Unknown POV
Current Location: Hidden Base of the Thunder Gods
Ever since I was a young girl, I harbored a deep fascination for anything that promised a true adventure. I spent my days devouring tales of the high seas, completely captivated by the reckless freedom and sheer audacity of pirates. It came as no surprise, then, that when I finally consumed a Peach, my burning desires served as the exact fuel required to awaken my abilities.
From my school days straight through my rigorous training to join the Defense Force, I was an absolute prick burdened by a multitude of deeply rooted issues. I was a girl brimming with potential, yet entirely drowning in my own bloated ego. That all changed the day that demon incarnate, Azuma Tobera, recruited me into her squad. My perception of myself was brutally humbled the moment I witnessed the terrifying strength of the Chiefs who served beneath her command.
Through sheer perseverance and grueling effort, I clawed my way up the ranks to become her Vice Chief. I stood at her side while she reigned as the Supreme Commander, right up until the fateful day Yamashiro Ren swooped in to claim her place as the supreme head of the organization.
Acknowledging that my advancing age was finally catching up with me, I chose to step down and leave my position behind. However, stepping away from the battlefield caused something dark to rise from the depths of my soul. It was a toxic ambition violently engraved into my very core by the demonic influence of that Azuma.
I became utterly consumed by an insatiable greed for more power.
A paralyzing agony washed over my senses every time I dwelled on my own frustrating weakness. My pulse would race, beating a frantic and terrifying sound. It felt like absolute mental torture to endure that venomous mindset day after day. I desperately wanted to tear those thoughts from my head, but by that terrible moment, I had already crossed the point of no return.
I had been languishing in the deepest abysses of purgatory when she finally appeared before me. She was a vision of lethal allure draped in a raven silken kimono, radiating the intoxicating aura of a venomous serpent.
She became my goddess, my savior.
Fate itself must have orchestrated our meeting to satiate the voracious greed taking root within my very flesh. With her blessing, we transcended the frail confines of humanity, leaving our mortal weaknesses behind to evolve into something vastly superior.
Rising through the ranks to become one of the current leaders of the Devotees brought me an immeasurable, intoxicating joy.
"What are you daydreaming about over there, Captain Mahiro?"
The sudden interruption shattered my reverie, twisting my features into an annoyed frown as I glared at my fellow Devotee, Viper.
"Call me by that name again, brat, and I will gladly hang you by your neck."
"Whoa, quite scary for a bag of old bones," Viper laughed, raising her hands in mock surrender. Like me, she currently wore no mask. Long cascades of blonde hair framed her striking features, drawing attention to her piercing crimson eyes. She was an undeniably attractive woman nearing her forties, though her exceptionally youthful visage would easily deceive anyone who did not know better.
Much like the rest of our leadership, Juggernaut, Hawk, and that thoroughly deranged Phantom, Viper was a former member of the Defense Force. Her given name was Seno Mako, an identity she discarded the moment she pledged her eternal loyalty to our gods and took up the mantle of Viper.
"Perhaps Fubuki was right about you being entirely immature," I remarked dismissively.
My words were instantly met with a suffocating wave of killing intent oozing from the woman standing before me.
"Do not utter that bitch's name in my presence, Fang," Viper scowled, her gaze filled with palpable malice.
I merely snorted with amusement, offering her a distinctly mocking smile in return.
Harboring deeply rooted grievances against the Azuma family was perhaps the strongest bond Viper and I shared. Yet, while my absolute disdain was reserved for the former supreme commander, her burning hatred for Tobera's daughter, the current chief of the ninth squad, was far more worse than my own.
Her fury was fueled by a delightfully simple human affliction known as envy.
No matter how relentlessly she trained, Viper could never bridge the difference between her own abilities and the monstrous, raw talent of Azuma Fubuki. It poured oil onto the blazing inferno of her envy whenever Fubuki dismissed her as entirely unworthy of attention, especially after crushing her in combat time and time again.
Her sole motivation for joining the Devotees was simply to acquire the power necessary to make Fubuki bitterly regret looking down on her. Wiping out humanity was, at least for the moment, merely a secondary objective in her mind.
"Never mind all of that for now," I remarked, letting a cold seriousness bleed into my tone. I grabbed a bottle of rum, popped the cork, and downed the burning liquid in a single, long gulp before letting out a satisfied exhale. "We need to ensure we are fully prepared for the assault we are about to unleash upon the human world."
