Maids VS Apocalypse
Chapter 154: Placeholder - .

Chapter 154: Placeholder Chapter.

Sam barely made it in time for lunch. The moment he met with Shizuru and basked in the radiance of her smile he felt his soul burn like an evil spirit getting exorcised.

The gilt of his betrayal coiled around his heart like chains even with his attempts to look at it in a positive light. The pain meant that he cared about the Asian girl, otherwise, his entanglement with Alice would have been enough to erase all feelings for her.

How devastating would it be when the time finally comes for them to part ways? Just thinking about it added to the pain tormenting Sam.

"You don’t look any better," Shizuru fixed him with a scrutinizing look. "Don’t tell me you didn’t get any rest..."

His exhaustion was difficult to hide so Sam had prepared an excuse beforehand. The truth about his betrayal would have to wait for some time.

"I recalled something concerning my research," He said. "By the time I knew it was already morning."

"Your research, huh..." Shizuru narrowed her eyes. "You and those nanomachines of yours."

The lie was easy to accept seeing that this wasn’t his first time losing track of the real world while absorbed in his research. A lie was still a lie, however, and his girlfriend believing it only worsened the guilt.

The lunch date passed without a problem, or so Sam hoped. Though there was no proof he had an inkling that Shizuru did notice something off about him but chose to not mention it. Being paranoid didn’t do him any good so he threw it to the back of his mind and headed for his lab.

More time passed and the stress returned, but for a different reason. The Valkyries hadn’t returned by the usual time which could only mean some unforeseen events took place. It wasn’t until 17:00 that the three weapons returned.

D-class Calamities had appeared in their way, and while not too powerful, they proved to be a little difficult to deal with. In the end, they managed to finish them off and returned after making sure no more Calamities were in the vicinity.

Though the Valkyries didn’t have a scratch on them, the appearance of Calamities was worrying. With this last encounter, the three had fought eight Calamities in a single month. That wasn’t much when compared to other Resistance bases, but for the Forty Sixth, it was a huge spike, seeing that the territory under its surveillance sometimes goes months without any sightings.

Sam held back on conducting his experiments and allowed the routine examination to proceed without a hitch. When it was done and the Valkyries came out he informed them of something important he had planned for the day.

"You’re visiting our quarters?" Nine asked, tilting her head and looking confused.

"That’s new." Zero Three narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "No human ever visits our side of the base. Even the commander rarely drops by."

"My security clearance has been increased recently so I decided to see what it’s like over there," Sam hid the fact that he had been ordered to keep an eye on them. "Since I have a lot of free time I might even start visiting quite often."

The revelation drew wide-eyed looks from the three before their expressions revealed what they felt about the news. Zero Three didn’t hide her displeasure, now aware that she had no place to escape the nagging. Zero Five’s stoic mask cracked and the happiness she felt showed in her reddening cheeks and small smile. Nine was struggling to stay put, and if the other two weren’t around, she would have jumped at him and demanded that they perform an experiment right away.

Saying his first visit would be right afterward Sam urged the three to quickly go and shower. In the meantime, he edited the examination results and wrote his report.

"Doctor~♡ We are done~"

Nine was the first to return and the other two soon followed suit. They wore their black sailor uniforms, with Nine’s being the only different one. Her skirt reached all the way to her ankles, most likely because a short one wouldn’t suit a mature woman like her. Zero Five wore stockings under hers so it didn’t appear out of place, but only Zero Three could pass for a schoolgirl.

"Alright, let’s go," Sam said, standing up from his seat.

The lab was the closest area to the Valkyries’ quarters. It didn’t seem like there were any other entrances so if one wanted to go there they would have to pass by the lab first. At the end of the corridor were two big metallic doors. It was Sam’s first time seeing them despite spending a lot of time only a short distance away.

"This door leads to the living quarters." Zero Three said, pointing at the left door first then the right. "This one leads to the waiting room where we change into battle gear. There are other doors that lead to it from the living quarters so this one is mostly used when we return for the examination."

"I see..."

Going through the door to the left the four walked through another long corridor. Despite her earlier reaction, Zero Three was leading the way, positively beaming with excitement. Zero Five was right behind her with Sam at the very back and Nine walking beside him.

"Doctor, how about you stop by my room before you head back." The blond Valkyrie said. "There is something I would like to show you~♡"

Her intentions were clear in the tone of her voice. It drew curious glances from the other two, though they didn’t appear to grasp the meaning behind what she said.

"Maybe another time," Sam said. "I intend to keep today’s visit short."

His night with Alice had left him satisfied so he was in no hurry to enjoy playing with the three. There was the coming dinner date with Shizuru as well.

The group reached another metallic door that opened automatically when they approached it. Beyond it was a wide room with a high ceiling. The lights were brighter, giving the area a different atmosphere from the dimly lit corridors they had passed.

"We are here!" Zero Three jumped ahead then turned to face them with her arms spread. "Welcome to our home!"

The difference in treatment between the Valkyries and normal soldiers was apparent from that room alone. It resembled a hotel lobby with a number of sofas placed around coffee tables, chairs near the walls, and decorative plants at every corner. There were TVs installed here and there as well. Even the illumination was different, giving off a cozy vibe that made Sam forget that they were on a military base.

"This here is the living room." Said Zero Three, walking over to one of the sofas before throwing herself on it. "We spend most of our time here while on standby."

"Is that so?"

"We... we don’t have to be here all the time..." The young Valkyrie averted her gaze, unaware of how suspicious that made her appear.

"Three spends most of her time in the rooftop pool." Nine chuckled. "Well, I can’t really reprimand her when I rarely ever stay here."

"What about you, Zero Five?" Sam asked.

"I try to stay here as often as possible," The ponytailed Valkyrie answered in an even tone. "However, with how infrequent the attacks are, I feel it would be a waste of time to always do so."

"I see..."

This was another flaw when it came to the Valkyries being weapons. Since they were programmed to act like normal humans, the idea of staying put in the same room was unbearable, leading to them spending time where they pleased.

It was for that reason that the Resistance put a lot more resources into building a special residence for the Valkyrie. With everything they need in reach, there would be no need for them to wander around, drastically decreasing the amount of trouble they might cause. Or it might be a certain someone demanding that his creation get the best possible treatment.

"Those two doors lead to the waiting room I mentioned before." Three coughed and attempted to shift the topic.

They moved clockwise from the entrance and checked the rooms one by one.

"This is the dining hall."

As the young Valkyrie had described it, it resembled the cafeteria the soldiers eat in, only with fewer tables. There were several vending machines lined up near one of the walls, most of which had drinks in them while two were meant for ordering food. Everything seemed consumable by humans so Sam wondered if he could eat his meals there sometimes.

"This is the bathing area."

They went to the baths next. It was somewhat different from what Sam had expected with everything being in one room instead of separated stalls. A section along the wall had stools and shower hands while the rest