The world changed when the apocalypse came. What was once law-abiding neighbors become terrifying fiends capable of claiming human life just for a piece of food. Everything they took for granted prior to the apocalypse disappeared like wisps of smoke.
For a select number of people, nothing had changed. They still struggle over their everyday life, barely sustaining their most basic needs. Apocalypse or not, they have to struggle to survive.
Kuroneko… Gokou Ruri is a part of them.
Oftentimes, her parents were away from their home, leaving her to take care of her two younger sisters. When the apocalypse struck, she was left clueless on what to do. Kuroneko was soaked in the blood rain, the very same substance that turned humans into zombies.
She locked herself inside their house until she woke up the next day, still herself. One cannot imagine the turbulent emotions she felt during that day.
Using the power she awakened, Kuroneko ensured the safety of her sisters while searching for supplies. Along the way, she also rescued the clueless Mashiro. Her addition to their home brought another layer of safety, purely due to her capabilities as an esper.
Occasionally, they discovered evolution fruits, to which they ate to become stronger. It has been so until the insect swarm appeared. They managed to survive, allowing them to live until Tokyo's massive reshuffle and reorganization.
Kuroneko waited for the day order would be restored. She was confident she could make a living for herself and her sisters. The power she accrued during those hellish twenty days is no joke.
That was until the group of espers came. Their leader was a pervert who aimed for little girls. He came across Kuroneko's sisters, which led to a fierce confrontation. It ended up with him dead. The rest of the man's team members held Kuroneko, wanting to hold her accountable.
Unfortunately for them, she was stronger than them. Kuroneko easily dealt with a group of espers. Her biggest mistake was her hesitation to kill them. She dealt with the team captain out of sheer anger. Her usual self would never allow for blatant murder. It was this hesitation that they managed to escape.
Ultimately, the group reported Kuroneko's murder to the official shelter, which led to a manhunt against her. Mashiro took the team's attention and allowed Kuroneko and her sisters to escape safely.
However, they are not out of danger yet.
"They should be here."
The glasses-wearing man stared at the distance not far from them. His ability was [Tracker (A)]. Its rating is dwarfed by its uses in the manhunt team. Almost everyone assigned to eliminate dangerous espers who do not 'follow' the shelter's rules all have someone who can follow others' tracks.
There is a good reason why the SAO group's numbers kept on falling despite separating into twelve groups.
"She is reported to have a superpower related to shadows. Make sure everything in our radius is well-lit."
With guns and superpowers, the execution squad moved onwards to the office building. The sight of its interior was typical of a zombie-wrought place. Dried-up blood could be seen everywhere. The office chairs are all messed up. Paperworks are spread all over the place, with bloodied footprints present.
The office building's windows had long been shattered due to the insect tide. Their preference to eat inorganic materials seem incidental. They would rush towards those with 'life' as soon as they see one.
The smell of dirt and blood filled everyone's nostrils. A flicker of bright-red flames floated around the group, eliminating any shadow they left behind.
Everyone was in a spread-out position, constantly moving forward while changing the directions they faced. This group is a well-trained armed force, completely unlike the motley state of the regular security officers.
What they never expected was for a small patch of darkness to ripple. A pistol's nozzle is pointed straight at the man who maintained the floating flames. The small, thin fingers holding the trigger hesitated for a while before pulling the trigger.
Bang-!
Sou-!
It was a clear shot to the man's chest. The moment his concentration was broken, the flames illuminating their surroundings collectively disappeared.
"Aak…"
"Miyama-san!"
One of the squad members checked on the fallen esper's condition. The rest separated and found cover for themselves. The darkness brought a cloud of fear in their hearts.
They all looked at the source of the gunshot.
"Eek..!"
Suddenly, one of the men let out a tragic shriek. His body flew up to the office's ceiling.
Then…
Bang-!
Another life was claimed by the darkness.
One by one, the professional team was disintegrated by Kuroneko's terrifying ability. When the last enemy fell, the darkness spat her out. She tried to stand up, but to no avail. Weakness filled every inch of her body. Her pale face and cold sweat caused her bangs to stick to her forehead.
"I still…"
The consumption of her innate talent drained her physically and mentally. Dizziness started to take control of her mind.
Just then, her ears caught sounds of footsteps. An overwhelming sense of dread and despair consumed her.
"No…"
Soon, the pair of feet stopped right beside her face. Kuroneko tilted her face. She saw the newcomer's appearance.
Under the dim, almost non-existent lighting, his chiseled figures could be seen. While his overcoat hid his well-defined body, it did not hide his handsome face.
"A heroine who does not need saving… I prefer this more."
His hands force-fed Kuroneko a few pills. She instinctively resisted the fingers stuck inside her mouth, but to no avail. Eishi managed to do his job. His finger became wet with her saliva.
The next moment, her dizziness disappeared like it was never there. The heaviness of her body receded, returning her back to her most optimal state.
Kuroneko's eyes shot wide open as she stared at him wearily.
"Don't look at me like that. I hate Tokyo's officials too."
His words held truth to it. Had the officials been better, his potential confidantes wouldn't have fallen into dire straits. Eishi's intent on strengthening the Yokohama was to have a reliable meat shield at first, but later on, it shifted to his desire to 'save' the unseen potential SSS rated confidantes.
"I saved Shiina-san. She asked me for help."
He proceeded to shift the topic amidst Kuroneko's surprise.
"Your sisters, where are they?"
"..!"
