Meanwhile, in the group chat, things were already getting lively. Everyone was urging Saeko to draw from the lottery.
Seitenshi: "Saeko! Come on, do the draw already!"
Huaizhu: "Stop hesitating! Go with the intermediate draw!"
Artemis: "@SwordDevil"
Raiden Ei: "@SwordDevil"
Saeko: "Alright, alright! Don't rush me! Let me send the points to Rin Yuki first!"
A moment later, a little red envelope appeared on Yuki's interface. Saeko had sent him a gift.
He tapped it open—and there it was: 20,000 points, transferred straight to him.
Saeko: "Done! Now, let's begin!"
As soon as she sent that message, the chat quieted down, like everyone was holding their breath.
Sitting comfortably on the villa's couch, Saeko glanced at Yuki, who sat beside her. His presence was always steady, reassuring, and a little overwhelming.
He gave her a calm nod. That one small gesture was enough. She exhaled softly and activated the intermediate lottery draw.
[Group Notification: Congratulations! SwordDemon has obtained the "Blade Master (Edge Master) Inheritance" from the world of Arad!]
"Huh…?"
Yuki blinked in disbelief.
No way. Dungeon & Fighter? That old game?
Back when he lived on Earth, he'd been one of the millions of players who had poured hours into that game. He knew its ins and outs like the back of his hand.
And now… Saeko had actually drawn something from that world.
Not just any item, either. She got the Edge Master class—a high-tier specialization of the Female Slayer.
Insane luck.
But thinking about it... it kind of suited her.
Saeko had been trained in the traditional Tsurugi-ryū sword style ever since she was a child. And now she had the inheritance of a blade master with deadly precision and magic-infused swordplay.
Sure, maybe the darker Sword Demon class would've matched her bloodthirst better, but Edge Master wasn't a bad fit. Not at all.
Shadowy magic, graceful but deadly sword techniques—it was like turning her into a beautiful reaper.
Naturally, the chat blew up.
Raiden Ei: "Edge Master? That sounds like some kind of sword style, right?"
Saeko: "You're right, Ei-sama! It's an incredibly powerful sword style! One I've never even seen before!"
By now, she had fully absorbed the inheritance.
Her mind buzzed with dozens of new techniques—each move more complex and lethal than the last. Compared to her family's swordsmanship, these were on a completely different level.
And there was something else.
Magic.
She could feel it in her veins, flowing like warm lightning. With this power, she'd gone beyond human limits. It thrilled her.
Seitenshi: "Now I really wanna see it! What does it look like?"
Huaizhu: "Yeah! Saeko, give us a taste!"
Artemis: "+1!"
Yuki: "Same here."
When she saw Yuki's message, a playful smile danced across Saeko's lips.
Saeko: "It's too hard to describe with words. How about I go find a bunch of zombies and show you instead?"
Her fingers twitched. She was itching to test her new abilities.
Yuki: "Alright. I'll take you somewhere."
Seitenshi: "Nice! We'll watch the stream!"
After letting Rei and the others know, Yuki took Saeko by the waist and lifted her into his arms.
Then, without a word, they flew up into the sky.
Back at the villa, Shizuka, Rei, and Saya stood on the balcony watching them rise—and every one of them wore the same expression: envy.
And who could blame them?
In Yuki's arms, Saeko barely even noticed the passing scenery. Her body was snug against his, chest pressed to his, cheek resting near his neck. His scent was intoxicating—a mix of steel, earth, and something darker she couldn't name.
Her heart pounded with every beat of his.
Her thighs pressed together, instinctively tightening. She didn't even notice it. She was so close to completely melting into him that only the rushing wind reminded her they were still flying.
Yuki finally spotted a zombie-infested park below.
"How about here?" he asked, voice calm, breaking her out of her daze.
"H-Huh?!"
She jolted, cheeks instantly turning pink.
"Y-Yes! This is perfect!"
She nodded quickly, trying to hide her flustered expression, and Yuki gently set her down.
Of course, her dazed reaction didn't go unnoticed in the group chat.
Artemis: "I wanna be held by Yuki-kun too…!"
Raiden Ei: "Did you see Saeko's face? Oh my... (smirk)"
Seitenshi: "Definitely blushing!"
Huaizhu: "So cute!"
Saeko: "A-Ahem! Enough! Didn't you all want to see my swordsmanship?!"
The teasing stopped, and everyone focused on the livestream.
Especially Raiden Ei, whose eyes locked onto the screen with laser focus.
Saeko stood alone in the middle of the horde, gripping her wooden practice sword with both hands.
She inhaled slowly… then exhaled.
"Double Slash."
Her body moved with terrifying grace. Two swift slashes—so fast they blurred the air itself.
Swish! Swish!
Two flashes of silver light, and four zombies were sliced clean in half.
She stepped back and casually said, "This technique is supposed to be used with dual swords. But I only have one, so… this'll have to do."
The group murmured their understanding. Edge Masters often used dual weapons.
Yuki, though, just chuckled.
"No need to hold back," he said with a smirk. "Time for an upgrade."
He snapped his fingers.
Two beautiful, sleek futuristic katanas shimmered into existence in front of her.
Saeko's eyes widened.
She dropped her wooden sword without hesitation and reached for the new ones, drawing them slowly, reverently.
The moment her fingers touched their hilts, she could feel it—power. The balance was flawless, the edges impossibly sharp.
She didn't recognize the metal, but if Yuki had given them to her, they had to be extraordinary.
What she didn't know was that these blades were forged from Celestial armor alloy—metal that couldn't be scratched by anything short of a god's strike.
Now properly armed, Saeko finally let loose.
"White Fang Descent!"
"Spinning Cross Slash!"
Her body moved like a dancer, every step elegant, every strike brutal.
Blade trails gleamed like moonlight. Zombies fell in waves—cleanly bisected, limbs flying.
It was like watching death in its most beautiful form.
In under two minutes, the entire horde had been cut down.
Over a hundred corpses lay in pieces at her feet.
She slid both katanas back into their sheaths.
And right then, a notification popped up.
[Congratulations! Member "SwordDemon" has altered her original fate trajectory!]
[Reward: 6,000 points]
[Congratulations! Member "NearlyOmnipotent" has assisted in altering fate!]
[Reward: 10,000 points]
Seitenshi: "Wait, what?! Saeko changed her fate?!"
Huaizhu: "Is it because she got stronger?"
Raiden Ei: "Most likely. I got points when I powered up too."
Artemis: "Ugh! Then why can't I change mine yet?!"
Saeko: "Fufu~ I have Yuki-kun to thank for that~"
Yuki: "Don't mention it. It was nothing."
Seitenshi: "Awww! Yuki-kun, since you're being so nice, why not help this big sister too? (pouts)"
Artemis: "No way! Yuki-kun should help me first! (stomp!)"
Yuki skimmed through their messages, piecing it together.
So… the system rewarded points for fate shifts.
Maybe it was triggered by Takashi Komuro's death? The original protagonist?
Still, it was kind of amazing the guy had lasted this long in a zombie apocalypse.
As the chat buzzed with teasing and playful competition, Saeko simply watched Yuki.
No matter how long she stared, she couldn't find a single flaw.
His strength, his presence, his unwavering calm…
How could she not fall for him?
Her heart had already made its choice.