A soft golden chime echoed through the room.
Everyone felt it this time.
✨ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ✨
TARGET: Emma
LOYALTY: 10 / 10
RESPECT: 10 / 10
INTIMACY: 10 / 10
➡ STATUS UPDATED:System Character Unlocked
Reason:
Emma's admiration has crystallized into absolute allegiance.
Her respect for authority, presence, and leadership—combined with witnessing the devotion of the woman she idolized—has anchored her loyalty beyond doubt.
Emma blinked.
She felt it—not as a voice, not as a command—but as clarity.
Her breathing steadied. Her spine straightened instinctively. Her world… clicked into place.
Zumi looked at her calmly. "Before anything else, you need to know what's coming."
Emma nodded without hesitation.
"The world is going to change," he said. "Soon. Monsters. Dungeons. Power awakening in ordinary people."
Her eyes widened—but she didn't recoil.
"And I am not just Zumi," he continued evenly. "I am Sun Wukong. The Monkey King."
Silence.
Emma stared at him for a long moment.
Then she bowed again—deeper than before.
"…That explains everything," she said simply.
No fear.
No doubt.
Only acceptance.
Zumi gave a faint smile.
"Good."
He raised his voice slightly. "Kaito."
A moment later, Kaito arrived—with Noah trotting beside him, eyes bright and curious as always.
Noah immediately climbed into Emily's lap, hugging her waist. She laughed softly and kissed the top of his head.
Zumi crouched slightly so he was eye-level with him.
"Noah," he said, tone gentle, "you watch a lot of anime, right?"
Noah nodded enthusiastically.
"If monsters suddenly appeared," Zumi continued, "and normal people awakened supernatural powers… what would be the best way to manage them?"
Everyone turned toward the ten-year-old.
Noah thought hard—brows furrowed, lips pursed.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Guilds," he said confidently. "Like adventurer guilds. Or hunter guilds. So people don't go wild and there's rules."
The room went still.
Then—
Zumi smiled.
"Exactly."
He straightened and turned toward Viktoria.
She had already sat up fully, posture sharp, eyes focused—waiting.
"I need your help," Zumi said.
"Yes," she replied instantly.
"I want you to begin planning the foundation of a guild," he continued. "Not to launch immediately—but to be ready."
Viktoria listened intently.
"The Trickster Guild," Zumi said. "A hunter guild. Fighters. Protectors. People with unique gifts—Hunters."
Her lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
"…A private power structure," she said thoughtfully. "Regulated, respected, feared."
"Controlled," Zumi corrected calmly. "Not corrupt."
She nodded once. "Understood. I'll begin structuring it quietly. Legal fronts, funding channels, recruitment frameworks."
Zumi glanced at Noah again. "Good call."
Noah beamed.
Emily hugged him tighter, pride glowing in her eyes.
Around them, the girls exchanged looks—some excited, some tense—but none hesitant.
A guild.
An empire.
Preparation for gods who thought themselves untouchable.
And at the center of it all—
The Monkey King, smiling faintly, already several steps ahead.
The game had officially begun.
Zumi continued, his voice steady but carrying a weight that silenced the room without effort.
"When the portals first appear," he said, "the world isn't going to awaken fighters immediately. Even if some people do gain abilities early, there will be confusion—panic, misinformation, fear. Governments will hesitate. Civilians won't know what's real."
He looked around at everyone present.
"That's when people like us step in. Those who already walk the line between the ordinary and the supernatural. The underworld. The hidden powers. We will fight the monsters first—not as heroes, but as a shield."
Viktoria's eyes narrowed slightly, already seeing the shape of it.
"At the moment humanity is on its last legs," Zumi continued, "the Trickster Guild will go public. Not before. Not too early. We appear when hope is almost gone."
He turned fully toward Viktoria.
"You will act as Guild Leader. Public face. Commander. Strategist."
Her spine straightened instinctively. "Understood."
"At that moment," Zumi added, "you have full permission to use the abilities granted to you as a goddess—openly. You'll act as a battle commander, coordinating newly awakened fighters, guiding them, stabilizing them, and turning chaos into structure."
