After the Solaris Nova Sigma Academy was temporarily shut down to facilitate repairs and to notify the families of both staff and students who had been affected by the recent tragedy, the twins found themselves in the custody of General Smith. Meanwhile, Z-01 accompanied Saiya back to her mansion.

Saiya couldn't help but feel her cheeks flush every time she stole a glance at Z-01. Her heart raced in her chest, and a fluttering sensation filled her stomach whenever her gaze met his, but he just pretended not to notice. Too much was going on - first L-03 hugging him, then the kidnapping, and now Saiya acting strange. Z-01 was trained to be battle-ready, not emotionally ready, He played it cool, ignoring the subtle hints of affection she couldn't quite suppress.

As Z-01's thoughts intermittently wandered back to the incident involving him punching through the armored assailant's back and him actually surviving it and getting away. He also thought about how both the twins were close to berserking, barely conscious of themselves. If he didn’t have some ripped-out spine, he wouldn’t know what he had to do to calm them down besides feeding them flesh.

Breaking the contemplative silence, Saiya directed their chauffeur, Royo, one of her loyal lycan guardians, to stop at a nearby skating rink they were passing. She decided that they both needed a respite to blow off some steam, and what better place to do it than with some good ol’ rollerblading.

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Z-01 had never skated before, so when he gingerly strapped on his skates and attempted to move, he nearly tumbled unceremoniously. Saiya couldn't help but chuckle at his momentary clumsiness. To keep him upright, she reached out and held his hand. Gradually, he found his balance, and the initial awkwardness transformed into a sense of enjoyment. Saiya couldn't contain her delight as she urged Royo to capture photos and videos of their carefree moments. "Z-01, you're a natural!" she exclaimed as they glided across the smooth surface of the rink.

"Thank you," Z-01 replied, his lips curling into a genuine smile.

Saiya, her skating graceful and fluid, skated closer to him. "You know," she began as they circled the rink, "I've never seen you smile before."

Z-01's smile softened, but he couldn't help but glance away. "I don't have much reason to smile."

Saiya rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You have plenty of reasons to smile. You saved my life, for one."

Z-01 met her gaze, his surprise evident in his eyes. "I was just doing my job."

Saiya shook her head, her expression earnest. "No, you went above and beyond your duty. You risked your life for me."

Z-01 was momentarily at a loss for words. He had never been praised in such a manner before.

Saiya's grin was infectious. "Come on," she encouraged. "Let's skate some more!"

Z-01's smile persisted as they continued to skate around the rink, the strains of recent events momentarily fading in the exhilarating freedom of the moment.