She smmed the door hard, causing the whole frame to shake slightly.

  "Grrr...." Saya growled, stalking down the hallway away from the study. Like so many times before, the meeting with her mother ended with the pair of them shouting at each other, neither coming to an agreement on whatever issue they were talking about.

  "I have so many other things I need to be concentrating on right now. For one, the rescue operation. Then I need to review some books on what supplies we need to acquire to start our new settlement outside of the city. Not to mention I need to start looking for some viable destinations for us to travel to... Argh!"

  The problem this time was not that they were disagreeing on what needed to be done, but on what the priority was.

  "You must get closer to him, Saya. You already seem to have his trust; now you need to become indispensable to him. Once you are, he won't be able to refuse to take your hand in marriage. Tie yourself to him for the good of the family." Her mother had told her, once again, not asking what her opinion on the matter was.

  He is a nice enough man, unlike the other assholes they had tried to set her up with over the st two years, but it took away what she wanted most. Her own choice.

  She was already pnning on becoming indispensable to him, this man who could use magic to heal wounds, who was chosen by a god to kill the zombie threat. She wanted to become his right hand, helping him build this new safe bastion for humanity, ensuring her family was in a position of power in his regime.

  Becoming his wife was a step beyond what she had intended, and she was not sure she was comfortable with that.

  Not to mention there was Shizuka, the airheaded genius with whom he was already close to. If she was going to do this, she needed to be first. She didn't want to py second wife.

  Other than her books, she never got anything she actually wanted. Was it too much to ask for this one thing?

  Maybe I should consider my other options first?

  Her brooding had led her outside the back of her house, the clear night sky full of stars for the first time in her memory.

  Light pollution must be way down. I would almost think I was deep in the countryside. I wonder if that means the power grid is starting to fail already?

  That bully Tsunoda was lying down with Miku, the 'Popur Girl' at school, on a bnket spread out on the ground. The pair were holding hands, chatting softly, while watching the night sky. A small bouquet was sitting beside her; Saya recognised the flowers from her gardens. They both looked quite happy.

  I see those two seemed to be getting along... who knew Tsunoda even had a romantic bone in his body. Normally, I would be pissed at them picking those, but it is not like we will be living here much longer.

  Not interrupting their evening, she kept moving, hoping the night air would help settle her mind. It was only about fifty steps or so ter when she paused again, seeing another couple, this time that nervous boy they rescued from the school, and one of her cssmates... Keki? She was really quiet, so she was easily forgettable.

  No. Just because she is quiet, doesn't mean she should be forgettable. I need to work on my people skills more!

  The two of them were kissing under the sakura tree (cheery tree) by the koi pond, exploring each other's bodies.

  How... lewd. I would say get a room, but we are short on those right now... but outside by the koi pond? Really?

  She shook her head and continued her march, banishing the unwanted thoughts of someone's big hands moving over her body in the same manner.

  Argh! Mother! I hate you for putting those thoughts into my mind!

  She made her way around the entire perimeter of the estate, and everywhere she went, she found another couple watching the stars or making out. All of them were thankful to be alive and in the retive safety of the compound.

  She made her way into the garage, wanting to get away from the sights of all the intimacy going on in the yard. When she stepped through the door, something she never thought she would see was happening right in front of her. Kohta, Taniuchi, and Kawamoto were on an air mattress on the back of John's truck, kissing and cuddling in a very intimate manner.

  Kohta? Really? I thought... wasn't he in love with... me?

  Her mind racing, she escaped from the garage, unseen by the three people on the bed of the truck.

  Rei was wandering around the inside of the manor, lost on what to do. She knew she was supposed to be doing something, but she didn't know what. She had the urge to go and lie down, but she wasn't tired enough yet to sleep. So instead, she was roaming around this manor she hadn't been in since she was a child.

  Something is... off.

  She and Takagi had come here to py with Saya when they were younger, back when she was friends with the girl. It wasn't long after that Saya's genius brain kicked it into overdrive, and her arrogant attitude grew tenfold. They had stopped hanging out around that time.

  Despite being held back a year because of Shidou's vendetta against her father's investigations into his family, Rei was no slouch in the education department. Trying to keep up with Saya was a fool's errand for most normal people though, so she didn't even try. She knew her limits.

  The rich really do get a leg up, don't they? Though it seems like they might be a bit too serious. I don't see too much in the way of entertainment in this house other than books.

  She eventually found a small sitting room overlooking the koi pond outside, with a couple of comfortable-looking chairs and a bookshelf. She grabbed a book at random off the shelf and sat down, opening it up on her p. She had no real intention of reading whatever it was; she just wanted the excuse of the book to prevent any conversations right now.

  She stared out the window for a little while, watching the moonlight filter through the blossoms on the sakura tree. Some of its blossoms had started to fall off, scattering across the pond below it. It was a nearly perfect romantic night.

  I just wish...

  She paused her thought, confused at who she wished was with her just then.

