Eishi navigated through the first twenty-two days undefeated. The unreasonable nature of his system turned scarce resources into 'infinite resources'. The addition of the BUFFs stacked atop the already broken cheat.
In all of the novels he had read, Eishi is more than certain it should have been separate. Yet, it is found within the same 'system'.
Without any external threats, he grew arrogant. He himself does not know it. He became blind to his otherwise scummy acts, to the point his flimsy self-internalization was enough to remove any chances of him noticing.
Eishi could have been a tad bit kinder. Instead, he merely focused on their physical needs.
This was the apocalypse. What else could others think of other than safety?
Eishi provided all of them, including avenues to increase their strength.
In his eyes, what he did was more than enough.
Objectively speaking, it is.
Only Eishi could provide this kind of luxurious and extravagant treatment to them. Being with him is the most rational and safest choice in this apocalypse.
It is different morally.
Eishi has his own standards prior to the apocalypse. He also has an upright bringing in his past life.
No matter how drastic the changes had been for the past twenty-two days, his upbringing from his two lives combined is enough to make him doubt things… more so when he realized this exact problem.
Facing Saeko who deftly undressed her pair of jeans and t-shirt, these complex thoughts burst out silently.
'If I thought about them more…'
He reassessed himself. His first action at this point is to pin Saeko down. She catered to his interests—fetishes. The euphoric feeling brought by domination is akin to a dopamine hit. It is why in these days, Eishi favored her more.
'If everything I did so far is morally wrong…'
Then he would do the opposite of what he had done.
"Mn..?!"
Saeko widened her eyes as Eishi's lips pressed against hers. His right hand crept up to her waist, hugging it gently. Her tense body grew weak in his arms.
Their kiss wasn't even a deep one.
Yet…
'Eishi-kun…'
Saeko loves it.
It was different from the fusion between physical bodies. Saeko found it novel… and much more pleasing than fucking alone.
Soon, her back was pressed against the wall. The two caught themselves relishing this newfound sensation. A faint connection emerged between the two, catching Eishi's attention.
'This is..?'
His mind raced as he met Saeko's narrowed eyes.
'...Romantic Link.'
It was his very first bond activated by Airi. Its effects are heaven-defying. It allowed him to share visual and audio information from a confidante. He could also use them to teleport to his confidante's side without any apparent restriction. It could also grant extra attributes, though it remains minimal at their level.
'Link… a spiritual connection?'
It wasn't hard to arrive at an answer. The 'Romantic Link' is a literal spiritual link between the two parties. Its effects remain unknown, though Eishi couldn't be bothered by it now.
He swept these thoughts away as he focused on 'pampering' Saeko. It took a while for their lip kisses to turn into tongue kisses. Saeko had to be supported by his arms, lest she would have fallen to the ground.
A long trail of clear liquid crawled on her legs. Eishi glanced at the wet carpet, and then at Saeko's dazed look. Her chest was pressed against his.
He carried her weak body onto the bed. Her eyes are filled with longing, urging him to continue.
Desires intertwined with Eishi's newly-found realizations. As much as he wanted to roughly fuck her, he became enamored with their deepened spiritual connection.
'I can just do… both.'
Thus, Eishi's enlightenment took place.
*****
Shino knew it was wrong to peek at others.
'Two days… in the same room..!'
Past memories kept flashing inside her mind. She wasn't blind to Eishi's and Saeko's unusual relationship. Though they didn't say anything, it was clear they were lovers. Their familiarity and trust towards each other was something she could not match.
Last night, she peeked at their room, only to see Eishi cuddling Saeko. Envy and bitterness flooded Shino.
'He really likes someone…'
Eishi's kindness towards her is unmatched to the point even Shino herself could not understand it. They only met inside a virtual reality game, playing ranked every day. Yet, he was willing to entrust his villa to her, encouraging her to live.
Facing such kindness, he became a spiritual pillar for Shino who has lost her family. Shino thought things would become simpler once they met. She would help Eishi with whatever she could do.
Things did not turn out to be like that.
When she saw him with Saeko, the first emotion she felt was envy.
Envy.
It wasn't relief, nor was it gratitude. It was envy.
Shino could not understand why… until she saw them cuddling.
'To be able to rely on someone…'
Filled with conflicting emotions, she ultimately ended up peeking again.
This time, the scene she saw was different.
"Eeh..?!"
Shino gasped at the scene inside the room.
Two naked bodies are pressed against each other. Saeko's vulnerable look, Eishi's kiss…
It was too much for a prospective college student who has been single up to now. Her main sources of materials came from the Internet.
Seeing it first-hand…
"Mn…"
…made her feel strange.
She rubbed her hips against each other as she tried to resolve the growing heat. Her cheeks were flushed. The more she watched, the more stimulating it became. The way Eishi shifted from a loving kiss to a rough handling… turned her on.
Before she knew it, her fingers were already reaching down to deal with the itch. It was a simple stimulation above a layer of fabric, but finding it insufficient, she gradually sunk her fingers deeper.
"Mn..!"
Shino's shoulders trembled as the mattress she sat on became wet. Her breathing turned rapid as she looked down. She wore her few pairs of high school uniforms. The pair of long-sleeves, knee-length skirt, and black stockings became her default looks.
Seeing the uniform she wore daily get sullied gave her a strange guilty feeling.
'I… I…'
Shino's eyes turned wide as she saw the two get into an even more stimulating position. Saeko stuck her buttocks upward as her upper body rested on the bed.
"Mn..!"
