Eishi is strong, extremely so. The number of times he took action in Tokyo could be counted in one hand, but each one changed the balance of power within this shelter. Still, he knew he was not strong on other aspects. Consoling someone was one of his weaknesses. He did not bother trying to comfort Miko. Though it was coldblooded, it was way better compared to the time Eishi "encouraged" Utaha when her parents died.
In the end, he chose to leave silently. Eishi knew this meeting would be their last for quite some time. He had already asked "others" to prepare for their departure. That included Marina and Ai. Due to Eishi's daily habits, he found it less appropriate to let Kuroneko, her sisters, and Marina to keep living in his villa. Hence he found another two-storey residence within the government compound. That was how Eishi pulled off some 'unrestrained' stunts all over his villa.
As for considering Ai's feelings, he never had the idea to do so. Sparing her is already a huge favor for someone who sided with the zaibatsus. If it was before, Eishi might even have forcefully made her 'submit' as a bed slave. Letting her suffer by treating her as air during Eishi's sex with Saeko and Shino was a small punishment.
Eishi did not need to go to Motoi and the other senior officials. They already knew about his impending departure.
'They should be at the villa already…'
Leaving the government compound, he was about to walk towards his villa when he came across someone particularly noticeable. The street he was located in is one of the more lively parts of the shelter. People come and go carrying boxes and carts. This trend never stopped whether it was day and night.
The one-month deadline given by Amane's [Omniscient Brain] made them waste no seconds when it comes to preparations. Eishi's show of strength also contributed to this fact. He, a third-order esper, could already deal devastating destruction throughout the city. What more of the fourth-order, or even fifth-order lifeforms?
It didn't take long before Eishi's keen spirit recalled where he met her. He hasn't met her personally, but he talked to her. That alone was enough for his mind to trace back her origins.
'It's the girl from the apartment!'
Back when he dealt with Marina's boyfriend, he saw a bright green spot moving around in one of the rooms. He surmised she is a potential confidante, hence he left behind his contact number. Eishi almost forgot about it if not for today.
[Chizuru Shiina]
Innate Talent: Hyper-Speed Calculation (SS, First-order)
Non-exclusive Talent: Constitution Boost (B, First-order)
Life Level: First-order, Three-stars
Strength: 37
Agility: 39
Constitution: 65
Spirit: 95
Her attributes were nothing unusual. Though she possessed an SS-rated talent, Chizuru's status places her at barely above average. One has to know that the resources Eishi injected into this shelter was huge. His daily income of evolution fruits is measured from 10,000 at the very minimum; hundreds of thousands at maximum. He did not mind investing 100,000 evolution fruits to bolster its workforce. Thus, those who worked hard in the past five days had long reached five-stars at minimum, setting it as the average level for most of the espers present.
When Eishi looked at the system's pragmatic evaluation, he was stunned.
[Chizuru Shiina]
Appearance: 97
Figure: 100
Temperament: 85
Purity: Intact, Can be Bound
Overall Rating: SSS
'Another 100-point figure?!'
He first thought that the system's criteria for figure came from plumpness. The clumsy Shizuka has huge breasts. They never looked saggy, but supple. The kind he could stare and play at all day long. Add to that her docile and somewhat naive personality, she gave a big impression in his mind.
Eishi looked at her again, sensing her low mood. Her dark-purple hair was tangled and dirtied. All sorts of oil and dirt accumulated on it, making Chizuru look disheveled. Her skin was filled with all sorts of dirt, smog, and dried-up blood. Her appearance greatly contrasted the normal looks everyone had. Though they don't have enough water to take a bath, washing off dirt on one's body was still possible.
The most important detail was her eyes. He was more than familiar with the look that she gave out.
Depression.
Eishi knew well where she was heading—to self-destruct. At the very least, the circumstances now dictate it was the most probable choice.
'If she's going to pull it off…'
Why not pull her to his side instead?
Just as she was about to pass over him, he spoke:
"Have you considered my offer?"
*****
Chizuru was an eighteen-years-old highschooler who was about to enter university. Her cautiousness in this apocalypse is a commendable thing. She remained inside her apartment and wisely rationed her food. When the twentieth-day came and Eishi cleaned up her apartment complex, Chizuru took this chance to go out and obtain more supplies.
Nevertheless, she was still a highschooler. She was prone to making decisions others would find unwise… and that was what exactly happened to her. Just like Miko, she chose to find the teacher she looked up to, all by herself. Her family lived in another city, which left her with nothing but her teacher to look up for.
Contrary to Miko's experience, she did manage to find her teacher… as a zombie, that is. Only Chizuru knew the struggle and conflicts she experienced before she ended his life with her own hands. As if that wasn't enough, their fight attracted the rogue militants from the zaibatsu faction. Seeing her youth and beauty, they wanted to capture her to vent all of their frustrations. It was through her superpower and sheer luck was she able to escape back to the shelter; hence her disheveled state.
The consecutive negative events left Chizuru in a daze. Depressed, even.
'They… are they still alive..?'
She thought of her parents. They hadn't responded to WeChat since a week ago. The memories of killing her own teacher flashed inside her mind. Her heart turned cold. Her legs grew weak. Her hands could not stop trembling unconditionally. Her teeth clattered as she barely suppressed her urge to cry.
Amidst all of this, a voice reached out to her.
