The breakfast ended peacefully. Eishi caught sight of Ai doing their laundry and cleaning the entire villa. He didn't say anything about this. The S rated 'Contract' Shino held yesterday was enough to deal with her. As for feeling any trace of pity for letting a girl work all by herself?
That's tame compared to all the crazy stunts her 'master' pulled off while they were hunting Eishi.
The trio did not have any worries of leaving Ai within the villa, and so they did. They boarded Eishi's enhanced land rover. Under the subtle atmosphere between them, they headed towards the Prime Minister's Office. Thick gray smoke could be seen rising everywhere, the war from last night evident. People could be seen being led to public evacuation centers, receiving food and other supplies. This was one of the things Eishi tasked them with.
Consolidate esper forces, train a loyal following, and create a shelter that answers to his needs. Granting food gained from his return chances did not cost him anything. This enables the government to have a tighter hold over the survivors, however. Unless they are a part of social deviants who repay gratitude with curses, or worse, entitlement, most would feel more favorable. There would be some who would end up working for the government, in turn him.
It is but one of the few clever ways they implemented with Eishi's approval.
'Meat shields… this won't change.'
Though he had some realizations over the treatment of his confidantes and his ever-loosening bottom lines, Eishi would still prioritize their safety above anyone else's. And by what he meant by "them", it's his girlfriends. That was as far as his humanity goes… and he would never compromise for it. He wasn't a saint to begin with. If he could trade others' lives for their safety, that was something he was willing to take.
Not long after, they got out of the vehicle. Some staff and soldiers who recognized them paused at first glance, forming a salute before continuing their tasks. Eishi felt a bit embarrassed with this treatment; Shino too. The respect they received was something born out of their feats last night. The moment they arrived at the main office, the atmosphere became extremely subtle.
There were only three people present—Motoi, Hachiman, and a black-haired youth. The three turned their eyes towards him, each bearing different thoughts.
'Omniscient Brain…'
"This is our first time meeting by technicality."
"Oh, uhm, that's right." He reached out for a handshake. "I apologize for prying into your personal information."
Eishi paused for a while. The expression on his face was unreadable. Fujimiya Amane felt slightly cold inside. Nobody would appreciate having their private information dug up.
"I'll let it pass as long as there's no second time."
"...Um."
The tense atmosphere was defused. Shino and Saeko sat on the seats slightly farther than theirs.
"Is there any available information on the evolution of marine life?"
Eishi went straight to the point.
"There are. The oceanic outposts managed to return several reports before being brought down. Fujimiya-san looked into it as well…"
Motoi explained everything.
They weren't unaware of the sea's possible threat. The majority of their sea outposts—docks, lightposts, oil rigs—lost contact with the mainland. The reports they sent back were concerning as well. For instance, there was an extremely huge whale that overturned an entire sea mining rig with its huge body. Amane's peering revealed its power, which sat at the fifth-order at the very least. There are also great white sharks, megalodons, octopi, and the likes. All of their levels are in the fourth-order.
Compared to the zombies they currently faced, these are the true terror mankind would face.
'Sixth-order…' Eishi mulled on this new information. 'Someone capable of spanning regions.'
The futuristic techniques he gained, while they did not serve much purpose, gave him the general information about this evolution power system.
The third to fifth order all lay on the 'city' level. They could take on an entire thousand-man army all by themselves, withstanding artillery strikes and bringing devastating damage to a city that holds millions.
The sixth to seventh order are considered 'regional' behemoths. The electromagnetic fields surrounding their bodies are enough to distort gravitational force in a wide-scale. That was merely their surface power. Their superpowers have begun to sublimate into something else, unlocking more uses and more complex functions. Their physical bodies are impenetrable by most modern artillery.
Unfortunately, Japan is an island nation. They are surrounded by water, and in turn, these horrific creatures. Their terrain was severely disadvantaged compared to other places around the world.
"The last thing I discovered was their large-scale movements towards the shore. They are estimated to reach it within a month at least."
Eishi went silent for a while before he stated:
"Prepare a list of the most loyal soldiers underneath you. Their number should reach a hundred. They… should reach the third-order within the next month."
*****
Every confidante granted Eishi three return chances every day, with a grand total of 33 return chances. The median around his return rates lay at the 1,000 mark. He could theoretically possess a total of 33,000 evolution fruits per day, if not more.
Pushing a hundred elite soldiers to the third-order becomes a trifle, more so if they had lower rated talents. It wasn't just Tokyo he was aiming for; Yokohama too.
With enough firepower and two hundred third-order espers, they are guaranteed to create a sturdy wall against the crushing ocean tides next month.
As for their own improvements…
"Y-yes. I can plant them."
Eishi scanned the President and Vice President duo, with the latter nervously answering his questions. The three of them stood under a farmable field built within the academy's premises.
"Try it. Make it grow at the fastest rate possible."
He handed over a hundred golden grapes. Eishi watched as the two of them plowed through the soil before distributing them. The entire process took some time, hence he absorbed zombie crystals for the meantime. Soon, he faced a surge of heat throughout his entire body.
