Just realized that the chapter failed to post here for some reason after several hours.
18k words, knowing Webnovel, I'll need to split it... LEMON WARNING in 16.2!
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-Tokonosu-
He held no real hope of ever reclaiming his favorite spear. Cu had accepted that truth the moment he learned this world lacked any trace of a Mage's Association or that the legends were just stories. Even if there existed some similar organization, given the presence of supernatural beings and tangible magical energy, he had no inkling of where to begin looking. His parents certainly didn't have the wealth to fund a round trip across the globe in search of a fairy tale spear. And in truth, he could never find a compelling, and sane, reason to embark on such a quest in the first place.
So he mourned quietly for what was, in many ways, his closest companion. Gae Bolg had been by his side through the worst of storms and the brightest of days, loyal as breath and heartbeat. He made his peace with its loss, even if the ache lingered. Unless he somehow attempted to recreate the weapon himself, though, even then, the thought was little more than a passing fantasy. Even if he could secure the bones of that monster, he had no idea how that old hag had forged it to begin with. He should have asked her to teach him the process when he had the chance.
The notion almost made him laugh. The likelihood of acquiring the right materials was slim, and even with the proper knowledge to replicate such a weapon and weave it with rune magic, the most he could manage would be to strengthen and prolong the life of whatever weapons he already owned.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Whether I should just dive into the ocean and go hunting after some demonic sea monsters, rip out their bones, and try forging a new spear from scratch. If that doesn't work, maybe I could hunt down some ash wood or any kind of enchanted wood tied to Yggdrasil and just use that instead."
"…The hell?" Igou, who'd apparently been listening in, was clearly at a loss. "Are you seriously drunk after just one can? You sound like you're quoting a game manual or something. I know I kind of grabbed you by the collar to get you out here, but did it rattle your head that badly, Cu?" The answer left his mouth without a hint of hesitation; he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that Igou's comment barely even registered—which, really, wouldn't have changed his answer anyway.
Still, the boy was right. Trying to recreate the spear exactly, especially now when he had far more urgent matters to deal with, was pure nonsense. Still, the thought clawed at him. Damn it, why couldn't that spear have been reborn alongside him? Then again, his mother might have fainted dead away if she'd found the newborn him clutching a miniature Gae Bolg.
Though his answer ended up weirding out his friend enough that the guy tried to take away his drink. "Wait a minute, I'm not drunk! I just had one can! Don't take it away from me!" he shouted, snapping out of his thoughts and glaring at the boy in front of him. "Don't use my behavior as an excuse to hoard all the good stuff for yourself."
"I'm not an alcoholic like you," replied Igou while giving him a small smile. "But I will admit, with everything that's going on, I can't help but want to drown myself with some alcohol from time to time. To forget the chaos and just briefly relieve what was basically life yesterday, early morning, where the biggest thing I had to worry about was whether or not I studied enough for the upcoming test."
"Careful going down that line of thought. I've seen plenty of young men like you say something like that, only to end up drunk around the clock a few years later, unable to go an hour without pouring that poison down their throat." His tone carried the weight of experience, the kind of voice that had seen the cycle repeat too many times to count. "Granted, most of them were dealing with trauma after surviving battlefields where blood never stopped spilling, watching more friends than they could name die right in front of them. But still, the chance is always there."
"All right, all right," Igo relented, letting the cans fall to the floor with a dull clink before dropping onto the sofa beside him. They sat in silence for a moment, both turning their attention to the television. Against all odds, the news channel continued to broadcast.
[The number of deaths and infected rises each day. Current estimates indicate that more than fifty percent of the global population has had contact with the unknown virus, with the percentage increasing steadily. As of seven hours ago, the Japan Defense Network reports that Tokyo's central wards remain in darkness. Saitama has also shifted to red after multiple breaches. Sendai is also confirmed to be black following the complete failure of all evacuation efforts, with the grey designation about to be given any moment for now, and the northern coastline of Hokkaido is now officially classified as grey — neutralised.]
The anchorwoman delivering the update looked like she hadn't slept in days. Distrust shadowed her expression. Her pale skin and the faint tremor in her voice told their own story. A mess of disorganized papers littered the desk before her, and the camera caught glimpses of crew members behind her, their faces drawn and tense. Every person in that room was hanging on by a thread.
[The JSDF has clarified they are doing everything in their power to rescue as many civilians as possible. Those who can hear us, if you are currently living inside an area designed as black… yo-you are advised to leave the area before it has been neutralised.]
Red and black, huh… the only green area in the entire country was Okinawa. Every survivor would definitely try to make their way over there or avoid large cities as much as possible and live in the middle of nowhere.
"Is this the only news channel we have?" he asked Igo, a trace of frustration in his voice. He wanted to know what was happening in other countries, especially his hometown. The boy only shook his head.
"The other channels are dead. You saw what happened to some of the news stations already. The infection infiltrated the facility somehow, even turning their own staff into the creatures while they were on the air. It's a miracle this one's still running. I think they're inside a military zone, which is probably the only reason we still get a live feed. Hey, look at this. Might be worth seeing."
Igo froze the frame on a wide shot of Japan, its prefectures marked in stark, ominous colors. Tokyo and Osaka suddenly changed in real time, now washed in lifeless grey. Other regions were marked in green, yellow, red, black, and grey.
Yellow, being not as safe as green, he figured, but still having plenty of zombies roaming around.
"Some places managed to hold on, not falling into complete chaos. What surprises me is Tokonosu being marked red."
A red zone. From everything he had seen so far, nothing there hinted at any semblance of order or safety. Then again, perhaps the outbreak hadn't yet reached wherever the survivors were barricaded.
"With how things are right now, it's only a matter of time before it turns black. You think they're going to nuke this place?"
"What gives you that idea that it will happen? We still don't know about the overall situation here, but there are definitely survivors." Cu asked, raising an eyebrow but not outright dismissing it.
"Think of it like this. Why waste resources on areas that can't be saved? Sure, a red zone might mean there are still survivors fighting back, but eventually, it all gets too overwhelming and turns into a black zone. Rather than sit around and watch it spiral, the military might decide it's better to stop the infection from spilling over into the safer zones. And the quickest way to do that is to wipe it out completely. Not like they are afraid of public backlash anymore, they would be more focused on just containing the spread and killing as many of them as possible." He added, each word making the atmosphere in the room turn cold.
The more he listened, the more weight he had to give to the idea, yet without solid confirmation, he could not commit to it. "Our best bet would be… the nearest yellow zone. Honestly, the other path that could lead to a good outcome for us is to reclaim control of this city slowly."
