— — — — — —
Half a month later...
Tap, tap.
Eirin Yagokoro slowly rose from her kneeling position, smoothing down the hem of her suit. The outfit—paired with sheer black stockings and red-bottomed stilettos—made her look every bit the calm, dangerous professional she was.
There was still a trace of white at the corner of her lips as she stood and stepped back into the examination room.
Kira also stood up, headed into the bathroom, rinsed off, changed into clean clothes, and made his way to the backyard of Eientei.
As for what happened? Please, who'd be dumb enough to ask that?
...
It wasn't long before Eirin reappeared, now back in her usual clothes, and took a seat across from him.
"Well?" Kira asked, biting into a piece of fruit.
"About what I expected."
Eirin flipped through her notes. "The fusion rate of your smelter has increased by roughly eleven times. That's about the limit your mind can handle for now. You'll need to raise it gradually after this."
She tapped the papers in her hand, calculating. "Based on your physical and mental capacity, I estimate that in about three months, your efficiency could reach twenty times the original rate. Beyond that—it depends on how you grow."
"That's already amazing," Kira said with a smile. "An eleven-fold increase in half a month? Not bad at all."
"Not bad indeed." Eirin nodded approvingly.
She could clearly see how Kira's mental endurance was increasing. For someone who'd started out as an ordinary human, his progress was remarkable. If it weren't for the solid mental foundation that Matsuyoi had drilled into him, none of this would've been possible.
Without that groundwork, a plan meant to take three and a half months would've dragged out to nearly a year. That's how much the basics mattered.
"Eirin, how's the barrier around the city coming along?" Kira asked suddenly.
"It's done," she said, setting her notes aside. "The foundation is complete. The barrier can hold off beings up to high-class yokai level for now—no need to go higher yet."
That answer more than satisfied Kira.
Outside of Heian-kyo or a few special places like the City of the Sun, what city even had barriers strong enough to repel great yokai? Practically none.
"There's one more thing we need to test," Eirin said after a moment.
"It's been a while since you last opened a portal to the Apocalypse world. Can you open one to a second world now?"
"..."
Kira closed his eyes, sensing for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Not yet. But the cooldown's definitely shortening."
"How much shorter?"
"Can't tell precisely yet."
Eirin nodded. "Alright, we'll keep tracking the timing."
The two exchanged a few more lines before Eirin gathered up her things and headed back toward the medical lab. Kira waved to his daughter in passing, then left.
---
Kira stepped out of Eientei, walking leisurely beneath the moonlight toward the City Lord's mansion.
Under the night sky, he tilted his head up, smiled faintly at the moon, and soon after returning home, fell into a deep sleep.
He'd taken the day to rest. Tomorrow, the work would continue.
---
Apocalypse World
Saeko Busujima, Rika Minami, and Shizuka Marikawa—three women cutting through hordes of the undead like goddesses of war.
Every zombie they killed made them stronger—body and spirit both.
The rush of growth was intoxicating.
Anyone who's trained hard without seeing results knows how discouraging that is. But for these three? It was like grinding for XP in a game—you could feel your level go up with every kill. It was addictive.
Their motivation was sky-high.
That was why Kira worked so hard too—because he could feel himself getting stronger. Even a tiny gain was still progress.
When growth becomes something you can measure, it pulls out every bit of human potential.
"Whew…"
Saeko exhaled softly, scanning their surroundings. Within her sensing range, only one apartment building still had movement.
"Rika-san, Shizuka-sensei—let's clear that one and rest there for the night."
"Got it," Rika replied instantly.
"I'm so tired…" Shizuka groaned, the click of her heels echoing as she pouted in exaggerated exhaustion.
Saeko and Rika exchanged an amused glance.
All day long, Shizuka's only job had been to buff them, heal, and loot supplies—everything from games to snacks for their "princess."
And somehow, she was the one complaining first.
But she was the team's mascot. What could they do except spoil her?
"Sensei, this building's the last one. Once we're done, find an empty room and rest. Rika and I will handle the cleanup." Saeko's tone softened as she spoke.
"Okay…" Shizuka murmured, immediately leaning against Rika for support.
Rika bent forward slightly to let her friend rest more comfortably against her shoulder. The sight of the two of them was so alluring it was almost unfair.
Unfortunately, the only one who saw it was Saeko.
"Let's move," she said, stepping forward to lead.
But the moment she took her first step, something made her pause. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Wait… someone's alive in that building."
"Let me check."
Rika pulled out a small compass-like device—one of Eirin's inventions, designed to detect human presence.
At first, the three hadn't bothered using it. They'd been too caught up in the thrill of the fight, slicing their way through hordes from morning till night.
Now, as they looked up, two figures could be seen standing on the upper floors of the apartment building—a pair of women watching them from above under the faint glow of an unbroken streetlight.
.
.
.