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⌠⟦Orange • Plague: Lv1⟧⌡
A new trait appeared.
And Kira could feel something new inside himself. It wasn't like learning a spell or a martial technique—nothing that came from knowledge.
Nor was it spirit power or yokai energy.
Instead, it was something deeper, something rooted in his very essence—an instinct he could call forth with a single thought and wield as easily as moving his hand.
"It worked," Eirin Yagokoro said quietly. Her tone was calm, but her eyes were serious.
Kira's lips curved upward. "Yeah. It worked. I can feel it—the power called Plague."
"Interesting."
He glanced at her. "So, Eirin, what's next on your plan?"
"No rush."
Eirin shook her head slightly. "Now that the first step's done, the rest will be much simpler. Still, I can't be certain whether the white horseman's still watching.
"But that doesn't matter. We'll use a different approach. Once I finish instructing those three girls, I'll link the 'Plague Authority' inside your body to them.
"After that, you can keep recruiting people from the Apocalypse world, and I'll keep establishing the links.
"That way, while they're out hunting zombies, your Plague power will grow stronger—and they'll grow stronger too."
"Huh?" Kira arched a brow. Something about that sounded very familiar.
Wait a minute.
Wasn't this just... an idle progression game?
You summon a few NPCs, send them to grind mobs, and your experience points skyrocket while you chill in the base. And the NPCs level up along the way.
"Two birds with one stone," Kira said, amused.
Eirin nodded. "It sounds simple, but it requires very specific conditions. Your unique body is essential—without it, even my sorcery couldn't establish the link."
"Well, everything's lining up perfectly, so I'll take that as fate."
He smiled easily. "Guess it's meant to be."
"Eirin, can you make some kind of device that detects living beings in the Apocalypse world? Would make searching a lot easier."
"That's trivial," she replied, unbothered. "Just a minor modification to an existing spell. Tomorrow, I'll set up your new training regimen and start teaching the three girls."
"Good." Kira grinned.
Problem solved.
Nice.
Having a top-tier mentor really did make life easier—especially when that mentor also handled all the heavy lifting.
Kira couldn't be more satisfied.
"Eirin, Kaguya and I will head back now," Kira said, rising once the discussion wrapped up.
"See you tomorrow, Eirin."
"See you tomorrow, Kira, Princess."
After exchanging farewells, Kira carried the petite, doll-like Kaguya in his arms and left.
The moment they stepped beyond the bamboo forest, the world shifted again—back to the ruined, crumbling cityscape.
When he turned to look behind him, all he saw was an ordinary forest, not the ethereal mansion of Eientei hidden within Eirin's spell.
"Eientei's concealed inside the forest," Kaguya explained softly. "Without Eirin's permission, anyone entering will only find a normal bamboo grove. They'll never reach the real mansion."
"Reasonable," Kira nodded. "Eirin likes her peace and quiet. This setup keeps intruders out. Though… I wonder how long that'll last once things get busy. Speaking of which, you don't think she's planning to use Saeko, Rika, and Shizuka as test subjects, do you?"
The thought popped into his head, and he grimaced.
"Well…" Kaguya hesitated. "Eirin's officially their teacher now, so it wouldn't be out of character for her to... experiment a little. She's always been thorough about extracting value."
"...I see."
Kira sighed. "As long as it's nothing fatal, it's fine. At worst, they'll just suffer a little."
...
Kira reached his room, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.
That night, even though part of him was tempted to "have some fun," he decided against it. He wasn't a brute, after all.
Besides, after last night, he already felt a little guilty—Saeko demaded he go all out, and he went super rough mode.
Well, the aftermath spoke for itself. In short: let her rest.
---
The next morning, Kira took it easy for once. No training, no meditations—just a rare, simple day.
Eirin was putting together his new training plan anyway, so he might as well treat it as a day off.
"Kira-kun."
"Kira-san."
"Morning, City Lord!"
Saeko Busujima, Rika Minami, and Shizuka Marikawa greeted him one after another as they woke.
Kira smiled and nodded. "In a bit, someone will take you three to Eirin. She'll handle your training and planning from now on."
"Don't worry, City Lord," Rika said confidently, crossing her arms with a grin. "I'm a soldier. I know how to follow orders."
Saeko bowed her head politely, serene as ever.
Only Shizuka tilted her head, clearly still trying to process what was going on.
.
.
.