The air outside was thick with smoke and ash. The sound of distant sirens wailed like a city screaming in its sleep. Kenji stood at the edge of a collapsed overpass, overlooking the carnage. Burning buildings stretched for miles, their skeletal remains glowing orange in the twilight.
Akari Senzaki tightened the straps on her firefighter gear, ash streaking her cheek. "We need shelter. Fast."
Ding!]
Sin System Activated.
New MILF : No.2, Akari Senzaki (Age 33)
Occupation: Firefighter
They met her when entering a building filled with zombies, she helped them escape and of course....Kenji wouldn't let her go, instead he took her with them.
Tetsuo grunted behind her, adjusting the duffel. "That explosion wasn't far off. If any survivors are left, they'll be swarming toward it—or running like hell."
Kenji nodded. His knuckles still throbbed from swinging that crowbar.
"Northwest," Rei said. "There's a community center a few blocks up. Big, open structure. Reinforced doors."
"And maybe showers," Akane muttered, wiping grime from her cleavage. "I'm dying here."
Sayaka's death still echoed in their silence. No one spoke of her, but she haunted them all the same.
"Let's move," Kenji said.
---
[System Notification]
Environmental Hazard: Ashstorm Incoming
Temporary Buff Activated – Group Agility +10%
Lust Meter: 56%
Group Status: Fatigued / On Alert
Bond Perk Activated: [Cozy Danger] – Physical closeness increases recovery.
By the time they reached the center, the ashstorm had begun. Wind howled through the streets, flinging soot like razors. The sky turned a deep gray, day fading to apocalyptic dusk.
Inside, the building was abandoned but intact. Lockers lined the walls, basketball hoops sagged from the ceiling, and every window had been boarded hastily.
Akari slammed the doors shut and dropped the thick steel beam into the latch. "We're secure."
Rei swept the main hall with a flashlight. "No infected. At least not yet."
"Then this is home for tonight," Kenji said.
They collapsed near the center's lounge area—half-lit by emergency lights and the orange glow leaking through cracks. Blankets were found. Canned food. Even some dusty first aid kits.
They ate in silence.
Then, Akari peeled off her jacket. Her black tank clung to sweat-slicked curves that made even Rei glance twice. The firefighter MILF caught Kenji staring, smirked, and slowly undid her ponytail.
"Something on your mind, Kenji?" she teased.
He swallowed hard.
"I think he's got MILF fever," Akane said, elbowing him.
Tetsuo laughed. "Guy just lost someone. Let him process."
But Akari didn't back down. She walked right up to Kenji, leaned in, and whispered near his ear, "If you ever need help blowing off steam… I've got strong hands."
Rei gave her a sharp look. "He doesn't need temptation right now."
Kenji tried to play it cool, but the system made things worse.
[System Notification]
Akari Senzaki Affection +10
Bond Trait Unlocked: [Smoldering Ember] – Tension builds faster during moments of rest.
Warning: Lust Meter Approaching Critical Threshold (66%)
Sexual Distraction Penalty Incoming if Lust exceeds 75% with no release.
Later that night, Kenji sat alone on the gym bleachers, staring at the broken world outside a shattered window.
Footsteps approached.
Rei.
"You okay?" she asked softly, settling beside him.
"No," he admitted. "But I'm trying."
"You did the right thing back there. With Sayaka."
He didn't respond.
Rei placed her hand over his.
"I'll protect you too, you know. You don't always have to carry it alone."
Their eyes locked. The moment thickened.
But then—
A scream echoed from outside. Faint, but real.
Everyone jerked up.
"Another survivor?" Akari said, grabbing her axe.
Kenji stood. "Let's find out."
But as he stepped forward, Rei grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't lose yourself out here."
"I won't," he said, voice steady.
"I'm serious, Kenji. This world… it's going to keep taking. You have to choose who you are before it does."
He nodded once.
And then, they opened the door—and stepped back into hell.
[System Update]
Shelter Secured: Community Center – Temporary Base Established
Survivor Proximity Alert: Unknown Individual within 300 meters
Lust Meter: 66% | Party Members: 5 | Casualties: 1
Objective Updated: Investigate the scream. Survive the night.
And in the distance, shadows stirred.