Future

"Wah!~"

Takagi Saya's upper body leaned back slightly. A blush gradually rose on her fair face, panic flickering in her eyes as she fidgeted and let out an involuntary, startled sound like a small animal.

"Hehe, Saya-chan, you look so adorable when you're shy! You've got Hirono staring himself silly." Kurumi teased Takagi Saya with a smile. Watching a tsundere turn out like this was quite an accomplishment.

"You pervert! Idiot! Sex maniac!" Fighting back her embarrassment, she turned away from Kurumi's soul-stirring wine-red eyes and shouted at Hirono Toda. Whenever Takagi Saya got shy, her IQ was practically negative.

Hirono Toda's expression fell, but when he thought of the shy, bespectacled tsundere girl he had just seen, he immediately grew excited again. Seeing this, Takagi Saya was so furious she nearly rolled up her sleeves to hit him!

She did not know why just one sentence from Kurumi had turned her into that. Kurumi is obviously a girl! How could she flirt me into this state?! Even when I was facing Takashi, I never acted like this! It must be because that idiot Takashi doesn't understand how to use the charm of language. That has to be it!

After pinning all the blame on Komuro Takashi in her heart, her face had become scorching hot with embarrassment. She raised both hands and lightly patted her cheeks. Only after another gust of cold wind swept past did she feel a little better.

When she turned around, she found that aside from Hirono Toda, who still wore the expression of a lecher, everyone else had obvious smiles on their faces. The temperature in her face immediately showed signs of rising again. She took several deep breaths before suppressing the urge to bristle.

They had gone through so much in half a day that nearly everyone had been wearing grave expressions. It was good to take this opportunity to relax a little.

The more Miyamoto Rei thought about it, the funnier it seemed. Her large eyes had nearly narrowed into slits from smiling, and even Busujima Saeko wore a faint smile.

"Hmph!"

Her tsundere temper flared up. Ignoring everyone, she turned and walked toward the riverbank beneath the bridge, though her steps had noticeably slowed.

She did not dare go alone into a place that dark, but she absolutely could not bow her head to the people laughing at her either!

So... she could only walk slowly like this. Why aren't they catching up already? Seriously...

Komuro Takashi and the others began following Takagi Saya, while Busujima Saeko found the Oak Sword she had discarded among the pile of corpses and casually fastened it at her waist.

Then, with a solemn expression, she held the Steel Katana that had greatly increased her strength and offered it to Kurumi. She showed no disgust toward the bloodstains on it, because they were its honor! They were the respect a swordsman ought to give it!

Kurumi gently pushed it back. Meeting Saeko's puzzled gaze, she gave a playful smile. "Saeko, consider it a gift from me. Mm, let it be a meeting gift."

"But..."

"Don't worry. It already belongs to you. I'm not very good at using it myself, and it won't be wasted in your hands. I hope I can find something more suitable for myself too."

She turned and walked toward Komuro Takashi and the others, waving behind her to signal Busujima Saeko to hurry up and follow.

She gently stroked the blade, her fingertips wiping across the bloodstains and leaving a trail behind, like a silver dragon winding through it. The fondness in her eyes was unmistakable. Her right hand gripped the hilt, and she suddenly swung!

"Swoosh!"

The tremendous force sent the blood flying off the smooth blade. The bloody spray struck the ground, splashing into a small black-red flower.

The bright silver blade let out a soft, trembling hum under Busujima Saeko's strength control, which far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

The few remaining streaks of blood did not spoil its appearance. Instead, they gave it a strange, eerie beauty. Looking at Kurumi's retreating figure, she strode after her. You called it a meeting gift, but I haven't given you a gift yet.

Naturally, Kurumi had her own reasons. Otherwise, casually giving her weapon away to someone else was not her style. Since Busujima Saeko's talent with the sword was so formidable, the importance of having a good weapon went without saying.

