Dragon Across the Multiverse (Si-WC)

Chapter 10: Short Rest

Smiling at seeing my favorite girl in this setting, I stepped forward and introduced myself, eyes scanning for any more undead.

“Akari Tempest, Class 2. Please, call me Akari,” I said with a casual two-finger salute. “Thanks for the save, Senpai~”

Following my lead, Saya and Rei introduced themselves as well, prompting a nod of acknowledgment from Saeko—though her gaze lingered on me and the katana in my hand.

“Hey! What about me!?” Shizuka suddenly pouted, crossing her arms beneath her chest, unintentionally giving us all a show. “Don’t leave me out! I’m Marikawa Shizuka. Nice to meet you, Busujima-san~”

“Right…” Saeko muttered with a blank tone, then turned back to me, expression serious. “I won’t ask how you got that sword into school. I only have one question.”

I raised an eyebrow, already suspecting what she wanted to ask. “Go ahead.”

“Can you actually wield that blade properly?” she asked, blue eyes focused like a predator’s, scanning for any sign of bluffing.

My smirk returned.

Without a word, I vanished from her view for a split second—then reappeared in front of the classroom door a few feet away, my blade already sheathed again. Behind me, the decapitated corpse of an undead slumped to the floor, its head rolling a few feet away.

“Does that answer your question?” I asked smugly as I clicked the katana back into place.

Saeko blinked once. Then again. She glanced at the body before offering me a respectful nod.

“It does. That was beautiful swordsmanship, Akari-san.”

“Whoa~ That was so cool! Are you a samurai, Akari-kun~?” Shizuka gasped, hands clasped under her breasts as stars danced in her eyes.

“Nope. But I’ve trained in the art of the sword under several masters since I was a kid.” I said with a casual shrug, referencing both my shinobi training and what I’d learned from Hakurou.

Saya and Rei were still in mild shock, but I pulled my katana bag from my shoulder and unzipped it under the girls’ curious gazes. This time, I pulled out Muramasa and turned toward Saeko, offering the blade to her with a small grin.

“W-What are you—?” she started, surprised by the gesture.

“I can tell you’re strong,” I said simply, interrupting her with a knowing look. “If we want to make it out of here, we need more than one sword arm. And that,” I nodded to her wooden bokken, “won’t hold up much longer.”

She glanced down at the splintered bokken, then sighed. With a composed nod, she gently took the katana from me, reverently admiring the black-and-red hilt and crimson blade as she unsheathed it.

“This is… the finest craftsmanship I’ve ever seen,” she murmured with awe, giving it a few test swings that sliced the air with sharp whistles.

“Does it have a name?” she asked, still fixated on the weapon.

“It does. That’s Muramasa. And no—it’s not the one you’re probably thinking of. Just shares the name,” I replied, leaving out the whole ‘other world’ thing for now.

Saeko bowed her head formally. “Very well. I, Busujima Saeko, vow to wield this blade with honor.”

“You two done geeking out about swords yet!?” Saya hissed from the side, breaking the moment. “In case you’ve forgotten, we still need to get somewhere safe!”

Rei nodded in agreement, and Shizuka blinked out of her trance, realizing she’d been watching us like we were in a drama.

“Haha, thanks, Saya. Got a little distracted,” I said, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. Beside me, Saeko coughed into her hand, visibly embarrassed as she snapped back into combat mode.

“W-Who gave you permission to call me by my first name, b-baka!?” Saya sputtered suddenly, face going beet red.

And just like that, we were back to the usual.

With a new goal in mind—the staff room—I took point with Saeko covering the rear. Within several minutes, after cutting down every undead in our path, we finally arrived outside the right room.

At first, I could tell Saeko wanted to reprimand me for wasting time by not avoiding fights. But once she noticed how effortlessly I dispatched each zombie, she kept silent. I also caught her stealing glances at Muramasa, awe written plainly across her face as the blade cleaved through flesh and bone like paper.

