Bab 223: The Show Begins
If Eriri hadn't brought up the topic, Kei Karuizawa would've been content to stick to the plan: returning to her original world, masking her true nature, and relying on the popular kids in class to avoid bullying.
But Eriri's words ignited a burning desire for power within Kei.
Yes, with power, who would dare to bully her again?
With power, she could make those who bullied her pay the price they deserved!
Seeing the longing in Kei's eyes, Eriri's lips curled into a pleased smile.
She couldn't wait to see what kind of influence a powerful Kei Karuizawa would have in that ruthless school of hers.
After all, before absolute strength, all schemes and conspiracies would mean nothing.
"Alright, I'll grant you this power."
As Kei looked on in rapt anticipation, Eriri placed an energy seed within her body.
This energy seed was even stronger than the ones she'd previously left with others like Cornelia, enabling Kei to reach the peak of the fourth level without obstacles.
Of course, Kei would need to train and cultivate this power herself. The High School of the Dead world was the perfect place for her to grow.
Training her body alone could make her stronger, but it was no substitute for real combat.
"All set. I've left an energy seed inside you. From now on, practice fighting corpses to awaken the power within. If you work hard enough, you might even reach Akino's level," Eriri said, giving Kei a casual pat on the head.
"Yes!" Kei responded excitedly.
She gently touched her abdomen, feeling the warm surge of energy within.
Eriri hadn't mentioned, however, that accepting this energy seed meant Kei's future energy production would always remain under Eriri's control, bound for life.
For most people, this power was a surefire way to control others, but to Eriri, it was practically irrelevant.
Did she really need to rely on this to keep someone in line? Hardly. She could think of countless ways to make someone her loyal follower if she wanted to.
Not that Kei would mind, even if she knew. Her expression toward Eriri was filled with devotion, rivaling that of Cornelia and the others back in the world of Akame ga Kill.
It took only a few seconds to decide Kei's path to a powerful future, leaving Yukino in disbelief.
"Is it really that easy to become so strong?"
In the Lord God's Dimension, Yukino had learned that reaching Akino's level of strength required surviving countless dangers and clearing numerous worlds. Those of Akino's rank exceeded ninety-nine percent of Reincarnators, yet Eriri seemed to provide it with ease. Did surface-level strength mean so little to her?
"Not quite as simple," Eriri said with a touch of modesty. "You'll need at least one or two months of hard training."
Eriri's humble remark made Yukino roll her eyes. Training for just one or two months without facing danger sounded simple if that wasn't.
If people were told that all they needed was a month of exercise to gain the strength to destroy a city, they would train with all they had.
No need to ask how Yukino knew that—she was thinking the same thing. Who wouldn't want to experience the satisfaction of such immense power?
She looked at Kei with a touch of envy, though without the slightest hint of jealousy.
At the same time, she refrained from asking Eriri for an energy seed herself, even if she was her "sister-in-law." Her pride wouldn't allow it.
Unlike Yukino, Saeko Busujima didn't hesitate. She had been standing nearby for several minutes now, silently observing and growing increasingly drawn to Eriri's energy seed.
Taking a deep breath, Saeko resolved to make a decision that would change her life.
Once Eriri's conversation with the others ended, Saeko approached her directly.
Dropping to one knee, she respectfully said, "Lady Eriri, I want to grow stronger as well. If you don't mind, I would be honored to serve as your sword."
"Saeko? What are you doing?" Yukino asked, visibly moved by Saeko's actions.
Saeko merely gave her a smile, her gaze remaining unwavering.
"Alright," Eriri nodded, agreeing easily. Training one or two made no real difference to her.
Eriri's quick acceptance left Saeko stunned, but remembering how she'd just as easily granted Kei her wish, she relaxed.
…
The next morning, Eriri emerged from a shared room with the two sisters, Akino and Yukino.
With Yukino present, Eriri and Akino hadn't done anything "amusing" together; they had simply slept side by side with Eriri between them.
The night before, Eriri had also enhanced both Akino's and Yukino's bodies, turning Yukino from a talented martial artist into a superhuman capable of demolishing a city with a single blow.
As for Akino, she had broken through to the Sixth Level, officially reaching the planet-class level of strength.
When the three of them came out, they found Saeko Busujima preparing breakfast while the others gathered supplies.
Seeing Yukino and Akino, Kei Karuizawa couldn't help but remark, "Yukino, you and Akino look even cuter than before!"
Since both sisters shared the surname Yukinoshita, everyone had begun calling them by their first names for convenience.
Akino's sudden appearance surprised Saya Takagi and Shizuka Marikawa, though they quickly accepted it.
Eriri, Yukino, and Kei had all come from other worlds, so one more visitor like Akino made sense.
"What are you talking about? I've always been this cute," Yukino replied coolly.
