After stepping out of the bathroom with the little girl wrapped in a warm towel, Saeko Busujima gently guided her toward the dining table, where a spread of warm, delicious food was already laid out.
The girl's eyes lit up the moment she saw the feast. Her stomach gave a quiet growl-she hadn't eaten properly since trying to escape with her father.
Kenthelion watched her with a calm smile as he poured a glass of juice and placed it in front of her.
"Take it slow, Alice. The food's not going anywhere."
"Thank you, big brother!" Alice chirped with her mouth full, cheeks puffed adorably.
"Her name is Alice. She's eight years old. A sweet little girl," Saeko said softly, a rare smile touching her lips as she looked at the child.
Kenthelion reached for a piece of meat and handed it to the small puppy curled up at Alice's feet.
Bark! Bark! Bark!
The little dog yipped happily and began munching, its tiny tail wagging like a wind-up toy.
Alice looked up at Kenthelion with curious eyes.
"Big brother... do you have a little sister?"
"I do. Her name's Angela," he replied with a warm, nostalgic smile. "She's a mischievous little rascal. We used to argue all the time over games back in the capital-Terra Aeterna."
Alice's expression turned worried.
"If I'm around... won't she not like me?"
Kenthelion leaned closer and gently patted her head.
"Alice, you're such a sweetheart. Of course she'd like you. Angela's a bit stubborn, but she's got a kind heart. One day, I'll take you to meet her-I think you two would get along just fine."
"Okay! Then I'll talk to her lots when I meet her!" Alice said brightly.
"But for now, finish your food before it gets cold."
A few minutes later, Alice let out a tiny yawn and rubbed her eyes, sleepiness finally catching up to her. Saeko stood and gently picked her up into her arms.
"I'll take her to bed," she said softly.
Kenthelion stood alone on the balcony, a cigarette between his fingers. The night was quiet-cool wind brushing against his face as he gazed at the stars beyond the ruined city skyline.
Footsteps approached softly behind him.
Saeko Busujima.
She stopped beside him, arms folded, her eyes distant but steady.
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm not thinking about anything," Kenthelion replied, exhaling a plume of smoke into the night air.
There was a pause before he spoke again.
"Saeko Busujima, when this world is finally at peace... what will you do?"
She blinked, as if surprised by the question. "I don't know. Maybe... open a gym like my father's. Something normal."
Kenthelion gave a small smirk, then turned to glance at her.
"Why aren't you with little Alice tonight, helping her sleep? Is it because you're curious about where I come from?"
Saeko looked at him quietly but didn't answer. Everyone had their secrets.
"You act like you don't care about your family, but... the way you talk to Alice, I can tell. You care more than you show."
"Family? They're safe. Probably safer than we are here," Saeko replied. "And you... you act like you're above it all, but I know you care."
Kenthelion turned away, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Your father... you don't hate him?"
"No. He's a better person than I'll ever be. If I'm still alive, he must be too."
Another beat of silence.
"Saeko... do you have a boyfriend?"
"What?" Her wooden practice sword slipped from her hand and clattered softly against the balcony floor. She froze, staring at him in shock.
"What's wrong?" Kenthelion asked, his tone gentle but probing.
He knew-he had read in manga that this woman had a knot in her heart. A silent burden that she had never shared with anyone.
"I'm just... asking. If you're in trouble, I can help. You don't have to carry it alone."
Saeko didn't answer. Her thoughts spun, tangled in memories. Images from the past flickered behind her eyes-moments she'd buried, regrets she never voiced.
"...It doesn't matter to you," she whispered finally. "But if I told you... would you really listen?"
Kenthelion nodded. "Whatever it is, I'll keep it secret. Just say it."
She looked down. "When you asked if I had a boyfriend... I wanted to say no. I've never had one. But... I am a woman. I've had someone I liked. I just... never told him. I felt like I wasn't worthy."
Kenthelion gave her a soft, genuine smile. "Saeko, you're a beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to have your heart."
She shook her head, voice suddenly hoarse.
"No. You don't understand. If a man ever found out... that I almost killed someone... would he still love me?"
