Darkness stretched across the land, slowly swallowing whatever warmth the sunset had left behind.
Nathan sat and leaned his hands back atop the wooden wall, pistol resting idly in his hand, eyes scanning the field out of habit rather than necessity.
And admittedly… because he had absolutely nothing else to do.
…Aside from reflecting on his terrible decision-making ability.
More importantly — he had burned through all thirty-four of his mana in the first few minutes.
Hunter's Mark cost one mana per use.
And he used it like it was free.
Walkers that entered his range — instantly marked.
The result?
[Mana: 1/34]
"…Yeah. That was dumb," he muttered under his breath.
So now, he was forced into a rare and uncomfortable state:
Restraint.
Nathan decided not to engage the Walkers for now. No unnecessary shots, no skill usage — nothing that would drain resources unless absolutely needed.
Because if something stronger showed up — he would need every bit of mana he could get.
Thankfully, after receiving Lunarinas' blessing, his mana recovery rate seemed to improve.
From what he could tell — about one mana per five minutes, which meant slightly less than three hours from empty to full. A big improvement compared to the almost two hours just to recover ten before that.
Not bad, he thought.
So he waited and watch, counting time through the slow ticking return of his mana pool.
For the first hour, nothing major happened. The world allowed him some peace.
But it didn't last too long.
A blur cut through the darkness.
Fast.
A Runner.
Nathan's posture straightened instantly as he activated Hunter's Mark and took aim.
The laser sight flickered across the creature's movement, trying to predict where it would be — not where it was.
He fired—
Miss.
"…Tch. I thought these guys could only run in straight lines."
The Runner zigzagged sharply, its limbs twisting in ways that made anatomical sense take a day off.
Second shot.
[Critical Hit!]
It staggered — but kept coming.
Third shot—
Another miss.
Fourth.
Fifth.
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
The final bullet pierced through its skull cleanly.
The Runner collapsed mid-motion, sliding across the dirt before going completely still.
Nathan lowered his gun slightly.
"…Five shots," he sighed. "Should've been three… skill issue confirmed."
He rolled his shoulder once.
Then, his brain naturally kicked back into analysis mode.
Killing Runners put him at a loss.
E-Rank zombies were stronger, faster, and annoyingly inefficient. Even with Hunter's Mark active, they required at least three headshots to kill. Which meant three bullets minimum.
Worse, E-Rank runestones couldn't be used as ammo-crafting material. The only use for them were they can be sold in the system shop… for two SC each.
Exactly the price of a single 9mm round.
Best-case scenario?
Break even, killing them in one shot. Which was impossible.
The only saving grace was they yielded ten times more EXP than Walkers.
Nathan tilted his head slightly.
…Yeah. I guess that's fair.
The wind brushed lightly against his skin, carrying with it the faint stench of decay from the field below.
Silence returned.
Then—
"Um…"
Nathan glanced sideways. "What?"
"What am I supposed to be doing?" Natsu asked.
Nathan blinked. That question carried more weight than it sounded.
Natsu shifted slightly where she sat, her tail flicking once behind her — subtle, and somewhat… restless.
"Honestly…" she continued, hesitating, "after all the chaos of running and killing zombies every night while I was on the run…"
Her gaze drifted toward the field.
"…Sitting here and just watching you kill them without even trying… it's… bothering me."
Nathan studied her quietly.
Yeah… understandable.
Adrenaline didn't just disappear.
It lingered, clawed at you.
Made stillness feel wrong.
"Didn't I already tell you?" he said casually. "I want someone to watch my back. In case something out of my control happens."
"I… don't know," she admitted, fingers tightening slightly against her sleeve. "I'm too used to constant fighting… staying alert all the time and… it just…"
Her ears drooped a little. "…I don't like the idea of hiding behind someone."
Nathan leaned against the wooden railing he'd recently added — partially for cover, partially because it made him feel like a professional.
He glanced at her, then let out a small breath.
"Then don't think of it as hiding," he said, a faint smile forming. "Think of it as… front-row seating."
"…That's not reassuring."
"It should be," he replied lightly. "Best view in the house."
She stared at him, still unconvinced.
"…You deserve a break," he added, softer this time.
Natsu paused.
"…A break?" she repeated, like the concept itself was foreign.
"Yeah. You've been surviving on your own this whole time, right? Running, fighting, barely making it through each night." He shrugged. "That sounds exhausting."
She didn't answer, but her ears flicked once.
Twice.
Nathan looked forward again.
I could ask and send her out there… deal with Runners, and other ammo-inefficient zombies, she probably wouldn't complain.
His grip tightened slightly around the pistol.
…But no.
Not happening.
He wasn't about to sit comfortably behind a wall while someone else risked their life for his convenience.
Not her.
Not after everything she'd been through.
She still hated humans — that much was obvious.
And yet—
She was still here.
Still talking to him.
Still… trusting him.
That alone said enough.
"…Just relax," he said. "And step in if something actually dangerous shows up."
A clean compromise.
Natsu exhaled softly, shoulders easing just a little. "…You're weirdly kind."
"You only noticed that now?"
"…."
A faint chuckle slipped out of her.
Nathan smiled then glanced up at the sky. It had grown darker — deeper.
Not yet a complete darkness, but enough to make everything beyond the wall feel uncertain.
…Still have some time before things get ugly.
He tilted his head slightly.
Then—
"…Hey."
"…Yeah?"
