Chapter publish date: 3/26/2017

Author's Notes: So, my original plan was to write chapters 4 & 5, and upload them this month too. But then, came along this little section highlighted in red called: Insert fight scene here. That took WAAAY longer than I expected. O.o

Anyway... wow. Wow! The story now has double digits on favs and follows! Thanks guys! Thank you very much! Thanks to those who reviewed as well! I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story.

I hope you have fun reading this chapter. :D

Disclaimer: Takashi belongs to Saeko.

Chapter 3: A Time to Live 2

"Good work today!"

"I'm beat..."

"Let's hit the arcade!"

"Senpai? You still haven't changed out of your uniform?"

Saeko cracked an eye open at her kohai. "I'm staying a while longer."

Saeko was currently sitting in the seiza position on the hardwood floor of the dojo. The uniform in question was their club's kendo uniform, it consisted of a white gi (jacket) and a black hakama (divided trousers).

"Oh, okay. We'll be going then, senpai."

Saeko said her goodbyes and waited for Takashi to arrive.

Actually, Busujima-senpai, do you think you and I could have a match?

She gripped her shinai in anticipation.

Throughout her kendo career, she's fought opponents with varying motivations: there were those who simply did kendo because their friends were doing it; there were those who recognized her skills and were either afraid, eager, motivated— or they gave up before the match even began; there were those who proclaimed her as their rival; there were those who cheated to get an upper hand against her; there were those who liked her, and those who hated her.

It didn't matter. None of them won. She remains undefeated in the women's individual, ranked number one in Japan. Put a sword in her hand— wooden, bamboo, or otherwise— and she was invincible.

However, with Takashi... she couldn't identify his motivations— what he fought for.

I'm very serious.

His eyes reminded Saeko of her father, the only one she ever lost to.

Getting restless, she got up and decided to do some kendo exercises. Saeko raised her shinai for an overhead strike—

"Senpai, I'm glad you're ready to go," said Takashi, who was coming out of the changing room, wearing their school's kendo uniform. "I hope it's okay for me to borrow these for today."

Saeko lowered her shinai. "It's no trouble at all, Komuro-kun. I didn't hear you come in though. Are you some kind of ninja?" she asked, genuinely surprised that she didn't hear him at all.

Takashi chuckled. "No, just years of—" Takashi momentarily paused at his slip, "well, habit." That's actually not too off the mark. Since they were sensitive to sound, we learned to move as quietly as possible.

Saeko didn't notice his slip. Her eyes were on the bokken he also borrowed from their club. "A wooden sword?"

"Yes. I don't want a normal kendo match, senpai. I was thinking more along the lines of a kenjutsu spar. No contact of course."

Saeko blinked at Takashi. "You sure are full of surprises, Komuro-kun. Alright, let me go get my bokken."

Takashi began to do some light stretching. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Saeko trying to contain her excitement as she walked past him, but he knew her too well.

Yes. That's right, Saeko. You've never been challenged to this kind of match before, have you? I know how badly you've wanted to fight like this.

Apart from wanting to see Saeko again, Takashi really did want to spar with her. It was a daily routine of theirs in the other universe. And they didn't spar using kendo techniques.

When Takashi had asked Saeko to teach him kendo, she had outright refused...

. . .

[Two months after Z-day]

"And I thought you'd be thrilled at the idea of me calling you 'sensei~'."

Saeko's eyes were predatory. "Oh, you'll still be calling me sensei, Takashi. I may not be teaching you kendo, but I'll be teaching you jujutsu, kenjutsu, and iaijutsu— or as it's more commonly known in anime, and manga, as battojutsu."

Takashi had stars in his eyes. "Ohh... so you'll be teaching me jujutsu, Saeko-sensei? I understand there'll be a lot of grappling involved."

"You've been spending too much time with Hirano-kun. Get your mind out of the gutter," Saeko chided, although it wasn't all that effective since she was blushing.

Takashi snorted. "Like you're one to talk, Saeko. You're even worse than me. Why, just yesterday, after you cut down a dozen of them, you pulled me inside a van—"

"Anyway, modern kendo is far too simplified to be of any use in this new world: there are only three combat stances you can use, its movements are restricted, strikes are limited to three areas, and thrusts limited to one. Kendo's aim is spiritual and personal growth, not hurting or killing your opponents. This is why, despite kendo being a contact martial art, there's actually a very low injury rate among practitioners." Then, with a sinister smile, she added, "When I teach you kenjutsu, we will not have these limitations."

Takashi nodded. "What about iaijutsu and battojutsu?"

Saeko found his straight-face suspicious. "Battojutsu will teach you efficient sword-drawing techniques. Iaijutsu will teach you that, as well as how to immediately react to unexpected attacks. We will train this in full contact as well so you'll learn faster."

Takashi nodded. "So, when do we start jujutsu?"

She closed her eyes and sighed.

Takashi nodded. "You're right, we shouldn't. Every time we do it outside, they always appear out of nowhere; just like those times when we were in the shrine, the island, the van yesterday... I wonder what noise attracted them... certainly wasn't me—"

At this point, Saeko knew she had only one way to shut him up. She pulled him into a mind-blowing kiss.

. . .

Takashi smiled nostalgically at the memory.

His reminiscing was stopped when Saeko took her position in front of him.

"I'm ready, Komuro-kun. So, how do you wanna do this?" Saeko asked, her bokken in hand.

"Treat this like any normal sword fight, senpai. Except there'll be no contact, and we'll reset after each round. Let's go for best of three."

"Very well," she said with approval in her tone.

