Chapter 28: A Cross-World Chat Group for the Family?
Lynn and his group strolled casually toward the parking lot. Along the way, any undead that crossed their path were immediately decapitated by Saeko Busujima. None could get within three meters of Lynn.
Rei Miyamoto and Saya Takagi followed behind, shoulders hunched like timid quail. Their eyes flitted between Saeko Busujima and Shizuka Marikawa before finally settling on Lynn. It was obvious now—Senior Busujima and Teacher Marikawa had become superhuman. Senior Busujima, in particular, was frighteningly strong.
And yet, both of them subtly deferred to that man. Who was he, really?
No one would tell them. They didn’t even know his name. And they didn’t dare ask.
At the parking lot, Shizuka suddenly waved enthusiastically. “Ah! Found it!”
Next to her was a yellow-green school bus.
“Let’s go,” Lynn said, and the group boarded.
Saeko had already cleared the area of undead, leaving it eerily quiet.
“Umm…” Sitting in the driver’s seat, Shizuka stared blankly at the controls. “What does this do again…?”
Just then, footsteps echoed outside the vehicle.
“Quick! There’s a bus here!”
The bus tilted slightly as someone stepped on. The first to board was a man in a purple suit.
Rei’s eyes narrowed in disgust. Koichi Shido. And behind him—
Her eyes widened. Takashi Komuro? He was mixed up with this loathsome man?
So he wasn’t any better after all. A few years ago, he kept pestering her. Good thing she’d ignored him back then.
She shot him a glare and shut her eyes. Seeing Koichi Shido again made her seethe inside, but she said nothing. This bus had an owner.
Maybe, thanks to her connection with Senior Busujima, she and Saya were granted a spot on this safe and reliable ride. She had no intention of causing trouble that might get them thrown off.
Still… Could that disgusting Shido have evolved too?
Shido glanced around and found only a handful of students on board. The only adult appeared to be a woman. His confidence swelled.
“Ahem!” He cleared his throat, ready to stir up the crowd and take control of the bus.
“Saeko,” Lynn said calmly.
“Yes, Master.” Saeko’s figure blurred—and in the blink of an eye, she stood before Koichi Shido.
His pupils shrank. Before he could utter a word, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, and the next moment, he was soaring through the air—flung clean out of the bus.
A flicker of satisfaction lit up Rei’s face. She relaxed. Koichi Shido was still just an ordinary man.
Lynn, seated quietly, showed no reaction. He had noticed Shido and his group long ago. The lightning strike earlier had caused a butterfly effect, drawing undead to the academy in numbers far beyond what the original timeline had seen. And yet, somehow, they’d survived.
Truly, pests do live long lives. But when Lynn saw Takashi Komuro, he understood. So that was it. He was riding the protagonist’s luck.
Clutching his gut, Koichi Shido sucked in a sharp breath and glared at Saeko. “I’m a teacher at Fujimi Academy! Attacking faculty so brazenly—isn’t that a disgrace to civilized society?”
Takashi stepped forward, frowning. “Senior, please apologize to Teacher Shido. He’s the one who managed to bring so many people together in this apocalypse. I truly admire him. I believe that, under his guidance, we’ll all get through this!”
In Takashi’s mind, if they just handed over control of the bus, they could join Teacher Shido’s team and survive. And now they were attacking him without even hearing him out?
It made him furious. Especially when he saw his old crush on board. If this ruined Rei’s chance to join the group… what would he do?
Growing anxious, he stepped forward. But before he could touch Saeko’s collar, her blade flashed.
“Ahhh!” Takashi screamed as his severed arm hit the ground.
“You think I won’t kill you?” Saeko’s tone was frigid. She raised her blade again.
Takashi’s face contorted in fear. “Rei!” he cried out, desperately seeking help.
Saeko’s brows twitched. She glanced at Rei. “You know him?”
Takashi looked at her with hope. They were classmates. He liked her. Surely she’d say something?
Rei’s expression was cold. That overly familiar way he called her name made her skin crawl. They were never close. How dare he?
“We were in the same class. Not very familiar,” she said flatly.
Saeko’s blade fell. Takashi Komuro died.
Lynn rubbed his chin, thoughtful. So in this world, something had gone wrong between Rei and Takashi?
Saeko flicked the blood from her sword and looked around. “Anyone else want to speak up?”
She sheathed her blade, boarded the bus, and shut the door. No one dared make a sound after that. Not as the bus rumbled to life. Not even as they drove through the school gates.
The warning had worked. Saeko didn’t feel the slightest discomfort about killing two fellow humans. A person should do what their position required. That was one of her guiding principles.
Now that she was her master’s sword, it was only natural to sweep away pests on his behalf.
Those people clearly had ill intent. Saeko showed no mercy. In fact, sparing the others and leaving them to fend for themselves was already an act of kindness.
Onboard, Rei stole a glance at Lynn. Koichi Shido’s death had dissolved the lingering weight in her chest. Gratitude toward Senior Busujima bloomed inside her. But she also understood that all of this had been done for that man.
Her gaze lingered on Lynn’s sharp features, and her heart began to race.
A man you could truly rely on…
Beside her, Saya Takagi sat stiffly, hardly daring to breathe. The pride and arrogance she once wore like armor had vanished without a trace.
Further down the aisle, Saeko sat down and gently patted her thigh. She smiled softly at Lynn.
“Master, would you like a lap pillow?”
That gentle demeanor was a stark contrast to the cold executioner she’d just been.
Lynn didn’t hesitate. He lay down, letting his head rest on her lap. Soft warmth cradled his skull.
With tenderness in her eyes, Saeko began massaging his temples.
Lynn relaxed into the sensation and pulled out his phone. Of course, in this world, it couldn’t connect to the internet—different world, different signals.
But thanks to the Demon Contract skill, he could still receive transmissions.
As long as the contract was anchored to this world, the skill could act as a relay, transmitting signals across dimensions. It was like a cross-world node—allowing for communication between realms.
In other words, a multiverse chat group.
Unfortunately, he had come too hastily this time and didn’t bring any extra phones. Otherwise, he could’ve added Saeko and the others into the family chat.
He made a mental note to prepare better next time.
Opening the app, he tagged someone in the group.
Sigma Man: @Kasumi Shizuko, I won’t be coming back tonight.