As soon as that idea was proposed, Igou started to laugh bitterly.
"Hahaha… Come on, Cu, this place has more than a million people. Let's say, best-case scenario, half of them died outright without even turning into zombies; that still leaves a staggering number for us to deal with. Even with a hundred of us armed to the teeth, we could never hope to wipe them out. We'd run out of ammunition and supplies long before we made it halfway through the horde."
Though the man was right, the plan had never relied on shooting the undead down in their entirety. Cu had been speaking aloud more to himself than to anyone else, yet even then, the flaws in his thinking were evident. Every hour and every resource spent clearing the streets could instead have been used to evacuate the living, to shield them from the endless tide. Even with his training, his runes, and every skill at his disposal, he was still just one man. To achieve all of that without losing a single life would demand a miracle, and fortune and reality had never favored him in that regard.
"What a mess," he muttered, letting the words slip as he took another swig from his beer. The taste was flat on his tongue, the fizz doing little to quiet the edge in his nerves. "By the way, where are the others?"
After his rescue by the group, they had been forced to hole up in one of the empty houses. The place was larger than expected — four rooms, a garage, even two floors. At one time, without the city in its current state, this could have been the home of a well-off family. The framed photographs on the walls where he shook the hands of several familiar faces hinted at a politician's life. Not that it mattered, whoever it was, that man most likely already turned or died by the hands of the undead when it started.
"Takashi's up on the balcony, keeping an eye out. The girls took the kid to get her cleaned up. Not that she's likely feeling much better after almost getting speared and then nearly trampled by a horde. Who knows when she last had a real rest. But honestly, what kind of psycho throws a spear at a child? And to do it with that kind of force and aim? That's not normal." He shook his head, brow furrowed; it was like he only now realized what he'd actually seen, and his mind was struggling to pin it down. "Wait. You were outrunning the car, too. Hold on. That… That wasn't just adrenaline, was it? At the time, I was too busy worrying about being eaten alive to think about it, but now…"
His words started coming faster, eyes narrowing on Cu as though trying to puzzle out some secret. He took a small step back, clearly piecing together some half-formed idea in his head.
"Don't tell me you got bitten before we left and now it's catching up to you, turning you into some kind of superhuman before you go full zombie. Maybe it knocked out your limiter, that's why you were running circles around me and tossing things like it's nothing. As cool as that is, don't come any closer, you soon-to-be zomb—ugh!"
He didn't get to finish. An empty beer can sailed across the room and clocked him right on the forehead.
"I ain't bitten, you eejit." Cu's voice was sharp, all irritation. "Normally I'd strip down so you could check for yourself, but the only people who get to see me in my birthday suit are my parents, my teacher, my wife, and… well, honestly, any beautiful woman who's interested."
He doubted a bite would even turn him into an undead. Not like the infection was just the virus without some supernatural element accelerating the rate of transformation to such an unnatural degree.
As for it granting him or anyone strength? He just found that highly unlikely.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! You didn't have to go that far, you know?" he complained, rubbing the sore spot on his forehead. The sting lingered for a moment before fading beneath a faint grin. Both of them chuckled at first, the sound restrained, but it grew steadily louder until their laughter filled the room. It carried on for a while, the tension bleeding away in those brief moments of levity, until they finally calmed. Cu exhaled slowly, his hand drifting to the back of his neck where he began to knead away the stiffness before cracking it.
"Kind of ironic," he said, voice carrying a weary amusement, "that I keep finding myself in the same conversation, in the same situation, for the third time in less than two days. To make it simpler and so I don't have to keep repeating myself to each of you one at a time… I'll explain everything once we're all in the same room."
He came to the same conclusion in a matter of moments — it was pointless to keep his ability to use runecraft, or any of his other skills, a secret. All it would do was guarantee more headaches down the line, with misunderstandings piling up and making everything a thousand times worse.
"Goddamn it, man, the way you're saying that so seriously is making me nervous. It's like you're about to tell us you've got cancer, or you made a deal with some supernatural thing that gave you all this power, or maybe you injected yourself with some top-secret serum that's actually the cause of people turning into zombi—ouch!" His theory was cut short when another empty can smacked against his head.
The former Servant of the Spear rolled his eyes. "You've been watching far too many films lately. I can promise you my explanation won't be anywhere near as ridiculous as the things you just rattled off."
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The conversation continued for a few more exchanges before Cu decided to head upstairs. He found Takashi leaning against the cold metal railing of the balcony, binoculars pressed to his eyes as he scanned the streets below. He stepped up beside him, matching his posture, and let his gaze fall on the horde filling the road like a slow-moving, restless tide.
"Doesn't look like their numbers have gone down at all," the blue-haired man observed, watching the group of corpses trying to push through the gates.
"Worse," Takashi replied, lowering the binoculars with a frown. "They've grown. I'd say there are at least a few hundred more than there were this morning." His voice carried a tension that made the air between them heavier. "Doesn't seem like things will be any better by dawn. It would have been convenient if we had waited to clear them up or, at the very least, reduce their numbers. Driving that car through them again would ruin it completely and stop us in the middle of the horde."
"They're drawn to sound," Cu explained quietly. "Their sight's the first thing to go once they're bitten and turned. And your group's not exactly subtle… especially in a quiet neighborhood like this." He lifted a finger to his lips, motioning Takashi to hold his tongue, then pointed downward. Far below, the faint sound of the girls speaking to Alice drifted upward, followed by some strange moans from Rei, which were nearly lost to the distance.
"When there's no other noise, when even a pin hitting the floor would carry, the act is similar to turning on a faucet and bring them to the source. It's strange… their hearing doesn't seem to deteriorate at all. I'm not sure if it's normal human hearing or if it's been sharpened somehow. Even us talking right now is probably within their range." His gaze stayed on the horde as he continued. "That's why it's best to wait until everyone's asleep. Then they might scatter, like they did back at the school."
Takashi was quiet for a moment before asking, "If you don't mind me asking, are you and Rei now officially… together?"
The question was finally asked, and an uneasy weight settled over the Irishman. He shifted in place, his shoulders carrying a tension that had not been there moments ago. As much as he wanted to help Takashi and Igou, things had, in his humble opinion, into a shitshow..
At first, he meant to stay out of all this, a bystander, just watching the drama unfold between the three of them, maybe poking fun at their endless pussyfooting. But somehow, without really noticing or maybe just ignoring the more obvious signs, he'd maneuvered himself right into the middle of it. And now here he was, tangled up in the mess he'd been so sure he'd just observe from a distance.
