[Ding! The third world rampage node has appeared—Gene Lock!]
"What?!"
Yami nearly spat out his drink. Eyes wide, heart thundering, the Multiverse Dungeon's alert crashed through his thoughts like a bolt of lightning.
Gene Lock?
What kind of power-up is this?!
Without hesitation, he sent his shadow perception surging outward. The world itself looked unchanged—just the same oppressive energy hanging in the air.
But then, deep within his core—
Clink!
It was like a chain snapping in his soul.
Yami gasped, shivering as a surge of transformation rippled from every cell to the depths of his spirit.
His mind felt as if it was soaring beyond the atmosphere, his body overflowing with raw, expanding strength, his source energy roaring like a storm tide.
He immediately called up his personal system panel:
[Name]: Yami Tsukishiro
[Rank]: Seventh Level
[Title]: Shadow Monarch
[Race]: Human
[Magic Stones]: 2800
[Memes]:
- A-rank: Ox Talisman (Lv.6), King's Treasure (Lv.6)
- S-rank: Word Spirit (Lv.6)
- SS-rank: Dragon Emperor (Lv.6), Shadow Monarch (Lv.7), Gene Lock: Unlimited (Lv.7)
Yami's gaze locked on the new SS-rank meme glowing with a mysterious, cosmic brilliance—
[Gene Lock: Unlimited]
It radiated power, calling to something primal within him.
[Meme]: Gene Lock: Unlimited
[Level]: SS-rank
[Abilities]:
- Spirit Unbound: His soul's growth stretches endlessly, like the infinite night sky—boundless, unconstrained.
- Body Unbound: His physical strength rises without limits, surging with power beyond imagination.
- Source Unbound: Source energy swells within him like a stormy sea, endless and unstoppable.
Simply put, Yami's spirit, body, and source energy were all growing with every passing moment. There was no end in sight—no ceiling, no boundary. The word "limitless" had never felt so real… and so impossible to grasp.
[Source Energy: The primal force fueling the human body's power. It can take the form of magic, spiritual power, ki, or any supernatural energy.]
This felt like what happened when Saitama broke his limiter, only more complete, more absolute.
Infinite. That word alone was as mysterious and confusing as mist.
If Yami had to describe what was happening inside him right now
He could probably shatter a continent with a flick of his hand, or erase a city with a pulse of his source energy.
This was the world of rampaging gene locks.
And he was certain he wasn't the only one being changed.
He glanced across the table.
Sitting there, looking just as serious (and a bit tipsy), was Hiratsuka Shizuka.
[Name]: Hiratsuka Shizuka
[Rank]: Level 0
[Title]: None
[Race]: Human
[Memes]:
- C-rank: Gene Lock (Status: Unlocked)
[Ding! Under certain stimulation, there is a chance to unlock the Gene Lock!]
Yami couldn't help but complain in his heart.
What is this, a shounen protagonist starter pack? Does she need to have her family wiped out to trigger it or what?
Hiratsuka Shizuka shifted uncomfortably under his stare, her face growing tense. No matter how she moved, she couldn't escape Yami's gaze.
Finally, she snapped, putting down her wine glass with a thud.
"Hey, Yami-kun, why do you keep staring at me? You planning to pull something inappropriate on your teacher or what?"
"..."
Yami was momentarily speechless.
How do I even explain this? he thought, rubbing his temple.
Utaha, who was lounging nearby, raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? Yami, don't tell me you're actually into teachers now…"
As she spoke, she glanced at Hiratsuka-sensei, half-suspicious, half-amused.
Yami sighed, waving a hand. "It's not what you think. I just made a… well, a discovery."
His eyes flickered as he swept his gaze across the room.
The system screen floated in his vision.
All three of them—Utaha, Eriri, and Sayuri—showed signs of their own gene locks starting to awaken, at least at C-rank.
Compared to his SS-rank, it looked almost cute.
Sayuri peered down at herself, just to make sure nothing was out of place on her clothes. "Is something… wrong with me?"
Yami shook his head and smiled slightly.
"Nothing's wrong. Actually… all of you have the potential to become superpowered."
"Superpowers?"
Hiratsuka-sensei and Sayuri exchanged a look.
They'd heard the rumors—the Superpower Administration, all those viral news videos—but it all felt like something from another world.
Ordinary people like them didn't get involved in such things.
"Utaha, Eriri—can you show them?"
"Sure."
Eriri smiled, and with a soft shimmer, golden wings of light unfurled behind her.
It was dazzling—like a scene straight out of a magical girl anime. She rose gracefully off the ground, her white T-shirt fluttering, underwear peeking as she moved. The light traced the outline of her figure, making her seem almost angelic.
Her innerwear was pure white, a perfect match for her shy, earnest heart.