They bowed to each other and took their stances: Saeko assumed a traditional kendo stance, the tip of her wooden sword pointed at Takashi's eyes; while Takashi's stance... made Saeko raise her eyebrows at him.

"Komuro-kun, you do know that your stance right now resembles a baseball player?" she asked, trying not to sound exasperated. Does he have no experience after all?... Did I get my hopes up for nothing?... But he did say he wanted a kenjutsu spar, so he must have experience...

Takashi had a big smirk on his face. "Well, senpai, you see I wanted to test how you'd react to a situation where someone is running at you with a baseball bat," he said with too much innocence in his voice.

He's definitely mocking me... no... before a sword fight comes the clash of wills. "Alright, Komuro-kun. I'm ready."

Takashi really wanted to chuckle badly at her serious expression, but held it in. Contrary to what Saeko thinks, he actually just found it fun to tease her. Well, that, and I bet she won't see this one coming...

Takashi charged at her, swinging his wooden sword like a baseball bat.

Saeko prepared to block it. However, mid-swing, Takashi swiftly changed it to an overhead strike and swung it down, aiming it at her wooden sword, the area a few inches above her hands. Her eyes dilated as she received the blow; it was strong, pushing her back a step. Had it not been for her training, her bokken would've been knocked out of her hands.

Their wooden swords locked.

Takashi was disappointed by that. The angle was right like I predicted. I should've been able to knock it out of her hands with a charging attack. Oh well...

Not giving her time to recover, he disengaged and slashed twice in quick succession: the first was a rising diagonal swing to the leg, followed by a downward cut to the shoulder.

Saeko, though still astonished from almost getting her bokken knocked out of her hands, was still able to block the strikes.

Continuing the momentum from his last swing, Takashi spun around and delivered a powerful horizontal slash that made Saeko jump back as their bokken met with a loud clack.

The end of the bokken's handle held in his left palm, Takashi pivoted the wooden sword in a vertical arc and caught it on his left forearm, the tip of the blade now pointing behind him. His lips curling upward, he said, "You're very strong, senpai. I thought I had you for sure with my first attack."

Saeko blinked at him, then recovering from her initial astonishment, a grin slowly formed on her face. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you, Komuro-kun."

"I try." Takashi got into a proper stance and pointed the tip of his wooden sword at Saeko's eyes. "Now, senpai. Let's see what you got."

Saeko's grin got even bigger. She lunged forward, batted Takashi's wooden sword out of the way, and executed two lightning quick overhead strikes.

Takashi blocked her first swing, sidestepped the next, and responded with his own overhead strike. He smiled a knowing smile at her widened eyes as their wooden swords locked once again. You're not winning that easily, Saeko.

Her grin returned. Saeko stepped back and did a swift combination of three strikes. All of which were evaded and parried. He's fast... faster than me... no... not faster... he reacts fast... really, really fast... in that case...

She upped the speed of her attacks, going for the defenses Takashi left open. And yet, he still managed to block, parry, and evade her. Saeko's blood was screaming in her veins. She found an opponent that was on her level. And she was loving every second of their fight.

Yes, Komuro-kun! This is fun!

Takashi let this go on for some time, getting a feel of his current physical abilities.

After a while, Saeko put more power into her swings, pushing Takashi back.

I'm glad you're having fun, Saeko. But warm-up's over. I'm gonna go win now.

Takashi waited for the opening he knew was coming, and positioned himself accordingly. He knew Saeko was confident in her speed and power, and in a couple of moves she was going to swing with more power than usual. And when the opening came, instead of parrying or evading, he slid past her attack, got in front of her and swung at her torso.

However, Saeko was too fast. Eyes wide, she dodged the attack— though just barely— and quickly countered with a horizontal swing to Takashi's neck.

Takashi spun around as he crouched low, Saeko's bokken clipping the top of his hair.

Saeko raised her wooden sword for one of her lightning quick overhead strikes. Big mistake, Komuro-kun! First round is mi—

Saeko stopped mid-swing. Takashi's wooden sword was held in a one-handed reverse grip, the tip of the blade a few inches away from her throat.

...

I... lost?...

Takashi, still crouching, his back turned to her, said, "Looks like first blood—" he stood up, then turned his head to smirk at Saeko over his shoulders, "—belongs to me, senpai," he finished as he lowered his bokken.

Saeko wordlessly turned around and walked back to their starting position. I'm faster and stronger, yet Komuro-kun's still outmaneuvering me...

I'm very serious...

His words echoed in her mind again as she remembered his intense sharp eyes. I don't know how he's doing it, but he's somehow predicting my every move... And his kenjutsu style, it's so similar to mine. That shouldn't be possible... The way he fights, is again, similar to how I fight. Again, shouldn't be possible... But his technique, it's more refined. His movements, absolutely none of it are wasted... And yet... I don't really care about any of that right now!

Saeko turned around and raised her wooden sword; left palm open, pressing at the end of the handle. She pushed her open palm up to eye level which pivoted her bokken to point slightly downward, the blade's edge facing up. Her grin was half-sadistic, half-ecstatic, as she watched Takashi slowly walk back to his position.

Takashi smiled warmly at her. Well good morning to you too, Saeko.

As Takashi walked, he thought about their first round.

Let's see... My strength is back to the level of swinging shotguns. My speed is back to the level of an average high school track athlete... Overall, pretty weak and slow compared to what I can normally do back in the other universe. That's why my first attack failed, and why I couldn't follow through even when I got inside her guard. No surprises there. Even though P.E. is my best subject, I've been slacking too much in this universe. I just can't match someone like Saeko who trains with a dull katana every day.

