Everyone greeted me and Gii with bewildered expressions when we returned.

Though naturally, the negative nuances were stronger.

"Is that... Inuzuka san? Where is Gii?"

"Ai doesn't understand what this means."

"What the hell happened? She's not someone you can just reconcile with, right!"

"...I'm sure you're plotting something again, anyway."

"I'd like a proper explanation."

Of course, I intend to do that.

But first, "showing them" would probably be faster.

When I sent Gii eye contact, she laughed mischievously like a brat, "Gishi," and sluggishly melted her head.

"Kyaaaaaah!"

"Hiyuuuuuh...!"

"...You've got to be kidding..."

The three girls were surprised with quite a large reaction.

Shimakawa kun also reeled back, and even the relatively calm Meiji sensei jolted, her body trembling.

I told her to show them, but couldn't she have chosen a milder part like a hand or a leg?

When I looked at Gii with an exasperated expression, she laughed happily, "Gishishishi."

What a bad girl.

"Wh- wh, wh, what is that...!"

"As you can see, it's Gii."

"So she's imitating Inuzuka san's appearance."

"Rather, I had her become one with Inuzuka san. Using a skill called 'Fusion'."

"Ai cannot comprehend what you are saying."

"What do you mean, 'one'... are you saying you attached their bodies?"

"That's correct, Mitsurugi san. The dying Inuzuka san and Gii, who was about to starve to death. By fusing these bodies—"

"Does that mean... she can eat food now?"

"Gishishishi, Rea got it right."

Gii smiled affectionately at Rea.

Just that one smile should have conveyed that she wasn't Inuzuka san.

"Right now I'm half mush, half human. Being able to eat is convenient. But not being able to melt my whole body at once is inconvenient."

It seems the inability to turn vital human organs like the heart and brain into slime is the cause.

In short, the more parts she turns into slime, the more explicitly her weak points are exposed.

"Hey, hey, Erika, I want to eat that bread over there! I'm hungry!"

"You only had the little bit we brought with us, after all. Sure, eat as much as you want. That's why I fused you."

"Yaaay!"

Gii rushed to the table and picked up the bread piled up on it.

Actually, I had her eat about three pieces of bread in the hallway earlier.

At that time, perhaps it was extremely delicious, because she shed tears while saying incomprehensible things like,

"It tastes as good as a death row inmate's soul!"

Food when you're starving is more delicious than anything, so I can understand why she was moved.

"When you said 'I want you to judge after seeing it', Erika, you meant that fusion..."

"A position where even if you die, you come back to life, and if I feel like it, I can fuse you with someone else—that's what being a member of the party means. I thought it would be unfair to make you allies without letting you know this."

"Hey, what happened to Inuzuka?"

"If it were between humans, it would probably be a fifty-fifty split, but according to Gii, the strength of a human's soul is about 100 times different from hers. Right now, it seems Gii is almost completely controlling the body."

"In other words, she's in there with her consciousness intact."

"You do some nasty things, Kuragane san."

"It's karmic retribution, isn't it?"

"Well... I can't deny it when you put it like that."

However, Mitsurugi san still seems worried about the possibility of becoming a target herself.

With an expression mixed with fear, she stared at Gii, who was munching on bread and looking like a squirrel.

"Of course, the reason I used Fusion was because the other party was Inuzuka san. I don't intend to use it on people who become my allies normally."

"Ai heard the exact same thing before."

"Actually, Erika has been acting exactly as she declared, hasn't she."

"Her methods are just too cruel."

"Of course, I understand I'd gain more trust if I didn't do this. But, rather than getting you to understand, I want to prioritize getting back at those guys, you know?"

"...True. Now that I've heard about my brother, I can completely understand how you feel."

Having heard the story about Tatsuoka senpai from Meiji sensei, Shimakawa kun must be seething with anger.

A little bit of time passing won't change that.

Besides, if the current me was born because of my surrounding environment—my cruelty isn't some inherent talent.

If someone else lived a similar life, there's a high possibility they would reach the same conclusion.