Kei found herself at a loss for words, once again reminded of Yukino's vanity. But this wasn't particularly important, so the topic quickly passed.
Despite the presence of powerful allies like Eriri, the group hadn't abandoned their plan to cross the river and reach the Takagi residence. Eriri had clarified that she wouldn't assist them on the journey.
It would be Kei's trial. The previous night, after receiving the energy seed, she had done several hours of basic training, such as push-ups.
Though the training was simple, it had been effective.
Just a few hours of exercise had significantly increased her strength. Whereas yesterday, she'd been an ordinary first-level human, today she had at least reached Level 1, Stage 5.
Although she hadn't crossed into the realm of the supernatural, dealing with corpses would no longer be difficult.
Saeko's progress was even more remarkable. Already a skilled swordswoman, she had just begun to break into the supernatural.
Although she couldn't yet project her energy as a blade aura, she could now channel it into her sword, enhancing its sharpness and durability.
Eriri, with her power, could easily resolve the High School of the Dead crisis. She could wipe out every corpse and virus in an instant.
But she had no intention of doing so. She hadn't yet seen all the fun this world had to offer.
She knew three other Reincarnators remained alive and had even identified one of them as Taiyo Oga.
In fact, if she had to name her least favorite character from her past life's anime, Taiyo Oga, the second male lead from Oresuki, would be high on the list.
She was curious to see what miserable fate awaited Taiyo Oga.
Yes, miserable—there was no other possibility. Eriri had prepared many surprises for him, and his upcoming days were sure to be eventful.
As for the others with him—Takashi Komuro, Rei Miyamoto, and the two remaining Reincarnators—they would have to consider themselves unlucky.
…
After a simple breakfast, Saeko Busujima and the others carefully packed their belongings into the military jeep in the yard and set off toward the river.
Due to the limited space in the jeep, Eriri opted not to squeeze in with them, especially with Kohta Hirano there.
Instead, she pulled a luxurious black sedan out of her storage space and climbed in with Akino and Yukino.
This sedan was a later addition to her fleet, identical in performance to the luxury cars she had previously gifted to chat group members.
Her favorite pink sports car, with only two seats, stayed in storage for now, awaiting another opportunity.
Anticipating what was to come, Eriri opened a live stream in the chat group. There was nothing like sharing a bit of fun with her sisters in the chat.
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): A day in the zombie apocalypse! Come join me, sisters!]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 6): A zombie apocalypse? Like the ones in movies?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Exactly. But the zombies here aren't nearly as formidable as the ones on-screen.]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 4, Stage 6): Ohh~ Sounds fun! I almost want to come see for myself.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 4, Stage 4): Zombies? That sounds gross and terrifying. Disgusted.jpg]
[Yuuki Asuna (Level 4, Stage 6): I'll watch when I get the chance. I have the day off today, so I can tune in anytime.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 4, Stage 4): Sleeping in class = vacation day. Yay.]
[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 9 / Group Leader): Eriri, weren't you planning to return with Akino to the Oregairu world? How'd you end up in the apocalypse?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 6): Because Yukino became a Reincarnator, and this world is her first. So Akino and I came to find her.]
[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 9 / Group Leader): I see. So that's why both Akino and Yukino are with you.]
Eriri hadn't told Arifureta much about her plans upon reaching the Oregairu world, so until the stream began, Arifureta assumed she was still off exploring.
…
Although Eriri's energy blast had cleared the neighborhood of all corpses the day before, the streets were filled with them again by morning.
Most of the new corpses had come from the Bridge, where loudspeakers and gunfire had blared all night, drawing in the nearby corpses. Being close to the bridge, the neighborhood was naturally affected.
Two cars sped down the streets, scattering and crushing corpses as they went.
Before long, they reached a point far from the bridge, where they plunged into the river without a moment's hesitation.
Shizuka Marikawa's military jeep had its wheels fully submerged, floating on the water's surface. But its speed on the river was quite slow.
Meanwhile, Eriri's sleek black sedan skimmed across the river's surface as though it was hovering several centimeters above it.
Despite matching the speed of land travel, Eriri didn't rush to cross the river. Instead, she trailed just behind the jeep.
The river wasn't particularly wide, and at this speed, it would take only a minute or two to cross.
Saya Takagi sat on the jeep's roof with binoculars, scanning the opposite shore. She frequently turned back to look at the unassuming black sedan following behind, which looked just like any other luxury car.
So much had happened in one night that Saya was now somewhat numb to these unscientific occurrences.
They reached the opposite shore without incident in just over a minute.
To their relief, there were no corpses in sight at their landing spot.
Not only was the shore clear, but the main road above was also empty. There were no corpses, not even dead bodies.
Following Saya's lead, the two cars began their journey toward the Takagi estate.
Meanwhile, the show Eriri had planned for Taiyo Oga was about to begin.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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