For their first real "lesson," Aiden chose to coach Utaha, starting with the fundamentals.
Yet the moment he settled in, he hit a snag.
A bottle of red ink Utaha had knocked over spread across the desk, and an indescribable pressure pressed down on the room. Aiden frowned despite himself.
Utaha, meanwhile, went rigid—as if hoisted into midair and robbed of breath.
"I just taught you this. Memorize the cues," Aiden said, voice low and stern, tapping the page.
He half-suspected she was doing it on purpose; otherwise how could she be this stubborn at the critical moment?
They couldn't pause here. Not now. It had to be finished in one push.
If he didn't etch it into her core tonight, it would only scrape along the surface later.
Not giving Utaha a chance to refuse, Aiden pressed on relentlessly, drilling the knowledge into her.
In the next breath—
Utaha's eyes opened wide, as if she'd glimpsed a piece of truth—touched a kind of heaven.
"So this… is what they call heaven?"
No matter how her pride resisted, he laid everything bare and pushed straight into the heart of her defenses.
Until, at last, she no longer had the strength to say no.
Like a king carving new borders, Aiden reached out and simply took command.
Utaha's mind felt as if it had fallen into a boundless sea, a current tugging her down.
Cold water bubbled past her lips—filling, but never satisfying.
People don't grow full drinking only water.
And seawater makes you thirstier—the more you drink, the more you want.
"I want it… I want more…"
Hunger toppled Utaha's reason, flipping her impulse from retreat to devour.
Every second she thought she'd reached the limit—only to find there was still room to go on.
Her senses magnified tenfold; time itself thinned to a thread.
Aiden's pressure shattered her last bits of resistance, until she acknowledged from the bottom of her heart that he was the one leading.
With the path between minds opened, the last of Utaha's small, stubborn pride finally slipped away.
…
Morning.
Warm sunlight crept through the curtains and spilled across the room.
Only then did the two still lazing on the bed open their eyes and slowly come back to themselves.
"Morning, Utaha-senpai."
Satisfied at last, Aiden looked at the black-haired beauty in his arms with a contented smile.
"You awful man…"
Her scolding broke halfway and turned into action.
Utaha opened her lips and bit down on Aiden's shoulder—like she wanted to leave a mark that was hers alone.
But his skin was far tougher than she'd imagined.
No matter how hard she pressed, only a faint whitened outline remained.
What is he, cowhide?
Utaha rolled her eyes and let herself sink against his chest, too tired to move.
Last night had wrung her out.
Her strength still hadn't fully returned.
And she was sticky all over—there was no skipping a shower.
…
Remembering the night made her cheeks burn, but she forced herself upright, wincing a little, and headed for the bathroom.
Just then—
Yukino's door opened as well.
Their gazes met.
In an instant, both girls' faces flared hot.
"Good morning, Yukino-san."
"Good morning, Utaha-san."
Few things in the world could be more awkward than this.
Yukino's eyes cut sideways—at the culprit who'd kept her awake last night.
Brazen, as if I'm not even here?
"You'd best get used to it," Aiden said with an easy shrug. "It'll be like this every day."
Completely unfazed by the two near-murderous looks.
"…Sorry. For disturbing you last night," Utaha managed at last. Then, flustered, she hurried into the bath.
Yukino said nothing, but the faintly fierce look in her eyes said enough.
Thinking of the two going until dawn, she couldn't settle her heart.
And for some reason… a small, sour ache she didn't quite understand rose inside.
In the days that followed, Yukino slid back into her chilly, composed self.
As for Utaha and Aiden, there was no hiding it.
She claimed she didn't feel well and rested a few days, but anyone with eyes could tell—she'd become Aiden's woman.
Even if she hadn't planned it this way, Utaha had to accept the fact.
In the end, she moved out of her old room and began living with Aiden.
And, to everyone's envy, the cool, striking snow-girl Yukino was also staying in the same suite as Aiden.
Double happiness—Aiden seemed blessed twice over.
…
Time slid by.
In a blink, five days passed.
That day—
After finishing his routine zombie culls, Aiden returned to the luxury suite and opened his personal panel.
Elite Gunplay → Master Gunplay (36/200)
Master Blade Arts (135/200)
Extreme State, Stage 1: Flow of Mind (3/20)
Magic: Arc Lightning Arrow → Magic: Multi Arc Lightning Arrows (3/20)
Magic: Multi Arc Lightning Arrows: Channel mana, push from the palms, aim straight ahead, consume about 20% Stamina and 20% Mana to fire multiple arc lightning arrows and deal magic damage.
Note: 50% chance to inflict wide-area electric paralysis, causing area-of-effect control.
After the upgrade, Multi Arc Lightning Arrows' biggest boon was how much Stamina and Mana it saved.
At the same time, it could paralyze groups and control the field against multiple enemies—hugely valuable.
…
With everyone's concerted sweep, the hotel's zombies were cleared in just five days.
The pace surprised even Aiden—but he had a theory.
At the outbreak, the wealthy guests must've gotten early word and bolted.
Which meant there simply weren't many people left inside.
Most of the infected here had been the hotel's own staff.
(End of Chapter)
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