The first words from the girl who remembered me by the scent of blood were shocking. Even so, I raised my hand and swatted Haru’s face aside without any sign of alarm.

“That’s not it. I never intended anything like that in the first place.”

“What? But I thought your intentions were obvious. You kept taking swordsmanship classes with no popularity or prospects—wasn’t that just to try seducing one pretty blind underclassman?”

“I was the senior, so I chose first. Does that even make sense?”

“Was that what it was?”

Haru opened her mouth as if hearing this for the very first time. We hadn’t exchanged many words, but whenever I talked with this blind girl, I always felt drained. Perhaps because she literally had nothing before her eyes, she was utterly reckless with her word choices.

That was why, despite often being the only two in class, we rarely conversed. Instead, we crossed swords. That was why Haru was more familiar with the scent of my blood than the sound of my voice.

Blood is thicker than water, after all. The old proverb was twisted in this manner.

“Anyway, you came here to have your way with me, didn’t you? I can’t think of any other reason.”

“Why on earth do you think like that?”

“Because all the other bastards came for the same reason.”

“Well, if you think about it that way, it’s a reasonable deduction.”

That single sentence was enough to roughly imagine what had happened. Haru was a clever one, so she must have bolted down to the basement the moment she heard the explosions. The basement would have been perpetually dark—an environment favoring the blind. Though distinguishing friend from foe was impossible, it was the optimal place to hold out.

A blind swordsman wielding a blade in the darkness. Just imagining it was terrifying.

“But didn’t you consider that I might have come to help? You’re my only underclassman, after all. I could have come to protect you.”

“I suppose that’s possible too. A senior who ran barefoot for the sake of a junior in this hellish situation. There’s a certain romance to it.”

“Thanks for understanding. Then…”

“…After rescuing said junior, you’d bring her to a safe house, dote on her until the world ends, naturally cultivate love, and then have your way with her. So in the end, you did come to have your way with me.”

“…”

At this point, I wondered if simply having my way with her might be the polite thing to do. Or maybe I was tired of her nonsense and should just leave her behind. Haru must have sensed something, because she belatedly giggled and said:

“You wouldn’t just leave your blind junior behind over a few jokes, would you? Since you’ve already saved me, you need to take responsibility to the end, Senior.”

“But thinking about it a bit, I have no justification for taking you with me. What would I gain from adding another mouth to feed?”

“You need a guard dog, don’t you? One that can’t even see, can’t run away, and can’t steal from you.”

“That position is already filled. Unfortunately.”

“Then I’ll guard the guard dog. How about that?”

“Hmm…”

It was something I could have laughed off, but I considered it somewhat seriously. Come to think of it, she wasn’t wrong. Saya could manage to take care of herself, but driving off intruders by force would be difficult. It seemed like I really might need a dog to guard the person guarding the house.

It might not be enough to warrant giving her a Mark, but for my only junior, I had enough loyalty to take her along.

“Not a bad idea. Let’s get out of here first.”

“Thank goodness. I love you, Senior.”

“Don’t throw the word ‘love’ around so lightly.”

I lightly ignored the hand Haru extended in the opposite direction and stood up. Then I picked up the sword that had fallen on the floor.

“By the way, how did you know I actually ran here barefoot?”

“Because there was almost no sound of footsteps.”

“Good catch. So take off your shoes too. We’re getting out of here quietly.”

“Is it still night? Then that would work.”

I stuffed Haru’s sweat-soaked shoes into my bag and peered out the door. From the top of the stairs, faint noises were still rushing toward each other. It seemed like now was the time to go.

“Can you run?”

“Yes. Are you offering to hold my hand? It’s my first time holding a man’s hand.”

“What would we do with one hand each sealed? Listen to my footsteps and follow. I’m the only one here who’s barefoot.”

“Or why don’t you slam the back of your head against the wall right now? Then I could follow you while smelling your blood.”

Hearing her biting joke, I was already beginning to regret my decision. But I couldn’t take back words I’d already spoken. Just as I couldn’t undo what had happened with Lena today.

…

I hadn’t been conscious of it, but it seemed the earlier events had left quite a deep scar.

I dashed forward with all my might to shake off the lingering wounds. Haru followed a half-beat behind me. And so I ran through the darkness with a blind girl connected to me by the scent of blood. The night of slaughter, denied its dawn, deepened in that manner.

“Haa…haa…hoo…”

“Hee…urgh…I think some flesh got in my mouth. Not sure whose it is, though.”

“That’s mine. You bit me out of nowhere.”