It was an absolute certainty that we would reduce Tokyo to rubble the moment our fleet of Devotees descended upon the city.
Summoning the thousands of Shuuki Cards bestowed upon us by our divine goddess, Shikoku-sama, we would deliver it to those fragile, pitiful creatures.
Juggernaut could barely contain her excitement, already practically salivating over the sheer number of adversaries she would slaughter in a siege of this unprecedented scale.
Naturally, the Defense Force and the JSDF possessed numerous formidable units at their disposal.
To hell with them all. We possessed absolute confidence in our newfound capabilities, completely resolute in our promise to never disappoint the expectations of our glorious gods.
Having confirmed the absence of that absolute monster of a human, Yamashiro Ren, we knew this was the perfect opportunity. Furthermore, with our god Rairen-sama joining the fray as our ultimate vanguard, I could say without a shadow of a doubt that we would bring true despair to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in our path.
Stepping out of the isolated room where we had just concluded our conversation, we made our way down the wide corridor. A massive Temporary Gate loomed before us, flanked by the neatly assembled ranks of Devotees who were already awaiting.
Our goddess, Jaku'un-sama, stood prominently before the swirling vortex of the Gate with her arms casually crossed over her chest.
We bowed deeply to offer our absolute reverence, but she merely waved us away, gesturing for us to join the others before they crossed the threshold. A chuckle escaped her lips as she gazed at the lone Shuuki Card resting lightly in the palm of her hand.
"We are up and ready," Hawk announced, resting a hand on her hip. She was a girl of average height sporting a sleek bob haircut, playfully tossing a sharp dagger back and forth in her grip. "Let us make this fun, Captain Fang."
"I am going to obliterate everything and everyone in my path! Hahaha!" Juggernaut roared with manic laughter, cracking her knuckles loudly. Her mask was already securely fastened over her face.
Phantom remained entirely mute. In stark contrast to her quiet nature, she was casually balancing upside down on a single hand, wiggling her free fingers in the air with obvious boredom.
Viper and I exchanged a brief, knowing glance before I turned my complete attention back to the gathered ranks of my fellow Devotees.
========
========
Jaku'un POV
Ah, what an absolute waste of a specimen that plant I was cultivating turned out.
However, dwelling on it will not accomplish much right now. The only solace is the fact that I managed to salvage that failure. I was able to synthesize something that will yield highly entertaining results, provided the leaders of our Devotees properly utilize the gifts I bestowed upon them.
"Just sit back for now, Rairen-nii, you will have your time," I murmured, carefully tucking away the unique Shuuki Card that currently served as his vessel.
I had somehow managed to convince my older brother to comply, but that in itself was a monumental challenge to bear, considering how desperate he was to leap into the carnage.
Juggernaut, Phantom, Viper, Hawk, and especially Fang. They may be former humans, but even someone of my stature can acknowledge that they are incredibly valuable assets for this endeavor.
I fully expect Mother to be thoroughly pleased with the bountiful harvest I intend to present to her once this succeeds.
Given the sheer scale of this siege, I know the result will shatter any mundane expectations. I am genuinely intrigued to see how those Squad Chiefs will fare against our strongest Devotees, especially since they consist of former humans who once served under their very own organization.
"Some of the Devotees may lose their lives in this impending slaughter," I murmured. "But it is an honorable sacrifice that I know they will embrace, content in the knowledge that they have served us dutifully."
I clapped my hands together, the sharp crack echoing through the cavernous hall and instantly commanding their undivided attention.
"Unlike my older sister Shikoku, I am not particularly fond of grand speeches," I declared, letting my gaze sweep over the assembled ranks. "But you already know what is expected of you. We anticipate nothing less in the execution of your tasks. Am I clear?"
"Yes, my lady!" they roared in perfect unison.
"Good girls," a wicked cackle escaped my lips.
I fixed my eyes upon the swirling vortex of the Temporary Gate and stepped forward. With our loyal followers trailing close behind, I crossed the threshold and set foot into the human world for the very first time, greeted by a dense number of towering trees.
Now, it was simply a matter of finding a comfortable vantage point.
High above the forest, a fleet of airborne pirate ships materialized against the sky, casting vast and suffocating shadows over the earth below. The Devotees swarmed the hovering decks.
The stage was finally set. We were ready to descend upon this realm and bestow the ultimate, ruinous gift that the Thunder Gods had so graciously crafted for humanity.