Eishi has seen many works of fiction depicting the apocalypse's descent. Some characters would end up committing to the most stupid decision known to man.
However, things are vastly different in real life. The pressure for survival makes it so that they consider every single decision they make. Dumb people had long been rooted out, as evident to the abysmal 1% survival rate in most cities.
Looking at the somewhat intimidating bald man, Eishi saw fear in his eyes. A typical emotion every human being possesses when facing an insurmountable danger. What was commendable was the courage behind those eyes. Someone who can still remain courageous while experiencing fear is truly rare.
Which was why Eishi never dropped his guard once.
His eyes scanned the entire building. It is the one that stood out the most out of every building in the Shinomiya Clan complex. One look at the white jade-like pillars carved with icons such as dragons shows everything.
Along the way to this room, there was a well-maintained artificial lake housing a stone waterfall. The stone pathways leading to the two-storey house were built with some kind of special stones Eishi could not recognize. The feeling of luxuriousness never left him… which was why most would not consider a whole bunch of bombs buried within.
That was what Eishi saw.
The Main Shinomiya Mansion was filled with a sea of orange he had never seen before, borderline touching the tinge of red. This was something Eishi never saw even against the fourth-order zombies hiding back in Yokohama. Clearly, their two days' worth of clashes made them speculate the nature of his superpower… and they came prepared against him.
What they underestimated was Eishi's invincibility. Time stop was something that cannot be defended against no matter what. Tricks like the hidden bombs might have worked against others, but the Lucky Eyes rendered them ineffective against Eishi.
He inadvertently recalled Haruno, the one responsible for the buff that saved his life numerous times. His self-righteous attitude towards her made him shudder inwardly.
'I really want to punch myself…'
A few seconds passed in this still world. Eishi did not take any chances and activated the time stop after his brief greeting. He merely spooked this enemy of his who aimed for his life several times. Eishi glanced at the pink-haired woman he held hostage and decided to take her with him. He believed anyone held hostage by Oko would be his enemy.
Instead of leaving immediately, he made sure to loot whatever valuable there was within this building. Anything that prompted green lights were placed inside his storage space. A brief scan of the evolution fruits showed they were in-between A and S ranks. There were also munitions so advanced it must have prompted military sanctions. Finally, he arrived at the sites where the bombs were planted. Unlike the atypical bombs, it was composed with a bunch of circuitry Eishi could not understand.
He tried placing it inside his storage space, but to no avail. This happens every time he attempts placing 'things' that are technically being 'used' by others.
In short, the bombs are active and ready to explode.
Carrying the mature pink-haired woman on his shoulder, Eishi's snatching speed grew faster. It wasn't until he used time stop two more times was he able to loot everything that could be looted inside. The glaring orange light had long turned red, indicating the dangers it would bring to him.
Only after moving a few kilometers away from the residence did he cancel his time stop. Eishi ignored the woman staring at his pale face, popping the [Stamina Restoration Pills] in his mouth. His countenance became visibly better after consuming them.
Before the woman could speak, a deafening explosion swept through their surroundings. The shockwaves brought by it shook her eardrums dearly. Streaks of blood dripped from her ears as her eyes appeared disoriented by the aftershocks.
It was different from Eishi. He stood still as he oversaw the massive dust cloud from the distance. The black smog contained crimson-red flames. The air that swept through them became hot enough for the woman on his shoulder to cry out in pain.
'What a crazy lunatic…'
Eishi turned his attention to the woman atop his shoulders. He habitually opened the system's appraisal function before seeing the "Broken, Cannot Be Bound" atop her SSS rating. The pragmatic evaluation could not be anything but true. The curves pressing atop his shoulders were one thing. Her pretty and unblemished face did not show signs of being worn out by time, bringing forth a unique feeling of maturity. She mirrored Mrs. Yuigahama, but milder.
As for her identity…
'I knew she was familiar.'
The "Fujiwara" surname explained everything. Eishi recalled an ACG where the main characters were the student council of Shuiichin Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in Japan. He had searched it beforehand prior to the apocalypse. Out of everyone, there are three whom Eishi suspected to be SSS rated confidantes:
The Ice Princess of Shinomiya Clan, Shinomiya Kaguya;
The lively granddaughter of a former Prime Minister, Fujiwara Chika; and
The closest valet-turned-spy of Kaguya, Hayasaka Ai.
If it was the previous him, Eishi would have eyed them as precious resources. He wouldn't have cared much about their attitudes, winning them in both resources and in power. He could get to know them better after acquiring the Buffs. Ironically, Eishi failed in that regard. He never truly got to know his confidantes after the deed, merely seeing them for their worth and their beauty. He never asked about their thoughts, nor did he care to bother doing small things for them.
Such a way of living felt detached and foreign to Eishi, yet he had done it.
'Taking it slower is the right answer…'
Whether Eishi hates it or not, his actions did help in establishing a foundation in this apocalypse. He gained enough power, buffs, and rewards to be able to take things slower today. All he has to do is to carry on the burden his past self brought in doing so.
"As you can see, I did not come here to harm you. I am also someone they wanted to eliminate."
"...Uhm…"
"Where do you live? While I do not mind, I am sure you do…"
"...My daughter!"
