The small apartment was in disarray. Empty plates sat stacked on the counter, crumbs littered the coffee table, and the faint buzz of an old ceiling fan stirred the air above. Dazai stood in the middle of the room, frustration written all over his face, his hand clenched around the vacuum cleaner handle.
"I understand you saved me from killing myself———but that doesn't mean I say you can live with me," Dazai shouted, his voice cracking with a mix of anger and confusion. He jabbed a finger toward the woman sprawled across his couch.
"What's the big deal, it's not like you have anyone living here." The woman spoke casually, unfazed, tearing into a slice of bread. Crumbs spilled over the cushions as she chewed lazily, stretching out as though she owned the place.
"Even though, I never gave you permission——hell, I don't even know your name," Dazai snapped back, irritation spiking as he bent down to brush away the trail of crumbs falling from her bread.
The woman straightened suddenly, eyes glinting with a sharpness that seemed unnatural. "Why do you want to know my name, mortal?" she asked, her tone carrying a weight that made the air feel thicker. Rising from his bed where she'd lounged earlier, her presence filled the room with an almost divine tension.
Dazai met her gaze, refusing to back down. "I'm pretty sure I should know the name of the person that's going to be living with me." His voice was steady, but inside, unease gnawed at him.
She strode toward him with deliberate steps, the intensity in her movements making his heart pound. Finally, she stopped inches away. "If you must know, my name is Alexandria Silva."
Dazai let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "See, was that so hard?" he muttered, dropping the vacuum cleaner with a clatter.
"With that out of the way, mortal, we have to talk about the elephant in the room," Alexandria said, her voice losing its casual lilt. She sank into one of his armchairs, crossing her legs with elegance that didn't belong in his shabby living space.
"Okay, go on." Dazai reluctantly sat down on the seat beside her, bracing himself.
Her gaze locked onto him, unblinking. "I saved your life for a purpose, Dazai. You're the key to saving this world."
The words cut through the room like a blade. Dazai leaned back on the couch, laughing bitterly. "Normally I would say you're crazy, but after witnessing what you did yesterday, it seems I don't even know what to think anymore."
"Nothing really makes sense until it's explained——the Ultimate Compulsion System, as weird as it sounds, it's the key to saving this world," Alexandria said firmly.
Dazai's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" His voice cracked with confusion.
"They're a race of women coming to conquer this world, from another planet called Nebula——they call them Nexons," Alexandria began, her tone cold, matter-of-fact.
He felt his stomach drop. "They go from planet to planet conquering it and enslaving their people," she continued.
"So they're coming to conquer Earth?!" Dazai blurted, his shock rising.
"Yes. Earth is their next destination, but here's the thing——they can be stopped." Alexandria rose from her seat, pacing before him, her shadow stretching long against the wall.
"How?" Dazai's voice was almost a whisper, caught between dread and disbelief.
"The Ultimate Compulsion System I've blessed you with is the key to defeating the Nexon women. You see, the Nexons invade planets with their strongest women. They're twenty in number, and have different ranks——but due to the Nexon women having a competitive spirit, they don't come all at once. They come one by one in order of rank."
Dazai blinked, baffled. "Why would they do that, when they can just get it done together?"
"Weren't you listening?" Alexandria snapped. "They have a competitive spirit, and they want to prove they're stronger than their rank by conquering an individual planet."
Dazai's chest tightened as she continued.
"That's where the Ultimate Compulsion System comes in. When a Nexon arrives to conquer a planet, they look for worthy opponents first because they're obsessed with battle. But if you're able to best them in battle, a command happens that sends them back to Nexon, where they regroup and return to conquer the planet."
She leaned closer, her eyes fierce. "Now, with the Ultimate Compulsion System, the command becomes non-existent. With it, when you defeat a Nexon, you compulse them into sexual intercourse with you and are now able to copy their powers and make them submit to you."
Dazai's face went pale. His throat tightened as he stammered, "Woah, compulsing someone sounds a bit wrong." His voice was shaky, guilt lacing every word.
"Even when they're mass murdering aliens, are you that ignorant, Dazai?" Alexandria shot back, her fist clenching so tightly her knuckles whitened. "They deserve even worse than that."
Dazai's chest heaved as the weight of her words pressed down on him. His mind raced with doubt, morality, and fear. "This is all insane. How am I supposed to beat an alien? I don't have any powers to fight them with!" he shouted, desperation leaking through every syllable.
Alexandria's gaze softened slightly, but her tone stayed firm. "Remember I said, when you have sexual intercourse with a nexon, you'll get a copy of their powers."
His heart skipped. He swallowed hard. "Wait, you don't mean—!"
"Yes." Her words dropped like heavy stones. "You'll need to compulse a nexon today, Dazai!" Alexandria's eyes bore into his, her face dead serious.