Chapter 31: Preparations

After an excruciatingly awkward pause, the broadcast flickered over to two men in the news studio doing their very best to stay calm. "We are having technical difficulties…"

"What is this?" Shizuka asked. "They can't seriously be this ignorant."

"They are not," Kyoko replied in a monotone voice, her pretty face set in a thoughtful frown. "They covered it up to not incite panic. But they don't realize the problem is more severe than their expectations."

Out of everyone present, Kyoko seemed to have the clearest view of the world's situation, perhaps because of her own experience with the curse. She knew that however strong her nation might be, the curse would bring it down to its knees. Weathering this storm required quick and decisive actions that her nation wasn't ready to take at the moment.

As the others discussed, Saya emerged from the restroom wearing a deeply troubled expression. "Marikawa-sensei, I feel better now. No need to worry about me."

Noticing Asahi's gaze she hurriedly looked away, her cheeks flushed.

[—Saya Takagi: Affection +3]

Saya huffed and put on an air of annoyance before she strode up to Kyoko. "Hand me the remote."

Practically snatching the remote from the busty teacher, Saya switched to the international news channel 'CMN'. The reporters showed the crumbling societies in Europe on one side, and USA's decision to move the White House cabinet to a carrier in the ocean on the other. They briefly mentioned the potential inclusion of nuclear weapons as a solution.

Rei looked utterly crushed after seeing the curse's effect on the world. "No place is safe… what will happen to us now…?"

Saya crossed her arms, losing herself in thought for a moment. "This is a pandemic, the real origin of which lies in something beyond anyone's control. If we go by common tropes, it's the human race."

"Human race?" Rei questioned, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Saya shot Rei a side glance before shaking her head in annoyance. "'Death to Humanity'… you must've heard that chant, right? It wasn't random gibberish. Both the dead and the living are becoming a tool for some supernatural entity."

"This entity harbors a deep grudge against humans," Shiori finished Saya's theory, a sharp look in her eyes. "I guessed as much, but I didn't want to believe it."

Shiori, too, had a passion for light novels and manga, however, until now she had actively tried not to associate reality with fiction. Now, Saya forced her to accept the situation.

Saya gave an apologetic shrug. "The proof is before your eyes… Well, there is one tiny silver lining here I suppose."

"The Visions…" Komuro muttered, holding up his silver gem, which he had attached to a locket. Unlike Saya's flames, there was no symbol present inside Komuro's Vision. It was pure silver. "I can reinforce any metal object. Pretty useless for embodying adaptability."

Komuro's Vision was of the Imaginary element, the element that embodied special abilities that weren't related to natural elements. He clearly didn't find the abilities strong enough to be helpful against an undead horde.

Saya snatched up his Vision and scrutinized it thoroughly. "I knew these manifested differently for everyone."

A dejected sigh drew Asahi's attention — Shiori was eyeing Saya's Vision with a clear look of envy. Her reaction was far cry from her sister's utter indifference toward the magical gems. The psychotic lady wanted to stick to her melee weapons as beating enemies with magic won't quite satiate her sadism.

Noticing Asahi's gaze upon her, Shiori quickly assumed a smile and walked over to him. Holding his shoulders, she made him lean back into his chair. Her slender fingers went to work on his shoulders and biceps, kneading the tension from his muscles. 

She clearly had lots of experience, enough to qualify as a professional masseuse.

"Asahi-kun," she whispered as she leaned closer, her warm breath tickling his ear. "It's like these light and dark entities are using us as chess pieces in some grand scheme."

(My love, she is onto us!)

'Shhh.'

Rather than replying to Shiori, Asahi let out a blissful groan. "Where did you learn these techniques?"

"Saeko tends to overexert her muscles in the dojo. I took professional lessons to help soothe her body."

"You're a considerate sister, who'll become an excellent wife in the future."

[—Shiori Busujima: Affection +2]

Shiori's nimble fingers flew across his body with even more enthusiasm, as if spurred on by his praise. "Ara. My kouhai is harboring strange thoughts about me. What should I do?"

"Go to hell," Saya muttered, glaring at the two with an intensity that could melt steel. "No, seriously. Stop flirting in the middle of a serious discussion, will you?"

The two had slipped into their own world, which clearly pissed Saya.

Shizuka let out a soft giggle, clearly entertained by the ongoing drama "My! Aa-kun is more popular than I realized."

Asahi grinned at his dear sister. "Nee-san, pack up your stuff. We're leaving in a moment."

"Oh! Just give me a moment."

As she scrambled to throw her belongings into her designer bag, Saeko stepped in to lend his clumsy sister some much-needed help. Kyoko, on the other hand, began filling water bottles and throwing them into her bag. After securing enough water, she and Saya scoured the room for any supplies that might prove useful.

As the ladies busied themselves, Komuro approached Asahi with a determined expression. "I want to make sure my mother is safe… can you help me?"

"My Otou-san too," Rei said as she looked at Asahi with a sincere gaze. "Please, help me get to Otou-san's police station."

Concerned for their parents, the two had no choice but to stop mourning their childhood friend/boyfriend.

"Sure," Asahi agreed without any hesitation, more than happy to reunite Komuro with her beautiful mother. "Kohta, Kazu Ishii, what about your folks?"

Kohta shook his head. "My father is a jewelry merchant. He went to Amsterdam to buy supplies… Mother is a fashion designer currently staying in Paris."

Shizuka revealed a look of admiration. "Wow, you're like an anime character."

"Ahaha…" Kohta laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Eager to shift the spotlight he turned to his pal. "Kazu, where are your parents?"

"Just an old man," Kazu revealed with a shrug. "He rarely leaves home, so I'm not too worried about him."

Asahi brushed away Shiori's hand and assumed a dignified posture. "Here's the plan, everyone. We'll visit everyone's parents one by one to ensure their safety. Any objections?"

"Nope," Saya answered. "Are we taking a bus?"

"Yup. Let's move out."