Home

As Hobe uttered the word "home," Kate found herself momentarily transported to a time long before the apocalypse had reshaped their world.

The casualness with which Hobe referred to her as a friend and said "let's go home" invoked memories of a life that felt like a distant dream.

When was the last time someone considered fellow Slayer Knights as a friend?

Hobe triggered memories of the time before the apocalypse. In those recollections, Kate and her friends, indulging in simple pleasures like buying ice cream, sharing laughter, and deciding, "Let's go home."

"Home, huh?" Kate murmured.

Despite his weakened state, Hobe's attacking movements were meticulously structured and systematic—elegant yet perilously sharp.

These movements, again, triggered memories for Kate.

Alina.

The difference lay in the weaponry—Alina swung a sword, while Hobe wielded a baseball bat.