[Eishi Hiraoka]
Innate Talent: Time Dominator (SSS, Third-order)
Non-exclusive Talent: Spatial Backpack (3,210,000 Cubic Meters), Constitution Boost (SS, Second-order), Weak Electricity (A, Second-order), Spirit Boost (B, Second-order), Metal Sharpening (A, Second-order), Clairvoyance (A, Second-order), Regeneration (A, Second-order)
Life Level: Third-order, Three-stars
Strength: 729 > 889 (948)
Agility: 723 > 883 (2,386)
Constitution: 1,625 > 1785 (5,360 > 5,891)
Spirit: 1,595 > 1,755 (2,074> 2,282)
'Three-stars…'
He inadvertently glanced at his collection of non-exclusive talents. All of them are collectively stuck at the second-order. Eishi gave the couple who were busy planting another look.
'As long as she can pull it off…'
It took a total of two hours to see what Kaguya was capable of. Miyuki became her tool man of sorts, doing most of the labor-intensive work. They never complained about it, however. Especially Miyuki. He was aware of Eishi's current identity—a very strong esper who led the government against the clutches of those terrifying zaibatsus. He was someone who tanked explosions after explosions. Someone who fought against hundreds and won with dozens of onlookers to confirm it.
The two of them watched as Kaguya did her thing. The soil beneath them let out specks of light green particles. Golden particles arose after some time, adding into its mix. Eishi keenly sensed the disappearance of 90% of the evolution fruits they planted deep beneath the ground. They turned into some sort of nutrients that flowed towards the remaining 10%.
The mystical sight lasted as Kaguya exerted more power. Whenever she got tired, she consumed one of the 'medicines' handed over to her. Though she never wanted to swallow such a suspicious pill, she had no choice but to comply.
For Miyuki, Eishi was their savior. Their revolutionary leader.
For Kaguya, Eishi was the person behind their genocide. She wouldn't be human if she didn't retain any anger and resentment towards him. She could never bring herself to view Eishi in a good light, either. The best she can do… is to compromise.
Fortunately, Eishi never did anything with her. He wasn't as unreasonable as she expected. Kaguya saw through his desires towards her superpower, not herself. She understood that as long as she complied and worked for him—just like what he did with the Shinomiya Clan—she would get to live this semblance of her peaceful, everyday life.
Hence she gave Eishi exactly what he wished for.
The empty brown soil was immediately pierced by a green vine. It carried forth a small golden spherical fruit, which grew at a fast pace. It wasn't long before it ripened to maturity, as evident from Eishi's system appraisal.
[Blank Evolution Fruit (Second Grade)]
Details: Previously an ordinary fruit, it underwent a mutation after being saturated with evolutionary energy. It contains pure evolutionary energy. Consuming it can break the inherent limits of human genes, awaken one's innate talent, and enhance talents.
The eagerness welling up his chest couldn't be hidden. The large smile plastered on Eishi's face described everything he was feeling now.
'It's possible! I'll just have to propel her to the second-order, then have all of my fruits reach second… no, third rank!'
"Shinomiya-san… no, you too, Shirogane-san. Come with me later. I will be upgrading your resource allocations with Shinzou-san."
'...Ah?'
Miyuki was dumbfounded. His shock extended internally in his mind. All they did this afternoon was farm. Although he sees the significance of Kaguya's talent—something crucial in any force—Miyuki never expected for it to be highly valued for Eishi.
Unbeknownst to him, Eishi could infinitely farm resources. As long as Kaguya was able to produce a single second-grade item, he would be able to obtain tens of thousands of them in a single day. Going beyond that, the third, fourth, and fifth… they, too, would be the same as it.
The 'future techniques' he received from the returns detailed ways of upgrading non-exclusive talents through repeated use. That was how people upgraded them without the need of exorbitant resources. Eishi's method is one untold for even in the future world!
Thinking of the calamity that is about to come…
'Thirty days… Who knows who would kill who.'
…Eishi felt a tad bit excited.
*****
'Last night…'
Kuroneko was awake the night the government's invasion occurred. She clearly saw the rising dark clouds and the shaking of the ground caused by large-scale explosions. She was prepared to wake her sisters up on the off chance something terrible happened.
Fortunately, they won in the end. What's more shocking was hearing Eishi's feats. He single-handedly waltzed on the enemy battlefield, killing more than half of the Zaibatsus' esper groups all by himself. He pierced a hole to their impenetrable unified treasury and caused the genocide of the Shinomiya Clan's main forces. The surviving people from the Shinomiya Clan spoke of him akin to a devil. All of them are currently apprehended by the government in Tokyo's largest jail, save for the women, elderly, and the children who were placed under house arrest.
When Kuroneko walked around, people spoke of his deeds. As much as the Shinomiyas viewed Eishi as a demon, many viewed him as a savior. A hero. These rich families had monopolized resources even amidst the apocalypse, causing resentment to grow amongst the common people. Moreover, the generous resource distribution and the esper cultivation program of the government won people's hearts. Eishi, being someone brought up by the government, received even more goodwill.
It was then that she came across Shino. Kuroneko's first impression was of her changes.
They are very noticeable.
Shino never averted her gaze as much as before. Her eyes also held a hint of yearning, making her dazed even when she strolled the streets. Ironically, these evaluations led to her being in a daze herself.
"Gokou-san?"
"Ah? Yes…"
Seeing Kuroneko snap out of her daze, Shino continued speaking:
"Eishi-kun wanted to meet you later about a very important matter."
She immediately noticed one key detail from Shino's words.
'Her way of addressing him… changed.'