Meiji sensei shoving Tatsuoka senpai away is proof of that.

Even a kind teacher who cares about her students can be driven to such actions.

However, there is a large gap between "understanding" and "trust."

Just because you understand my feelings doesn't mean you'll join the party.

"I want anyone who will fight alongside me after seeing this result to raise their hand."

When I asked that, Rea was the first to raise her hand.

"Yes, yes, me! I want to fight alongside you, Erika!"

And incredibly proactively, too.

By the way, none of the others moved.

"Rea, are you really sure?"

"I've been saying all along, I want to be your strength, Erika."

"That's true, but..."

"You asked the question yourself, yet you don't seem very enthusiastic, Kuragane san."

"Well, it's not like I completely trust this power myself."

Having Rea with me would be incredibly reassuring.

But, on the other hand, there's also the feeling that I don't want to involve Rea.

The reason I think about what might happen if joining the party causes something irreversible—is probably because I'm thinking about after we escape from here.

If we can return to a peaceful place without monsters, I want to spend time peacefully as normal friends.

Because I'm having such sweet imaginations.

"Erika... gulp, chew... Do you think... swallow, this power is dangerous?"

Then, Gii interrupted her meal and spoke.

I wonder how much bread she ate; her stomach is bulging slightly.

"If so, you don't have to worry. The power flowing into me is poured in via Erika. If something happens to my body, something will also happen to Erika at that time. We share the same fate!"

"You understand things like that, Gii."

"Gii! This is a technique connected directly to the soul. I know more about it than humans who don't even know souls exist."

Gii did say she eats souls.

Indeed, when she mentions it, to humans, a soul is a conceptual, vague thing.

"In other words, Gii, does that mean you also know the true nature of the power Erika obtained?"

"I know. To say it in a way humans understand—Ah, wait, I'll search for words from Inuzuka's brain. Uhh, mm, oh... Got it, a filter! Like a filter that extracts blood from a great entity and makes it so humans can handle it!"

"Ai doesn't really understand that explanation..."

"What is a great entity? What are you passing through a filter?"

"A great entity because it's very large. The very culprit who turned this school into a place full of monsters and made it rot."

"You mean Giraiguu? Or Kaigyo's Gangrene... was it. That kind of thing?"

When Rea asked that, for some reason Gii bared her teeth and smiled.

"Gishishishi, I don't know. I know nothing. What that thing is, why it did this. All I can say is, if you pour the power extracted from it as is, everything rots. If you clean it with a filter, it becomes Erika's power. Extending a pipe from there and pouring it into me is a Party."

"In short, it's originally the same power as those zombies and stuff. If it's cleaned, even humans can use it."

"So that's why I get stronger when I defeat monsters."

Although it's broken down easily into forms like experience points and levels, that seems to be the gist of it.

Defeating monsters, passing the overflowing power through a filter, and pouring it into me.

That is the true nature of the power residing in this body and smartphone.

"Then, reviving humans or fusing them together isn't a dangerous power either?"

"Whether it's dangerous or not depends on the human using it."

"That makes sense."

"But it's not suspicious like Erika thinks. The logic is sound."

"Does that mean reviving a human isn't a strange thing either?"

"I'm not doing anything weird. The power of the great entity is just that strong. Let alone humans, it's so absurdly large it can even toy with our souls."

For now, it seems there are no side effects like revived humans suddenly turning into monsters, or not being able to escape ever again because we formed a party.

In exchange for gaining that peace of mind, we found out that Giraiguu or Kaigyo is a super-massive opponent.

"And this filter is not natural. It's unnatural."

"You mean someone made it?"

"Just as Erika says. Probably, the great entity—should I call it Kaigyo too?"

"Call it whatever you like."

"Gishi, okay, I'll do as I please. The filter was created by a human from a world attacked by Kaigyo to counter the 'rot'. Someone from somewhere made it and carved the technique into Kaigyo's main body."

So there were brave humans too.

I wonder if it was a world where something clearly different from science, so-called magic, existed.

Come to think of it, Nemusia was using something like that too.