Still, Takashi wasn't worried at all. He had a major advantage: he's been sparring with her every day for 10 years now; he can read her every move. Her speed and strength won't be enough to compensate for the gap in their skill.

He took his position and assumed his earlier stance: the tip of his wooden sword pointed at Saeko's gleaming eyes.

Saeko let out a short battle cry and shot forward.

Takashi charged forward as well.

They both went for a horizontal swing to the head. Their wooden swords met halfway.

Clack!

Saeko then moved first. She swung for his legs, but Takashi was already jumping back as she began her swing. By the time she completed her attack, he was already on the move.

Takashi utilized a short burst of speed he hadn't used yet, quickly closing the short distance between them, and aimed a swift one-handed thrust to her forehead.

Saeko's eyes dilated as she parried the thrust at the last second, his wooden sword sliding past her head, half-an-inch away from touching her ears.

Takashi quickly pressed on with a flurry of strikes that kept poking at her defenses, constantly trying to create an opening, putting Saeko on the defensive. She had tried to use her speed to outmaneuver him, but Takashi was relentless and skillfully cut her off every time.

He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face. You're not getting away that easily, Saeko. If you don't want to keep getting pulled into my pace, you're gonna have to stop holding back!

Saeko leaped back.

Orrr you can just do that, he internally deadpanned.

As soon as Saeko's feet touched the floor, she shot forward with a battle cry. Faster this time, she aimed a rapid charging thrust at Takashi's left chest, which he blocked by sliding his left palm near the tip of his bokken and expertly catching the thrust on the side of his blade with a loud crack.

Takashi's sharp eyes were staring into Saeko's almost manic eyes, and his big cheshire grin was matching her half-sadistic grin.

Saeko was shaking with excitement. Oh, Komuro-kun! You definitely do not disappoint!

She quickly spun around and did a rising diagonal slash. However, Takashi was already moving, using another short burst of speed to get inside her guard. She would have none of it. Saeko quickly stepped back and sent a barrage of lightning fast swings. But he just spun, slid, and feinted around them.

Saeko kept advancing, not giving Takashi time to counter-attack. But just like the first round, he somehow found a way to spin out of her swing, and countered with a strong rising diagonal slash which created some distance between them.

Takashi's breathing was a little heavy now, some sweat rolling down his face. Guess my endurance is also back to level one.

Saeko however, hadn't even broken a sweat. "What's the matter, Komuro-kun? Tired already?" she asked with a bloodthirsty gaze as she took a step forward, looking every bit like a predator about to pounce on its wounded prey.

Takashi chuckled at that. "Of you, senpai? Nope. Never gonna happen."

Saeko stopped, blinked, then a light shade of pink dusted her cheeks.

Takashi wiped his forehead with his sleeves and closed his eyes. He inhaled, then exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. Don't worry, Saeko. I can push myself to fight all day— even until my hands start shaking... But, you're still holding back. Let's see what you think of this!

He then fumbled with the sash tied around his waist, slipped his bokken in it, and got into a stance. He opened his eyes and saw Saeko staring at him, stunned.

A chill ran down Saeko's spine. There's just... no way... but... there's no doubt about it now...Busujima Itto-ryu. It's a style supposed to be known only to my clan... How do you know this, Komuro-kun?... And that battojutsu stance... I haven't even mastered that yet... an assassination technique... something only masters would attempt without a proper scabbard...

Only...

Masters...

Saeko knew he was tired; knew that a battojutsu will not be as fast without a scabbard— even if performed by a master; knew she was capable of going even faster; knew she was capable of putting out even more power. She had the advantage.

This was nothing at all like that pathetic molester she encountered four years ago. This was her chance to fight a real opponent— a strong opponent— to have him bloody and beaten underneath her. Her blood felt like liquid fire. A sadistic grin spread across her face.

Saeko shot forward. I want to hear you scream, Komuro-kun!

Takashi charged, a smile on his face. Finally! Come at me, Saeko!

When he deemed it close enough, Takashi used two simultaneous short bursts of speed to close the gap. The muscles in his legs protested, but he didn't care, he wanted to show off a little more.

He swung his wooden sword in a horizontal arc— and abruptly stopped mid-swing.

Saeko had her bokken raised high. She was gaping at Takashi... frozen in absolute fear at the face reflected in those warm brown eyes.

"Sae— senpai?" Takashi asked with concern.

She silently lowered her wooden sword and averted her gaze.

"Senpai? What's wrong?" he asked gently, though he immediately knew what was going on with her the moment she froze.

She lowered her head. Her face hidden from him.

"Men..." he declared flatly as he lightly bopped the top of her head with the side of his bokken. (1)

If this was an official kendo competition, the audience would have sweatdropped at such an anticlimactic conclusion as the referee raised the flag in Takashi's victory.

Saeko, her face still hidden, slowly raised her left hand and rested it on the spot Takashi tapped.

Takashi's heart clenched. He hated seeing her like this.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Two out of three. Well, looks like I win our match. Come on, senpai. Let's get changed, then I'll meet you outside," he said as normally as he could.

Saeko nodded.

Takashi gathered his things and made his way to the boy's shower; he saw Saeko slowly head for the girl's. He sighed. When Saeko was like this, he knew it was best to give her some monotonous task to distract herself with.

.
. .

After some time, Takashi saw Saeko— now wearing her school uniform and carrying her things— slowly making her way towards him, eyes still downcast.

"Do you have anywhere you need to be right now, senpai?" he asked.

