Chapter 24: Homecoming
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May 2, 20XX, 8:00 a.m. - Shrine, Tokonosu City
Blake Henderson stretched his arms over his head, stifling a yawn as he sat up on the floor mattress. The early morning sun crept through the cracks in the wooden walls of the shrine, casting soft beams of light across the dusty interior. The quiet stillness of the shrine was almost calming, a brief respite from the chaos outside.
He glanced over to his side and saw Saeko Busujima, still in her makeshift bedroll, finishing her preparations. Blake had already packed most of their belongings and was simply waiting for her to finish. Saeko appeared focused, tightening the straps on her shin guards as she worked with a silent determination. Everything seemed normal—at least, on the surface.
However, as Saeko adjusted her gear, her mind was far from calm. Despite her outward composure, a whirlwind of thoughts raged inside her. Every time she closed her eyes, the same embarrassing memory from that morning replayed in vivid detail.
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Flashback - Earlier that Morning
Saeko had woken up in the shrine’s dim light, her mind slowly coming into focus. It took her a moment to realize her head was resting on something firm and warm—Blake’s chest. And worse, her lips were slightly parted, a faint line of drool staining his shirt.
Her eyes snapped open, horror flooding her as she realized what had happened. Her body went rigid as she carefully lifted her head, her face flushing a deep shade of red. Blake was awake, his gaze distant as he stared up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.
‘Oh no, no, no... please tell me he didn’t notice,’ she thought frantically.
She quickly shifted into a sitting position, desperately wiping the drool from her lips and Blake’s shirt with her sleeve. "I-I’m sorry, Blake!" she stammered, her voice uncharacteristically high-pitched from the embarrassment. "I didn’t mean to—"
Blake turned his head toward her, blinking as if pulled from his thoughts. Then, to her surprise, he chuckled softly, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about it, Saeko. It’s... natural." His tone was gentle, and there was no hint of teasing in his voice, which somehow made her cheeks burn even hotter.
"Natural," she repeated, barely able to meet his gaze. She sat there, flustered and unsure of how to respond.
Blake stretched lazily, clearly unfazed by the situation. "We’ve been through a lot. If drooling in your sleep is the worst thing that happens, I’d say we’re doing alright."
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Present Time
Saeko let out a quiet sigh, her fingers pausing on the straps of her shin guards. ‘How do I face him after that?’
Her mind kept circling back to the incident, the heat rising in her cheeks once more. She hated how out of control her emotions had been ever since the shrine. She was a warrior—calm, composed, deadly. Yet Blake... Blake had a way of making her feel vulnerable in ways she hadn’t expected.
She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things. They had more pressing matters—reaching the Takagi Estate was their top priority. She was only snapped out of her thoughts when Blake’s voice interrupted her internal struggle.
"Saeko? You ready?" he called out, standing by the door of the shrine.
Saeko looked up, startled out of her reverie. She gave him a quick nod and stood up, grabbing her katana and slinging it over her shoulder. "Yeah, I’m ready."
Blake smiled faintly and motioned toward the door. "Let’s move out."
The two stepped out into the morning light, the cool breeze brushing against their faces as they scanned their surroundings. The streets were eerily quiet, with no signs of immediate danger. The road ahead stretched out toward the distant Takagi Estate, the hilltop fortress barely visible through the gaps between the buildings.
"We’re getting closer," Blake said, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the path. "Let’s stick to the side streets. Fewer surprises that way."
Saeko nodded in agreement, following close behind him as they moved through the narrow alleys. The air was tense, each step deliberate and quiet, their senses tuned for the faintest sound of the undead. They had no intention of engaging any unnecessary fights, but in this world, that was rarely their choice to make.
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An Hour Later - Nearing the Takagi Estate
As they rounded the corner of another alley, the silence was abruptly shattered by the unmistakable groan of zombies. Blake and Saeko came to an abrupt halt, their eyes scanning the area ahead. A horde of zombies, perhaps a dozen or so, stumbled toward them from an abandoned storefront, their decayed bodies jerking unnaturally as they moved.
Blake tightened his grip on his crowbar, his expression hardening. "Looks like we’ve got company."
Saeko’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of her katana, a spark of excitement flickering in her eyes. She felt a strange surge of energy, remembering Blake’s words of reassurance from the night before. ‘It’s okay to feel like this,’ she thought, her heart quickening with anticipation.
Blake took the lead, charging forward with his crowbar raised. His strikes were precise, crushing the skull of the first zombie with a sickening crunch. He pivoted smoothly, slamming his weapon into the side of another’s head, sending it sprawling to the ground.
