Chapter 12: A Sleepless Night!
"The darker the night, the brighter the stars shine!"
— Rin Tohsaka, Fate/Stay Night
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Looking at the three girls who had all become his servants, Roy nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's get some rest."
"Tomorrow, we'll check on Saya's house first, then go find Rika Minami."
The three girls nodded in agreement and returned to their rooms to rest.
Just as Roy turned off the lights and prepared for bed, the door opened.
Saeko Busujima, clad in a bath towel, stood in the doorway. She closed the door behind her and stepped inside.
"Uh... Saeko?"
Roy looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was doing there so late.
"As your servant, it's only natural that I attend to my master's needs," she said, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
Roy didn't hesitate, ready to accept Saeko's offer. He wasn't one to refuse a gift so readily presented.
However, just then, the door opened again.
"Mmm... Roy-kun, I can't sleep!"
Shizuka Marikawa, looking sleepy and disoriented, also entered the room.
Roy was taken aback. Why were they all coming to his room?
Still, one dish or two, he wasn't about to complain.
But before he could react, the door opened *yet again*.
"Um... Roy, I'm a little scared, could I..."
Saya Takagi, blushing, stepped inside, then froze, seeing Saeko and Shizuka already there.
Her face turned crimson, but instead of fleeing, she covered her face and climbed into the bed, hiding under the covers.
Roy sighed. It seemed tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.
...
The next morning, Roy woke up early (though, in truth, he hadn't slept at all).
He looked around. Saeko was gone, presumably already awake.
Pushing aside Shizuka and Saya, who were clinging to him like Octopus, Roy got out of bed.
The aroma of food drew him to the living room.
Peeking into the kitchen, he saw Saeko, wearing only an apron, preparing breakfast.
"Saeko-chan, why are you up so early?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
"As a woman of the Busujima family, these are my duties."
She felt guilty about letting Roy make dinner the previous night.
"Wrong, Saeko. From yesterday onward, you're a woman of the Lucifuge family."
Roy corrected her with a serious expression.
Saeko paused, then realized what he meant.
"Ah... Yes, that's right, Roy."
She smiled apologetically and tried to turn around.
However...
"Saeko, don't move. Stay put."
"Hmm?"
Saeko looked at him questioningly.
"Hee hee, you said the wrong thing. There must be a punishment!"
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After breakfast, Roy decided to take the three girls to Saya's house.
Although they had sustained some injuries the night before, their enhanced devil physiology had already healed them.
As they opened the door, Roy noticed two figures in the yard.
A middle-aged man lay on the ground, covered in blood. He was clearly dead.
Next to him was a small girl.
The little girl lay motionless on top of the man, seemingly asleep.
"Eh? Roy, what's wrong?" Saeko asked, looking at him curiously.
"There's a child in the yard."
Roy walked towards them.
Looking at the pink-haired little girl, Roy guessed she was Alice Maresato, the little girl from the original story.
In the heat of his first battle the previous night, he hadn't noticed them sneaking into the yard.
Judging by Alice's deceased father, it seemed they hadn't escaped unscathed.
Roy surmised he had been stabbed before fleeing here with Alice.
"Hey," Roy said, gently tapping Alice's shoulder.
"Mmm..."
Alice stirred awake, her eyes fluttering open.
Seeing her dead father, tears welled up again.
But she remained silent, likely having been told by her father not to make a sound.
"Your father died protecting you. He's a true hero."
Hearing his words, Alice finally looked up at Roy.
He smiled gently. "It's alright now. From now on, I'll protect you."
Alice, overcome with emotion, threw herself into Roy's arms, sobbing loudly.
The cries attracted nearby zombies.
Saeko, grabbing her bokken, stepped outside.
Having just undergone her demonic conversion, she was eager to test her newfound strength.
Roy lifted Alice into his arms and used his magic to dig a grave under a tree in the yard.
He buried Alice's father, ensuring he wouldn't become zombie food.
Alice watched, tears streaming down her face as her father was laid to rest.
Eventually, exhausted from crying, she fell asleep in Roy's arms.
He handed her to Shizuka, who held her gently while he gathered their belongings.
Once packed, he headed towards the Humvee.
Saeko was already waiting, having cleared the area of all zombies. She was spotless, not a trace of blood on her, a testament to her drastically increased power.
"Saeko, get in. We're leaving."
"Okay."
Saeko hopped into the vehicle.
The engine roared to life, and they set off, driving through a dried riverbed to enter the city.
Their destination was Saya's home.
"Roy, we haven't seen any zombies for a while," Saya said, sitting on the roof of the Humvee with Roy.
Since crossing the riverbed, they hadn't encountered a single zombie, which she found odd.
"It seems they've all been drawn to the central area."
Roy understood what was happening, but he knew he couldn't entirely rely on the original story's events. Alice's situation was already a deviation.
Saya looked towards her home with worry.
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To be Continued...