NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31: Becoming the Sheath
— — — — — — —
Before becoming Lynn's sword, Saeko Busujima decided she should first become his sheath.
But before the sword can rest, it needs to be properly maintained.
Saeko's eyes were filled with focus.
Cleaning came first, then sharpening it again.
Anyone who has used this sword knows that if you want it to last, it needs frequent honing.
Saeko had some knowledge of this. And finally, she had the chance to put it into practice.
"Whew—"
Sharpening the blade was an exhausting task. Thankfully, the preparation was already done.
---
Saeko's long, silky purple hair lay messily across the bed.
She turned her head to the side, unable to meet Lynn's gaze. "Mm..."
Her mind was blank.
The newly forged sheath was still a bit tight—it would take time to break in and take the shape of the sword.
One time wasn't enough of course, so...
---
Outside the door.
Rei Miyamoto's hand, raised to knock, froze in midair.
She had come to call them down for dinner, only to stumble upon an... important ceremony of the blade being sheathed.
Her skin flushed pink in an instant after hearing the sounds. It couldn't be mistaken.
She wanted to pretend she hadn't noticed and quietly leave, but her feet refused to move, as if nailed to the floor.
As time passed, Rei's breathing grew heavier.
After a long moment, she hastily adjusted herself and rushed away.
---
Downstairs
Saya Takagi gave Rei a suspicious look as she saw her come down, her face still red. "What took you so long?"
"N-nothing."
Rei averted her eyes and quickly said, "You must be hungry. Let's just eat first."
"What about the others?"
Saya frowned slightly, feeling it wasn't right for just the two of them to eat.
"Uh... Shizuka-sensei fell asleep in the bath."
"And what about Saeko-senpai and... Lynn-senpai?"
They had learned Lynn's name from Shizuka earlier.
"They're... having a deep discussion about swords. Really into it. I doubt they'll be coming down anytime soon."
Rei awkwardly explained.
"Is... that so?"
Saya felt something was off.
— — —
The next morning
As the first rays of light filtered through the curtains of the apocalyptic world, Lynn opened his eyes to see Saeko curled up in his arms.
He had seen her in the throes of bloodlust, yet now, her peaceful sleeping face created a stark contrast.
No matter how much she enjoyed the thrill of battle, in the end, she was still a woman.
"Master..."
As if sensing his gaze, Saeko murmured softly.
Lynn ran his fingers through her silky hair, not in a hurry to get up.
Reaching for his phone, he opened Line.
The night before, every half-hour, Utaha Kasumigaoka had pinged him in the group chat.
At the time, though, he had been occupied with the sheath ceremony and didn't have time to respond.
[Sigma Man: @Utako Kasumi, help me tell Natsuki-chan I'll be absent today.]
Utaha, who had barely slept all night waiting for his reply, felt her heart turn cold.
Silence the whole night, as if her messages had been lost in the abyss.
And now, first thing in the morning, he asked her to take care of something for him?
The reason was obvious!
Utaha's grip on her phone tightened, her chest tightening with frustration.
She took a deep breath to calm herself.
Then, with rapid-fire speed, she replied.
[Utako Kasumi: ****🤬?!!]
Lynn chuckled lightly and let it be.
---
Main World.
With dark circles under her eyes, Utaha stomped her way to school, muttering under her breath.
"Cheating cat... Shameless woman... I was first..."
"Take a day off? Yeah, right!"
...
Shuchi'in Academy - Faculty Office
"That's all, Ms. Natsuki."
"Got it."
Minamiya Natsuki approved Lynn's leave without question.
Leaving the office, Utaha slumped in defeat.
'So spineless!'
She cursed herself.
Then she opened her shopping app and typed: Bunny Girl Outfit.
"War."
"This is a woman's war."
Her eyes burned with determination as she placed an order for a particularly daring outfit.
"You started this."
"This time, I'll let you take the lead."
Utaha bit her lip, her voice filled with the sorrow of a so-called 'losing heroine.'
"At the very least, I'll be second!"
---
"Eh? Just the two of you?"
Shizuka Marikawa yawned as she came downstairs, wearing nothing but a thin dress shirt.
Rei and Saya, sitting on the couch, gawked at her appearance.
Saya turned crimson, stammering, "T-T-T-T-T—"
Shizuka tilted her head in confusion. Looking down, she finally realized and knocked her head lightly. "Oh well, this was the only thing that fit from last night."
"By the way, where are Saeko and Master?"
Rei flinched at how naturally Shizuka called Lynn 'Master.'
And Saeko, too...
Rei blushed even harder before hurriedly saying, "They're probably still sleeping. They... went to bed really late."
The more she spoke, the quieter her voice became.
Oblivious to their reactions, Shizuka cheerfully made her way to Saeko's room.
"W-wait—"
Rei opened her mouth, hesitating.
Wouldn't it be better not to disturb them right now?
Slide—
Shizuka swung the door open without hesitation.
"Saeko, the sun's already up—"
Her words cut off abruptly.
She blinked at the sight before her.
Saeko, caught in the act, raised her head and wiped her lips before offering a soft, mischievous smile.
"Shizuka-sensei, you came at the perfect time."
Saeko extended an invitation.
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