The camera flashes crackled like electrical discharges under Tokyo's grey sky. Ueno Park, once a peaceful haven for tourists, had become the center of the world for a few hours. The security cordons of the Japan Self-Defense Forces struggled to contain the human tide of journalists and onlookers.
At the center of attention was Mizuhara Rin.
She stood tall, though her hands still shook slightly, draped in a survival blanket provided by the rescue teams. Her aristocratic beauty, accentuated by the surrounding chaos and the streaks of soot on her cheeks, fascinated the cameras. She was the perfect face for national propaganda: the young heiress of a financial conglomerate, miraculously awakened, slaying monsters to survive.
At her side, standing slightly back, Sato Kenji played his role to perfection.
His shoulders were hunched, his gaze averted, and he wore a carefully feigned expression of traumatic shock. He held a bottle of water with a trembling hand—the very image of the ordinary student saved by the "Saint" of the park.
"Miss Mizuhara! Is it true that you eliminated the Gate Boss all by yourself?"
"What happened inside? The government is talking about 'Systems'—did you receive one?"
Rin shot a fleeting glance at Kenji. He didn't move, but she felt a psychological pressure exert itself on her mind—a silent command transmitted through the bond that now united them. "Answer as I told you."
"I… I don't know everything that happened," Rin began, her voice regaining an icy confidence she never thought she possessed. "I felt an immense power. I saw this young man, Sato-kun, being attacked. In my desire to help him, something inside me broke. The cold became my ally. Without his encouragement and his knowledge of the area, I don't know if I would have found the courage to strike."
She placed a hand on Kenji's shoulder. To the journalists, it was a gesture of gratitude toward a companion in misfortune. To Kenji, it was the necessary contact to discreetly siphon her mana.
[Warning: A B-Rank presence is approaching.]
Kenji narrowed his eyes. Through the crowd, a man in a dark suit, surrounded by an escort of heavily armed guards, cut through the mass. Kenji immediately recognized the face: Kaito Kurogane, the future head of the Awakened Management Bureau—a man whose ambition was matched only by his cruelty. In his first life, Kurogane had made Kenji a labor slave, forcing him to carry tons of equipment into the most toxic dungeons.
Kurogane stopped before them. His gaze completely ignored Kenji, fixing on Rin with a glint of greed.
"Miss Mizuhara. I am Kaito Kurogane, special representative of the Cabinet. What you accomplished today is historic. Japan needs people like you. We would like to escort you to a secure facility to evaluate your capabilities."
Rin felt a surge of arrogance rise within her. Before her awakening, she would have been intimidated. Now, she felt Kenji's power whispering in her blood.
"I'm not going anywhere without my assistant," she declared, pointing to Kenji. "He was my guide in that hell. He knows the creatures better than your experts."
Kurogane finally set his eyes on Kenji. His look was that of a predator examining trash.
"An assistant? A civilian with no potential will only slow us down. Miss, understand what's at stake..."
Kenji stepped forward, bowing his head with servile humility.
"Sir, I… I have no combat power, it's true. But I noted the attack patterns of the monsters. If I can help protect Miss Mizuhara, I will. She is very… attached to my presence to stabilize her mana."
It was a technical lie, but Kurogane flinched. The first reports on Awakening mentioned mental instability. If this kid served as an emotional anchor, he could be useful for manipulating the girl.
"Very well. Get in the car. But don't you dare interfere with the protocol."
Thirty minutes later. Underground Security Bureau.
Kenji sat in a corner of a high-tech testing room, watching through reinforced glass as Rin underwent a battery of exams. She created pillars of ice and pulverized moving targets under the stunned eyes of the scientists.
[Target Statistics: Mizuhara Rin]
Level: 8 Attribute: Eternal Ice (Rapid Evolution) Submission: 15% ("Honeymoon" Phase)
Kenji noted mentally that the submission level increased after each successful fight. The more powerful she felt, the more she subconsciously attributed that power to Kenji.
A door opened behind him. Kurogane entered, smoking a cigarette despite the facility's regulations.
"Tell me, Sato-kun, was it? What's your secret?"
Kenji startled, playing up the nervousness. "My secret, sir?"
"Don't play dumb with me. I saw the footage from the park. You move too well for an economics student. Your eyes… they don't look for an exit. They look for weak points. You're a sensory-type Awakened, aren't you? A combat-useless F-Rank, but capable of seeing mana flows?"
Kenji let out a feigned sigh of relief. Perfect. He took the bait.
"You've seen through me, Mr. Kurogane. I… I can see the weaknesses. That's how I helped Rin-sama. But I beg you, don't force me to go back in there alone. I have no physical strength."
Kurogane laughed, a dry and joyless sound.