Rather than keep a Steel Katana that was currently little more than a burden, she might as well do someone a favor. Once they reached Nanri's residence, she would naturally exchange for equipment that was better and more suitable for herself.

If necessary, she would make the members of the protagonist's group as strong as possible. They were all reserve combat power prepared to deal with whatever the hell awaited them at the end!

They could draw enough firepower and, ideally, give Kurumi the chance to kill with a single blow! Win with the smallest possible cost!

Besides, the Plane Consciousness was watching these protagonists. Even if they were seriously injured one after another, they probably would not die. Before long, they would be hopping around again.

But Kurumi was different. If she were severely wounded, the Plane Consciousness would probably lend a hand and conveniently finish her off.

Just look at this world. Even adults would be scared shitless, yet Komuro Takashi and the others were all high school students. Every single one of them only became braver the more they fought. It made no sense at all.

Even if a few of them had strong nerves and were so abnormal that they felt no fear whatsoever, having so many freaks gathered together was far too much of a coincidence.

Whatever. She already had a suspect now: when the Main God issued the "Expulsion" side quest.

Going by the Main God's usual style, that Koichi Shidou guy would probably mutate. Then there would be some reaction caused by hatred and power mixing together.

Tsk tsk. Hopefully chopping him into a human stick would reveal the weakness of his mutation. Otherwise, should she run to the gas station and blow it up? That would mean no kill reward...

Lost in thought as she walked, she soon reached the river beneath the bridge. Looking up at the bridge where blood was still flowing, she saw that the stream had already dwindled. It would probably stop falling soon, while the remaining blood on the bridge deck would dry and congeal, forming a vast, distinctive patch of brownish-red concrete.

The crimson on the river's surface had already faded completely, almost returning to its original color. Kurumi assumed the current was simply too swift and did not inspect it closely...

Otherwise, with Kurumi's astonishing eyesight... she would definitely have vaguely spotted a huge, flat black shadow beneath the pale red water...

Takagi Saya, who had been standing by the riverbed and carefully observing the water, walked back. "The water level has risen quite a bit. Even if we go upstream, it probably won't help." Her tone carried unconcealable disappointment. After all, this had been her idea.

"Then what should we do?" Miyamoto Rei asked as she sat on the steps.

"Um..." The instant Shizuka Marikawa spoke, everyone's eyes turned toward her. "Let's rest for today first."

"R-Rest?" Hirono Toda found it hard to believe.

"Actually, there's a house we can use." Shizuka Marikawa clasped her hands in front of her chest. A slight blush appeared on her airheaded face as she said, "It's just a short walk away."

"Your boyfriend's house?" Takagi Saya became interested.

"Huh?" Shizuka Marikawa hurriedly waved her hands, her face flushing red. Looking just like Takagi Saya had when Kurumi teased her, she hastily explained, "N-No, it isn't! It's a female friend's house."

The teasing, suggestive looks on Takagi Saya and Hirono Toda's faces made Shizuka Marikawa even more flustered. "But she's busy with work and often at the airport, so she gave me the key to help air out the rooms."

She seemed to be trying to convince everyone with this explanation, but embarrassment still lingered on her face. When she imagined herself cleaning the place in a maid outfit, she felt her dignity slowly slipping away.

"Is it a luxury apartment? Is the scenery around it nice?" Since she said it was only a short walk away, Hirono Toda figured it had to be a house by the river. He asked as if he knew all about it.

"Ah? Mm! It's a two-story house along the river, and there's even a convenience store nearby." The more Shizuka Marikawa spoke, the more she sounded as though she were introducing her own home. Then she suddenly remembered something, and her smile widened. "Oh, right! She also has a car, like a tank."

"It's this big!" The airhead spread her arms wide to demonstrate. The two large rabbits on her chest immediately bounced up and down from the sudden movement!

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go. We can take a bath and get some rest too!"

Kurumi thought that she could finally complete this main quest. She stretched lazily, her beautiful curves fully revealed.