Ever since they arrived at Rika Minami's house...
Arthur and the others' lives could be described as having been upgraded to a level of enjoyment as if they were using cheats!
With an abundance of supplies and a safe, luxurious residence...
Their lives were actually more comfortable than usual.
And on the second day, Arthur received a system notification.
[You have maintained a party state with the story character "Saeko Busujima" for a long period within 24 hours. Bonding successful.]
[You have triggered a Survival Mission: Survive with your bonded story character until 30 days after the apocalypse outbreak.]
It was just as he had expected.
At the time, they were eating lunch—Chicken Curry made by Saeko.
He knew from Ellen's expression that she had also triggered the mission.
Because they had to survive for 30 days...
Arthur decided to settle down here for the time being.
Consider it a short break.
Meanwhile, during the day, he would take Saeko out to clear the wandering Zombies in the vicinity.
It wasn't for those few points.
It was purely to continue honing his combat skills.
At the same time, it ensured he maintained his sense of urgency regarding the apocalypse, preventing it from being eroded by this comfortable life.
After all, preparing too perfectly had its drawbacks.
Namely, one might indulge in the comfort zone and lose their drive to progress.
Just looking at the supplies he had accumulated now, there was enough for the four of them to eat for at least two months!
Then there were the scavenged weapons for self-defense; there was even more than one for each person.
Surviving for 30 days like this would basically be a breeze.
However, he was certain that if he just survived those 30 days in such an ordinary manner...
Setting aside the fact that there would be a major problem to solve at the end, the mission completion evaluation wouldn't be very high either.
Based on the mission evaluations he had summarized from online information, you definitely couldn't get the highest rating just by rigidly meeting the mission criteria.
At most, they would give you a C or B rating.
Given how perfectly he had prepared this time, he estimated that at best, he would only get an A-rank evaluation.
His goal was not that low!
The S-rank evaluation that only a single-digit number of Reincarnators had obtained so far?
No!
He wanted to surpass S-rank!
This dungeon...
Was the testing ground he would use to explore the limits of the mission evaluation system!
Finally, on an evening after resting for about a week...
Arthur voiced his plans during dinner.
"What?"
Shizuka Marikawa's eyes widened as she looked at him in confusion.
"Blank, you're going to the Seaport Air Base tomorrow?"
"But why?"
"Aren't we very safe here right now?"
Arthur remained noncommittal.
"Admittedly, it is still very safe here for now."
"But how long can this safety last?"
"Food is being consumed. Although there's still a lot, we need to plan ahead; we can't wait until it's almost gone to consider this problem."
"Then there are the weapons. Although I found some guns, there isn't much spare ammunition. Not to mention that gunshots are more likely to attract Corpses; they shouldn't be used unless absolutely necessary."
"...In short, my opinion is that we need to change bases."
"Find a truly secure shelter so that we can hold out!"
"But is an airport or whatever really safer?"
Shizuka Marikawa was still somewhat resistant to leaving this place.
She was simply too lazy to move and didn't want to experience another heart-pounding escape like the last time.
Arthur continued, "Shizuka, you mentioned before that your friend, Rika Minami, works at a nearby airport."
"And Tokonosu only has one large airport built on the sea. First, there's a high probability your friend will be there."
"With so many special weapons in her house, and that military Humvee... it's likely her job isn't ordinary. She might even be a soldier or special police."
"If that's the case, then in this special situation, she's likely to have a group of people with certain combat capabilities gathered around her."
"A week has passed, and the situation hasn't improved; in fact, it's constantly worsening. Rescue isn't coming anytime soon, so we can only actively seek refuge ourselves."
Arthur knew there was an even closer and more ideal refuge: the Takagi family's home.
But he didn't want to go there.
Perhaps saving the Takagi family's base, which would eventually be wiped out, was a hidden mission, but he had more important things to do.
Ellen naturally wouldn't go against the boss's plan and immediately chimed in to help.
"Indeed, and in this kind of residential area, firearms are useless. Once you fire a gun, it will attract a large number of 'them'."
"But if we encounter the military, then we won't have to worry about that problem."
"Hmm..."
Shizuka Marikawa seemed somewhat convinced.
Saeko Busujima had been sitting quietly at his side from the beginning, not interjecting.
She knew that since Arthur had decided to do this, he must have his reasons.
After spending these past few days together, she had become increasingly accustomed to her role as Arthur's capable assistant outside of combat.
"I understand, I'll go with your plan!"
Shizuka Marikawa somewhat petulantly put down her chopsticks and walked towards the bathroom.
"Since we're leaving tomorrow, I must have a good bath today! After we leave this time, I don't know when I'll be able to bathe again..."
