[Peke POV]
It was supposed to be another Monday.
But nothing felt normal.
Princess Lala was smiling, yes. Laughing, clinging to Rito, getting scolded by Yui.
But her timing was still wrong. The sync between her emotional output and physical reaction had degraded again. 0.62 seconds.
That margin shouldn't exist. Not unless something is in the way. Not unless something else is in control.
And then there was the girl. The missing one.
Aiko Shindo.
Still no sign-in. No appearance on camera. No mention from staff. No conversation between students.
Nothing.
Like she was never here.
I locked myself in the server closet during third period. Connected to the school network. My core pinged a list of data entries with micro-deletions.
Location: Nurse's office, Friday evening. Time stamp: 18:42.
Last confirmed sighting of Aiko.
Then—silence. Not just absence. Wiped.
My internal system cross-referenced records from Devilukean data-safety protocols. This wasn't negligence. This was predation.
And Lala's suit—
I ran another bioscan. Same structure. Same outer chemical signature. But the internal patterns were wrong.
Too efficient. Too responsive.
Something parasitic. Something thinking.
If it were a weapon, it would be subtle. Silent. Stealing from the edges.
And now I had two flags:
A missing student.
A corrupting influence within Lala's suit.
I tagged both under one code: INVASION-SEED.
[Symbiote POV]
The drone is getting too close.
Peke. It doesn't sleep. It doesn't blink. It doesn't forget.
But it also doesn't act without proof. Not yet.
Let it doubt. Let it watch.
By the time it reaches a conclusion, I'll already be walking the halls.
I've started marking Yui Kotegawa.
Emotionally inflexible. Socially rigid. Cracks forming around her shame and control.
A good subject. A better donor.
All I need is the final sample.
And if she breaks just a little in the right moment— I take what I need.
[System Notice: Pre-Synthesis 96%]
Remaining requirements: ■ Biological fluid: sperm sample ■ Neural catalyst: identity signature
Projected completion: Within 72 hours
Haruna responds to my pulses more easily now. Her dreams are warmer. She touches herself without knowing why.
Lala remains unaware. But her body remembers me when she sleeps.
Every host is a piece. Every heartbeat an offering.
Let them wonder what's missing.
Soon,
I will be what they never knew they needed.