"I'm sorry, lad," he said honestly, deciding to just be serious for this moment. It wasn't the moment for sharp wit or half-smiles with teasing. "You might think my words are hollow, or that I'm just some bastard who went after Rei while telling you to have more confidence to win her heart. Like I was doing all of this like some sick joke. But I swear to you, I didn't plan for that to happen."
"Hard to believe," came the reply, with Takashi neither looking angered — just gloomy, "when she jumped on you and kissed you in front of everyone."
Cu gave a small, tired sigh under his breath. This day seemed determined to herd him into one uncomfortable talk after another, and there was no chance of sidestepping this one. "Aye, that she did. We were close, good friends, bound by a shared love for soujutsu. That's how I saw it. At most, there was a master-and-student sort of thing goin' on that I quite liked. I meant to stay on the sidelines, to see whether you or Igou would win her heart. Then, before I knew it, I'd stumbled over the finish line. You've every right to hate me. I wouldn' fault you for it, and I know no apology will make it sit any better."
The beer did little to lighten his mood; a cigarette would help. Too bad there were none in the house, and he forgot to get a few packs from the convenience store. 'Hopefully Simon is still alive, would like to meet the fella again.'
"I don't hate you. I think I don't. I'm not sure." Takashi's gaze dropped, his voice softer now. "Even if it hadn't been you, it would have been Igou, I learned he was going after her during the summer break. Things between me and Rei have been… rocky for a while."
"I'll add this much," Cu said, tilting his head slightly. "The girl can be a bit difficult to get along with, from time to time. Don't pile all the blame on yourself."
"Yet I never saw the two of you argue. Hold on… does that mean you and Saeko are also—"
Immediately seeing where this conversation was heading, Cu cut the thought short with a quick wave of his hand. "Get that idea out of your head, lad. I've only dealt with that woman a handful of times, and while we do get on well because I understand her in certain ways. And while I do tend to tease her a bit from time to time, she knows it and doesn't take it seriously. Saeko's not interested in me like that. She's more… um, interested in crossing blades again and finding that battle rush, you could say. If you've got an interest in her, then don't let me stop you."
Takashi's eyes widened, and a cough escaped before he could speak. "What? That's not why I was asking—"
Cu's grin was sudden and sharp. He clapped the boy's back with a knowing glint in his eye. "Don't play coy with me. We both know she's a striking lass with a figure with ass and tits that could turn heads from here to Kyoto. What's the phrase… Ah, I remember it from one of Kyoko's books. A Yamato Nadeshiko who knows how to fight. She's like the perfect partner in both looks and temperament, isn't she? And I've no doubt she brews a fine cup of tea. Let me give you a bit of advice — if you want to win her over, you'd better be ready to meet her on the battlefield and knock off a few skulls. That's sure to catch her eye."
His comments just ended up making Takashi grow redder, avoiding his gaze while looking more and more guilty. These reactions only serve to affirm Cu's comment on his guess about him having a crush on the swordswoman.
"Alright, let's just drop it. Something tells me you wouldn't believe me even if I swore I wasn't chasing Saeko."
"Oh, please. I've seen the way you look at her. Pretty sure you were eyeing her ass and chest a couple of times during the fight, hahaha!"
Takashi groaned. "Anyway! One last question. How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Cu tilted his head, momentarily puzzled, before remembering the earlier conversation with Igou. But Takashi spoke again before he could answer.
"Stay calm like this. From the day this all began… when you left to save that friend of yours, when we went out searching for Saya's house, when we took in the girl, and even now, standing here and breaking this all down while still looking like you believe there's a way forward."
Cu regarded him with an even look. "You seem calm enough yourself, Takashi." He meant it sincerely. In truth, most of those around him were keeping their composure better than expected. Only Rei had reacted the way most people would, her fear just barely restrained, her nerves fraying at the edges but never quite snapping.
"The only reason I think I'm calm for now…" Takashi began, his words fading into the cool night air. "I suppose I just haven't taken the time to truly process all of this. Everything happened so quickly that it's barely catching up. That wouldn't help anyone. It works, I guess, that my parents left town before all of this started. If the zones shown on TV are accurate, there's a good chance they might still be alive."
That, he knew, was a luxury few others still possessed. Cu's mind drifted back to his own parents, picturing their faces and wondering what life was like on their side of the crisis. Their home was in a quiet, fairly isolated town, set apart from the chaos of the main city. The only advantage that it gave was time; the outbreak would take longer to reach them, and the population there was small. The disadvantage, however, was painfully obvious — there was no real military presence to speak of, and the local police force was little more than two or three officers. He doubted any of them had fired a gun in years, if they even remembered how to handle one properly.
"I can't say much about the others," Takashi went on quietly. "Even though Igou is acting the same, he's probably worried about his parents, too, just like everyone else. What surprises me is Saeko. She hasn't seemed any different, hasn't shown even a hint of concern about her family. Not once."
The thought left him with more questions than answers. He didn't voice them all, but the few he did share were met with nothing but silence. There was no point pressing further.
"Speaking of which, if staying out here is going to draw more of them, we should head back inside."
"Sure, no problem. You go ahead. I'll stay here for a few more minutes. I need some fresh air." Cu said, grabbing the binoculars to observe things around the neighborhood.
Takashi didn't push for more explanation and didn't bother asking anything else before leaving.
"They really can hear me, can't they?" he murmured to himself. They were a tricky lot. Alone, one of them was nothing he couldn't handle, but that would inevitably change once their numbers grew. He wasn't foolish enough to believe he had infinite stamina or endless energy. Overconfidence like that would get him killed, and he wasn't about to throw his life away and disappoint his teacher over something so reckless.
Dying just because he got too careless and due to exhaustion against a bunch of slow undead with no superhuman strength or regeneration? Forget his shishou, even Archer would jump out of a portal just to mock and laugh at him! Only then would his shishou somehow find a way to revive him and kill him again.
"I hope Kyoko and the others are alright," he thought. The ones still at the school weighed heavily on his mind. There was always the danger that some unruly group would try to seize control of the place. "Shido's definitely planning something. After today, he'll be even bolder. Wouldn't be surprised if he starts spreading rumours that we're dead."
The real question was what Shido's end goal might be. Did he want full control of the school, everyone bowing to his word without a single objection? That could be it. But power without resources would crumble quickly, and with supplies running low, he'd have to send people out to scavenge sooner or later. Setting up such a system in a single day would be reckless, especially given the current state of the streets. No, that wasn't something he'd rush into — not if he valued his life.
