Dragon Across the Multiverse (Si-WC) (Patreon)

Chapter 9: School’s Out (Forever)

“W-Who are you?” Saya asked, regaining her composure with a huff as she strode up to me, hands planted firmly on her hips. Her orange eyes narrowed with suspicion as she studied me. “And what are you doing up here? It’s class time, you know.”

“Hmhm, oh trust me—I know.” I gave a small shrug and flashed her a teasing smile. “As for who I am, I’m a new transfer student. Supposed to start today, but I guess I lost track of time. Akari Tempest. Nice to meet you?”

I held out my hand with a light grin, intentionally leaving the question hanging. She flushed slightly, realizing she hadn’t introduced herself yet.

“H-Hmph! First day and you’re already skipping class?” she shot back, raising a skeptical eyebrow as she leaned forward unintentionally giving me a generous view of her cleavage and the pink bra peeking beneath her uniform blouse. “Not exactly a stellar first impression.”

She stared at my face a beat longer, and her blush deepened. Snapping her gaze to the side, she quickly grabbed my hand, gave it the briefest shake, and let go like she’d touched something too hot.

“T-Takagi Saya. Nice to meet you… I guess,” she muttered, her voice trying to maintain its edge but wavering slightly.

“Haha, nice to meet you, Takagi.” I smiled warmly. “Honestly, I feel better already. It’s good to know someone in this school.”

I took a half step back and gave her a curious look. “So? What about you? What brings you up here? Ditching class too?”

With the subtle nudge I’d implanted earlier, and all my Lures working in tandem, I wasn’t surprised that her flustered attitude was already blooming into something stronger. My looks—supernaturally enhanced as they were—certainly weren’t helping her keep her composure.

“Of course not!” Saya snapped, scandalized by the mere suggestion. “I’ll have you know I’m an exemplary student.”

She crossed her arms defiantly, but the effect was somewhat undermined when her sharp tone wavered just a touch.

“As to what I’m doing here…” She paused, fingers brushing her chin in thought before quickly shaking her head and shooting me a faint glare, one ruined by the soft blush blooming across her cheeks. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going back.”

With that, she spun on her heel and strode toward the rooftop door—her twin-tails bouncing and hips swaying either subconsciously or very deliberately. My gaze followed without shame.

“It was nice talking to you, Takagi,” I called out, tone cheerful, eyes still locked on her retreating figure. “I hope we can talk again later.”

Saya’s shoulders stiffened. Her ears and the back of her neck flushed red.

“Hmph, don’t count on it!” she huffed, speeding up but the longing flicker in her emotions betrayed her words.

Saya might have had the sharp tongue of a tsundere, but underneath it all, she was just a lonely girl—brilliant, proud, but desperate for someone who saw her, not her last name. She wanted to be spoken to normally. Treated normally. And I planned to give her exactly that.

“Great. I’ll see you later~” I said, with my tone not changing.

She glanced over her shoulder for a fraction of a second—wide-eyed, red-faced—before practically throwing the door open and disappearing inside, slamming it shut behind her.

I chuckled to myself as the wind blew across the empty rooftop again.

“Hook, line, and sinker.”

Having a few hours before chaos started, I pulled out a katana bag from my inventory—just large enough for two swords—then placed Kotetsu and Muramasa inside.

Muramasa was a sleek black katana with a black-and-white handle, its crimson edge giving the illusion it had been perpetually soaked in blood.

Kotetsu, by contrast, bore a blue edge that shimmered like water or ice, paired with a matching black-and-blue handle.

The swords were part of my Satou Template and were on the weaker side than the more ridiculous ones like Excalibur.

‘Can’t exactly be seen pulling swords out of thin air,’ I thought with a smirk.

With that done, I lay down on the rooftop with my hands behind my head, eyes on the sky as I pondered my next move.

“I wonder if I should save that hot redhead from getting killed at the start of the show. We do need more teachers for when we eventually travel to Tensura,” I muttered to myself without a care in the world, confident that no one could hear me thanks to the small illusion I had cast over the area.