Saeko shook her head in a silent no.

"Great! Let's go."

The pair walked out of the school and headed to a nearby park. Saeko was silent during the entire walk.

The park looked serene. It was illuminated by the soft orange glow of the sun. Cherry blossom trees girdled the area and they were in full bloom. Pale pink petals floated along the pleasant breeze. At the moment, they were the only ones present.

Takashi took a seat on one of the swings, and she sat on the one next to him.

He took out two drinks from his school bag which he bought from a vending machine earlier while he was waiting for her. He handed her a warm canned tea that he knew she liked.

"Thank you," Saeko said listlessly. She opened it and took a drink. "This is... quite good," she said, surprised.

"Oh? You've never bought those before, senpai?"

"No, I've always preferred fresh tea."

Takashi was taken aback by that. He knew that in the other universe, Saeko preferred freshly brewed tea over canned ones. But since she always grabbed that particular brand, he just assumed she had always liked it.

Huh, I learned something new.

They took a sip of their drink. Then Takashi, his eyes intense, looking at the sunset, said, "Senpai, you're going to be alright. I promise."

Saeko turned her head towards Takashi and looked at him sadly.

Oh, Komuro-kun... your kindness is wasted on someone like me... I know you saw the look on my face. I saw it reflected in your eyes... If only you knew... the things I wanted to do to you earlier... what I did four years—

Facing her, he continued, "After all, even though you're forbidden from asking me out, that doesn't mean I can't. So don't be too hard on yourself."

Saeko blinked at Takashi. "Nn-."

"'Nn-'? 'Nn-' what? You're not making any sense at all, sen—"

Saeko covered her mouth with her free hand and broke into peals of laughter.

Takashi smiled softly at her.

After Saeko settled down, she held the warm can of tea in both hands, her thumbs fiddling with it. "Thank you for that, Komuro-kun."

Takashi looked at her guiltily. "No, senpai. I knew you were holding back, but I pushed too far, and I made you show me something that you weren't prepared for anyone to see. I'm sorry."

"You saw it then," Saeko said in a resigned tone.

"I did."

"And yet... here you are. Why?"

Takashi paused. After a few seconds, he gazed at the sunset, looking wistful. "I miss my sensei... you know, you're just like her. Strong. Fast. Fierce. Deadly." then looking at her he added, "And beautiful, even in combat— an angel of death."

Saeko gasped, then blushed heavily.

Takashi smirked at her reaction. He looked back at the sunset and continued. "In our first ever kenjutsu lesson, she went all out on me, full contact with no protective gear. And in two weeks, I learned to dodge like a pro. No offense, senpai, but she's a lot scarier than you."

Regaining her composure somewhat, she said, "I-I guess... that explains the speed of your reaction to my attacks. You're very skilled."

"Thanks, senpai. I had a good teacher," he said with a grin, amused at the irony that only he could see.

Saeko then had a thought and became pensive. "Komuro-kun? Who taught you that style of kenjutsu?"

Well, looks like I'm busted. That's what I get for showing off. But I guess it was gonna happen at some point anyway. "Ah, you're wondering who taught me the Busujima Itto-ryu?"

Her eyes widened at the admission. "Yes."

Takashi rubbed the back of his head. "Can you... give me a week before I tell you?" he asked apprehensively.

Saeko was momentarily confused, but she agreed to his request. "That sounds reasonable. I won't pry." After a few seconds, she added, "I'd very much like to meet her though— if that's alright."

"Thank you." He paused, considering his next words. Then wistfully, he said, "As for meeting her, it's impossible. She isn't around anymore."

"I'm... sorry for your loss."

Takashi shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that, senpai," he reassured her, "she's still alive. She just... moved really far away." More like I moved a universe away...

"Oh, of course." Saeko then decided to change the topic to get him out of his gloom; like he had done for her earlier. "You said your teacher and I are alike—" she blurted out, then blushed when she recalled the last part of the compliment he gave her earlier.

Takashi's lips slowly stretched into a knowing smirk as he stared at her flushing cheeks. "Mmm hmmm~?"

It worked, but not the way she intended. "A-Anyway, do you mind telling me if she had any problems with... wanting to fight too much?"

He gazed at her with his sharp eyes. Saeko found it... comforting. That came as a surprise to her, since she initially found those sharp eyes of his to be unnerving just a few hours ago. I wonder when I started thinking that...

"Yes, she did actually. Because of that... problem," said Takashi knowingly, breaking Saeko out of her thoughts, "she spent years thinking of herself as a monster who doesn't deserve to be loved. But eventually, she was able to truly accept and love that part of her self which she never ever thought she could love. Since then, she was able to control it, and she became an even stronger fighter than she was before."

Does he know? Saeko thought as she averted her gaze from him, her bangs hiding her eyes. Then, softly, almost in a whisper, she said, "I see... thank you... Komuro-kun—"

She turned to face him, beaming a warm smile that made Takashi's heart melt.

So... beautiful...

"—for sharing that with me," she finished. Maybe... there's still hope for me...

Takashi smiled in return. I promised that you would be alright, Saeko. And you will be. I'll be there to help you through this. "You're very welcome, Busujima-senpai."

Saeko held up her hand.

Takashi raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I wanna be called Saeko by my friends."

Takashi blinked at her; a thong and an apron replaced Saeko's current school uniform. Wow, deja vu...

He quickly— but sadly— banished the thought. "Sure thing, Saeko-san," he said happily.

They both looked straight ahead, watching the last few minutes of the sunset, and sipping at their drinks in comfortable silence.

