Anime Crossover: Post-Apocalyptic Survival, My Stand is the World

There was also a hint of worry that she herself hadn't even noticed.

Su Chen looked at her.

Looking at her beautiful face, her brows slightly furrowed with worry.

He suddenly laughed.

"Yukinoshita."

"……what?"

"Is there a possibility," Su Chen said, his tone lazy and irritating, "that a lion wouldn't actually care how many ants it has stepped on?"

This metaphor is incredibly arrogant.

But it is the truth.

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for half a second.

Yes.

He, and them.

They are not even the same species.

She smiled wryly.

"I understand. It seems I was overthinking it."

“No, you’re overthinking it.” Su Chen shook his head. “Your concerns are valid.”

"Eh?"

"Fists can solve problems, but they can't solve all problems."

Su Chen unscrewed the thermos and took a sip of hot water.

Yes, I also added some honey.

This woman is quite thoughtful.

"A lion doesn't need to care about ants. But what if this lion doesn't want to be a solitary beast and wants to build its own 'Lion King's Territory'?"

"Then it needs a steward who can help it manage all the other animals."

He turned his head, and his dark eyes shone frighteningly brightly in the night.

"A steward who can understand what the 'sheep' are saying, distribute fodder to them, and keep them producing milk in peace."

Su Chen looked at Yukino Yukinoshita and spoke slowly, word by word.

"Drive away the disobedient wolves and kill the foxes that want to steal sheep. This is my job, the job of the 'King'."

"But this 'home' needs to be a place where we can cook, live, and where everyone feels that staying here is better than being out there to be eaten by wolves."

"—This is your job, Yukinoshita."

"It's the 'Queen's' job."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita was completely stunned.

She stared blankly at the man in front of her.

Looking into his serious eyes, it didn't seem like he was joking.

She originally thought that in his eyes, she was just a fairly smart "tool" who could help him deal with troubles.

But she never expected it.

In this man's plan, she was actually a "queen" who was on equal footing with him?

An indescribable surge of joy, a mixture of shock, emotion, and recognition, washed over her like the warmest hot spring, instantly breaking down the last dam in her heart, a dam built of pride and coldness.

original……

Is that how he sees me?

"I……"

She wanted to say something, but found that something was blocking her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

My eye sockets are uncontrollably getting hot.

"Alright, it's late at night, stop being so sentimental."

Su Chen stood up and, quite naturally, reached out and patted her head.

The action was like an older brother comforting a sulking younger sister.

"Go back to sleep now, my 'Queen'."

"There's a ton of chores to deal with tomorrow, waiting for you, the head housekeeper, to worry about. If you don't rest soon, you might end up 'unable to get up again'."

After saying that, he stopped looking at her, sat down cross-legged again, and continued his unwavering cultivation.

Yukino sat in the same spot for a very long time.

Finally, she silently stood up, picked up the empty thermos, and quietly left the rooftop.

Just this time.

When she turned back and looked at that figure standing alone in the cold wind on the rooftop, guarding the peaceful sleep of them all.

The wariness and scrutiny that had been there before were gone from her eyes.

All that remains is the purest, most heartfelt recognition.

And, a gentleness that even she herself was unwilling to admit.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Night in the Equipment Room

The night fell completely still.

In the equipment room, only a last ember of dark red embers remained in the brazier, casting several crooked shadows onto the wall, swaying gently.

Su Chen sat cross-legged in the middle, breathing heavily, as if he were asleep, or as if he had taken root in the darkness.

Around him, five girls who should have been asleep were all awake.

……

"Shh..."

In the darkness, the fabric rustled softly. Kasumigaoka Utaha held her breath and moved the cushion beneath her a little further toward the man in the middle.

Her wine-red eyes shone like two tiny flames in the darkness, staring intently at Su Chen's back.

The feeling of the man whispering in her ear during the day, like a feather, still lingers in her heart. That mix of shame and anger, now in the silence, strangely lingers, making her want to taste it again.

Unconsciously, she raised her hand and touched her still burning earlobe. Her fingertips slid down and finally stopped on her thigh covered in black stockings.

'If I were to write him into my next novel…'

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Kasumigaoka Utaha's cheeks burned intensely.

'The first chapter... begins on a night like this...'

……

On the other side, Yukino Yukinoshita lay perfectly straight, her posture impeccable, as if she were simply resting with her eyes closed.

But in the dim light, her small hands, clasped together on her abdomen, gripped the blanket beneath her tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

Of course she couldn't sleep.

"King" and "Prime Minister", "Sword" and "Shield"... The words Su Chen said during the day were still swirling in her mind.

Those words were like a key, unlocking a corner of her heart that had never been touched before. A feeling of being seen through and affirmed sent a subtle shiver down her spine.

Along with it came a hint of...unfamiliar sweetness.

She could clearly hear the man's steady, long breathing from the center of the room. The sound made her feel incredibly at ease, yet it also unsettled her.

My body started to feel hot.

She quietly lifted the blanket a crack, letting the night breeze slip in. The coolness brushed against her neck, which was damp with a thin layer of sweat, bringing a strange, tingling sensation.

She couldn't help but let out a very soft, almost inaudible murmur from her throat.

"Um……"

……

"breathe……"

"breathe……"

Yui Yuigahama tried to adjust her breathing, just like Su Chen, but her face was still burning red.

So hot.

The fire was almost out, so why did this small equipment room feel so stuffy that it was hard to breathe?

She quickly figured out the reason. The air seemed to be filled with that man's scent, a faint smell of sweat mixed with the smoky aroma of charcoal, which somehow made her blush and her heart race.

She pulled the blanket up over her head, trying to shut out the smell.

But the heat seemed to emanate from within her own body, impossible to escape. In the end, she could only let out a pitiful whimper like a small animal, burying her burning cheeks hard into the pillow.

……

"rustle……"

There was another sound of movement, this time it was Eriri.

The blonde girl with pigtails, like a little hamster, hugged her pillow and blanket and shuffled little by little closer to Su Chen.

The feeling of being held in his arms during the day was so reassuring; she wanted it again.

Closer...closer...

Finally, her mat touched Su Chen's mat. A wave of warmth immediately washed over her, like a small heater. This warmth was strange; instead of making her feel hot, it instantly calmed her wildly beating heart.

She let out a satisfied sigh, turned her back to Su Chen, and curled herself into a small ball.

His mouth involuntarily opened into a wide grin, and he laughed foolishly.

She was the first one to fall asleep tonight with a smile on her face.

……

In the corner, Mai Sakurajima watched everything unfold with her eyes wide open.

Seeing the girls who seemed to be drawn to the center, unconsciously crowding around her, a smile of amusement and helplessness curved her lips.

'What a bunch of idiots.'

Her gaze shifted to the person at the center of the storm.

'And this one, clearly a furnace herself, yet she insists on pretending to be completely aloof from everyone else…'

'What a sinful man.'

She also felt a bit hot, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her skin, making it sticky.

The blanket slipped down her smooth shoulders a little. She turned over to face Su Chen, quietly watching the profile of his face outlined by the firelight.

Deep within those gentle eyes lay a hint of possessiveness, known only to herself.

'It doesn't matter. '

She chuckled to herself.

'I've seen through everything you've been thinking.'

The night, along with the secrets of the young girls in this room, drifted into a state of blissful intoxication.

Chapter Thirty: A New Journey

The next day, early in the morning.

Su Chen opened his eyes right on time.