Cold.
Not just an atmospheric descriptor.
Nor entirely attributable to the psychological effects of the supernatural.
"Hah…"
Takakai exhaled, his breath visible in the frigid air.
What he felt now was an intense, all-encompassing chill—a physical discomfort that seeped into his bones.
Beside him, Hayasaka, clad only in a damp shirt, shivered violently, curling into herself for warmth.
The room resembled a morgue dissection chamber, its temperature near or below freezing. Takakai, with his superhuman physique, could endure it, but Hayasaka—soaked from the rain and barely clothed—was struggling.
Clang—Clang—
The metal cabinets continued to rattle.
Faint, indistinct whispers seeped from within them.
Takakai recalled the yellow mark on the door—rooms like this housed supernatural entities, but as long as intruders didn't provoke them, they remained harmless.
At least it's safe for now. The dungeon's layout will shift soon anyway.
"Don't go deeper. We'll wait near the entrance."
He sat against the wall, exhaling as he closed his eyes to rest.
Hayasaka, initially terrified by the cabinet noises, relaxed slightly seeing Takakai's calmness. She moved closer, sitting beside him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The knocking persisted.
Footsteps multiplied—one set became two, then three, then more.
Hayasaka heard familiar voices—Kaguya's, calling her name as she often had in the past. Mixed in were children's murmurs and adult whispers, male and female, all indistinct yet unsettling.
Were they talking to themselves? Or to her?
Laughter.
Sobbing.
The scraping of nails against the doorframe.
Hayasaka curled tighter, nearly folding into a ball.
She tried to ignore the sounds, but the harder she resisted, the louder they grew. It felt as if the door itself was advancing toward her, the things outside closing the distance.
CRASH!
"Mm—!"
A cabinet slammed open, something inside thrashing violently.
Hayasaka barely stifled a scream, biting down on a whimper.
"Don't focus on them. The more you do, the stronger their influence."
Takakai's low voice snapped her back.
"...I know."
She nodded weakly, shuddering.
So cold.
Her shirt, already soaked, clung to her skin in the subzero room. Even with her peak-human physique, the chill was unbearable.
"Sit in my lap."
Hayasaka blinked.
"Huh?"
Takakai's expression was utterly serious, devoid of any ulterior motive.
"The temperature's still dropping. You'll get hypothermia. My body can handle it. You need the warmth."
"...Okay. Thank you, Takakai-san."
After a brief hesitation, she shifted into his lap, her back against his chest.
Of course, Hayasaka had her dignity as a girl. Raised as a elite maid, she was still a teenager with normal sensibilities.
But she knew—in this situation, she was dead weight. Takakai's strength far surpassed hers. If he offered help, questioning his intentions was pointless.
Besides… he's the only one who can save Lady Kaguya. Even if he… I…
Her thoughts scattered chaotically.
She forced herself to divert her attention—but the knocking, the whispers, focusing on those would only make things worse.
Her mind spun further into disarray.
"Take off the T-shirt."
"?!"
Hayasaka froze, her brain short-circuiting.
"It's soaked. We'll be here for hours. Wearing wet clothes in this cold is dangerous. Don't worry—I know this isn't the time for anything inappropriate."
His tone was clinical, his reasoning sound.
Logically, she knew he was right.
But…
In his lap… like this…
"I understand."
Her voice trembled.
She leaned forward, arms crossing to grip the hem of her shirt.
As she lifted it, her pale back came into view—glistening slightly under the cold light, damp from the fabric.
Takakai closed his eyes as she set the shirt aside.
Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her tightly against him, his body heat seeping into her skin.
Hayasaka nearly combusted.
With Takakai shirtless, she could feel every ridge and scar of his torso, the unnatural warmth radiating from him despite the freezing room.
Don't panic. This is just survival.
She repeated it like a mantra.
He saved my life. Yes, he's… lustful, but he's not the type to act on it now. And even if he did… for Lady Kaguya's sake, I'd…
Her thoughts spiraled wildly.
No, no—if he wanted to, he'd say so outright! I've stalked enough of his dates with Lady Fujiwara and Lady Shijou to know that! He's not hiding anything now. Overthinking it might just annoy him… make him think I'm…
Her brain fried completely.
Trapped in a horror dungeon, turned into a dog for days, chased by monsters, and now half-naked in a man's lap—
What even is my life anymore?
And yet…
This warmth…
Despite the cold, the knocking, the things lurking outside—
Held like this, she could focus only on his heat, gentle yet unshakable.
I… might be getting used to this…
She closed her eyes.
Takakai never overstepped, simply holding her without moving. Gradually, her tension melted away, her body sinking fully against his.
No longer exhausted from managing Lady Kaguya's life.
No longer haunted by her betrayal of the Nanjo family.
Just… peace.
Am I… relying on him?
We've barely spoken ten words to each other before this.
Her emotions twisted conflictedly.
To him, I'm just… a stranger, right? Someone tied to Lady Kaguya, nothing more.
But me… I know him. His habits, his preferences—loves spicy food, good at games, shamelessly lustful, even his… slight sadistic streak. And the fact he's dating two girls at once.
The only blank spot was his past… but after this nightmare, even that's filled in.
Now, I understand why Lady Kaguya admires him. Why those two ladies are drawn to him. The bond between them all.
So… how do I see him now?
Her calm shattered again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
[Takakai-san! Hayasaka! Why are you hiding in there?]
Kaguya's voice continued knocking, but Hayasaka no longer heard it.
The cabinet noises grew louder, more violent, yet she dismissed them as background noise.
Her focus was elsewhere entirely.
"..."
Takakai felt the girl in his arms relax further, her head tilting to rest against his arm, her body molding against his.
Her scent—light, floral—drifted into his senses.
His gaze dipped.
Her slender frame, now fully at ease, accentuated her curves.
She's way too comfortable. Does she really trust me this much?
He mentally facepalmed.
The knocking and banging crescendoed, a cacophony of horror.
Yet, with Hayasaka's soft warmth pressed against him, his thoughts strayed dangerously.
…Wait, why do I feel guilty? Because of Kaguya's voice outside?
He suppressed the urge to sigh.
Hayasaka's body… hmm. Firmer than Maki and Chika's.
He analyzed clinically.
Her skin, while smooth, lacked their ultra-refined softness—likely from years of rigorous training. Chika, the least physically active, had the most pampered skin. Maki fell in the middle.
Hayasaka's muscles were lean but powerful, hidden under a deceptively delicate frame. Her stomach, flat but not visibly toned, hinted at efficient conditioning. Her hips, though smaller than Chika's, had equal bounce—
Wait. Focus.
His thoughts derailed.
Maki and Chika have sat like this before. But Maki gets bored unless she's asleep, and Chika always turns around to kiss me. Hayasaka's the first to just… stay still, like a kitten.
Hm?
A shift in the air.
The knocking ceased abruptly.
The cabinets fell silent.
The cold receded, replaced by a new presence—something locking onto him.
"Time to go."
He grabbed Hayasaka's shirt, tugging it back over her as he stood.
The Butcher had returned.