The tension in the dining hall still hung thick in the air following Yuriko Takagi's chilling command: capture Takashi Komuro. No one moved. The silence was heavy.
Then, the doors opened.
A maid stepped inside, balancing a tray of warm food. But it wasn't the food that caught Miyamoto Rei's attention—it was the woman's face.
"...M-Mom?" Rei whispered, disbelief tightening her throat.
The maid froze. Her eyes widened, and the tray nearly slipped from her hands.
"Rei?!"
In an instant, Rei leapt from her seat and ran to her. She threw her arms around the woman, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Mom… you're here… I thought— I thought I lost you..."
Kiriko Miyamoto wrapped her daughter in a fierce embrace.
"Rei… I can't believe it either. That we made it this far. Your father—he and the other men stayed behind so the rest of us could escape. They held the line all the way to Haneda Airport."
The once-tense atmosphere in the hall melted into something else entirely—quiet reverence. The other maids paused, some with hands to their mouths. Even a few of the Astra Militarum guards bowed their heads, silently honoring the reunion between mother and daughter.
Rei clung to her mother, trembling as Kiriko recounted the desperate stand made by her husband, Tadashi Miyamoto, and ninety-nine other men who gave their lives to protect the fleeing women and children.
"...Dad..." Rei's voice cracked as she looked down, her tears flowing freely. But her mother held her tighter.
"He was proud of you, Rei. He wanted you to survive. That's all that mattered to him."
But the moment of warmth gave way to unease when Rei began recounting everything that had happened at the Takagi estate. Her words grew heavy, especially as she revealed Takashi Komuro's role in the downfall of Soichiro Takagi.
Kiriko's expression darkened. Her eyes narrowed as a tremor of rage passed through her.
"That bastard…" she hissed, voice low at first—then she snapped.
"One boy... and thousands died?! I can't believe it! That child—Takashi—he used to greet us so politely! What happened to him?!"
Rei looked away, her voice barely audible.
"He's not the same person anymore, Mom. That... that wasn't the Takashi Komuro we knew. I didn't want to believe it either."
Kiriko clenched her fists, breathing hard. But then she exhaled slowly, placing a calming hand on Rei's head.
"You're safe now. That's what matters most."
Just then, a tiny voice interrupted the moment.
"Mom... who's the pretty big sister?"
Rei blinked in surprise and looked down. A little girl had quietly approached, tugging at the hem of Kiriko's uniform.
Kiriko smiled, her eyes softening with maternal warmth. She knelt down and gently patted the little girl's head.
"Airi, sweetheart… this is your big sister, Miyamoto Rei. From now on, she'll be your onee-chan, okay?"
Rei blinked in confusion, still kneeling beside them.
"Mom...? Who is she?"
Kiriko looked up at her daughter, her voice tender.
"Her name is Airi. We found her while making our way to the airport. You were still on the run at the time. She was all alone… and your father said that if we ever found a child like her, we couldn't just leave her behind."
Rei's expression softened. She gave a small smile and crouched down to Airi's level, her voice gentle.
"Hi there, Airi. I'm Rei. It's really nice to meet you..."
Airi beamed with a bright, innocent smile.
"Nice to meet you too, onee-chan!"
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Miyamoto Rei smiled—not out of courtesy, not out of obligation—but a real, genuine smile.
In a world consumed by death, betrayal, and chaos… she had found something irreplaceable.
A family.
Yuriko Takagi, Shizuka Marikawa, Takagi Saya, and Rika Minami sat quietly in the dining room, giving Miyamoto Rei and her mother space to share their reunion. No one interrupted— even Saya, who was usually quick to react emotionally, remained silent, understanding how rare and precious moments like this were in their shattered world.
From a distance, they watched closely, feeling the tension slowly melt away, replaced by a gentle warmth filling the room.
After nearly two hours, the survivors began to engage in light conversation. Yuriko Takagi finally broke the silence as she sipped her warm tea.
"So… you two are mother and daughter?" she asked softly. "What a coincidence to meet here."
Kiriko Miyamoto nodded, her voice trembling slightly from the surge of emotions.
"Yes… I never expected this either. We both truly thought the other was gone."
Yuriko's gaze lingered on Kiriko, seeing not just a survivor, but a woman who carried strength and tenderness much like herself. Their ages were close too.
