— — — — — — —
It took only two minutes for Renzo to reach the infirmary, where he found Shizuka waiting.
"Ara, ara! Renzo-chan? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class right now?"
Shizuka ran over and hugged Renzo's arm, tilting her head curiously. But despite her confusion, she was clearly happy to see him.
She was an incredibly pure and airheaded woman—calling her a "natural airhead" would even be a compliment. But who could blame her? She was beautiful and had an amazing figure.
And Renzo liked her just the way she was.
"It's time! Come with me now, we're heading back to my villa base!" Renzo said, ruffling her hair with a smile.
"Eh?" Shizuka tilted her head in confusion. "But it's still school hours. You and I can't just leave. Renzo-chan, skipping class is bad!"
Renzo: "..."
As expected, he shouldn't have tried reasoning with her.
This woman's airheadedness made logic completely useless. Was now really the time to be worrying about skipping class?
Smack!
Renzo gave her a light slap on the butt and said firmly, "Listen to me. We're leaving."
Shizuka: "Oh... 🥺 Can I at least grab some medical supplies? If that virus outbreak you mentioned is serious, it's best to be prepared."
"Now you're making sense?" Renzo looked at her, exasperated. But he still shook his head. "Remember, my place is stocked with all kinds of medical supplies. We don't need any extras. Just come with me."
"What's going on here?"
At that moment, Saeko entered the infirmary, wooden sword in hand, looking at the two of them with curiosity.
"What do you think?" Renzo gestured at Shizuka, who was still clinging onto his arm, refusing to let go.
"Pfft!"
Saeko couldn't help but laugh.
She had a pretty good idea of what was happening.
This wasn't the first time something like this had happened.
Shizuka-sensei was just... well, Shizuka-sensei.
"By the way, you still haven't explained that telepathic ability of yours. Mind telling us how it works?" Saeko asked, her curiosity piqued.
This morning, Renzo hadn't displayed any powers at all, and now he was talking about things like "telepathy" and "instant movement"?
"I just awakened it. Literally, while I was in class." Renzo answered vaguely. "It's not just telepathy. I also have instant movement, swordsmanship, and more. I'll show you everything when we get back. And you two will be training with me from now on."
He gave a brief but meaningful explanation, revealing only what he felt comfortable sharing.
"No need to explain everything," Saeko said with a gentle smile. "Some secrets aren't meant for too many ears. As long as you know what you're doing, that's enough. I trust you."
"Me too!" Shizuka raised her hand enthusiastically.
She might be an airhead, but when it came to the big things, she never hesitated.
"Thank you both for trusting me so completely. I'm really lucky to have you two!" Renzo said sincerely, holding their hands.
Moments like these reminded him why meeting these two was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He would never betray that trust.
"Hehe!"
"Ehehe!"
The two women smiled back at him, tightening their grip on his hands.
"Alright, no more delays. Let's go! Hold on tight!"
With that, Renzo grabbed their hands, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished, reappearing on the rooftop of the school building.
From here, they had a clear view of the chaos unfolding at the school gates and across the campus.
"Grrr!"
"Stay back! Get away from me!!"
"HELP!!"
Below them, the school was already descending into madness.
Dozens of infected students and teachers were attacking the survivors, who were either running for their lives or screaming for help.
"So... these are the zombies you were talking about?" Saeko asked, her expression serious as she and Shizuka took in the horrifying sight.
"Yeah." Renzo nodded. "And it's not just here. The entire city of Tokonosu is already overrun. The school actually held out longer because it's more isolated."
"I just wanted you both to see this for yourselves. Now we're heading home."
He knew they needed to witness the chaos firsthand to truly understand the gravity of the situation.
"I see..." Saeko said, frowning slightly.
"Huh? Wait a second! Renzo-chan! Weren't we just in the infirmary?! How did we suddenly end up on the rooftop?!" Shizuka finally realized what had happened.
She even swept her hands upward, imitating the swift, soaring motion of an object racing skyward.
Renzo: "...."
Seriously, sister?! You're only noticing now?!
"Forget it, I'll explain later! We're leaving!"
Once again, Renzo activated his ability, and the three of them vanished from the rooftop.
A second later, they appeared on another rooftop two kilometers away.
"Huh? Did I imagine that? I swear I saw someone on that rooftop just now!"
At the exact moment Renzo and the girls disappeared, Takashi Komuro and his group arrived on the same rooftop, catching a fleeting glimpse of them before they vanished.
"Takashi! What's wrong?"
His friend Hisashi Igou called out while kicking away an approaching zombie.
"Ah? Oh! Nothing. Let's keep moving!" Takashi shook his head, deciding to brush it off.
The butterfly effect often starts with the smallest of changes...
That brief moment of distraction had already altered fate.
For instance, Hisashi Igou, who was originally supposed to get bitten, had now successfully escaped with Takashi and Rei.
— — —
"Hoh?" Renzo smirked playfully as he observed the situation from afar with his psychic senses. "So Hisashi didn't die this time, huh? I wonder how this will change things. Let's see how that love triangle plays out now!"
Of course, this was just his little curiosity about the original story. He had no real interest in meddling with their affairs.
As for Rei Miyamoto and Saya Takagi?
He wasn't interested in them at all.
One was a tsundere, the other was a spoiled brat... ugh.
Too much drama.
"Wow! This is amazing! We just zoomed across the city in an instant!" Shizuka cheered excitedly.
"Where are we now?"
"The city is a mess... so it really has fallen apart, huh?"
As they traveled, Renzo kept teleporting them farther and farther away until they finally reached their destination—a sprawling mansion surrounded by high walls, complete with a front yard and backyard.
This was his Family Estate.
And right next door?
Saeko's family dojo.
.
.
.