Takashi couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for earning her friendship so quickly. Because in the other universe, Saeko didn't have any friends before the apocalypse...

. . .

[One month and three weeks after Z-day]

"Saeko! What're you doing out here?!" Takashi said louder than normal.

"I know we've cleared this area of them, and that we have traps set up, but please be quieter, Takashi."

"What?! I can't hear a thing you're saying! Can you speak up?!"

Saeko laughed demurely, already having an idea of what happened from all the commotion she heard inside. She walked up to him and leaned close to his ear. "Try to be quieter. You're talking louder than you think."

"Oh, sorry about that," he said softly, though it was still louder than normal. "On my left, Saya-san kept nagging me about my stupidity and not caring enough to take her with me when all this shit started. On my right, Rei somehow got Shizuka-sensei to share her spiked drink, then she got drunk and started yelling about how I always pay attention to you, and that Hisashi would've paid attention to her instead."

"Yes, I could it hear it from out here," she said with a soft giggle, the sound tickling Takashi's ears and making his spine tingle.

"You could've stayed and suffered with me you know," Takashi said lightly, looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"If I did that, we'd both be yelling right now."

They shared a laugh.

After his eardrums have recovered, they sat on the wooden steps. Takashi wrapped an arm around her. Saeko rested her head on his shoulder, and slid an arm around his chest.

"So, why'd you excuse yourself when Shizuka-sensei started telling us stories about her old friends in high school?" Takashi asked.

"It just reminded me of some unpleasant things," she said in a distant tone.

Playfully, he said, "Not all unpleasant I hope?"

Saeko's lips stretched into a small smile. "Of course not. Even with the world as it is, I'm quite happy right now. I found someone to love and friends I can count on." Her tone became somber. "But before I met up with all of you... I didn't have friends, just acquaintances. So when the dead started attacking the living, I had no problems with fighting them, or abandoning those who I didn't think had the capacity to survive."

Takashi was taken aback. "But... no way... I thought someone like you would've had many friends and—"

At her raised eyebrow, he realized he was repeating the same thing he said to her back in the shrine when she was talking about the guy she liked.

"Oh, right. Sorry—"

Saeko covered her mouth, giggling at him. "It's cool, Takashi. You really see me as a girl worthy of admiration no matter what I do... it makes me feel normal. It's one of the things I love so much about you."

Takashi's face heated up.

Taking a less somber tone, she said, "After the incident four years ago, a few of my friends from middle school somehow heard about it, even though it wasn't made public information. They thought I was some kind of superhero. I distanced myself from them— avoided spending time with them after school— because I didn't want them to see who I really was on the inside. Eventually, we grew apart."

He held her closer.

Saeko smiled in thanks at the silent show of support. "My father noticed this, so when I passed my entrance exams for Fujimi Academy a year later, he jumped at the opportunity to give me a fresh start, and we moved to Tokonosu... It didn't help like he hoped it would. I learned quickly that nearly everyone in school liked my veneer of politeness. I kept them close enough to not be considered rude, and distanced myself when they were getting too close."

She made herself more comfortable on his shoulder. "As time passed, I even grew distant from my father. I stopped training with him when I hurt him during one of our spars. He confronted me of course— asked me what I was hiding from him— but I was too ashamed to tell him." She sighed deeply. "After that, he would often take invitations from dojos and conferences overseas which he always refused to accept before."

After a brief moment of silence, Takashi kissed the top of her head. "I bet he's okay, Saeko. He defeated you after all. And you're pretty much invincible. Compared to my parents he's—"

Saeko looked up and saw him trying to keep the worry from showing in his face. She wrapped her other arm around his chest, hugging him. "Thank you, Takashi. I'm sure your parents are doing fine too."

.
. .

After the sun had set, they gathered their things and walked out of the park.

"Say, Komuro-kun?" Saeko began as they walked, "Are you part of any clubs right now?"

"Is that an invitation to join the kendo club?"

"Yes. If you join, I'm confident our men's team can reach top 4 in Japan. Individually, I think you can easily win the nationals this year undefeated."

Takashi smiled at the praise. "I'm flattered, Saeko-san." He pretended to think about it, then he said, "But, I kinda like my current club. Any incentives to quit that and join the kendo club?"

Saeko blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Um... well, from personal experience, you'll get a lot of scholarship offers from prestigious universities when you win tournaments and get a high national ranking. And..."

"Aaand~?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

"And... it would be nice to have a highly skilled sparring partner."

He laughed at that. There it is... that's what it's really about...

Saeko looked at him with shining eyes. "Please?"

Takashi made the mistake of glancing at those shimmering blue orbs and abruptly choked on his laughter. He grabbed his knees and coughed repeatedly.

She walked over to him and rubbed his back. "Komuro-kun? Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

His coughing fit managed, he stood up straighter and nodded. "Man, that was pretty potent. I was gonna accept, you know. No need to resort to those things."

They resumed walking.

Saeko smiled and said, "I'm glad to hear it." She then tilted her head slightly to the side. "But what was 'pretty potent'? And what do you mean by 'those things'?"

Takashi sweatdropped. Of course... she doesn't even realize it...so clueless. No, wait... actually... this is good... yeah... the longer she stays clueless about this, the better.

He waved his hands in front of him dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. Forget it." When it looked like she was still going to ask, thinking quickly, he said, "School's out early tomorrow. You doing anything after club practice, Saeko-san?"

"I help out in our kendo equipment store during the weekends—" her lips stretched into a sly smile. "Ah, were you hoping to ask me out, Komuro-kun? I'm afraid I'll be busy tomorrow."

