Saiki's temple throbbed the moment Kusuke's telepathic ping hit his brain.
"We need to talk. Privately."
He sighed.
This better not be about another lab rat-sized robot.
With a blink, Kusuo vanished from the island and appeared in front of his brother, who was lounging in a ridiculous rotating chair in a room filled with screens, tech, and overpriced coffee machines.
Kusuke turned with a smirk. "So. Fill me in. Start from the asteroid thing. Make it short—I have food logistics to plan."
Kusuo mentally groaned.
He took off his gloves and tapped Kusuke's forehead.
Kusuke steepled his fingers. "So you've attracted a murderer with a death notebook, a walking nuclear bomb, a sorcerer, and a literal devil woman with a control complex."
"...Yes."
"And now you want to trap them on an island. That's your plan?"
"It was your idea," Saiki deadpanned.
Kusuke grinned. "True. And I already bought it. Along with food, water, and six fallout shelters."
Saiki raised a brow. "All of it?"
"Pfft, no. The penthouse and the island alone cost 97 billion yen—with taxes. That's one-third of my bank account." He leaned back smugly. "Though I did manipulate the salespeople. Knocked it down from 120 billion to 70. And I got a free jetski."
Saiki squinted, unimpressed.
Just earn in back.
"Anyway," Kusuke said, standing and stretching. "Get someone else to pay for the rest. I've done my good deed."
As he scrolled through a list on his phone, laughing smugly.
Saiki teleported back to the island, surrounded by chaos, half-finished structures, and Lloyd welding part of a fallout shelter like a pro.
Gojo waved lazily. "Hey, welcome back. Did big bro fund our survival?"
Saiki ignored him. "Card roulette. Volunteers: Jinwoo, Gojo, Lloyd, Senku's NASA card, Ryusui."
"Wait, wait," Gojo grinned. "Makima too, right?"
"She's done enough. I'm not suicidal."
Saiki placed the cards on a spinning wheel and gave it a spin. Gojo crossed his fingers.
Each turn came with a skip of heartbeat.
Gojo fist-pumped. "YES. FINALLY, I WIN SOMETHING."
He took his card—custom wrapped with him, Geto, and Shoko on the back, and Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara on the front.
Senku took his obviously fake NASA card labeled "Byakuya+ Platinum Tier."
"Behold: Byakuya's legacy."
Jinwoo sighed. "Do we have to do this every time?"
Lloyd just smiled and continued foolproofing the containment room.
One card was left. A black American Express.
Ryusui?
"WAIT! I PAID FOR THE PENTHOUSE LAST TIME!"
Makima also paid for that building.
Saiki adjusted his glasses. "But this time, you get to pick the food and supplies."
A beat passed.
Ryusui sparkled. "What are you waiting for? LET US VENTURE!"
Senku grinning. "He's the same when it was with me and Gen."
---
Mall
They arrived at a massive, multi-floor mega-mall. Most customers were ordinary civilians—until Ryusui broke into a full sprint and shouted, "WATER. LUXURY. ENERGY. CAPITALISM!" before vanishing into the premium aisle.
Kusuke watched him go and laughed. "He's like if a CEO was raised by fireworks."
Kusuo turned, only to freeze as two all-too-familiar voices approached.
"Saiki?" a soft, admiring voice asked.
Kusuke's head turned.
Kusuo already knew.
Teruhashi Kokomi.
And next to her—tragically—Teruhashi Makoto, flexing and glinting with delusional anime protagonist energy.
Kusuke continued talking to Kusuo, ignoring the Teruhashi siblings.
Makoto squinted at the group, then pointed at Saiki. "Hey, why are you hanging out with Four Eyes and that nerd?"
"Aniki!" Kokomi hissed.
Kusuke, holding a basket filled with overpriced cheese and tactical MREs, glanced at Makoto. "Wow. What is this? A guy with a jawline powered by a sister complex and narcissism?"
Makoto gasped. "How dare you insult my perfect sibling radiance!"
He's talking about you.
"I'm just saying," Kusuke continued, mockingly counting on his fingers, "Kusuo here has higher grades, actual friends, skills, and hasn't been arrested for stalking his sister."
Makoto gasped again. "Those charges were dropped!"
Kokomi looked increasingly mortified. "Please stop—"
Meanwhile, Ryusui was in the background stuffing carts with tanks of Fiji water, luxury beef, gourmet chocolate, sushi-grade seaweed, and two industrial freezers.
