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POV Rei Miyamoto
Rei sat apart from the food court, eating some undersalted rice. Beside her on the bench lay a chocolate bar and a carton of chocolate milk—items they were handing out freely to anyone who asked.
Her thoughts were on her father: the man who raised her, and quite possibly, the man who was no longer her mother's husband in spirit.
Truthfully, it only took the awakening of her powers and some time spent near her mother to connect the dots. The way her father had spent the last six months sleeping in the living room; the way her parents used to argue, unaware she could hear them through the front door when she came home from school; the way they'd pretend everything was fine the second she walked in.
The old her—the one before the powers, before her consciousness was heightened—told herself it would pass. She figured all adults went through it, and since they were both mature people, they wouldn't just divorce while having a teenage daughter. But now, after spending time with her mother, she realized that things don't always go the way others think. Wounds and arguments can't always be licked clean; you can't always just forgive and go back to loving your partner like before. In most cases, it's simply impossible.
For the first time in six months, she looked closely at her mother and noticed that the warmth and love in her voice when she spoke of her father had vanished. Her mother hadn't stopped respecting him as a Police Officer, nor had she stopped caring for him, but she certainly didn't see him as a partner or a husband anymore. Rei could say that with 100% certainty.
It left her bewildered and dazed. After receiving her power, her entire brain had literally changed; she now remembered things from her deep childhood—the way her parents used to look at each other, their kisses, all those moments filled with love. She couldn't understand: was it really that easy to let love for a partner wither away?
She had heard that passion in a marriage only lasts a year or two, maybe five at most, and after that, it's just trust and respect. Looking at her parents, she… she trembled. Would her love for Isao only last a few years before the feeling vanished?
She didn't want that. She loved how Isao cared for her, how he always stood up for her, the way he looked and smiled at her. She was sure she'd try to fulfill any request he made… but what if what she felt for him was already past the point of "Infatuation" and "Love" and had entered the circle of "Respect"? Perhaps that was why she couldn't build a relationship with Takashi or Hisashi—she had already emotionally tied herself to Isao long ago, unable to realize it until now.
It was sickening. Because… with her new powers, he seemed even more attractive to her. Damn… these thoughts were too heavy even for her new, vastly improved brain. She didn't want to think—she wanted to act. Action was always simpler than thinking.
Just as she was about to put another spoonful of rice in her mouth, she felt a direct gaze on her back. She turned her head slightly so it wouldn't be obvious and checked a reflective surface. Seeing it was her mother walking toward her, she relaxed and turned around fully, causing her mother to stop a few steps away in surprise.
"Rei." Her mother's gaze lingered on Rei's new eyes—black sclera and white pupils that made most people recoil. But her mother just smiled, just like the person who had given her those eyes, making Rei feel a sense of relief. "I have good news. We can finally go save your father!" She smiled wider, and her words lit a fire in Rei.
"Finally. I thought we'd have to wait much longer. When do we leave?" She quickly shoveled the last few spoonfuls of rice into her mouth, set the plate on the bench, and grabbed her chocolate and milk, standing up ready to go wherever her mother led.
"No, no, there's no need to rush yet. There are still a few things to be done, so… you can walk around for a bit or we can discuss some plans."
"Is Isao going? Without him, I think it'll be pretty difficult." She stretched, her spine popping audibly, and she let out a quiet groan at the relief. She sat back down since, as her mother said, there was "no rush."
"No, unfortunately, he can't go with us. Instead, he's sending two squads along with Takashi and Hisashi. Everything will be fine!" Her mother sat next to her, giving her an encouraging smile.
"Hmm, well, that's okay I guess. As long as those two squads don't freeze up if we run into a mutated zombie, otherwise it'll be tough." Noticing a slight shift in her mother's expression, Rei looked at her intently. "Is something wrong?"
"About that… Isao is going to give the people in those squads powers and traits. So we won't have to worry about them being in danger or being unable to help. If we're lucky, most of them will get good powers and be very useful." Something in the way her mother said that didn't sit right with Rei, but she didn't want to dig, so she said nothing.
"That's quite practical of him." She was certain that if anyone used their powers to try and cross him, Isao would either kick them out or simply kill them. There was no point in pitying people who, upon receiving a crumb of his power, imagined themselves better than him. The chance of such people treating others poorly was much higher than the chance of them becoming good leaders.
"Yes, you could say that." Her mother looked off to the side. Turning, Rei saw Saeko-san and Saya-san walking toward the food court a dozen meters away.
"Hm, I see Saya-chan has grown up."
"Yeah, and she's become a much more sharp-tongued brat who only shows her softer side to Isao."
"You remember her?" Her mother turned to her in shock. "I remember you saying you didn't recall who Saya was in middle school! I was so surprised when you said that, because when she first came to kindergarten, you, her, and Takashi were inseparable. You looked so cute together, he-he!" Her mother chuckled.
"Hm, yeah, I remembered recently that we knew each other. But it seems she doesn't. Honestly? Whatever." She took a bite of her chocolate, maintaining a stoic face while enjoying the wonderful sweetness.
"..."
An awkward silence settled between them—at least, awkward for her mother. Rei herself was ready to discuss anything in the world, and she would have been happy to start with how much she wanted to fight, or how much she wanted Isao to lick her and inject his "baby liquid" into her.
POV Takashi Komuro
He watched as the Takagi family mechanic, Toru-san, checked the vehicles for faults, standing nearby with Hisashi.
"How old do you think he is?" Hisashi whispered, making Takashi look at him blankly.
"What?" His tone was bewildered. Any other person would have taken the hint, but this moron…
"I asked, how old do you think he is?" He repeated the question, only slightly louder.
"Why the hell do you even care? And why ask me? Do I look like I know his age?"