Saeko followed closely behind, but unlike Blake, she moved with grace, her katana slicing through the air like a razor’s edge. The blade cleaved effortlessly through the neck of the first zombie she encountered, its head toppling to the ground in a spray of dark blood. Each step she took was calculated, her strikes fluid and deadly.
As the fight continued, Blake found himself struggling to keep up with Saeko’s sheer speed and precision. While his crowbar was effective, it was clunky compared to Saeko’s swift and lethal strikes. She danced between the undead with a confidence and ease that left him both impressed and slightly envious.
‘She’s on a whole other level,’ Blake thought, gritting his teeth as he crushed another zombie’s skull. The difference in their fighting styles was stark—Blake’s moves were practical and brute, while Saeko’s were refined, almost... artistic.
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With each zombie they dispatched, they moved one step closer to their destination. But the more zombies they killed, the more Saeko found herself reveling in the violence. Her pulse quickened, her breathing deepened, and with each kill, a thrill coursed through her veins. By the time they had cleared the horde, Saeko was practically glowing with excitement, her body trembling with the aftereffects of battle.
Blake, however, was panting heavily, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. "You... really enjoy this, don’t you?" he asked between breaths, glancing at her with a half-smile.
Saeko wiped the blood from her blade, her chest heaving slightly as she returned his smile. "What can I say? It feels good to be in control of something... in a world where everything else is chaos."
Blake chuckled weakly and nodded. "Fair enough."
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A Half Hour Later - Approaching the Takagi Estate
Blake and Saeko pressed onward, the Takagi Estate now looming closer in the distance. As they approached, they noticed concrete highway barriers arranged into blockades across the roads—an unmistakable sign that the men of the Takagi Estate had fortified the area.
As they got nearer, they spotted several guards patrolling the perimeter, each armed with rifles. One of the guards, a broad-shouldered man with a stern expression, noticed them first and raised his hand, signaling for them to stop.
"Hold it right there!" the guard called out, his rifle pointed cautiously in their direction.
Blake and Saeko halted, raising their hands slightly to show they meant no harm. "We’re friends of Saya Takagi," Blake said, his tone calm but firm. "We’ve been trying to reach the estate for a while now."
The guard’s eyes narrowed, skepticism evident in his stance. "Friends of Miss Takagi? You’ll need to prove that. This area is restricted."
Before Blake could respond, another guard approached—a younger man with a more relaxed posture. He placed a hand on the first guard’s shoulder and spoke in a lighter tone. "Take it easy, Oda. No need to scare them off."
The first guard, Oda, glanced at his partner but didn’t lower his rifle. "We can’t just let anyone walk in, Ryo. They could be anyone."
Ryo, the second guard, nodded in understanding but then looked at Blake and Saeko with a more curious expression. "If they really know lil Ms Takagi, we can confirm it. Let me radio it in." He pulled out a small handheld radio and pressed the button. "Ryo here. We’ve got two individuals claiming to know Miss Saya Takagi. I need confirmation."
A crackle of static followed before a voice came through. "This is Yuriko Takagi. Describe them."
Ryo glanced at Blake and Saeko. "One’s a tall foreigner, dark hair, lean build. The other’s a young woman with a katana."
There was a brief pause on the other end. "That matches their descriptions. Escort them to the estate."
Ryo smiled at the confirmation, giving his partner Oda a reassuring nod. "Looks like they’re legit."
Oda, still cautious, lowered his weapon slightly but didn’t let his guard down. "Alright, follow me," he said gruffly. "I’ll take you to the main house. Ryo, you’re with us."
Blake nodded, exchanging a glance with Saeko before following the two guards toward the estate. As they walked, Ryo fell into step beside them, his demeanor noticeably more relaxed than his partner’s.
"So," Ryo began, glancing between Blake and Saeko. "You two have been out there alone for a while, huh? Must’ve been rough."
Blake shrugged, keeping his tone casual. "It’s been... eventful. We’ve run into our fair share of trouble, but we’ve managed."
Saeko remained quiet, her mind still lingering on the events of the morning, but she offered a polite nod in agreement.
Ryo chuckled. "Well, you’re lucky to have made it this far. The lil Miss has been worried, you know."
Blake raised an eyebrow, glancing at Ryo. "She has?"
"Yeah," Ryo replied, nodding. "She asked Lady Yuriko about sending out a search party for you two, but..." He trailed off, his tone growing more serious. "Things are tight around here. Not enough manpower to spare."
