"You'd betray Makima-san like this too?"
Hayakawa Aki, who had heard everything clearly from the kitchen, walked out slowly with a bowl of beef ramen in hand. Without even glancing at Denji, he picked up his chopsticks and began eating with his head lowered.
"I could never betray Makima-san. Not even if she let me grope her." Denji's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the window, his voice slightly shaky.
...Truth be told, he wasn't entirely free of thoughts of betraying Makima-san.
When he saw Kafka, Himeko, Serval, Cocolia, Bronya, and the others, wicked thoughts had naturally crossed his mind. But the Celestial Screen was just that, a screen. You could see it, but you couldn't touch it. So, compared to that, Makima-san, who patted his head every now and then, was clearly the better option.
"Really? But if you're willing to betray Makima, I'll be generous and let you grope me." Power grinned mischievously, puffing out her chest proudly. What usually seemed unremarkable now unexpectedly drew his attention.
...Power, was she always this big?
Denji gulped subconsciously.
"If you let me do it now..."
"Sure, Denji." Power cut off his hesitation, her cute face finally revealing a hint of demonic wickedness. "As long as you're willing to be my lackey from now on and betray that woman Makima... then go ahead."
"—But, Denji, you better grope me with gratitude."
Hayakawa Aki massaged his forehead, the beef noodles in his mouth suddenly tasting bland and unappetizing. He couldn't take it anymore.
...These two idiots.
Denji's heart pounded like a war drum, his trembling hands inching forward like a soldier crawling across a battlefield. With each heavy breath, he finally touched Power's clothes, only for two thick pads to tumble out from inside.
In an instant, the giant pomelo had shrunk to a tiny tangerine.
"AAAAAH—!"
Amidst the anguished wail, Denji stood petrified on the spot.
"This is the truth of women, Denji."
Power wore a smug expression of triumph. "Your beloved Kafka is probably just like me. How could a normal human grow that big? Groping me or her wouldn't be much different, maybe she's a padding demon from hell or something."
——
["About to become prisoners again... I've noticed this happens once every three worlds." March 7th sighed in resignation, as if finally seeing reality for what it was.]
["That's because you always act on impulse without any planning."]
["I can grow too! Right now, I'm thinking of a plan... a plan... got it!" March 7th suddenly had an idea and looked toward an empty alley nearby, the very same area previously corrupted by the Fragmentum, now a forbidden zone for Belobog citizens.]
["I see. That is indeed a feasible plan." Dan Heng responded swiftly. "Stelle, March, get ready to run."]
[March looked surprised. "Huh? Really? I was just saying that offhand..."]
["Three of a kind—" Dan Heng suddenly spoke.]
["Huh? Word chain? Now?" Stelle instinctively continued]
["Shh! It's the Express crew's old code. When we count to one, you run with us!" March 7th whispered conspiratorially.]
["Two pair—"]
["Ace!"]
[The moment the words left their mouths, Dan Heng reflexively pressed March 7th's head down. In the next instant, Stelle's baton materialized in her hands, and she swung it at the head of a Silvermane Guard behind them!]
[Chaos erupted instantly. As the guards around Bronya moved to surround them, Dan Heng's spear swept low, knocking seven or eight soldiers off their feet. The rest, realizing they couldn't catch up, raised their guns, only for their weapons to be frozen solid by March 7th's ice.]
["Nyahaha~ First jump wins, everyone!"]
[Before diving into the Fragmentum, March 7th even stuck out a mocking tongue at them.]
[With a few "whooshing" sounds, the trio from the Express vanished completely into the alley.]
"That was some nice teamwork. If only we could coordinate that well when fighting Sukuna..."
Kusakabe Atsuya lit the cigarette in his mouth, a fleeting look of envy in his eyes before he sighed deeply. "If none of us can work together, I might end up being the only one left to fight Sukuna."
"Pessimism is pointless. It's not like you can actually invite the Express crew to fight Sukuna for us," Okkotsu Yuuta reminded him.
"Pfft, if I could... I wouldn't be sighing here. I'd be home sleeping by now." Kusakabe plopped down on the stairs, the smoke from his cigarette drifting like his worries.
Thinking about Himeko's orbital cannon and Mr. Yang's pseudo-black hole...
First, hit Sukuna with a long-range orbital strike. No carbon-based lifeform could survive that, right? Sukuna was currently using Fushiguro Megumi's body, even if he didn't die, he'd be crippled. March 7th's freezing abilities were probably similar to Uraume's and could come in handy. Then, follow up with Mr. Yang's black hole—
"Daydreaming?" Ieiri Shoko waved a hand in front of Kusakabe's face. "What's on your mind?"
Only then did Kusakabe realize the cigarette at his lips had burned out.
Stubbing the butt under his foot, he slowly stood up.
"Nothing... Just a little pre-battle fantasy, I guess."
["Pela exclaimed, 'They charged inside!'"]
["Beside her, Bronya's eyes widened in shock. 'They actually rushed into the Fragmentum on their own... Either they're overconfident or suicidal. It seems the Supreme Guardian's judgment was correct...'"]
["'Should we report them as missing or deceased?' Pela asked."]
["After a moment of hesitation, Bronya decided to continue the pursuit. 'No. The Supreme Guardian's orders are to capture the criminals. We can't abandon the chase just because they fled into a restricted zone. Dead or alive, I must see it for myself.'"]
["'The only thing I can do now is eliminate the threats to Beloborg.'"]
[Meanwhile, March 7th and the others had successfully shaken off the Silvermane Guards and arrived in an unfamiliar alley within Beloborg. The alley was eerily silent, populated only by Fragmentum creations.]
["'Hah! See? They didn't follow us in! We're free!' March 7th gloated. 'Serves them right! Try catching us in another few hundred years!'"]
["'The Silvermane Guards were just caught off guard. They'll regroup and pursue soon enough. For now, let's keep moving forward.' Dan Heng, now calm, scanned their surroundings and pointed toward an empty corridor ahead."]