A soft weight suddenly appeared at my side, followed by a familiar warmth curling against me as someone wrapped her arms around my chest.

“Why is Master even asking that,” came the soft, mildly exasperated voice of Ciel, “when he’s already decided what he’s going to do?”

“I just like hearing my cute Ciel talk more, is all,” I replied with a grin, pulling her closer as my hand drifted along her back in lazy strokes.

She let out a quiet, almost inaudible moan at the touch. “Master is being unfair~” she pouted, burying her face against my chest to hide the faint blush coloring her cheeks.

“Hmhm, that’s because I know you like it when I’m unfair,” I teased gently.

She didn’t deny it, only huffed against me before letting out a sigh that sounded more relaxed than annoyed.

We lay like that for a while, enjoying the momentary calm in each other’s company. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

“Hey, Ciel?” I murmured.

Still resting against me, she tilted her head up slightly, her golden eyes warm but a little hazy from the affection.

“What is it, Master?”

I leaned down and kissed her softly, and when I pulled away, I saw that dazed look I loved flicker across her expression.

“Want to stick around for this adventure?” I asked with a small grin.

“Haaah… What?” she blinked, still recovering, making the moment all the more satisfying.

=====

Several Hours Later

“KYAAAAAH!!”

Hearing the scream from below, I smirked and stood up alongside Ciel. My eyes were already locked on the school entrance where, just as expected, a teacher had collapsed after being bitten. That hot redhead—Kyoko, as I’d learned—was now frantically backing away from the gate, horrified as the once-living teacher groaned, twitched… and then tore a chunk out of some poor bastard’s neck.

Usually, this would’ve been the moment dear Kyoko met her end. But not today.

Thanks to a little nudge from me earlier, she’d had a helpful thought implanted into her mind the moment she stepped outside: At the first sign of danger, immediately back away and head to the faculty room.

I knew she wouldn’t question it.

“Try not to show off too much, dear~” I teased, turning toward Ciel and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “See you a bit later.”

Ciel let out a dignified huff, arms crossed and expression flat despite the faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I feel those words apply more to you than me, Master. But I suppose I’ll see you soon.”

With that, I headed back into the building, while Ciel jumped discreetly off the roof—each of us off to handle our respective targets.

I had a certain brunette and pinkette to save… and more importantly, to ensure Kohta never even met the latter.

=====

With Akari—Moments Later

Making my way through the empty hallways, I headed straight for Saya’s location—my second favorite girl behind Saeko. Honestly, I never understood why so many people hyped up Rei. From what I managed to watch before growing bored of the original series, she was kind of a bitch.

Not that I had any plans of letting Rei slip through my fingers, of course. Bitchy or not, Rei had one of the hottest bodies in the entire setting.

Upon reaching my destination, I casually slid the classroom door open, immediately grabbing everyone’s attention. Class had already started, and I was very obviously interrupting.

Ignoring the stares and the questioning look from the teacher, my gaze zeroed in on Saya, seated near the back. She was already staring at me with wide eyes.

“Yo, Takagi. We meet again~” I lifted my hand in greeting, thoroughly embarrassing the poor girl as she sank into her desk under the weight of everyone’s eyes.

“W-What are you doing here?!” Saya exclaimed, clearly flustered.

“Ahem, excuse me, but you’re interrupting the class,” the teacher tried to cut in, hoping to restore order.

I ignored him completely, of course, and casually made my way toward Saya as I answered her question. “Believe it or not, this is my class too—though I don’t think we’ll have much time to get acquainted, not with what’s going on outside.” My voice dropped a bit at the end, my expression turning serious.

Saya blinked, confused by the shift in tone.

“Excuse me! Are you ignoring me!?” the teacher barked again.

And again, I ignored him.

Instead, I gently took Saya’s left hand and spoke the words I’d always wanted to say in this exact scene. “Come with me if you want to live,” I said, with the most serious expression I could muster.

