Dragon Across the Multiverse (Si-WC)

Chapter 14: On the Road Again

Following Day

Waking up to a new day, I stretched my body out of habit before glancing at the still-sleeping form of Ciel, who was using my chest as a pillow. A soft smile tugged at my lips as memories of the previous evening played in my mind.

“Time to wake up, sleepyhead,” I whispered gently into her ear, causing her to stir. She opened her eyes immediately, going from resting to fully awake in an instant.

“G-Good morning, Master,” Ciel mumbled with a small blush on her cheeks before leaning up and greeting me with a soft kiss.

“Morning, Ciel,” I replied, returning the kiss with another quick peck before pulling away. “It’s rare to see you sleep like this. I like it.” I smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Blushing even more, Ciel buried her face against my chest, hiding from my gaze. “…Stop teasing me, Master,” she whined softly, her voice muffled.

“Hmhm, but you’re so cute when you’re like this~” I grinned, continuing to tease her before sighing suddenly as I felt the sensations being relayed by my parallel self.

“What is it?” Ciel asked, immediately catching on to the shift in my expression.

“Seems I can’t enjoy cuddling with my Ciel for much longer—the others are waking up,” I replied, reluctantly pulling my arms from around her.

“Hah, I see.” Ciel sighed softly, her tone holding both disappointment and a tinge of irritation. She let go of me and, with a flash of light, her clothes reappeared on her body.

Doing the same, I sat up and gave her one last kiss on the cheek before we teleported back to the main house, cancelling the parallel existence and arriving in an empty room.

“Well, I guess I can make us something to eat. It’ll be amusing seeing everyone’s reaction to my cooking at least.”

“Very well. While Master handles that, I’ll begin mapping out a route to Takagi-san’s home.”

=====

An Hour Later

“Whoa~ This is so delicious, Akari-kun~ Aah~” Shizuka moaned almost indecently, stars dancing in her eyes as she dug into her breakfast. “Hihihi, I must’ve hit the jackpot with you~” she added, shooting me a playful and undeniably seductive glance.

“No kidding,” Saya chimed in, unabashedly grinning as she polished off another bite. “Not even five-star restaurants I’ve been to come close to this. You’re cooking for me from now on, Akari~”

“A warrior and a chef?” Saeko added with a small, approving nod. “Your skills continue to amaze me, Akari-kun~” She looked far more at ease today, the heavy weight she’d carried yesterday seemingly gone now that she’d accepted herself a bit more after our talk yesterday.

“Delicious~ So delicious~” Rei echoed, eyes glued to her plate, already working through her second helping like a woman possessed.

“This food is to die for~” Kyoko added, her tone dreamy and completely relaxed.

“Fufufu, it seems I made the right choice~” Yuuki muttered with a smirk, sending me a sultry look as she slowly licked her lips.

“I’m glad you all like it.” I smiled, sitting beside Ciel. “Please, eat as much as you want. We’ll be continuing our journey by evening.”

Ciel said nothing, but the soft, approving glances she kept sending me as she ate were more than enough.

“Hmm? Why so soon?” Saya asked curiously as she dabbed her lips with a napkin—graceful in a way that only a girl raised among wealth could be.

I turned to her with a reassuring smile. “We’ll be heading to your family home first. From how you described your parents, I’m guessing they’ve already taken somewhat control of the situation at least.”

“I-I see.” Saya looked down, clearly trying to suppress her excitement. But the faint blush and the way she fidgeted gave her away.

Shaking my head in amusement, I shifted my gaze toward Rei, who was watching me expectantly. When our eyes met, I gave her a small smile.

“After that, we’ll begin the search for your parents, Rei.”

Rei’s expression softened with gratitude, and she gave me a small, heartfelt nod.

“So, we have a direction.” Saeko said firmly, her calm smile returning. “Good.”

Curiously, none of the girls had said a word about what had transpired last night. Not openly, at least. But to my trained eyes—and undoubtedly Ciel’s—it couldn’t have been more obvious.

The way they were practically glowing, smiles seemingly etched onto their faces. The way they kept sneaking glances at me when they thought I wasn’t looking. Saya, in particular, was the worst offender. Every few seconds she’d steal a peek, then quickly divert her gaze the moment our eyes met.

Even now, as we sat around the table, she was playing footsie with me beneath it. And when our eyes did meet, she’d quickly look down at her plate, pretending to be focused on her food while her cheeks flushed pink.

Rei’s hug had lasted longer than what was normal this morning, and she’d even greeted me with a kiss on the cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world. Shizuka, meanwhile, had been staring at me throughout most of the meal—barely blinking and occasionally giggling to herself like a schoolgirl.

Kyoko looked noticeably more relaxed, her nervous tension from the previous day replaced by a lightness I hadn’t seen before.

And then there was Saeko, who had claimed the seat beside me without hesitation, sitting as close as possible with a serene smile on her face. She looked completely at ease, her posture soft, her presence calm—almost like my very proximity soothed her.

