"They're... my friends."
Mumei nodded slowly, her expression conflicted.
"The Koutetsujou is about to depart!" someone shouted urgently from nearby.
Though Horobi still harbored doubts, this was clearly not the time for questions.
"Move aside," she said coldly.
She couldn't afford delays. Even as Kabaneri, both she and Mumei wouldn't survive if they missed the departure.
Nanashi shook his head slightly. Everyone seemed far too agitated.
He thought silently to himself:
"Time, stand still."
Boom—!
A sanctuary unfolded.
In an instant, the world fell into utter silence.
The Kabane's bloodthirsty roars—
The screech of the Koutetsujou's steam whistle—
The terrified cries of the fleeing civilians—
All of it… vanished.
Horobi and Mumei experienced a sudden ringing in their ears. But behind the tinnitus lay a silence so complete it was almost deafening.
They looked around—and their eyes widened in disbelief.
Everything had frozen.
Even the blood suspended midair had stopped in place.
What... is happening?
They weren't the only ones shocked.
Vivi stared around in confusion.
"Huh? Why isn't anyone moving?"
Seitenshi paused for a moment, then exhaled calmly.
"It must be Nanashi's ability," she said with quiet certainty.
To her, Nanashi was practically omnipotent.
"Time stop."
Saiki Kusuo turned to Nanashi. Though he didn't open his mouth, his voice echoed in everyone's minds through telepathy.
"You're a psychic too?"
Nanashi nodded.
"Something like that."
Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the Doomsday Chat Group.
Momonga:"Time stopped? Did I just see that right?"
March 7th:"Nanashi admitted it—it must be real!"
Tushan Honghong:"Brother Nanashi is incredible!"
White Blood Cell:"Stopping germs mid-air? That's prime sterilization!"
Platelet:"I don't really get it... but it sounds amazing!"
Momonga:"Boss-level confirmed!"
Silver Wolf:"Nanashi... you can do that too?"
Nanashi:"Well, I did get a good ability from Suoh world."
Suoh:"..."
Kiana:"I thought my Golden King kingship and S-class Void abilities were powerful... but you can stop time?!"
Nami:"Wait—how did you all become kings?"
Hai Xiaomei:"I didn't. I only got an A-level ability called Ice Control. I think it's from the Outsider system."
Nanashi:"I'm the Colorless King. An S-rank time manipulator."
Aqua:"One's the King of Time, the other the King of Space—why not form a couple?"
New Wolf:"Time and Space... could they make the King of Time-Space?"
Nanashi:"..."
Kiana:"..."
Kiana:"Hmph! I'm not interested!"
Bronya:"Was it really that easy to get S-rank and A-rank powers? I'm so jealous."
Nami:"Same here!"
Aqua:"Wait, what even is that? Divine blessing?"
Suho:"It's the Dresden Slate—the source of the kings' powers."
Tendo Kisara:"I wonder if I'd gain powers if I went there?"
Suoh:"It's... uncertain."
Nanashi:"Those with enough points can give it a try."
But truthfully, he wasn't too optimistic.
The Dresden Slate's power was limited.
It had granted two S-rank and one A-rank ability—yet it also had to maintain existing royal abilities in its world. Whether it could sustain more was... doubtful.
After all, it was merely a stone tablet infused with special energy.
Before Nanashi left that world, he had sensed its energy fading. It would likely only be able to preserve the kings and clans of Suoh's world.
Silver Wolf:"If the stone tablet is the source of power... does that mean it only works in its own world?"
Suho:"Not necessarily."
Suho:"I discovered that once upgraded, King powers seem to become part of you—your own essence."
Suho:"When I visited Reinhard's world, I was able to use all my powers without issue."
Reinhard:"Same for me. My Divine Protection was fully functional."
Nanashi:"It seems that the Chat Group's upgrades can turn borrowed powers into innate ones."
Silver Wolf:"Wow. If you gain more Doomsday points, Nanashi, you might even surpass the Star Gods someday."
Silver Wolf:"But seriously—why are you always the one chosen?"
Nanashi:"Beats me."
Emilia:"Maybe because Nanashi-kun is the administrator?"
Nanashi:"..."
Nanashi had gotten so caught up in the chat that he nearly forgot about Mumei and Horobi.
The chat group remained open.
Meanwhile, the two Kabaneri women were still staring at him—wide-eyed and stunned.
"Time stop..."
They had heard those exact words.
And based on the current stillness, there was no doubt—it was this man who had brought the entire world to a halt.
