Chapter 19

Piers asked the purple-haired woman to lead the way, clearing the path ahead as he moved forward.

Seeing Piers fearlessly take the lead and dispatch any zombies in their path, the woman grew curious about this reliable yet dangerous man. For now, he was the only one who could save her students.

Finally, under her guidance, Piers arrived at a classroom labeled College Life Department. The purple-haired woman knocked and called out, and the door opened.

Inside were three girls—but Piers' eyes immediately locked onto just one.

She wore a cat-eared hat, her pink hair catching his attention. More importantly, she was noticeably smaller than the other two girls.

Piers inwardly grimaced: This definitely qualifies as a "loli" body type. Age was obvious—this was high school, so they had to be at least sixteen.

When the purple-haired woman entered, the three girls burst into tears of relief and threw themselves into her arms.

"It's so good to see you, Sister Ci! You're safe!" said one of the long-haired girls.

"Yes, it's such a relief," chimed the girl with twin ponytails.

"But who's this foreigner?" The long-haired girl eyed Piers suspiciously.

The woman called Sister Ci explained, "This gentleman came here looking for someone. Fortunately, he's strong enough to protect me on the way."

The three girls glanced behind them at the zombies they'd escaped, clearly impressed by the man's strength.

Piers hadn't been paying attention to their conversation—his eyes were fixed on the pink-haired girl.

Finally, Sister Ci realized Piers hadn't introduced himself and said, "Thank you, sir. May I ask your name?" She looked at him nervously, sensing his intense focus on her student.

"Piers. Piers Nivans. Just call me Piers," he replied flatly, still staring at the girl.

"I'm Ci Sakura," the woman said, introducing the others: "They are Wakasa Yuri, Kefei Susawa Walnut, and Jousan Yuki."

Noticing Piers' unwavering gaze at Yuki, Sister Ci asked with concern, "Mr. Piers, do you know Yuki?"

At that moment, time seemed to pause.

Suddenly, a glowing orb appeared in front of Piers.

"God? You're a ball of light?" Piers asked, knowing only a divine being could cause such a phenomenon.

"No, just a temporary form. You'll get used to it," the voice said.

"So, why are you here?"

"To help you."

"Help me how?"

"I can alter the memories of the person you're focusing on, so they believe you're a relative—an older brother, perhaps."

"Wait, you want to turn me into her brother? Isn't this your fault to begin with?!" Piers said, incredulous, even a carefree god could ruffle his temper.

"Well, do you want my help or not?"

Piers considered the offer. In this world, nothing comforted people more than family ties.

"All right, I'll try. Make me her brother."

"Done. But be warned: there are side effects. I can't fully join this world myself, nor permanently alter memories. The change is temporary."

"When she recovers, she'll realize you're not really family. I don't know what will happen then. Are you willing to risk it?"

Piers weighed the risks, then nodded.

"Goodbye, and I hope you find the key to passing customs soon."

Time flowed again.

Piers answered Sister Ci, "I'm Yuki's brother. I came here to find her."

Piers couldn't help but think, God isn't exactly reliable.

"Brother!" Yuki jumped into his arms like a real sister, seeking comfort.

Of course, Piers had his own way with the loli-type—just a gentle hand and soothing presence could calm her.

Holding Yuki, Piers thought of his two comrades, Nursery Rhymes and Jack.

I'll definitely come back for you. Wait for me.

The reunion made the others happy, but Yuri grew silent, thinking of her own sister.

"Well, congratulations on reuniting," she said softly. "Mr. Piers, I hope you can help us clear the campus—at least enough to make it safe."

"Of course. I'll do it for Yuki."

Over the next few hours, Piers and the four others cleared zombies from the school grounds. Walnut even joined the fight, wielding a shovel.

"It's good to see your courage, Walnut," Piers said with a nod.

"Nothing compared to Mr. Piers," Walnut replied with admiration, watching him wield dual blades with deadly precision.

After hours of fighting, the campus was finally cleared—but the bodies still needed disposing to prevent disease and mosquitoes.

"Let's handle that tomorrow morning. It's late now," Piers suggested.

"Agreed. Let's return to the College Life Department."

Back inside, the five cleaned up and settled down to rest.

Later, Sister Ci approached Piers quietly.

"Thank you, Mr. Piers. Because of you, the students and I are reunited and safe."

"It's nothing. I just want to find Yuki. This is my responsibility."

"Sister Ci" looked worried. "What are your plans next? Will you leave us here? Some of the others might still be out there."

Piers understood her concern and reassured her, "Don't worry. Yuki and I have no family elsewhere. I won't drag her into danger. I plan to build a stronghold here—to save more people."

"That's very reassuring, Mr. Piers," Sister Ci said, leaning on his shoulder. "Could I... just lean on you for a while?"

Seeing this rare moment of vulnerability, Piers smiled. "Of course. You can rely on me as long as you want."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

That was their first night in this world—in the past.