Not to be outdone, Utaha zipped behind Hiratsuka-sensei in a blur, appearing at her back and giving her a light tap on the shoulder. "See? It's not so weird anymore, is it?"
"Um?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things.
"They all… have their own abilities?"
She glanced at the others, her voice trembling with a strange mix of hope and skepticism.
"Are you saying we can really have superpowers too?"
She stretched her arms out, trying to feel something—anything—but of course, nothing happened. Hiratsuka's brow furrowed as she concentrated, but her attempts only made her look even more awkward.
Meanwhile, Yami caught the falling Eriri with both hands, one slipping just under the table, steadying her. Eriri felt the warmth of his touch, the corners of her eyes flickering, though she kept her expression carefully neutral.
Watching Hiratsuka's earnest efforts, Yami couldn't help but chuckle.
"You guys have the potential to awaken superpowers, but the actual unlocking process needs… well, some kind of stimulus. Honestly, I'm not sure what kind of 'kick' you need yet."
He leaned forward, explaining with a smirk,
"Think of it like there's a lock inside your body. You need the right key—or maybe the right drama—to open it up and awaken your powers."
"Oh, so that's why I don't feel anything at all…"
Hiratsuka scratched her head, embarrassed.
Sayuri, however, was staring daggers at Eriri.
"Eriri, why didn't you ever tell me you had superpowers?!"
Eriri, flustered, yanked the hem of her shirt down, her cheeks flushed.
"Haha, I… I just forgot."
Sayuri pouted, on the verge of tears.
"How can you forget something like that? Did you forget you even had a mother, too? Is that how it is now?"
This kind of melodramatic, aggrieved face was something Sayuri usually only made for Yami. Maybe it was the wine, maybe just the mood, but Eriri was caught off-guard and couldn't fight back.
Truth be told, Eriri's heart and mind had all but drifted to Yami's side lately—she almost forgot Sayuri was even there. Her gaze wandered, her thoughts fuzzy, her body tingling with strange new sensations.
She let out a soft, dreamy hum and mumbled,
"Well, you're not my real mom anyway…"
CRACK!
The words hit Sayuri like a thunderbolt.
Her expression turned instantly grey, her whole aura wilting as if all her vitality had been drained in one shot.
"Eriri… wuwuwu…"
"Eh?! Sorry, Mom! I didn't mean it like that!"
Eriri, now in full panic mode, rushed over to hug Sayuri, eyes brimming with tears.
"???"
The rest of the room stared, absolutely baffled.
Utaha sighed dramatically, shaking her head.
"Eriri, you're not just a golden retriever failure, you're also an unfilial daughter. How many strikes is that?"
"Wait—it's not what it looks like! I just… ahh, what do I even say?!"
Eriri flailed helplessly, her voice rising in desperation, unsure how to make things right without making it worse.
Just then, Sayuri gently dabbed at invisible tears, sighing softly.
"Actually… I'm not Eriri's biological mother."
"Eh?!"
That bombshell left everyone speechless—including Yami, who could only gape.
Sayuri steadied herself with another sip of wine, her cheeks as red as apples. Clearly, she was tipsy and not holding anything back tonight.
"In truth, Eriri is the daughter of my older sister and a man no one in the family knew. My sister eloped with him under pressure from the Sawamura family."
She paused, voice trembling slightly,
"Later, because of some… complicated marriage arrangements, our family held a fake wedding. I took my sister's place and raised Eriri as my own. That's why we live together even now."
"Mom… I'm sorry, that was all my fault earlier…"
Eriri sobbed, hugging Sayuri tighter.
Sayuri smiled, ruffling Eriri's hair with gentle affection.
"It's okay, really. Even if I'm not your real mother, you're still my precious Eriri. I wouldn't trade you for the world."
The moment was warm, sweet, and quietly surreal—like the final scene of a high school anime episode, laughter and tears blurring together, and a new chapter just beginning.
Hiratsuka Shizuka remained calm, sipping her wine like nothing could faze her.
Well, with her background, maybe it really didn't—she'd grown up around enough family weirdness that nothing in this room really shocked her anymore.
Utaha just let out a long, theatrical sigh, glancing between Eriri and Sayuri.
"To think Eriri had such a complicated backstory… Maybe I should cut her some slack from now on. Maybe."
Meanwhile, Yami felt like the universe was toying with him again.
Seriously? Is the world messing with me just because I keep looking at her? Am I the protagonist, or did I accidentally turn Eriri into one just by paying attention? Is this fate, or is the system just trolling me?
He mentally tallied up all the bizarre things he'd seen so far—system notifications, supernatural talents, "golden fingers" popping up left and right…
Not to mention the cast around him: Utaha, with her zero-dating-history ice queen act...Sayuri, whose whole marriage turned out to be a lie and now Eriri, whose family drama was so tangled it belonged on daytime TV.
