A Midnight Hunt...

"Hmm… and what about me?" Saeko asked softly while looking into Daichi's eyes. For a moment, Daichi simply played with his chopsticks as he stared at the girl in front of him.

"I find you to be extremely beautiful and an amazing girl" Daichi answered with a smile. He knew what the girl was trying to do and Daichi found that he wasn't bothered by it.

"By the way, you know what you are getting into, right?" Daichi questioned with a grin as he started to eat his food. Saeko softly smiled.

"I have already heard about it from Hayashi-Sensei, you have other lovers too. To be honest, I don't mind. You are a strong man… women flock around strong men, and with the current state of the world, let's just say you are going to be quite famous in the future" Saeko answered back with a similar smile on her face.

"Oh… but you are also a strong woman. Would you really like to share your man with other women?" Daichi questioned as he continued eating.

"You are stronger than me… that much is clear. I think Bella is somewhere around my strength but she is a Magician, so I can't compare" Saeko said with a shrug. "And in this messed up world, I do want to have someone to depend on" Saeko finished as she continued eating.

Daichi didn't say anything for a few moments. "I see… and you are right. Most people hate change… and I think Mana brought more than enough change for everyone. Everyone will be searching for any sense of normality" Daichi said with a nod of his head. Saeko smiled after hearing his words.

"I would have asked you out on a date, but it is kind of hard right now" Daichi said with a chuckle and Saeko joined him only after a moment. After that, both of them kept eating in silence. Daichi knew Saeko wanted to start a relationship, but she was also nervous about something.

"Let's go, we have to keep an eye out for the time being" Daichi said and Saeko nodded her head. Both of them reached the room from where Daichi was keeping watch. Bella was still snuggled in between the sheets. Saeko glanced towards the woman in the bed and she gave Daichi a sly grin, but she didn't make any comments.

Both of them finally entered the balcony, it was still summer, so Saeko wasn't going to have problems with her naked apron getup and everything was dark around them, so nobody was going to be able to see them.

"The number of Zombies have increased" Saeko said as she sat down on the floor. Daichi also sat down beside the girl.

"They have been slowly trickling in… I don't know why they are coming here, but I suspect they can see too" Daichi pointed out and Saeko seemed to ponder his words.

"It is possible that their eyesight gets better during the night" Saeko said and Daichi simply hummed.

"See how they are gathered wherever the light is? It is possible that they can see the light at least" Daichi argued and Saeko simply nodded her head. She was never good at her academics.

"Do you think there are people inside those houses?" Saeko asked while pointing at some nearby buildings. The houses were surrounded by Zombies who kept banging on the walls, doors, and windows, trying to gain access to the inside.

"Unfortunately, yes. They have probably made noise to attract the attention of the Zombies" Daichi said and Saeko simply sniffed.

"What do you think will happen to our world?" Saeko asked softly and Daichi knew that this was a loaded question.

"I don't know… I guess we have to keep growing stronger and see where it goes…" Daichi said in a solemn tone. "Since the enemies seem to have levels too, I think they can get stronger too… I don't know if they have Skills or not, but some are strong like that dog from the school" Daichi added and Saeko also solemnly nodded her head.

"Do you think you could have defeated that dog on your own?" Saeko asked and Daichi shook his head.

"I could have, but I would have been severely injured in the process" Daichi answered with a frown.

"Do you think we could help the people trapped in those houses?" Saeko asked and Daichi seemed to ponder for a few seconds.

"I won't be inviting them here, but we could kill some Zombies and earn ourselves some points. We will be helping them in a roundabout way" Daichi said and Saeko softly smiled as she got up from the floor. Daichi followed her example and both of them headed downstairs.

Daichi knew that his bat couldn't be used anymore, so he decided to grab a metal pipe from the garage and Saeko had her Kendo stick in her hands. Daichi carefully opened the gates, not wanting to attract the attention of the Zombies.

"Busujima-San, be careful, we don't know if they can see in the night or not and there might be some mutated animal lurking in the shadows…" Daichi added, he didn't want to lose someone like Saeko due to carelessness.

Saeko nodded her head with a smile and raised up her kendo stick. She took a stance and attacked the Zombies, the scene would have been quite impactful if Saeko was wearing actual clothes. Yet, the scene was impactful but in a very different way. For a moment Daichi kept watching the almost naked girl slaying Zombies with a Kendo stick. He etched the memories in his mind.

He took a deep breath and attacked the Zombies too… he was moving along with Saeko. Daichi's movements were somewhat untrained while Saeko's movements were beautiful and perfect… It was like watching a dance of death, but oddly enough, the two of them seemed to be some sort of tandem.

Just like Daichi had guessed, the Zombies could see the light, and that is how they were being attracted to this area. Other than that, the Zombies didn't seem to have any other types of improvement. Right now, Zombies were simply mobs, at least the Level 0 ones were. For a moment, Daichi's eyes flickered towards the beautiful purple-haired girl fighting beside him.

