A/N: Chapter 77 is now fixed.
*****
"Prepare them mentally for an upcoming battle.
Eishi proceeded to tell Haruno about the upcoming sea monster attack less than a month from now. Though surprised, she maintained her composure and took in this crucial information. She also began to compare their current force to the "enemies" they would have later on.
One was the marine lifeforms that were left on their own. Cannibalism pushed these already terrifying lifeforms into the forefront of Earth's pyramid. Imagining gigantic sea monsters possessing superpowers is a huge headache.
The other was the zerg vanguard lying dormant underground. Amane's [Omniscient Brain] could not see its full depth. The best he could do was to predict the time of the zergs' emergence and their number. For this upcoming wave, third-order zergs are expected to come out en masse.
If these two calamities coincide at the same time…
'I am glad I have the foresight to do this.'
Having subordinates and not having them are two different things. The latter would screw him over once this event happens. No matter how indestructible he was, Eishi has brief 'downtimes' that could be taken advantage of. His innate talent could only last 46 seconds. It could only be used thrice before needing the [Stamina Restoration Pills].
Compared to the 'invincibility' that he experienced in the early days, Eishi felt things were moving towards the more dangerous part of the apocalypse. Zombies were almost gone, but they were replaced by more dangerous entities.
Just then, Haruno saw through Eishi's contemplating look.
"Still worried?" She asked.
"Mhm. I would prefer it if we could reach the fifth-order before it happens. It should be us who they need to fear, not the other way around."
She fell silent momentarily.
Haruno knew his attitude very well. Eishi's "superpower" that granted countless supplies and powerful bonds to those connected to him was nothing short of game-breaking. It enabled them to far surpass their peers. This strength disparity allowed them to get through the early stage of the apocalypse with more ease. The sharp increase in their recovery speed was the most evident trace of it all.
"I can temporarily borrow the plant esper from the city hall. Perhaps working together with those two from Tokyo can speed things up?"
Her suggestion lit up Eishi's eyes.
"It's very plausible. When can we talk to her?"
"An hour from now."
"Make sure it isn't only her. I need all plant espers within Yokohama regardless of their talent."
Just like that, the Shennong Farming Squad has been established.
*****
"Special recruitment?"
Takashi seemed serious when he heard these words from Rei. No matter what grievance happened between them, he still cared for her.
"There's no need to worry much. It is a mission in Tokyo…"
"Tokyo..?!"
Rei wasn't surprised when she saw Takashi's shock. Even she was left in disbelief when the mission's details were first handed to her. Yokohama might have regained its prior peace and order, but this didn't mean that the rest of the world was peaceful. More than 80% of Japan's cities lost contact with the others. Nobody could access the Internet nor restore electricity. Even if they asked for help, nobody would come. If Tokyo wasn't as bogged down by internal struggles, they would have been able to do so. But fate had other plans for them.
"Can they…"
"I heard it was done with his help."
Takashi gleaned a hint of respect with the mention of "him". He paused for a moment, reconsidering everything.
'If it was him…'
He hasn't forgotten about his desire to talk to Eishi one-on-one. He wanted to know if Saya and Shizuka willingly came with him. If they didn't, he would fight to bring them back to freedom… even if it cost him his death. That was how Takashi is.
"I understand."
Just as he was about to leave, Rei grabbed his wrist. She couldn't maintain her hold over him momentarily due to their overwhelming physical disparity. Takashi was jolted when she suddenly held him back.
"What are you planning to do?" She asked. "I can see you are about to do something stupid again."
"I will go and talk with the mayor."
"Then what?"
"Talk to Hiraoka-san."
When Rei heard his plan, her hold over his wrist grew tighter.
"Are you insane? That's Hiraoka-san! The one who killed dozens without a blink! No one even knows how they died!"
Eishi's terrifying reputation permeated through Yokohama. The fact he could kill dozens in an instant was scary enough, not to mention nobody knows how they died. How can someone defend themselves from such a terrifying power?
Rei knew Takashi was strong, but not to the extent he could fight against Eishi.
"Calm down. It's not as if I am asking for a fight." He explained. "I will use my merit in the city hall to meet him."
"But…"
He didn't make any moves, merely staring at Rei. The latter ended up loosening her grasp over his wrist. She knew she couldn't affect the decision of her childhood friend. Their relationship grew during the apocalypse, but the strain was undeniable. They hadn't even talked properly to address their conflict right when the apocalypse began.
"...Take care…"
*****
"Mhm…"
Haruno's back was pressed against the snowed and dirty wall. The large light blue sweater that she wore exposed her thick thighs amidst the falling snow. Her curves were accentuated by its fabric, creating a visual feast for Eishi. Her eyes narrowed down in pleasure, with a bit of curiosity remaining.
The two spent a long time discussing the management of their forces. Leaving Haruno as the head of their operations was certainly the best decision Eishi could have ever made.
The thing after that was a natural progression. Eishi's heartstrings were tugged the more he saw Haruno's serious side. She, who was perceptive when it comes to emotions, easily saw through Eishi and gave him what he wanted. Haruno leaned towards him, closing the distance between their lips. With closed eyes, she had expected him to begin his berserk state. He was akin to a beast during that time, with no other thought in his mind other than to fuck her senseless.
In terms of physical satisfaction, Haruno was more than happy. Eishi is very handsome and capable. His dick was bigger than those exaggerated sex toys she saw online. Her insides kept being stirred by him every session. His glans kept striking her womb, causing her toes to curl. His hot breaths never hesitated to kiss her entire body.
