Finding chickens wasn't as easy as Azlan had estimated.
Twenty minutes passed, he had traversed several residential areas, peeking into neglected backyards and warehouse roofs, but still hadn't seen a single chicken. Perhaps they had become prey for other wild animals, or died from the cold, or were hiding in places too difficult to spot from the air.
Meanwhile, Mirai's condition in his embrace was becoming increasingly concerning. Although wrapped in his jacket, that thin swimsuit was completely inadequate.
Mirai didn't complain at all, only biting her lips that were beginning to turn blue to hold back chattering teeth. However, the uncontrollable trembling from her body, her deathly pale face, and the coldness of her skin beginning to seep even through the jacket, were clear signs.
(This situation can't be left to continue. This girl is starting to die.)
Azlan assessed Mirai's condition who, despite being extremely cold, didn't complain at all. He couldn't force a logistical search at the cost of the life of the person he had just saved.
He chose a random house that appeared still intact with no Titans in the surrounding area.
*BANG!*
With one strong kick, Azlan destroyed the wooden door until it shattered into pieces, then walked into the dark and cold living room.
"Wait here."
He placed Mirai carefully on a dusty sofa in the living room. The girl could only nod weakly, her body still shivering.
Azlan turned around, taking the wooden door he had destroyed. With several punches and pulls, he tore that wood into small pieces suitable for firewood.
He piled those pieces of wood in the middle of the living room, on top of what should have been a fireplace there, or at least in a safe area on the ceramic floor, far from flammable objects. Within seconds, Azlan made a small campfire. The spreading heat immediately began warming the room.
As time passed, Mirai's face regained its redness. Her breathing was no longer shallow. She hugged Azlan's jacket tightly, watching the flames dance.
"Sorry for troubling you, Azlan-kun. Even though I just promised not to burden you..." She said in a weak voice, her gaze full of guilt directed at Azlan who was now sitting across from her, watching the fire.
"Don't mention it. Who knew finding chickens could be this difficult?" Sighing, Azlan gazed out the snow-covered window. "If I'd known the situation would be like this, I should have taken you home first."
"..."
After those words, the atmosphere fell into awkward silence, only filled by the sound of burning wood crackling.
Suddenly, a strong vibration was felt in the floor.
"Earthquake?" Mirai was surprised but not yet panicked. After all, earthquakes were part of life in Japan.
"Not an earthquake." Azlan refuted calmly. "These are Titan footsteps. Several, and they're approaching. They must be attracted to the sound of my kick earlier, or perhaps smoke from the fire."
"Mirai, you wait here. Stay away from the windows. I'm going out briefly to eliminate them."
Standing, Azlan turned to leave.
"Be careful, Azlan-kun. Keep yourself safe." Mirai whispered from behind him, her voice full of worry.
"Mm." Azlan murmured as an answer, while waving his hand back without looking. Then, his firm steps took him out of the house, toward the source of the increasingly threatening vibrations.
Mirai stared at Azlan's back disappearing into the darkness.
"Azlan-kun... He's only one year younger than Sekai, yet his demeanor is very mature." Mirai pulled the jacket tighter, feeling warm and safe. "His attitude... is very mature. Too mature for his age."
"So pitiful. His childhood experiences must have been very different from children his age."
Recalling her interactions with Azlan in this short time—his quick decisions, his unimaginable abilities, and how he bore the burden of this anomalous world—Mirai vaguely guessed the weight of his life.
"Yosh, it's decided!"
Clenching her fists in front of the campfire, her face now radiating a healthy glow. Mirai had an idea to repay his kindness.
"Azlan-kun is so kind to me. In return, I'll give him the affection of an older sister that he may not have felt in a long time!"
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Mirai waited for Azlan to return. During the waiting time, loud sounds were clearly heard from outside, accompanied by rumbling and something falling until the ground shook violently.
*BRUUK!*
*GEDEBUK!*
*RUMBLE!*
Clearly, that was Azlan's battle against the Titans.
Mirai, who had never seen Azlan fight directly, couldn't help but worry about his safety. She imagined scenes of Azlan fighting fiercely like in shounen anime, perhaps seriously injured, or even...
That thought gave her chills.
What made her increasingly uneasy was, after the battle sounds subsided and returned to silence, Azlan still hadn't returned!
"He must be fine. Maybe... maybe he went straight on to search for chickens without bothering to come back here first. Yes, it must be like that!"
So Mirai tried to convince herself, gripping Azlan's jacket until it wrinkled.
Five minutes passed. Ten minutes. Fifteen minutes.
Solitude and loneliness tend to make people think negative things, and Mirai, a newcomer to this terrifying world, was in that condition.
Fifteen minutes passed without signs of Azlan returning, Mirai began to panic. She felt cold again, but this time from fear. She even prepared to go look for him, not caring about the Titans or Zombies outside.
However, just as she was about to depart, the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Not the sound of heavy Titan thuds, but human footsteps.
"Azlan-kun!"
Relieved Azlan returned safely, Mirai moved quickly. The mixed feelings of fear and relief made her act impulsively. She approached Azlan, hugging his head tightly to her soft and full breasts, which were only separated by a thin layer of swimsuit and the open jacket.
"...???"
Azlan was confused by Mirai's excessive reaction. He had just easily killed at least a dozen Titans, and now he was trapped in a strange embrace.
However, he didn't have the luxury to think about cause and effect, he was overwhelmed by the lump of fat on his face that made him short of breath. The smell of summer perfume from Mirai's swimsuit contrasted sharply with the smell of snow and smoke around them.
"Haah... Haah... Calm down, Mirai."
With difficulty, Azlan managed to free himself from that 'death embrace', his face slightly reddening—whether from lack of air or something else. He took a safe distance.
"Dozens of Titans aren't a big problem." He explained while regulating his breath. "The reason I took so long to return is because I finally found my target."
To prove his words, he raised his right hand. There, gripped obediently (or perhaps fainted from cold), a rooster with dull colorful feathers was in his grasp.
"See? I managed to get a chicken."
"I see." Mirai put her hands on her hips, her expression a mixture of relief and slight annoyance.
"You made me very scared, Azlan-kun. How hard is it to come back briefly to tell me you'd be gone longer? Or at least, tell me from afar with a shout! Do you know how worried I was waiting here? Don't do it again next time, okay?"
There was a tone of gentle reprimand, like an older sister.
"Oh. Sorry."
Not knowing why he was being scolded, Azlan acknowledged his mistake without intending to argue. He knew Mirai was worried, and that was the result of his carelessness.
"Um. Since you look regretful, I forgive you." Mirai nodded satisfied that Azlan accepted her lecture. The maternal affection—or more precisely, an older sister's affection—that she promised earlier began to emerge.
"Alright. Let's go. I've been gone too long." Azlan looked toward the rooster he now held in his left hand, while his right hand grasped Mirai. "Akane might be as worried as you were earlier if I don't come home."
Azlan once again carried Mirai in his embrace with the same princess carry style. He walked to the front of the destroyed house door, staring at the dark snowy sky.
"Hold on tight, Mirai. Our speed will be higher this time."
"Ready!" Mirai answered, wrapping her arms around Azlan's neck.
Azlan summoned his Sacred Gear, and blue-white light wings spread from his back.
*WHOOSH!*
With one strong push, he shot into the air, flying toward his home, leaving behind the cold house full of campfire smoke that he forgot to extinguish.