Under the influence of aura, Ponzu's hair dried quickly.
The door leading to the Sumas space still shimmered faintly on the wall.
As long as she pushed it open, she could return there.
But the moment she raised her hand, Ponzu hesitated.
A wave of loneliness surged up from deep inside her.
That hollow feeling again.
She looked around—there was no one.
Before hearing of Oster's death, Ponzu hadn't experienced this kind of emptiness so intensely.
She had thrown herself into training while inside Sumas' space, carrying the single goal of killing Oster in her heart.
But with that goal suddenly gone...
Ponzu had been elated at first when she heard of Oster's death.
But after the surprise faded, confusion took over.
Now, facing a place that felt completely empty, fear and resistance stirred within her.
...
After showering, Kaizen changed into pajamas and stepped out of the bathroom.
"Captain, can I... not go back?" Ponzu asked timidly. "Can I stay here instead?"
There was a plea in her eyes.
Kaizen hesitated for a moment.
"...Yeah. The next room's empty—you can sleep there."
The reason Kaizen allowed Ponzu to stay here rather than returning to Sumas' space was simple: he had his own matters to deal with, and Zoldyck Manor wasn't the kind of place she could wander freely. Rather than letting her loiter near his courtyard, it was safer to let her stay close—at least here, she had some freedom.
With that, Kaizen turned toward the door.
"Captain..."
Ponzu's voice was soft, nearly a whisper.
"Hmm?"
"Can I just stay in this room?" she asked. "I'm scared of being alone in that kind of place... but I promise I won't bother you. I'll just sit in a chair for the night."
"...Alright."
"Thank you, Captain."
Ponzu let out a quiet breath of relief.
Kaizen lay down on the bed.
Click.
He turned off the lights.
The moment darkness enveloped the room, Ponzu's body tensed.
She couldn't see Kaizen at all in the dark—only sense the faint presence of his aura in the distance.
Quietly, she shifted her position, moving the chair a little closer to him.
Kaizen opened his eyes.
Unlike Ponzu, he had undergone night vision training. Even with minimal light, he could see clearly.
"Get up here."
"If you're that uneasy, come sleep on the bed."
"It's big enough."
Ponzu froze, caught off guard.
But she made a decision quickly.
She walked over and gingerly felt for the edge of the bed, settling in the corner.
"Captain, I'll just take the edge. I won't disturb your sleep."
"...Alright. Go to sleep."
The night deepened.
Kaizen drifted into sleep.
Suddenly, he felt the blanket shift.
His eyes opened.
Ponzu had, unknowingly, curled up close beside him. Her brows were tightly furrowed, as if she were in the middle of a nightmare.
"...Grandma..."
Kaizen gently reached over and held her hand.
Ponzu's body slowly relaxed. Her frown eased.
...
Morning light crept into the room.
Ponzu stirred and opened her eyes. The moment she realized where she was, her face turned bright red.
She had promised to stay in one corner, but now...
She was nestled against Kaizen, right at the center of the bed.
She could feel his body heat.
Her heart raced.
What is this feeling...?
A thought flickered in her mind—uncertain and full of hesitation.
She didn't know how Kaizen saw her.
Then Kaizen stirred.
His arm moved, falling lightly over her.
Ponzu froze.
Kaizen's eyes opened, and he immediately realized what had happened.
Ponzu was curled up in his arms, face flushed red, eyes tightly shut—but her fluttering lashes gave her away.
She was clearly awake.
Steam practically rose from her head.
The awkward moment was broken by a sudden, sharp ringing.
Kaizen glanced at his phone.
An unknown number.
"Who is it?"
"Kaizen-san? It's Nessley."
"Is something wrong?"
Nessley's voice was grave. "I have something to tell you."
"...Go on."
"Oster might still be alive," Nessley said. "The United States of Saherta hasn't changed at all after that incident. Tucker was betrayed... by the Revolutionary Army."
"No—by all of them."
"The entire army turned its back on him. His sacrifice was completely meaningless now. A joke."
...
"Kaizen-san," she continued, voice tight with emotion, "if there's no urgent need, please don't return to Saherta. It's dangerous. There are people there who might target you."
"And if you run into anyone from Saherta elsewhere... be cautious."
"That country is beyond saving."
"I still can't believe it."
"Zotan... he got away with it. He came to a settlement with the royal family. He surrendered. And he brought the entire Revolutionary Army with him."
"He had all of us fooled. He killed everyone who refused to submit."
"How is that any different from Oster?"
"We believed in him—believed he could change the country."
"We gave everything for that belief."
"But now he's become just like the man we were fighting against."
Kaizen could hear Nessley's anger and heartbreak in every word.
It wasn't just disappointment.
It was betrayal—barefaced and cruel.
Everything Nessley and others had fought for was now worthless.
Kaizen had expected that Oster's death wouldn't bring much real change to Saherta.
But what Zotan did still caught him off guard.
Kaizen didn't believe for a second that Zotan was unaware of Saherta's true nature.
Yet he still submitted.
Everything he once stood for—the dreams, the convictions—had all become lies.
"Looks like he used the ideals of the Revolutionary Army from the start."
"Built up a force strong enough to draw the royal family's attention."
"And once they made him an offer, he traded ideals for power and security."
"It sounds cynical... but it's real."
"That's what's happening in Saherta."
"And the royal family? They don't care."
"They tolerated Oster for years."
"Why wouldn't they tolerate Zotan too?"
"To them, it's no different."
"Just another toy to amuse themselves with."
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)