She swiftly stood up and sped towards a certain office room. Eishi followed her from behind.
It was a small pantry. When they got inside, two small girls looked at them in fright, and then relief.
"Onee-chan!"
The youngest of the three, Tamaki, ran towards Kuroneko. The middle child, Hinata, followed with silent footsteps.
The reunion of the sisters gave a sense of satisfaction to Eishi. Kuroneko might have defeated the entire ten-man-team all by herself, but falling unconscious at this place and time is very dangerous. His arrival ensured the trio's safety.
"We can't stay here for long. This place is…"
Eishi's words were halted. He looked at the office's entrance. A faint orange spot appeared in his vision.
"...There is a zombie."
"..!"
Kuroneko placed her two younger sisters behind her.
The place they ran off to is part of the 'unreclaimed' areas of Tokyo. It wouldn't be surprising to come across strong mutated zombies who have survived the insect swarm. These zombies often have sharp senses when it comes to living beings.
"Your name is quite fitting. An unlucky black cat… the zombie at the entrance is strong."
Of course, the remark was relative to Kuroneko.
Bam-!
Rumble-!
To Kuroneko's horror, the burly zombie broke to their floor from below. It jumped straight from the first to the third floor, ignoring the thick concrete floors. The aura it emitted made her heart sink.
"This makes it easier."
She wondered what the meaning behind Eishi's words meant when a sudden change occurred at the next instant. A blood-red curved blade appeared in his grasp. She hadn't processed this when a loud sound took her attention.
Thud-!
The large burly zombie, around ten meters tall, fell lifelessly to the ground. Its head is cleanly severed from its neck.
For a moment, her mind stopped working. Her eyes looked back and forth between Eishi and the huge zombie.
"Have you heard of any esper classifications?"
His leisurely question broke her from her shock. Kuroneko shook her head in response to it. Her two younger sisters looked at Eishi and felt a sense of security from him.
'I thought there would be others who can do appraisal and stuff. I guess not…'
Eishi explained the simplified format of the esper classification—the orders, stars, and innate talent rating—to her.
He looked at Kuroneko's panel.
[Ruri Gokou]
Innate Talent: Queen of Darkness (SSS, First-order)
Non-exclusive Talent: Spirit Boost (B, First-order), Brief Foresight (S, First-order), Arsenal (S, First-order)
Life Level: First-order, Three-stars
Strength: 40
Agility: 42
Constitution: 38
Spirit: 180
'Another one…'
Seeing the triple S rating on her innate talent section surprised him. The only other confidante that possessed the same rating was Megumi. Her current situation was a far cry from Kuroneko's.
One is about to enter the third-order threshold while the other is still struggling on the first-order. However, Kuroneko's double S rated talents caught him off guard.
'She's luckier than me…'
The second page revealed the pragmatic evaluation as usual.
[Ruri Gokou]
Appearance: 95
Figure: 94
Temperament: 96
Purity: Intact, Can be bound
Overall Rating: SSS
The 'temperament' section left him speechless. Then again, Kuroneko's usual antics do 'qualify' as a unique temperament most would never have.
"This zombie, just now, is categorized as a third-order zombie. It is weaker compared to the third-order espers, so I would place them as second-order espers."
Eishi's brief explanation from earlier made it easier to explain things—as well as the significance of what he did. He hasn't forgotten his original intentions. He wanted to gather more SSS rated confidantes.
'Tricking' them with words is already a habit built up since the beginning of the apocalypse. His implied 'threat' to Haruno back then is a child's play compared to now.
"The ones from before are first-order espers, including you. Gokou-san's talent is extraordinary, just like mine. It consumes more resources to upgrade."
Kuroneko recalled Mashiro's consumption. She noticed her faster upgrade speed compared to her own. Her innate talent was exaggerated. Strong, even. Wiping out a dozen first-order espers whose attributes are higher than hers are done in a flash.
The higher number of resources she required seemed more reasonable as she thought of it.
"I would like you to join my team. We have a fully functional base. Electricity, water, food, you name it."
Kuroneko's mind worked fast.
She voiced out her thoughts:
"...It should not be in Tokyo. Where is it?"
"Yokohama."
His words left her stunned for the nth time.
'How did he come here?'
Before her phone's battery ran out, Kuroneko saw the news regarding the meteorites. It all struck major cities. The world outside the city is still filled with zombies and other unknown dangers.
"I can guarantee you and your sisters' safety with me. For once…"
Eishi squatted and pulled out an exposed metal bar on the ground like it was cotton.
"...I am a third-order esper."
'No wonder he…'
His act of killing that terrifying zombie in a blink made a lot more sense.
"Let's continue talking elsewhere. This place is not suitable."
She nodded at his words.
When they reached the ground floor, Kuroneko and her two sisters watched as Eishi magically summoned a land rover out of thin air. It is the very same modified land rover that withstood every single attack to date. A brief test showed how it withstood Eishi's full-powered punch. Even the 'Soul Destroyer' katana, a fifth rank weapon, had obvious difficulties in putting a scratch to its surface.
Once they rode on the vehicle, the girls' bodies stopped shivering. Their thick winter coats were more than enough at the current temperature, though it is not suitable for longer outside stays. Being on the run for hours exhausted their physical and mental strength. It is due to their willpower that they are still holding on.
Seeing the two fall asleep, Kuroneko heaved a sigh of relief. She had nothing else to do. Her attention naturally gravitated towards the strong and direct Eishi.
'My power… he wants it..?'