Takashi already knew that of course and smirked at her. "That's perfect!" he said happily. "You can help me get some kendo equipment shopping done."

Saeko's cheeks turned pink.

After a few seconds, they both snorted in unison, then laughed (Saeko, demurely).

"You got me again," she admitted with a small chuckle. "Very well, I can help with that." Something occurred to her then. "Oh, what about your club? Is it alright for you to leave so suddenly?"

"Ohh~, you mean my going-home-early club?" he asked innocently. "Yeah, sure. It's no trouble at all."

"You... were teasing me," Saeko deadpanned.

Takashi responded by looking at her with a big cheshire grin.

They walked like this for some time: talking and joking with each other... until they reached a yellow Subaru R1, parked on the side of the road and cranking its engine with no success.

Takashi had a feeling he knew who that car belonged to, even though he's only heard of it.

They went over to offer some help, and found a buxom blonde woman in her late 20's. It was their school nurse, Marikawa Shizuka, sitting in the driver seat.

Takashi tapped the window to get her attention.

Shizuka got out of the car and greeted the two of them. "Ah~, Komuro-kun! Busujima-san! Are you two going out on a date?"

Saeko put her hands in front of her defensively. "No, it's nothing like that Dr. Marikawa. We're just walking together to the bus stop."

"That's right," said Takashi, nodding in agreement. "You see, Saeko-san is prohibited from asking me out."

Saeko turned to Takashi and sputtered.

"More importantly, sensei," he continued, "what's your car trouble?"

A light bulb lit up above Shizuka's head. "Oh! That's right! I was driving, and then my car won't start."

"Did you run out of fuel?" he asked.

"No, it's still full."

Takashi sighed. "A car's engine doesn't just suddenly stop while you're driving, Shizuka-sensei."

"Yes, of course! I remember now! I stopped on the side of the road so I can read the text from my girlfriend, because she told me—"

She then scrunched up her eyebrows, put a hand on her hip, and stomped her feet together in an attempt to look stern, but all she managed to do was look cute.

"—'Don't text and drive ever again, Shizuka! You almost drove us off a cliff! All these dangerous assignments to take out god damned terrorists and I'm gonna die from a heart attack!'" she scolded, repeatedly poking her finger at the forehead of an imaginary Shizuka kneeling in the seiza position, blocks of cement piled on top of her knees, crying pitifully with rivers of tears pouring down her face.

Saeko sweatdropped while Takashi chuckled softly to himself, already used to her antics.

Shizuka then put her arms under her chest, which had the effect of pushing her breasts up. "After that, I tried to drive off, but the car wouldn't move."

"Alright, sensei," he said, "pop the hood and let me take a look. It's probably your car's battery. Let me borrow your toolbox too."

Shizuka complied, and Takashi lifted the hood.

Saeko stood behind Takashi, content to watch him work. "You have experience with repairing cars, Komuro-kun?"

"A little. I'm not like my dad— he's a mechanic for a race team's pit crew— but I'm sure I can get this thing going." After securing the hood, he told Shizuka to turn on the ignition, looking and listening for any problems. He told her to stop, and began tinkering with the engine using the tools he borrowed.

After he was done, Takashi closed the hood. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands. "Saeko-san, can I borrow your bokken?"

Saeko raised her eyebrows in confusion as she handed it to him.

"Start the engine, sensei."

The engine cranked, but didn't start. During the 2nd attempt, Takashi hit the grill of the car with Saeko's wooden sword... and the engine started.

Saeko blinked. "That actually worked?"

"Komuro Shinmei-ryu. Also works with appliances," he said proudly as he handed back the bokken to a demurely giggling Saeko. He walked over to the driver's side of the car— and got pulled in through the window by an overly affectionate buxom nurse.

"Oh, Komuro-kun~! Thank you so much! I thought I was going to be stranded here forever!" Shizuka exclaimed, hugging Takashi.

Takashi looked awkward: his upper torso was inside the car, while the rest of him was standing outside the car. He took it in stride, putting the toolbox on the passenger seat and patting her on the head. He knew she acted like this when she was frightened and alone. "No need to be scared, sensei. I'm sure you could've called for help."

"No, my cellphone's battery just died because I left it powered on in the car this morning."

Takashi disentangled himself from her and sighed. Still ditzy as ever... how you survived every day on your own before meeting us, is truly a mystery...

Saeko walked up to them. "Are you sure you can get home safely by yourself Dr. Marikawa?" she asked, seriously concerned for their school nurse's life.

Shizuka clenched her fists in front of her chest and puffed up her cheeks. "Nooo~! I don't want to go home yet! I have to get some shopping done!"

Takashi facepalmed.

"Grocery shopping?" Saeko asked.

"No, silly. Clothes," said Shizuka, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"But your car—" Saeko began.

"MOUU~! Sensei doesn't care!" she said childishly, her ears honking out short puffs of steam.

Saeko finished in 2nd place. She was 14 seconds behind Takashi from smacking her palm to her face. And thus, he recovered first.

"Leave this to me, Saeko-san." Takashi leaned forward and pinched both of Shizuka's puffed up cheeks. "Sensei, You're not going shopping. You're going to drive straight to an auto repair shop. Am I clear?" he said in an imposing tone.

"Bwut, I wahs shwaving thaht mwoney fhor a fwhashion shale!"

"I said no, Shizuka-sensei. You are going to the auto repair shop. Right now. Or my fingers will stay clamped on your cheeks... forever."