It's possible she just activated magic without a declaration, but looking at the skill list, there's nothing that blinds with light.

I wonder if that was magic too.

"And we're being saved by that."

"I don't know who or where they are, but we should be thankful."

"Even a person that smart couldn't figure out a way to defeat Kaigyo."

"Kaigyo is much bigger than Mitsurugi thinks. It's not a matter of defeating it or not."

"Ai thinks... doesn't that mean there's nothing Kuragane san and the others can do even if they fight..."

"Well, we just have to try our best. If it's an opponent on that scale, maybe it actually takes about 100 years to rot the world? Since it hasn't even completely destroyed this school yet."

I don't know about the future, but if I can live out my life properly, that's more than enough.

It's also a good stage for me to carry out my revenge, so my motivation isn't going down just because I heard Gii's story.

◇◇◇

After that, I decided to rest for a few hours.

Perhaps because I was woken up in the middle of the night by Inuzuka san's betrayal, my body still feels a bit sluggish.

However, I don't feel like I can sleep from the excitement of seeing Inuzuka san's end.

I decided to gather with Rea, who decided to join the party, and Gii, who is already a member, to rest our bodies while deciding on our future plans.

"Looking at the smartphone, I think Gii was also given a weapon... Is this a whip?"

"Yes, it's similar to what Inuzuka was using. Gleipnir."

Saying that, something like a dark blue rope appeared in Gii's hands.

The rope is slightly translucent, resembling Gii's slime body.

"It feels like a part of my body and is easy to use. Gishishi, whoever gave this to me understands me well."

"You get a weapon that suits the person. I wonder what I'll get, I've never done martial arts or anything."

"I've never handled a knife either, so you'll probably get something appropriate... Okay, here I go."

I operated my smartphone and sent a party request to Rea.

She accepted immediately.

Right after, a large metal plate appeared in her hands.

Its surface is decorated with jewels, and there's a handle on the back.

"Whoa, it's big!"

"This is... a shield."

"Gishishi, it's more like armor than a weapon."

"I wonder why it turned out to be a shield..."

"The name is Aegis."

Unlike my obnoxiously named weapon, both of them have myth-like names...

Hiyami san's was like that too.

Not that I'm jealous or anything.

"Probably, Rea wanted to protect Erika."

"I-I wonder if that's it... Though I did think I'd feel bad just being protected all the time."

"You were both thinking the same thing."

"Eh?"

"If possible, I was hoping it would be a weapon that can attack from a distance like a bow. I don't want you to go too far forward and get into danger."

"Erika... I feel the same way. I don't want you to get hurt, Erika."

"That's a problem."

"Fufu, yeah. But since it's come to this, I'll protect you a lot, because it's a shield after all."

"Let's decide on that after looking at your skills. But it might be better to leave rear support to Gii with her whip, since it seems to have a long reach."

"Gii! I can stretch my arms too, so I can go smack-smack from far away!"

Gii's arm wiggles and turns into slime with a squish.

From over her clothes, it looks like it's broken, which is a bit scary.

While interjecting silly conversations like this, we decided how we would increase our power.

Either way, I can't let them fight while their levels are low.

Probably, if we defeat strong monsters, they'll level up in no time, so it shouldn't take too long for them to become a fighting force.

While we were talking like that, time passed, and morning arrived.

That said, since the scenery outside hasn't changed, my sense of time is still paralyzed.

From outside the door, I don't hear as many zombie voices as yesterday.

Even though there should still be many Ghoul Mothers, and even higher-tier monsters should have been born.

That quietness felt even more eerie.

Before setting off, we fit the remaining few pieces of bread into our stomachs for breakfast.

They're mostly going to go bad soon anyway, so finishing them here means we managed our consumption pace well.

From now on, we'll have to procure canned food that seems to last long from the cafeteria behind the school store.

Also, since the party has increased to three people, it might be a good idea to prepare an environment where we can make food with production skills.

If possible, I want to escape from the first floor before we have to live like that, but—

"Meiji sensei, what are you doing!"

