Chapter 34: Oops!

Everyone followed in the path made by the Busujima twins. All except for one brooding pink-haired girl.

Asahi swung his ax at the couple of undead closing in on them from behind. "Saya, get moving. Unless you want to get your ass eaten by these freaks."

His voice snapped the dazed tsundere out of her reverie. She turned to him with wide eyes, a soft "Fuck me…" coming out of her mouth. Seemingly remembering his previous order, she began to follow others' trail, only to hesitate and turn back to Asahi.

She bit her lips. "Should I cover everyone with my magic?"

"It's your power. Use it however you want." Asahi's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Don't tell me the genius princess of Takagi Household is asking me for permission?"

"I-I'm asking because I might pass out from overusing them… Forget it, I'll use them moderately. If I pass out by any chance…" Saya paused, blushing up a storm. "Carry me gently..."

"I promise."

[–Saya Takagi: Affection +7]

Komuro glanced over his shoulder, a touch of concern in his brown eyes. "Marikawa-san, Takagi. Don't fall behind."

"Coming!"

The group bolted across the academy grounds, the crunch of wet meat squelching beneath their shoes as they trampled the blanket of mutilated bodies strewn about. Some of these undead had their limbs twisted, some sporting missing parts, and some even having crushed heads — the result of the twins letting loose their violent urges was quite a frightening one.

'I wanna see their attributes.'

He could handily access her attributes through the Partner function.

'But what about someone not on the list?'

(You can look at anyone's attribute through the System. They won't be as in-depth as your Partner function. You can get a detailed appraiser for just five thous—)

'I'll stick with the basic one, my sales-goddess.'

Klyscha giggled mischievously. (I'm just lending a hand!)

Slipping back into the present, Asahi saw that the group had already boarded the minibus parked in the garage. Kyoko and Shizuka straight-away headed for the driver seat, using their combined expertise to get the bus started. Saeko, Shiori, Rei, and Saya stayed out with Asahi and Komuro to stop the undead from forcing their way into the bus.

Saya's Pyro Vision lit up as brilliant flames enveloped hands. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated her flames. "Move, everyone!"

Her roar sent everyone scattering away from her line of sight. Two giant flaming spheres burst from Saya's hands, consuming any undead foolish enough to be caught in the merciless path.

"Ahahahaha, get rekt!" Saya laughed like a child after literally burning her former schoolmates to a crisp. Abruptly realizing her villainous outburst, she fell silent, suddenly aware of the incredulous stares boring into her from all sides.

Shiori pursed her lips. "Well damn. I didn't know Saya was such a pyro-maniac."

"Me neither," Komuro whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "And I have known her for almost a decade."

Rei stared at Saya. "I kind of expected it…"

Saya stumbled, clutching her head with a groan. "O-Oh crap. My head is spinning…"

Despite seeing through her painfully obvious act, Asahi swiftly moved to grasp her shoulders to steady her. "Good job."

[–Saya Takagi: Affection +9]

"I-I don't want your praise!" Saya huffed, pointedly turning her face away to hide the blush staining her cheeks.

Even without the comically large heart practically bursting from her head, Asahi wouldn't have bought her act for a second. Girl had a long way to go before she could pull one over on him.

"Saya, why don't you go inside and rest? You've done more than enough," Asahi suggested, sharply eying the shambling corpses lumbering relentlessly towards the bus. "Everyone, stay sharp."

Saya shook her head stubbornly and brushed his hands away. "I still have some fight in me."

Saya furrowed her brow, channeling her dwindling reserves of elemental energy. Tongues of flames burst from her fingertips into narrow spears, striking the empty sockets of the advancing undead with pinpoint precision. After all, a blind zombie was far less deadly than one that could actually see its prey. And by using only minuscule trickles of elemental power, Saya could avoid the issue of total energy depletion.

"Smartass," Asahi murmured, equal parts impressed and amused by her resourcefulness. "Well, I'll go check in on—"

"Wait!" Saya blurted, grabbing his hand in a moment of desperation. "Over there! Look!"

Asahi followed her gaze to spot students frantically exiting the gym building and rushing towards their bus, a horde of undead following them. He immediately recognized them as the group that partook in an orgy under Shido's persuasion. Miku Yuuki's distinctive orange-brown locks were unmistakable, even at a distance.

His eyes scanned over the terrified group, searching for any sign of that spineless snake, Shido. Finally, he spotted the man in the very rear, his lanky legs trembling and threatening to give out at any moment, barely keeping him one stumbling step ahead of the gnashing teeth and grasping hands of the undead.

The students arrived by the minibus within seconds. Asahi graciously let the students into the bus. Clenching his ax, he was just about ready to throw it at Shido, quite ready to sweep the murder as just an accident.

But before he could deal the killing blow, an odd warmth radiating from his side gave him pause. Glancing to his right, he saw Saya with a subtle smirk. With her blood red eyes, the slight upturn of her lips took on an almost evil appearance.

Saya slowly raised her hand and aimed her open palm directly at Shido's frantically bobbing head. Crimson lightning crackled and writhed around her hand — a manifestation of her dense elemental energy.

Her lips parted in a whisper.

"Elemental Burst: Erupting Dragon."

Roaring flames exploded from her outstretched arm, traveling through the air in the form of an Eastern Dragon. The scorching dragon slammed into Shido with the force of a speeding train, instantly engulfing the man and surrounding undead in an inferno of blistering heat and choking smoke.

Shido's agonized screams pierced the air, nearly drowned out by the hungry roar of the flames eagerly devouring his figure. Even when they were burned, the undead hugged his figure and tore into his sizzling flesh.

Saya completely annihilated Shido from the face of the earth.

An involuntary shudder raced down Asahi's spine as he gazed at her sadistic smirk that clashed with her normally proud but innocent visage. "Saya, what the—"

His words faltered as Saya whirled to face him, her unsettling expression vanishing as abruptly as it had come. "Oops~! Guess my aim was a bit off. I didn't mean to roast the dude to a crisp. Honest!"

Just from her tone alone anyone who knew Saya could tell the girl before him wasn't Saya.

'Dissociative identity disorder?'

(Too much stress maybe.)

Saya suddenly threw herself in his arms. "I'll pass out in a second. Hold me gently…"

"Saya, wait—never mind."

She had already gone limp in his arms.

He carried her into the bus and let her down on the seat. "Kyoko, start the bus already."

"We are almost there," Kyoko calmly replied to his agitated tone as she put on her seat belt. "Shizuka, look after Takagi."

"Got it."

Crushing, trampling, and smacking the undead, the bus finally exited the main gate of Fujimi Academy.