As for emotional ties, it was more complex. Haruno felt gratitude and an unshakeable sense of security towards Eishi. However, it doesn't remove the fact that he probably does not see them more as 'life-long lovers'. His concern towards them exists, but not to the level she finds herself satisfactory.
Their relationship felt purely… contractual.
There was nothing that made her heart skip a beat. Nothing that made her lightheaded at the thought of spending time with him. Nothing that evoked seriousness and responsibility. She, who was at marriageable age, ended up being less than a wife, but more than a fling.
Hence, when kissing took more time, Haruno grew second thoughts.
Eishi held her waist using his right arm. His fingers landed atop the sweater's wool fabric, feeling the soft sensation underneath. His left hand reached out to her bottom. It went underneath the sweater, feeling the spats she wore underneath. His fingertips carried a sense of teasing, drawing a line to her buttocks every now and then.
The sensory overload was beyond what Haruno could handle. Her legs started to grow weaker. Eishi tightened his grasp over her waist as he saw this. His tongue played along with hers, reveling in the faint sweetness and the coolness of the mint she ate a while back. It took them a while for their lips to separate. His pitch-black eyes met Haruno's own.
"If… If I said I wanted to marry you all… would you be willing?"
"..?!"
Her eyes snapped wide open. Her shoulders trembled at his words.
"I don't want to set up a death flag so soon… but I will say it." Eishi's eyes became more resolute as he spoke. "After the upcoming marine upheaval, I will host a wedding with everyone."
The mention of 'wedding' sent a long-lost feeling within Haruno's chest.
Her heart began to flutter.
"I made a lot of mistakes over the past months…"
Though Eishi didn't complete his words, Haruno knew which mistakes he was talking about. It was nothing more than his shitty attitude that could have been better. He didn't need to pay anything at all, merely spending more time to take greater responsibility with his confidantes. Instead, he took their affection for granted. Eishi thought that their lives were his—that without him, they would have died.
All they had was an extremely strong physical connection. Their emotional ties were not as strong as real boyfriend and girlfriend.
"Hiraoka…"
Haruno seemingly thought of something and changed her way of addressing him.
"...Eishi. Marrying multiple women is a big deal."
"Then so be it. You are more important than them."
"..."
Haruno's bewilderment never subsided. Being asked to marry all of a sudden caught her off guard. She wasn't similar to Mahiru who already loved him deeply. She couldn't accept Eishi's sudden change in attitude as fast as her.
Just then, his keen spirit attribute sensed others' arrival. He let go of her waist and her bottom. His eyes kept looking at her, waiting for an answer.
Before the newcomers could arrive, Haruno gave it to him. The bright red blush on her cheeks and ears were extremely noticeable. Her eyes were rather misty as she looked at him.
"...Alright."
*****
The city hall's officials are intricately connected to Eishi. Souichiro Takagi, the acting Mayor, is his "father-in-law". Hence, when a message was sent over from the city hall, the ones under Haruno's command relayed it to her. It was nothing more than someone wanting to meet Eishi.
They would have been ignored in most cases, but the man happened to be the third-strongest esper belonging to the city hall.
More importantly…
'So this is him? Takashi?'
He was one of the protagonists Eishi knew in his previous life.
Black hair, somewhat immature face, and a matching pair of black irises. Takashi sported the look of a normal Japanese highschooler. Except for the air of authority—something born out of leaders—others won't be able to distinguish him from desperate highschoolers who lived up until now.
"I have heard of Komuro-san's achievements. You are also connected to the city hall's plant esper… as well as the former leader of two of my girlfriends."
Takashi was caught off guard by his direct approach. He froze before regaining his composure.
"I wonder what made you come here?"
"About Takagi-san and Marikawa-san… Did you force them here?"
Eishi raised an eyebrow on his question.
"You don't seem pretty naive."
Takashi didn't know whether it was a complement or an insult.
"If it were others in my position, they would have dealt with you. By then, it won't matter if they are forced or not. Your survival would become an issue."
"I still have to do it."
Contrary to his expectations, Takashi's determination never wavered.
'Protagonists… should be like this.'
The majority of the people Eishi came across were either conceited, arrogant, or self-righteous. The protagonists of the ACG he came across, however, were the exception. Amane greatly influenced the government's actions. The same went for Hachiman who never showed signs of running away despite Eishi's overwhelming strength at that time.
Takashi knew it was a dumb move to face Eishi head on, but that was the only thing he could do. Sneaking is an option, but the question of whether he could pull it off remains. He wasn't oblivious to the events that happened a while back. Somebody tried to pull off just that. To no surprises, they got utterly obliterated.
"If you are truly concerned about it, you can ask them yourself. I will stand my ground, however. They were willing when I took them in."
Takashi became one of the few men to earn Eishi's respect.
*****
A/N: If anyone doesn't know, I wrote this fic to experiment with a lot of writing troupes. It is not designed to last as long as my other fics. I wanted to see how to write certain scenarios and developments in a way that does not seem excessive. I would adopt the good ones and change the bad ones. For example, Eishi's curved character development. He regressed from being acceptable to downright scum. Then, his character development took place, placing him back to the acceptable range. As seen from this fic, that development didn't happen in a chapter or two. There are remarkable nuances within some chapters, which hinted to this impending development. The matter of making it more obvious and more memorable is one of the things I wanted to learn.
Anyways, I would like to thank everyone's comments and reviews in advance, especially the long ones. There are some things I hadn't noticed in my current writing style until it was pointed out in such a manner. It helped a lot on growing as a better author. After all, writing for four years straight is not the only thing that decides everything, but also my writing's quality and consistency. Those proper criticisms are what made me acknowledge my recurring weak points.