Ciel, of course, had her own way of staking her claim. Underneath the table, she held my hand, our fingers gently intertwined. Occasionally, she would squeeze my hand tighter when she noticed one of the girls staring at me for too long. Each possessive glance she shot them only made it more obvious who she considered top priority.

As for the others—Yuuki, Niki, and Misuzu—their reactions were more subtle, their affection quieter. Not that I paid much attention to that trio. I was still undecided about whether I wanted to bring them back to my world at all.

I hadn’t interacted much with Momo and Fumiko, so out of everyone they were confused seeing the strange way the others were acting but ultimately they dismissed it.

“When you’re all finished,” I said casually, breaking the comfortable silence, “I want to go over the weapons I found yesterday. I’ll let each of you pick one you’re comfortable with, and I’ll teach you how to use them if you don’t already know how.”

There were nods all around the table, some more enthusiastic than others.

“Thank goodness,” Saya said with a relieved exhale. “I was starting to feel a bit useless.”

A few of the others shared her sentiment with soft murmurs and matching nods.

=====

That Evening

After spending most of the morning and afternoon teaching the girls how to properly handle firearms—since most of them had never even touched a gun before—the remaining hours had been dedicated to loading everything we could into the Humvee.

It was going to be a tight squeeze, but thankfully, the vehicle was just big enough to accommodate all of us. All we were missing now was one pink-haired girl and her loyal puppy.

To expedite things—and because I had no interest in lingering in this world any longer than necessary—I’d decided to nudge the plot forward. Subtle persuasion, one might say. Without that, we would’ve been stuck here for a few more days, and frankly, I had better things to do.

Right on cue, just as we were finishing up with the food—saving it for last so it would stay fresh—we heard it.

A sharp bark.

Then another.

The yapping of a small dog echoed from a few streets down, sharp and frantic. Immediately, I felt it—the shift in the air as every nearby undead zeroed in on the sound like moths to a flame.

Heads snapped in the direction of the noise.

Growls rose.

Footsteps shuffled.

And just like that, the next phase had begun.

Before I could say anything, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind—along with two very familiar soft sensations pressing into my back. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Sure enough, Shizuka looked up at me with a seductive pout, her voice playful as she whispered in my ear, “Aww, and I was looking forward to a quickie before we left~”

A shiver ran down my spine at the sultry tone she used, but I still gently pulled myself from her grip and gave her a light chop on the head.

“Head out of the gutter, Sensei,” I said, shaking my head with a half-smile. “We’ll have plenty of time for that sort of thing once we get to Takagi’s place.”

“Ouchie~” Shizuka whined, rubbing her head with an exaggerated pout. “Fiiine. But don’t think you’re getting off easy, mister. You owe me.”

Before I could say anything else, she yanked me down into a full-blown kiss—tongue and all—then pulled back with a pleased grin and turned away, walking off with a dramatic sway of her hips.

“Who knew she was so devious behind that ditzy smile,” I muttered to myself in amusement, lips still tingling.

The moment of levity ended as a gunshot rang out in the distance.

I stiffened, eyes narrowing.

“Damn. I was planning to save Alice’s dad too… but I guess some things are just meant to be.” I sighed and shook my head, then vaulted up the wall and took off toward the source of the shot.

Walking along the top of the wall, my eyes immediately locked onto the sight below: a small girl crying uncontrollably as she clung to her father’s bleeding form in front of an unknown house. Undead were slowly closing in on them, groaning as they staggered closer. A small puppy—Zeke, if I remembered right—was barking ferociously in a desperate attempt to protect her, but it was futile.

Pulling out Kotetsu, I readied myself. The moment I reached the right house, I jumped down without hesitation and cleanly beheaded every zombie in the area, my blade slicing through them like paper.

Zeke abruptly stopped barking, his eyes wide as he stared at me. Then, almost as if understanding, he let out a soft whine and stood still, his tail twitching cautiously.

Sliding Kotetsu back into its sheath, I slowly approached the girl, who was still too deep in shock to notice me. Her small hands gripped her father’s clothes tightly, tears silently trailing down her cheeks and expression blank—disbelief still etched into every part of her.

Her father, however, saw me. Our eyes met, and despite the pain and the blood pouring from his wounds, he gave me a faint, grateful smile.

That look alone told me everything I needed to know. He understood. He trusted me—even in his final moments.

I stopped just in front of them and gently placed a hand on Alice’s head. She flinched at the contact, startled, and looked up at me in panic—until her expression softened when she saw I wasn’t one of them.

“You can rest easy now,” I said softly to the dying man, keeping my voice calm and steady. “You’ve fulfilled your duty as a father—protecting her until now. Be proud of that. On my name, Akari Tempest, I swear she’ll live a full life… until she’s old and gray.”

His smile widened, just a little, and then slowly… his eyes closed.

I didn’t let Alice look back.

Wrapping an arm gently around her, I pulled her close against me. Her tiny hands gripped my shirt, trembling.

Then, at last, her tears came—loud, broken sobs as she buried her face into my side.