In her mind, Yuriko began to formulate a plan. Perhaps it would be better if Kiriko stayed with her. After all, Kenthelion was… a brutal bastard. Every night, he tormented me for six straight hours—whether out of twisted affection or just to assert his power. Maybe I need someone who understands loneliness and exhaustion, someone who can be a true friend.
Once she confirmed the outside was calm and everyone else was absorbed in conversation, Yuriko invited Kiriko into a private room.
"Kiriko-san… I need to talk seriously," Yuriko said, settling onto the long sofa. "I know this is sudden, but I want to offer you something."
Kiriko looked at her, eyes full of questions.
"How about you live with me? With us. With Kenthelion," Yuriko continued. "Not as a servant, but as family. As… Kenthelion's woman."
Kiriko fell silent, hesitant and confused.
"Yuriko-san… you mean you want me to… become…?"
"Yes," Yuriko interrupted gently. "I know it's not easy. But in a world like this, strength and protection mean everything. You know Kenthelion commands an army. If you're with him, Rei will be safer. You will be safer, too."
Kiriko closed her eyes, thinking of her husband, Tadashi Miyamoto, who had sacrificed everything for others.
"Forgive me, Tadashi… this world is too broken now. I must think of Rei."
Her voice heavy but resolute, Kiriko Miyamoto finally nodded.
"I agree. If it's for Rei's sake, I will do it."
Yuriko smiled faintly.
"Welcome to the Kenthelion family."
From that night on, the Kenthelion household gained a new member.
Miyamoto Rei, Kiriko Miyamoto, Asami Nakaoka, and little Airi—all were now part of Kenthelion's home.
-----
At the quiet edge of the beach, Kenthelion sat relaxed, watching little Alice and her puppy chase each other playfully. The girl's cheerful laughter echoed softly, a sharp contrast to the brutal world lurking beyond the horizon. Kenthelion gave a faint smile.
"Sometimes I envy them," he murmured, "to be a child again..."
But the peaceful moment didn't last long.
His tactical wristwatch beeped, projecting a vivid blue hologram. The face of Political Commissar Jacob appeared in crisp detail.
Jacob: "Your Majesty, Emperor—Takashi Komuro has been captured."
Kenthelion raised an eyebrow.
Kenthelion: "Already? That was fast."
Jacob: "Yes, Your Majesty. He was apprehended while attempting to infiltrate our ranks with a criminal gang disguised as survivors. They were abducting women and children, aiming to steal our weapons. The Astra Militarum intercepted them before any further damage could be done."
Kenthelion exhaled lightly.
Kenthelion: "Inform Yuriko Takagi and the others. Begin cleansing city after city—I want this planet under my full control before I return to Terra Aeterna."
Jacob: "Orders will be carried out immediately, Your Majesty."
---
Soon after the report, the atmosphere at the estate shifted dramatically. Yuriko Takagi, who had just finished a private conversation with Kiriko Miyamoto, was startled by a guard's sudden arrival.
Guard: "Lady Yuriko! Takashi Komuro has been captured. He will be arriving at the main barracks shortly."
Yuriko, together with Shizuka, Saya, Rika, and Kiriko, quickly departed for the location. The air was thick with tension and curiosity.
Meanwhile, along the main road of the reclaimed Tokyo, a military convoy raced at high speed.
In the center, a Prison Rhino—an armored heavy vehicle modified by the Adeptus Arbites—roared like a war lion. Inside, Takashi Komuro sat slumped behind steel bars. His face was blank, a man who had lost everything.
Two Inquisitorial Bikes flanked the convoy. These fearsome machines were a hybrid of Space Marine Bikes and Arbites Combat Bikes, adorned with Aquila emblems, purity seals, and even miniature thrones at the rear—symbols of the Imperium's supreme authority.
Two Inquisitors, cloaked in flowing black robes, rode these bikes with cold authority, as if the world were merely the stage for their execution.
The convoy headed toward Haneda Airport, now the Imperium's main military base. There, a "heretic" would stand trial under the direct command of the Eternal Emperor himself.
-------
Under the blazing midday sun, Haneda Airport's once-bustling square—now transformed into a sprawling military outpost—witnessed a scene heavy with sorrow.