Her watery eyes widened in mortal terror. "F-Fworever?!"

"Forever," he repeated ominously.

"I-I pwomise two goh two the repwair shoph rwight nowh!"

"Swear on all your designer clothes."

"A-All ofh thwem?!" When Takashi narrowed his eyes, she said, "I... I-I shwear!"

"Good." He stopped tweaking her cheeks and nodded. "Now drive safe. Alright, sensei?" Takashi said as he gave her a pat on the head.

"Yes, sir!" Shizuka saluted cutely, her cheeks bright red.

Takashi stepped back and she drove off.

"Did that—" said Saeko, a look of disbelief on her face. She sighed. "Is she really gonna be alright?" she asked, still worried.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I made her swear on all of her designer clothes. She'll go straight for the nearest repair shop."

Saeko paused to think about it. She shook her head in defeat. "Very well, I'll trust your judgement. You seem to know her well." After a few seconds, she said, "A little too well... a forbidden relationship between student and school nurse perhaps?"

Takashi stared at her. "Oh, I see... you're trying to get back at me for teasing you earlier about the club." Takashi held up a finger. "Or was it that comment I made to sensei about you being prohibited from asking me out?" A knowing grin spread across his face. "Or was it both? That's cute, Saeko-san. You'll have to try harder than that though," he finished, looking at her smugly.

She blinked at him, then grinned as well; a competitive glint in her eye.

Their walk to the bus stop was not as silent as when they first walked to the park.

.
. .

In the bus, the scenery passed by in a blur as Takashi told Saeko about his friends; that they were able to make up. She told him about their club practice, and that they got four new members today; bringing them to a total of 24, which will become 25 when he joins them officially.

As they talked, Takashi failed to realize something...

"Well, this is my stop," said Saeko.

Then, it hit him... Saeko was going back home— to her home— not to their home. She was going alone. He was not going with her. He made a desperate grab for her hand— and stopped himself. He closed his eyes and calmed himself.

Saeko gathered her things and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, Komuro-kun," she said pleasantly.

Takashi recovered quickly before she could glimpse the pain that briefly flashed on his face. "See you tomorrow, Saeko-san. Take care," he said with a small smile.

He watched her walk away.

Saeko's lips gently curved upward as she gave him one last glance before exiting the bus.

Takashi opened his phone. Everything seemed normal, but he still had to check.

Please be normal please be normal...

Refreshing the various social media tabs that were still open in his phone, he found...

The same stupid shit... Good. I can stop worrying...

.
. .

Takashi was currently pacing back and forth along the river.

God damn it! I can't stop worrying!

Arf!

Puppy?... that bark...

Arf! Arf!

Takashi turned around, and sure enough, a white puppy with black ears jumped into his chest. Catching the white ball of energy in his arms, he said, "Zero? What're you doing here? And you're so tiny— well, tinier than usual."

Zero barked and licked Takashi's chin, his tail wagging happily from side to side.

A young woman wearing a frilly dress with a matching hat ran up to him. Catching her breath, she said, "Ah... thank you... for catching him..."

"You must be the owner then?"

After the girl regained her breathing, she shook her head and said, "No, my family runs a vet clinic. We've actually been trying to get this little guy adopted, but he keeps running away from his owners... come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen him so relaxed."

Arf! Zero tilted his head up and licked Takashi's chin.

"He seems to like you too," she continued, "would you be willing to adopt him?"

Takashi blinked. Next thing he knew, the girl was waving at him from the distance and then walking away. And just like that, he was now the proud owner of Zero.

He looked down to Zero, and said, "Well, at least you've got all your initial fees covered. I didn't have to pay for a single thing."

Arf!

"You don't remember me too, do you?" Takashi said wistfully.

Zero tilted his head to the side.

Takashi petted Zero's head then set him down. "Come on, let's go home. I hope mom let's me... keep... you..."

His eyes widened in realization.

MOM!

.
. .

Takashi was breathing heavily as he absent-mindedly took off his shoes. The lights were on, and noise from the T.V. could be heard from the living room.

Shakily he said, "I'm... home..."

Sensing Takashi's current state, Zero barked and rubbed his head on Takashi's ankles.

"Takashi? Did I just hear a puppy?" his mother said as she came out. Komuro Kanae was a tall young looking woman. She had light brown hair which appeared longer in the right side than her left, it was tied into a single ponytail which rested in front of her right shoulder; a strand of hair hung down between her gentle brown eyes, and there was a beauty mark beneath her lips. She was wearing a light blue long sleeve blouse and a white skirt.

Memories flashed in front of his eyes.

...Mom! You're okay!...

"Welcome home. Oh, what a cute puppy!" his mom said happily.

...I'm sorry, Takashi. These kids have no one else. I have to go with them to the evacuation...

He gasped, his eyes filling with tears. "Mom..." said Takashi, his voice thick with emotion.

...It's alright. I understand. These guys need me too. I'm kind of their leader now...

"Takashi? What's the matter?" said Kanae in concern when she saw the look on her son's face.

...Goodbye, son. I love you so much. I want you to know that I'm so proud of you...

His eyesight became blurry and the noise around him flatlined as he went to her, stumbling on his own feet as he tried to run. When Takashi reached his mom, he threw his arms around her, almost tackling her into a hug.

...Come on, mom. None of this sappy stuff. I'll come find you after all this, you'll see...

"Takashi? What happened?" she said anxiously as she returned her son's embrace.

...Far as I can tell, the settlement has been completely overrun. Good news is, I didn't find any dead children. No sign of your mom too. They must've made it out! So cheer up, Komuro!...

