Chapter 88: On the way home. Chatter.

[Healing Magic I]... A spell that instantly cures minor wounds like scrapes. Give it to a child who's fallen, and they'll be a hero by the next day.

[Healing Magic II]... A spell that removes toxins from the body. Effective against mild colds, but cannot neutralize "zombie" poison.

[Healing Magic III]... Releases green light from the hand, healing wounds upon contact.

[Healing Magic IV]... Emits strong green light from the hand, healing injuries of nearby allies.

[Healing Magic V]... Its exact use isn't quite clear, but it seems to gradually heal wounds across a wide area of allies? When tested, numerous people reported effects like "My neck pain disappeared" or "My long-standing hernia improved."

《Fire Magic IV》... Creates a fireball about twice the size of《Fire Magic II》. When dropped on the ground, it burns for a while, serving as firewood.

《Fire Magic V》... The spell nicknamed "Extremely Hot Fire" by the "Spirit Tamer." Raises a pillar of fire at a designated location. Can be easily avoided by someone with good reflexes?

Water Magic I... Shoots water from the fingertips. Can also be heated into hot water. Extremely convenient for making instant noodles.

Thunder Magic I... Strikes anything it touches with lightning. About the power of a stun gun?

Thunder Magic II... As described by the "Fighter": "Thunder Bullet." Continuously fires small lightning projectiles.

"Thunder Magic III..." as the "Fighter" put it, "Electric Switch." Supplies electrical power to nearby electrical devices for about ten to fifteen minutes.

"Thunder Magic IV..." summons lightning to strike a targeted location.

"Super Strength I..." enhances physical strength. It's unclear how it differs from the "Warrior"'s "Attack Power."

"Keen Sight..." allows seeing one's surroundings even with eyes closed. Highly effective in combat within darkness.

"Ultimate Technique IV"... Spin the entire body while delivering a powerful strike.

▼

"Hmm hmm"

While walking along the railway tracks, I glance through the notebook copy that Sōri made for me (listing skills I haven't learned yet).

"Zombies" are few, "monsters" none.

The journey was peaceful.

Perhaps because I've passed through here recently, the number of "zombies" requiring confrontation is almost zero.

Still, every now and then, a zombie suddenly pops up.

"……――《Thunderfall》!"

*Pishagōn*.

Saya-chan swiftly takes care of them one after another.

The zombies, serving as experimental subjects for her newly acquired《Thunder Magic IV》, one by one turn into charred corpses.

It's a relief for me too, since I don't have to go out of my way to burn them.

"But,《Thunderfall》 has the character '落' repeated twice, you know,"

"Gnununu"

Ayano let out a frustrated groan, starting to brainstorm a name for《Thunder Magic IV》once more.

"Thunder Attack... no. Lightning... um, Lightning Drop... hmm."

Seems like she can't come up with a good name.

If it were me, I'd probably just call it《Thunder》, but

"Doing that would make it feel out of place compared to the other techniques,"

she said.

I suppose I can understand wanting to be particular about that kind of thing.

"But are you sure it was okay... not staying at Tachina's place?"

"Hm?"

I glanced back at the supermarket I'd briefly passed by earlier.

It seemed like quite a few people had gathered there as well.

It looked like everyone was beginning to realize they'd have to work together to get through this situation.

"Everyone would rely on me, so it was probably better that I wasn't around before."

"What do you mean by that?"

"At that time, I tried to handle everything all by myself, you know? I just thought that was normal. But relying on someone else all the time isn't good either, I guess."

It seems someone—probably Mizunaka-san—said something to her.

You can tell she wasn’t pushed away, just by looking at Ayaka-chan’s expression.

Still, she seems a little lonely. Is that just my imagination?

Ayaka-chan.

You've grown up just a little bit now (a motherly gaze).

"What's wrong, little one, making such a face?"

"There, there."

I gently ruffle her soft, fluffy hair.

"U-uh... w-what are you doing...?"

"Let's keep pushing forward together, okay?"

"O-oh... right..."

The girl remained expressionless for a while, but... soon she relaxed like a cat enjoying a massage, her eyes gently closed in contentment.

▼

"Ah, speaking of which"

I took a bite of a snack I'd picked up along the way, washing it down with orange juice.

I casually brought up the topic with Saya, trying to keep things light and picnic-like.

"Hmm? What's up?"

"What happened with that 'quest' of yours?"

"'Quest'?"

After a moment of blank confusion, she replied.

"Ah... the 'Phase 1' thing, whatever they said after that, right?"

"Yes."

"It's already been over for ages."

Oh.

So that's how it is.

Well, I figured as much since it never came up in conversation before.

"By the way, what was it about?"

"Super simple. Just set up a safe zone, then evacuate someone there. That kind of thing."

"Wait, what?"

That sounds way too easy.

How much I struggled...

Well, that's fine then.

The difficulty of quests varies from person to person, huh.

I wonder why? My everyday actions?

▼

Several hours later.

I'm looking forward to it! How many friends does my big sister have, anyway?

About a little while ago, there were around fifty people.

By then, I could faintly recognize the paths I had walked before.

Everyone will surely be amazed by Saya-chan's incredible strength.

"Yeah, right?"

Saya-chan giggled as she spoke,

"Showing off my strength to someone I don't know is the most fun. They're always so shocked, it's hilarious."

Now that she mentioned it...

Even that Akira guy looked like he'd seen the end of the world when he saw me survive a gunshot.

As we quietly chuckled, sharing stories about common "player" experiences,

"Oh?""Huh?"

An unfamiliar sight caught our eyes.

I remembered the street itself. It was the wide avenue where, during the time I'd served as a decoy to save the Hibiya family, I'd barely escaped with my life.

Along that street, vans and trucks were lined up without any gaps.

Many of the vehicles appeared to have had their tires removed, sitting directly on the ground.

It seemed they were being used to construct a sturdy wall.

Every space where "zombies" could potentially enter has been thoroughly sealed off, forming a path that leads to Sakagahara High School.

Likely, this was done to create a safe route from the school all the way to the shopping district.

"Huh... wow..."

It was clear that this was the work of everyone at Sakagahara High.

Still, building such a sturdy barricade in just a few days... incredible.

"Man, your friends are amazing, sis."

"Eh, yeah..."

As far as I know, only Mr. Hibiya Norio would be capable of coming up with such an idea.

Still, it must have required a tremendous amount of effort and manpower.

I wonder if it was really possible to accomplish all this during the brief time I was away?

We climb over the barricade, glancing sideways at the neatly stacked corpses of the "zombies" that were carefully burned.

Though awkward, we walked along the narrow path that was safe to traverse—and just as we passed in front of the supermarket "Captain"—

"O-oh, wait—!"

Ayaka's eyes widened in shock.

Following her gaze upward, I saw it—the school building of "Sakagahara High."

And then I noticed something circling overhead.

"—Gah!"

"Hey! Wait! Sis!"

In an instant, we were dashing at a speed we'd never known before.

... "Dragon."

The swarm of flying dragons visible even from my apartment room.

Is the attack beginning?

Or perhaps... it's already too late.

"Wait, sis! Fighting that many... that's definitely risky!"

I felt as though Saya was saying something behind me.

But I didn't stop.