Takashi Komuro sat weakly inside a steel cage mounted atop a Prison Rhino, the armored war vehicle that had just come to a halt. His skin was scorched by the relentless heat, but the deepest wound was the crushing weight on his spirit. The cage had become a spectacle for soldiers and civilians alike, filled with sneers and contempt.
Yuriko Takagi arrived with her group—Miyamoto Rei, Saya, Rika, Shizuka, and Kiriko—stepping out of the barracks after receiving the news. They all knew too well that Takashi was now trapped in the grasp of the most feared institution under Kenthelion's command: the Inquisitors and Adeptus Arbites. Among the forces of the Imperium Caelestis, especially the Astra Militarum, these enforcers were judge, jury, and executioner without mercy.
As they reached the square, the atmosphere felt like a divine courtroom.
Amid rows of armored vehicles and heavily armed troops, Takashi Komuro huddled inside his cramped cage. His clothes were ragged, his face pale, and his eyes hollow—seemingly resigned to his fate.
When he spotted Rei standing among the crowd, his whole body tensed. He gripped the iron bars desperately.
"Rei! Rei! Help me! I'm here!" he croaked hoarsely.
But Rei's response was weak and filled with sorrow. She looked at Takashi with tear-filled eyes, her heart torn between hope and harsh reality.
"Takashi… I… I can't save you…" she whispered.
Around them was silence, broken only by the footsteps and vigilant guards of the Astra Militarum. Yet, the most terrifying presence was that of the Inquisitors—clad in gleaming black armor adorned with the Aquila, their blood-red cloaks flowing like death itself—angelic executioners ready to claim lives at a moment's notice.
Fear completely consumed Takashi.
"Then… please… tell Kenthelion… beg him to release me…" Takashi pleaded, his voice cracking with despair.
Rei said nothing, clutching tightly to little Airi's hand. Without another word, she turned and walked away, unwilling to let Airi witness the downfall of someone they once knew.
Suddenly, a booming voice thundered from atop the Rhino.
A towering Inquisitor, over two meters tall, leapt down. With firm resolve, he pressed the cage's lock button. The iron bars clanged shut with a dreadful finality as they dropped to the ground. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
Without warning, a massive metal fist slammed into Takashi's face, staggering him.
"SHUT UP, HERETIC! Don't speak unless spoken to!" the Inquisitor growled.
He leveled a colossal bolter at Takashi's head.
"One more word… and you'll meet the Emperor sooner than you think," the cold voice struck like a hammer blow.
Takashi trembled, sealing his lips as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. His life was no longer his own.
"Komuro, if you've made a mistake… you have to face the consequences."
Kiriko's voice was cold and firm—there was no trace of mercy.
"Auntie… please, I'm begging you… I swear I'll change! I won't make mistakes again, I promise!"
Komuro sobbed, dropping to his knees before Kiriko. Tears streamed endlessly down his face.
"I don't have the power to help you anymore. This is a military matter now."
Kiriko's words hit him like a hammer, shattering all hope.
Footsteps approached—Saya Takagi stepped forward, her gaze sharp and filled with long-held anger.
"Komuro, you don't need to beg like that."
Her tone was flat but cutting.
"No one can save you now. You… will pay for my father's death."
"HAHAHAHA! I was just trying to save people! I only wanted to help! I didn't want any of this to happen! I DIDN'T!"
Komuro exploded in a chaotic mix of laughter and tears.
"Save?" Saya hissed.
"To me, you only caused pain."
Komuro fell silent for a moment. Then, like something inside him broke, he confessed.
"Is there something wrong with me...? This is all Kenthelion's fault! He's… he's stronger than me!"
He panted, eyes wild.
"On the school bus, me and the others chased him away. At the Takagi household, I told everyone he was Middle Eastern. I told your father—Soichiro Takagi—that he had powerful weapons…"
He laughed again. Mad, desperate laughter.
"I just wanted him dead. I thought people would kill him. But I… I never expected him to HAVE AN ARMY! Hahaha! HE HAS AN ARMY!!"
Silence fell.
Miyamoto Rei. Kiriko. Yuriko Takagi. Saya Takagi. Shizuka Marikawa. Rika Minami. Saeko Busujima. Asami Nakaoka.
They all stared at Takashi Komuro. Their eyes were filled with confusion, disgust, and fear.
None of them could have guessed… that all this destruction, conflict, and suffering was born from only one thing:
Jealousy.
