Opening the refrigerator, Aurélien browsed the selection of drinks when a voice called out to him."Aurélien?" It was Saeko's voice."Late-night dinner will be ready soon, and I've also prepared tomorrow's lunches," she said.
Selecting a canned fruit juice, Aurélien replied, "Thank you, Lady Saeko, you take very good ca—uh…"The young man froze as he caught sight of the absolute vision before him.
Saeko Busujima, her indigo-violet hair tied up in a high ponytail, was wearing nothing but a black thong and a white apron. Aurélien could see the smooth, pale slopes of her back and her delectably toned rear, high and proud, giving way to long, sleek legs.
Saeko noticed Aurélien staring."Is something wrong?" she asked him.
"Uh… n-nothing! What could possibly be wrong?" Aurélien stammered, feeling the blood in his head rush south at the sight of Saeko in her current state.
"Oh? This old thing?" Saeko asked, realizing what Aegon was staring at."Yeah, terrible, isn't it? I had to hang my clothes to dry and just threw on what I could find. I guess it's a little revealing," she said shyly.
"No! It's not a problem!" Aurélien sputtered, trying to will his erection not to show through his pants."There doesn't seem to be any immediate threat, but we don't know when they'll strike!" he said quickly.
Saeko smiled and replied,"I have absolute trust in the men who have protected us so far. And those men deserve to be appreciated. And if I can show my appreciation… I will," she said.
Aurélien tried not to blush at that line, struggling to ignore the implied subtext of her offer. Trying to change the subject, he asked,"So, what's for dinner?"
Saeko smiled and answered,"We've got all kinds of sushi if you're hungry," she offered. Sitting down, Aurélien watched Saeko prepare the sushi. She worked smoothly and naturally, rolling the sushi rolls and cutting them into even pieces. After plating a few with a small dish of soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi, Saeko handed it to Aurélien."Bon appétit," she said.
Aurélien picked up the first piece of sushi and examined it—it looked like a basic crab roll. Putting it in his mouth and chewing, he sighed in relief as the first thing he'd eaten in nearly a day made its way to his stomach.
"Good?" Saeko asked.Aurélien nodded and replied,"It's excellent, Lady Saeko. You're quite the cook," he complimented.
"Thank you. I try," Saeko said with a smile on her lips.
"You'll make someone a fine wife one day," Aurélien said offhandedly before realizing how sexist that sounded and quickly apologized. Saeko cut him off,"Are you volunteering, dear?" she teased with a playful smirk, leaning over the counter and giving Aurélien a view of heaven nestled in the valley of her cleavage.
"I… uh…" Aurélien stammered. "I didn't mean to imply…" he tried to explain.
"I know," Saeko replied. "It's just funny to see you trip over your own words around me," she said with a light laugh. Aurélien coughed and sat up straighter."I apologize, Lady Saeko," he said stiffly."Sly vixen!" he thought to himself.
"Don't be, you didn't offend me in any way," Saeko replied."And please, just call me Saeko," she added.
"Of course… Saeko," Aurélien said nervously. "If we're to be informal, then I think it's fair that I answer your questions regarding the revelations I made earlier," he added, regaining his composure.
Saeko gave him an intrigued look."Indeed, when I hear that you possess knowledge from another world and then, barely two hours later, that you belong to a secret religious order capable of changing the world… it does tend to raise a few questions," she said, amusement in her voice.
Aurélien smiled faintly and replied,"Ha! I admit, if someone else told me that, I'd question their sanity. I haven't told the others because I doubt they'd believe me."
"Yet we live in a world where the dead are literally attacking the living," Saeko said with finality."Either we're all sharing a collective hallucination, or I must admit there are many things beyond my understanding."Then she asked,"So, I must ask—are you from another world?"
A hint of cynicism appeared on Aurélien's face."If only it were that simple. In truth, a divine entity contacted me and merged my soul with a powerful individual from a world consumed by madness and war."Saeko showed concern at that.