Besides, Kohta would make sure nothing too extreme happened, and people like Saya weren't the type to follow him blindly. Still, Cu wasn't naive enough to believe Shido would remain harmless. He just waited for the man to give him a reason, any reason, to spear him in the heart.
"Alright then… they should be done about now." He listened for the faint noises drifting up from below. The girls should have finished their bath by now, and he had promised Igou that he would explain everything once everyone was together.
Without wasting time, he started down the stairs. But before he could reach the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"Ummm…"
Before him, both Rei and Saeko wandered in rather fitting clothes.
"Just don't pay too much attention, at least until our uniforms are dry," Rei said as soon as he arrived.
The man in the photograph, the one this house had belonged to, had been rather thin and slight of build. Still, he had not expected his clothes to be quite this small. The fabric clung close, outlining far more of the body than modesty would normally allow. Tight enough to even show the outline of their breasts and even the nipples. This, along with shorts that emphasized their thighs. It was enough that both Takashi and Igou found themselves glancing anywhere but at the two girls, their faces marked with obvious awkwardness. Rei, feeling the heat of her own embarrassment, had gone so far as to bring over a large pillow, clutching it tightly against her chest in an attempt to hide herself, her cheeks a vivid shade of crimson.
"You don't seem that bothered," he remarked to Saeko, who sat on the sofa with the serene composure of a woman completely unfazed. She was a picture of calm in sharp contrast to the fidgeting brunette beside her.
"The more we talk about this, the more self-conscious we'll become," she replied. "It's best to move on and talk about something else, which is exactly what I am doing."
So even the battle-hungry woman had a sense of modesty, only choosing to mask it with that calm façade. It was almost… cute. Fortunately for their newest guest, she did not suffer the same predicament. Her smaller stature made the oversized clothes hang loosely, giving her more the appearance of a child bundled in comfort than anything improper.
"How is our local damsel in distress doing? Feeling better?" he asked, crouching down until they were at eye level. The young girl's eyes still carried the redness of recent tears, and the faint weariness in her face spoke of exhaustion. Yet, there was colour in her cheeks now, and she seemed livelier than when they had first found her.
"Ah… T-Thank you for saving me," she murmured. "Sorry, I screamed… at you."
"No need for apologies," he said, ruffling her hair, which may have earned him a mean glare from Rei, who had just finished combing it. "If anything, I should be the one praising you. Holding out for so long all by yourself… that takes strength. I can see it in you. You've got a strong spirit—ouch!" His sentence broke with a sharp exclamation, his body jerking as a flash of pain crossed his face. The little stray they had taken in had sunk its teeth into his foot.
"Z-Zeke!"
"You little runt, I wasn't attacking your master!" he barked, scooping the tiny dog up by the scruff of its neck. He brought it close until their eyes met. The little one still dared to growl at him. "You're not so bad yourself, but you need to put on a bit more weight. Right now, you're small enough that I could throw you like a baseball."
"Woof!"
"Not scared of me, huh? Who's the one being held by the scruff here? I'm the big dog here, not you."
"Woof!"
"You barely weigh more than a handful of apples. Don't try to look intimidating. It's having the opposite effect."
"Woof!"
"Oh yeah? Well, I'll show you who is—"
"Are you seriously arguing with a dog?" Rei cut in, disbelief colouring her tone. "Drop him, you might hurt the poor little thing by holding it up like that."
Poor little thing? Where?
"Hey, why am I the one getting chastised here? He's the one who started it!" he said, pointing at the dog. As if on cue, the creature's attitude changed entirely; its ears lowered, and it scampered back to its owner after wiggling away from his hold, hiding behind her legs. It peeked out with wide, faux-fearful eyes, the perfect picture of innocence, as though facing down some terrible monster.
"What the… where did all that bravado from earlier go? Don't you dare win sympathy points against me with those cute looks!"
"Enough of this. You're clearly scaring the poor thing!"
Seeing how he had been backed into a corner and trapped by that little creature, with others taking Zeke's side, Cu realised he was fighting a losing battle. There was no path forward except to retreat. Still, he did so only after sending the dog a sharp, warning glare.
"He likes you," the girl remarked, amusement colouring her voice as she held the small animal in her arms.
Unable to deny her words, with how happy she looked, a small pout came to his face while looking away. "Sure. Clearly, it likes me very much."
If the little girl was any older, she would've clearly recognize the sarcasm dripping from the Irish's tone.
Putting the matter aside, now that the group had gathered in the living room, he could feel Saeko's eyes fixed on him, silently waiting for his response.
"Hah… alright then," he began, letting his gaze sweep over the room, "now that everyone has had a chance to catch their breath, I think this is as good a time as any to plan for tomorrow, or at least until the horde outside thins out. But before that, I'm fairly certain a few, if not all of you, have questions about what happened earlier."
Saeko's brows rose, her expression betraying a flicker of surprise. She had likely not expected him to speak of the matter so openly, without hesitation, and without any attempt to hide it or sidestep the subject entirely.
He gave her a slight nod. "There's no point in hiding it anymore. Sooner or later, you'd all find out. Better for me to bring it up now than let chance decide when, possibly causing misunderstandings I'd rather avoid."
"So I wasn't imagining it," Rei replied slowly. "You really did throw that spear halfway across the road with enough force to lift Alice off her feet. And you ran faster than the car."
Ah, so the young girl's name was Alice. Good to know.
"Well, yes. Honestly, I was expecting all of you to bring it up earlier—much earlier. At least when I was picked up and we were all in this house. You're far more patient than I gave you credit for."
"We needed time to calm down after driving through that horde," Rei said, her voice steady. "And I didn't want to press you for answers right away." The others remained silent, watching him carefully.
Rather than launch into an explanation and risk another round of disbelief, Cu reached for the spear he had wielded earlier. He held it for a moment, then handed it to Rei before shifting his attention toward Alice.
"Want to see something amazing? Do you believe in magic?"
"I do!" she replied, her voice chirping.
"Then let me show you a little trick. You see that spear? I'm going to make it float. Want to watch?"
"Yes!" she answered with sudden enthusiasm.
A faint grin touched his lips as he extended his hand. Much to Rei's astonishment, the spear began to move on its own, lifting from her grasp.
"Kya!" The orange-haired girl exclaimed, hopping from foot to foot with excitement, her eyes wide as the weapon rose upright, suspended in midair, before it shot back into Cu's waiting hand like a streak of silver light. He twirled it in a smooth arc before letting it rest across his lap.
"Tada~!"
A quick bow to end the little display.
