"Even if things are painful and tough, people should appreciate what it means to be alive at all."
— Yato, Noragami
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"Why, Rika? We came here specifically to save you!" Shizuka asked, bewildered.
Rika gave a bitter laugh and revealed her ankle.
It was a bloody mess, clearly the result of a zombie bite.
"No way!" Shizuka gasped.
"So, you should leave. I was about to end it all before you arrived..." Rika trailed off, then looked at Shizuka. "But being able to see you one last time...that's enough."
Shizuka panicked, seeing Rika like this. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Roy and clung to his arm, pleading.
"Roy-chan, please, can you save Rika?"
In Shizuka's eyes, Roy, capable of even reviving the dead, could surely handle a zombie virus.
Roy had been observing Rika since their arrival.
With her long purple hair, tanned skin, and curvaceous figure, she was quite attractive, and still single, he noted. She might not possess Saeko's talent, but for Shizuka's sake, he decided to make her his servant.
"Will you become my servant?" Roy asked Rika directly.
Once she became his servant, a mere zombie virus would pose no threat.
Rika stared, taken aback, then looked at the young man Shizuka was clinging to. Silvery-white hair, handsome, almost devilishly attractive features, and that unmistakable aura of nobility.
She had never met anyone like him.
"Rika, don't just stand there! Answer him!" Shizuka urged, seeing her friend's hesitation.
"Heh, to think someone would confess to me just before I die," Rika chuckled, mistaking Roy's offer.
"Alright, young man, I accept. Please take good care of Shizuka." She spoke as if delivering her last words, completely misunderstanding Roy's intention.
Seeing her agreement, Roy wasted no time. He enveloped her in demonic energy, pulling her from the vehicle.
Rika was bewildered, but the virus was rapidly reaching her brain, clouding her consciousness.
A blue magic circle appeared beneath her feet.
"By my name, Roy Lucifuge, I command you, Rika Minami, to become my servant, a devil, and be reborn as my [Pawn]!"
A [Pawn] piece materialized, floating towards Rika and merging with her body.
The [Pawn] piece, though seemingly the weakest, held hidden potential, capable of promoting to any other piece besides King when facing an opponent designated by its master.
Rika, with her diverse combat experience from her time in the special forces, was perfectly suited for the [Pawn] piece.
Bathed in blue light, Rika transformed into a devil.
She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze settling on Roy.
"Rika Minami greets her Master," she said, kneeling respectfully on one knee.
"Arise."
"Rika! You're alright!" Shizuka cried, throwing her arms around Rika.
"Yes," Rika replied, then whispered, "Tell me about our Master, Shizuka."
"Saeko!" Roy called out to Saeko, who was busy cutting down the approaching zombies.
Hearing his voice, Saeko immediately returned.
"You've worked hard, Saeko."
"It was nothing, just my duty," Saeko replied with a slight blush, offering him a smile.
"Let's rest for a while in that house over there," Roy suggested, gesturing towards a nearby building.
The girls readily agreed.
After clearing a room of zombies, they took turns freshening up.
Once everyone was clean, they gathered in the living room.
...
"Alice, would you like to become my servant?" Roy asked Alice Maresato with a smile.
He had decided to return to the world of Kuoh Academy soon.
Of those present, only Alice wasn't his servant, and he couldn't leave her alone. Moreover, he had noticed Alice's potential and decided to take her under his wing.
"Huh? Like the big sisters?" Alice asked curiously.
Though young, the ever-perceptive Alice understood that this was a significant decision.
"Alice, don't you want to stay with your big sisters? I'll protect you!" Shizuka chimed in.
Shizuka and Alice had formed a close bond, with Alice often finding herself cradled in Shizuka's ample bosom. Roy often wondered if Alice might get suffocated, given Shizuka's tendency to rest her considerable weight on the small girl's head.
Alice, already inclined to agree, nodded without hesitation upon hearing Shizuka's words.
"Yes, Roy-onii-chan, I accept!"
With her consent, Roy immediately began the reincarnation process.
"By my name, Roy Lucifuge, I command you, Alice Maresato, to become my servant, a devil, and be reborn as my [Bishop]!"
A [Bishop] piece materialized, floating towards Alice and merging with her small body.
A moment later, a soft blue light enveloped her, and a pair of small devil wings sprouted from her back.
With the reincarnation complete, Shizuka scooped Alice into a hug.
"Alice is so adorable!" she exclaimed, nuzzling her face against Alice's, making the little girl giggle.
"Alright, I've accomplished everything I set out
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