not returned to the docks. They drifted silently upon the sea, slowly scattering apart... Perhaps their owners had already become Dead Bodies as well.

The people in the bus silently watched it all. That oppressive atmosphere descended upon them again, stifling and bizarre enough to drive someone mad! If the sound of the school bus engine had not reminded them otherwise, they would truly have thought this was no longer their original world.

Bang—

The school bus Shizuka Marikawa drove successfully sent another dead body flying through the air. Who told it to stand in the middle of the road? Perhaps it had indirectly saved the middle-aged cashier still holding his post at the convenience store beside the road. Would he break down when he got off work and went home?

"Tch! I'm telling you, if we keep going forward, we're just courting death!" Blondie, seated at the very back, stood up. His open school uniform and yellow-dyed hair proved without question that he was a delinquent.

The car's high-speed momentum forced him to grab the seatback to steady himself. He hunched slightly, and his fierce expression made the two girls sitting nearby feel uneasy.

"Besides, why do we have to go along with Komuro and the others? You people just decided on your own to go back into the city, didn't you? Couldn't we just find somewhere safe at school?"

That tone made Takagi Saya and Hirano Kohta, seated at the front, frown deeply. Even Shizuka Marikawa, who was driving, seemed somewhat impatient.

At that moment, the long-haired boy behind Blondie, who looked like one of his lackeys, chimed in, "Exactly! We should find a place to hole up, like that convenience store just now!"

Screech—

Shizuka Marikawa slammed on the brakes. The enormous inertia nearly sent Blondie flying forward. Just as he was about to raise his head to see what was going on, he saw Shizuka Marikawa turn around with an impatient look on her face.

"Stop messing around! How am I supposed to drive like this?!"

Frightened by Shizuka Marikawa's stern expression, Blondie finally reacted. "What the hell!..."

Before he could finish, Busujima Saeko, holding her Oak Sword, spoke up. "Then what do you want?"

The moment he saw that she was the national kendo tournament champion, Blondie immediately lost some of his nerve. But the pride of a delinquent quickly made him shift targets. "Tch!"

He looked at Busujima Saeko and pointed at Komuro Takashi, speaking as though he were pointing at his father's murderer. "I just don't like him! I can't stand this guy!"

"Hehe." Komuro Takashi had just stood up when he heard Kurumi's highly recognizable laugh. Seeing everyone look at her, Kurumi gave Blondie a slightly open smile.

Blondie's thoughts immediately erupted into turmoil. His thoughts collided wildly, producing one of life's three great illusions—She likes me! His gaze turned captivated as he watched the exquisite half-smile Kurumi revealed. She was, after all, the school's famous Goddess! From the moment he first saw her, he had believed she was an angel sent by heaven to save him!

He had saved every photo of her he could find on the school forum to his phone, even changing his wallpaper, all in the hope that one day he could have a beautiful encounter with her. Even in this age of catastrophe, he wanted to show Kurumi his best side.

After seeing Kurumi's peerless combat strength, he could not help but feel dejected. Now that Kurumi's gaze had finally settled on him, how could his heart not stir?

Could the Goddess think he was right too? Yes, that had to be it! Otherwise... But her next sentence knocked him down from heaven and sent him straight to hell in an instant...

"You know, if Komuro had not insisted on saving you, how could you possibly still be alive on this bus? And now you're showing such ugly faces to your benefactor. I don't think he was worth saving at all, right, Komuro?"

She turned to look at him. Her emotional tone was irresistibly charming, and the last line, spoken in a slightly coquettish voice, seemed capable of elevating one's soul. Yet Komuro Takashi, who bore the brunt of it, shuddered.

He too had been stunned by Kurumi's beauty, but for some reason, he was terribly afraid of this scheming upperclassman. To keep her from setting a trap for him without him realizing it, it was better not to answer...

Seeing this, Blondie practically exploded with rage. The Goddess in his heart had actually used such a coquettish tone on someone else!

And it was Komuro Takashi, the person he disliked most! That idiot did not even know to respond to the Goddess. It looked like it was time to teach him a bloody lesson!