— — — — — —
The Moon Rabbit paid no mind to Saeko Busujima's shock.
She didn't know much about the woman, only that she wasn't from this world—a world where yokai and spirits walked openly.
"Lady Saeko, your clothes are ready. Would you like us to assist you?"
"Also, the City Lord will be arriving shortly."
The rabbit's voice was soft and calm as she reported the news.
"The City Lord… you mean Kira-kun?" Saeko asked, her mind slowly reeling itself back in.
The Moon Rabbit nodded. "The City Lord's name is Kira."
"I see… then I'll—"
Saeko stopped mid-motion, her hand halfway to the clothes. Something flickered in her mind. "....Umm... No need."
After saying that, her tongue darted lightly over her lips, and her blue eyes gleamed with a hungry, almost feverish light.
"This is fine," she murmured, looking at her naked body.
"…"
The Moon Rabbit gave her a long, unreadable look before bowing and quietly leaving the room.
"That one's… quite bold," she thought as she walked away. "But then again, that's how things are between men and women."
Inside, Saeko's cheeks flushed crimson the moment she was alone.
She knew exactly what she was doing—and why.
Gratitude for being saved. His mysterious power. That cold decisiveness.
Each of those things hit her right in the heart, like arrows fired with perfect aim. Deadly in every sense.
That was Saeko's nature—direct, unflinching, never one to hesitate or dance around her desires. Once she chose something, she never looked back.
"City Lord!"
"Princess!"
Voices called from outside the room.
Saeko's thoughts drifted. 'Princess? So Kira-kun has a daughter? …Could I be a good mother, I wonder?'
Kira, of course, had no idea that this woman—someone he'd met only once—was already imagining herself as the stepmother of Kaguya.
"Saeko."
"Kira-kun."
Kira stepped inside and froze for a second.
Saeko's current posture was… distracting, to say the least. Propped up against a pillow, the blanket covered only her legs. Her upper body, meanwhile—
Yeah. There was no competing with that. She really was a product of a fanservice series, and it showed.
That thought led him, unfortunately, to another. "If Saeko's like this, then what about Shizuka Marikawa?" He shook his head quickly. "Nope. Not going there."
"Hmm?"
Kaguya Houraisan entered gracefully behind him, her expression serene.
She didn't seem the least bit fazed by the sight before her.
"Lady Saeko," she greeted politely, bowing her head slightly. "Good day. I am Kaguya Houraisan, daughter of the City Lord."
Her tone was the picture of elegance and breeding, every word poised and refined.
"It's nice to meet you, Kaguya-chan," Saeko replied, smiling faintly—a smile that mirrored Kaguya's refined composure.
Kira wasn't particularly interested in their exchange. He walked to the bedside and sat down naturally.
"Saeko, how are you feeling?"
"Kira-kun, I've already recovered. Thank you for your concern."
Her voice was gentle, soft, almost melting. Her blue eyes shimmered like rippling water.
Kaguya blinked. "Wow. That was fast. She's just giving herself away like that?"
She might not have had experience in romance, but she wasn't naïve. It was obvious just from watching her—Saeko's entire demeanor screamed surrender.
If only her father stood up right now, Saeko would probably wrap herself around him like a beautiful serpent.
Kira could feel it too. "I always thought that was something reserved for main characters in novels—where women's IQ drops and they throw themselves at them. Is it my hidden trait or what? Haha~ Lucky me~"
He sighed inwardly but pushed the thoughts aside. There were more pressing matters.
"Saeko, I'm guessing you already have an idea of where you are?"
"I do, Kira-kun," she said softly. "This is another world… a world full of yokai and spirits, where humans and monsters live side by side. I suspected as much earlier."
A brief exchange was all it took for them to understand each other completely.
And through it all, Saeko didn't show an ounce of fear or panic—only excitement.
In a world like this, her bloodlust wasn't strange anymore. Maybe, finally, she wasn't the monster in the room.
"Saeko," Kira asked, "what exactly happened in your world?"
"Five days ago, the zombie virus broke out. It spread across the globe in less than half a day."
"Three days ago, my father sent word from the Busujima family before he died—over 99.99% of humanity was infected."
"Yesterday, I ran out of supplies. I went out to search for more and was caught in an accident."
"In the end…"
Her voice trembled faintly, her eyes glistening with emotion. "Kira-kun, if you hadn't appeared… by now, I'd either be zombie food or one of them myself. And that—"
She shivered at the thought.
It wasn't death she feared, nor becoming one of the undead.
It was the idea that if that had happened, she never would've met him.
Saeko was a woman who, once she chose her path, would walk it straight into a wall if she had to. No hesitation. No retreat.
"Just as I thought," Kira muttered, eyes narrowing. "Something's gone very wrong in that world."
He turned to Kaguya. "Kaguya, did Eirin send any word about the zombie virus samples?"
"She's already begun analyzing them," Kaguya said. "However…"
Her lips curved slightly. "Eirin said she'll be coming down to the surface tomorrow night."
"…What?"
Kira blinked, completely caught off guard. "Eirin? Eirin Yagokoro? The Lunarian Sage—coming down herself? That won't cause chaos up there?"
"It won't," Kaguya said with a faint, knowing smile. "She has a perfect excuse—to personally oversee my punishment. A few decades, even a couple centuries, will pass before anyone questions it."
Kira sighed. "...I see."
.
.
.