Of course, I expected nothing less. Both Kotetsu and Muramasa were enhanced with magic—near-unbreakable and absurdly sharp.

“Whew, we made it,” Saya huffed in relief, slightly slumping forward with her hands on her knees.

Unintentionally—or perhaps very intentionally—her skirt rode up just enough to give me a perfect view of her blue and white striped panties. And from my angle behind her, the sight was divine.

Before I could look away (if I even planned to), something soft and massive pressed into my back.

“Why did I choose today of all days to wear heels~?” Shizuka whined, slumping against me and wrapping her arms around my waist.

The weight of her breasts pressed heavily into my back, and I felt her chin rest lightly on my shoulder.

“Akari-kun, you’re strong, right? Carry me~” she drawled, pouting as she leaned in closer.

“Sorry, Sensei,” I replied with a sheepish smile, thoroughly enjoying the contact, “but I can’t carry you and fight properly at the same time.”

“B-Behave yourself, Sensei!” Saya snapped, cheeks tinted with a jealous blush as she rushed to pry Shizuka off me.

Unexpectedly, Rei joined her, and together the two managed to detach the ditzy nurse—though not without considerable effort and a few suspicious glares my way.

While the rest of us sorted that mess out, Saeko, ever the pragmatic one, stepped forward and tried the door. It was locked. She frowned.

“It seems there’s already someone inside,” she informed us. Without hesitation, she knocked politely.

A moment passed.

“W-Who is it?” came a cautious girl’s voice from inside.

“This is Busujima Saeko, captain of the Kendo Club, Class 3,” Saeko said formally. “Would you kindly open the door?”

Muted whispers followed. Then the sounds of furniture being dragged across the floor echoed through the door. A moment later, it creaked open to reveal a familiar face.

Kyoko Hayashi.

Her eyes scanned us nervously before landing on Shizuka, and she visibly relaxed.

“P-Please, come in,” she said, opening the door wider. “None of you have been bitten, right?”

We all shook our heads or gave verbal reassurances, and she stepped aside.

Inside, five other girls huddled in one corner of the room, visibly shaken. But my attention was immediately drawn to a familiar hue of silver and blue.

My eyes locked with hers.

Ciel.

She stood a bit away from the girls, serene and graceful as always, her expression calm. But in her eyes, I saw the gleam of amusement and welcome, like she’d been waiting for me all along.

“Hey, Ciel~” I greeted softly, lifting a hand in casual salute, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Crazy first day, huh?”

“Indeed it has, Master,” she replied with her usual calm. Her lips twitched ever so slightly in what, for Ciel, passed as a smile.

Our exchange didn’t go unnoticed.

The others—both those who had come with me and the ones already inside—looked between us in surprise, their eyes flicking back and forth between our faces. The matching silver-blue hair didn’t go unobserved.

And from the corner of my vision, I spotted Saya frowning in confusion.

This was going to be fun.

“How do you know each other, Akari-kun?” Rei asked curiously, making me blink at the affectionate -kun she’d tacked onto my name.

“Indeed,” Saya added with her usual sharp tone, hands on her hips as she looked between us. “Are you two related, perhaps?”

“They do share the same hair color~” Shizuka chimed in with a bright, ditzy smile.

I turned to Ciel and offered her a warm smile before walking over and pulling her into a side-hug. She let out a small squeak, clearly embarrassed, a soft blush coloring her cheeks under everyone’s gaze.

“Let me introduce you to my cute Ciel~ And no, we’re not related. She’s actually my servant-slash-partner and has been with me for as long as I can remember,” I explained casually, pleased at how the girls’ interest peaked.

“H-Hello,” Ciel greeted with a small bow, her voice calm but shy. “Thank you for looking out for Master. He can be a bit of a handful at times, but he means well.”

“W-Wow~ A servant?” Shizuka gasped, stars in her eyes. “Akari-kun, are you one of those Young Masters? Like Takagi-san?”

“Uhh—” I faltered, caught off guard.

