High School Girl Warrior: How to Save an Apocalyptic World - CH 72

Chapter 72 – Flames

I went back to the entrance, threw some borrowed gasoline on the zombie’s body, then used a match to put the body on fire.

Today’s work in the Ihongei University ended quickly, and it felt a bit disappointing due to how easy it was.

That said, the real work begins now. The infiltration mission.

I don’t really have anything to do until dinner time comes around, so for now, I just wandered around the university grounds.

I felt a bit like a spy as I watched people come and go.

And while I watched five or six elementary school children play, I sat down on a bench and started thinking.

Honestly, I was in a bit of a loss.

I did try acting like I knew what to do when in front of Iroha, but it wasn’t as easy when I was alone.

Of course, we can’t overlook the evil deeds done by the boss here, but I also can’t ruin the happiness of everyone who is living here.

That said, it’s still necessary to use Enslave on the boss at the very minimum, though I also need to talk to him at least once before that.

“Hey! Swirly Glasses!” Sakata shouted, then waved his hand at me as he moved closer.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

“Oda forgot to give you a ration ticket for dinner. Here.” Sakata gave me a ticket.

“Oh, thank you.” I replied.

On the ticket, the words ‘a set meal’ were printed.

They’re probably reusing what this university already had.

“There’s also this one, a treat from Oda.” Sakata gave me another ticket.

This one had ‘Coffee’ written on it.

“If you show this ticked to the cafe near the cafeteria, you’ll be able to drink some freshly brewed coffee! Isn’t that awesome!?” Sakata exclaimed.

It’s certainly quite something.

Essentially, this allows me access to a luxury good.

Getting something like coffee was trivial back when the world was normal, but it now sounds like something amazing.

“So, let’s go.” Sakata told me.

For a moment, I considered refusing his offer, as I hadn’t seen enough of the university grounds yet.

However, before I could decide on a reply, Sakata continued, “Oh, but before that. I got a map of this place, so let’s explore a bit!”

I nodded to his statement this time.

After all, if we walk together, his presence will serve as camouflage.

Seems like I’m quite the lucky girl… Or well, I guess a lucky boy now.

***

“Oh wow, this is amazing! Even if I don’t know what it is!” Sakata was looking around the university with a childlike enthusiasm, touching the monuments in the university’s grounds as we came across them.

As expected of an art university, there were many strange things in the premises.

Among them though, there were some that made you want to raise your voice in admiration.

I had basically given up on going to a university myself due to lack of money, but seeing this place made me feel like I wanted to enjoy a campus life one day.

“Whoa! What a huge painting! Is that a robot!?” Sakata exclaimed.

What was in front of us now, was a very large painting, that was done on a wall instead of on a canvas.

“Isn’t that from that old robot anime?” I commented.

“Huh? Do you know of it?” Sakata asked.

“Yeah, I know this one.” I replied.

“Oh. Could you be an otaku?” Sakata asked with a smirk.

Do you need to be an otaku to know old animes?

I crossed my arms while trying to think of what is the exact difference between an otaku and an ordinary person.

“Ah, you know. I also know a bit of otaku things. When I was younger, I liked watching some of the more popular animes.” Sakata smiled wryly as he said that. I guess he thought his comment hurt me, “So, don’t make a such a scary face, alright?”

Does the male version of me look scary when I’m silent? “Don’t worry, I’m not angry. That’s just what I look like.”

As soon as I said that though, a strange thing happened.

Above our heads, on the other side of the wall with the robot painted in it, I could see a strange blueish-white light rising in the sky.

“Mmm…?” I instinctively strained my eyes. It seemed too early to be shooting fireworks.

The light of the flames that rose to the sky stayed there for a while, then slowly descended to the ground while circling around in the air.

I have never seen flames orbit in that way before.

“What’s wrong?” Sakata asked me.

“That…” I pointed towards the flames.

“Huh?” Sakata tilted his head, “What are you seeing?”

“Eh? You can’t see it?” I asked.

“Oh…? I do have confidence in my eyesight, so… Ah, is it that crow over there?” Sakata asked.

What an idiot. How can he not see it when it’s so bright and high up in the sky?

Unless…

This is bad.

I messed up badly here.

“Mmm… I really don’t see anything strange.” Sakata commented.

“Oh, is that so? Then I guess that’s fine.” I replied and pulled my pointing hand away, trying to fix my mess, but it seemed like I was too late.

I could see the flames slowly descend towards us. It went down a few meters, until it stopped directly in front of Sakata.

I need to say something. Quickly, “Ah, my bad. I thought it was a rare migratory bird, but it was just a crow.”

“For real?” Sakata shrugged his shoulders in disappointment. He didn’t seem to notice the flames that were directly in front of his eyes.

I tried to avoid looking at it.

“Rather than that, Sakata.” I tried coming up with any small talk I could think of, “To tell you the truth, I’m actually a big otaku.”

“Oh, is that so?

“Well, you certainly look like one.” Sakata replied.

“For a while, I was really into robot anime, and I’ve watched all episodes of the more famous series.” I told him.

“Oh, I see…?” Sakata said.

At this moment, the flames moved, and now stood right in front of me.

I froze in place when I noticed that the flames had eyes, and that they were staring directly at me.

There’s no doubt about it. This is magic, or perhaps some other kind of skill.

“By the way, my favorite robot is that one that is super cool and can fire missiles from its shield. I bet that, if it had been mass produced, the nation that made them would have been victorious in the war.” I frantically came up with anything to talk about while my palms and back were sweating profusely.

Sakata averted his eyes from me, “Ah… Well, let’s go get some coffee!”

He made a wonderful proposal right now.

“Sure, let’s.” I smiled, then followed him.

And the fire, after it hovered in place for a small while, disappeared into the sky.

Did I manage to deceive it?

I’m not sure, but I hope I managed to, somehow.