He held her tighter, tears falling down his cheeks, staining her blouse.We never found you after that day, mom. And I didn't even get to say how much I love you before we left. Saying some lame bullshit about being sappy... I was so stupid and naive.

"Is this about Rei, Takashi?" said Kanae.

"I love you, mom... so much."

"I... love you too, son. It's alright. I'm right here," she said with as much emotion. Then pulling back from their embrace, she said, "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing," said Takashi, wiping his tears, "I thought something happened to you, but you're alright."

"Nothing, hmm? Are you sure, Takashi? You wouldn't just hug me like that and cry over nothing."

"Really, mom. It's nothing." He then pulled her in for another hug. "I'm just glad you're safe and sound."

When Takashi pulled back, his mother had a warm smile on her face. But then, she suddenly looked worried and gasped.

Seeing this, Takashi instantly became alert. "What is it, mom?"

"Son? What happened to you?"

"What happened to me? What do you—"

She grabbed her son's face with both of her hands, turning it left and right, scrutinizing it closely.

After a few dozen times of this, Takashi said, "Uhh... mom? What're you doing?"

"You look older all of a sudden," Kanae said in wonder. She then squished Takashi's face together, his mouth forming an 'O', resembling a fish's lips. "Ahh~, now there's my baby!"

Arf!

She stopped fussing over Takashi. "Oh, that's right," said Kanae, crouching down and turning her attention to the cute puppy. "I didn't forget about you," she cooed at Zero, as she rubbed his belly.

Good boy, Zero! I owe you one, thought Takashi.

Noticing the red collar, she asked, "So, who does he belong to, Takashi?"

"He's ours now. I just adopted him. I hope that's alright."

"Of course it is!" his mother exclaimed. "It gets pretty lonely here sometimes when your dad is on tour."

Takashi nodded. "Okay then. I'll let you and Zero get acquainted while I go get changed."

"Zero? What do you mean? Like 'nothing'?"

"No, mom. Zero like the zero fighter planes in World War II," he said as he walked away.

Kanae picked up Zero and brought him to eye level. "That's boring. I thought kids these days were more into anime?"

Arf!

.
. .

Later that evening, Takashi plopped down on his bed, reflecting on the days events.

This morning, I woke up with Saeko in my arms. We did our usual patrols. Cleared an area of them. I went across the city and got Saeko a new vanity box. Meteor crashed. Fought with a multiverse enforcer. Got my soul cloned. Woke up in another universe without them in it... so far...

A future without them in it... his words from earlier in the school gates rang in his head. Takashi rested the back of his hand on his forehead, partially covering his eyes.

Their faces flashed in his mind.

Kohta. Alice. Zero. Rei. Shizuka. Saya...

Saeko...

A future without 'them' in it... indeed...

Other than Saeko, his entire focus was on the impending disaster that apparently never came. And only now did it occur to him that his family— everyone he laughed and cried with— everyone he fought and bled with— they were in another universe with the other him.

Takashi's fists clenched.

It's out of my hands now... The other me should still be with them— hopefully...

His fists unclenched.

Still... they're here... they're alive... and they have a brighter future in this world. No more of our loved ones getting taken away from us. No more struggling every single day just to survive. No more insane lunatics hunting us down. No more dealing with th— zombies. Yeah, that's right! You motherfuckers don't exist in this world!

But if you do exist, I'll be more than ready this time...

. . .

Saeko switched off the lights in her room and laid down on her futon.

"Komuro Takashi... Komuro-kun... Takashi-ku—"

She gasped and covered her mouth... then giggled.

Komuro-kun... We've been friends for hardly a day... and already, I can't get you out of my mind... My first real friend since that day four years ago...

Ever since Saeko stepped out of the bus, she's had a small smile stuck on her face. She thought about their first meeting, their match, their talks after. She kept thinking about it over and over again until she was now lying on her futon.

And then she realized something new about him: though his eyes were sharp, they had always been warm when he gazed at her— even when she saw her twisted visage reflected in them. This was why she didn't find his sharp eyes so unnerving anymore. Because to him, she was...

Strong... fast... fierce... deadly... and beautiful, even in combat— an angel of death.

Saeko felt her face heat up, giggling demurely as his words echoed in her ears. An 'angel of death', hmm?... I think I like the sound of that, Komuro-kun...

She then thought about his teacher. He said I was just like her... I wonder. Did Komuro-kun have a crush on her? Does he... see me... like that?

Saeko shook her head. In any case, I said I'd wait for a week. As a woman of the Busujima family, I will keep my word and wait for him to reveal who his teacher is... and it's definitely not about... whether he... likes me...

She turned on her side, whipping the blankets over her with a snap. I can't wait to spar with you again, Komuro-kun. For giving me this much trouble, I'm going all out against you tomorrow!

It was a shame that Saeko wasn't staring into a mirror. Because had she been doing so, she would've seen that, for once, her face wasn't twisted into that sadistic look she loathed so much.

Author's Notes:

(1) Kendo practitioners normally shout out their attacks during a match: 'men' for head strikes, 'do' for body strikes, 'kote' for wrist strikes, and 'tsuki' for throat thrusts. Although, from the competitions I've seen in youtube (World Kendo Championship Finals), they don't always do this. I suppose it's more of an individual preference than a requirement.

Some additional terms, just in case anyone was wondering what they were:

Seiza – Proper sitting. Kneeling with the legs folded underneath the thighs, buttocks resting on the heels of the feet.

Itto-ryu – One-sword School

Shinmei-ryu – God's Cry School