“Yes, he is,” Ciel answered smoothly, nodding with pride. “Master Akari has many who look to him for guidance. He’s someone very important.”

She puffed up slightly, her voice full of warmth—and just a little smugness—as she shot me a sidelong glance.

‘I mean, technically not wrong…’ I thought, resisting the urge to cough into my hand.

“Huh. Never would’ve pegged you for a rich kid,” Rei muttered as she looked me over more closely. “You don’t act like it. Though…” Her voice slowed as her eyes traveled down my form, noticing the high-quality silk of my uniform, the polished shoes, and how my face looked sculpted by a goddamn artisan. “I guess I see it now.”

Her cheeks turned faintly pink, and she quickly turned away.

Saya, meanwhile, seemed to put something together in her head. Her sharp look softened slightly into understanding, then turned pleased. Being a fellow ojou-sama, it probably made her feel a little less out of place.

“Ahem,” I coughed lightly to steer us back on track. “We can save all the talk about my private life for later. For now, how about we properly introduce ourselves to the others?”

I turned to the unfamiliar girls who had remained quiet so far.

Now that I took a closer look, I easily recognized them: Miku Yuuki, Fumiko Taniuchi, Momo Kawamoto, Toshimi Niki, Misuzu Ichijou, and of course, Kyoko Hayashi.

‘Nice. Looks like Ciel managed to pull most of the targets together. Even poached a few that would’ve ended up with that piece of shit Shido.’

Introductions went by quickly after that, with everyone relaxing a little once names were exchanged and the group felt more unified.

“Alright,” I said, taking a natural step into leadership, “with that out of the way, I think our best move is to board up here and wait out the chaos. Once things die down a bit, we can make our escape. Anyone have objections?”

“Smart idea,” Saya said, giving me a respectful nod. “It’s way too risky right now with everyone panicking.”

“I agree,” Saeko added calmly. “Moving now would only increase the chances of someone getting hurt.”

No one else offered disagreement. With the decision made, we got to work barricading the doors and windows as best we could. Then, at Saya’s suggestion, we turned on the TV for any updates.

“Akari-kun,” Rei’s voice cut through the quiet a few minutes later as she tugged lightly on my sleeve. “Can I borrow your phone? My dad… he works with the police. I need to check on him, but my phone died earlier.”

“Sure thing,” I said easily, pulling out my Company Phone and handing it to her.

Rei blinked, staring down at the sleek screen in confusion. “Whoa. Is this… a new model?”

“More proof that you’re a Young Master~” she teased, clearly trying to lighten the mood—though her cheeks turned a little pink as she fumbled with the device.

“Umm… how do you even turn it on?”

Smiling in amusement, I took a few moments to teach Rei how to use the phone. She was a quick learner, though she seemed more amazed by the device itself than anything I was actually showing her.

My attention shifted when gasps echoed through the room.

Turning to the source of the commotion, I saw everyone gathered around the TV, their faces pale with shock. Looking over, I caught the broadcast just as the news confirmed that whatever was happening here wasn’t isolated.

The undead weren’t just in Japan.

It was worldwide.

The reporter advised everyone to stay indoors and remain calm—which of course meant full-blown panic would follow.

“An epidemic, perhaps? Or a government cover-up?” Saya muttered aloud, hand to her chin in classic thinking pose.

“Probably both,” I said bluntly.

That got everyone’s attention. Several pairs of eyes turned to me, curious, maybe even suspicious. I just shrugged casually. “This has all the signs of a government experiment gone wrong. Bioweapons, maybe. Wouldn’t surprise me if someone in power was messing with things they shouldn’t.”

“You… sound weirdly sure about that,” Saeko said, tilting her head slightly as she studied me.

“Let’s just say I have zero faith in any government to have people’s best interests in mind,” I replied simply.

“Master is correct,” Ciel added, nodding cutely and drawing even more attention with how serious she looked. “There is a high probability this originated from a pair of scientists attempting to tamper with something far beyond their comprehension.”

