Everyone except Momo was ready for battle.
Hiding in a street corner, Kaito quietly gave instructions, assigning each person to attack specific targets.
Sephie began chanting a spell, gathering three small fireballs in her hand, aiming at three enemies, ready to strike.
Mikoto pulled out several silver coins she had found in this world, preparing to throw them. Misuzu was holding a fruit knife they had found at the small supermarket, also ready to throw.
After they had truly taken aim, Kaito made an attacking gesture. The four of them stepped out from the street and were immediately spotted by those keeping watch around.
They raised their guns to shoot, but Kaito's group was faster.
Kaito, in particular, flicked his wrist, and two rock throwing knives hit the enemies about to fire. The three women's attacks also struck their targets, killing them instantly.
"Enemies!!!"
The few survivors immediately stopped cleaning up the battlefield, dropped the guns and ammo they were picking up, and swung the guns slung on their backs to the front, preparing to shoot.
Unfortunately, they were too late, too slow.
Kaito took out rock throwing knives he had pre-placed in his pocket and threw them quickly. The enemies couldn't even aim before they were killed.
Only the last one was hit in the arm. Kaito quickly ran over and kicked him hard in the most painful spot.
!!!!!
"Ugh ah—"
"Behave!"
Bang—!
Without waiting for him to scream and try anything else, Kaito grabbed his arm and performed a shoulder throw, then tore off his gas mask.
Well, none of them were wearing protective suits. Their clothing seemed to be made from pieces cut from ordinary protective suits sewn onto their clothes, and they only wore gas masks.
"Le-let go of me!!"
Bang—!
Kaito grabbed his head and slammed it hard onto the ground, immediately drawing blood.
After dazing him, Kaito let him go and tore a strip of cloth from his clothes to tightly bind his hands.
"All of you, keep watch around. Be careful."
Kaito pulled the man behind a wrecked car and began interrogating him.
"Tell me, which gang are you from? How many people do you have? Where is your location?"
"..."
Well, he was still in pain.
But Kaito had no patience. He punched him hard in the gut and asked again.
"Speak quickly. If you don't, believe me, you'll experience something worse than death."
"...Cough... If I talk, will you let me go?"
"Sure. Even if you survive, you're no threat to me. Even if you go back to report, I plan on coming to find you anyway."
...
This middle-aged man, bleeding from the mouth, was speechless.
This young man was truly ruthless. And from what he saw earlier, this group was clearly a team of Espers!
Who else could just throw rock knives around for fun?
He had seen Espers before!
"I'll talk, I'll talk!"
"We're from the Wuming City United Chamber of Commerce! I was just a bodyguard for one of the bosses. Later, several big bosses and some underground forces banded together!"
"We have about 300 people. We're currently in the original... the original official underground shelter of Wuming City!"
'The original official underground shelter?'
Alright, Kaito understood. They had seized it.
"Where did you get these guns?"
"That I don't know. Some were obtained from the police, others were secretly collected by people from underground forces a long time ago..."
"Oh? Then who were you just fighting?"
"They were... were the original official people..."
"You're not joking?"
"Hehe... The whole world is in chaos. Everyone is claiming territory. Because of the nuclear weapons, everything is shattered! No cities can contact each other!"
"Haven't you tried leaving the city?"
"We tried long ago. But outside... once you get on the highway, there are countless mutated creatures. Not just animals, but plants! And even aliens!"
"Aliens" probably referred to the ferocious beasts, those that had evolved to a boss level due to mutation.
Hearing this, Kaito frowned.
'We had come from the countryside via the highway to this city. It wasn't that dangerous, right?'
'Or had the system protected us earlier, safely delivering us to the city?'
...
That mutated cow was indeed strong, but the mutated dogs, cats, and such in the city were much easier to handle.
"Do the mutated creatures from the forests come here regularly?"
"???"
This time the man was stunned.
"I stayed too long in the underground shelter. I ran out of supplies, so I came out."
He understood.
This excuse sounded far-fetched, but it was passable.
At least their base had stored a large amount of food and water, enough to survive for another six months!
Don't ask how, just know that every city in this country had prepared large grain reserves early on!
"Every night... those mutated creatures come into the city to gnaw on corpses... and they can even smell human scent to attack..."
"And during the full moon, they all go berserk, launching a beast-tide-like assault, frantically searching for our shelter!"
"Of course, if it's well hidden, they still can't find it. But some mutated creatures have very keen noses. The more people living in a shelter, the easier it is to be found."
Kaito listened to this information silently, thinking, 'Just as I expected.'
"Then... the function of the crystals? Do you know?"
"???"
'What?'
The man was stunned again, but the blood in his mouth quickly cleared his mind. Still, he looked at Kaito in disbelief.
'He clearly had superpowers himself, yet he didn't know the function of the crystals?'
"Don't waste my time. Speak."
"...Crystals, crystals can improve our physical condition. There's even a very low probability of awakening superpowers!!"
"Oh? Then what grade is a fist-sized crystal? What about a soccer ball-sized one?"
"..."
"A fist-sized crystal, we tentatively call it a first-grade crystal. One crystal can grant about a 1% increase. You can feel it in your strength. 100 crystals can push us past human limits, allowing us to lift twice the weight!"
"What about a soccer ball-sized one?"
"Th-that's a third-grade crystal! One can surpass human limits!!"
Sssshhhh—!
After questioning, Kaito ultimately killed him.
For no other reason, he knew the principle of eliminating the root cause. There were only a few of them now, and they were weak. If he didn't kill him, could he afford to be tracked down?