Sup! New chap!
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Yuriko Takagi
Yuriko flinched the moment she heard gunshots deep within the airport, continuing for a long time. It was exactly half an hour after Ururu had stepped out the door. The shots rang out for over a minute, and she was certain that everyone in the airport heard them; it was impossible not to.
She noticed Shizuka's hands trembling beside her—only for a brief moment, as she quickly managed to compose herself—but it was long enough for Yuriko, and the other two in the room, to notice.
"..." Rika, the dark-skinned woman with purple hair and Shizuka's friend, stepped over and took her hand. "Don't be afraid. Ururu might seem like a bad person, but he always acts for the benefit of the innocent."
The innocent? Is that what he considers them? Or is it merely who he decides is innocent?
It wasn't that she condemned him for killing that bastard and his group. Still, she felt a chill at how easily he had agreed to her terms, and the ease with which he had executed them in such a short time. Fortunately, he seemed genuinely interested in Isao. She had seen his eye twitch at the mention of his name, the way his hands had trembled for fleeting moments, or how his fingers had jerked.
He didn't view Isao as a target—his gaze warmed every time she mentioned him. So, he posed no danger to Isao. And if he did... she would dispose of this man, even if it cost her her own life.
Yes... she would be sad to leave life so early, sad that she would no longer be able to hug and talk to her daughter, or hold the grandchildren Saya would likely have with Isao. But, at the very least, she would save the life of someone far more valuable than herself.
Someone with divine hands capable of bestowing powers upon others, powers that would help them endure all future hardships.
In the end, this is what a devoted servant must do for her master. And Isao, regardless of how he obtained that title, was her Master, no matter what.
The door opened, and she knew who had entered.
"Well, well, well! I did as you asked, Yuriko-san. Now then..." Ururu sat down across from her and smiled. A shiver ran down her spine at the sight of that grin. "Can I hope that you will help persuade Isao-san to awaken our powers? Or at least mine?"
"The question isn't whether I can persuade him to do it, but what you intend to do with those powers if he awakens them?" She looked at him with a questioning gaze, awaiting his answer.
"Now, let's not pretend you don't know who I work for. You likely figured that out in the short time we've been talking." He chuckled, looking down at her. "Let me be honest. The first thing I'll do once I awaken or receive my powers from Isao-san is go to my Mistress to show her what your Master possesses." He smiled that eerie smile again, sending another shiver down her back. "No, no, don't misunderstand. I don't wish you harm. I just simply think that if we combine our forces and efforts, thanks to the 'Divine' gift of your Master and the Genius of my Mistress, we will be able to quickly retake the territories of Japan. I believe that through our joint effort, we won't just tear Japan from the hands of these dead, but we will make our country better than before. Don't you think so, Yuriko-san? Just imagine: our great country filled with people, each of whom works for the benefit of our Masters, while our Masters, in turn, work for our benefit? It will be a cycle of virtues—one that will benefit everyone who participates in it."
The devotion with which he spoke those words genuinely struck her, almost to the depths of her soul. She realized something vital that she hadn't been able to find or understand until now: devotion.
The man before her was devoted to his Mistress in body, soul, and mind. He was devoted not because she was more useful to him than any other potential lord, but simply because he was devoted. Meanwhile, she had only been loyal to Isao. She didn't mind cooperating with him, carrying out his orders, or even sacrificing her life for him—but that wasn't because she was devoted to him; it was because he provided more utility than anyone else.
But looking at the man before her, who was loyal to his Mistress simply because he was loyal, she understood that she had been wrong all along. Instead of being truly devoted to Isao and serving him with her heart, she had just been working under his command.
And now, standing before one who was truly committed and faithful to his lord, she realized that this devotion had been missing in her.
Yes... that was it.
It felt as if something in her mind clicked. The puzzle pieces fit together, and now she felt complete.
This time, she smiled back at the man.
"Then... I don't mind starting our cooperation." Ururu seemed to notice something deep in her eyes and smiled proudly at something she herself couldn't grasp. He stood up and offered his hand.
"I look forward to our fruitful cooperation, Yuriko-san. I hope our masters can find common ground." What followed could only be described in a few simple words: working with people.
After their agreement, Rika and Shizuka left for a while to gather all the people into a spacious area—the waiting lounge. Yuriko then prepared a speech for Souichiro, which he delivered to the tense crowd.
The fact that Souichiro was quite famous in Japan and enjoyed the support of the majority of civilians was useful. Most of the people trapped in the airport all this time were Japanese, and seeing Souichiro calmed them—they were even slightly joyful. Thanks to them, the foreigners, who didn't understand what was happening or who was speaking to them, also calmed down, seeing how happy the rest of the crowd was.