Kenthelion didn't speak. He simply listened, letting the weight of her words hang in the air.
Inside his heart, he thought:
Almost killed someone?
Saeko... I've committed genocide against alien races. Fed their corpses to the citizens of the Imperium Caelestis to survive the void wars. Your burden... is nothing compared to mine.
But he didn't say that.
Instead, he reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Four years ago..." Saeko Busujima's voice was quiet in the stillness of the night. The only sound was the soft breeze brushing past the balcony where they stood. "I was walking alone. It was dark. Silent. Suddenly, a man attacked me."
Kenthelion said nothing, simply watching her with steady eyes.
"I was carrying a wooden sword that night... My reflexes took over. He was no match for me. I struck him... broke several of his bones. He nearly died." Her gaze dropped. "The police arrived later and took me home."
She paused, as if gathering the scattered fragments of her emotions.
"And the worst part?" she continued, her voice now quieter. "I felt happy. I realized-I was bloodthirsty. I may have the heart of a girl... but inside, I carry a killer. How could anyone ever love someone like that?"
Kenthelion remained silent. He knew she needed to let it out.
"I tried to change. I thought I had become normal. But when you asked if I had a boyfriend..." her eyes stared into the distance. "...I realized I hadn't changed at all. I was just hiding it. I've been intoxicated by power for years. That's who I really am."
"Sometimes..." her voice trembled, "...my eyes feel lost... sometimes, insane."
Kenthelion let out a breath. "Saeko, let me tell you something. You're not alone. I'm the same. When facing zombies, the blood... it's like an addiction. I crave it. Maybe even more than you do."
But he didn't tell her everything. Not about the Caelestis Imperium he ruled. Not about the alien races and heretical cults he had annihilated. Not about the countless worlds he'd conquered. Those truths stayed buried in his heart.
Saeko shook her head violently. "No! It's not the same!" she suddenly shouted. "You did it because you had to-for everyone else. But me? I enjoyed it! I enjoyed it!" Her voice cracked, tears burning in her eyes. "Who could possibly love someone like that?"
She turned to leave, but Kenthelion stepped forward, grabbing her wrist.
In one smooth motion, he pulled her into his arms.
"You're wrong, Saeko," he said softly. "How could there be no one who loves you? I do. I've loved you-truly-since the first moment I saw you. Saeko Busujima, the heroic woman in this world... You're the first woman I've ever loved in this universe."
Kenthelion's words weren't a lie. He activated his "playboy skill" without hesitation, but it was still the truth-at least in this universe.
Of course, in other universes... well, that was a different story.
After hearing Kenthelion's words, Saeko Busujima looked into his eyes, searching for something-truth, warmth, perhaps redemption. For a moment, the world stood still. Slowly, she stepped forward and embraced him tightly, as if to confirm he was truly there.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Saeko whispered, "Do you... not mind someone like me?"
Kenthelion gently returned the embrace. "You didn't do anything wrong, Saeko. You were just surviving. Anyone in your position would have done the same. Don't carry that weight alone."
Her heart shattered at his words-not from pain, but from a sense of being truly seen. "Kenthelion... have you liked me all this time?"
He nodded softly, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "Since the first moment I saw you. You're strong... but there's fragility in you too. I fell in love with both."
Saeko's breath hitched. Her heart raced, her face flushed. She looked at him with a mix of confusion and wonder. Kenthelion leaned in, and their lips met in a kiss-tender, sincere, and unhurried. It wasn't just desire. It was connection.
That night, they spent quiet hours together. Words were few, but emotions ran deep. For the first time in a long while, Saeko felt safe. Felt loved. Not as a warrior, not as a killer-but as a woman.
When morning came, Kenthelion woke up first. He smiled as he glanced at Saeko, peacefully asleep beside him. Carefully, he covered her with the blanket, his touch gentle, then stepped out without waking her.
In the kitchen, Kenthelion washed a few dishes and called on the Adepta Sororitas to bring in food. As he arranged breakfast on the table, he waited quietly, knowing that from this day forward, things had changed-not only for him, but for them both.