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"That's right."
Seeing the two girls' shocked expressions slowly shift into realization, Akio gave a straightforward nod. "I really am a god."
There was no need to hide it. Even if they told someone, no one would believe them. And if by some chance someone did believe it, who would be stupid enough to come looking for trouble? Did they really think Akio wouldn't kill them if it came to that?
Hearing him admit his identity, Yotsuya Miko fell into deep thought. Should she really become his shrine maiden? It was a lifelong commitment. Once she accepted, she'd belong to Akio for the rest of her life. The weight of it left her frozen, unsure how to decide.
Akio noticed her hesitation and didn't press. "If you don't want to decide now, that's fine. You could always go to the Onmyoji Bureau instead. With spirit eyes as powerful as yours, they'd treat you like an irreplaceable treasure. They'd keep you safe."
"Think it over."
With that, he withdrew the borrowed power he had lent to Yurikawa Hana. In an instant, her ability to see spirits vanished. For her, maybe that wasn't a bad thing.
Then Akio excused himself and left the rooftop, returning to class.
As soon as he walked in, Ritsu Tainaka couldn't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Hey, Akio, what's the deal with those two girls? Don't tell me they're the ones cooking for you?"
Her face was practically glowing with gossip. Akio sighed and gave her a firm knock on the head.
"Shut it."
Ritsu pouted, about to protest, but the bell rang and the teacher walked in, forcing her to drop the subject before she got herself in trouble.
Time passed quickly, and before long the final bell rang.
Ritsu looked ready to dive straight back into her questions, but Mio Akiyama grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off before she had the chance.
Akio, with nothing better to do, decided to wander outside the school. He wanted to get a feel for this world—see what other strange, stitched-together oddities might be hiding in it.
But before he could leave, Yurikawa Hana and Yotsuya Miko were waiting for him at the school gate.
Miko took a deep breath and said firmly, "I've decided. I'll be your shrine maiden."
"You're sure?"
She nodded, her voice small but steady. "Please… take me."
Akio wasn't sure what had made her settle on that choice, but since she was willing, he wasn't going to push her away. Truthfully, he couldn't deny he was more than a little tempted by her, too.
"Alright then. Come with me."
"Can I come too?" Hana asked quickly.
"What's this? You want to be my shrine maiden too?" Akio teased.
Hana pressed her palms together, pleading. "Please. I don't want to be separated from Miko."
"Then both of you, come along."
Smiling faintly, Akio led them to a nearby park. Its name, "Stray Dog Park," carried a strange air of mockery. Something about the place felt oddly familiar, though he couldn't recall why.
He brought them to a quiet, empty corner.
"Since you've both decided, from this moment on, you're my shrine maidens. Hold out your hands—I'll grant you power."
The two girls exchanged a glance, then held out their hands together.
Akio clasped them gently, channeling radiant light into their bodies—ten thousand points of pure divine power, the same as he had given Erina Nakiri and the others.
Hana received the power without issue, transforming into a superhuman strengthened by the light, just like the rest.
But Akio's real focus was on Miko.
What would happen to someone like her—already born with the highest level of spirit eyes—once given power like this?
The answer came swiftly.
As the divine light surged through her, Miko's golden irises blazed brilliantly, pulling in the radiance and reshaping themselves. Her spirit eyes were evolving.
Akio chuckled softly. Exactly as he expected—there was more to it.
An ordinary person with high-level spirit eyes could only see ghosts. But what if Miko wasn't ordinary anymore? What if her spirit eyes could unlock powers far beyond that?
The change unfolding before him proved his theory right. The highest level of spirit eyes weren't just for spotting spirits—they were something far greater.
The only reason she hadn't been able to do more before was because she'd been a normal human, holding her own gift back. Now that gap was filled, the true power of her eyes began to shine.
At the same time, Miko suddenly froze, her face draining of color. Her whole body shook violently, and her eyes brimmed with tears.
Hana immediately caught her in her arms. "Miko! Miko, what's wrong?!"
She looked at Akio in panic. "My lord, what's happening to her? Why is she like this?"
"It's the mutation in her spirit eyes," Akio guessed calmly. "She's seeing something we can't. Don't worry—it should pass soon."
Hana tightened her hold, still pale with worry.
After a long moment, the glow finally faded from Miko's eyes. She gasped, came back to herself—then burst into tears.
"It was so terrifying, Hana! So terrifying!"
Hana rocked her gently, whispering, "It's okay. I'm here. You're safe."
When Miko finally calmed down a little, Akio crouched beside her. "What did you see?"
Still trembling, she whispered, "Lord God… I saw a terrifying future."
"A future?" Akio stroked his chin. "So it's future sight, then. I didn't expect that. Seems the highest-level spirit eyes can even glimpse what's to come."
It could've been a mutation triggered by contact with his divine power, but whatever the cause, what she had seen was clearly no small thing. His curiosity sharpened.
"So tell me. What exactly did you see that scared you so badly?"
"Zombies…" Miko stammered. "An endless horde of zombies."
She gulped back sobs as she explained, "Not long from now, in a city near Tokyo—Bedmaster City—an unimaginable outbreak will occur. People will turn into zombies in huge numbers, swarming to attack the living. The government will step in immediately, but the mutation spreads far too fast."
"A month later, Tokyo falls."
"Half a year after that, the entire country is gone."
"..."
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