“I don’t know if it’s comforting, but it was delicious. Nice and chewy.”

“Hah…”

At the end of the long night, what greeted me was the blood-tinged autumn wind. Gravel embedded itself into my bare soles without even socks for protection. Blood trickled down my unwashed face. And trudging down a path with not a single light, carrying an exhausted junior on my back, fatigue pressed down heavily around my eyes. I felt like I’d collapse into bed the moment I got back.

“Are we still far? I’m tired and hungry.”

“Almost there. Probably.”

“On a day like today, I want something sweet. Like a cake with lots of whipped cream on top.”

“We don’t have anything like that.”

“Then should we go back and look? Maybe we’d find some if we searched Miss Lena’s quarters thoroughly.”

“Shut up. Please, shut up.”

It had been a long time since I’d cursed someone to their face. I couldn’t tell whether I was that exhausted or whether the blind girl on my back was simply that annoying.

Fortunately, before long, a severed wrist came into view at the edge of my sight. Haru must have smelled it too, as she sniffed about and delivered a belated report.

“Senior. You may not know this, but there’s a smell of rotting corpses nearby. You should probably be careful.”

“That’s the smell coming from my room. I impaled a wrist by the door as a warning.”

“Good heavens. I hope you’re not collecting them.”

“And there’s someone else inside, so don’t be startled.”

Truthfully, the one who should have been warned was Saya. I stood before the door with a trace of fear. Then, as gently as possible, I called her name.

“Saya. I’m back.”

“Ah…wait a moment…!”

Soon, a lovely voice from inside was accompanied by light footsteps pattering against the floor. Somehow, just hearing it made my heart feel at ease. Saya, emerging from the door, widened her eyes like a rabbit the moment she saw me.

“Good heavens…what happened, Lope?”

“Could I come in and explain first?”

“Yes. Sorry. Come in quickly.”

“Thank you.”

I stepped inside, expressing my sincere gratitude. Saya’s fragrance, filling the room, pleasantly moistened my nose, but the thought of explaining today’s events already made my head throb.

Unable to bear the mounting stress, I set Haru down almost like throwing her. I secretly hoped she’d be shaken, but she executed a perfect breakfall from class and landed lightly. Then, as if nothing had happened, she sprang up and greeted Saya.

“Good heavens. Hello, Miss Saya. I’m Haru. You’re as beautiful as I heard.”

“What? Ah…I’m…”

“Don’t pay it any mind. She’s a junior from my swordsmanship class. Blind, as you can see.”

“That was supposed to be a secret. That’s too much.”

Haru pouted as if genuinely offended. But then she put on a mischievous expression and sniffed in Saya’s direction.

“But her voice is really pretty. Who is she?”

“Saya. A classmate.”

“You had a friend?”

“Never mind. Just go wash up. I set aside some water in the bathroom.”

“What? But…agh!”

Before Haru could even open her mouth, I grabbed her by the back of the neck and dragged her toward the bathroom. Then I threw the door open and tossed her inside.

“You can manage on your own, right? Do you need help?”

“No, I don’t really need that…but no food?”

“Wash up and then eat.”

I did feel I was being too harsh, but exhaustion had reached its peak and I simply couldn’t muster any consideration. After confirming the sound of water pouring from the bathroom, I staggered toward the bed.

As I threw myself onto the soft sheets, all the accumulated fatigue rushed in at once. If I closed my eyes like this, I’d fall asleep instantly. Saya watched me for a moment, then quietly perched on the edge of the bed.

“Are you okay?”

“…More or less.”

“Is it okay to just leave that girl, Haru, like that?”

“She’ll manage fine on her own. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah…”

Saya seemed unsatisfied with my answer and cast a worried glance toward the bathroom. No matter how I looked at it, she was far too kind an elf to be left in a world like this.

“But shouldn’t you take a bit more care of her? You said she can’t see.”

“She can take care of herself just fine. It’s fine.”

“I know, but…it seems like you treat her so differently. You were much gentler with me than that.”

“That’s because…”

I tried to respond indifferently but trailed off. Looking into Saya’s pure eyes, I somehow felt at a loss for words.

“The situation with you is a bit different.”

“Is that so? The situation with me is different?”

“Well…”

“Or is there…a reason you’re only nice to me?”

“…”

“…”

Fatigue washed over me again and I fell silent. Saya, for whatever reason, wore an expression of someone lost in thought. Beneath her small hand, the white bedsheet rustled as if being drawn in.