"Ah, Shizuka-nee, wait, I want to join too..."
Ellen quickly shoveled the rice in her bowl into her mouth, then followed, mumbling something with puffed cheeks.
Saeko Busujima had already finished eating.
After Arthur finished, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and proactively got up to clear the dishes from the table.
"I'll wash them, you rest."
"Take a shower later, then get a good night's sleep."
"The road to the airport tomorrow won't be easy."
Arthur awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Why had she been so gentle with him these past few days?
Then again… he had been pushing himself too hard lately.
He'd realized there was a clear gap in stamina between himself and Saeko Busujima during combat.
And that truth didn't sit well with him.
This body of his had barely been trained at all.
Saeko Busujima, on the other hand, had endured brutally rigorous kendo training since childhood, so of course there was a difference…
How could Saeko Busujima not notice the fierce pride burning in this young man's heart?
She let out a soft sigh.
Leaning closer, her red lips brushed gently against his cheek.
"Be good."
Her voice carried the warmth of a wife doting on her husband, a tone Arthur found impossible to resist.
"…I'll go wash the dishes."
As he watched her back fade into the distance, it felt as if something inside him quietly cracked. Why care so much? When you have a woman this beautiful and proactive, someone who knows exactly what she wants, why fear something like that?
With a faint, self-mocking smile, Arthur murmured to himself, "fuck it."
"Saeko."
The moment she heard her name, Saeko turned around, only to find Arthur looking straight at her. His steps were unhurried as he approached. When his arm slid around her waist and pulled her close her heart skipped, then began to race. Her vision blurred, narrowing until there was nothing left but his handsome face.
Their lips met almost instantly.
For a brief moment she froze, caught off guard, but as the kiss deepened, her eyes slowly fluttered shut. Her arms lifted, wrapping around his neck as she melted into him, losing herself completely… tasting a faint hint of mint mixed with the chicken they had eaten. At first, the kiss was soft and gentle, with only their lips pressing against each other… but Arthur slowly slid his hands down to her rear, giving it a light squeeze that made her let out a soft sigh, and along with it, part her lips. He took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth, meeting hers, which responded awkwardly, clearly lacking experience.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Arthur finally pulled away, a thin line of saliva connecting their mouths until it broke, a quiet laugh escaping him as he saw her face flushed crimson.
"Good night, Saeko."
Saeko stood motionless in the middle of the living room, her thoughts scattered, while Arthur was already walking toward the bathroom to take a shower…
That night, he slept well. (nah, he'd win 😂)
The next day, Arthur loaded half of the supplies from the house into the Humvee.
No need to take everything.
Many supplies were originally prepared in excess, for example, only two packs of medicine were needed.
And there was no need for so many changes of clothes, and so on.
In short, travel as light as possible.
"At normal speed, it would take 3 to 4 hours to drive from here to the coastal airport."
"But the road conditions now are definitely incomparable to before..."
"In any case, it would be good to reach the coast before dark."
Shizuka Marikawa was the main driver this time.
It's worth mentioning that the clothes she wore this time were much better than her unkempt appearance at home, at least they were more presentable.
Although, with her ample assets, whatever she wore would probably leave the same impression anyway.
Shizuka Marikawa's driving skills were also quite good.
Moreover, this journey was quite long, and Arthur was completely unaware of the turns, detours, and shortcuts along the way.
Relying solely on her directions might mean he wouldn't be able to react in time sometimes.
So, it was better to let her drive, while Arthur held a weapon, ready to respond to any unexpected situations.
Fortunately, the number of 'dead bodies' along the way was quite small.
Saeko and the others found it a bit strange, but only Arthur knew why.
It was because of the Takagi family.
By now, the Takagi family should have already formed a team of apocalypse survivors.
The barbed wire defense line around the Takagi residence should also have been established.
They would regularly clear out the nearby 'dead bodies' every day, and this activity would attract more 'dead bodies' from outside.
As long as the barbed wire existed, they weren't afraid no matter how many 'dead bodies' came from outside.
Even the EMP pulse caused by the nuclear bomb in the original anime's final sea explosion couldn't destroy their family's defense line.
If it weren't for that out-of-control school bus... but those things had nothing to do with Arthur..
---
Yes, just a kiss for now. After all, they've known each other for such a short time, and even knowing Saeko's personality, I don't want their relationship to feel shallow like in other fanfics I've read. So it'll be a bit "slow" (if that even counts as slow), but not so slow that it takes literal ages like Rent-a-Girlfriend (I still want to fight that author to this day).
Anyway, just keep the tissues ready and your expectations in check for another time, that moment will come, gentlemen. 😌