“Waaah~”

Taking advantage of the fact that Alice was still crying, I quietly held out my free hand toward her father’s body. With a thought, I absorbed it into my Imaginary Space. I had plans to revive him once we returned to my personal world—after all, a surprise like that would surely bring joy back to the little girl’s heart.

Then, without saying a word, I leaned down and gently picked Alice up with one arm. She clung to me instinctively, still shaking. Turning, I scooped up the soon-to-be-named Zeke in my other hand. With both of them secured, I jumped back up onto the wall and began making my way back toward the others, completely ignoring the approaching pack of zombies now shuffling into the space we had just vacated.

As for the ones who had shot Alice’s father? I didn’t spare them a thought. Let them meet the fate they had earned.

By the time I returned to Rika’s house, the girls were already outside waiting. Their eyes went to the small child and her dog in my arms—some filled with curiosity, others with soft, sympathetic smiles.

“Sensei, could you get her something to eat for me? I’m sure the poor girl is famished.” I asked Shizuka calmly.

“Of course,” she replied with a gentle nod, stepping forward as I carefully passed Alice into her arms.

The moment she noticed the shift, Alice blinked herself out of her daze and looked up at me, eyes wide and searching.

“It’s alright,” I said softly, giving her a reassuring smile. “Go with the pretty lady, okay? You’ll be safe here.”

She hesitated, but eventually nodded. “O-Okay… Onii-chan,” she murmured quietly.

“And here,” I said, gently placing Zeke into her arms, “why don’t you hold onto this little guy? Thanks to him, I was able to find you in time. He helped save you.”

Zeke let out a cheerful yip and nuzzled into her, prompting a small giggle from Alice as she hugged him tightly. The way her expression slowly brightened warmed my heart.

There’s a reason I’ve always preferred dogs to cats—and once again, this little guy proved me right.

“Are you sure it was wise to bring a child with us? We can barely take care of ourselves, let alone a small child,” Saya asked, her voice level. There was no judgment in her tone, just cold, hard facts.

“So what, you wanted Akari-kun to just leave her there to die!?” Rei shot back, anger flaring in her voice as she threw a glare in Saya’s direction.

Saeko, ever composed, said nothing. She simply stepped up to my side and stood beside me in silent solidarity—her actions speaking louder than any words.

The rest of the group didn’t add anything, though from the way they returned to packing and loading up, it was clear they didn’t oppose the decision either.

“It’s alright, Rei.” I reassured the brunette with a smile, gently rubbing her head. Her expression softened, a blush rising on her cheeks, but she didn’t pull away—instead leaning into my touch slightly, visibly calming down.

“Saya wasn’t against bringing Alice,” I added, throwing a knowing glance in the pink-haired genius’s direction. “She was just being realistic about the difficulties ahead. I’m sure she was worried too, even if she didn’t say it outright.”

Saya flinched and looked away quickly, arms crossing defensively as her cheeks turned red. “H-Hmph! Whatever. I said what I wanted to say.” With that, she turned and marched back inside.

“Hmhm, see? Saya’s just your typical tsundere—saying one thing and meaning the complete opposite.” I chuckled, watching her retreat with amusement.

“Hihihi~ Takagi-san is really cute sometimes, isn’t she?” Saeko giggled beside me, lifting her hand to cover her mouth in a ladylike fashion.

“She sure is,” I agreed, my smile widening.

Rei, now visibly more relaxed, let out a sigh and came to stand on my other side. “Now that you mention it… she does act like a total tsundere,” she said with a small amused smile.

=====

Half an Hour Later

After Alice had eaten and freshened up, we all loaded into the Humvee. With a final glance toward Rika’s house, we cleared the driveway and rolled out—next stop: Saya’s home.

Shizuka was behind the wheel once more, with Kyoko and Alice sitting beside her in the passenger seat. I took up a spot in the back, standing in the center with a gun in hand—mowing down anything that wandered into our path. Ciel, Rei, Saya, and Saeko flanked me in the rear section, all ready for action.

Yuuki, Misuzu, Niki, Momo, and Fumiko had to squeeze in the back compartment with our gear. It was a tight fit, but thankfully, still manageable.

“By the way, Saya!” I called out over the roaring wind as we cruised down the road. With steady aim, I squeezed the trigger and landed three clean headshots on the zombies shambling in our path.

“What?!” Saya shouted back, brushing her hair from her face as she looked up at me.

“I just want you to keep in mind—I have zero intention of joining whatever group your family’s put together!” I yelled over my shoulder. “Once we confirm they’re safe and restock, we’re moving on. We still need to find Rei’s parents and Sensei’s friend, Rika.”

From the corner of my eye, I caught the way Saya’s expression shifted into one of contemplation. She chewed nervously on her thumbnail, clearly deep in thought.

Assuming there were no major setbacks, we’d be leaving this world in a day or two. The parallel versions of myself and Ciel had already located Rei’s mom, Rika, and that quirky policewoman—leading them toward a predetermined rendezvous point we’d head to after wrapping up our visit to the Takagi estate.

But before that… I was honestly looking forward to meeting Saya’s milf of a mom, Yuriko Takagi. I had to admit—I was curious to see if I could convince her to come along with us too.