The atmosphere was so awkward that I scratched my nose without realizing. Saya then pointed at my hand with a startled voice.

“Lope. Isn’t your hand bleeding?”

“Ah.”

That knife wound from earlier, perhaps. When I took off my glove, blood was flowing from the wound I’d offered to prove my identity to Haru. I thought I’d treated it roughly, but it seemed the wound had reopened during the escape.

“It’s just a small cut. It’ll heal by tomorrow, so don’t worry.”

“What on earth happened today?”

“It’s too long to explain.”

“Can you give me your hand first? Let me take a look.”

“Ah, sure.”

When I nodded, Saya carefully took my hand as if receiving a child. As her skin, as soft as flower petals, touched mine, my shoulders flinched involuntarily. The warmth transmitted through that contact seeped all the way to my face.

“It’s a deep cut. Doesn’t it hurt?”

“No.”

“If you leave it like this, it might get infected.”

“It’s fine. It’s nothing that serious.”

I replied casually, but I couldn’t bring myself to look her in the face. The sight of the blonde elf examining my hand from every angle felt inexplicably embarrassing.

But as I kept looking away, the sensation of her fingers tapping against my palm felt remarkably distinct. Were elven hands this soft? If I closed my eyes quietly, I felt like I could even sense the patterns of her fingerprints.

That was why, when her moist lips descended upon the wound, I was so startled I nearly leapt off the bed.

“Sa…Saya?”

“Ah…sorry. Did I startle you?”

“What are you doing?”

“Well…”

Saya blushed like a child caught doing something wrong. It was surely my imagination, but it still felt as though the trace of a kiss lingered on my palm.

“Saliva has disinfecting properties, so I thought I should at least do that. Did it make you uncomfortable?”

“No. But…human saliva doesn’t have that effect. Is it different for elves?”

“Humans can’t, huh. I didn’t know. Anyway, this is the only thing I can do for you…As long as you’re not uncomfortable, I want to help, even if just like this. Is that okay?”

“Well…”

I should have refused, but I simply couldn’t. I only averted my gaze, and Saya must have interpreted that as consent, for she lowered her head toward my palm again.

Soon, her lips met the wound again, and a moist tongue settled upon it. Then it began to gently stroke the exposed flesh between the edges of the cut.

“…”

“Mmm…”

“…”

“…Ngh.”

“Ah, sorry. Did that hurt?”

“No…it’s fine.”

It didn’t hurt. Electricity simply tingled through every nerve in my body. Each time her tongue touched my palm, warm, moist fluid trickled down, and the sound of skin sticking to skin violated my ears. It even felt as though a tongue was being thrust directly into my ear, sucking.

But if I so much as flinched a finger, I felt like I’d end up clutching Saya’s entire small face in one hand. Her cheek kept brushing against my index finger, and that soft sensation was overwhelmingly distracting.

Amidst all this, the scent of her saliva carried no trace of forget-me-not. It was simply the scent of pheromones that stirred something inexplicable, like any human’s. But precisely because of that, the atmosphere grew even more charged.

If this continued, I felt I wouldn’t be able to contain my surging desire. Contrary to the desires in my heart, I slightly drew back my hand and spoke.

“Hey, Saya. You can stop now.”

“Are you sure? It doesn’t hurt?”

“Yeah. I’m really fine.”

“Then…”

I hastily withdrew my hand and clenched it into a tight fist. I needed to suppress the urge to smell it, even if that was what it took.

Even so, Saya worried and examined me from various angles. To distract her gaze, I deliberately asked a question.

“By the way, Saya. Were you okay today? I was late without any word.”

“Hm? I was fine. I’m used to being alone.”

“I see. Did anyone come looking for me?”

“No one. Except for one person.”

“…What?”

An unexpected answer flew back to a thoughtlessly tossed question. In an instant, the warmth lingering on my palm turned cold.

“Someone came? When?”

“Well…I’m not sure about the time. I think it was around evening. Someone lingered by the door and then just left.”

“Lingered and then just left?”

“Yeah. I tried to ask who it was, but I felt like they’d discover I was inside…so I just stayed quiet. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you didn’t. Did you see who it was? Or hear their voice?”

“They came and called your name, I think. They said their own name too. But it was too quiet, so I couldn’t hear well. I only caught the last syllable…”

Saya bit her lip thoughtfully. Then, with an uncertain voice, she finally answered.

“I think it was a name ending in ‘ka’…It might have been a voice I heard often at the school gates back when we attended the Academy. Do you have any idea who it might be?”