At that moment, Shimakawa kun's angry shout echoed.

He stood up and grabbed the arm of Meiji sensei, who was near the entrance of the infirmary.

Sensei, for some reason, was reaching out toward the door—was she perhaps trying to go outside?

"He's over there."

"Huh? What exactly—"

"Yuya kun."

Sensei pointed outside the window.

Shimakawa kun looked in that direction, and with a grim expression, shouted loudly again.

"There's no way that thing is my brother!"

I also rushed over to Sensei and forcefully dragged her body into the room.

Where Meiji sensei's gaze was directed—in the middle of the empty hallway, something pink was standing.

She called that "Yuya kun"? No matter how you look at it, it just looks like a lump of meat.

"He's definitely there. He's calling me, Yuya kun is."

"Don't be misled, snap out of it!"

Shimakawa kun slapped her cheek hard.

A smack sound echoed, and Meiji sensei touched her cheek, staring at Shimakawa kun in surprise.

"Yuya... Oh my? Daichi kun...?"

"You finally seem to have regained your senses."

"That monster might have been showing you a hallucination."

"Even though this place is supposed to be safe, to think just looking at it can make you lose your mind."

Could this be the power of an even stronger monster?

At this rate, individuals that can physically break through the barrier might appear in the not-too-distant future.

"Well, it's good that she's back to her senses. Kuragane san, shouldn't we consider putting curtains on all the windows?"

"Yeah, I'll go find some outside. For now, try not to look outside as much as possible."

"Ai is worried if you'll be safe going to a place where a guy like that is, Kuragane san."

"...Well, I'll just have to manage somehow."

That pink lump of meat—judging from its shape, it might be an evolved form of a Ghoul Mother.

Just having it in your field of vision causes hallucinations... I wonder if I can accurately cast Cure on myself and recover when that happens.

It seems it would be better to have either Rea or Gii learn the skill.

If we're doing party play, it's standard to have at least one healer, so focusing on having Gii learn those kinds of skills might be a good idea.

"Erika, Gii. Let's get going soon."

Since Meiji sensei also seemed to have calmed down, we were about to depart.

Then, Sensei tried to walk past us again—and I stopped her body with one arm.

"What are you doing, Meiji sensei. Don't tell me the hallucination hasn't broken yet?"

"N-no, it hasn't. My body is moving on its own, it won't stop."

"Then I'll try recovering you. Cure."

The light emitted from my palm enveloped Sensei.

But even so, she didn't stop.

She pushed my arm away and tried to go outside.

"Why isn't it working."

"He's calling me, Yuya kun is."

"Are you still saying that. That is not my brother!"

"I know! I know it's just a lump of meat. But he's calling me, I can hear Yuya kun's voice, and my body is trying to go outside on its own!"

I turned my gaze to the lump of meat beyond the window.

It was just undulating, irregular, and squishy, and wasn't emitting any voice.

But if I listen carefully, I can definitely hear—

'Let me go home.'

'Dad, Mom, let me go home.'

'I want to go home.'

The voice I heard that night, and from the wall in front of the stairs, was echoing.

"Is Shimakawa Yuya really over there...?"

"What are you saying, even you, Kuragane senpai!"

"Stop calling me! Yuya kun, I don't want to go! Guh, ah, I don't want to die!"

"Erika, Meiji sensei is!"

The struggling Meiji sensei's strength grew stronger and stronger, regardless of her own will.

She thrashed her head wildly like a madwoman, flailed her limbs, and began to bleed as her body crashed into walls and shelves.

"Gii, bind Sensei's body!"

"Got it, I'll stop her from moving!"

Gii entwined her whip around Meiji sensei, sealing her movements.

"Rea, watch over Sensei with Gii."

"Okay, I'll protect her so she doesn't get hurt."

"What are you planning to do, senpai."

"I have no choice but to crush that lump of meat. Even if that's Shimakawa Yuya, please don't resent me."

"That's obvious. There's no way my brother would wish for something like this, hurry up and free him!"

I dashed out of the infirmary, running towards the eerily swaying lump of meat.