A faint smile touched Viktoria's lips. "I won't fail."
"We'll need to be spread out," Zumi said, his tone practical. "We can't save the whole world. That's a fantasy. But we can establish ourselves as the strongest, the first, and the most reliable."
He paused.
"If people must choose who to trust… I want them to choose us."
No one argued.
"I'll be gone soon," Zumi went on. "Celestina's trial will make me stronger—but until I return, I want everyone training harder than ever. Assume the portals could appear early. No complacency."
His gaze sharpened.
"No matter how strong I become," he said, "my true power will only awaken once I'm reunited with Athena—and once certain conditions are met."
Serafina, Bia, and Leafa exchanged knowing looks. They understood exactly what that meant.
Zumi finished calmly, "Until then, we prepare. We refine. We fortify."
One by one, everyone nodded.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only resolve.
The world didn't know it yet—but its last line of defense was already forming.
Zumi spoke again, grounding everyone before the momentum could run ahead of itself.
"Before all of this," he said evenly, "Celestina gave me five days. That means I won't be easing into anything—I'll be accelerating it."
The room stayed silent, attentive.
"I'll be going back to the slums," he continued. "That's where I'll begin building the Kogane Empire properly. In the future, that place will become the headquarters of the Trickster Guild."
A few eyes widened—not in doubt, but in understanding of the scale.
"As planned," Zumi said, ticking names off calmly, "Gia, Hina, Roberta, and Jonathan will be coming with me."
Jonathan wasn't present, already deep in hotel operations, but his name carried weight regardless.
"Reina is currently organizing her division at the hotel," Zumi added, "so she won't be here for this part—but she'll rejoin us once her role is stabilized."
He turned his attention to the others.
"Rachel, Kathy, Ana—while I'm gone, you'll oversee the hotel alongside Sebastian. Security, logistics, stability. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."
"Understood," they replied in unison.
Zumi looked back to Gia.
"Since we'll be building a city practically overnight," he said, "I'll need the best underworld builders you can find—people with earth-based abilities, infrastructure talents, construction gifts. The kind who can raise streets, walls, and foundations before sunrise."
Gia smiled, already pulling up contacts in her mind.
"Consider it done."
Finally, Zumi turned to Kasumi.
"I'll be sending at least twenty women to you," he said. "Some older, some young. Recruits for the battle maid division."
Kasumi straightened immediately.
"Roberta will handle their combat fundamentals while they're in the slums," Zumi continued. "Once they arrive here, you refine them—etiquette, discipline, cohesion, advanced combat control."
Kasumi bowed her head, touched but resolute.
"I won't fail."
Zumi nodded once.
Reina and Jonathan remained absent, both already executing their roles elsewhere—but their influence was felt regardless.
With that, the plan was set.
Five days.
A city rising overnight.
An empire taking shape where the world had long since looked away.
And at its center—
The Trickster was moving.
The evening settled into something warm and unhurried, the kind of quiet that only came when everyone felt safe enough to simply exist together.
They gathered in the living room again, couches pulled closer, chairs dragged in, some sitting on the floor without a care. Zumi stayed at the center without trying to be, an easy gravity drawing everyone in. Emma and Emily found themselves seated close, half-listening, half-absorbing everything around them.
For Emma, it was overwhelming in a way she hadn't expected.
This wasn't a den of monsters.
This wasn't a tyrant's court.
It felt… like a family.
Emily laughed more than she realized she had in years. She sat beside Kathy and Gia, occasionally glancing at Zumi, not with infatuation this time but with something gentler. Trust. Understanding. A sense that whatever path lay ahead, she wouldn't be walking it alone.
Emma listened intently as stories bounced around the room. Hina exaggerated a moment from the casino, Leafa corrected her with mock seriousness, Serafina dryly added details that made everyone laugh harder. Even Roberta, standing near the wall at first, relaxed enough to sit when Kasumi gently tugged her down beside her.
Emma noticed it then.
How Kasumi spoke with authority but never cruelty.
How Gia commanded respect without raising her voice.