But... could a human really do such a thing?
Then again, when Horobi looked toward the radiant Seitenshi—wings outstretched and halo shining—she fell silent.
They didn't necessarily look like humans anymore.
Horobi turned to Mumei.
The man who had stopped time had called them Mumei's friends.
Standing across from Nanashi and the others, Horobi dared not act rashly.
She tried to gauge Mumei's thoughts—hoping for a clue.
But to her disappointment, Mumei looked just as stunned.
Saiki Kusuo:"How do I complete the mission?"
At that moment, Saiki had removed the power-suppressing device from his head.
Faced with a doomsday world overrun by monsters, he saw no reason to continue suppressing his abilities.
Nanashi noticed and offered a calm suggestion.
"You can use your points to enter the Doomsday Battlefield. There, you don't have to worry about your powers destroying the world. Take the chance to gain full control over your abilities."
Saiki's eyes lit up with interest. As he explored the chat group's interface, he found it—Doomsday Battlefield. A place where overwhelming power posed no threat to the world around it.
His gaze sharpened.
His power had been growing steadily, beyond his ability to train or contain it. That's why the suppressor was always necessary—to avoid causing unintended destruction.
But if there truly was a place where he could unleash everything...
Then maybe—just maybe—he could finally master his psychic powers.
"Thanks," Saiki said softly.
Nanashi nodded.
"As for the mission. Kabane is everywhere. But first, let's deal with the Evil Cultivator."
"Evil Cultivator? Where?" Mikasa tilted her head slightly.
Despite the heroic combat uniform and the 3D maneuver gear strapped to her waist, the neutral expression, tilted head, and quiet demeanor gave her the vibe of a classic "three-no" girl—no emotions, no expressions, no words.
Nanashi replied without hesitation.
"I've already found them."
Having grasped the full layout of this world, he swept through the collective thoughts of every person nearby.
It was child's play to locate the hidden enemy.
After all, the thoughts of an Evil Cultivator were far too conspicuous.
Snap!
With a flick of his fingers, three figures appeared in front of the group.
Two men and a woman.
The woman looked like a dignified noble's daughter, clearly raised in a life of luxury.
The man was a stoic youth dressed in blue, his black hair and samurai garb making him look like he had walked out of a historical drama.
The other man stood out even more—long pink hair, a refined face, and a smile that looked half-mad as he held his arms wide.
"Are these the Evil Cultivators?" Vivi asked, startled.
The three figures were frozen in place, each locked in a different motion.
The girl appeared to be shouting instructions.
The samurai wore a calm smile, composed and relaxed.
And the pink-haired man... was laughing maniacally.
"One is not an Evil Cultivator," Nanashi clarified, referring to the girl.
Her real name was Ayame Yomogawa, the eldest daughter of the Yomogawa family, leaders of the Aragane Station.
The young man beside her was Kurusu Konochi, a loyal samurai and Ayame's personal bodyguard.
But the samurai's current state was something else entirely.
Kurusu was now a reincarnated individual.
Nanashi had accessed his memories—just enough to understand the truth.
These "reincarnated" ones weren't reborn naturally. Only their souls had crossed over to this world, hijacking existing bodies. Possession, not rebirth.
It was like the classic trope: an old soul in a new vessel. An Evil Cultivator masquerading as a samurai.
As for the pink-haired man—he too was a reincarnator. And without a doubt, also an Evil Cultivator.
Two reincarnated cultivators in one world—quite the anomaly.
The moment they saw the pink-haired man, Mumei and Horobi both cried out:
"Brother!"
"Young Master!"
Seitenshi turned to them, visibly confused.
"You know him?"
Mumei's voice trembled.
"He's my brother."
Horobi stepped forward protectively, glaring at the others.
"What are you planning to do to the Young Master?"
Nanashi took one glance and confirmed it.
The pink-haired man was none other than Biba Amatori.
A man whose obsession with vengeance for his father had led him to conduct twisted experiments inside the Iron Fortress.
Nanashi's voice turned cold, answering her question.
"Kill him."
"What?! I won't allow it!" Horobi snarled, reaching for her blade.
But before she could draw, her sword rotted away in an instant—reduced to nothing more than corroded iron dust.
Then, she herself was suspended in midair by an invisible force, completely immobilized.
Eyes wide with fury, she tried to speak—but not a sound came out.
Nanashi looked at her, almost amused.
"Do I need your permission to kill someone?"
Just a pawn.
So why such fierce loyalty?