Her fingertips touched her slightly swollen clitoris. Her thighs shook once more. The arousal that died out of guilt was reignited just like that.
Once…
Twice…
Thrice…
Throughout the entire night, Shino matched their rhythm. When her superpower went on a cooldown, she began to imagine things. When it went online again, the stimulation she experienced was enough to come multiple times.
She lay on the bed blankly. A musky stench floated across the room. Half of the mattress was soaked with her fluids. If it wasn't for her improved physical attributes, she would have suffered from dehydration and physical exhaustion.
'Hiraoka-san…'
The moment she thought of that huge and long flesh rod, Shino's throat bobbed.
If it was her who was spoiled while sometimes being treated roughly…
Her face won't differ from what Saeko made.
"Hn…"
*****
"Can you cook?"
"It's no big trouble…"
Thinking of what he did last night, Eishi felt like he opened the door to the right place. Connecting to Saeko spiritually was different from connecting to her physically. Achieving both results in an unprecedented satisfaction—something unmatched by everything he had experienced up until now.
He fed Saeko another [Stamina Restoration Pill] before letting her go. Then, he took care of the mess inside the room. The spatial backpack could separate all substances, making clean-ups a trifle.
Just then, Eishi looked at the direction of Shino's room.
'Last night…'
He wasn't certain the night before. Now that the 'pricking' feeling at his neck appeared again, someone peeped at him.
'If it's before…'
Eishi would have been happy. That was how he "won" over Megumi. He played along with her, struck her weak points, and awakened her 'invisible' fetish whenever he was with other girls.
'I was too preoccupied last night…'
In the end, he left everything up to fate.
Eishi won't stop accepting confidantes. He won't stop "winning over" girls either. The biggest change in him is to be nicer to them—to not put them beneath his self-interests.
As he had expected, he came across Shino who looked somewhat listless.
He habitually checked her status panel.
[Shino Asada]
Innate Talent: Sky Eye (S, Second-order)
Non-exclusive Talent: Spirit Boost (B, Second-order), Agility Boost (B, First-order), Lethal Shot (S, First-order), Velocity Enchantment (A, First-order)
Life Level: Second-order, One-star
Strength: 10 > 175
Agility: 15 > 180
Constitution: 8 > 178
Spirit: 18 > 291
Up to six-stars, Shino leveled up normally. Eishi wasn't stingy and directly gave her the serum two days ago, hence she directly received attributes and 50% more attributes at the subsequent levels.
The crazy level-ups could be attributed to the ever-upgrading fruits. The longer the apocalypse lasted, the more potent the fruits they found.
Eishi's greatest anticipation is the descent of second rank evolution fruits.
'Constitution Boost… How crazy would the increase be?'
He greeted Shino with a nod before looking away. He keenly noticed the flustered look of the latter.
'I can give her the [Potential Enhancement Fruits] later…'
Eishi left them out of caution. His realizations the past few days does not mean he dropped his guard in this apocalypse. He wanted to confirm Shino's favorability first, but upon seeing her performance, he chose to give it early on.
The next person Eishi came across was Kuroneko.
[Ruri Gokou]
Innate Talent: Queen of Darkness (SSS, First-order)
Non-exclusive Talent: Spirit Boost (B, First-order), Brief Foresight (S, First-order), Arsenal (S, First-order)
Life Level: First-order, Nine-stars
Strength: 40 > 170
Agility: 42 > 172
Constitution: 38 > 168
Spirit: 180 > 310
Her changes were huge, almost catching up to Shino's attributes at the second-order. Eishi wasn't stingy with her either, granting her the serum for doubled attributes.
After all…
'I am really scummy.'
…her sisters are with them.
Back then, he already had this plan. Confidante or not, having another SSS rated esper is a huge boon. She is easily tied down with two, no, three 'burdens' with her.
Eishi lamented how punchable he was before going down for breakfast. He sat on the dining table and silently watched Saeko cook breakfast with familiarity.
Soon, breakfast was prepared.
"Call them over."
"Ah?"
Kuroneko was still stunned by Eishi's words.
"Your sisters and Mashiro."
"A-ah. Okay…"
Being slightly more familiar with his orders, she went upstairs and called the three to the dining table. All three of them shared a naive look as they glanced at Eishi. The two girls could not speak due to his overflowing temperament.
"...Thank you… for the food."
"Not a big problem. I need your superpower later."
"Hm."
The group of seven ate as they chatted. It was mainly Eishi telling them of his expectations.
Kuroneko is to continue awaiting new orders. Shino has to activate her [God's Perspective] every now and then for potential enemies. Mashiro is to practice her superpower more.
Finally…
"Shino-san, Saeko. We'll settle the debts with those people today."
"Got it."
Saeko did not show aversion to the upcoming battle. She understood the "kill or be killed" mindset adopted by the Zaibatsu. Since they sent their cronies twice, all they could expect from Eishi was their deaths.
"I understand. Shall I ask Asuna-san for help?" Shino asked.
"Tell them we are making a move at 4 in the afternoon. I will tell them the specific designations once we meet personally."
All of them are to leave the villa, with Kuroneko's group being transferred to the Prime Minister's Office for their safety.
It did not take long before Hachiman arrived with the bunch from the Third Reconnaissance Team.
One look and Eishi could tell Hachiman became stronger—courtesy of the fruits he sponsored.
"Everything's prepared, Hiraoka-san."
He turned to look at Itami.
"The higher ups would like to meet with you for specific deliberations."
"Alright."
Just like that, the assault was finalized.