"Saekooo-channnn~!"
—Pomf!
"…Not again."
Shizuka ran carefree as she threw herself without brakes. It was honestly surprising how her huge boobs bounced even as she launched herself through the air like a yellow missile.
"I'm sooo proud of youuu! You were amazing! Waaaah!"
She clung to Saeko like a cuddly koala.
Saeko was reminded of the shonen manga she used to read.
Saeko blinked. Her lips curved downward, then she let out a sigh.
"Sensei… please, let go. It still smells like zombie around here."
With some effort, she freed herself from the sticky hug. Right at that moment, a new voice rang out. Or not so new, to be precise.
It was a deep, warm voice. Just hearing it brought with it a sense of mental tranquility.
"You've done well, Saeko. What do you think of your skill? Do you like it?"
Saeko's heart sped up a little.
It wasn't fair that just a few words from him could do that.
"Yuu-sama…"
As soon as she heard Yuu's words, she immediately turned around. Her expression completely changed—or rather, her serene temperament melted away like ice under the sun.
"Did you see?"
She'd been too busy with the battle earlier and hadn't noticed he was back.
"Of course. I've been watching from the beginning. You've been wonderful, Saeko."
Yuu walked calmly toward her and Shizuka. The latter greeted him with a wave and a smile.
Saeko felt a strange tingling on her skin. Why did she feel like this to the point her cheeks heated up a little?
Could it be that in this short time, she'd already…?
She stopped overthinking and smiled. "As for the skill you gave me, I really like it."
She felt that the Exclusive Skill, Crimson Awakening, fit her quite well.
"…"
After saying that, she took the time to notice the girl standing beside Yuu.
The girl had long, soft hair, a caramel-brown color. Her eyes were the same hazel shade, and although she didn't recognize her, she assumed she went to the same school because of her uniform.
She frowned. Because she felt a familiar connection with her. As if she were tied to Yuu. Just like she herself was.
The girl, noticing her gaze, stepped forward and offered a kind smile.
"You're Busujima-senpai, right? The one who won the national kendo championship last year. Wow, it was amazing to see you in action. I'm Miyamoto Rei, from the sojutsu club."
Saeko blinked, closed her eyes, and smiled politely.
"Nice to meet you, Miyamoto-san."
After all, she had nothing against being cordial. But her eyes shifted toward Yuu.
"She is…"
"As you probably felt, Rei has also become my Pathstrider."
"…"
Saeko didn't show it, but something shifted inside her. Just a small click. And though she didn't really understand what it was, or why, she supposed it might be a hint of jealousy.
"Hey, you!"
Just then, Saya arrived shouting while Hirano looked excited to see Yuu again.
"Become your what?"
Saya crossed her arms as she glared at Yuu, her brows furrowed. Yuu, of course, didn't look even a little intimidated. On the contrary.
Saya reminded him of a small, cute tiger. It made him want to tease her.
He smiled, raised his hand, and put on the expression of a friendly neighbor.
"Hi, Takagi-san! Glad to see you're doing well."
Saya, obviously, stepped back right away.
"Ugh… don't greet me so casually. You give me the creeps."
In fact, she rubbed her arm because she actually had goosebumps.
"So what? You're not gonna answer me? What does it mean to be your follower? I don't even know what you are yet!"
"Takagi-san… maybe he's starting a cult or something?"
Hirano, who was right beside her, leaned in a bit and whispered just loud enough for her to hear.
"Hmph. A cult? Seriously? Don't be stupid!"
Then Yuu casually put an arm around Saeko's shoulder and said calmly:
"Being my follower means walking by my side forever."
Rei, who was listening, blushed. Her cheeks turned a faint pink.
Saeko, on the other hand, simply let her lips curl into a smile. She didn't try to shrug off the arm around her shoulder like she would if anyone else had done it. In this case, she was even pleased.
Saya was about to throw another sharp comment when the sound of dragging footsteps and groans rang out.
A horde of zombies was approaching. They'd been attracted by the noise of the fight.
"Tsk! We should get out of here right now."
Saya snapped back to reality.
"I agree."
Rei quickly agreed with her. Yuu didn't miss how her hands trembled slightly behind her back.
Dying once at the hands of a zombie isn't something you forget so easily. He figured it'd take her some time to recover from her trauma.
As for Saeko, even though she now had a new power, she knew perfectly well she was still too weak to face many enemies at once.
That's why Yuu didn't oppose the idea of retreating.
He stayed at the back of the group, walking with his hands clasped behind his head.
He lifted his gaze toward the sky. His golden eyes shone, piercing through the clouds as if looking beyond what anyone else could see.
And then he smiled.
×××
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