— — — — — —
Kira knew his current situation well.
His trust in his aunt came from emotion. He believed without doubt that she would never harm him.
His daughter, on the other hand, was a matter of mutual benefit. Kira understood clearly: for now, their interests were aligned.
Whether it was Eirin Yagokoro or Kaguya Houraisan, whether their goal was to break free from the Moon Capital's chains or pursue vengeance, both needed him.
No one knew the details written on Kira's traits, but that ability of his from their view—as long as you work hard, you can grow stronger—was simply absurd.
Likewise, Kira needed Eirin to act as a silent guardian in the background.
Mutual benefit.
That was their relationship—for now. Given time, emotions would naturally develop.
They were father and daughter, after all. Whether that relationship would twist into something else... was hard to say.
...
"I see," Kaguya said calmly, nodding as she pieced things together.
"Father, within the domain of my Eternity and the Moment, you gained the ability to move between worlds."
"And you were testing the time difference."
"Correct."
Kira nodded. "I stayed there for about an hour. After returning… not a single moment passed here."
"Do you still need to test further?" asked Kaguya.
"Yes."
"Next, I need to see if time flows independently between the two sides. I memorized the exact time over there before coming back."
"Understood."
They sat together, calmly analyzing the situation. Kira explained the world he had entered. Kaguya suggested bringing back samples—Eirin would likely be able to break down that zombie virus with ease.
...
Time passed quickly.
An hour later, Kira stood and said, "Kaguya, I'm heading back. I'll collect some samples."
With that, he lifted the crystal vial she had given him. A ripple of intent—and he vanished.
"May fortune favor you, Father," Kaguya murmured, hands resting gracefully at her abdomen as she bowed.
— — —
{13:38}
Kira reappeared, eyes landing on the clock.
"Only one minute passed here? One hour there for one minute here? Or…"
Preliminary tests weren't enough to confirm. But he didn't go back for another loop. Instead, he headed toward the direction he had chosen before.
Along the way, he casually took down a zombie, dissecting it with a flick to confirm there was no special thing inside.
He filled ten vials with samples—just as Kaguya had prepared—and continued forward.
"Oh? Human life detected."
He extended his spiritual perception through the city—and there it was.
Without hesitation, Kira stepped forward and vanished.
Space Jump—a divine-level movement technique, theoretically only usable by gods, yet easily absorbed into his Master of All Martial Arts.
He had studied barely a third of the textbooks Eirin sent before the rainbow-tier entry distracted him. Those would have to wait.
...
On the other side, the human Kira had just detected was fighting.
The street was a mess. And there she was, a woman amid blood and ruin.
The young woman stood amidst the massacre—long purple hair matted with dried blood, her school uniform torn, and black thigh-high socks shredded, clinging to her legs like battle-scarred armor.
Her beauty was the kind associated with a traditional Yamato Nadeshiko—serene, elegant, poised. Yet in this moment, her expression twisted with wild bloodlust, blue eyes shimmering with a crimson madness.
She held her katana in one hand, and with a single sweeping arc, the zombies around her fell like rag dolls.
But the tremor in her arms, the slight stagger in her legs—it was obvious.
She was at her limit.
"So this's it, huh?"
She looked around as more zombies closed in. Her body finally gave in, one knee hitting the ground as she used her blade to support herself.
GWAAAARR
A thunderous roar shook the air.
A hulking zombie, over three meters tall, muscles bulging like a monstrous beast, approached with heavy steps that made the cracked pavement tremble.
"They've already evolved to this level?" Her pupils constricted sharply.
But instead of fear—
—She smiled.
That elegant, gentle face twisted into something ecstatic. She gripped her katana tighter and slowly rose again.
Her voice carried a strange delight. "To die in such a glorious slaughter… how wonderful…"
But then, a hand appeared out of thin air.
It brushed lightly across the massive zombie.
Like cutting through paper, the creature split apart cleanly, collapsing in pieces.
"Ah, sorry. Did I steal your prey?"
Kira's figure materialized as the giant corpse fell. He looked at the purple-haired woman before him and smiled gently.
Saeko Busujima.
In the house, she was refined—a picture-perfect woman. Outside, she was graceful and composed. In battle, she was a blood-drenched demon.
A collection of contradictions—upbringing, environment, personal desire—interwoven into a mesmerizing presence.
"You look like you were in a bit of trouble."
Kira lifted a hand and swept casually through the air. An invisible wave of blade intent burst outward.
All surrounding zombies—
—Were sliced cleanly in half and collapsed like cut wheat.
In front of him, Saeko felt only a gentle breeze brush past her cheek.
No killing intent. No danger. Just… overwhelming strength.
.
.
.