Half an hour later.
Akuto drove the system's reward — the Apocalypse All-Terrain Armored Vehicle — near the airport.
Powered by its magic engine, the armored vehicle let out a beast-like roar, smashing aside every obstacle in its path as it sped toward the Chuangzhu Hotel.
Aside from Akuto's group, the rest of the airport staff and security personnel had boarded buses to head to the same hotel.
...
However, along the way, Akuto received a distress signal from Saya.
"Akuto-oniichan! There's a girl on the broadcast calling herself Takagi Saya! She says she has something important to tell you!"
Alice's job was to monitor the radio frequency Akuto had arranged with Saya.
According to their agreement, the two would use a designated wavelength to make regular contact. Alice had done her task well, immediately notifying Akuto when the transmission came in.
"Hello? Takagi-san, what's wrong?"
"What? A zombie horde? Weren't Saeko-senpai and Rei with you?"
"What? Not only are there huge numbers, but powerful mutant zombies as well? With just the two of you, the defense line won't hold?"
"All right, I'll be right there!"
After understanding the situation, Akuto quickly opened the hatch on the top of the armored vehicle.
"Akuto-sama, is it urgent over there? Should I come with you?" asked Kaguya.
She had just absorbed Akuto's Evil Piece, granting her some basic combat ability.
"No, bringing you along would slow me down."
Akuto shook his head.
"Kaguya, Rika, and Shizuka — once you arrive, find a girl named Takagi Saya. She'll assign you to your positions."
"As for me, I'll reinforce the frontline first!"
The next second, a green radiance flashed on his hand — the Boosted Gear materialized!
[Boost!][Boost!]
[Boost!][Boost!][Boost!]...
With every surge of power from the Boosted Gear, Akuto's speed skyrocketed as he soared straight toward the Hotel!
...
In no time, Akuto bypassed the outer layer of the zombie siege and descended before the hotel.
"Akuto-kun! You're finally back!"
Saya breathed a sigh of relief. In her eyes, as long as Akuto was here, nothing was unsolvable.
"Mm, Saya. Hand me the list I asked you to compile. We urgently need more standard combatants."
With the group expanding, Akuto knew that relying on just a handful of people wouldn't be enough to hold the defense. Eventually, he needed an army loyal only to him.
"Here, I've already put it together. Everyone on the list are young women who proved themselves during supply runs yesterday and today."
"Before you arrived, I already sent Yukinoshita-san to gather them."
Saya's expression was complicated. She was all too aware of why Akuto's selection criteria included young women.
One minute later, the recruits were assembled.
Akuto spoke a few words, then granted each of them a slime symbiote, transforming them into devils.
"You sixteen will suppress the lines under Saya's command. As for me, I'll deal with the leader of this horde!"
With that, Akuto spread his devil wings and took to the skies!
He had sensed several powerful auras below while flying earlier.
Against a zombie horde led by elites, the principle was simple — cut off the head to kill the body. Destroying their leaders would collapse the horde.
"Yes, sir!"
From afar, he heard his new guards respond in unison.
...
In the skies, Akuto shredded through zombie bats and crows as he flew swiftly toward Saeko and Rei's position.
Their tactic was to advance deep into the horde, luring the stronger zombies away so they wouldn't attack the shelter directly.
The plan was working. When Akuto passed by earlier, the area near the shelter's barricades only had low-level zombies left — which the shelter's weapons could just barely hold off.
"Boom!!!"
Akuto landed with explosive force right in front of Saeko and Rei.
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[Boost!]
[...]
[Dragon Shoot! (Wide Scatter Mode)]
Unleashing a 180-degree fan-shaped blast, Akuto quickly swept the surrounding zombies.
...
Seeing him arrive, Saeko and Rei both sighed in relief.
Even after absorbing Evil Pieces, their strength was only that of high-ranking low-class devils. If not for the powerful defense of their Reinforced Slime Suits, they wouldn't have lasted this long.
After a brief hesitation, Rei spoke up:
"Sorry, Akuto-kun... while you were gone, Komuro took the school bus when we weren't paying attention — and stole a ton of supplies."
"Komuro? Wasn't he dead?"
Akuto frowned.
"Yes, he did die. But somehow, he infiltrated the base and, together with that fat boy Hirano, managed to haul away weapons and supplies."
"So... back from the dead? Interesting."
"The next time I see him, I'll make sure he stays dead for good."
Akuto could already guess what Komuro had become.
[This apocalypse world is going further and further off track. Zombies are evolving in droves... even the supposed protagonist, Komuro, has joined this so-called 'glorious evolution.']
[And now... even the heroines...]
He noticed Rei and Saeko's improvements.
In just one day, though they hadn't advanced in rank, their growth was undeniable.
[So it's not just the zombies and protagonist evolving — even the heroines are being reshaped by this world...]
Rei caught his gaze, her cockroach-like ahoge swaying as she declared firmly:
"Akuto-kun, you don't need to lift a hand. If we encounter him again, I'll personally strike him down — and make him pay for betraying you!"
Her eyes burned with killing intent, thinking Akuto was worried about Komuro.
"I don't think you need to worry about that at all, Akuto-kun," Saeko added with a smile, flicking blood from her blade.
Curious, Akuto asked, "Oh? Why's that?"
"Because, among today's rescued survivors, there's a woman named... Komuro Aoi." Saeko chuckled.
"Komuro Aoi!?"
Akuto narrowed his eyes. Komuro Aoi — Komuro's mother!
"As long as she's here, I believe it's only a matter of time before we cross paths with him again."
The corners of Akuto's mouth curled upward.
Perfect timing — he had been wondering if Komuro Aoi's condition was like Kiriko's. Now, she had walked right into his grasp.
It was just like being handed a pillow when you're already drowsy.
(End of Chapter)
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