Expulsion

"Could you please get off the bus now?"

I turned around, smiling at Koichi Shidou's followers.

Like frightened rabbits, they backed away until they had nowhere left to go. The bus swayed slightly under their movement, and from the outside, one could clearly see the rear tires sagging under the weight.

Blondie even sat down on the floor with a thud. Seeing the bright smile on the girl before him, he felt as though he were looking at a demon enticing souls, yet the holy radiance shining from her jade-like skin left him paralyzed with terror.

He wanted to escape. Even the multitude of Dead Body outside could not outweigh the fear currently gripping his heart. He glanced at Koichi Shidou, who was still clutching his arm and weeping silently on the floor—perhaps he would be next.

Go to a hospital for treatment in this situation? Don't make me laugh. Setting aside the constant dangers on the road, what could you even do if you reached a hospital? Are you trained in medicine? The staff would have run off long ago, or else they would have turned into those monsters!

Though it would be nice to stay with a Goddess, one had to preserve their own life, right? Looking at the situation now, she was clearly standing on Komuro Takashi's side! If she decided to stab you in the back, you might not even live to see tomorrow's sun.

"I... I'm going, I'm leaving right now."

Blondie stood up cautiously, bowing and scraping to curry favor with Kurumi, looking for all the world like a lapdog trying to please its master! Takagi Saya, sitting in her seat, looked at Blondie with undisguised disdain.

The followers of Koichi Shidou watched with anticipation. If he could pass safely... it meant they could too. They could survive anywhere, and facing monsters was better than having to watch Kurumi every single second.

The distance between Blondie and Kurumi slowly shrank. In the cramped bus, he moved one tiny step at a time, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead—a testament to his internal turmoil.

As he neared Kurumi, he looked into the face of the fairy-like beauty, but he couldn't muster a single evil thought. Seeing her shift her body to leave him enough space, he swallowed hard, flashed a fawning smile, and scurried past her while bowing repeatedly.

He passed safely. His nostrils were filled with a fresh, clean scent, far superior to those painted, vulgar women. Blondie suppressed the urge to take another deep breath and kept his head down, not daring to look at Kurumi's radiant face again.

"Oops, ouch!"

Even after passing Kurumi and reaching the front of the bus, Blondie didn't immediately turn around. To show respect—and to avoid any misunderstandings—he kept his back to her, trying to exit the School Bus that way.

But in his nervousness, he clearly forgot about Koichi Shidou, who was still kneeling on the floor ahead of him! And so, tragedy struck.

He stepped right onto Koichi Shidou's severed right hand. His footing faltered, and he slipped, crashing down onto his "beloved" teacher. Ignoring the low moan from the man beneath him, he scrambled to his feet in terror and looked toward Kurumi, not daring to make a sound.

His black school uniform, already dusty, was now smeared with blood. The comical expression on his face made Kurumi giggle, and she waved him away with a look of utter disgust.

Blondie was overjoyed. The last time he had been this happy was three years ago when he was accepted into Fujimi High School. He used to be a good kid, back then... He bowed deeply to Kurumi and turned to run out of the School Bus.

"Wait." The simple word felt like an abyss opening up beneath him. He didn't know what he had done wrong. Although the door was close and he wanted to flee, his heart failed to provide him with the courage to do so.

He turned around decisively. "Do you have any instructions?" His expression was impeccable; an observer might have mistaken him for a butler from an ancient, noble family. But the bloodstains on his body made Kurumi lose all interest.

"Drag Koichi Shidou out with you. After all, he's your leader, isn't he? Make sure to 'take good care' of him. Don't let him die, or else... I'd feel so guilty."

Her charming voice reached his ears, and Blondie didn't hesitate. Ignoring the blood on Koichi Shidou's clothes, he grabbed the man by his suit jacket and dragged him out of the bus.

"Oh, and when you put him down, remember to come back up to pick up your companions. And while you're at it, clean up this mess for me!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Right away!"

Blondie threw Koichi Shidou onto the ground outside the bus, drawing a muffled grunt from the man. Just as he was about to head back inside, he remembered the state of the interior. He glanced at Koichi Shidou, and an idea struck him.

He crouched down and began to strip off Koichi Shidou's suit jacket, muttering to himself, "Teacher Shitou, I'm risking my life to save you, so it's only fair that you contribute your suit, right?"

Without paying attention to whatever Koichi Shidou was saying, he efficiently stripped off the jacket, took a deep breath of the cold air, and returned to the bus. He began using the jacket as a rag to wipe away the bloodstains.

The entire suit turned blood-red, but it still wasn't clean. He wrapped Koichi Shidou's severed hand in the suit and threw it outside, then took off his own school uniform jacket and continued scrubbing.

Kurumi suddenly thought this guy wasn't bad—he was flexible and knew how to adapt, even if he was a bit brainless. If they were in the Main God Space, she wouldn't mind taking him on as a lackey. But for now, forget it; he was a weakling who couldn't even beat Miyamoto Rei in a fight. What use was he?

What Kurumi had to do was nip every minor danger in the bud. That was the most basic rule of survival. Since Koichi Shidou had been designated as a side quest, and the objective was "expulsion," it implied he might appear again in the future.

She wanted to minimize the risk. Better safe than sorry. Was there really any difference between "expelled but alive" and "critically wounded and dying"? Either way, they were still alive.

The group successfully got off the bus, but they were at a loss. Especially when they saw Kurumi follow them out—they were scared out of their wits. Now that Teacher Shitou had been crippled by this female demon, what were they supposed to do?

They looked toward Blondie. That smudge of yellow was like a lighthouse in a storm. Even though he was swaying, they had no other choice, did they? Their fate had been sealed the moment they chose the wrong side. Besides, Kurumi didn't want to bring along so many weaklings!

Blondie looked at Kurumi. The sunset was almost entirely hidden, and darkness cloaked the land. Even with the streetlights, it was hard to read expressions. "C-can we go now?"

Kurumi didn't answer. Instead, she walked over to Koichi Shidou. His face was swollen, his speech was slurred, but the hatred in his eyes was palpable. Without medical equipment, the blood loss from his severed hand was already causing him to drift into unconsciousness.

"Y-you... you... d-demon... you'll... die... a horrible death!" He mumbled the words, a delirious groan that no one could clearly understand, but Kurumi only gave him a charming smile in return.

"Shhh—thwip—"

The blade in her hand sliced across Koichi Shidou's body once more. In the dim twilight, Blondie caught a glimpse of a pale flash of steel... three times in total.

"Shhh—shhh—shhh—"

Koichi Shidou's arms were severed at the roots, followed by his right leg... The blood pressure released instantly, splashing across the ground.

"Ah!!!"

A girl couldn't contain her terror and shrieked. Blondie slapped her hard across the face.

"Smack!"

The girl was jolted back to her senses. She covered her mouth in panic, her wide eyes brimming with tears, but no one felt any pity for her.

The two sounds were jarring in the silent night. In the darkness not far away, a Dead Body began to growl, seemingly moving in their direction.