New chapter! And… I'm such a dumb motherfucker! Cause I closed most of my midterms getting from 30 to 57(out of 100), so yeah, Imma fucked up if I don't pull myself together in second Midterm…
Special Greetings to DreXy, Primal Lord, Ghostwolf928, carl hoffmen, Alexander Spoor, Akshay P Raj M, Xavier Luna, White Wolf, Austin, Damon Potter, SoraOS, eric, MrZoop, Exactingspoon, Ken Chau, Kevin Saunders, Victor Gealtach, Danny Fowls, Gracieop, Red_Valstrax, Undefinedofs, Wunderwaffles, chris blakeley!
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POV Yuriko Takagi
Yuriko Takagi was just finishing the organization of the Food Court on the second floor of the mall when an enormous dog suddenly appeared before her. It had thick black fur and an inverted triangle mark on its crown, staring at her intently with golden eyes.
The men around her, who were moving tables and chairs into various corners, froze as if struck by a divine pressure. With a wave of her hand and a command to continue, she calmed them, and they returned to their work.
She took several steps toward the massive, wolf-like Shikigami. As she drew near, it let out a bark that made her hand twitch instinctively. Before she could say a word, the Shikigami turned its back on her and began walking away.
Sighing, she realized the Master had sent this creature for her. With another heavy breath, she followed.
Truthfully, she didn't know why the Master was summoning her, but on the way, she stopped by a furniture store and spotted Souichiro. Seeing him reminded her of the task she herself had initiated—damn it, she still needed to find four more people for the Master to awaken their Abilities and Traits.
She already had the first candidate: her… husband. It was difficult to think of Souichiro as a husband now, considering how easily he had agreed to put her and their daughter up as a prize for anyone who defeated him. But… just don't think about it, Yuriko.
It didn't make any damn sense anyway. Don't think about how Souichiro risked her life and their daughter's life on a whim, foolishly praising himself, thinking he could defeat someone who possessed truly Divine powers.
"Souichiro-san!" she called out formally, signaling that the old warmth between them was gone. He was speaking with his longtime friend and right-hand man; he looked over, said a few words to his comrade, and walked toward her.
"Yes, Yuriko-san?" Not even an attempt at an apology… bastard.
"I am going to Isao-sama. I thought it best if you accompanied me. As you heard, he wishes to find those whose powers he can awaken." Souichiro's eyes lit up at the mention of awakening his strength. He nodded and gestured forward.
"Lead the way, Yuriko-san." Still… it stung that he didn't even try to show guilt. In truth, knowing him… he probably didn't even feel any.
She clenched her left hand in anger and hurried forward, only then remembering the Shikigami. It was sitting a few meters away, calmly waiting for her. It cast a single glance at Souichiro before leading them both onward.
After walking barely a dozen meters, another Shikigami emerged from a corner—this one a massive white wolf, no smaller than the one leading them. And following the white wolf was…
"Kiriko-san!" Yuriko gave a small smile. Though she wasn't as close to Kiriko-san (Rei's mother) as she was to Takashi's mother, they had exchanged enough words to be considered good acquaintances.
"Oh, Yuriko-chan!" Kiriko approached with a smile. "Are you being led around by a strange wolf too?" she asked, nodding toward the two Shikigami now walking side-by-side.
"Yes. These are… Shikigami. A type of familiar serving Isao-sama." Yuriko nodded, noticing a faint glimmer of confusion in Kiriko's eyes when she referred to Isao as her Master.
"So, why are you calling Isao-chan 'Master'?" Kiriko raised an eyebrow, looking at her as if she were being strange.
"Unfortunately, due to certain events," Yuriko shot a quick glance at her husband, "Souichiro, myself, and all our subordinates are now Isao-sama's servants. Actually, it's not so bad. He is a quite intelligent and caring young man who understands responsibility—not to mention he awakened my abilities." Having said this all in one breath, she quickened her pace, unwilling to discuss it further. Kiriko gave her a knowing look and fell silent.
The rest of the way to her Master's location was spent in total silence, broken only by the soft panting of the Shikigami.
Finally, they reached a set of double doors. The Shikigami took their places, sitting on either side of the entrance. Standing before the doors, Yuriko took a breath to gather her thoughts, found her resolve, and stepped inside.
Inside the office sat Isao, her Master. Honestly, she tried not to stare at him too much because he was incredibly handsome.
Her Master, Isao Tsumugi, possessed unbelievable physical and aesthetic traits. His skin was perfect; he practically radiated life energy, as if he were a Deity in a human body. If he only had his looks and power, she might not be so interested, but…
There was more. His demeanor, his sense of responsibility, and his personality as a whole were quite pleasant. Because of this combination of beauty, power, and character, she had caught herself thinking about him more than once today, since she met him this morning.
When they entered, he was leaning back, head tilted toward the ceiling, likely with his eyes closed. His glasses lay on the desk. As they stepped in, he opened his eyes and looked at them.
"Oh, you're here!" He smiled broadly, revealing his fanged teeth. "Come, sit. We have much to discuss. Some plans simply cannot wait."
She sighed quietly and moved to her seat…
POV Isao Tsumugi
Everyone took their seats around the circular table. Interestingly, Yuriko sat to my right instead of next to her husband, who sat opposite me. Kiriko-san sat on my left.
Whatever issues existed between Yuriko and her husband weren't the priority right now. I didn't want Takashi and the others here for this; I didn't need them piping up while I was talking. I knew Takashi and Hisashi would only try to offer "suggestions," but I already had more experienced people in Kiriko, Yuriko, and Souichiro.
"First news: we'll may have to stay in the mall for a full week." They all watched me as I sat in the Gendo pose, chin resting on my interlaced fingers. "And there are three reasons for this—four, actually."
