The streets were packed with staggering zombies, dragging their feet aimlessly. There were no signs of human life.
Well, chances were that everyone left hiding had already turned too.
"Busujima-senpai, what did you want to talk to me about?"
On the shelter's rooftop, the view was depressing.
Saeko stood with her broken bokken in hand, gazing down with a calm expression.
"We're both followers of Yuu-sama. There's no need for so much formality. You can call me Saeko. I'll call you Rei. Is that alright?"
"Hum?" Rei blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected that from someone with such a serious face and sharp eyes. "Y-yeah… Saeko-san, then."
Saeko nodded in satisfaction and turned toward her.
"You already know what it means, right? To be a Pathstrider. To walk by his side. To belong to him for eternity."
Rei had known ever since Yuu explained all those things to her.
"He's given us a contract. One that binds us to him forever. So I need to ask you… are you really fine with that?"
"Yes." Since Rei had already found her answer and resolved all her earlier doubts, she didn't hesitate when she replied to Saeko. "It was Yuu-kun who brought me back to life. And I accepted his proposal by my own will."
Saeko smiled serenely.
"That's good. As Yuu-sama's followers, we must devote ourselves to him completely. I'll be his sword. We must only obey him, and no one else."
The way she said it was gentle. But to Rei, her smile felt a little intimidating.
If she had said she disagreed earlier, what would Saeko have done to her?
In the end, Rei could only smile wryly, hiding what she really thought.
"Besides us, there'll be more female followers of Yuu-sama in the future. Maybe a lot. And that's why, if we want the group to stay healthy, friendly, and happy, there mustn't be any infighting."
Rei raised a brow. Lots of female followers? That sounded a little like… a harem? Well, of course, what else did she expect? It was Yuu, after all. With his power and his looks…
"We'll need to evaluate new members and make sure they're not a danger to Yuu-sama and the group. And someone will have to handle that. For now, we can take care of it."
"Me too?"
"Of course. We're among his first followers, after all."
With that said, Saeko extended her hand.
"So… we should be friends, don't you think?"
Rei looked at her in surprise. It was strange for something like that to come from someone with such a firm and cold air. But after a second of hesitation, she accepted the handshake.
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Saeko-san."
And at the very moment the air on the rooftop stirred, Yuu appeared with an unfamiliar woman beside him.
"..."
They just said that there might be many female followers in the future, but... isn't this too soon?
Saeko narrowed her eyes slightly, scanning the new girl from head to toe, while Rei looked at her with curiosity.
They could both feel the girl's connection to Yuu. But not just to him, also to them.
That could only mean one thing.
"She's your follower too, Yuu-sama?"
Saeko asked with her rosy lips gently curved into a smile.
"That's right. I've known Jin-ah for a while now, and I've brought her here with me." Yuu returned her smile.
The girl with long, straight dark-brown hair tied into a ponytail stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"I'm Sung Jin-ah. Nice to meet you."
Both Saeko and Rei introduced themselves too, but Rei couldn't hold back the spark of curiosity itching on her tongue.
"Excuse me… Jin-ah-san, right?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Your name sounds foreign. Are you from Korea?"
"Yes, that's right. Though actually… it's more accurate to say I came here from another world."
"Another world!?" Rei exclaimed, staring at her in astonishment.
Saeko, on the other hand, was only a little surprised.
Their curiosity was instantly lit. And both wondered something like: What's that world like? Was it similar to theirs?
"Even though you said you're Korean, and from another world on top of that, I'd say your Japanese is perfect," Saeko said.
"Right, right! I'm surprised your Japanese is so fluent."
"Japanese? I've never studied Japanese in my life, you know?"
Jin-ah blinked several times and looked at them blankly.
At that moment, Yuu raised his hand like someone who'd just remembered something he'd overlooked.
"Oh, right. I forgot to mention a small detail. All of you have the ability to speak and understand any language. Doesn't matter if it's from this world, another world, or even a language nobody else knows."
"Eh?! For real?"
Rei leaned forward suddenly, which inevitably made her chest bounce inside her school uniform shirt.
"That's pretty convenient..."
Meanwhile, Jin-ah touched her lips, as if suddenly wondering whether she'd really just spoken her last words in Korean or Japanese. If that was the case, she might already have a superpower, right?
"Like Saeko-ssi said… this is really convenient. Now I won't have any trouble in my English classes! Thanks so much, Yuu-oppa!"
In an instant, Jin-ah jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck while her legs clung to his waist. She was like a koala hugging a tree.
"You really do look like that teddy bear you keep in your room—Mmmph!"
Yuu's words got muffled the moment Jin-ah's hand clamped over his mouth to stop him from spilling her embarrassing secret.
"Don't talk about that or I'll bite you!"
Yuu turned his face toward her, his lips spreading just enough to reveal his white teeth.
"Bite me? Actually, you can do it, since I don't mind. I'd even like it if you did."
After all, he already had a little vampire at home who bit him whenever she could.
"...?!"
Jin-ah was at a loss for words. Her plan had been to hug him just to make him blush a little, because she thought he'd look cute that way. But now she realized Yuu was pretty shameless.
"Pfft… Hehe~"
Rei let out a chuckle at their interaction, which made Jin-ah blush, and in embarrassment, she quickly peeled herself off Yuu's body.
"Ahem… a-anyway… I wanted to see this world. Yuu-oppa said it was an apocalypse world, right?"
"If you want to see it with your own eyes..."
Saeko first analyzed her silently, then spoke calmly as she walked toward the balcony railing.
Rei followed immediately, and Jin-ah, still a little red-faced, joined them too.
The moment she leaned on the railing, the playful smile vanished from her face.
Clouds of dust were rising in the distance.
The city, which had seemed too silent until now, finally revealed itself under the wind carrying a low growl.
On the streets, the dead walked.
That was Jin-ah's first contact with the apocalyptic world.
And the beginning of the birth of one of Aegis's most powerful followers.
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