"A parasite. You found a goose that lays golden eggs and you're clinging to it. I like that. It's pragmatic. Listen well: you will stay with her. You will push her to cooperate with the government. In exchange, I'll give you an official E-Rank assistant license. You'll have a salary, security, and you can stay tucked in the lady's skirts. But if she starts getting ideas about independence… you're the one I'll make disappear."
[New Quest Detected: The Puppet Master.]
Objective: Infiltrate the Security Bureau. Reward: Access to data on S-Rank Gates. Failure: Death or premature exposure.
"I'll do whatever you want, sir," Kenji replied, his gaze fixed on his shoes to hide the flash of pure hatred that had just crossed his pupils.
Kurogane left the room, convinced he had recruited an easily broken spy. Kenji, meanwhile, moved closer to the glass.
Rin had just finished her test. She was covered in sweat, her eyes immediately searching for Kenji through the glass. He gave her a slight nod.
Suddenly, Kenji's system sent a notification that made him quiver with pleasure.
[Passive Skill: Oppressor's Eye has detected a Hidden Desire in Kaito Kurogane.]
Desire: "Overthrow the Prime Minister to establish a military dictatorship based on the strength of the Awakened."
"Oh, Kaito…" Kenji whispered. "Your ambitions are so small. You want a country? I want the world. And I will use you to build the foundations of my throne before I feed you to my dogs."
Night of September 2nd. Private apartment provided by the Bureau.
The apartment was luxurious, located on the upper floors of a secure tower in Roppongi. Kenji sat on the leather sofa, reading confidential reports he had digitally "borrowed" during his visit to the Bureau.
The bedroom door opened. Rin appeared, dressed in a simple black silk nightgown that Kurogane's staff had provided. She no longer looked like the stoic "Ice Queen" of the cameras. Her eyes were burning with fever.
"Master… I can't sleep."
Kenji didn't look up from his documents. "And why is that, Rin? You should be exhausted. Your tests were impressive."
Rin approached, sinking to her knees and resting her head on Kenji's thighs.
"It's not enough. Ever since you shared your mana with me in the dungeon… I feel empty. The cold inside me craves your warmth. I can't concentrate."
Kenji finally placed his hand on the young woman's hair. He felt her body stiffen, then relax in a shiver of pure pleasure.
"You're becoming dependent, Rin. That is the price of the power I offer you. My mana isn't just a resource; it's a part of my will. The more you use it, the more you become mine."
"I don't care," she whispered, looking up at him with a gaze of morbid devotion. "Everyone looks at me like an icon, like a tool. You're the only one who looks at me like… like a thing. And I love it. Please. Give me more."
Kenji closed his folder. The time had come to solidify the bond. In his past life, he had never known intimacy, too busy picking up others' scraps. Today, he was going to savor his first conquest.
He seized Rin by the hair and forced her head back.
"You want me to fill you again? Then show me you're ready to abandon everything. Your name, your Mizuhara heritage, your dignity. Here, in this room, you are not the Ice Queen. You are my instrument."
Rin let out a muffled sob, not of sadness, but of an excitement bordering on madness.
"Everything… I give you everything."
[Warning: R18 Scene in progress.]
[Submission bond deepens: 15% -> 25%]
[Awakening of Target's Attribute: "The Submissive's Obsession".]
Kenji prostrated her on the luxurious rug. What followed was a demonstration of absolute domination. Every touch, every kiss was a power transaction. Kenji's System roared, absorbing Rin's life essence and raw emotions to transform them into raw strength.
For hours, he broke her and rebuilt her, using his skills to explore every corner of her body and mind. Rin was no more than an extension of himself, a creature whose cries of pleasure and pain mingled in the darkness of the apartment.
At sunrise, Kenji stood on the balcony, watching Tokyo awaken in fear and uncertainty. Behind him, Rin slept, her body marked with redness, a smile of absolute peace on her lips.
Kenji felt transformed. His stats had surged.
[Current Statistics]
Level: 12 Strength: 25 | Agility: 22 | Intelligence: 30 | Mana: 150 New Ability Unlocked: Sovereign's Domain (A-Rank) – Within a 10-meter radius, reduces enemy statistics and increases those of submitted allies by 20%.
"Only one day, and I'm already stronger than I was in five years of my past life," he whispered.
He looked toward the horizon, toward the Shibuya district where, he knew, another D-Rank Gate would open in the afternoon. That was where he would meet his next target. A female doctor whose healing talent would be crucial for his future conquests.
But before that, he had to ensure Kurogane gave him full authority over Rin's rapid response unit.
Kenji smiled. The world was a chessboard, and he had just captured his first major piece. The others would follow, one by one, until the entire board was stained with the black of his will.