That 310: Discord

"That's... even if that were true, Nanami. You don't get to tell me what to do, do you?"

Turning toward the voice, I saw Mayi standing up.

It seemed she'd managed to use a healing spell on her own.

Quickly, I handed her a towel soaked with water magic, her body still caked in mud and dust.

"Thanks, 'Nameless' guy. Water magic really comes in handy."

"Right? It's a bit weak for attacks, but it's super useful in daily life—highly recommended."

"Uh huh. I'll grab one when I get the chance."

Then she rubbed her face vigorously with the towel.

That'll do.

She wouldn't be swinging around weapons right after wiping her face.

After that, Mayumi took off the bulletproof vest she'd been wearing in tandem with Nanami, tossing it carelessly onto the nearby ground, and now stood in just her tank top.

"Guess it's true—I'm always most comfortable when I'm light and free, huh ☆"

Her voice was as lively as ever, but there was a shadow in her expression.

I chose not to respond to that, instead saying,

"Anyway—have you two cooled off your heads yet?"

in the manner of an older sister.

Nanami and Mai both looked slightly uneasy, gazing in the direction of tomorrow.

No surprise there.

After all, neither of them felt even the slightest bit guilty.

I've heard that self-justification is a kind of defense mechanism inherent in human beings.

Even the most wicked person harbors their own sense of "righteousness" in their heart.

That's why disputes like this can never truly end.

There's no point in trying to talk things through with the two of them.

I let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

Now that discord has become inevitable, there's no one left but me to take on the role of leader.

I couldn't ignore the atmosphere, not even that much.

"Pull yourself together. Just because the world's turned into a zombie movie, does that mean you're going to copy the plot exactly as it is?"

If anything, it should be precisely because every kind of fiction has foretold this that we should be determined not to let it happen.

I took a deep breath,

"Alright, you two—just now, from the top of the tower, we discovered a living human. It seems to be a shopping mall called Tokyo Big Mall."

Nanami widened her eyes and said,

"Wait, what?! No way! Seriously?"

"Dead serious. I double-checked with Ran."

"Whoa… This is huge! I mean, if that's true, then all those past 'Guardian' investigations start looking suspicious."

"Indeed."

"Hehehe! I always thought they were shady! Anyone claiming to be from the government is always a damn nuisance! This is definitely going to turn into a massive scandal!"

"…For now, let's contact them. If needed, we'll even rescue them. —That'll make your so-called 'production numbers' look perfect. Got it?"

"Of course!"

"Then, from now on, try not to recklessly shove your allies aside."

"Hehehe. Of course, of course. I won't do it again."

With that, my immediate goal for the future was clearly set, and the root of the conflict had been eliminated.

Of course, whether or not the two of them truly accepted it emotionally was another matter entirely...

I peered at Mayi's face with a slightly worried expression.

Thanks to her brief loss of consciousness, her anger seemed to have reset—she smiled warmly (only at me) and nodded.

"If there's someone in trouble, then... we have to help, right?"

It's reassuring to know there are still people with common sense around.

At that very moment,

"Hey, wait a second～～～～"

A cry of distress came from above our heads.

"It seems the emergency exit is broken... I can't get down from here, please help me～～～～"

Hearing the girl's pitiful voice, we couldn't help but giggle a little.

Just like the Tokyo Tower, our relationship teeters on the brink of collapse—but as long as we share the same goal, it won't snap completely.

I'll perform the third《Demonization》to rescue Ran-chan.

▼

The path to Tokyo Big Mall seems to lead south through the inverted cityscape, somewhat intuitively.

By this point, the map was nearly useless—traversing paths buried beneath rubble, as if wandering aimlessly. Yet, this was precisely where the four superhumans truly shone. Without slowing their pace in the slightest, they effortlessly cleared what would have forced ordinary people to endlessly detour and circle around.

"Tokyo Big Mall is actually a pretty nice place. It's brand new construction, so it might still be around in this world too."

"That's probably why the refugees chose it as their shelter."

"……Yeah. Incidentally, there should be plenty of food there. There's even a store specializing in canned goods, and they've got a huge stock."

"Come to think of it, is food from this world actually edible?"

"It's edible. The taste is kind of hazy, I guess—kinda weird, honestly."

"Hmm."

While chatting amicably with Ran, I occasionally glanced back at the other two as well.

I'd suspected it already—Nanami and Mayi seemed to have known each other for a while.

It's as if some reason caused their team to split up, and now they're like this.

That "some reason"—I have a vague idea of what it might be.

I've at least taken a look at both Mayi-san's and Nanami-san's videos.

Mayi-san's "try dancing" style videos—well, how should I put it? They're definitely niche content that appeals to a specific audience. There's a somewhat artistic, almost obscure impression to them.

In contrast, Nanami-san's videos are all about fearlessly attempting stunts, repeatedly aiming for small laughs with quick, short-paced timing.

Should I describe them as artist versus entertainer?

If they'd ever worked together before, the difference in their approaches would have been obvious.

"Just... please don't bring that kind of attitude into this world overrun by zombies..."

"Huh? 'Nameless,' did you say something?"

"No, nothing at all."

You can't help but mutter to yourself, even unintentionally.

Well, well, well.