Saya’s face went scarlet, but she didn’t yank her hand away. Instead, she paused, blinked again, and gave me an incredulous deadpan stare that somehow made her blush look even cuter.

“D-Did you just quote Terminator?” she asked.

“Sure did~” I admitted with zero shame, flashing a smile—only for it to vanish again as I grew serious once more. “But just like in the movie, this isn’t a joke. It’s not a game. We need to get out of this school. Now.”

Without waiting for permission, I gently but firmly got her on her feet. Saya didn’t resist, though her cheeks stayed red the entire time.

As we approached the back door, she suddenly tugged on my hand.

“Wait! At least let me grab my phone and purse,” she said, and under the stunned gazes of everyone in the classroom, she quickly retrieved her bag. Turning back toward me, her tone softened, and she looked surprisingly demure. “O-Okay. I’m ready.”

I gave her a reassuring smile and was about to walk off when I finally noticed something I really should’ve earlier: Rei and Kohta were in the same class.

Seriously? All three of them in the same room? That’s embarrassing.

Still, I rolled with it.

“By the way, Takagi,” I said as we reached the door, “is there anyone else here you want to bring with us? We might not get another chance.”

As I asked, I nudged her mind slightly, slipping in a subtle suggestion of one name.

Blinking, Saya thought for a second before huffing. “Tsk. If something really is happening, then I guess Miyamoto could be of some use. Not as much as me, obviously.”

Typical tsundere.

“Got it. So, which one’s Miyamoto?” I asked, scanning the class. The brunette hesitantly raised her hand.

Without missing a beat, I tugged Saya along with one hand, grabbed Miyamoto with the other, and pulled her from her seat. She let out a weak protest, clearly confused, but I didn’t slow down.

Behind us, the classroom erupted into confusion. The teacher, now red-faced, shouted one last thing before we slipped through the door.

“D—Detention!”

That was the last word we heard as we moved into the hallways.

The intercom crackled to life above us. The principal’s voice came through, but I tuned it out.

“Good,” I muttered as we hurried down the corridor, now picking up the pace. “Looks like we managed to beat the chaos by a few minutes.”

Saya and Rei both turned to me, eyes wide after hearing confirmation that something was happening.

They didn’t ask questions, just picked up their step.

A moment later, we finally ran into our first zombie—and yes, zombie. I absolutely refuse to call them them. That was a stupid name, and I’d rather die than ever using it.

“Stand behind me,” I said firmly, stepping in front of the girls. I quickly unhooked the katana bag from my shoulder, opened it, and drew Kotetsu in one smooth motion—decapitating the undead in a single strike.

“Y-You just killed someone!” Rei shrieked, frozen in shock.

Without hesitation, I reached out and gently covered her mouth, watching her tremble as her wide, red eyes locked with my golden ones.

“Sshh,” I whispered calmly. “They’re attracted to sound. Please keep your voice down.”

She blinked, then gave a shaky nod, her body slowly relaxing.

“…What are they?” Saya whispered, stepping up beside me—subconsciously seeking protection.

“Undead. Living corpses. Zombies. Take your pick,” I muttered, already moving again. I glanced back at them with a serious look. “We need to keep going. We might find a teacher’s car keys in the staff room, we could use them to get out of here safely. Just don’t fall behind.”

They looked at each other for a moment, then turned back to me with resolute expressions, giving small, determined nods.

With their agreement, we pushed forward. A few more zombies crossed our path—nothing I couldn’t handle. Each one fell to Kotetsu with a single, clean strike.

Then chaos erupted.

Students began flooding the hallways in a full-blown panic. Screams echoed everywhere. People shoved each other to get to the exits, trampling over anyone too slow.

“Shit!” I cursed. “We need to find shelter, somewhere defensible. I suggest the nurse’s office. Objections?”

“None!” “No!”

Saya and Rei shouted back without hesitation.

“Good. Saya, grab Rei’s hand—don’t let go. Let’s move!”

I took Saya’s hand and led the way, weaving through panicked students and down blood-slicked corridors. It took a few minutes, but we eventually made it to our destination: the nurse’s office.