He noticed the girl's grin as she kept beheading her enemies. He knew that grin very well, his mom always had that grin when fighting. Not that Daichi cared… Instead, this attracted him even more. Saeko continued slaying Zombies with a wide smile on her face, it was clear that the girl was enjoying herself.

"I think we should take a break… It has been half an hour and it would be better if we could catch our breath" Daichi suggested and Saeko immediately agreed with him and retreated towards their house.

They had killed a considerable amount, but there were still a lot remaining. It was like there was no end to them. Daichi leaned on the wall and Saeko leaned beside him.

"There seems to be no end to them" Saeko pointed out while taking deep breaths. Daichi simply hummed.

"How many did you get?" Daichi asked and Saeko raised her delicate eyebrows after hearing the questions.

"I didn't know we were having a competition?" Saeko asked with a teasing grin.

"We weren't… I am just curious, but we could always have a competition next time" Daichi answered with a similar grin.

"I got 25 and yes, let's have a small competition next time" Saeko said.

"I got 22… looks like next time I need to work harder" Daichi said with a fake hurt look on his face. Saeko couldn't stop herself from giggling, she started to giggle softly while covering her mouth. She didn't want to attract the Zombies by being too loud.

"By the way, how many free Status Points do you have?" Daichi asked, wondering if he should use them to reach Level 2 or should he keep grinding with Saeko. The girl was a good grinding partner.

"63… how many do you have? Do you want to use them right now?" Saeko asked curiously. She didn't mind telling Daichi about her Skill or status, but since he didn't ask anything before, she hadn't bothered telling him.

"Hmm… I think I will use them tonight, but for now, let's get as many Zombies as we…" Daichi was saying, but he stopped when he noticed something. "That is a big fucking snake" Daichi and Saeko followed his gaze and found a massive snake trying to swallow a Zombie they have killed.

"It must be Level 1, do you want to hunt it?" Saeko asked and Daichi immediately nodded his head.

"Stay clear from its head… and since it is eating a dead Zombie, we have to consider that the snake is also Zombified… we need to be careful" Daichi said as he along with Saeko made their way towards the snake, the snake was only halfway through its meal and hadn't noticed either Daichi or Saeko… possibly due to its Zombification.

The snake finally sensed that it was in danger and attacked Saeko with its tail. It still had the Zombie stuck in its mouth, so it couldn't use its mouth to attack. Daichi slammed down the metal pipe on the snake's head. Surprisingly the snake didn't die and started to shake its head. Daichi had to jump away as he didn't want to get scratched. Even a scratch from a Zombie meant that you died.

Saeko used this chance and lunged towards the snake's head. With a wet squelch, Saeko's sword pierced the snake's skull. The snake's body kept twitching for a few moments, but Daichi and Saeko knew that the fight was over. Daichi couldn't stop himself from grinning when a couple of notifications popped in front of his eyes.

[You have gained the Mana of a Zombified Level 1 Evolved Snake. Strength +5, Agility +2, Health +4, Stamina +3]

[You have gained 1 Status Points to distribute freely]

"I am sorry for your sword by the way" Daichi said in an apologetic tone as Saeko's sword had cracked due to the pressure she had exerted on it during the last attack.

"It wasn't a sword to begin with, but somehow I feel bad" Saeko said with a complicated look on her face.

"I can understand. Does your Skill need a sword to work with?" Daichi asked while looking toward the pipe in his hand.

"I haven't tried" Saeko answered honestly. So Daichi simply handed over the pipe to Saeko, the girl clearly wasn't comfortable with it, but she still decided to give it a swing, but nothing happened. Not that Daichi would notice it.

"...The Skill didn't even activate" Saeko said in a disappointed tone and returned the pipe to Daichi.

"I think your Skill needs some sort of Sword to activate. Looks like we will be making a trip towards the museum tomorrow" Daichi said and Saeko nodded her head.

"Let's go back… Zombies are already gathering around us, the snake made a lot of ruckus" Daichi added while looking around and Saeko quickly retreated towards their house followed by Daichi. The two of them entered the house and Daichi made his way towards the room where Bella was sleeping.

Saeko promptly followed him inside the room. Daichi gave her a glance but didn't say anything. He had yet to take a bath as he was busy with Bella when the others were bathing. Daichi decided to continue their teasing game as Saeko didn't seem to mind it and he was really having fun. In this messed up World, the byplay in between them was a breath of fresh air for him. Even though it didn't seem like it, Daichi was extremely tired, mentally.

"I am going to take a bath… you are free to join me, you know, we must save water" Daichi said with a grin and entered the bathroom attached to the room. He quickly stripped out of his clothes and entered the shower, and turned on the tap to fill the bath. He wasn't surprised when the door opened only after a few seconds and Saeko entered the bathroom and took off her apron revealing her boobs for Daichi to see.

From the looks of it, Saeko didn't seem to be bothered by having a naked boy standing in front of him while she was also almost naked. Saeko grabbed the knots of her thong and pulled them, finally revealing her sacred garden. It wasn't much of a garden as Saeko was clean shaven. Saeko placed her apron and thong in the basket along with Daichi's clothes. Saeko got under the shower whole placing herself in front of Daichi.

