Bai Shi Chuan sized up the pink-haired twin-tailed girl in front of him. He knew her identity, of course. She was Takajo Saya from the Apocalypse world.
Personality-wise, she was the tsundere type.
She had proactively requested to join the team just as they were about to leave, mentioning a "safe place." The safe place she referred to was likely her father's mansion.
Takajo Juichiro, the president of the far-right group. Bai Shi Chuan had no fondness for him. If anything, he was more interested in someone else.
Takajo Yuriko.
A beautiful, wife-material, with the tsundere Takajo Saya. If he could get them together, a mother-daughter set, it would be quite nice.
Facing the team request, Tokisaki Saeko didn't immediately agree. After all, she knew that the key to successfully leaving Fujimi Academy and finding a safe haven rested on Bai Shi Chuan and Misaka Mikoto.
She turned to Bai Shi Chuan, who was easier to communicate with, and asked, "Shi Chuan-kun, what are your... thoughts? Joining the team?"
"No problem."
Bai Shi Chuan didn't mind. In the face of enough strength, even a massive number of dead bodies were just experience points. As for Misaka Mikoto's thoughts, she would certainly not refuse a request to help maintain order in Academy City and wouldn't reject the plea of the weak.
Takajo Saya noticed that the leader of this group was a young man in loose-fitting athletic wear, not a student here. He held a wooden staff tightly wrapped in grey cloth.
Her initial impression was that he was good-looking and sunny, but she wasn't sure how he would fare against real zombies.
Why Tokisaki-senpai saw Bai Shi Chuan as the leader.
Takajo Saya couldn't figure it out for now, but since he had agreed to join, she wouldn't try to seize control. Her usual tsundere attitude was gone.
She said with gratitude, "Thank you very much for letting me join the team."
Looking at everyone's relatively calm faces, they hadn't yet realized the seriousness of the situation. Takajo Saya thought for a moment and suggested,
"My house is very safe. It's just a little far away. With so many zombies on the streets, finding a vehicle would be very helpful."
"The city might be... paralyzed."
"We have one."
Kiryuuin Satsuki pulled a set of school bus keys from her pocket, unknown where she got them, and waved them in her hand, smiling brightly. "Let's go, then?"
#
The team's formation was complete. Tokisaki Saeko, familiar with the school, led the way with her wooden sword.
Their first objective was to reach the parking lot.
Although the surrounding dead bodies had been cleared, some were still attracted by the sounds of students running and screaming. Even with a wooden sword in her hand, Tokisaki Saeko showed no fear.
Reliance on Bai Shi Chuan and Misaka Mikoto alone wouldn't be enough. They were here for a rescue mission from the Dimensional Chat Group and would eventually leave.
She wanted to see what kind of strength she, a master of the Tokisaki-style swordsmanship, possessed against these zombies!
Moreover,
As the world crumbled into apocalypse, witnessing her classmates killing each other, a certain idea in Tokisaki Saeko grew stronger in this extreme environment.
Looking at Bai Shi Chuan, she said with anticipation, "Shi Chuan-kun, I'll take care of these dead bodies."
In a way, Tokisaki Saeko was the pinnacle of combat power in the world without superpowers, mastering the Tokisaki-style swordsmanship.
Bai Shi Chuan was also curious.
To see her in action, to see what Tokisaki Saeko could achieve against these zombies, he smiled and nodded.
"Of course."
...
Takajo Saya's eyes widened when she saw this, and she started to wonder if he was Tokisaki-senpai's...
Boyfriend?
But facing so many zombies, he wouldn't let his girlfriend go into danger, would he? She carefully observed Bai Shi Chuan, and her inner thoughts settled.
"Hey, classmate, you really aren't going to help your girlfriend?"
...
Although her address was nice, Bai Shi Chuan didn't particularly like her gaze. She seemed to have some misunderstandings about the situation.
Kiryuuin Satsuki, who was following behind Bai Shi Chuan, suddenly hugged her arm and said to Takajo Saya with a soft and sweet tone, "Saya-chan, don't misunderstand."
"It was Shi Chuan-kun and Misaka-san who came to pick us up, which is why we were able to get downstairs safely."
...
Bai Shi Chuan's concentration was slightly diverted, feeling the softness against his arm, and he only saw the purple-haired figure in the distance.
She wielded a wooden sword with both hands.
She used the Tokisaki-style swordsmanship, her blade moved as fast as a shadow, slashing towards the zombies who charged at her, like a blooming, brilliant red spider lily of the underworld.
She cut them down like vegetables.
Whether it was her reaction speed, strength, or swordsmanship skills, Tokisaki Saeko lived up to the title of Asura-hime. Bai Shi Chuan watched the mesmerizing fight, enjoying it.
「Detecting available Saint Sword User profession skill 'Tokisaki-style swordsmanship'. Would you like to learn it?」
"Yes."
Proficient in the Tokisaki-style swordsmanship, the more skills, the better, Bai Shi Chuan resolutely chose to learn it. As the sounds of combat spread, not only were the dead bodies in the school building attracted.
Even...
Those from outside the school were drawn towards it. Misaka Mikoto, who had already pulled out her game coins, didn't make a rash move, instead, her gaze fell on Bai Shi Chuan.
"I can't be seen as a kept man..."
Bai Shi Chuan shook his head slightly, loosening the grey cloth wrapped around his staff. At the top of the wooden staff, a red magic bead floated.
The lower end of the staff tapped against the tiled floor, making a crisp sound. It caught the attention of Takajo Saya, Kiryuuin Satsuki, and Tokisaki Saeko, who had finished with the dead bodies in the hallway. He saw the staff emit light.
"Quicksand Ripple."
In front of Takajo Saya and Kiryuuin Satsuki, who were staring in disbelief, Bai Shi Chuan tested the basic skill of his "Grand Mage" profession.
The original solid concrete floor...
Under his powerful magic, it was directly corroded and transformed into a quicksand trap that could completely swallow anything. The dead bodies that ran towards them...
Twisted and struggled, but their futile movements only hastened their death.
"This..."
Takajo Saya witnessed with her own eyes the concrete turning into quicksand that devoured zombies. Her eyes widened in shock, and finally, she said with bitterness,
"What kind of... power is this?!"