Jealousy of Kenthelion.
"I was just trying to save someone... but all of you blamed me…"
Komuro muttered to himself, voice trembling, eyes vacant.
"You all keep judging me... but I was right... It was Hirano Kohta who wanted to go save Takagi Saya. I didn't go with him… He insisted on going… I just tried to stop him. I didn't push him... How was I supposed to know he'd fall...?"
He laughed.
A bitter, broken laugh—madness tinged with denial.
"You say saving people is wrong... I just didn't want him to go... I just—I... just..."
The laughter, the tears, the murmurs—all blurred into one.
Now, Komuro looked like a madman.
Even he wasn't sure anymore—was he truly insane... or just pretending to be?
"You killed that chubby little nerd… you bastard!!"
Saya Takagi's eyes flared with rage.
"He saved me! Even if I didn't like him... he was still my friend!"
Miyamoto Rei and Kiriko Miyamoto stood frozen, horror etched across their faces.
They never thought the boy who once stood beside them through the apocalypse… could kill one of their own.
Someone who had once saved him.
---
Behind cold iron bars, Takashi Komuro now just laughed.
Sometimes he cried.
Sometimes he screamed out:
"Rei! Saeko! Saya! Please—help me! HELP!!"
No one answered.
Saya Takagi stood outside his cell, staring in with a blank expression.
She wasn't sure anymore—what she should feel: rage? hatred? Or maybe just... disgust?
---
Then came the Inquisitor.
Komuro was hung upside down—head dangling, feet bound above.
His skin was slowly sliced open, blood dripping steadily, his mad laughter echoing in the chamber.
But the Inquisitor had grown bored.
"I leave him to you," the Inquisitor said to Saya Takagi.
"This is the Emperor's command. Let the girl decide... how he dies."
He walked away, leaving Komuro to the hands of the Astra Militarum.
Saya Takagi stepped forward, face cold as ice.
"Bring him," she ordered the soldiers.
"Sink him in the ocean. Let the sea wash away his sins."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The soldiers responded in unison, dragging the half-dead Komuro toward the docks.
Miyamoto Rei and her mother, Kiriko Miyamoto, stood in silence.
They knew what Saya Takagi had done was an act of revenge—a merciless response to the death of her father, Soichiro Takagi.
And yet, witnessing it with their own eyes…
They never expected Saya to be capable of such cruelty.
But in a world like this...
Who could truly blame her?
After all, this was all… Takashi Komuro's fault.
---
A group of soldiers approached, carrying a large bucket filled with coarse sea salt.
Komuro's body—flayed by the Inquisitors, his skin peeled away—was slowly doused in salt.
His screams echoed through the compound.
But still, he laughed.
A mad, broken laughter that pierced the skies.
They tied thick anchor chains to his legs.
Fresh, blood-soaked meat was strapped to his torn body—to lure whatever horrors waited beneath the waves.
Then, the Astra Militarum helicopter arrived, blades roaring.
Komuro, still locked in a steel cage, was hoisted into the air—hanging upside down, his blood dripping into the sea below.
All the way, he laughed.
He cried.
He babbled the names of those who once stood beside him.
> "Rei… Saya… Saeko… Kenthelion… don't leave me…"
But there were no answers.
No forgiveness.
No final words.
The cage—along with his shattered body and the anchor—was released into the dark ocean.
Takashi Komuro had met his end.
---
When it was over, Saya Takagi quietly returned home.
She carried one final burden: telling her mother, Yuriko Takagi, everything that had happened.
---
Life, however, moved on.
Kenthelion now lived in peace—or at least, a fragile version of it.
He was surprised when Yuriko Takagi arrived, accompanied by Kiriko Miyamoto.
But they weren't alone.
Saya Takagi, Rei Miyamoto… even Shizuka Marikawa and Rika Minami had come with them.
Not just them—
Saeko Busujima and Asami Nakaoka were also now part of the same home.
They spent the next week together, taking turns, sometimes sharing the same space.
A home filled with warmth, laughter, and the beginnings of something new.
---
Down by the shoreline, two little girls ran barefoot across the sand.
Alice and her friend Airi chased after a small puppy, giggling under the golden afternoon sun.
They played every day, blissfully unaware of the world the adults had fought to rebuild.