Azlan expected Akane would show a rejection reaction or at least anxiety when he returned bringing another survivor again.
After all, the Tomaru case was still fresh and bitter, which almost caused a tragedy. It wouldn't be surprising if Akane was very suspicious of outsiders.
However, what surprised him, Akane's reaction was actually the opposite. As soon as Azlan introduced Mirai who was still curled up in his jacket, Akane immediately welcomed her with a warm and friendly smile.
"Welcome, Kamiki-san. I'm Kurokawa Akane. Your experience must have been pitiful. Don't worry, it's safe here."
So she said, even helping to wrap Mirai with an additional blanket and bringing her inside the house to warm up.
(Maybe because they're both women?) Azlan thought, trying to find logic.
He shrugged, relieved that no drama occurred. He then lifted the somewhat limp rooster, showing his hunting results to Akane.
"This is it. I'll slaughter it now."
"Wow, amazing, Azlan-kun!" Akane praised.
Azlan then went outside the house to slaughter the chicken, leaving the two girls in the house.
What Azlan didn't realize, Akane's friendly smile and acceptance of Mirai was just a surface layer.
Behind her friendliness, Akane was full of vigilance sharpened by bad experience.
Akane realized Azlan's extraordinarily sincere kindness, so to prevent that man's kindness from being exploited by evil people like Tomaru, she decided not to just trust Mirai. However, she did it in a subtle way.
While helping Mirai take a warm bath and lending warm clothes, and making tea, Akane slipped in questions.
Those questions were perfectly disguised within light conversation between women: about origins, work, family, how she ended up stranded here, first impressions of Azlan. Everything sounded like casual chat to get to know each other.
Mirai, still enveloped in gratitude, relief, and perhaps a bit of naive trust because she was saved by Azlan, didn't realize at all that she was being tested.
Innocently, she answered every question, sometimes even adding small details. Step by step, unconsciously, she fell into Akane's conversational trap.
And through that disguised interrogation session, Akane could slowly map out Mirai's character. The sincerity of her gratitude to Azlan, her longing for family, her natural fear, and lack of malicious intent or manipulation.
What Akane wanted to know, she had now obtained all the information. Mirai was not a threat.
Their relationship even became increasingly close when they found common ground: both were involved in the entertainment industry.
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Meanwhile...
At the edge of the building's roof.
Azlan sat on a low bench. In front of him, a rooster that had been slaughtered and soaked in a large basin of hot water. He waited for five minutes, letting the heat loosen those feathers.
Five minutes later, he began working, accompanied by three of the six Squadron Automatons: Hotaru, Kagerou, and Tamamushi, the four of them plucked the chicken feathers carefully so as not to damage the meat's texture.
The other three Automatons—Kamakiri, Mitsubachi, and Himegumo—were on Akane's side.
That was Azlan's precautionary measure in case Mirai tried to do something bad to Akane.
Better safe than sorry.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Physical work in groups was indeed much faster than alone. With help from Hotaru, Kagerou, and Tamamushi, the chicken feather plucking process that usually took a long time was completed in less than ten minutes.
The chicken was now clean, ready to be cooked.
Azlan stood, observing their work results. His eyes then shifted to the three Automatons standing calmly, waiting for the next command.
"Although your appearance is that of beautiful girls, in the end, you are not human."
He approached Hotaru, who stood closest. His hand reached for the thin veil covering Hotaru's face, and pulled it aside.
The Automaton's face was fully exposed: porcelain skin, large eyes colored like firefly light, and pale pink lips.
Azlan touched Hotaru's cheek. The surface felt smooth, extraordinarily similar to human skin, even warm.
His touch slid with full curiosity, descending from the cheekbone, following the jawline, and finally stopping at her lips. A light touch there revealed something even more amazing: moisture. Those lips felt wet, as if there was a thin layer of saliva.
Azlan was full of undeniable admiration.
"Even her mouth is wet with saliva..."
"The person who created you, Akabane Tenzen... He's truly an extraordinary person. The level of detail is very impressive."
He slowly withdrew his finger, looking at Hotaru who remained silent, not showing the slightest emotion of embarrassment or anger at Azlan's action which, by normal standards, counted as sexual harassment.