"Wow, that was amazing! Can I try it?"
"Hahaha, it might be a bit tricky for you," he said with amusement, "but I'm sure we can arrange something. What would you like to try with?"
"A spear as well!"
"Ah, a girl with taste! I knew you had a good eye," he said approvingly.
While the two of them spoke, the rest of the group looked on in stunned silence. Saeko, for her part, rubbed her forehead, caught somewhere between exasperation and reluctant amusement.
"You chose that as your demonstration of magic?" she asked. "Why not something simple, like burning a piece of paper with one of your runes or just repeating what you showed me before?"
He gave a small shrug. "That felt boring. I wanted to try something new. What do you think, Alice? Which would have been better?"
"The flying one was definitely better!" She exclaimed despite having never seen the other displays of runecraft or being even half aware of what was going on, just enjoying the moment.
"The lass has spoken."
"Wait, hold on! Are you serious? Magic? How is this even possible?!" Rei's voice cracked through the uneasy stillness that had settled in the room. The pillow she had been clutching earlier lay forgotten on the couch as she pushed herself to her feet, scanning the others for some sign of agreement or shared disbelief. "Are you all hearing this?"
"I'm wondering if I've had too much to drink and I'm just dreaming" Igou muttered, finally breaking out of his stupor.
"I…I don't know what to say," Takashi admitted, his expression dazed and unmoored. As for Saeko, she merely tilted her head and said, "We are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Magic should not be so impossible to accept… still… w-was that really magic?"
In response, Cu just drew a simple rune on a piece of paper and had it burn down in front of them. Their jaws dropped, and this time Zeke showed genuine fear from the sudden flash of flames.
Rei's gaze lingered on the burned ashes for a moment before narrowing, flicking between Saeko and Cu as if piecing together a puzzle. The realization dawned quickly. "You… you already knew about this?"
If betrayal could be distilled into a single expression, hers would have been the textbook example — lips pressed tight, eyes sharpened, shoulders tensed as though bracing for a blow. "You told her before me!?"
Cu raised an eyebrow. "No. In fact, I told you the truth before Saeko even knew a thing about it."
"Eh?" Her brow furrowed, confusion slipping in. At first, she seemed unable to recall, but memory stirred soon enough. That particular night returned to her: him coming home covered in blood, eyes flat with grim certainty. "You were serious back then…"
"Of course I was. I told you before, lying is not something I bother with. It's not my fault you didn't believe me."
"Hey, what are you all talking about? I'm lost here," Igou interjected, blinking behind his glasses.
To bring everyone in line with the conversation, Cu began recounting the events of the day before the outbreak. His voice stayed level, weaving the tale from the first discovery of the undead boy inside the temple, through the trail of clues that led him to the infected teacher. He described the bus he managed to halt, the dawning awareness that the infection had already spread beyond any hope of control, and the desperate moment when people from the neighboring town fled toward Tokonosu, trying to outrun their own outbreak. About how he intercepted them. Finally, he recounted how Saeko had caught him in the act, her sharp mind unraveling the truth on her own.
Somewhere in the middle of his retelling, Alice had curled up on the sofa and drifted to sleep, her head resting comfortably on Igou's lap. Given how drained the girl had been, it was hardly surprising. A hot bath, a warm room, and the rare security of a place where zombies could not reach her had allowed her body to surrender at last to long-overdue rest.
Rei listened without interruption, her expression cooling into something quieter but more intent. When he finished, she finally spoke. "... If you knew all of this so early, why didn't you go to the authorities? If that first zombie you found was patient zero, we might have been able to stop this, find a cure, even!"
Cu shook his head slowly. "No. That one wasn't the first. At least, I don't believe so. Even before the outbreak began, several lines of communication with other countries had gone silent. I hadn't been able to reach my parents for days, and I feared the worst. As for the authorities—hah, the thought crossed my mind, but any plans I had for that vanished the moment a massive horde appeared in town only hours later. I thought I had more time. I didn't. Even then, without proof, who would have believed me anyway? And bringing anyone near those bodies would only have risked spreading it further. I had to burn them immediately. By the time I understood the scale of it, it was already far too late."
The more he spoke, the more his own words began to sound hollow in his ears, the weight of them sagging beneath the quiet admission that they were, in truth, little more than excuses. Could he have handled things better? Certainly. If he had placed greater importance on the matter from the beginning, if he had been willing to take harsher measures, then perhaps the outcome would have shifted, even if only slightly. Perhaps more people might have been saved.
"Stop it."
The interruption came from Igou, surprisingly, the guy showing a glare aimed at him. "Just looking at you, I can tell you're thinking you could have done better. But from what I've seen and heard, you already did all you could. If you hadn't been here, I doubt the school would have lasted as long as it did, let alone survived. Stop acting like you failed. You saved hundreds of students through your actions. That's not nothing. And it was never your duty to save every single soul in this town."
Cu let out a dry chuckle, though the mirth never reached his eyes. But Igou continued.
"So what if you know magic? Could you have just snapped your fingers and killed every zombie at once? I doubt it, or you'd have already done it. Could you have thrown a barrier around the entire town to keep the horde away forever? I don't know much about your magic, but if you didn't, then I'm guessing it wasn't possible."
A barrier encompassing the whole town, huh… yes, he thought about it more than once. But such a thing would require more than will and skill; it would demand the strength of a ley line running beneath the earth, a source capable of sustaining the immense drain. His own reserves would not have been able to sustain such a construct over the entirety of Tomonosu. He was no longer a Caster, and let alone a Servant on top of that. The body he had now still lagged far behind the prime he once knew.
"So don't act like you fell short," Igou continued, his voice steady. "For all I know, some of us in this very room would already be dead if it weren't for you. Rather than brooding over what might have been, focus on the people who you can save."
A faint, almost reluctant smile began to form, and with it came an easing in the weight pressing against him. The lad's words seemed to cut through the heaviness in a way nothing else had managed to. "I'll give you this, Igou. I didn't expect you to be so good at pep talks. Thank you. It means more than you think. And you have my word, so long as my heart keeps beating and I draw breath, I promise you, and everyone here, that I will see you all through this. I will save the other students we can reach until we find a safer place than this. Not one of them will die while I'm standing."
He made the promise to Kyoko, and now, to them as well.
{Break}
(A few hours later)
Time crept forward with the steady ticking of the clock. Minutes folded into hours, and the earlier conversation had gone far better than he had anticipated. To his quiet relief, everyone had taken the revelation of his ability to wield magecraft with unexpected composure. In the end, they had all withdrawn to their rooms, choosing to rest until the horde thinned enough to grant them a window for escape.