How Zumi listened more than he spoke.
This… this was leadership.
At some point, Kasumi stood and stretched.
"Alright," she said briskly, clapping once. "Roberta, help me in the kitchen. If we're eating late, we might as well eat properly."
Roberta rose instantly. "Understood."
She followed Kasumi without hesitation, movements precise but unforced.
As they headed toward the kitchen, Viktoria paused. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, her expression thoughtful but calm. She placed a short call, voice low and efficient, instructing her bodyguards to begin moving her belongings to the neighboring mansion Zumi had given her. She gave clear directions and timelines, then ended the call and slipped the phone away.
"They'll have everything transferred by morning," Viktoria said lightly, glancing toward Zumi.
Zumi nodded. "Take your time. There's no rush."
The small kindness made Emma's chest tighten. Power like his rarely came with patience.
Not long after, Carmella's phone rang. She stepped aside, listened carefully, then returned with a composed smile that carried weight.
"They've agreed," she said. "Both of them. The Iron Valkyrie Family and the Maranzano Dynasty. Tomorrow. Five p.m. At the hotel."
The room quieted—not with fear, but with focus.
Zumi absorbed the information, then turned to Rachel. His tone was calm, decisive.
"At that time, I'll be in the slums establishing the foundation of the empire. Jonathan will be with me."
Rachel straightened immediately.
"You'll escort both parties to my private suite," Zumi continued. "Treat them with the highest level of respect and hospitality. Seat them comfortably. No intimidation. No pressure."
Rachel nodded. "Understood."
"When they arrive," he added, "call me. I'll teleport directly into the room to speak with them."
"Understood," she repeated, confidence steady.
Before the seriousness could linger, a soft movement came from behind the couch.
A pair of sleepy ears twitched.
A tail wagged.
Aurora slowly lifted her head, eyes half-lidded, hair messy from sleep. She climbed over the back of the couch with a lazy grace and plopped herself directly onto Zumi's lap.
"Hi, daddy," she mumbled, voice thick with sleep, tail swaying back and forth.
Emma froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her jaw dropped.
"W–woah," she breathed. "An actual… divine beast?"
The room erupted.
Laughter came from every direction.
"Oh no," Hina said between laughs. "You said it."
"Only newcomers react like that," Kathy teased.
Serafina smirked. "You'll get used to it."
Noah, seated nearby with Kaito, shrugged casually. "You should just expect weird stuff from Zumi. He's a main character."
That sent everyone into another round of laughter, even Zumi shaking his head with a fond smile.
Aurora peeked up at Emma, blinking slowly. "You're new," she said, tail wagging faster.
Emma laughed, covering her face. "I… I guess I am."
Zumi looked down at Aurora. "Want to come on a trip with me tomorrow?"
Her ears perked instantly.
"Yes! Yes!" she chirped, sitting up straight, tail whipping excitedly.
They filled her in on everything she'd missed while sleeping—the slums, the empire, the plans, the looming threat. Aurora listened with wide eyes, nodding enthusiastically at every dramatic point.
Dinner was served at nine.
Kasumi and Roberta worked in perfect sync, dishes coming out warm and fragrant. Roberta moved with machine-smooth precision, learning quickly, adapting with every step. Kasumi corrected gently when needed, already treating her like a true subordinate rather than a tool.
Everyone gathered at the table, squeezing in wherever there was space. Emma sat between Emily and Kasumi, feeling—perhaps for the first time in her life—like she truly belonged somewhere.
Conversation flowed easily over food.
Emily talked about Noah's favorite comics.
Emma shared stories of her training under Nishiki, leaving out the pain and keeping the pride.
Aurora stole bacon when she thought no one was looking.
Zumi pretended not to notice.
Laughter carried the night forward.
By midnight, people began drifting—some to couches, some to rooms, some lingering just a little longer because they didn't want the night to end.
Zumi leaned back, surrounded by voices, warmth, loyalty.
Outside, the world was shifting.
Gods were moving.
Empires were waking.
But here, for this moment, there was peace.
And whatever came next—
They would face it together.