Acting

"You!" Blondie's eyes bulged with rage as he let out a roar meant to intimidate, stepping forward with his left foot while his right fist swung straight at Komuro Takashi's moderately handsome face.

"Bam—ahh—shhh—"

Miyamoto Rei, standing behind Komuro Takashi, was the first to react. She flashed in front of him, her homemade spear sweeping horizontally to strike Blondie in the abdomen, curling him up like a steamed shrimp. The immense force churned his stomach acids, eventually making him vomit.

Miyamoto Rei's strength might not be particularly advantageous against Dead Bodies, but applied to a normal person—even without full force—it was more than enough to handle. Years of spear practice had made her the club captain among a group of boys, so her skill was self-evident.

The force from the homemade spear came again; its excellent flexibility and striking power were not something Blondie, who had just thrown up and could barely stand, could withstand...

"Bam—"

Blondie's hundred-plus-jin body was sent flying backward a full half-meter before crashing to the ground. Both hands clutching his stomach, the intense pain left him unable to speak, his face flushed red as he slumped to the side.

A small patch of filth remained in the carriage. The pungent smell of stomach acid made Kurumi frown in displeasure; she felt even the scent of blood would be better than this sour stench filling her nostrils.

"Scum!" Miyamoto Rei, facing Blondie, withdrew her spear to one side, her cold and venomous tone leaving even Komuro Takashi behind her stunned.

"Clap, clap, clap—","What excellent teamwork, Komuro, Miyamoto." Shido Koichi, sitting at the back of the carriage, seemed to see hope again—hope of becoming the leader of this group.

Stepping forward, clapping his hands, he looked at the pair, as if in admiration. Leaning his elbow on a nearby seat for support, an arrogant yet humble expression—two contradictory emotions—appeared on his face, making Komuro Takashi want to punch him right then.

"But you know, starting a conflict like this only proves my point is correct." Bending his upper body slightly forward, that nauseating face appeared before Miyamoto Rei again, a strange smile on his lips as he looked down at the slightly shorter girl.

"We, indeed, need a leader."

"And then, there's only one candidate, right?" Takagi Saya pushed up her glasses, casting a sidelong glance at Shido Koichi beside her.

"I am a teacher, you know, Takagi. And everyone here is still a student." Shido Koichi maintained his full smile as he looked at Takagi Saya, making her turn her head away in annoyance.

"That alone is enough to decide who's qualified." Shido straightened up, his voice rising steadily. "If you choose me, I can think of a method that avoids any problems!" Turning around, he looked like the perfect candidate representative, gazing at the bewildered students.

Blondie, still lying in the carriage with a mix of saliva and stomach acid at the corner of his mouth, looked at him expectantly. He felt that if Teacher Shido could really become the leader, that would be great—wasn't he clearly standing up for him? And since Shido and Komuro seemed to have some conflict, if he could make full use of it...

"What does everyone think?" The braided glasses girl, the first to be conquered by Shido's "personal charm," stood up from her seat with an excited, hopeful expression, clapping for Shido. The short-haired girl beside her followed suit.

Gradually, all the students Shido had brought onto the bus were infected by the atmosphere, clapping for him with happy faces. Some even whistled, like drowning people grabbing at their last lifeline.

Seeing this scene, Shido Koichi couldn't help feeling a bit smug, but he still had to keep up appearances. A hypocritical smile hung on his face as he bowed with exaggerated humility, like a gentleman.

In Kurumi's view, this whole third-rate showmanship was utterly ridiculous. In peacetime, wasn't this kind of TV just a comedy variety show? Too bad she hadn't watched much of it, but still, this seemed like a good chance to complete a side quest...

Kurumi was still scheming in her mind—not with any underhanded tricks, of course. She was just thinking about what excuse to use, and which body part of Shido Koichi's she should remove while letting him escape alive.

Behind Shido, Miyamoto Rei's expression had completely darkened. She still couldn't believe those brain-damaged idiots had been so easily corrupted by Shido. She couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if the team were handed over to him—at least she had no intention of staying in such a group...

"And so, majority rules—I become the leader!" A faint, barely noticeable excitement leaked through his words as he turned to address Miyamoto Rei and the others.

"Oh my, my~ So does that mean we all have to listen to you from now on? And obey you in everything, hmm~?"

Shido Koichi looked at Kurumi beside him. That wine-red hue in her eyes, aged like fine wine, made him feel intoxicated, as if he were seeing his long-deceased mother! He could swear from the bottom of his heart that he had never been this crazy about any woman before!

"Get her! Get her! I must get her! Anyway, I'm the leader of the group now—they all have to listen to me! Then I'll find a quiet little inn... Only I can give her the best protection!"

It was like a little demon on his shoulder, whispering incessantly in his ear. That sentence echoed through his shrewd mind, the light of reason slowly fading from his eyes. Staring at Kurumi sitting in her seat—even in that posture, it highlighted the curves of her figure—that hint of wine-red in her eyes tempted him like poison.

"That's right, I'm the leader. I'll lead you all out of this disaster, but only if you all behave obediently~ Surely Classmate Tokisaki doesn't trust me?"

"Heehee~ How could that be? I'm a good girl, you know." Watching Kurumi cover her mouth and giggle like a delicate woman, Shido Koichi's body immediately grew hot. If there weren't so many people on the bus, he probably wouldn't have been able to restrain his desires.

"But you know, we have no intention of going with Teacher Shido and the rest." Even as these words came from Kurumi's tender cherry lips, Shido Koichi quickly forced himself to calm down.

The lust in his eyes completely faded, and the hypocritical smile returned to his face. "Classmate Tokisaki shouldn't be throwing a tantrum. In this world of calamity, the more people, the easier it is to survive. Helping each other is the way to go. Splitting the team now would clearly be disadvantageous for everyone."

Kurumi's eyes narrowed slightly, but her words were merciless, her tone gradually turning cold. "But I simply can't entrust my safety to a murderer."

Just as Shido Koichi was about to retort, Kurumi's voice followed like a death curse. "Remember that boy with glasses before we got on the bus? I saw everything that happened clearly." Her tone was still seductive, but now Shido Koichi was drenched in a cold sweat.

That instant of unease was immediately picked up by the sharp-sensed Busujima Saeko.

"So Classmate Tokisaki means Masakuma? Yes, it's all my fault. If I had been a little faster, I could have saved him. But Masakuma—he shoved me away! Told me to run! And faced those monsters alone..."

As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes—a perfect performance. Kurumi thought that if Shido Koichi became an actor, his career would be brilliant—an Oscar-level talent! Didn't all the students behind him believe it completely! Those two little girls were even moved to tears!

"So, could you please get off the bus?"