Hunger stirred in him, faint but insistent, and he remembered the small indulgence waiting for him in the fridge. With that in mind, he made his way toward the kitchen.
Yet as he stepped into the doorway, his pace faltered, his body halting mid-step as though an invisible hand had seized him. His gaze sharpened, then widened, disbelief settling across his features like a slow dawn. He took in the scene before him, his brow furrowing in a way that made his words come out without thought.
"Seriously? What the hell happened to the shirt you were wearing a minute ago?"
Saeko stood at the stove, steam curling from a kettle. The scent of brewing tea drifted through the air, yet the calming fragrance was at odds with her appearance. Wearing an apron that hung loosely over her front, the ties knotted behind her neck and waist, leaving her back bare. The only other garment was a thin black string thong that was completely swallowed between round succulent cheeks, its presence more erotic for its minimalism.
"Oh, don't mind me," she replied with a tone that Cu could closely call chipper, her tone as unhurried as her movements. "I was putting Alice to sleep, and it seems Zeke had trouble digesting dinner. He vomited on my shirt. Those were the only two I had that actually fit me, and I didn't feel like wearing something tight and uncomfortable again. So I went with this." She tugged at the apron's hem with a small, absent gesture, her cleavage becoming more pronounced, the girl's expression free of any calculated provocation. "It's comfortable, soft against the skin. Feels better than you'd think."
"You're going to give one of the boys here a heart attack, a raging hard on or both."
Taken aback for a brief moment by his crass comment, she quickly recovered and showed a sly grin. "Does that not include you?"
"I'm definitely appreciating the view, but for now I'm in control. I could just give you my shirt, you know."
"That would only cause more misunderstandings," she said with a slight chuckle. The truth of it was plain enough that he couldn't argue.
"Well, don't mind me. I'm just here to grab something to eat, then I'll head back to my room." He reached into the fridge, pulling out a random fruit that he did not plan on getting, then turned and started to leave, deciding against further commentary on her choice of attire.
Unfortunately, he failed to get far. A sudden pull on his collar nearly sent him choking.
"Cough—! Ugh, damn it! What is it with everyone choking me lately!? Just because I know magecraft doesn't mean I'm impervious to suffocation!" He grumbled, rubbing at his neck as he turned, only to find Saeko holding the collar in one hand, a gleam of steel in the other. A butcher knife rested easily in her grip, though her expression was softened by the curve of a smile. "Scary. You're not planning on using that on me, are you?"
"That depends on whether you plan on keeping the promise you made to me earlier."
"Promise?" His brows knitted, his mind sifting through conversations with the now scantily girl and coming up empty. He stood there, waiting for her to clarify.
Saeko stepped closer until the warmth of her presence brushed against him. Her lips neared his ear, her breath carrying the faint scent of tea and something sharper beneath it.
"That you'd roughen me up and show me a good time tonight."
The low whisper and the warmth of her breath made his skin prickle, a spark running along the nerves in a way that stirred uninvited urges. In that moment, he realised she had mirrored the same thing he had done to her earlier that morning. Rather than shy away, she had taken it and used it against him.
A slow, almost approving smile tugged at his mouth. "You learn fast. But I remember saying it would be on the roof of the school, where no one could hear you scream."
"There's a gym on the upper floor with plenty of insulation. Doubt anyone will hear us up there. If you're still worried about the zombies outside catching a sound, or someone else inside overhearing, then don't you have spells in that magic of yours to block noise?"
"You really think my rune craft can do just about anything?" he asked. Before she could answer, he went on, his tone carrying the faintest hint of amusement. "Unfortunately for me, I do know such a spell, and as a master of this craft that used it countless times for this kind of situation, it would be an insult to pretend otherwise. So, you got me there."
Her only reply was a small, sly smile, one that was touched with eagerness in her eyes. Without another word, she turned off the gas stove, abandoning whatever she had been preparing. She moved toward the stairs with a measured stride that carried an unmistakable sway in her hips. Whether it was intentional or not, he couldn't say. Like a hound on the hunt, he found himself following her without hesitation.
Just as she had said, there was indeed a large room on the upper floor. The place was spacious, layered with thick mats, carpets, and heavy padding along the walls. It was the sort of setup that belonged to someone with money to spare.
"This place must have belonged to a rich fella," he remarked, stepping inside. "Though I doubt he ever used it. The man looked like a stick figure."
From his pouch, he scattered several small pebbles, each etched with intricate runes. They landed in the far corners of the room, and a faint shimmer settled across the space as the bounded field took hold. The enchantment dulled every sound, wrapping the gym in a kind of muffled silence so complete that not even the lightest footstep would carry beyond its walls. No one on the floor below would hear them. Not even the keenest-eared zombie outside could catch a whisper.
"All right then. One issue, though," he said, glancing her way. "Are you seriously going to fight me with a wooden sword while I've got a metal spear?" He rolled the shaft of his weapon behind him, his eyes on her as she still held her wooden bokken in her hand.
"And with an apron on as well," he added, his mouth twitching. "You're certainly bold. Anyway, pass me your sword. I'll even things out as much as I can."
Curious about what he intended, she tossed the bokken his way. He caught it smoothly, then began tracing faint glowing lines along its surface, reinforcing the wood with his runes. The plain practice weapon took on a sturdier feel, almost humming faintly, made to endure far more than it ever could before.
"Here," he said, handing it back.
"I'm starting to like this magic of yours more and more," she said, giving the weapon a testing swing. "Quite convenient."
"That's the beauty of rune craft. It has no limits, and it's full of potential for any scenari—"
"—Haah!"
She did not give him an opportunity to finish his words and instead rushed towards him with her sword girl's high. Bringing it downwards with enough strength to break bones potentially, had he not raised his spear just in time to block it with a loud thud. Neither his knees nor his arm buckled under the pressure whatsoever.
"Hehehe, quite sly of you to attack without warning," he said, shifting to a blocked strike so that he could have a better look at her face. "This makes it twice that you attacked me by surprise. Keep that up, and it'll be less of a surprise and more of a pattern."
"I'll take any advantage I can. Playing fair against you will only lead me to defeat." She answered, rather than pushing forward, the girl jumped back, taking a moment to observe him while he did the same in return.
'Doesn't look like she will rush in without a plan, though the room is quite big, the equipment around kind of restricts her options so she will attack from the front.' unlikely for her to use the same method from before, so rather than just play aggressively, he was curious to see what she would do and thus waited in place with his spear resting on his shoulder.