"Yet I do not regret changing. I used to be someone who only found joy in my workshop and ignored the world around me. But now, I feel more alive than ever. I no longer care what others think of my eccentricities, I no longer fear forming bonds with others, I feel a thrill in battle, and I've finally found a purpose!" he added passionately.
"Don't you resent the entity that changed you? You could have been a normal person, but instead, you now find comfort in violence and death," Saeko asked in a mysterious tone. It was as if she were asking herself rather than the man in front of her.
"Normalcy is just an abstract concept that changes with each era. In the end, I believe it's better to live as oneself than be chained to what others define as 'normal.'So even if I know the entity will someday want me to repay my debt, I will thank them for giving me the chance to find happiness," he said with sincerity."Besides, our world was already fated to become like this. The divinity merely gave me the potential to survive and thrive in this apocalypse. It's up to me to forge my future—and no one else!"
A heavy silence settled between them. Aurélien focused on the food before him while Saeko seemed lost in thought. Aurélien was then treated to other types of sushi Saeko had prepared when the sudden barking of a dog outside snapped them back to reality.
"Was that a dog?" Saeko asked, emerging from her inner thoughts.
"Some things never change, I guess," Aurélien said—just as the sound of a shotgun blast rattled their nerves.
"Was that… did Takashi or Kohta do that?" Aurélien asked, standing up and rushing upstairs with Saeko right behind him.
"What are you two doing!?" Aurélien shouted at Takashi and Kohta when he found them on the balcony."Gunfire will attract attention!" he said angrily.
"It wasn't us," Kohta replied darkly, nodding toward the streets below. Aurélien looked down and took a sharp breath at the sight.
The undead. Hundreds of them. Crawling through the streets, attacking fleeing survivors.
"Damn it! I thought we'd be safe for the night," Aurélien exclaimed in frustration. Saeko grabbed the binoculars before speaking.
"It's worse. It's getting much worse," she said simply as she turned to go back inside.
"Shit! I can't take this!" Takashi growled, grabbing the shotgun.
"Komuro!" Kohta stopped him.
"What?!" Takashi snapped."What will you accomplish by shooting?" Kohta asked bluntly.
"Isn't it obvious?" Takashi replied. "I'll shoot them and protect the house!" he declared—when Aurélien cut him off sharply.
"Idiot. Think clearly for a second. They respond to sound," Aurélien reminded him."If you start shooting, they'll come in swarms," he said.
"He's right, Komuro," Saeko added quickly."And not just the dead—living people will hear it too and come here seeking shelter. We must stay in the shadows," she said, turning off the room's lights. Offering the binoculars to Takashi, she told him,"We can't save everyone out there. So take a good look, and get used to it. We won't survive on chivalry alone," she said.
Takashi took the binoculars from Saeko as she moved to leave the room."I thought out of all of us, you'd see things a little differently," he said accusingly.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not cruel," she replied."I'm sorry, Komuro, but this is how things are now," she said."I'm not saying I like it," she added softly before heading downstairs.
Aurélien placed a comforting hand on Takashi's shoulder and said,"She's right, Takashi. This is how it is now. We don't have to like it—but we have to learn to live with it."
Takashi didn't respond. He kept his thoughts to himself, crouched, and looked over the balcony through the binoculars.
"Try to be quiet when scouting out there," Kohta reminded him.
Aurélien left the room and went downstairs to check on everyone. Rei was currently sitting on the stairs, lost in thought. Saya and Shizuka were both asleep in the living room. Saeko was back in the kitchen preparing food. Heading to the entrance hall, Aurélien picked up his cane-sword with his right hand, feeling once more the familiar, comforting weight of the steel that had saved his life countless times today. Returning to the kitchen, Aurélien found Saeko washing utensils and pots, preparing lunchboxes.
"Need help?" he asked.Saeko looked at him with a smile and nodded in confirmation.Aurélien then began helping wash the kitchen utensils while Saeko prepared the lunches and packed everything into Tupperware containers to take with them.