"Thank you so much, Yuu-kun!"
Rei's gratitude rang out first.
"I promise I'll take good care of it."
Jin-ah bowed her head seriously, showing her sincere gratitude.
"And I…" Then Saeko also spoke solemnly. "I'll use this katana to protect you and your loved ones, Yuu-sama."
Words full of emotion. Strong words. But…
Yuu felt nothing. Inside, there was only emptiness.
The phrases slid over him like cold, icy drops on his skin. Wherever those drops passed, he felt numb. They didn't awaken happiness or satisfaction.
'I really am a despicable being…'
Yuu put a smile on his face.
"Did you like them? I had a lot of fun making them, and I'm glad they'll be useful to you."
As he said that, he placed his hand on each of their heads, softly rubbing their hair.
"That's not fair, Kami-sama…"
The languid voice came from the side. Shizuka was standing next to them, beside Saya. The teacher wore her lazy expression, while Saya narrowed her eyes at her, as if wondering: Why the hell is she calling him Kami-sama? Is she crazy?
"What's wrong, Shizuka?"
"Sensei wants a weapon too! To smack ugly monsters, of course."
Shizuka made a fist and punched forward clumsily. Yuu's eyes were naturally drawn to the two breasts that bounced with the motion.
"Though weapons are only for my cute followers."
"Muuu~ that's not fair! It's not fair!"
She threw a tantrum. Yuu simply stepped closer and raised his hand.
"Huh?"
Shizuka looked curiously at the hand coming toward her, and only when he held her cheeks did she blush. Could it be…?
"Ow!"
Yuu tugged at her cheeks with an evil smile.
"B-bad boy! You're a bad boy, Kami-sama!"
She complained as Yuu stretched, squished, shaped, and kneaded her cheeks.
The laughter of the girls rang out in the background, finding Shizuka's face quite entertaining.
Then, once Yuu was satisfied with teasing the teacher, who was left rubbing her reddened cheeks, he turned toward them.
"It's already night. Tomorrow we'll start training. Rest well, both body and mind."
He'd spent hours in the forge, and outside the sky was already completely dark. In the silence of the night, the moans of zombies echoed in the distance.
×××
The girls slept peacefully on the second floor.
Maybe because they were tired. Or maybe because, in a way, they'd left their worries behind. Which, to be honest, was pretty risky in the middle of an apocalyptic world.
Still, considering who was protecting them, and who they trusted, it made sense.
"Hm? Someone's missing."
Yuu, who was on the rooftop, noticed right away through his senses.
He wasn't talking about Hirano.
After returning from Jin-ah's world, Yuu had created a sniper rifle and other weapons with his power and given them to him. The boy had been so excited that just a moment ago, he'd been smiling like an idiot while checking the weapons in his first-floor room.
So no. It wasn't him.
The missing person was someone else.
Yuu jumped down to the balcony.
There he saw the short girl, leaning with both arms on the railing, staring up at the sky.
The night wind played with her long pink hair, tied into two pigtails on either side, swaying it.
She seemed lost in thought and didn't notice his presence. Yuu quietly approached, tilted his head slightly, and blew near her ear.
"Buu~"
"Hiii!"
Saya jumped, squealing like a little animal, and ran off to the other end of the balcony.
"W-what the hell are you doing, idiot?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Yuu grinned wide.
"Wow, I didn't know you had such a cute scream. Do it again."
"Are you stupid?!" Saya's cheeks turned red instantly. "O-of course I won't!"
"Come on, don't be shy. If I recorded it and set it as my alarm tone, I'd definitely wake up happy every day."
"D-don't say weird stuff!"
Seeing her stomp the floor with a fierce glare, Yuu shrugged.
"I guess that's fine. I'll have to settle for the memory."
"Tch!" Saya crossed her arms and turned away. "Like I care what you think."
"Then what are you doing out here at this hour? Waiting for Prince Charming?"
"Stop saying stupid things!" Saya growled, showing her teeth with a cute fang peeking from the right side of her lips. "I-I just… couldn't sleep, okay? That's all."
It was past midnight. She really should've been in bed, but just like she said, she couldn't sleep.
There were too many things swirling in her head, and she couldn't calm down for even a second.
