Eishi talked with the girls in Yokohama every day. He talked about their changes and improvements. There are also times they took action and swept through the remaining rogue esper forces. Back then, he did not have any intention of touching others so long as they did not bother him. The benefits of the New Tokyo Shelter raid, however, begged to differ. Aside from the SS-rated fruit that he found, the human resources he accumulated allowed him to upgrade his pile of evolution fruits to the second-rank. Even while he was gone, their farming job never stopped.
Finally, there were higher chances of discovering new types of fruits. So long as the espers in the shelter submitted their evolution fruit harvests, Eishi would be able to farm for more fruits. It won't be impossible to fill in their non-exclusive talent slots with S-rated superpowers at the very least.
'I need to find more ways to upgrade their ranks…'
While he was musing about his 'supply line', the other women looked around the newly-built fortifications of the Yokohama City. It was one thing; to see its progress match Tokyo's is another. Most of them, save for Saeko, thought of Tokyo as the most prosperous modern city of Japan. They did not expect that there was another city capable of matching its productivity.
The fifteen-meters walls had a thickness of five meters. When they tried to drive the land rover, a tall makeshift iron gate blocked the way. Nonetheless, the gate opened up on its own. It came off as no surprise to the girls. Eishi's power placed him at the top of the pyramid no matter where he went.
They watched as hundreds of people carried all sorts of materials—food or construction—on the streets. The sight mirrored that of Tokyo's right after it was 'unified'. Although, Eishi wasn't as "famous" here compared to Tokyo. He took it more as a matter of convenience.
By the time they arrived at his "villa", the others new to it were shocked to see it ten times more extravagant than the one in Tokyo. The high walls and its thickness made it clear it wasn't built in a "few days". If it ever was, it goes to show the wealth in Eishi's hands. Since the atmosphere inside the land rover was a bit awkward, they spent most of their time observing the outside world.
It wasn't until when the car stopped and Eishi got out did the others follow suit. The stifling air inside became less heavy as soon as they did so… until several women got out of the villa's main entrance. One of them came running straight to Eishi. The loose sweater jacket she wore could not stop them from swaying in all directions. Airi clung to Eishi's chest like a koala, the sounds of her blatant sniffing reaching his ears. The fresh scent of mint and other flowers came from her unstyled hair.
"It's been one week… that's right!"
Only then did Airi scan the newcomers with him. He could not help but laugh at her rather childish antics.
"Nee-chan!"
Her face brightened up as she locked Marina in a tight hug. The latter wasn't faring well. Overwhelmed with emotions, all she could do was reciprocate Airi's hug. Faint sounds of her sobs arose.
"I will go and take them around." Saeko proposed. "The rooms for the kids must be farther than our rooms."
Eishi gave her a knowing look and nodded.
While every room has great soundproofing, he was unsure whether them becoming higher-leveled espers would affect it. He does not want to come across awkward moments every now and then.
As for having them live elsewhere, he had considered it but chose not to.
'I still need to train Kuroneko.'
Like others, Eishi wanted her to undergo the daily practical exercises of others in his team. Only then would she become even stronger compared to now. Having her sisters live in his villa is the safest option as of now.
Just as Saeko brought the other newcomers for a home tour, including Airi who accompanied her sister, Mahiru came close to him. She wore a one-piece strapped white dress that exposed her shoulders. The chilling cold outside did not matter to her whatsoever.
Unexpectedly, Eishi fell silent right after meeting her gaze. Mahiru was astonished to see so many emotions appear in his eyes. Eishi chewed on his lips slightly, hesitating to open up with his "confession". Then again, his actions as a shitty scumbag from before were already a done deal.
'Why am I still hesitating..?'
Perhaps it was his pride from before… but Eishi chose not to live like that anymore.
Hence…
"I am sorry."
"..."
Mahiru's lips parted into an "o-shape". Not once did she expect for him to "apologize" to her first-thing after their reunion. She expected the hot kisses. Those sturdy arms carrying her waist. That greedy tongue roaming all over her body. Instead, all she got was an apology.
Mahiru did not know what to make out of it. Her bewilderment did not stop tears from flowing out of her eyes, however. She felt an invisible weight coming off of her chest. All sorts of grievances and frustrations that she kept aside—all in the name of her love—showed its ugliness.
'I… I…'
Mahiru finally saw it. She loves Eishi way too much. The sense of kinship she felt from him—from someone sharing similar circumstances as hers—made her feel like she wasn't alone in the world. That there was someone who could be with her. Someone who could spend time with her even on the most trivial days. Someone she could cook together with. Someone she could watch televisions with.
Unfortunately, Eishi carried as much bad as he did good. His self-rationalization of taking in confidantes without restraint was to live. When in fact, a part of him enjoyed the thrill and satisfaction it brought. Having one girl after another is no longer a matter of survival, but his enjoyment.