“While I can’t say I agree that the government is one hundred percent responsible,” Saya said after a pause, “I do agree on one thing: nowhere is safe.”

“D-Does that mean… things won’t go back to normal?” asked Momo Kawamoto quietly, voice trembling. A few of the other girls were on the verge of tears too.

“Yes,” I said without flinching. “That’s exactly what it means.”

A heavy silence settled over the room.

“That’s why we need to decide now where we go once we leave this school,” I continued, scanning the room. “As for me and Ciel? It doesn’t really matter. She’s the only one I care about in this world with my parents already being dead.”

Ciel blushed faintly at my words, eyes softening as she met my gaze.

“I’ll stick with you, Akari-kun,” Saeko said firmly. “My father is abroad… and I still feel indebted to you for entrusting me with such a priceless blade. So, wherever you go—I’ll follow.”

“I’ll go with Akari-kun too~” Shizuka chimed in with a bright smile as she suddenly hugged me from behind, her breasts squishing into my back like a couple of soft wrecking balls. “He’s strong, smart, and cute! Seems like a no-brainer to me~”

“I guess I’ll stick around,” Saya muttered, looking away with a faint blush. “You’re the only one with actual weapons, after all.”

“I want to stay as well,” Rei suddenly added as she handed me back my phone. She met my gaze, her eyes pleading. “But… can we please look for my parents too?”

Taking the phone, I smiled and gently patted her head. “Of course, Rei. We’ll do our best to find them.” My words seemed to ease her nerves—her shoulders relaxed, and she gave me a small, thankful smile.

“Anyone else have family or loved ones they want to find?” I asked, turning my attention back to the rest of the room.

Aside from Saya, who sheepishly raised her hand without saying a word, no one else answered. Most of the girls seemed content to stay with us, perhaps already accepting that there was no going back.

‘Good. The less time we waste running around the city, the better,’ I thought to myself.

“I’ll stay with you guys too~ So please keep protecting us, Tempest-kun~” came a flirtatious voice from one of the new girls—Miku Yuuki, the school’s resident slut. She batted her lashes at me, earning an immediate round of glares from some of the others, with Saya chief among them.

I only gave her a silent nod. I hadn’t decided yet whether I wanted to go after someone like Miku. That was a problem for future-me.

“Last question,” I said, raising my voice slightly to make sure everyone was paying attention. “Does anyone know a place we can retreat to—somewhere secure in case things get worse?”

My eyes drifted toward the one person still clinging to me like a sleepy, oversized koala.

“What about you, Sensei?” I asked, nudging her mentally. “You know of any place that might work?”

“Hmm~” Shizuka hummed thoughtfully, pressing her chest even more firmly into my back without a clue. “Oh! We could go to my friend Rika’s place. It’s not too far, and she has re~ally strong doors… plus a biiig car.” She said making wild hand gestures.

“Perfect,” I said with a nod, turning to address the group. “Alright, for now I suggest we rest up. We’ve got a long afternoon and night ahead of us.”

Everyone seemed to agree and began settling down. While they rested, I joined Saya and Saeko in gathering supplies, raiding vending machines and packing food and drinks into bags.

=====

Hours Later

After a few hours of rest and securing makeshift weapons for both Rei and Saya, we were ready to move. I took the lead as planned, with Ciel—wielding a sleek tanto—guarding the center of the group, and Saeko covering the rear.

Just like in the original timeline, we aimed for the school bus. It was the only vehicle large enough to carry us all, and its reinforced frame made it an ideal choice for breaking through clusters of undead if necessary.

We encountered more than a few zombies on our way, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Then, finally, we reached the school’s main exit.

And that’s when I saw him.

Koichi Shido, scumbag extraordinaire.

He was leading a small group of terrified students, clearly trying to play the hero. I saw through that act immediately.

‘Sorry, Shido,’ I thought with a dark smirk, eyes narrowing. ‘But I’m not as forgiving as that Mokuro guy—or whatever the fuck his name was. You don’t get to worm your way into this story.’