Tenderness

If she remembered correctly, the Takagi household should still have been safe and sound during this point in the Original Work. But "ruins," "investigate the cause," and "300 Reincarnation Points" all told her that things were troublesome.

The mission's Reincarnation Point reward had suddenly increased so drastically, and that was hardly a good thing. When "he" first entered a reincarnation world, his total points had been far lower than this... Could it be... the final boss?

She glanced at the side mission for hunting Dead Bodies. She was still far from earning the "Beginner Hunter" medal. Her left hand clenched slightly, then relaxed.

She was the only Reincarnator left now. Only through her, this "medium," could the world line be forcibly interfered with. The Main God probably would not give up so easily...

While Komuro Takashi and the others were still looking around for danger, Busujima Saeko walked over to Kurumi. "Did you hurt your right hand?"

"Heehee, it's nothing serious. I can keep fighting anytime~"

"Really?"

"Really. Look if you don't believe me."

Kurumi held the back of her pale hand out before Busujima Saeko. Her skin was as smooth as congealed jade, and her right hand, which had been trembling uncontrollably in the car, was no longer shaking at all. It looked nothing like it had been struck by a whip.

Busujima Saeko remembered the scratches on the Steel Katana. Catching Kurumi off guard, she grabbed that fair, slender wrist. The instant flicker of discomfort on Kurumi's face told her everything.

Carefully turning Kurumi's right hand over, she saw that her palm was bright red and faintly swollen. Busujima Saeko's long, delicate brows furrowed slightly. "And this is what you call nothing?"

"It's fine~ Don't worry so much~" As she spoke, Kurumi tried to pull her arm away. Afraid of hurting her, Busujima Saeko immediately let go.

Under Kurumi's puzzled gaze, she turned and walked toward the vehicle. Rummaging through her old clothes inside, she found a small bottle of ointment.

Without the protection of the Black Gold Gloves, that blow would have caused at least a bone fracture. Then she would have had to spend a considerable amount of Reincarnation Points to exchange for medicine. Kurumi could already feel it slowly recovering, so she had not paid much attention to it.

A cool sensation spread across her palm, and Kurumi felt the stabbing pain gradually fade. It was nowhere near the Main God's instant-healing medicine, but in a world like this, it was undoubtedly a precious remedy.

Watching Busujima Saeko carefully apply the ointment before her, Kurumi thought, The last person to put medicine on me was probably the old woman at the orphanage when I was a child...

Even Kurumi herself had not noticed that the deep wariness in her eyes toward the outside world had gained a trace of softness...

"This is a family ointment." Busujima Saeko raised her head and smiled faintly at Kurumi. "When I practiced kendo sparring as a child, my father wouldn't allow me to wear protective gear. He said it would dull my sense of danger, so I was often beaten black and blue."

"Although I haven't used it in years, I've always kept it on me. It's finally come in handy."

"Saeko... you're really gentle~"

"Hm?"

"I mean, Saeko, you're very beautiful!" Kurumi gave Busujima Saeko a breathtaking smile, as innocent as a young girl untouched by the world. At that moment, she no longer held any of the schemes belonging to Mo Xiao, the Reincarnator...

"What should we do next?" Shizuka Marikawa asked everyone outside from the driver's seat.

Komuro Takashi scratched his head and walked over to Takagi Saya. "I remember your house is closest to here, right? Higashisaka 2-chome?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go to your house. But..."

Seeing Komuro Takashi hesitate, Miyamoto Rei's expression dimmed slightly. "I know. I'm not expecting anything either, but..."

"Of course!" Komuro Takashi's assured voice sounded by her ear, and Takagi Saya's mood immediately improved.

There was not enough room in the cabin for everyone, so Komuro Takashi and Miyamoto Rei took the lead in volunteering to ride on the roof. Both of them carried firearms, and no one else argued.

The trees lining the streets swayed in the wind, and cherry blossoms drifted through the town, lending it a touch of gentle beauty.

Aside from the roar of the modified Hummer's engine, the entire town was utterly silent. It was too quiet, forming a stark contrast with the other side of the river!

The Dead Bodies on the bridge had clearly broken through the blockade and crossed over last night... So why could they not hear even a trace of their distinctive howls?

Miyamoto Rei saw Komuro Takashi staring solemnly at the sky and could not help asking, "What is it? Is there a problem?"

Komuro Takashi turned his head. "There aren't any helicopters or planes. There were obviously plenty flying around yesterday." Hearing that, Miyamoto Rei looked up as well. Apart from the clear blue sky and a few white clouds drifting leisurely across it, there was not a single human-made machine in sight.

"Th-There shouldn't be a problem, right?" After Komuro Takashi pointed it out, Miyamoto Rei began to feel uneasy.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine!"

"By the way, have you noticed that we haven't encountered any Dead Bodies since this morning?" Miyamoto Rei tilted her head toward Komuro Takashi, making him feel a little unaccustomed to it. "Huh? You're right."

With no one talking, the fatigue from the previous night washed over Komuro Takashi in the quiet surroundings. His eyelids kept drooping, and he slowly closed his eyes. He had barely dozed off when Hirono Toda's sudden shout jolted him awake!

"Dead Bodies! About 300 meters ahead!"

Seeing the large number of Dead Bodies ahead, Takagi Saya began to sweat slightly. "Turn left!"

Shizuka Marikawa, who had been unsure what to do, seemed to find her anchor. She jerked the steering wheel with both hands, and the massive modified Hummer actually drifted, darting directly into the narrow road on the left!

"Huh? There are a lot ahead too! What do we do?!"

"Turn left, keep turning left, it's right ahead!" Takagi Saya directed from the passenger seat, but the result was even worse. The road ahead was packed with Dead Bodies, even more than the previous two groups!

"Ram through them!"

Hearing Takagi Saya's words, Shizuka Marikawa gritted her teeth. She had run over plenty of Dead Bodies before. In fact, she had killed more Dead Bodies with the car than Komuro Takashi had personally slain! But this was the first time she had rammed into so many at once.

Though she worried about the vehicle's performance, she still chose to trust it! After all, there was no way back now! She floored the accelerator, and the military-green beast launched another charge!

Bang!—Bang bang!—

Komuro Takashi and Miyamoto Rei lay flat on the roof, gripping the metal plating tightly with both hands to keep themselves from being dragged away by the Dead Bodies flung into the air.

Dead Body after Dead Body was sent flying. Some had their heads burst apart and died instantly, while others fell to the ground and continued to cling to life. But the situation was not looking good!

The vehicle was beginning to slow under the repeated impacts. Miyamoto Rei, lying on the roof, suddenly had her eyes stung by a flash of reflected light. After seeing what it was clearly, she cried out in panic, "No! No! Stop the car!"

While Takagi Saya and the others still had no idea what was happening, Kurumi in the cabin narrowed her eyes. Her gaze locked onto the wire fencing behind the Dead Body horde, and she reacted calmly. "Turn the car sideways! There's a wire fence ahead!"

The moment she heard that, Shizuka Marikawa reflexively yanked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes.

The side of the vehicle smashed violently into the wire fence, producing a thunderous clang of metal!