During such time, he disregarded the majority of others' feelings. Eishi focused more on enjoying himself with 'conquering' other women. His self-righteousness rationalized they could not hold any sway or grudge over him as he was the one who saved them—gave them food, protected, and made them stronger. Only during the Tokyo trip did he see himself from an outsider's perspective.
Nobody dared to judge him because of his power. This led to an echo chamber around him. Eishi could not see where he was wrong until he did it himself.
'Should I..?'
The first thought that came to him was to hug her. His heavy heart no longer wanted him to make any mistakes. However, when he saw the red corners of her eyes, he lost the will to do so.
It wasn't until Mahiru herself grasped his chest did he snap out of it. Her grip over his shirt tightened. Her tear-soaked cheeks wetted his shirt. Mahiru pulled him in what was supposed to be a hug… but Eishi felt there was something else to it.
"I… hate you."
Eishi's heart turned cold after hearing these words. His entire body felt weak psychologically, a sensation he hasn't felt since before he became an esper. Yet at the same time, he felt strangely relieved. A part of him wanted Mahiru to vent everything she kept to herself.
"...But I also love you…"
These words became the final nail in the coffin. Eishi looked at her crying on his chest. Their first meeting came to his mind. No matter what happened, he won't deny a fact.
Mahiru is an angel… and Eishi is the devil who wronged her.
She did not speak after that. She sobbed quietly in his arms. Once these strong emotions receded, Eishi hugged her. There is no way to undo things. He is a devil. That is a concrete fact. All he could do is slowly make it up with her, just like what he did with Saeko.
"...Love… I want to feel it, Eishi."
He swallowed everything he was about to say. He met Mahiru's reddened eyes. They contained hints of frustration, and at the same time, longing. The intensity of her gaze could not compare to anything she had ever given him.
Ba-dump.
Eishi's heart skipped a beat. He felt a bit flustered. She was akin to a cute cat climbing atop his bed. The grip over his chest grew tighter, refusing to let go of him. He could only reply dryly:
"Okay."
Although he had changed, he never lost things he had learned before. That longing look pointed out to one thing—
To the bedroom.
And so, Eishi carried her in one arm. Mahiru hugged him tightly like a koala refusing to let go of her branch. Both her hands were locked behind his neck. His overwhelming arm strength that could punch through cars and metal plates alike was reduced into Mahiru's seat.
Disregarding the curious gazes from Utaha who was sweeping the floor in a maid outfit, Eishi carried her upstairs. He skillfully locked the door behind them. His heart continued beating rapidly, anticipating what would happen next.
Most of the time they had sex was to feel good physically. Eishi thought it was fine as long as they were satisfied, but the emotional connection with Saeko and Shino that he formed suggested otherwise. It was a different kind of feeling. Pleasurable, nonetheless, but it goes beyond that.
He did not bring her feet to the ground. Eishi placed Mahiru's back against the wall. She seemed to have coordinated with him, interlocking her feet behind his waist. Her high flexibility, granted by her high agility attribute, showcased its prowess at this exact moment.
Mahiru glanced upwards and met his gaze in equal level. Her lips drew closer to his. Her weight shifted more towards Eishi due to her pull. The soft sensation on his lips was followed by a fragrant scent. Her tongue played around his lips; the tip of it playfully licked his lips. A pleasurable jolt traveled from his spine to his skull. His heart fluttered once more at this cute gesture.
'Why did I ignore things like this?'
Her teasing worked. It only made Eishi more eager. Fortunately, he snapped right out of it. He was done having everything to his rhythm alone. He let Mahiru play to her heart's content. Her joy was evident in her eyes. It did not take long before their tongues intertwined in a familiar, sloppy manner. The lock on Eishi's neck and waist grew tighter as she showed him all of her affection… and resentment.
A warm sensation flooded his veins. His eyes widened in surprise as he found his virility-related superpowers activating one by one. First was the S-rated Dragon Blood. His blood flow increased rapidly, forming a large tent on his shorts. Mahiru's eyes widened as she felt something hard and hot pressed by her hips. She looked at Eishi's eyes and saw the flames hidden beneath.
'It is different from before…'
In the past, he rampaged on bed due to his rapidly-increasing hormones. The imbalance between his three attributes made him more lustful. Though it was the same now, Mahiru saw a sense of restraint within his eyes. Their time now was no longer just about Eishi…
But also hers.
'...He changed a lot…'
She never noticed it herself. The love she spoke of—the one that made her feel attached to Eishi—felt cold lately. It wasn't the true "love" that she seeks. Their genuine encounters prior to this apocalypse felt more like it.
That feeling…
It returned now.
Despite the [Sun's Essence] activating atop [Dragon Blood], Eishi never lost himself. The urge to procreate and shoot his cum straight to her womb made him feel like crazy, but he held back. This was the final bottom line he decided on. Beyond the killings and injustice he did and would do, treating his confidantes right is a must. That is his only way to remain human!
At some point, Mahiru's lips parted with his, Her slightly moist chestnut-colored eyes looked at him with concern.
"...Stop holding back, Eishi."
One sentence made him forget how to breathe for a second.