The night was heavy with the stench of rot. Outside the boarded windows, the faint moans of the undead dragged endlessly across the streets, like a broken chorus. Inside the safehouse, the flickering candlelight painted tired faces in shifting gold. The air was warm, but tense, every creak of the floorboards making their nerves spike.
Ayame stood near Haruto Amakawa, bow in hand, though her grip trembled faintly.
"W-what should I do, Haruto-sama?"
she asked. Her voice was soft, uncertain, as though she feared choosing wrong.
Haruto leaned casually against the wall, his arms folded, his tone light but steady. "You stay here."
Ayame lowered her head with a sharp nod. "Yes… understood."
On the other side of the thin wall, Saya Takagi was pacing. Rei Miyamoto sat stiffly on a crate, her hands clenched in her lap, while Shizuka Marikawa fanned herself with a folded paper. All three of them were flushed, their imaginations running wild.
Saya finally snapped. "This is ridiculous! Can someone please explain what's happening in there?!"
From inside, Haruto's easy voice cut back. "Stop yelling, you'll attract the whole damn city." A pause, then, with a teasing lilt: "If you're so curious, why not take a peek yourselves?"
The three girls blinked as their chat devices buzzed. A new notification popped up.
> [System]: Haruto Amakawa has added you to a temporary sub-group.
The three of them froze. Slowly, hesitantly, they opened the interface. The moment they did, their faces went pale, then flushed scarlet. Words, descriptions, exchanges they couldn't comprehend fully—but the meaning was clear enough. None of them could bring themselves to speak.
The room fell into stunned silence.
---
Two hours crawled by.
The undead outside still pressed against the walls, their nails scratching faintly, like rats on wood. Inside, the three sat frozen in awkward silence.
"…They're finally coming out," Shizuka whispered, her voice hoarse.
Saya pinched the bridge of her nose, her face still hot. "Two hours. Two. Whole. Hours. Do they even realize how insane that is?!" Her voice dropped lower, muttering. "And the things he was saying… the way he just explained techniques like it was a lecture—shameless bastard…"
Rei said nothing, staring at her skirt as her thoughts spiraled. Quietly, she muttered, "If Saeko can trade like that… can we… do it too?"
Saya spun toward her in disbelief. "What?! Don't tell me you actually believe doing that makes her stronger. It's insane—unscientific!"
Her voice wavered, more out of denial than confidence. She wanted to believe in science, in rational explanations—but here, in this world twisted by chaos, the chat group was a truth she couldn't ignore.
---
Another hour passed.
The silence shattered with a sudden crash. Outside, the groans of zombies rose, followed by the sharp crack of ice splitting the night. The three rushed to the window, and what they saw left them speechless.
Haruto stood at the front, calm as ever. Beside him was a young woman none of them had seen before—Ayame Yomogawa. She moved with grace, conjuring crystalline arrows of pure frost from her bow. Each shot burst into a spray of jagged ice, freezing zombies mid-scream, locking them into glittering statues that shattered seconds later.
On Haruto's other side stood Saeko Busujima, her katana gleaming. But it wasn't the same Saeko they had known. Every swing of her blade carved arcs of glowing energy into the air, slashing through groups of undead as if they were paper. Her movements were sharper, faster—every cut accompanied by a dangerous, intoxicating precision.
The others watched from the window, eyes wide.
Saya pressed a hand to the window, her breath fogging the glass. "…That… what is that?"
Rei's voice was hushed with awe. "Strength. Real strength…"
System prompts flickered into being.
[Name]: Ayame Yomogawa
[Level]: 7
[Abilities]: "Haruto's Blessing," "Ice Arrow Technique."
[Name]: Saeko Busujima
[Level]: 5
[Abilities]: "Sword Aura," "Busujima Swordsmanship," "Haruto's Blessing."
The women stared in disbelief.
---
After the skirmish, the group gathered around a small meal Shizuka had scrounged from their supplies. They ate quietly, exhaustion weighing on them. The meal was simple: cold rice balls wrapped in seaweed, slightly hardened from being packed all day, paired with canned mackerel and pickled plums.
The salty fish flaked apart easily, balancing against the sour tang of the umeboshi, while the rice, though plain, filled their stomachs with warmth. In that bleak, candlelit room, even such humble food felt like a banquet—a reminder that they were still alive, still human.
As Saeko wiped her mouth, she caught Haruto's gaze. His expression was unreadable, a blend of casual humor and piercing insight.
"You're strong now," he said, his voice calm but edged. "But you're still holding back, aren't you?"
Saeko froze.
Ayame tilted her head. "Holding back…?"
Haruto stepped closer, his eyes narrowing, the playfulness fading into something colder. "You suppress your instincts. I can see it. You're afraid of the part of yourself that enjoys killing."
Saeko's grip on her katana trembled. It terrified her. The sheer thrill of it all—the rush she felt cutting down the undead—was dangerously familiar. It reminded her of that day back in middle school, when she had broken bones with her wooden sword and realized, with shame, that part of her had enjoyed it.
He tilted her chin upward with a single finger until her violet eyes locked onto his blue eyes, his voice low but strangely gentle. "If your bloodlust only awakens against enemies, then there's nothing wrong with it. Don't chain yourself. If you need a purpose… then be my blade. My enemies will be yours."
Saeko's breath hitched, her eyes glistening. For the first time, she felt understood—not shamed, not feared. Just seen.
"…Please, Haruto-kun," she whispered, voice trembling but resolute. "Let me become your blade."
A sharp chime answered her plea.
> [Ding!] Saeko Busujima has initiated a trade.
[Trade Offer]: Until total exhaustion.
[Conditions]: Select your terms.
Haruto's grin spread slowly, dangerously.
"Does becoming my blade excite you that much?"
His voice carried both warmth and danger, like velvet over steel. "Fine. Let's begin."
> [Trade Initiated!]
[Partner]: Saeko Busujima
[Offer]: Until exhaustion.
[Terms]: Sword Aura, Unlimited Usage Rights.
[Duration]: Until the trade is fulfilled.
He glanced at Ayame, his voice softening slightly. "Ayame. Inside."
Ayame's cheeks flamed as she bowed quickly. "Y-yes, Haruto-sama." She slipped back into the house, with Haruto and saeko following behind her.