"Master is correct. Tenzen-sama was a genius among geniuses. We are proof of that."
Kagerou and Tamamushi nodded in agreement with Hotaru's statement, their expressions also empty. They were created with intelligence, but not with complex human emotions.
"Thank you for helping me pluck the chicken feathers. If those helping me were normal young girls, on average they would feel disgusted or unable to, right?"
Azlan knew very well that girls the age of Mirai or Akane would be disgusted seeing raw poultry blood and filth.
As an expression of thanks, he extended his hand and patted the heads of the three Automatons one by one with movements almost like praising obedient pets.
Hotaru, Kagerou, and Tamamushi just let him, neither rejecting nor showing pleasure.
"Alright. Let's bring this inside. Akane must be waiting."
Taking the clean chicken, Azlan turned and walked toward the house. Behind him, without needing orders, Hotaru, Tamamushi, and Kagerou followed him with silent steps, like loyal shadows always ready to serve.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Entering the warm house, Azlan commanded Hotaru, Tamamushi, and Kagerou to gather with Kamakiri, Himegumo, and Mitsubachi in the living room. They were the remaining squadron members.
"You wait here. Do whatever you want, whether watching movie tapes on TV or just light chatting. Don't make trouble."
Then, Azlan headed to the kitchen. There, he found a quite harmonious scene.
Akane stood in front of the portable stove, busy with a pan, while Mirai was carefully slicing vegetables on a cutting board.
Akane had given Mirai a set of clothes: a soft cream-colored sweater and long gray training pants.
After all, they weren't lacking in clothes. Akane's 4D Pocket was a warehouse containing the results of their 'exploration' in various clothing stores and neglected malls.
Although dressed simply, Mirai's beauty didn't fade. Her long reddish-brown hair was now loosely tied to the side, several strands escaping to frame her elegant face. The warm sweater color made her pale skin look more alive.
Her ideal body shape was still faintly visible beneath the comfortable fabric material, adding to the impression of natural elegance. She looked like a flower that had just been moved to the right pot—still fragile, but beginning to show its true beauty.
"Finished already? Azlan-kun is very fast."
Hearing approaching footsteps, Akane turned around. Seeing it was Azlan and the clean chicken in his hand, she approached to take the chicken.
However, her steps stopped. Her keen eyes caught something on Azlan's hand.
"Azlan-kun..."
She immediately held Azlan's free hand, examining it carefully.
On Azlan's index finger, there was a shallow scratch wound, probably from a chicken bone or unintentional claw. So focused on his work, Azlan himself didn't notice it. The mark was just a thin red line, no longer bleeding.
"Just a small wound. This will heal by itself in a few hours."
Azlan tried to pull his hand back slowly. For him who was accustomed to far more serious wounds, this really meant nothing.
"It can't be like that. Any wound, no matter how small, must be treated. Don't let it get infected."
Akane held him tighter, her expression serious and full of concern that might be excessive for a wound that small.
"Then I'll get the first aid kit."
Hearing this conversation, Mirai who had been focused on slicing, prepared to leave the kitchen to help get the first aid kit.
However, her steps stopped abruptly.
But, her footsteps stopped. Mirai covered her open mouth with her palm, shocked to see the scene that suddenly occurred before her eyes.
Without warning, Akane pulled Azlan closer, tilted her head, and directly kissed him aggressively.
This wasn't just a lip touch.
Although she'd never dated, Mirai knew from manga and dramas that what was happening before her eyes was a French kiss.
She could see faint movements in Akane's cheeks, indicating her tongue was actively moving inside Azlan's mouth.
Small faint sounds, perhaps breath or fluid exchange, were heard in the kitchen's silence.
Akane was actually using the Heal-Heal Fruit ability to heal Azlan's wound.
However, from Mirai's perspective who didn't know the truth, they were a couple showing affection in front of her!
(Ehhh....!? So... so their relationship is like that...!?)
This was the first time in her life Mirai witnessed a couple kissing directly, especially with that kind of intensity.
Embarrassment, admiration, curiosity, and a bit of awkwardness mixed together.
She wanted to close her eyes, but her body seemed frozen. Mirai could only stand there, with a burning red face, witnessing this highly unconventional 'treatment' taking place.