"You are beautiful, Busujima-San" Daichi said from behind her and Saeko giggled softly.

"I noticed that" Saeko said, her gaze was fixed on Daichi's manhood which was rock hard. "But I think we should now be on a first name basis, wouldn't you agree?" Saeko added and Daichi nodded his head.

"Yes, you are right, Saeko" Daichi said and turned off the tap as the bath was filled. Saeko grabbed the soap bottle and extended it towards Daichi.

"Would you help me with the soap?" Saeko asked, giving the boy a meaningful look.

"Only if you return the favour" Daichi said and grabbed the bottle.

Saeko softly giggled. "Of course, I would love to" Saeko said and Daichi started with her shoulders. Daichi moved on to explore her whole body, moans and gasps kept escaping Saeko's lips as Daichi's hands kept traversing her body. Daichi rubbed soap on her boobs and he didn't forget to give them a pinch making a loud moan escape Saeko's mouth. Daichi also didn't forget to rub the place between her legs.

When Daichi was finally done with Saeko, the girl turned around and started to give the boy the same treatment she had received. Daichi maintained his body as his mom liked it. Saeko explored him with her hands and she didn't forget to apply soap on Daichi's crotch. Daichi groaned in pleasure as she caressed his dick and balls.

Saeko giggled when Daichi's member throbbed in her hands. This was the first time she saw a man completely naked. She had read books, of course, but she reached a conclusion… books didn't do justice to the real thing. She found Daichi's body to be exactly what she wanted her man to have.

Saeko turned on the shower and helped Daichi wash off the soap from his body and Daichi obviously returned the favour… after all, he was a gentleman. Daichi finally stepped into the bath after turning off the shower. He felt the warm water untie the knots in his body. Saeko rummaged through the cupboard and found a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Saeko stepped into the bath and sat in between Daichi's legs.

Saeko did leave some space for Daichi's member, but when she leaned back over his chest, his member was pressed against her ass. To be honest, she liked the heat from the throbbing organ pressed against her body. Daichi groaned and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist and pulled her closer to him… in the process, his member was completely pressed against her body.

"How did you know where the alcohol would be?" Daichi asked softly as Saeko poured a small drink for him.

"Marikawa-Sensei mentioned it" Saeko said and held up the glass for Daichi. He grabbed the glass and tipped it inside his mouth in one go. Moments later, the burning feeling was gone and by that time Saeko poured another drink and gulped it down. She closed the bottle and placed it outside the tub along with the glass.

"...Do you think I did the right thing?" Daichi asked in an uncertain tone.

Saeko slightly turned her head. "I meant leaving the three of them behind. I think Takagi-San was close to them" Daichi elaborated.

"You gave them a choice… it is not like you didn't ask them. They decided to stay behind, you didn't force them" Saeko answered softly.

"...It is hard, you know… I mean being the leader and all, what if I make a mistake, what if I call a wrong shot… someone might end up losing their life with a simple mistake" Daichi added sullenly. He might have acted like a charismatic leader, but he was just a normal college student until all this happened. Yes, he had questionable relationships, but it was still in a normal world.

"And that is what makes you a good leader. You question yourself. You aren't treating anyone like a pawn… you are also helping the others to get strong… we could have ended up with a much worse leader" Saeko said with a soft smile.

"Well… I guess that's good then" Daichi said with a chuckle. For a moment both of them decided to remain silent… Saeko picked up the bottle and glass and poured another drink for Daichi. He accepted the glass and gulped it down in one go.

"Saeko, why do you hide your true self?" Daichi asked and he felt the girl stiffen for a moment. Saeko gulped down her own drink and placed the bottle and the glass outside the tub.

"It happened 4 years ago… I was only 13. I was returning home after Kendo practice… I always carried my wooden sword. One day a molester cornered me… I could have retaliated from the beginning… I didn't. I lured him in, acting like a weak and meek girl and when he was finally about to touch me I finally attacked him"

"I broke him so badly that he had to be carried off using an ambulance. I could have stopped… I should have stopped, but I didn't. That day, I realized something about myself… I liked causing pain, having control over someone's life…" Saeko said in a self-deprecating tone, but before she could continue Daichi decided to cut her off.

"You know, that shouldn't be a problem, at least not in this messed up world… you might think that you are undeserving or unworthy, but you are completely wrong. Your darker side is also a part of you… you should embrace it" Daichi said in a firm tone. Before Saeko could make another comment Daichi turned her torso and placed his lips on hers.

Saeko's eyes grew wide in surprise, but moments later, she simply closed her eyes and melted into the kiss. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, she could feel that Daichi meant what he said, and to be honest, she felt relieved. She had thought that he would hate her after he came to find her real personality. Surprisingly, he didn't.

After a few moments, both of them finally separated. Saeko had a flushed look on her face and Daichi was intently looking into her eyes. "You know, you looked extremely beautiful when you were killing those Zombies… I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances" Daichi added with a grin and Saeko smiled after hearing his words.

"Then make me yours, Daichi-kun" Saeko requested while staring into Daichi's eyes…

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