Frieren's normally serene eyes flickered with rare curiosity.
"Strange… why doesn't his power have a limit?"
For all her vast magic reserves, Frieren knew that even she would eventually be exhausted if she went all out. The thought of someone possessing seemingly endless strength was beyond her comprehension.
Akame, ever sharp and pragmatic, glanced at the battlefield.
"It's already been thirty minutes."
What they didn't know was that every time Haruto Amakawa struck down an undead, his power subtly increased. The more he fought, the stronger he became.
Sakurajima Mai swallowed nervously, her voice trembling.
"Gulp… Is this really something a human can do?"
Frieren shook her head slightly.
"No… a magician might achieve something close. But even then, it's extraordinary."
Stella crossed her arms, conceding with a reluctant nod.
"All right. I take back what I said before. His strength… it's impressive."
Then her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"But, Saeko Busujima, aren't you afraid you'll freeze to death just by staying near him?"
Yet Saeko didn't flinch.
She followed Haruto from a short distance, her sharp gaze fixed firmly on his back. Though her body trembled from the biting cold radiating from the frozen battlefield, she refused to step away.
As for why, even Saeko herself could not say. Perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps it was admiration. Or something deeper she dared not put into words.
The further they walked, the more the temperature shifted, gradually easing back to normal. The icy wasteland gave way to the familiar chill of late evening.
Inside Fujimi Academy, students hiding in the classrooms peered out in terror. From their perspective, it was as if a bomb of pure frost had been unleashed, freezing everything outside.
Haruto noticed them. Survivors.
A small sigh escaped his lips.
Tch. That complicates things.
He had come here to slaughter the undead—not to endanger innocents. Their presence meant restraint.
Turning to Saeko, he asked calmly, "I'm planning to leave this school and head outside. What about you?"
"I…" Saeko hesitated, her eyes flickering. Then, remembering her companions, she shook her head firmly.
"I need to find my friends."
"friends?"
Haruto's sharp senses—eyes and ears enhanced far beyond normal—scanned the campus. His ears heard the sound of a group struggling against a wave of undead.
Thinking for a moment, he started going towards them.
After walking a distance they saw a group of five surrounded by undead and at the moment the two boys were just overwhelmed by the hoard of zombies.
Saeko's breath caught. "?!!"
Haruto folded his arms and simply watched.
So this is the so-called protagonist group.
But before he could observe further, Saeko ran towards the group.
"Kohta!!!"
"Takashi!!!" Rei's voice cracked with terror.
She tried to run to him, but Saya yanked her back.
"Don't! You'll get killed too!"
In the blink of an eye, both boys were swarmed, dragged beneath a tide of grasping claws and gnashing teeth. Their screams filled the air, then faded into grotesque sounds of tearing flesh.
Miyamoto Rei collapsed to her knees, trembling.
"No… this can't be happening…"
Takagi Saya clenched her fists, despair washing over her.
"It's over…"
Shizuka Marikawa paled, frozen in shock.
Two dead. One broken. The rest cornered.
Saeko's eyes darted desperately toward Haruto.
"Leader Haruto! Please—save them!!!"
She initiated another trade after shouting that.
[Ding! Saeko Busujima has submitted a trade request.]
[Please choose your trade terms.]
[Trade details]: Save Miyamoto Rei and the others, and protect them for a set duration.
---
Haruto stared blankly for a second and than let out a sigh.
Saeko had only one bargaining chip left—her body.
He didn't like it this way. He would have saved them even without the trade but a human mind is hypocritical.
---
[Ding! Your trade request has been accepted.]
[Trade terms]: One-time body usage rights.]
[Ding! Do you confirm this trade?]