Chapter 37 - Eco-Friendly Power Generation
The fact that there were other survivors besides themselves—people they could actually talk to—gave the students at the high school a tremendous sense of hope.
It was like a single thread dangling into the hell known as this world.
So it was no surprise that they became desperate to maintain the radio connection and figure out a way to generate electricity.
“So yeah, we need to come up with a way to generate power. For now, we're planning to secure an emergency generator on our next expedition, but we can’t rely on that forever.”
Electricity was still running for the time being, but it would surely stop before long.
That said, building an actual power plant wasn’t an option.
They needed something they could start making right now, and something that didn’t require fuel.
“Then wouldn’t natural energy be the way to go?”
“Hydropower’s not gonna cut it—there’s not enough current in the river out back.”
“Solar… we don’t have any panels, huh.”
“Which leaves wind power, I guess.”
Wind power.
One reason it hadn't taken off in Japan was the lack of flat land.
But if it was just enough to power the radio, even a small setup might be sufficient.
“Building a generator’s gonna take time, so even if we’re using something else in the meantime, how are we supposed to build a wind turbine?”
“We might have to use the steel plates in the tech room. If that’s the case, it’ll be tricky.”
“What about stuff like frying pans? Or bowls and things like that?”
“It might be tough, but let’s at least give it a try. Let's test both hydropower and wind power. Okay—Takumi-senpai, Kazuma-senpai, and Jun-senpai, try working with the steel plates. Shouda-senpai, Daiki, and I will test out the bowl-shaped version. Ryuu and Daiki, look around for anything that could work as a dynamo. Tsubasa-senpai and Seiji-senpai, you’re on waterwheel duty.”
“Wait… now that I think about it, where are the girls?”
Daiki looked around as he said this.
In the spacious meeting room, there wasn’t a single girl in sight.
“…They’re all on the radio.”
Takumi answered bitterly.
“Misa-chan, what kind of food do you like?”
"Umm, let’s see... omurice!"
That answer sparked a wave of excited squeals.
Next, Hazuki asked a question.
“Th-then, what food do you hate?”
Umm, tomatoes and... green peppers… but I can eat them all anyway!"
Another round of delighted cheers rang out.
“…”
Yuuki watched the group making all that noise with a face like she was observing aliens from another planet.
“What even is a dynamo?”
“Umm, well, a dynamo is…”
Meanwhile, Ryuu and Rei had stayed behind in the meeting room to search for a dynamo, but the moment Ryuu admitted he didn’t know what a dynamo was, Rei had no choice but to explain.
“…So basically, to sum it up, it’s a mechanism used to generate electricity…”
“I see.”
“...Did you understand that?”
“Not at all.”
Rei let out a heavy sigh and sat down next to Ryuu.
“Still, wind power’s a pain. When I heard ‘generate electricity,’ I figured it just meant pedaling a bike or something…”
“—! Ryuu, what did you just say!?”
“Huh? I said pedaling a bike…”
“That’s it! Hahaha, why didn’t I think of that?!”
“Okay, what’s gotten into you?”
“You know how a bike light turns on when you pedal, right? That means it has a dynamo in it! That’s our dynamo, right there!”
“Ohh! Then let’s go grab one right now!”
The two of them burst out of the meeting room at a full sprint.
“Alright then, for now, let’s look for something bowl-shaped or the like.”
As Tooru searched for a container-like object, Shinji watched him with cold, detached eyes.
Why wasn’t he the one in command?
Originally, the leadership of this community should naturally belong to him—the student council president.
And yet, someone else, a first-year, no less, was the one taking charge. How ridiculous.
He was the one truly suited for it.
He alone—
No, wait.
If he thought about it even a little, it would be obvious.
Looking back at history, it was crystal clear what needed to be done.
He just needed to plan a takeover.
In other words, it was a coup.
He just had to torment this guy in front of him until he was dead and take the top spot himself.
This world was survival of the fittest. And lawless.
He needed to gather allies.
He needed to gather weapons.
Here it was again.
He tended to rush things too much.
Even if he staged a coup, there was no guarantee that Tooru’s subordinates would quietly follow him.
They might resist clumsily and he could end up dead.
If that happened, it would be truly ridiculous.
Those who rule by force are ruled by force.
In other words, force wasn’t the answer.
He had to use intelligence.
He would get rid of Tooru as naturally as possible and take the top spot.
That meant making it look like an accident.
But would such an opportunity ever arise?
…There was.
The shopping district expedition.
He would somehow manage to kill Tooru then.
Or feed him to the zombies.
If that happens, it was certain he'd rise to the top.
He must devise a plan.
It was a meticulous plan.
Without anyone noticing or suspecting, he would deliver a natural death.
This was a trial.
His abilities were being tested.
…That cocky little first-year shouldn’t get ahead of himself.