And just in time, too.

Marikawa Shizuka, the busty, ditzy blonde nurse, was rummaging through the cabinets while a few of her male simps tried to protect her. Tried being the key word—they were already getting bitten.

A few quick slashes later, their heads hit the floor and silence settled over the room briefly.

“This sucks,” Saya muttered, already pacing as she inspected the windows. “These won’t hold for long.”

“Shizuka-sensei, what are you doing?” Rei asked, breathless.

“Oh, I’m packing supplies! We might need these, right?” Shizuka answered airily, stuffing bottles into a bag like it was just another school drill.

“In times of uncertainty like these,” I muttered, still guarding the door, “a doctor—or nurse, in this case—is a necessity.”

I pulled a bag from my inventory discreetly and tossed it toward Saya. “Help Sensei. Fill that with whatever you think we’ll need.”

Blinking at the unexpected catch, Saya recovered quickly, her sharp mind already shifting into gear. “Got it.”

She moved to help Shizuka without another word, and I returned my attention to the hallway, Kotetsu glinting faintly in the light.

“This is crazy. The dead are coming to life…” Rei’s voice broke through the tense silence. She stood a little behind me now, noticeably calmer, choosing to stay close to me rather than the back of the room. “Am I dreaming?”

Seeing she was on the verge of a breakdown, I reached out and gently ruffled her orange hair. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me, surprised but not pulling away.

“Relax. We can’t afford to lose it right now,” I said softly, using Sticky Fingers to lend a comforting aura to the gesture. “Our top priority is getting out of this school alive. We need to stay sharp.”

She stared for a moment, then let out a shaky laugh and quickly wiped at her eyes. “This day’s insane… Here I am, being comforted by a guy I just met after he dragged me out of class and cut down a bunch of zombies.”

“Hmhm. Life’s strange like that,” I replied with a small teasing smile. “Name’s Akari Tempest, by the way. Nice to officially meet you, Miyamoto.”

Rei’s expression softened even more as she took my extended hand and shook it with a firmer grip than I expected. “Nice to meet you, Tempest-san. I’m Rei Miyamoto. And… thanks, for protecting me and bringing me along.”

“Could you not flirt right now!?” Saya snapped, suddenly sliding between us like a pissed-off cat claiming territory. She wedged herself at my side, forcing Rei away with just enough force to send a message.

The look Saya gave her was sharp, and Rei shot one right back. Tension sparked.

“We’ve got everything we need,” Saya said crisply, trying to act like nothing had happened. “This room’s too exposed. We should move before the windows give.”

“Noted.” I gave her a nod, amused but not pushing it.

Turning toward the nurse, I found Shizuka watching us with a dreamy smile on her lips and her go-bag slung over her shoulder.

“Just in case you missed it, Akari Tempest. Nice to meet you, Sensei,” I greeted, offering her a polite smile.

Shizuka’s eyes sparkled as she beamed and dipped into a bow, her massive chest bouncing with the motion. “Nice to meet you, Akari-kun~! I’m Shizuka Marikawa~ Please take care of me from now on~”

Her phrasing… yeah, it could definitely be taken the wrong way. Before I could crack a joke, Saya’s voice cut in.

“D-Don’t say it like that!” she hissed, clearly flustered as her voice rose just a bit too loud.

The groaning and shuffling from the hallway reminded us why that was a bad idea. Saya realized it too late, her hands flying to her mouth as her eyes flicked to me in apology.

But before I could move to intercept the threat, the sound of collapsing bodies filled the air—thuds echoing one after the other.

Moments later, she appeared.

Long purple hair. Calm, focused blue eyes. Her uniform was modified, long skirt flowing with her poised gait. She approached like a ghost through the chaos, her presence commanding immediate attention.

Her gaze landed first on Kotetsu, then locked with mine.

“Busujima Saeko. Class 3,” she introduced smoothly, her voice calm and unwavering. “Pleasure to meet you all.”