The survivors were restless.
Taro groaned with every shallow breath, his ribs bruised, his body weakening. Daichi's silence was heavier than steel, his sharp eyes darting to Imura every few minutes as though silently measuring him. Kenji hovered close by, jittery, clinging to scraps of courage but already folded beneath Imura's shadow.
And then there were the girls.
Saya sat practically in Imura's lap, her head pressed against his chest, her thin arms looped loosely around him. Her blouse was rumpled, collar wide from where he had tugged earlier in the night, exposing the delicate line of her collarbone. She had stopped trembling—not because the fear had vanished, but because Imura's presence smothered it. She'd accepted him as her anchor.
Rin, however, was different.
She sat cross-legged near the toppled shelves, her blouse clinging to her damp skin, gray eyes sharp but betraying exhaustion. Her lips were still slightly swollen from the night before, when she'd let herself break for the first time under Imura's touch. Every time she caught him looking at her, her eyes darted away, but her thighs pressed tightly together, betraying a heat she didn't want to acknowledge.
Imura observed both of them, calm, satisfied. Two pieces falling neatly into place.
The silence was broken by Saya.
She lifted her head, gazing up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Imura… will you always protect me?"
He smirked faintly, brushing his knuckles along her cheek. "Of course. You're mine. No one touches what's mine."
Saya shivered and smiled, burying her face back against him. The system pulsed.
[Bond Progression: Saya → Dependent Desire ↑↑↑]
Rin's jaw tightened at the sight, her chest rising sharply with her uneven breath. She snapped her gaze away, glaring at the dusty floor.
"Pathetic," she muttered under her breath.
Imura's lips curled. He tilted his head toward her. "What was that?"
Rin stiffened, refusing to meet his gaze. "Throwing yourself at someone just because you're scared… it's pathetic."
Saya flinched at the words, tears brimming in her eyes. "I-I'm not pathetic… I just… I just don't want to be alone…"
Rin's voice was cold. "Then you'll die like a child."
The tension in the air grew sharp. Taro glanced away. Kenji cowered deeper into the corner. Daichi's grip tightened around his spear.
Imura let the silence build, then chuckled softly.
"Interesting," he said, his eyes narrowing on Rin. "So you're jealous."
Rin's head snapped toward him. "I'm not—!"
"You are," he cut her off. His voice was low, commanding, his smirk cutting into her pride like a blade. "You can spit venom all you want, but I can see it in your eyes. You want the same thing she has… my attention. My protection. My hand on your body. My lips on yours."
Rin flushed deep red, her breath catching as her thighs clenched tighter. "I-I don't…!"
Imura stood and crossed the short distance, crouching before her. His fingers brushed along her chin, tilting her face upward. She resisted for only a second before her gaze locked with his, her breathing heavy, her lips trembling.
"You already surrendered once," he whispered. "And you'll do it again. Because deep down, you crave it. You crave me."
Her eyes widened, tears brimming—not from sadness, but from the unbearable pressure of being seen through completely. She tried to speak, but the words died in her throat.
Imura leaned closer, his lips ghosting across hers, his hand sliding to rest against her thigh. Her body trembled violently. Saya watched with wide, teary eyes, her hands tightening in her lap as she whispered, almost pleading:
"I-Imura…?"
He didn't look back. He pressed his lips against Rin's, firm and unyielding. She whimpered, hands twitching before clutching at his shirt, her body betraying her pride once again.
Saya let out a soft, wounded sound, her face burning with confusion and something else—envy.
The system pulsed twice in rapid succession.
[Bond Progression: Rin → Dependent Desire ↑↑↑↑][Bond Progression: Saya → Jealous Attachment ↑]
When Imura finally pulled back, Rin's lips were swollen, her breath ragged, her body trembling as though her strength had been stolen from her. He leaned close to her ear, whispering so only she could hear.
"You're mine, Rin. No matter how much you fight it, no matter how much you deny it… you already belong to me."
She gasped softly, gray eyes wide and vulnerable for the first time.
Imura stood, leaving her trembling in place. His smirk widened as he glanced at Saya.
Two girls, bound in different ways—fear, dependency, desire, and now jealousy.
The harem had begun to weave itself.
And Imura had every intention of pulling the strings tighter until escape was no longer possible.