"…Can't you just shoot zombies with magic?"
She blinked. "…No."
"…At all?"
She raised a hand. "…Amber."
A small flame flickered into existence at the tip of her finger — about the size of a lighter's fire.
"This is my limit." she said.
"…That's still amazing in my eyes, but also… kinda underwhelming for our current situation."
"I'm a Spellblade Class," she said flatly. "Not a Mage or a Sorcerer."
"…Right."
Still don't fully get what those are… but I can guess.
The flame vanished.
"…Without a proper runic weapon, that's all I can do," she added.
Nathan scratched his cheek. "…Then how did you survive all this time with just a rusted sword?"
She shrugged. "Walkers are slow. Easy to outrun… or kill when necessary."
"And Runners? Jumpers?"
"They only show up every so often," she replied. "Manageable."
"'Manageable,' she said…" Nathan groaned.
He tried to imagine fighting those things in melee range.
The thought alone sent shivers down to his core.
She's definitely tougher than she looks…
"I guess you're right," Natsu said suddenly. "maybe I should enjoy freedom and conserve my energy while I still have the chance… in case something dangerous shows up."
"Good call."
A short pause followed.
"…And thank you," she said quietly.
Nathan blinked. "…For what?"
"…For letting me stay here." Her gaze drifted away slightly. "…Even though I haven't really done anything to repay you."
Nathan waved it off. "Don't worry about it."
"…Still—"
"You've already taught me a lot about this world," he cut in. "That's more than enough."
She looked back at him.
"And I'll definitely ask more later," he added casually. "So we're even."
For a beat, Natsu just stared.
Then she chuckled.
A soft, genuine chuckle.
"…I still can't believe this," she said.
"…What?"
"That I'm just… talking to a human like this." She shook her head slightly. "Without being ordered around all the time."
Nathan's expression softened.
Silence settled between them again — the comfortable kind.
Then—
"You know what," Nathan said suddenly.
"…What?"
"You can actually help me."
Her ears perked up instantly. "…How?"
Alright… here we go.
"…If you become my partner."
Smooth. Very smooth. Absolutely flawless delivery, me.
"What do you mean by 'partner'?" she asked, tilting her head.
"You see," Nathan began, slipping into a more explanatory tone, "the usage restriction on my weaponry gets lifted if someone compatible becomes my partner. And apparently… you qualify."
"…And?"
"…Then we can take turns shooting zombies," he continued. "I can handle other things mid-fight — like reloading, repairing, whatever."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Really?"
"Yeah."
A brief pause.
Then her expression sharpened.
"…What kind of partnership are we talking about here?"
There it is.
"Hmm…" Nathan hummed, tapping his chin like he was considering something profound.
Then he straightened slightly, putting on a deliberately thoughtful expression.
"Friend — no… that doesn't quite cover it," he said, shaking his head. "Something closer to… soulmate, maybe."
Natsu blinked.
"…That escalated quickly."
"A small part of our souls would be connected." Nathan said smoothly, as if that was a completely normal sentence. "Nothing too dramatic. Just enough to share certain benefits."
She narrowed her eyes.
"…That already sounds dramatic."
Nathan ignored that.
"But," he added, raising a finger, "there's a catch."
"…Go on."
"If the partnership ends," he said calmly, "there will be backlash. On both sides."
Natsu went quiet.
"…Backlash?" she repeated.
"A severe one," Nathan confirmed. "So… think carefully before deciding."
Silence lingered.
Nathan kept his expression steady.
I'm not lying.
This is just… strategic phrasing.
The system said she only needs to know about how the bond work… not that I have to explain it like a legal contract.
And somehow… I already fulfilled the 'intimate contact' requirement…
Still not unpacking that. Nope. Not today.
Natsu looked down, clearly thinking. Her ears twitched once… then settled.
A few seconds passed before she speak.
"…Sure," she said.
Nathan blinked. "…Wait, really?"
She shrugged lightly. "Why not?"
"…That's your reasoning?"
"I like you — quite a lot to be honest," she said simply. "You're easy to talk to. And you didn't try to enslave me every five minutes. If anything, you freed me from one."
She paused, then added casually "Which is a surprisingly high bar for me."
Nathan froze for half a second, her honesty mede his cheeks a little heated. "…Oh."
"And shooting zombies looks fun," she added.
"…Right. That too." A small grin tugged at his lips. "And here I thought I was the only one getting called a 'psychopath' for thinking that way."
Natsu huffed, though there was no real heat behind it. "…Sorry about that, I guess."
"Apology accepted," he said casually.
Then he straightened slightly, his tone shifting just enough to feel… official.
"Then it's decided." he extended his hand toward her. "Miyuki Natsukawa… would you like to join my Pact?"
"Sure," she replied immediately, taking his hand.
Then—
"…Wait," she added, blinking, frowning. "'Pact'? And how did you know my full name?!"
Right on cue—
A system notification appeared.
[Miyuki Natsukawa has joined your Hunter's Pact]
[Miyuki Natsukawa's soul-bound firearm is now unlocked for both her and your use]
A faint shimmer rippled through the air.
Natsu stared blankly for a second… then slowly turned toward him.
"…Um… Nathan?"
"…Yeah?"
She pointed forward, eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What is this… 'Welcome to Nathan Nightshade's Hunter's Pact' text hovering in front of me?"
"...."
"...."
"…Okay, first of all — who approved that lame name?"