They managed to calm and take control of most of the civilians. A problem arose with the police, who were shocked by Ururu's actions, but... after a short conversation, they settled down. There were no Ichiro lovers among them, not to mention that during the two days spent near his men, they had already clashed several times, and Shihido's men had even harassed their women, destroying any initial rapport that might have been built.
Their next step was to find enough functional transport to drive to the shopping mall.
Shizuka Marikawa
Sitting next to her beloved, she rested her head on Rika's shoulder, smirking at how much their lives had changed.
"I'm glad you're alright, Shizu." Rika took her hand and squeezed it tightly, causing Shizuka to squeeze back.
"I'm glad too, but if it weren't for Isao-chan, things probably would've been difficult." She remembered how cute he looked when he was confused, or when he was deep in thought... or when he was trying to look cool.
"Isao-chan? You're already calling this guy by his first name?" Rika turned her head toward her, looking at her with slight suspicion, which made Shizuka laugh quietly.
"Oh~ but he's really a very cute and handsome guy." She smiled, feeling a bit of jealousy, but at the same time, Rika's interest in Isao. "He's very tall, much taller than you, his body is athletic, and he's quite strong—not just physically, but mentally, and also..."
"He has superpowers, yeah, yeah!" Rika exhaled, then looked at her with suspicion again. "Wait, you usually don't praise guys like this, trying to shove them in my face... are you trying to set up a threesome with this guy?"
"Oh, you caught me, tee-hee..." She tapped her head slightly.
"Shizuka... you know that I don't really enjoy spending time with people I don't know well, let alone having sex with them." Rika covered her face with her hand, causing Shizuka to sigh wearily.
"But please, give him at least one chance. I really like him, but it wouldn't be very pleasant for me to sleep with him without you. I would feel like a cheater..." She looked away because... well, she really would feel like a cheater, even though they had discussed this long ago.
Her relationship with Rika was an open one, but they didn't really utilize that much—at least she didn't, and Rika likely didn't either, despite her partner being Tajima. Unfortunately for Tajima, Rika saw him as nothing more than a friend.
Their relationship was open because Shizuka wanted children. She really wanted several little versions of herself who would call her "Mommy," who would slowly grow up to be adults. Until recently, she hadn't been able to find someone good enough who was also her type.
But before approaching Isao, she needed to tell Rika about him because... well, even though their relationship was open, she still needed to tell her who she wanted to sleep with. They didn't discuss the details of their open relationship, of course, but still... she would feel bad doing it behind Rika-chan's back.
Damn, the other problem was convincing Isao-chan to put a few children in her stomach. After all, she doubted he wanted to become a father at such a young age.
"Ha~ Shizuka." Rika looked at her, then took her by the shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. "I know you've always wanted a family, and... you don't need to explain yourself if you've found a truly good guy you'd want to have children with. I understand that I can't give you that, and... I wouldn't want to deprive you of what you want so much. But at the same time, you don't need to try and force me to join you through roundabout methods. If the guy really turns out to be my type, I won't mind having a threesome a few times. But if not... then that's that. So... just stop trying to be sneaky. It doesn't suit you, not to mention that you're too silly for all these backroom schemes."
It felt so good to be in Rika's arms... and she wondered if Isao's embraces would be different. Would his arms hold her just as tightly?
She hoped so.
So, she simply closed her eyes and returned Rika's hug with a strong, loving embrace.
POV Yuriko Takagi
"These are all the people, right?" She asked Ururu, who was standing right next to her.
Right now, they were watching a huge number of people boarding nearly two dozen buses, where they would have to cram until they reached the shopping mall.
"Don't worry, Yuriko-san. All the civilians who were in the terminal are here and are being seated. It'll certainly be difficult for them to travel standing up to the city, but... what choice do they have?" His words were correct. What choice did these people have other than to board these buses and head to the city?
"Then, have one of my groups drive behind our long convoy, one in the middle, and two with me in the front. And you, drive behind the convoy with your group." After her words, Ururu shrugged and, with that same calm smile, agreed.
"Well, if you say so, I don't mind. After all, you could say you are the right hand of your master. You are his Will when he is not around. It's a pity that I am just one of many people of my mistress, and not her Will." Ururu sighed disappointedly, while she... she straightened her shoulders with a hint of pride, for he was right.
Despite how stiff the meeting between her husband and Isao had been, Isao still looked to her to handle certain situations. He treated her as his deputy, despite how her husband had tried to handle him, showing how much he trusted her and her judgment—something she hadn't been able to see until she met Ururu, who opened her eyes to the magnanimity of her beloved Master.
How kind Isao-kun really was...
"Alright, then let's get into the cars ourselves and start moving toward the city." She headed toward her car, trying to restrain herself from running because of how much she wanted to see Isao-kun.
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