"I couldn't decide," he explained to no one. "So I bought all of it."
Metori Saiko popped in, eyeing the cart. "Are you trying to cause an economic collapse?"
Kusuo, trying to escape the madness, turned to Kokomi. She was trying to talk—but Makoto kept blocking her with declarations like, "SISTER, LET ME DEFEND YOU FROM EVIL!"
Kusuo gave her a subtle nod.
Kokomi blinked.
As they both tried to leave silently—
An enthusiastic shout echoed.
"HOHOHOHOHO! If it isn't Saiko. Metori Saiko." Ryusui smugly stated.
Metori Saiko appeared beside Ryusui, sitting in a throne carried by his lackey.
"Ryusui Nanami," he sneered, pointing an accusatory finger. "You've disgraced this entire establishment with your rabid hoarding. Have you no class?"
Ryusui paused mid-scan of a golden sushi rack. "Says the man who sits in a throne with no crown."
Saiko gasped.
"So are these," Ryusui said, kicking open a cart overflowing with products tagged "limited to royal families only."
Saiko adjusted his cufflinks, stepping closer. "You may be a self-made entrepreneur, but my legacy is generational. My name is luxury."
Ryusui raised an eyebrow. "Your name is a product, Saiko. One I've invested in."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB stick, sliding it toward Saiko with a knowing smile.
"What is this?" Saiko asked, narrowing his eyes.
Ryusui snapped his fingers.
Several holographic graphs exploded into the air, data swirling like stocks during a market crash.
"Shareholders of the Saiko Conglomerate," Ryusui explained coolly. "As of this morning, I own 70% of your company's stocks. I bought out your overseas investors. Consolidated the shares into a trust under my name—with 90%."
A moment of stunned silence.
Ryusui stepped closer, eyes glinting. "I don't just own you, Saiko. I own your father's retirement plan. And your private jet."
Saiko stammered, sweat forming. "T-That's... hostile acquisition!"
"Capitalism," Ryusui whispered. "You lose if you blink."
And then, to twist the dagger, Ryusui waved to a mall attendant.
"I'll take the whole mall."
The man blinked. "E-Excuse me?"
Ryusui flashed a titanium bank card embedded with an ancient coin.
"Buy. It. All."
The mall manager sprinted out of a back office with a pre-filled contract.
Papers signed. Digital locks changed. Ryusui turned, arms wide like a conductor finishing a symphony.
"Welcome to the Nanami Estate Mall. Enjoy your stay."
Saiko collapsed to his knees.
"Father will hear of this..."
In the background, Fiji water waterfalls installed themselves into every corner. Ryusui passed Saiko without a second glance.
"You may dress like money," he said coolly, "but I am money. You have not yet grasped what desire truly is."
Ryusui left Saiko in shambles.
Kokomi whispered, "Let's get out of here."
Well, we're too late.
They turned.
Kusuke laughed. "Let's go, Kusuo."
Gotta go. Maybe next time.
Makoto collapsed on the floor, sobbing dramatically while being dragged off by mall security. "GET BACK HERE, YOU EVIL MEN!"
Kokomi stared, defeated. "I don't know them," she whispered.
Ryusui, Kusuke, and Kusuo left the mall. Kusuke stayed behind. Ryusui and Kusuo returned to the island.
---
Outside the Penthouse
"Man, I'm so tired," Subaru said, stretching.
Kazuma walked beside him. "Well, yeah, we surfed all day long after all."
Saiki and Ryusui arrived with 20 supply trucks.
Kazuma and Subaru's eyes sparkled.
"No way. SUSHI! Not just the normal kind, but all kinds of them," Subaru said, caressing the food.
Kazuma stuffed his mouth with ice cream. "Man, I've missed this, after being poor with no concept of ice cream in another world."
He started crying.
Rudeus joined them.
Saiki spoke with Lloyd about building a refrigerator the size of a building.
Rudeus eyed the Fiji and Voss water. "Um, Saiki? I can make dams of water with magic. My mana pool's enormous."
Ryusui, unsurprised: "It's just 3 million yen. Those are temporary until we get high-quality ingredients François can cook with."
Megumin yelled, "EXPLOSION!"
A crater appeared. Saiki sighed and rewound time with a finger twitch.
"Idiot."
Good grief. I'm still the babysitter here after all.
He panned to the coffee jelly in an open truck, his face blank.
It's not so bad.
Saiki ended the day with coffee jelly.
---
End.