"Well, first because some of his features look like he's in his early to mid-twenties, but his receding hairline and fat make him look like a man in his late thirties."
"Dude, it's not cool to judge people by their looks. Especially when that person is literally fixing the cars that help us get from point A to point B." Hisashi was looking past him as he spoke.
"So if I didn't do that, would it be okay?" A masculine voice spoke up beside them. Takashi turned slowly to see Taro-san looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah!" He jumped back from the guy, letting out a "highly masculine" yelp that made Hisashi and Taro stare at him in disbelief for a second, before they burst into laughter and face-contorting grins. "What the fuck?!"
"...Hahaha! Seriously, who knew that Takashi, who hangs around the biggest delinquent in town, would scream like that!" Hisashi laughed, pointing a finger at him while clutching his stomach.
"How are those things even related, you fucking moron!" Stepping forward, he smacked Hisashi on the head, making him hiss and stop laughing. Taro-san smiled and spoke to them.
"You guys are interesting kids. I'm 28. And yeah, I know I don't look it. I don't care, because the only love of my life is machines!" He grinned wider, spreading his arms. Behind him were several different cars he'd been checking—vehicles left behind by owners who fled the Mall in a hurry. "And guys, you won't believe it, but most of these cars don't use overly complex electronics like ECUs or similar gadgets."
"By the way, can you explain in more detail why the cars didn't break?" At his words, Toru-san turned to him and sighed sympathetically.
"Unfortunately, most of them will fail within a month, or maybe much sooner. Most of the wiring is scorched because of the EMP. The fact they even start is a miracle, as I said before. Otherwise, they'd just be scrap metal." The man pointed to cars parked further away. "Those over there are completely fried. You couldn't even get them to turn over. So… yeah, that's the situation."
"That's just depressing..." Hisashi sighed sympathetically beside him, making Takashi's eyebrow twitch, though he stayed silent.
"By the way, I was wondering… where did Isao-sama, your friend, get a military-spec Humvee?" Taro-san asked, looking toward the dark green Humvee. "Cars like that are hard to find in Japan, and even harder to import."
"Well, it's not ours. We found it when we went to the house of a friend of one of the survivors who was with us. We got really lucky back then." Hisashi said, looking at the Humvee before turning back to Taro-san. "Long story short, you could say we borrowed a car from a friend of our friend. There."
"..." Taro looked at Hisashi with interest, then sighed and looked back at the Humvee. "That beauty is just so good I could look at her all day and night. I wouldn't even sleep..."
"Well, Isao likes that car too. You could say when he first saw it, he just decided to keep it. At least until the owner of that monster shows up."
"Heh, I think I know how he'll feel when he has to give that beauty back..."
POV Takuzo Shiyuki
"Look, if you ask nicely, Isao won't mind giving you powers like mine and the others! Once you have them, you can be sure of your own safety!" He stood before his friends, trying to explain that getting powers wasn't such a bad thing. But… unlike Takashi and Hisashi, they seemed afraid of it.
"You see..." the younger Miura brother began. "We aren't like you… or Takashi, or even Isao. Even if we get powers, we'd have to be at the front, and especially at the front when a mutated zombie appears… what if we just freeze and can't move?" He spoke with his head down.
"But… but if we have an important support power, wouldn't they keep us in the back rows? Like you, Takuzo?" Kurokami spoke up, looking at him with dark eyes underlined by heavy bags from lack of sleep.
His words were stupid. There was no way Takuzo would stay in the back while his friends—Takashi, Hisashi, and Isao-san—were at the front fighting waves of zombies! But… if he could convince them and they actually got powers that could heal or treat people, that would be perfect!
"Yes, Kurokami is right! If you get a Support Ability like mine, or even an Ability that heals, you'll be cherished!" He nodded, trying to encourage them to allow their powers to be awakened.
"..." Most of his friends were silent, deep in thought, until finally his girlfriend stepped forward. They had been engaged for several years now; even their parents knew each other and were ready to throw a massive wedding.
"I don't mind. If my power can help you or others stay safe, or if I can heal you guys, then I'd be happy to receive an Ability." She smiled, hand over her heart.
"Thank you, Naomi." He gave her a look full of love, then turned to Kurokami, who stepped forward.
"I'm in too." Following him, the others began to move forward—first the Miura brothers, then the rest.
"We don't mind." "I'm for it too, since you guys are doing it." "I can't be the only one left without superpowers!" "Me too!"
He smiled joyfully as all his friends stepped forward, then began to explain exactly what they would need to do.
POV Oegi
He had roughly figured out how the Master's power worked: people's loyalty, saving lives, and a few other methods would make the Master stronger.
The more people were loyal to him, the stronger he became; the more virgins he had, the stronger he became, and so on… until he regained his full power and was able to be everywhere, like his True form, like when he was once Konjin.
He finally understood which God his Master had once been: Konjin, the God of the North-East direction, the lord of all Metals, capable of being in any place at any time. Not to mention that everything in existence was permeated by his energy, and it was through this that he was able to change their essence, awakening abilities and traits in humans.
The moment he realized this, he felt immense joy. Now he knew how strong his Master would become if he finally helped him regain his powers. That was why he was looking for those two maidens whose father the Master had saved.
To persuade them to give their femininity to the Master, and in blessing, receive the chance to conceive a child with him—a child who would be born into his Master's clan, which would surely appear in time given the tendency of talented women to gravitate toward him.
Eventually, he found them sitting on the roof. No one else was around, so he approached calmly, walking with intentionally loud steps to announce his presence. He gave them a soft smile; people liked it when someone appeared peaceful.
"Hello!" He waved as soon as they turned toward him. "I wanted to ask, would you like to receive powers from Master Isao?"
The spark of interest in both girls' eyes told him they were hooked. The rest of the conversation was going to be incredibly simple.
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