Saeko moved. The incoming charge did not happen; rather, the girl threw her sword of all things straight at him. The weapons spiralling in the air and aimed straight for his head, an attack which was immediately intercepted by a downstroke from the spear—sending the bokken cluttering on the ground.
'Lettin' go of her main weapon… ah—' He soon got his answer when he found the woman already in front of him, having recovered the sword instantly, her foot pushing against the spear's shaft, forcing it to remain still and leaving him completely open.
Several piercing attacks were aimed at his head the next second.
"Whoa!" Each strike would have been enough to severely warn a person or poke one's eye out, neck twisting in several directions just enough to barely avoid the edge of the wooden blade. Her method lacked results; she then swung her sword horizontally, aimed for his neck, where any kind of dodging would not help unless he voluntarily let go of his spear and back up. 'That's probably what she's aiming for: to separate me from my weapon. Smart.'
Pa!
Not giving her what she desired, he raised his arm and allowed his forearm to act as a shield, blocking the attack with a loud snapping sound spreading across the room. His eyes narrowed. She really was not holding back, wasn't she…
"Is it just me, or are you fighting harder than before? Feels like you're venting about something." Commented Cu mischievously, sensing that she was behaving a bit odd today, at least… weirder than her usual self.
"I'm not. And you blocked the attack with your arm, even though it should have at least broken a bone. You used magic." The way she phrased it made it clear she saw it as an unfair advantage.
"The longer I thought about it, the more I came to realize that fighting with fairness in mind is not ideal against an army of zombies. So get used to it." With that said, he decided to start going on the offensive. Grabbing onto the sword with a similar intent to hers by making sure she would not be able to take it away. Shoulder tackling her with enough force to push her body away from the ground.
Every bit of air left in Saeko's lungs, the latter desperately trying to regain control in any possible way. Which he spotted when her legs wrapped around his waist, showing a great amount of agility and flexibility when managing to make her way behind him with her arms around his neck, going for a choke.
Cu just clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Seriously? Again with this!?" Smacking her back against a wall, her hold loosened ever so slightly, enough for him to grab the purple-haired woman and throw her to the ground. "Too confident!"
Despite the pain coursing through her body, the woman grinned with a smile that bordered on ferocious. One which he couldn't help but mirror, both grabbing onto their weapons and going back at each other without rest.
Clang!
The sound of metal and wood striking one another filled the room. While she had no hope of causing any real damage to his weapon, he also made sure not to destroy her own sword. Making sure to use just enough strength while enjoying the fight. At some point, he himself had lost track of time, with the only indicator being Saeko's state.
The apron she had on now was clinging to her body even more after being drenched in sweat. Her hair was a complete mess, and her breathing was growing louder by the second. "Well, colour me surprised. I'm actually starting to get excited."
Fighting against her deferred so greatly from Rei. If against the latter felt more like teaching a student their limit and honing their skills, against this woman, it was just plain curiosity to see just how far she could go before breaking down. Part of him even wanted her to just hang on for longer, to let the fun continue on for another hour.
"Come on, is that all you got!?" He started encouraging her, taunting the woman at every given opportunity. Pushing her back with flaws starting to show in her technique, some of which he took advantage of, and others, he gave her a pass.
"Hn!"
Her knees buckled under the strike of the butt of his spear, "Too aggressive, I can see you're not used to fighting against a better opponent than yourself. Take your time and focus more on your defense."
Thankfully, she took his advice and nodded her head.
This pattern continued for a good while. Whenever she fell, he would point out her flaw; every time she faltered, he would wait for her to get back up and hold back from delivering any strikes that might take her out.
He was having fun, why ruin the moment by ending it too soon?
And what could be described in him becoming lost in the moment, Cu's spear thrust forward for another piercing strike and attack, which Saeko had dodged several times previously, but in her current state, her movement had gotten slower, and she was forced to deflect or block it somehow. She went with the former, barely managing to use the flat side of her sword and push the spearhead away from her waist to the side at the very last second.
Yet this also proved to have been done a second too late, for his weapon managed to entangle itself with the fabric of her apron, and then an audible ripping sound reached both of their ears.
"—!"
Time came to a crawl, and both combatants halted, watching as the thin, shredded apron fell to the ground, leaving Saeko standing there with nothing covering her chest and the laced black panties on full display. A single glance, and immediately he had to admit, she definitely ranked amongst the upper tiers of women in terms of beauty and sexiness. A perfect hourglass figure leaning more on the lean side.
The beads of sweat streaming down her cleavage before disappearing between her plush valleys, and with the moonlight illuminating her contour, she certainly possessed a dangerous weapon.
"Ah…" Her arms immediately covered her chest as she retreated a step behind. Guilt immediately filled his heart. For a moment, he chastised himself and had to remember these were not the kind of warriors he had grown used to fighting back when he was alive.
And there was a high likelihood he would be dealing with a murderous Saeko in a few seconds. Immediately putting away his spear, he went ahead to make sure she was alright. "Hahaha… my bad, uh… told you that the apron was a bad ide—ugh!"
Perhaps due to the sudden change and the drastic shift in the mood, he had completely let his guard down. Going over with the intention to hand over his shirt so that she would have something to cover herself with. Unfortunately for him, Saeko had other plans and had not stopped the battle.
The next thing he knew was facing a foot aimed for his face, the impact making him lose his balance and fall onto his back. Any intentions of recovering or getting back on his feet were thrown out of the window the next moment, a weight settled on top of his lower stomach, and the bokken hovered over him like the sword of Damocles.
Saeko gasping for air, her eyes hazy with various emotions swirling within them, but the most prominent of them being joy and the desire for more.
Facing her, Cu chuckled. "Look at me falling for such a rookie mistake. That's on me."
"I know you can continue." She insisted, her voice growing louder, her body kept shifting and moving on his body. "Or have you just given up on making me scream all night~?"
Damn, even her voice became seductive growl that sent a shiver of delight down his spine and to his groin; she had truly lost it.
"Ah!"
On cue, an almost panicked shout escaped her lips when, through sheer strength alone, he managed to get back on his feet while holding her closely against him. Pinning her against a wall while her legs refused to let go of him.
"You are playing a dangerous game here," he said while his fingers touched her chin and bottom lip. "I might actually go beyond that promise, and something tells me you are not ready for that."
In response, she bit his finger gently, where he felt the sensation of her tongue lick his skin, before swallowing and greedily started to suck. 'She really does get quite horny after a fight… she did pretty well too.'
