But... if you kill the body with a knife...
There was still a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
Kisaragi Akira saw through her thoughts.
To put it simply: Are you worried about your own desires?
"Hmm? Mr. Kisaragi, you..."
Saeko Busujima was surprised by Kisaragi Akira's words.
He saw through her?!
"Your eyes are filled with confusion and hesitation."
"..."
Saeko Busujima lowered her head and remained silent.
She made sure the two of them couldn't see her expression.
Although Exusiai didn't know what had happened, she didn't say anything to disturb her.
A long time passed.
Saeko Busujima looked up.
Her slightly scarlet eyes stared directly into Kisaragi Akira's clear golden pupils.
She gently parted her lips and began to tell her story.
"When I was in junior high school, I was sexually assaulted by a pervert on my way home from school."
"At that time, I was carrying a wooden knife. I deliberately let the pervert get close to me, and then I used the wooden knife to severely injure him, breaking his leg bone and shoulder blade. In fact, it was excessive self-defense."
"Considering the situation at the time, with a middle school girl confronting a pervert, the police naturally did not hold me responsible and drove her home."
"I know very well that I did it on purpose."
"After this incident, I painfully realized that I have a strong tendency towards violence."
"I felt extremely happy and excited when I hit that pervert."
"There is an unforgivable dark side hidden in my heart."
She raised her hands.
Her eyes were filled with sadness.
"Am I still a normal person...?"
After listening, Kisaragi Akira calmly told her:
"Saeko, you don't need to feel so sorry for yourself."
"Whatever your personality is, it's your own personality. Don't let your personality lead you astray. Learn to control your nature."
As he spoke, he placed the katana in her hand.
His expression was solemn.
"There's nothing wrong with liking to kill. As long as you know your enemies, use a knife to protect yourself and your friends, and kill your enemies, what does it matter if it's violent?"
"Moreover, this is already a post-apocalyptic world."
Exusiai scratched her head.
"I don't know any grand principles. I also enjoy shooting people with a gun, but I won't point my gun at my friends!"
In the end, Exusiai's usually playful gaze became sharp, firm, and unwavering.
"Swinging his sword at his enemy..."
These words echoed in Saeko Busujima's mind.
A few moments passed.
Saeko Busujima gripped the hilt of her sword and raised her head.
The red in her pupils became even brighter.
But the confusion and distress of the past were gone.
"I understand now. I am who I am, and I must accept myself."
"Thank you all."
...
Saeko Busujima, once lost and confused, now killed with more decisive and ruthless precision.
Every move was designed to kill in one strike!
There was no need to worry about Exusiai; she was very efficient.
They could even jump onto rooftops.
Even if surrounded by zombies, they were not afraid.
Saeko Busujima didn't need it either.
Most of the zombies she killed were those he had missed after clearing out the others, making her much safer.
Kisaragi Akira's situation was much easier.
He stomped his feet hard on the ground.
The land was overturned.
Large numbers of corpses were pierced by the earth's ridges or buried by the land.
The shattered stones shot out at the speed of arrows, piercing through the corpses one by one.
He didn't need to defend himself against these guys at all.
A reflective layer that automatically formed on the surface of his body was sufficient to keep any undead from getting close.
Add a palm strike to his arsenal, and he unleashed the killing spree with both hands and feet.
Half a day passed.
He had almost completely destroyed the surrounding area, except for the roads.
"Kisaragi Akira's battles are truly devastating."
Exusiai and Saeko Busujima shared the same view on this.
...
It got dark.
The three of them returned to Nan Lixiang's home.
They had just walked in the door when Saya Takagi couldn't help but ask:
"What did you do this afternoon? It sounded like there was an earthquake outside."
Saeko Busujima took a towel and wiped the sweat off her body, then chuckled and said, "You'll probably have to ask Kisaragi-kun about this."
Kisaragi Akira shrugged.
"It's just cleaning up the surrounding corpses."
"Hmm? Is dinner ready?"
The table was already covered with all kinds of food.
The water and electricity supply was still running.
"Wait a moment, there's one last dish."
Rei Miyamoto, wearing an apron, peeked halfway out of the kitchen.
Shizuka Marikawa was among them.
"The food left in her house is a waste if she doesn't eat it. She's leaving in a couple of days, so she might as well use it up."
"We are very grateful for the help from Kisaragi, Exusiai, and Saeko. There's nothing we can do but cook you a delicious meal."
"Yes, that's good." Kisaragi Akira nodded.
"Leaving in a couple of days? Saya, have you contacted your parents yet?"
Saeko Busujima grasped the key information.
Saya Takagi smiled happily.
"Yes. My father has set up a settlement there to stabilize things. It will be safe for us to go there after a few days of stability."
Safety…
Kisaragi Akira didn't know what became of that settlement; he guessed it was destroyed.
"The last dish is here, everyone wash your hands and eat."
The last dish was served.
Rei Miyamoto seemed to be in a much better mood.
...
After eating, everyone took turns taking a bath.
There were two rooms.
Because of her aura and her unfamiliarity with the others, Exusiai was assigned to a separate room.
The other four people squeezed into one room, while Kisaragi Akira slept on the sofa in the living room.
The three of them had cleared away most of the corpses in the surrounding area, and there were no safety issues.
You could sleep peacefully then.