Her words made Eishi pause.
"Do you know where they are held?"
"I know!"
"Lead me there."
Fujiwara Maho looked blankly at Eishi. The latter sensed it and understood. He brought her down his shoulders before scooping her legs with his left arm. Eishi easily lifted her in a princess carry, converting her confusion into embarrassment.
"It's faster this way." He paused before shaking his head. "You will realize it later. Point me the directions…"
*****
The massive explosion was akin to a gasoline station going up into flames. It was extremely visible in the dead of the night, disturbing anyone in its vicinity. The thunderous shaking of the ground was followed by brightly burning flames surrounded with thick black smoke.
Its effects reached all the way to the residence where Kaguya and the others were held. It was then did someone suddenly barge inside, causing everyone to pause and stare at her. Her light-blonde hair was tied to a sidetail with a crunchie. She wore a long-sleeved maid outfit, with the hem of her skirt reaching her toes.
"Hayasaka..?"
Kaguya's former maid fell silent before resolutely meeting her gaze. Their friendship was second to none. Hayasaka Ai had been Kaguya's valet, but also her best friend since childhood. That was until the revelation came that she was a mole planted by her older brother. She was also the one who leaked the nature of Kaguya's superpower to Oko, in turn letting him take its benefits.
Kaguya is the Shinomiya Clan's plant esper, capable of detecting 'strong' fruits and nurturing them. They had already begun planting these 'strong' fruits en masse. It would have been the capital for the Shinomiya Clan's unstoppable rise. The entire alliance centered around Zaibatsus were nothing but temporary concessions they made in exchange for useful tools!
Now that the one who betrayed her barged in at this exact moment, Kaguya did not know what to feel.
"That direction…" Ai paused before pointing at the apocalyptic scene outside. "...comes from the main mansion."
The group of disoriented girls did not have the skills to estimate which house exploded just by having a general direction. Ai was simply too familiar with the entire Shinomiya Clan compound that she deduced it.
Most importantly…
'No one is answering my calls.'
Ai felt complicated. She, for once, owes her loyalty to Shinomiya Oko. The man is fanatical… rightfully so. It showed during the apocalypse. Everything he did was not for his own individual power, but the continued existence of the Shinomiya Clan. He alone stood up when both his father and his younger brother turned into zombies, allowing the clan to stand tall in times of crisis. The charisma and loyalty he possesses to the Shinomiya Clan is second to none.
However, she is aware of the pain she inflicted over her childhood best friend, Kaguya. The sense of trust cultivated between the two of them moved Hayasaka… even if she knew she did her wrong.
The main mansion's explosion was one thing. If Oko had truly fallen…
The remaining Shinomiya Clan won't have it any better.
Kaguya swept the entire room with her eyes, occasionally landing on the pink-haired women before it returned to Kaguya.
'The final hope of survival…'
It was difficult for Ai to pinpoint which force attacked the Shinomiya Clan. All she knew was that the hope for Kaguya's survival lay on these pink-haired women. If that does not work, there is still Shirogane Miyuki. No matter how much his standing was looked down upon by others, Ai knew he is very reliable. So she gave him a call… and he answered.
"As of now, Shirogane-san is on the way to this place. I have prepared an escape route. The guards are disoriented as of the moment, hence…"
Bang-!
Bang-!
…
A volley of gunfire interrupted her words. Before they could even react properly, an unknown man emerged from the dark corner of the room, carrying a pink-haired woman in his arms. The moment the Fujiwara sisters saw her, they collectively yelled:
"""Mom!"""
Maho wasn't anything better. She ran straight to her daughters the moment she was lowered by Eishi. The four did not pay any mind to the growing tension inside the room.
"As you can see, it was me who rescued their mother." Eishi turned his head towards Ai, the tension within her eyes unable to be hidden. "If all things are considered, you two are considered my prisoners of war."
Silence.
Then came a mind-numbing realization.
"Oko-sama…"
"I killed him." He paused before adding, "Shinzou-san asked me for help in dealing with some group of die-hards who threatened the shelter's safety. So technically, you two are my prisoners of war."
Nobody voiced out a word. His capability to appear suddenly out of thin air popped inside their heads. Maho saw the reactions of her daughters and hugged them tighter. She then whispered:
"Trust in him. He… won't hurt us."
The last part was something she had seen. To someone who slaughtered his way through the Shinomiya Clan's defenses, going as far as to kill hundreds, Maho was terrified. However, the ensuing treatment she received made him snap back to reality. At least, Eishi never harmed her on their way here.
She is more willing to believe it is as such than to think of any other possibilities.
Otherwise, there was also someone else paying attention here.
Miko, who was sitting at the other corner of the room, peeked her head curiously towards Eishi's position. The dim lighting only served to highlight his good looks and strong presence. Her mind blanked out, its functions being left to highlight the person that was known as Eishi.
"I have heard of Shinomiya-san. Shirogane-san is one of our accomplices, so to speak. Rest assured you will return to his side."
Eishi's words eased the burden in everyone's hearts… even Ai.
Though she knew what would happen next.
"That leaves me with you, Hayasakan Ai. You are now my prisoner of war."