Blake exchanged a quick glance with Saeko before offering Ryo a small smile. "We didn’t expect them to send anyone after us. But we’re glad we made it."
As they neared the entrance to the mansion, Oda and Ryo stepped aside, allowing Blake and Saeko to move forward.
"Well," Ryo said with a grin, "this is where we part ways. Welcome to the Takagi Estate. And good luck. You’ll need it."
Blake smirked, giving the guards a nod. "Thanks for the escort."
Oda, still stone-faced, merely grunted before turning to head back to his post. Ryo, on the other hand, waved them off with a friendly salute. "Take care!"
With that, Blake and Saeko found themselves standing at the entrance of the mansion. Blake pulled out the handheld radio from his vest, tuning in to the frequency they’d been using with the main group.
"Hello, anyone there? Saeko and me have made it to the Takagi Estate" Blake said, pressing the button.
A few moments passed before a familiar voice crackled through the speaker. "Blake! Hey, you made it! I was starting to wonder when you’d show up."
Blake chuckled. "Yeah, we’re here. Is everyone alright?"
"Yep, all good here," Kohta replied cheerfully. "Though, Miyamoto’s getting a... let’s just call it a special treatment from Shizuka-sensei as an apology for that whole fall situation yesterday."
Blake smiled, exchanging a glance with Saeko. Kohta’s upbeat tone was a relief—it meant things were stable for now.
"Good to hear," Blake said. "Mind letting the others know we’re outside? We’re... not really sure where to go."
"On it!" Kohta responded, and the radio went silent again.
A few minutes passed, during which Blake and Saeko stood quietly at the entrance, exchanging small smiles as they waited. Eventually, the mansion’s front doors burst open with a loud creak, and to their surprise, it was Saya Takagi herself who came running out, her breath short as if she had sprinted all the way downstairs.
Saya skidded to a stop, her cheeks flushed, and for a moment, she just stared at them—especially at Blake.
Blake blinked, surprised by her sudden appearance. "Saya?"
Saya cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "I-I’m glad to see you both are okay and made it here safely," she said, her voice a little stiff as she looked at them with her head turned slightly to the side, her eyes glancing toward them.
Saeko smiled and nodded. "We’re glad to see you too."
Saya’s expression softened, but then she turned her sharp gaze toward Blake, crossing her arms. "But... do you have anything to say for yourself about your reckless actions yesterday?"
Blake winced slightly, raising his hands defensively. "I thought it was the best call at the time. We were getting swarmed, and I couldn’t let the zombies reach you guys."
Saya huffed but then let out a soft sigh. She couldn’t stay angry with him. "Alright, fine. Just... don’t do something that reckless again."
Blake grinned, clearly relieved. "No promises."
Shortly after, the rest of the group joined them at the entrance. Takashi stepped forward first, clapping Blake on the shoulder. "Glad you made it, man."
The others followed suit, offering their own words of relief and welcome as they exchanged stories about what had happened while they were separated. Of course, Blake and Saeko left out the more personal details of their time at the shrine and the park, choosing to keep those moments private.
As they talked, the conversation was interrupted by a new voice. "So, these must be the famous Blake and Busujima."
Everyone turned to see Yuriko Takagi approaching, her presence commanding as ever. She looked them both over with a keen, appraising eye.
Blake and Saeko straightened instinctively, offering respectful nods. "Yes, ma’am," Blake said. "That’s us."
Yuriko’s lips curled into a small smile. "I’ve heard quite a lot about you from my daughter. She’s spoken highly of you, though she doesn’t admit it."
Saya immediately turned beet red, glaring at her mother. "Mom, don’t say it like that!"
Yuriko chuckled softly, shrugging. "Just a little tease." She then turned her attention back to Blake and Saeko. "You must be hungry. I imagine you haven’t eaten since yesterday, given your pace to get here."
Blake’s stomach growled on cue, and he nodded with a sheepish grin. "You’re right about that. We’d be grateful for a meal."
"Of course," Yuriko replied graciously. "And you can use the showers as well. You both look like you could use a good wash. Saya, would you be so kind as to show them to the guest rooms?"
Saya nodded, still trying to shake off her embarrassment. "Right this way," she said, motioning for Blake and Saeko to follow her into the mansion.
As they entered the grand estate, Blake and Saeko exchanged relieved glances. After everything they had been through, they were finally here—safe, surrounded by friends, and with a chance to rest.
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End of Chapter 24