Bonus chapter unlocked by your Power Stones!
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Eyes of Death Perception!
With his mystic eyes, he could see different death-lines—the paper and the drawing did not share the same lines.
This woman's drawing was a living being.
Under the direct gaze of the Eyes of Death Perception, the woman trembled and curled up.
She was afraid.
This thing didn't look dangerous, and Tatsuki had no intention of killing her. He planned to seal it with spatial layering, to prevent any escape.
In truth, Tatsuki already had a guess—but he still needed proof.
He looked at Shizuka Hiratsuka, expression turning serious. "How did you find it?"
Shizuka scratched her hair. "I bought some hot-blooded manga at the doujin event today. I found it inside one of them."
"The doujin event? What a coincidence—I was there too. How did I not see you?"
He was certain he had influenced the perception of everyone inside the event—and Shizuka hadn't been among them.
"I had a friend go for me. Why were you at a doujin event?"
Shizuka was curious. Top in PE, a superpowered student—does he also like otaku culture?
Tatsuki spread his hands. "Helping a friend sell doujin."
"R-18?" Shizuka blinked.
"Yeah." Tatsuki sighed.
"Even a superpowered guy has awkward moments?" Shizuka waggled her brows, teasing.
Tatsuki let out a deep, desolate sigh. "There are things way more awkward."
"What things?" Shizuka's interest peaked.
"You know how doujin usually draw… the, uh, unusual parts?"
"Mm."
Shizuka, an adult living alone, understood perfectly well.
"My friend perfectly replicated my weapon to scale in the doujin."
Just thinking of Eriri's "operation" gave Tatsuki a toothache. Didn't that mean anyone who bought Kashiwagi Eri's book would be admiring his weapon? If some guy was into it, and worse—an homos…
The mental image gave him goosebumps. He'd have to stop Eriri from doing that again!
Shizuka glanced between his legs. Weapon? Don't you mean that?
"Pff—hahaha!"
Picturing it, she lost it and burst out laughing. She couldn't hold it in. "Hahaha—don't tell me you're feeling lacking?"
Shizuka patted his shoulder like an adult consoling a kid.
Men—those who know, know. Small and short breed insecurity.
"Get outta here. I could put you on your knees begging." Tatsuki brushed her hand off, annoyed. "Enough nonsense—bring out all your manga. I'll check them."
"Hehe… they're all here."
When her laughter subsided, Shizuka lifted the bottom of the cloth bag and dumped the stack of manga onto the bed.
Tatsuki examined them with the Eyes of Death Perception.
All normal death-lines—none belonged to a living entity.
So this sheet of paper was a special case, which further supported a rather terrifying suspicion.
A single sheet. A line-drawn woman. And the word Cassandra.
There was a simple way to verify it.
Tatsuki looked at the paper and asked, "What's your name?"
The woman in the drawing shivered, clearly not over her terror yet.
With no choice, he let the Eyes of Death Perception dim. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you."
Speaking gently finally calmed the line-drawn woman.
Her hands moved—gesturing.
Shizuka leaned in, amazed—her hair even brushing Tatsuki's cheek. "She's signing—sign language!"
"You can read it? What's she saying?" Tatsuki asked.
"Uh… I can't." Shizuka scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "Why would I know sign language?"
"…"
Tatsuki rolled his eyes and focused on the paper again. "Can you write your name down?"
The woman understood. She bent forward, and her finger traced across the paper—this time, inked lines remained.
A string of letters.
When she finished, it read: Cassy.
"…"
Tatsuki could basically confirm it now—SCP-085, the woman in the drawing: Cassy.
SCP-085 preferred to be called Cassy.
For a moment, his thoughts turned into a tangled mess.
So… the Foundation's SCPs are showing up here?!
Fuck—what about the other absurdities then?
Divinity? Supreme Divinity?
Right then, the idea of taking the whole family and leaving this world flashed through his mind.
By the settings in many versions, quite a few SCP supreme entities go way off the charts—some "infinite this, infinite box that"… how is any of that even playable?
We're doing a Twelve-Star Apocalypse and you throw this in?
Isn't this world done for?
Tired. Let it all burn.
Right now, he could only casually destroy a galaxy or so; this sudden spike of pressure was bad for the heart.
"You… okay?" Shizuka looked worried.
Ever since reading "Cassy," Tatsuki's face had gone pale, then flushed, alternating as if he'd been slapped by fate.
"…"
After a long breath, Tatsuki let out a wry smile. "I'm fine—just… complicated feelings."
Complicated was right.
In mere seconds, he'd thought too much. In the end, he decided to take it step by step. If the day came when there was no other choice, he'd take everyone and evacuate to another world…
As for this world—heh. Life comes first.
At least, for now, the truly outrageous SCPs hadn't appeared yet. Supreme divinities, divinities—none had shown. Maybe there was still a chance.
Maybe…
Calmed, Tatsuki stored the woman in the drawing inside a space of his own making.
She wasn't particularly dangerous; no need to kill. A simple containment was easy for him. Later, he could let Echidna study what, exactly, this thing was.
"I'll take this anomaly with me. If you find anything strange again, let me know. And if you're in danger, call me. As long as you're on Earth, I can be there instantly."
Tatsuki suspected Shizuka might have a physique that attracts anomalies, so he reminded her specifically.
"Okay. And I won't be shy about it." She was moved, but outwardly she just thumped his shoulder with rough camaraderie—nothing teacherly about it.
Tatsuki didn't mind. In fact, he rather liked straightforward types—kind of like Marin.
He glanced at the shounen stack scattered on the bed and told her, "There's nothing anomalous in those. You can pack them."
"Got it."
Shizuka began putting the volumes back one by one—when Tatsuki's eyes landed on a very familiar cover. He stopped her. "Wait!"
"What is it? Something wrong with this one?"
Frowning, she picked it up and checked. "Huh? A bishoujo manga?"
Did I ask my friend to grab a bishoujo title? I don't think so…
"Uh…"
Tatsuki took in the cover and felt his eyelid twitch. His expression turned odd. "Ms. Hiratsuka, did you ask for this?"
Shizuka shook her head. "No. I only asked for battle manga. Maybe my friend made a mistake."
"Good." Tatsuki exhaled in relief. He'd thought Shizuka was… less than proper.
"What's with this book?"
He sighed, mood mixed. "It's my friend's doujin."
"Hah?"
Then Shizuka remembered. He'd told her earlier—his friend's doujin that had perfectly replicated his weapon to scale and shape.
A wicked grin tugged at her lips, and she patted his shoulder like a magnanimous adult. "Don't worry. I won't make fun of my own student. You're still young—there's time."
"…"
Black lines filled Tatsuki's mind. What does that even mean? He shot back, annoyed, "Enjoy it then. Try not to get scared. I'm heading out."
He vanished right after he spoke.
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