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Her mind was in knots.
Leaning against the ship's railing, she stared at the waves, lost in thought.
A little ways off, in an open space, Yuriko Takagi, Kyoko Miyamoto, and their homeroom teacher Shizuka were giving Frieren her first real driving lessons.
Rika Minami was sitting nearby, tending to her rifle.
"...Sigh."
She let out a deep breath.
"Something on your mind?"
The calm, steady voice of Saeko Busujima came from behind.
"Saeko-senpai..."
Rei Miyamoto turned her head, surprised to see her there.
Truth be told, she and Saeko had never been especially close.Sure, they went to the same school, but their paths had hardly ever crossed.
It wasn't until after the outbreak—when Saeko's sword cut a bloody path through the chaos and saved Rei and her mother—that Rei finally grew closer to her.
And yet, she still didn't really understand her.
"In a world like this," Saeko said slowly, "just being alive makes us far luckier than most."
Rei didn't reply.
Her mother was safe with her on the floating fortress they now called home. They didn't have to work, didn't have to study, didn't even have to worry about food—the supplies here could last decades.What right did she have to feel unsatisfied?
"Rei... you're thinking about Moriguchi, aren't you?"
"Eh?!"
Rei's eyes widened in shock.Could Saeko really read her mind that easily?
"Actually, it isn't just you. After what happened last night... well, almost everyone on this ship knows by now."
Saeko leaned against the railing beside her, letting the sea breeze play with her violet hair. She smiled faintly.
"Last night..." Rei's face flushed red.
"Everyone pretends not to notice, of course. But that kind of silence speaks for itself."
Her expression was unreadable—distant, thoughtful—yet somehow gentle at the same time.
"Don't forget, all of this—our safety, our survival—it's thanks to Moriguchi and the others who fought beside him.
Fubuki, Gabriel, Frieren... they're all girls. People respect them, but that's different. With Moriguchi being the only man around... well, you and the others can't help but feel something more, can you?"
"Wha—? I... I'm not... that's not..."
Rei stammered, unable to string together a proper denial.
But Saeko just cut her off with a knowing smile.
"It's not only you. I admire him as well. Honestly, if Shizuka-sensei hadn't gone to him last night... maybe it would've been me instead."
A seagull cried out somewhere over the waves, the sound oddly soothing in the stillness.
"Rei, you don't need to smother those feelings. The old rules of the world are already gone."
"You're afraid of being left behind, so you want to be closer to him, right? That's normal. I don't blame you. Moriguchi could disappear any time. Even with my own connection to him, I never know when he'll show up again.
At least I get to see him whenever he comes. You don't even have that much."
Rei fell silent, not knowing how to respond.
"Senpai... you like him too, don't you? So why are you telling me this?"
Her voice wavered with suspicion. Was this some kind of trap?
"Don't misunderstand," Saeko said calmly. "I just don't want our group to tear itself apart in the future. Besides... humanity's numbers are already dwindling. Everyone on this ship is female. Like it or not, we're carrying the responsibility of continuing this world."
She paused, then added in a softer tone:
"But I'm not ordering you to do anything. Whatever you decide, it's up to you."
With that, her expression smoothed back into composure, and she quietly walked away.
When Rosen left his room, he spotted Saeko standing alone on the deck.
"I'll probably be leaving tomorrow," he told her.
"You've done more than enough," she replied with a small nod.
"By the way... these past two days—well, you'll find out soon enough."
Rosen blinked in confusion, but didn't press her.
The only reason he'd even come was because Frieren had pinged him in the chat group.
"Take me to the mainland. I want to try driving."
"Fine. But if you really plan to drive in your world, I recommend an off-road vehicle."
"Then I'll trust your judgment."
They reached the nearest city before long—yet another hollow, lifeless ruin.
Frieren picked out a clean-looking car and, with Rosen's instructions, eased it onto the road.
"Slow down, slow down! Turn right, not left—brake, brake!"
"I am braking."
Rosen glanced at the speedometer still climbing upward and sighed heavily.
Elf or not... she was still a woman behind the wheel.
Luckily, neither of them were ordinary humans.
After wrecking a dozen cars in rapid succession, Frieren finally managed to drive smoothly on her own.
"...Thank you."
The breeze teased her hair as she looked ahead, face calm and serene.
"That's it? Just words?" Rosen teased.
"I won't tell the others what you did here," she shot back.
"Wow, blackmail? Really?"
"...I was joking."
Frieren lapsed into silence, then added quietly:
"I'll head back now. If you get the chance, come visit. Bring sweets."
"Yeah, yeah. Here—take this."
Rosen conjured a spear of light and handed it to her.
She accepted it without a word, and then—just like that—her figure vanished.
Rosen stood alone, oddly struck by the scene.
For a moment, it felt like he'd just sent off the spirit of the dead after fulfilling her last wish.
But the thought didn't last long.
Because when he turned his head, he realized the driver's seat was now empty. The car was drifting off course... and a massive truck trailer was looming closer in his windshield.
He sighed.
"...Why is my life always like this?"
"..."
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