"Have you considered my offer?"
It was a cold and uncaring voice. The pitch-black pupils that gazed at her face seemed to draw her into the abyss. At the same time, her eyes could not help but be attracted towards him. His clean look drew her attention. The strong and well-built arms were shown off by wearing a white t-shirt. The muscle lines drawn on it were so immaculate most girls would drool at its sight. His temperament made Chizuru's mind freeze. She stood blankly for a good three seconds before snapping out of it.
Some people who were around them swiftly shifted their gazes away. Eishi's temperament and intimidation as a third-order, nine-stars lifeform scared them from their souls. Despite the fact that Eishi seemed to be bullying Chizuru, nobody stepped up for her. The fear of mortals towards espers is ingrained deeply to their bones.
'Was it… him?'
Chizuru recalled the calling card she received. She found it strange and borderline creepy to have someone coming at her door, asking her to be his girlfriend. The saving grace in that encounter was that her door was never broken in. Seeing that Eishi is not some creep but a handsome young man near her age stunned Chizuru for a few moments.
"Let me guess. You went off to find someone? Family? Friend?"
"..."
"I can help you find them." He paused before he added, "Even if they are in another city."
Eishi's words shook her heart. She didn't even have a second thought as she shouted:
"I agree!"
This time, it was his turn to get caught off-guard. He never expected Chizuru to accept just like that. Then again, her original ACG material was that of 18+. The way she crumbled under a simple blackmail filled with holes made Eishi doubt her decision-making capabilities.
"Come with me."
"Y-yes!"
Seeing Chizuru meekly follow Eishi, some women who were watching on the sidelines could not help but feel envious. His appearance aside, they recognize his identity—the director of the special esper combat forces. The head of the shelter's esper group—people who have high statuses—propped his value in their eyes further.
Seeing these strange looks was enough for Chizuru to recall Eishi's identity.
'It's him! The one on the Internet!'
This wave of discovery sent shockwaves echoing in her heart. She mindlessly accepted his offer mainly because of his strong temperament. Eishi's official identity served as a guarantee on his words!
By the time they reached his villa, the number of people walking around decreased significantly. The two went through the smaller gate and saw the rest preparing to move out. Saeko and Shino both have their weapons strapped on their shoulders. A pair of daggers were holstered on Kuroneko's waist. The faintly-revealed straps underneath her dress showed she has more weapons than that. Her two sisters each carried a small backpack. Ai stood behind all of them, with her hands clasped in front of her. Mashiro stood there silently, staring somewhere with a blank gaze. Finally, there was Marina who looked for them. The air of maturity she carried made the kids relaxed in her presence.
Unanimously, all of them looked at Eishi… and then the girl behind him. Out of them all, only Kuroneko, Ai, and Marina held a speechless look.
Saeko was quick to point out his actions and said in a teasing tone:
"I expected we would be split into two cars."
"...We'll all fit inside." He paused before adding, "Let's wait for Shiina-san to take a quick bath."
Chizuru blushed at the mention of her name. Then she was befuddled as to how Eishi knew her name when she hadn't given it to him before.
'Could it be a superpower..?'
Superpower or not, Eishi led her back inside the villa. As soon as they were gone, the other girls began chatting.
"Was Hiraoka-san… like that?"
The one who asked this question was Marina. Her first impression of Eishi was that of a reliable boyfriend. He risked his life just to save his girlfriend's sister. What she did not expect was that… he is an unserious man. He had girlfriends other than her sister!
To this regard, she did not know what to say. Thus, she did not know how to look at Eishi until now.
"Oh, it's a pity you haven't seen him before. But everyone will see it soon… His other girlfriends."
Ai's gaze shifted to Saeko's relaxed face for a second before returning to normal. She was familiar with the wealthy elites' tendencies to have more than one woman. Eishi was far stronger than them. She shared the same view as Saeko, believing it was something he earned. This did not mean that she accepted this kind of view, however.
"Girlfriends…"
Kuroneko muttered in a low tone. No matter how much she found Eishi reliable, he seemed unreliable with women. That was the only flaw she could find from him.
"Those ten girls… Can you tell me more about them, Saeko-san?"
Shino, who was previously silent, spoke up. Saeko was slightly surprised to hear that Shino knew about their existence. Then again, Eishi's changes were drastic.
"The first girlfriend he had was Airi-san. The two got together after she was saved by him…"
In this free time, the girls pricked their ears and listened to Saeko's story.
*****
'...What did they talk about while I'm gone?'
Eishi could feel the strange atmosphere inside the eight-seater land rover. Kuroneko's younger sisters sat on Kuroneko's and Mashiro's lap for everyone to fit inside the car. Their ride was steady all throughout. Even when Eishi ran over several evolved animals and zombies, the car remained unbreached. Only then did the women inside this car notice how sturdy and anomalous it was.
When asked by Shino how he got it, his answer was simple:
"I slapped it with money."
Out of them all, Ai was startled to know that Eishi is the anonymous who suddenly popped up on Japan's wealthiest people. This only made her more curious about him—about the man who single-handedly destroyed the Shinomiya Clan.
Soon, they arrived back in Yokohama. Freshly-built concrete walls could be seen right at the edge of the city's perimeters. Eishi raised his eyebrows upon seeing it.
'How much did the city change..?'