  I was going to say Takashi, but I was dating Hisashi... but do I really want either of them here with me? Neither ever really listened to me; they just wanted to do their own thing, and I just... tagged along.

  "Other than my family, the only one who has ever really listened to me was..." She mumbled to herself, then stopped, not really wanting to complete that thought.

  It was weird, taboo even. She didn't want to consider it.

  But you already have, haven't you? You even took the first steps, didn't you?

  She shuddered a moment, the thoughts surfacing unbidden.

  With a little assistance from some liquid courage, she did indeed take the first steps two nights ago, muddled as some of the memories were.

  He is confident and decisive. He saved you from the school. He saved you from that rapist. He listened to your ideas and acted on them. He said he liked you when you confessed on the balcony. He listened to you when your feelings were overwhelming you. He got hard for you and didn't push for more since you were drunk. Then he put you to bed like a princess when you colpsed. What more do you need, Rei?

  Those thoughts pushed back into the front of her mind, forcing her to confront the truth in front of her. A naughty truth that her rebellious side was urging her to embrace.

  "How are you this evening, Miss Miyamoto?" A voice said behind her, causing her to jump a bit.

  She swung her head around, meeting Lady Takagi's gaze. She was hovering over her shoulder, a soft smile on her face. "Lady Takagi, good evening. Can I help you with something?"

  "No, nothing really. This is just the reading nook I come to some nights when my mind refuses to settle." She replied, then looked down at what she was reading. "Oh, are you interested in that sort of thing? I can give you some pointers if you like?"

  "Umm, in passing. Really, I was just... reading... thi- Oh god! What is this?!? This looks like something out of a Hentai!" She excimed, gncing down at the book she had open on her p. It was a well-appointed book, with full colour illustrations and step-by-step guides on how to tie a woman up in rope bondage.

  Lady Takagi ughed a little bit into her hand, her smile growing wider. "Shibari has been part of our culture for hundreds of years. Would you be interested in learning a little about it? It is a refreshing feeling to be a sub for your husband, letting them take full control of your body."

  "Take... control?" Rei replied, her breath coming more rapidly.

  "Yes, it is all about trust and love for your partner, loving him enough to allow him to inflict pain on your body, and trusting him enough that he will take care of you. As long as you don't fight it, the sensations you get when getting both pain and pleasure increase the intensity of your orgasms severalfold." She said.

  "Ah... I dunno..."

  "Why don't you take the book then, give it a read. It expins the whole premise of BDSM culture, from the lightest form of restraints to how to be safely suspended in the air. If you have any questions, you can just ask." The older woman said, still smiling, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the side.

  Rei felt like she was going to hyperventite. This conversation was not what she was expecting when she sat down tonight.

  "Hah!"*Swish*"Hah!"*Swish*

  "Yah!"

  *Ssh*

  Saeko was in the manor's dojo, practising her strikes against invisible enemies. First a single target, then two, then five. She kept adding imaginary enemies in her mind, dancing across the floor in new yet familiar patterns, like she was protecting an invisible person as she advanced around the room.

  She increased the number of enemies in her mind, varied their movements, and added variables to make it feel more real. She moved faster, pushing herself to her absolute limit, protecting that one person in the centre of her dance.

  I need to protect him!

  She continued as long as she could, her breath coming ragged, the invisible enemies closing in on them.

  They got closer, their howls screaming through her mind, painting a vivid picture of the pair of them about to be overrun.

  She ughed, a wide smile forming on her face despite her boured breath. Despite her best efforts, they were losing the battle in her mind, the floor becoming slick with the ichor of the chopped apart zombies.

  She slipped, nding on her back. She struck out at the zombies, fighting from the prone position as best she could, making her st stand. The image of the one she was guarding was now standing overtop of her, his sword full of wrath, tearing holes into the approaching horde. He quickly became overwhelmed, but he did not move, protecting her with his life.

  He finally fell, nding on top of her, their bloodied faces pushed together, their breathing boured. He took her lips then, sharing their final breath before the horde fell upon them.

  "Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah." She y on the floor, her exertions taking everything she had to give and then some.

  The battle she just fought was simir to the one she and John fought to rescue that little girl and those other survivors on the first night, though she added more and more of the monsters to make it harder, to push them back. Forcing them to fail, so he would have kissed her, instead of holding back like he did when he stumbled into her.

  I felt it in the school, but that night confirmed it, even more than his story he told Saya in the car. He is like me, always acting, always holding back. He is a man capable of both great compassion and great violence. Even with his injuries, he does not back down, pushing his body to the point of failure and beyond to protect others. Is it any wonder why a God chose this man to come aid them in their darkest hour?

  She jumped to her feet, resetting her stance, starting her sequence again.

  If god felt they deserved to be saved, it was for a reason. She would train harder, push herself further, and become John's sword in this world of undead. She would be his sword during the day, his sheath during the night. A samurai princess protecting her lord and lover.

  She thought it would make a great romance novel one day. Maybe she would write it.

  "Hah!"