Exusiai: "Tatsuki is amazing! He can shoot lightning and even fly! [Image]."
March 7: "Whoa! What's it like to fly?"
Exusiai: "Super cool and stylish!"
Aqua: "Hmph, I can also fly."
March 7: "Really? Pam Excited JPG."
Aqua: "Ahem, well, not right now…"
March 7: "Oh."
Saeko Busujima: "Exusiai, Tatsuki, thank you so much for your help."
Exusiai: "Haha, no biggie. Those dead things are gross, but they're not strong—one shot, one kill."
Exusiai: "The only issue is I'm running out of etched bullets. I didn't bring enough."
Tatsuki: "You might be able to use regular firearms. They're similar to your guns and should be effective against the dead. They don't rely on Originium Arts either."
Exusiai's "guns" weren't conventional firearms.
They were more like staves or catalysts for deploying Originium Arts, relying on etched bullets to unleash powerful attacks.
However, against dead bodies, regular guns would suffice.
If everything went as expected, Shizuka's friend's house was supposed to be a mini armory.
Exusiai: "Regular guns similar to mine? Sounds exciting!"
Tatsuki then remembered something else—he needed to warn Saeko.
Tatsuki: "@Saeko Busujima."
Saeko Busujima: "What is it, Tatsuki?"
Tatsuki: "Saeko, there's something I need to remind you."
Tatsuki: "Don't trust strangers too easily. Make sure your companions don't act overly altruistic either—especially Shizuka-sensei."
He still recalled how close Shizuka had come to agreeing with Shido's proposal.
Anyone with sharp instincts could see that guy was bad news.
Saeko Busujima: "I understand. If I encounter someone like Shido, I'll handle them as decisively as you did. I'll also be strict with Shizuka-sensei and the others."
Tatsuki: "Good."
Tatsuki didn't dislike altruists, but he couldn't stand hypocrites pretending to be one.
True altruists were willing to sacrifice themselves for others, while hypocrites harmed their own group to benefit outsiders.
The difference was profound.
Not long after, the jeep arrived at Shizuka Marikawa's friend's house.
Rei Miyamoto, emotionally and physically drained, had fallen asleep.
Seated next to Tatsuki, her head had unconsciously leaned against his shoulder.
Tatsuki, meanwhile, remained still, appearing to rest.
"We're here!"
Shizuka cheerfully called out, glancing back.
She noticed Rei leaning against Tatsuki, and a flicker of intrigue crossed her eyes.
Tatsuki opened his eyes.
Rei also woke up.
"…"
Her eyes met Tatsuki's, and a brief silence followed.
"!"
Rei quickly sat up and apologized. "S-sorry! I must've fallen asleep accidentally."
"It's fine."
To Tatsuki, it was a trivial matter not worth mentioning. He opened the car door and stepped out.
Rei followed behind, staring at Tatsuki's back.
She couldn't help but recall the warmth and sense of security she felt leaning against his shoulder, making her heart skip a beat.
Shaking her head to dispel the strange thoughts, she quickened her pace to catch up.
…
Inside Shizuka's friend's house:
"?"
Saya stared at the rows of crates filled with guns, ammunition, and even grenades, her expression bewildered.
"This is the weapon stash you mentioned?"
"Are you sure your friend's house isn't an armory?!"
"Um…"
Shizuka tilted her head and murmured in her usual dazed manner, "These all belong to my good friend, Rika Minami."
"…"
Your friend is a weapons dealer?!
Saya silently screamed in her mind.
Exusiai, meanwhile, curiously picked up a gun and examined it closely.
After familiarizing herself with the firearms for a while, she exclaimed in genuine amazement:
"Definitely not like my guns—this is truly fascinating!"
…
Tatsuki clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Rest here for now. Saya, keep trying to contact your parents. Exusiai, Saeko, you're coming with me."
Without waiting for a response, he led the two outside, leaving Saya, Rei, and Shizuka to exchange puzzled glances.
"They seem so close," Shizuka remarked enviously.
"Ugh, I have no idea how Saeko-senpai ended up befriending those two extraordinary people."
Saya rubbed her forehead in exasperation.
She couldn't recall Saeko ever showing any supernatural abilities. Even when fighting the dead, Saeko relied purely on her swordsmanship—not exactly a superpower.
"…"
Rei glanced at the closed door, her gaze lowering as she sank into silence again.
"Hmm…"
Shizuka noticed Rei's growing despondency and seemed to ponder something.
…
"Tatsuki-kun, where are we headed?"
Following Tatsuki out the door, Saeko voiced her curiosity.
"Remember the objective of our Apocalypse Companion mission?"
Exusiai raised her hand playfully, grinning. "I think it was something about clearing the dead, right?"
"Correct," Tatsuki replied.
"I suspect this mission operates similarly to the Apocalypse Game. If we kill enough of the dead, there's a good chance we'll be rewarded."
Saeko nodded, her expression composed. "Understood. Let's get started then."
Exusiai was already brimming with excitement. "Got it, I'm ready!"
Saeko tightened her grip on her katana, briefly considering whether switching to firearms might speed up the process.
Ultimately, she decided against it—she wasn't confident in her ability to handle guns effectively.