The memories of almost dying kept replaying. The fear that, at any moment when she closed her eyes, a zombie would show up and kill her.
Yuu watched her in silence, narrowing his eyes. He understood her fears. That's why he decided to tease her a bit, to give her some relief.
"…Tch. Hah… seriously, you're unbearable…"
Saya turned her face away.
Yuu stepped closer and leaned his arms on the railing, gently leaning forward.
Saya glanced sideways at him. With the moonlight illuminating his face, Yuu looked distant. Like the moon itself. Impossible to reach no matter how far one stretched their hand.
He turned his head, noticing her gaze, and smiled.
"What's wrong? Am I so handsome you can't stop staring?"
"Hmph! Don't be so full of yourself!"
Saya pointed a finger at him but quickly turned her face away, while the tips of her ears turned really red. She didn't want to admit that, in fact, she'd been captivated by his beauty.
She huffed, leaned on the railing too, and lifted her head toward the starry sky.
After a few minutes of silence…
"This world… became so horrible."
Saya found herself murmuring her fears. She wouldn't show such weakness to anyone else, and that's why she surprised herself at that moment. Saying it out loud to someone she barely knew.
And yet…
"Mm?"
"I always considered myself a genius, you know? But now I wonder… what's the point? I don't know if that genius will help me survive. I don't have control over anything anymore. I don't know when my last day will be."
Still, she felt calm next to Yuu. She couldn't explain it clearly, but when she was close to him, she felt comfort, tranquility, and safety.
'Not even Okaa-sama gives me this peace…'
"Zombies aren't normal. I saw one mutate and get stronger. What if there are a lot like that? How strong can they get? Do they even have a limit to their mutation? And on top of that, there are people like you, or Busujima-san…"
Yuu listened calmly. After she finished, he spoke.
"The world always changes, Saya. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. No one can control everything. The only thing you can do is decide how to live within it."
Saya glanced sideways at him again.
"You have power, so you can say that…"
Yuu laughed.
"Power? It's not that different. I was afraid too. I doubted myself too. Even now. What keeps us standing isn't power, but the people we choose to protect."
"The people we choose to protect…"
Yuu nodded.
"Exactly. You're smart, Saya. That knowledge you have is your most reliable ally, and at the same time, you could consider it your sharpest weapon. If you use it to protect, no matter what comes, you'll always have a place in this world."
Saya's eyes widened as she looked at the smile on Yuu's face while he said that.
'The people I want to protect…'
She thought of her parents.
'Yes. Them. I want to protect them.'
Her purpose… It seemed she'd forgotten it in her fear.
Yuu leaned a bit more on the railing, noticing how the night wind played with Saya's bangs.
"So… do you feel a little better now? Have you found your purpose?"
Saya stiffened for an instant. How did he know? She turned her head, avoiding his gaze, and crossed her arms tightly.
"…It's not like you helped me much or anything. But… yeah. A little. So… thanks, I guess."
A smile curved Yuu's lips.
"What? Did you just thank me? The great genius Takagi Saya admitting someone helped her? I've gotta mark this date on the calendar!"
Yuu was already pulling his smartphone from his pocket when Saya smacked his arm.
"Hey! Do you have to make it sound so weird?"
Her cheeks were red, but a corner of her mouth curled upward despite her efforts to keep a frown.
"It was just this once, got it? Don't get used to it!"
"You say that, but right now you're smiling."
"I'm not smiling!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say."
She let out a huff.
"Well… I'm going to sleep. Don't do something stupid like staying out here in the cold all night."
"You care about me? How cute."
"It's common sense, idiot!"
She spun around and walked toward the balcony door with quick steps. Before disappearing inside, she stopped for a second, and without looking at him, she murmured.
"Seriously… thanks."
He really had helped calm her down.
And with that, the door closed softly behind her.
Left alone, the smile on Yuu's face vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
His gaze lifted to the starry sky. The twinkling lights reflected in his golden pupils, but they couldn't illuminate the darkness inside them. They were empty and distant. Like the heavy silence of eternity.
×××
You can read 15 advanced chapters on my Pa treon.
pa treon.com/OlwinMoriarty