Her eyes, her fragrance, the sensation of his skin against his, everything was inviting him to have a taste. With nothing but the sound of the wind hitting the windows and their own breathing, he found himself leaning closer with the girl, also pulling him towards herself.
Just as their lips were about to touch, several faces flashed across Cu's mind, and the man stopped a hairbreadth away from her. A moment of clarity made him realize just what was about to happen.
"Fucking damn it, what the hell am I doing here…" he muttered to himself, feeling as if he was once again about to make a mistake and go back on his earlier words. Then, putting some distance between them and placing Saeko back on the ground. Taken aback by his actions, she looked at him for answers, only to get an apologetic smile from him. "Takashi and Igou most likely have a crush on you, or they did for a long time, just like with Rei, not sure. And it would be pretty shitty of me to go behind Rei's back to make out with you, not that I haven't done scummy things like this in the past, but I want to think that I've matured enough to not do that kind of stuff again at least."
"Oh…" It seemed like his words also brought her back to her senses, her eyes widening slightly as she looked below, clear evidence of her excitement dripping down her legs and the faintest blush formed on her face. "No… It's my fault, I should have…"
"Let's just leave it as both of us blundering due to heightened emotions." He cut her off, not wanting Saeko to feel guilty. Even tried to lessen the awkward atmosphere a bit by gently slapping her back, which ended up making her chest jiggle. "With a body like that, it's a miracle I managed to control myself, hahaha! I'll probably, no, I'll definitely regret it later. Nothing like a case of beer won't solve, you're invited to have a try yourself."
Her prior downcast expression shifted, showing an amused smile as she met his gaze. Getting close to him and planting a chaste kiss on his cheek, "I would love that. We both do need to cool down."
{Break}
As the two of them left the room and headed back downstairs, the first thing he ended up encountering was someone who he believed was supposed to be sleeping with Alice. "Rei?" he called, startled to see the young girl sprawled on the stairs. "You—ugh, you reek of alcohol. Wait… did you drink all of my beer!?"
Picking her up, he soon discovered that this was indeed the case, given all of the empty cans of beer surrounding the woman. All of which he had planned to share with Saeko and also keep some for himself until morning.
"Whatev'r you two… were doin' here?" Rei slurred, the words tumbling together, slow and heavy on her tongue. Glaring at Saeko behind him with her hold on him growing stronger, "And… whysh she wearing your shirt?"
"Oh, nothing you should worry about," he replied. "Just had a harmless little sparring session that might've gotten a touch intense toward the end. Her shirt ripped, and we decided to stop it then."
The look on her face made it pretty obvious she didn't believe a word he'd just said; in fact, the hostility she was directing toward the purple-haired girl only got more intense, more blatant. She didn't make any effort to mask it, either — not that she probably could, with that much alcohol running through her veins.
"He's… mine," she muttered, voice uneven, eyes unfocused and glassy but still clinging to some stubborn edge. And then, before either of them could process it, she did something that caught both of them off guard: she immediately pressed her lips against his. It was clumsy, rushed, no finesse at all, but there was a fire behind it. Her tongue pushed into his mouth, eager and unrestrained, exploring every inch like she had something to prove. She hooked her leg around his; pressed her chest flush against him, not caring how desperate it looked; and then her hand tangled in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer as if she was trying to make a point to everyone in the room.
Only separating a few seconds later with a thin string of saliva connecting them both.
"Fufufu… looks like she might need a bit of time with you to calm herself," Saeko said with a smirk, yet her eyes told a completely different story. Walking past him and heading back to her room. "I'll leave her to you. I'll be heading back for the night. Good night."
She leaned in, brushing another quick kiss against his cheek before slipping past him.
"That woman…" he muttered under his breath, watching her disappear through the doorway.
"Anyway," he said, looking at Rei, "looks like you'll be sleeping with me tonight. Hope you don't mind. There's no way I'm letting you sleep near a kid smelling like that. At least I don't mind the scent, reminds me of home."
She nodded, not even resisting his offer whatsoever, like she would have done any other time. Once again, he attributed her current state to the alcohol. Fortunately, there was still an empty room where he proceeded to lay her on the bed and soon joined her after taking off his shirt.
The open window was sending a chill wind within which made Rei cuddle up closer to him. Resting her arm on him while her chest pressed against his side.
"Hey, Cu… do you like her?" She asked, the prior slur in her tone completely gone.
"If you're asking romantically, then no. Physically, sure, she's attractive, but I'm not about to lose control around her." The irony of his words was not lost on the man, yet the fact still remained that he did manage to control himself at the last second. "You also have your own charm, both in terms of beauty and body. I do think both of you are pretty even."
The girl shifted underneath him, placing herself on top of him, similar to what Saeko had done during their fight. Her hands pressed down on his chest, hair cascading all over his face.
"Then… do you like me?"
Was she really drunk? Those eyes did not look like those of a drunkard, but she definitely drank more than enough to be drunk. Strange. "Sure, I do. What's not to like about you? I thought all the time I've spent with you was enough to prove that."
"Not… like that," she said, voice softer, words dragging. "D'you… like me physically too? Find me… attractive?"
"Perhaps you've had a bit too much to drink today. Pretty sure I answered that question already."
"No," she insisted, fixing him with a hazy but unwavering stare. "I am not drunk, I'm fully aware of what I'm asking. I just… need to know… if all of this isn't just a lie."
He could literally feel her body heating up, slight shivers spreading all over her as his hands glided over her thighs and rear, before he gave it a squeeze. The prior emotions he had barely managed to reel back from his fight against Saeko came back with a vengeance. The smile on his face becomes strained, "How do you suggest I show it to you then? Can't exactly buy you a bouquet of flowers and take you on a date anymore."
To that, she started by pulling up her shirt, exposing her breasts, which were no less mesmerising than Saeko's. The same flushed tint on her face and the eager yet apprehensive look of someone who wanted to go beyond a certain point but just did not know how to proceed.
"Hah… I am no saint; there are only so many times I can resist the temptation. You two are really pushing it… But then again, I don't have to hold back with you." He pulled her towards him, now placing her on the bed and beneath him as she let out a startled squeel.
"... It's my first time." She whispered shyly, her prior confidence fully gone — which was funny to see.
"Just don't regret it tomorrow."
Rei grabs his hand, pushing it onto the left side of her chest. His fingers sank deeper within the soft mounds, where he felt her heartbeat and her perked nipples that were already stiff under his palm.
"I won't."
Seeing the invitation, he lowered his head with no plans to stop whatsoever. The day had been a long one, but the ending was enjoyable.
---------
The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.