Three girls, each with a ridiculously "pure" backstory.
Does the world revolve around me or something?
Well, there was still Yuriko Takagi left… Maybe she was the only one who hadn't gotten sucked into this crazy orbit.
But whatever.
Yami wasn't the type to overthink things or get lost in conspiracy theories. If life hands you a mess, just do what you want with it. Right now, he had his own plans—serious ones.
He straightened up, expression suddenly sharp.
"Alright, everyone. I have something important to discuss."
His tone changed. The room quieted, all eyes turning to him. Even the usual bickering stilled.
Yami looked at them, steady and confident.
"I'm planning to start my own organization—my own faction, you could say. Would you like to join me?"
Utaha's eyes sparkled, her lips curling into a sly smile. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
"Yami-kun, I'll follow wherever you go. Feel free to use me as much as you want… in any way you like."
Eriri instantly snapped out of her guilt, practically leaping from Sayuri's embrace to cling to Yami's other arm.
"Me too! I'm in! No way am I letting Utaha get a head start!"
She hugged him tightly, cheeks flushed, then boldly kissed his other cheek, clearly declaring war with Utaha.
Sayuri just sighed, a tired smile twitching at her lips, a comic black line forming on her forehead.
I swear, Eriri forgets her own mother the moment her boyfriend is around. She really is her mother's daughter…
Still, she couldn't bring herself to be mad. Not really.
"I just have one question," Sayuri said, voice calm but eyes dead serious. "Yami, you are going to marry Eriri, right?"
The air tensed. Even the light seemed to freeze.
All eyes turned to Yami, waiting for his answer.
He met their gazes head-on, not flinching, not wavering.
"I will," he said, voice clear as a bell, "marry both Eriri and Utaha as my wives. If the rules of this world don't allow it… then I'll change the rules."
His words cut through every last doubt, slicing straight to the heart of the room.
Utaha and Eriri both melted, tears of happiness welling up, eyes shining with love and hope.
At that moment, there was no system, no fate, no world—only Yami, his declaration, and the future they would carve out together.
"This guy… he's pretty manly,"
Hiratsuka Shizuka muttered, a faint smile flickering at her lips despite herself.
She could see now why Utaha and Eriri were so drawn to Yami Tsukishiro—it wasn't just confidence. There was something… genuine about him.
Sayuri grinned, her tone playful as always.
"Well, I guess that means I'll have to support Yami too. After all, with Eriri and me, it's kind of a buy-one-get-one-free deal."
Her words hung in the air, half-joke, half-temptation, making even Utaha raise an eyebrow.
All eyes fell on Hiratsuka-sensei.
Hiratsuka scratched her head, looking like a ruffled cat.
"Don't look at me like that… Of course I want a more comfortable life in a world like this! I'd rather not randomly vanish one day on my way to work, thank you very much."
Even with most of the major monsters wiped out, the world was still dangerous. Evil spirits hadn't all disappeared, and strange accidents still popped up in the news every week. Survival was no joke.
She glanced at Yami, a little hesitant.
"But… I'm a teacher, you know? I can't just give that up. I don't even know what I'd do otherwise."
Yami grinned, rubbing his chin.
"What if you could stay a teacher, Hiratsuka-sensei? I might have a way to make that work."
"Eh?"
Hiratsuka blinked, confused, but before she could answer, she simply sighed, poured herself another glass, and let the topic slide for now.
The rest of the night blurred into laughter, sighs, and plenty of wine. Hiratsuka and Sayuri eventually drank themselves into a soft, tipsy sleep.
Utaha stood up, stretching.
"I'll help get them cleaned up. Eriri, let's take care of the bath and get them changed."
"Roger," Eriri replied with a little salute, already rolling up her sleeves for the work ahead.
By the time everything was tidied up, the house had fallen into a rare, peaceful silence.
Yami finally took his own shower, stepping out to find Utaha and Eriri standing at his bedroom door, both in thin, matching pajamas. Their faces were faintly flushed, eyes shimmering with anticipation.
As soon as he approached, the two girls asked in perfect sync,
"Yami, who do you want to sleep with tonight?"
Their gazes locked on him, each silently insisting, You'll pick me… right?
Classic love-triangle dilemma.
But Yami just smiled, that signature devil-may-care glint in his eye.
"Sorry, Utaha, Eriri… Tonight, I choose—not to sleep."
"Huh?"
They both blinked, baffled by his answer.
But before they could process it, Yami had already wrapped an arm around each of their waists, sweeping them into his room in one smooth motion.
"Wait—eh?! Yami, you can't just—!"
The door closed softly behind them, leaving only the muffled sound of playful protests and laughter echoing into the night.
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