Apocalypse Chat Group: Conquering the Heroines

Yukino tucked her hair behind her ear, her clear smile lighting up her face. "You really don't have to worry about me. I'll stay here."

Tatsuki sighed.

It was clear her mindset hadn't shifted yet.

"Yukino, you're too naive. I desire your body—how could I let you die?"

"Do you remember the prompt before we entered the game space?"

"The prompt?"

Yukino's heart skipped a beat at his teasing words, but she furrowed her brows in thought, trying to recall.

However, she couldn't remember it all.

Tatsuki didn't expect her to. He began explaining.

"The game space prompt said this was the first game."

"So doesn't that imply there could be a second, or even a third?"

"My guess is that, since it's a game, it's designed to make players stronger. Survival is the baseline, but there's probably a rewards system tied to performance."

"If there's really a second game, do you think you can pass safely without getting stronger?"

His words left Yukino deep in thought.

What he said made sense.

Her first instinct was to suggest she follow Tatsuki.

But she quickly realized how weak she was.

She couldn't contribute anything and might even become a burden to him.

Clenching her teeth, the proud Yukino felt a surge of frustration.

She wanted to repay Tatsuki for saving her life, but she couldn't do a thing!

If it came to that… would offering herself be her only option?

Tatsuki, meanwhile, was deep in his own thoughts.

"If only Yukino had a way to kill zombies from a distance," he mused.

But the game shop's guns required points, and as a beginner, Yukino might not even know how to handle a firearm.

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

His eyes lit up, and he opened the chat group.

Tatsuki: "@March 7th, March, are you there?"

March 7th: "I'm here! What's up?"

Tatsuki: "Are you still at the Herta Space Station?"

March 7th: "Yes, the Astral Express is still docked here."

Tatsuki: "I need your help to get a weapon from either Herta or Asta."

March 7th: "Hmm, what kind of weapon? If it's too advanced, I might not be able to afford it."

Tatsuki: "Nothing complicated—something small like a handgun. It should be long-range, have decent energy capacity, and capable of blowing off a zombie's head."

Saeko Busujima: "Tatsuki-kun, is this for fighting zombies?"

Tatsuki: "Exactly."

Exusiai: "What do zombies even look like?"

Tatsuki: "Like this: [Image]."

Exusiai: "Ugh, that's disgusting."

Saeko Busujima: "It's very similar to what we see in movies."

March 7th: "Eww~ Gross. Your request doesn't sound too difficult. I'll ask around and see if I can find something like that."

…

A short while later, March 7th returned with a reply.

March 7th: "Got it! Asta gave me something she called a 'toy,' but it's a handgun powerful enough to blow off heads. It even has rapid solar charging capabilities!"

March 7th: "I'll send it over right now."

[Ding! March 7th has sent you a private red packet!]

[Ding! Tatsuki has claimed the packet!]

Tatsuki: "Thanks, March."

[Ding! Tatsuki has sent March 7th a private red packet!]

Tatsuki also sent March 7th a red packet with 500 apocalypse points, effectively paying her for the weapon.

"Whoa!"

Yukino's eyes widened.

A blue gun-like object suddenly appeared in Tatsuki's hand.

That was definitely not a handgun from the game shop.

"Here, try this. A new weapon," Tatsuki said, handing it to Yukino.

Using March 7th's original description, he explained, "It's a solar-powered energy gun with rapid charging!"

The futuristic feel was overwhelming.

…

Tatsuki moved the cabinets aside and opened the dormitory door.

A group of zombies was already gathered outside.

Since it was daytime, the zombies had returned to their sluggish and quiet state.

"Go ahead, try shooting," Tatsuki encouraged, taking her hand and helping her aim the gun at one of the zombies.

"…"

The warmth of his hand on hers and his breath brushing against her neck made Yukino feel a bit flustered.

However, under his expectant and sincere gaze, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she gripped the gun tightly and pulled the trigger.

A blue energy bullet shot out, hitting the zombie square in the chest.

Boom!

The zombie's body exploded instantly!

"This… is incredible!"

Yukino stood frozen in shock.

The gun was astonishingly powerful, comparable to a close-range shotgun.

Even more surprising was the complete lack of recoil.

"Perfect. Now you can join me in clearing out zombies," Tatsuki said, taking her hand and leading her forward.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Yukino instinctively tightened her grip slightly.

"Thank you… for helping me so much. If there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll repay you," Yukino said softly.

Tatsuki turned back and smiled mischievously. "I desire your body."

"…"

Yukino didn't respond.

Her face turned red as she followed him silently, though her thoughts seemed to wander.

…

For the rest of the day, Tatsuki took the lead, using Lightning Dharma: Northern Abyss Pool to carve a path through the zombies.

Yukino followed close behind, using the energy gun to take care of stragglers.

Tatsuki's newly upgraded Vector Manipulation also proved incredibly useful.

The Level 2 Vector Manipulation granted by the Apocalypse Chat Group didn't align with Academy City's grading system.

In Academy City, the disparity between levels was significant:

Level 1 (Low-level Esper) and Level 2 (Ability User) were almost useless.

Level 3 (Strong Esper) had some practical applications.

Level 4 (Advanced Esper) was vastly superior to Level 3.

Level 5 (Super Esper) showed a notable jump in power.

By comparison, the Apocalypse Chat Group's grading system had its own unique balance.

The S-level Gemstone - Vector Manipulation at Level 2 felt like it was between Academy City's Level 2.5—a step above Level 2 Ability Users but not quite at Level 3 Strong Espers.

With the combination of Tatsuki's new ability and Yukino's energy gun, their zombie-clearing efficiency skyrocketed.

...

200 power stones = 1 extra chapter

300 power stones = 2 extra chapter