Chapter 99
Having confirmed the 'Mail' Skill, Nishino immediately told his companions about it.
He sent 'Mail' to everyone, making it available for acquisition, and instructed anyone with at least one SP to acquire it at once.
(In the end, only six of us, including me, were able to acquire it...)
The remaining members had no points left, so they would have to wait until they leveled up again.
Next, he checked the email recipient list.
(So the 'list' only includes people I've met after acquiring it...)
It seemed that people he met after acquiring 'Mail'—or, more precisely, after it became available for acquisition—were added to his address book.
He had wondered whether he could email companions who had gotten separated, but apparently the Skill wasn't that convenient.
The list displayed the person who had first sent him an email, along with anyone he had met after 'Mail' became available for acquisition.
More precisely, anyone he had seen directly or who had come within five meters of him appeared on the email list.
(Well, figures.)
Even Nishino hadn't expected it to be that convenient.
He had only thought of it as a nice bonus if it happened to work that way.
(Still, being able to see the names of people I don't know is useful. I could use that in negotiations.)
Knowing an opponent's name was a negotiation tactic in itself.
Whether they used a false name or were meeting him for the first time, it would make them feel as though he had the upper hand in terms of information.
But that was merely an added benefit.
The greatest advantage of 'Mail' lay elsewhere.
(With this Skill, fighting monsters will be far easier than it is now.)
In the modern age, communication technology was a strategic cornerstone and a trump card.
Whether it was a surprise attack, an ambush, or coordinated action, the precision was vastly different depending on whether they had this Skill.
(Thanks, Rikka. Because of you, we can move one step ahead.)
After that, Nishino and his companions discussed new tactics and formations using 'Mail'.
They also established a thorough contact network in case they got separated.
If everything went well, they could become a cut above the other groups.
That would make things easier for them going forward.
(Once we're done discussing things, I'll meet up with Rikka.)
Nishino specified a meeting place and time, then sent Rikka an email.
A few minutes later—.
"All right, then. Let's get going soon."
They had rested enough, and they had stuffed as many nonperishable foods, such as canned goods, into their backpacks as they could.
There was no reason for them to stay here.
"Nishino-san, are we really leaving? There's still food left..."
Shibata looked reluctant to leave, but Nishino shook his head.
"It can't be helped. This place isn't suitable as a base."
The location was one issue, but the convenience store was also far too small for a group this size.
It would be better to establish a proper base, then return here to collect the remaining food.
"Then we'll meet up with Rikka. Everyone, stick to what we discussed—Hm?"
Just then, he suddenly sensed something strange.
It came from beneath his feet.
(A vibration?)
Rattle, rattle.
The ground was shaking.
(An earthquake?... No, that's not it!)
At that moment, Nishino was struck by a powerful sense of foreboding.
"Everyone, get out of the convenience store right now! Hurry!"
"Huh—?"
Not understanding what he was saying, they stopped where they were.
It happened immediately afterward.
A crack raced across the floor, and part of it collapsed with a roar.
"Wha...!?"
A huge hole suddenly opened in the floor.
It was dark and deep, as though it led straight to hell.
"What is this...?"
There was no way the store floor had simply become weak on its own.
When he peered inside, something glinted in the depths of the hole.
Something was down there.
Creepy clicking and rustling sounds echoed from the bottom of the hole.
"Eek..."
Who had made that sound?
A gigantic ant emerged from the hole.
Giant ants, each as large as a person, came crawling out of the hole in droves, one after another.
"U... uaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Unable to hold back, they screamed.
"Run!"
At Nishino's command, they sprang into motion as though a dam had burst.
But one of the male students who had lagged behind tripped over the floor.
"Ah..."
"Kasai!?"
Nishino shouted.
The other companions turned to look as well.
In the direction of their gazes, countless ants were swarming toward the fallen boy.
"U... ah..."
Kasai wore an expression as though he were witnessing the end of the world as the ants closed in.
The one who saved him was a nondescript middle-aged man running ahead of Kasai—Goshogawara Hachiro.
He grabbed his weapon, 'Log,' which had been propped up beside the magazine rack, and hurled it at the ants with all his might.
"Nuuoooooooh, take thisssssssssss!"
"O-old man!?"
The force of the log drove several ants back into the hole.
Taking advantage of the opening, Goshogawara ran over to the boy.
"Get up! Come on!"
"Y-yeah!"
Grasping the middle-aged man's outstretched hand, the two of them made it outside.
"Is everyone all right?"
"More or less..."
"I'm okay."
"Huff... huff..."
By then, the store was already teeming with ants.
Countless red eyes fixed on Nishino and the others outside.
"That's... a monster, right?"
"Of course it is. As if an ant that huge could be anything else..."
Killer Ant... no, should it be called a Giant Ant?
The name didn't matter.
For now, getting through this crisis took priority.
"Everyone, cover your ears!"
Nishino stepped forward and shouted.
Understanding what he meant, they immediately covered their ears.
"—'You ants! Don't move!'"
In an instant, several ants that had been trying to emerge from the convenience store stopped moving.
It was as though Nishino's words had reached them.
No, that was exactly what had happened.
This was Nishino's Skill, 'Command'.
It was a Skill he had acquired when he chose the Job 'Commander'.
It forced anyone who heard his voice to act accordingly.
The content of the commands he could give depended on the Skill's Level. The greater the difference between his Level and the target's, the higher the success rate. The more a command went against the target's will, such as 'commit suicide' or 'attack your allies,' the lower the success rate.
The vaguer the command, the more targets he could issue it to at once.
"Good, let's get out of here while we can!"
"A-are we not going to fight?"
"Of course not. Look carefully. Only the few ants at the very front have stopped moving."
To be precise, only three of them.
Behind them, dozens more ants were visible.
Once he used 'Command', he couldn't issue another command until its effects on the targets wore off.
Besides, there was no way Nishino and the others could take on that many right now.
(If Rikka were here, it might be a different story...)
If their main offensive fighter had been there, they might have been able to fight those numbers on even terms—or better.
But there was no point discussing someone who wasn't here.
"Looks like the fact that their comrades were stopped has made them wary of us."
Fortunately, the ants glared at them from inside the store but didn't try to step outside.
They must have been wary of Nishino's Skill.
Honestly, it was a relief. If they had charged at them without hesitation, it might have been the end.
(Conversely, that means they have enough intelligence to be wary of us...)
Ants were famous for being social insects.
If that same social nature applied to these monsters as well, they would be extremely troublesome opponents.
"They'll probably only stay stopped for another ten seconds at most. Let's get out of here."
"Y-yes, sir!"
Once the ants under 'Command' started moving, they would attack the group immediately.
Realizing how unfavorable the odds were, they immediately left the area.