By that time, Saeko had already prepared breakfast and was bringing reheated dishes to the table. The other women were busy freshening up in the bathroom.
Just then, Shizuka bounded out of a room, holding a sheathed sword as if it were a prized treasure. She ran to Saeko's side, her expression bright and expectant. "Saeko, look what I found!"
"This is… a katana?" Saeko's eyes immediately shone. For a practitioner of the Way of the Sword, there was no more cherished object. "Where did you find this?"
"In the wardrobe! My socks had a hole, so I was looking around… and I found this tucked away inside!" Shizuka announced, looking immensely pleased with herself.
Saeko tilted her head, puzzled. "The wardrobe? I didn't see it when I was tidying earlier."
"It was in a hidden compartment! A hidden compartment!" Shizuka explained earnestly. To search a hidden compartment for a pair of socks was a logic only a true airhead could follow.
"Well… your thoroughness is appreciated," Saeko said with a slight smile. Seeing Saeko make no further move, Shizuka's proud expression faltered. She held the sword out with a dejected pout. "Here, you take it. I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway."
"Thank you, Shizuka," Saeko accepted it without pretense. Among sisters, there was no need for false modesty. She drew the blade partway. Its surface was mirror-smooth and lethally sharp—a modern masterpiece, undoubtedly crafted by a skilled swordsmith. While it bore no famous historical name, its quality was exceptional.
"It's a truly fine blade. Thank you, Shizuka. I like it very much." At Saeko's sincere praise, Shizuka's disappointment vanished, replaced by a beaming smile.
---
After a pleasant breakfast, Son Goku and the others set out once more to gather energy. The streets outside had repopulated with shambling figures overnight. The group fought their way through until they reached a quieter residential district.
Rei, leaning out from the Humvee, suddenly pointed ahead, her voice trembling with excitement. "Goku… over there. That's my street. I want to go home… I need to check. Maybe… maybe my mother is still there…"
"Oh?" Son Goku sounded surprised. "We're already in your neighborhood? Then of course we'll go look." He immediately changed course, cutting a path toward the street Rei had indicated, with the Humvee rumbling close behind.
Compared to the city's main thoroughfares, the residential area was far less crowded. Only scattered zombies wandered the lanes. Watching Son Goku dispatch them with ease, Saeko finally could no longer contain herself. After receiving a nod of permission, she leapt from the vehicle, her new katana flashing in the light.
From the safety of the Humvee, the girls watched in awe as Saeko moved with lethal grace—one zombie beheaded with a horizontal slash, another split cleanly from shoulder to hip.
"Saeko's skill is remarkable," Yuriko observed. "Now that Shizuka gave her that sword, she's truly like a tiger that has grown wings."
Rika nodded in agreement. "It's impressive, but… her expression is a little intense, don't you think?"
Kurumi watched Saeko's enthusiastic charge thoughtfully. "She looks like she's genuinely enjoying herself."
"She really does," the others murmured, somewhat surprised to see this fierce, exhilarated side of the normally composed and dignified Saeko.
As they advanced, Son Goku suddenly halted at a small intersection. "What is it, Goku?" Saeko asked, coming to his side as the Humvee pulled up behind them.
Son Goku pointed. "In that house, there is one survivor. In the next one, five. Further down, over a dozen more."
"Eh? You can find people without even seeing them?" Saya's eyes widened as she looked at him. By now, they were no longer shocked by his abilities, only curious.
"Everyone has a life energy—a ki. I can sense it," Son Goku explained simply.
"Then… should we help them?" Rika asked, her tone hesitant. Her police officer's instincts warred with her loyalty to Son Goku's leadership.
Son Goku gestured toward the nearest two-story home. "What others do is their own affair. But the ki from this house… it feels very similar to Rei's. If it's not her mother, it's someone closely related—a sibling, perhaps."
"I don't have any siblings! I'm an only child! It has to be Mama!" Rei cried out from the vehicle. Before anyone could stop her, she flung the door open and sprinted toward the house. Son Goku moved to follow instantly.
"How reckless! After them, quickly!" Saeko instructed, and the rest of the group hurried out of the Humvee to follow.
---
On the second floor, Son Goku eased the locked door open with a gentle push that belied its strength. Rei rushed past him into the room.
Inside, a woman with short, practical hair spun around, spear held defensively. Her eyes widened in shock.
"M-Mama! It really is you!" Rei sobbed, throwing herself into the woman's arms.
"Eh? R-Rei? Is it really you?" The woman's stern expression melted into disbelief, then overwhelming joy as she embraced her daughter.
"Excuse us," Saeko said softly, leading the other girls into the room. They bowed politely in unison.
Rei's mother quickly set her spear aside and returned the bow with reserved grace. "Oh! Hello… thank you, you're all so kind…" As she spoke, a loud, prolonged gurgle echoed from her stomach. She flushed bright red. "Ara! I'm so embarrassed… I haven't eaten properly in over a day, so…"
Rei buried her face in her hands, her own cheeks flaming. The touching reunion was rapidly descending into farce. "Mama…"
The girls quickly produced food from their packs and offered it. Rei's mother's eyes lit up. With murmured thanks, she accepted it all and began to eat with a single-minded intensity that bordered on desperation.
The other women exchanged glances, faint lines of bemusement on their brows. Rei could only look away, mortified. So much for a dramatic, emotional scene…
Between hearty bites, Rei's mother managed a grateful smile. "Oh! Thank you all, truly. Rei, you've found such wonderful friends."