"You can open your eyes now."
Azlan's calm voice made the girl brave enough to open her trembling eyelids.
"We're... flying?"
How shocked she was to see the view from above, the cold winter wind sweeping her wet hair. Below, zombies had gathered due to the earlier commotion, the horde of living dead moving slowly in the thin snow, their roars faintly audible like a distant storm.
Seeing that scene, the girl shivered with fear, her hands gripping Azlan's arm tighter. Then, she raised her head, gazing at the generous face of the one who saved her—a young man with hair tied in a ponytail, sharp sky-blue eyes, and a calm aura that contrasted with the chaos below.
Her gaze was not directed at the man's face, but rather at the beautiful blue light wings, their transparent membrane glittering like ice crystals under sunlight, emanating a faint but captivating dragon aura.
"Hello. My name is Azlan Farid, just call me Azlan. What's your name?"
Azlan tried to sound friendly, attempting to form a smile. However, it had been too long since he last smiled. The result was an expression that was somewhat stiff and unnatural.
"Akane. Kurokawa Akane. Thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would already be dead."
"Achooo..."
A sudden sneeze burst from her nose. Her uncontrolled mucus hit Azlan's shoulder. Akane's face immediately turned bright red.
"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to do that! I'm truly sorry!" She exclaimed in panic, trying to wipe the stain with her bare hand.
"It's okay. I'm not angry."
Azlan calmed the panicking and guilty Akane. Then, he noticed her clothes were soaking wet, he could faintly see the shape of her bra underneath.
Azlan quickly turned his face away, clearing his throat softly. "Ahem... You'll catch a cold in your current condition. Come on, I'll take you to a clothing store."
"Ah, sorry for troubling you."
Lowering her head, Akane blushed with embarrassment because her underwear was seen by a man she had just met. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to cover herself, her cheeks becoming redder in the snowy cold.
For a moment, she forgot the sadness and despair that enveloped her thanks to this absurd situation—the dramatic rescue, flying in the sky, and this mysterious man.
(He's a gentleman...)
Her heart pounded hard and her cheeks flushed. Of course, Akane knew this might be the suspension bridge effect—an attraction arising from a dangerous situation.
Although the story of a hero saving a damsel in distress sounded cliché, who wouldn't be touched if it happened to them?
"Rather than 'sorry,' I prefer 'thank you.'" Azlan said while adjusting his hold. "Hold on tight, don't fall."
While holding Akane's light body, Azlan flew with his Divine Dividing, maintaining a speed that wasn't too fast so the girl wouldn't be frightened.
"Amazing... So this is what it feels like to fly without wings? Very different from riding a plane!"
Hugging Azlan's neck again, Akane was captivated by the sensation of flying in the air, the cold wind sweeping her face but the warmth of the embrace made her feel safe for the first time in a long while.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Azlan brought Akane to the nearest clothing store that he had previously cleaned and made into a rest stop. The clothing store was included in the safe zone because he had already eliminated all the zombies around it.
He landed gently in front of the store door with broken glass, carefully lowering Akane before deactivating his Divine Dividing. The blue light wings disappeared as if absorbed back into his body.
"Choose whatever clothes you like." Azlan said, pointing into the dark store. "No one will charge you."
Akane furrowed her brow, hesitant. "Is that really okay? Isn't that the same as stealing?"
"You're a good girl, huh... Don't use common sense in this world. I don't know the situation in other countries, but I guarantee there are no humans left in Japan."
"What?!?"
Akane's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and horror. That information was too shocking to digest.
"I know there's a lot you want to ask." Azlan said, cutting her off before she could protest further. "Ask later. Now, quickly change your clothes before you catch a fever or cold. Trust me, there's no doctor who will treat you here."
"Mm."
Knowing the priority, Akane didn't argue.
The two of them entered the clothing store, the air inside feeling warmer and drier. They headed to the women's clothing area, racks containing modern clothes hanging neatly, covered in a thin layer of dust.
(This is the first time I've been to a women's clothing store with a man. I've only done it during filming...)
Honestly, Akane felt nervous. She was with a strange man she had just met, who happened to have superpowers. In a normal situation, this would be frightening enough. Moreover, she was completely dependent on this person. If Azlan had bad intentions, she wouldn't be able to resist.
(Thank goodness, Azlan-kun is a good person. He's not the type of bastard who takes advantage of situations to harass girls.)
Secretly glancing at Azlan who appeared indifferent while checking the clothing racks, Akane felt relieved.
"The clothes here are a bit dusty because they haven't been cleaned in a long time, but they're all new items."
Azlan tried to start a conversation, aware of the awkward silence.
"Mm. That's not a problem. They're still in wearable condition. Wait a moment, I'll change clothes."
After briefly browsing the hanging clothes, Akane quickly chose one set of clothing—a shimmering lavender long-sleeved blouse, a dark blue dress, and new underwear—then took them to the fitting room.
"..."
Azlan waited in silence, his back to the fitting room, his hands crossed over his chest.
He had no intention of trying to peek. However, the rustling sound of fabric and the scraping of zippers from the fitting room were clearly audible to his sharp ears.
A few moments later, the fitting room curtain opened, revealing Akane's figure in new clothes.
"H-How do I look...?"
Without realizing it, Akane asked the standard girlfriend question asking for their boyfriend's opinion, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes blinking full of hope and a little embarrassment.
Akane now wore a light lavender long-sleeved blouse top with a high neck, made from fabric that appeared to shine smoothly.
Over it, she wore a sleeveless dark indigo blue dress with a fitted cut at the chest and waist, then gracefully widening into a pleated skirt that fell to mid-calf.
The dress had a thin inner layer of transparent glittery fabric, which was slightly visible at the hem of the skirt. A small flower embroidery in light blue and green adorned the chest of the dress, right below the neck.
Akane's legs looked slender, and she wore dark Mary Jane style shoes with straps and brown heels. Her short, wavy blue-green hair framed her beautiful face.
Azlan stared at her without blinking for several moments. He had never been good at judging clothes, especially women's clothes, but he knew those clothes suited Akane.
"Good. Those clothes suit you, Akane."