"And what are those reasons, Isao-sama?" Souichiro finally spoke, addressing me as his master. It was slightly surprising, but I just shrugged it off.
"First: we have an entire evacuation zone at the school that is likely filled with hundreds, if not more, people—from kids to the elderly." I lifted my head and extended my index finger. "Second: we have the Airport, which could be filled with hundreds or even thousands of people, including military personnel according to Shizuka-san." I extended my middle finger. "Third: the Port may or may not be overrun by a horde of zombies, which complicates our departure to the Island—our future… little paradise." I extended my ring finger.
Souichiro looked at me with confusion. Of course—he had been unconscious or in the infirmary when we discussed the destination.
"And fourth: there's no guarantee the island itself is free of zombies. In fact, the chance of it being infested is high. Herein lies the problem: time is against us. We are low on vehicles and manpower. We need to contact the School and the Airport immediately and send scouts to the Port. Staying in the city for more than a week is a death sentence. You've seen how fast these damn things evolve."
They listened intently, barely blinking, afraid to miss a single word.
"…Then, perhaps we should just split into groups?" Kiriko-san suggested tentatively. "For example, I could take Hisashi, Takashi, and Rei and go to the School?"
"While Souichiro-san and I, along with several groups, head to the Airport," Yuriko added. "I'm sure Souichiro-san and I can negotiate with the military forces there and convince them to join us…"
I watched her, silently weighing one thing.
In reality, I didn't need to save everyone at the Airport. I told Shizuka we'd save her friend, not every single person there. But condemning hundreds to death? That's cold. The problem is, the military might show up here and start making demands once they realize a "teenager" is in charge.
Hell, whatever. Let's go with Yuriko's plan. I'll trust them.
"Fine, let it be. We'll do as you say. But you bring everyone back here. Once we've gathered people from the School and the Airport, we move to the Port. I hope it'll be clear, but if not… we'll have to wait. I'm not leaving this mall vulnerable. No thanks."
They nodded in agreement. At that moment, an idea hit me—not exactly genius, but practical.
"Alright, let's do it this way: Kiriko-san, you take Takashi, Hisashi, and Rei to the School with several squads of our men. I will awaken Abilities and Traits in them for extra security. Yuriko, you'll need to select these groups of 'chosen' ones."
"…" Yuriko stared at me, mouth agape, unable to believe my words.
"Whatever. Better to go all-in than to tiptoe around this. Eventually, everyone will have abilities anyway. Might as well speed up the process." She finally closed her mouth and nodded. I turned to her. "As for you, you'll take two groups with Souichiro, whom I will also awaken. In total, you need to pick 16 people. In an hour, they'll have their powers and be ready to move while I organize things here."
"Wait, Isao-sama, won't they need time to master their new powers?" Souichiro asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"No," Kiriko-san shook her head. "After the awakening, it seems people get an instinctive understanding of how to use their powers."
"Kiriko-san is right. They get the basics instinctively. Advanced or creative uses come with study and practice." I said this while remembering how I used Metallurgy to create liquid metal.
"Kiriko-san, you need to settle things as quickly as possible. Leave for the School in exactly one hour, grab the survivors, and get back here. Meanwhile, I'll check the status of the Port. When you return, I'll head there to clear out any zombies." She nodded solemnly. I then turned to Souichiro. "And you, Souichiro. You'll go with Yuriko to the Tokonosu International Airport. Take Shizuka Marikawa with you; she has a friend there who I believe will make negotiations much smoother. There's no hard deadline, but try to be back by tomorrow or the day after."
"Understood." Souichiro began to stand, as did Kiriko and Yuriko.
To be honest? I still didn't quite trust him. I raised a finger and catched their attention—though I was really only looking at Souichiro.
"Souichiro. No stupid ideas." My eyes locked onto his. "If you try anything foolish, I will kill you." All three froze. "Your death will be fast. You won't even realize you're dead. This goes for anyone I awaken; if anyone thinks they can turn on me or endanger those I love… I will kill them. I promise you that."
My words were flat, devoid of emotion, as if I were a hollow shell. But if you give the carrot, you have to show the whip, so the "servant" understands that trying to overreach is suicide.
Souichiro stared at me for a long moment, then slowly bowed.
"I give you my word, Isao-sama, that I will not attempt anything foolish. And if any of my former subordinates now under your command try to move against you, I will execute them myself. Regardless of anything." He remained in that bow for several long seconds until…
Clap!
"Then it's settled. I'll take your word for it. Go, and bring me the people for the awakening." I clapped my hands and smiled, dismissing them. He nodded and headed for the exit.
Kiriko-san looked at me with a new expression, as if finally realizing the scale of the person she was dealing with. Yuriko didn't even dare lift her head, trembling slightly, until both followed him out.
Was it too arrogant to threaten him with death in front of them? No. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Now he knows not to play games with me.
I was glad for it, because I sensed that once the people from the School and Airport arrived, I'd have plenty of other headaches.
Why didn't I want to go myself? Simple: I was lazy. I've been running around like a damn monkey since yesterday. Now that I have servants, am I supposed to keep doing everything? Like hell. I want to rest. And while they're saving people, I'll spend some time with the girls here, earn some tickets, and get even stronger!
…And honestly, I just wanted to spend time with my mom, my imouto, Saya, Saeko… with the ones I actually care about.
I sighed, looking at my hand. Was I being too impulsive? Awakening sixteen people at once is no small thing. That's nearly twenty people who might get a big head once they have power. I'd just have to kill them if their loyalty wavered…
Though, what's done is done. It's stupid to regret words already spoken
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