Zumi materialized in a whisper of golden particles — silent, clean, precise. He appeared exactly where Carmella's transferred memories had shown him: right before the massive iron gates of the Umbra Court mansion.
The estate loomed like a gothic cathedral dipped in shadow. Tall spires. Black stone. Silver inlays swirling like living darkness. The air tasted cold — the kind of cold that came from ancient blood.
Two guards stood at the gate.
Both were enhanced — stronger than typical humans. Both radiated killing intent. Both had been warned that a "guest" would arrive today.
They looked at Zumi… and nearly laughed.
He had masked his aura completely. To them, he felt like a normal, average civilian walking up to a nest of vipers.
They prepared to test him — maybe tease him, maybe toy with him.
Then Zumi looked at them.
Just a glance.
His eyes — cold, unwavering, predatory.
A gaze that said without words:
If you touch me, you die.
Their throats tightened instantly. Their muscles locked. Their instincts screamed:
Monster. Do not provoke. Do not breathe wrong.
And in that moment, Zumi activated his Loyalty Perception silently.
🔍 Loyalty Scan: Guards
Umbra Court Guard #1 [ LOYALTY: 2/10 — Wary. Territorial. Not hostile yet. ]
Umbra Court Guard #2 [ LOYALTY: 3/10 — Curious. Mild fear. No intent to attack. ]
Good. Neither were threats.
The guards instantly stepped aside and bowed.
"S–Sir… you may enter."
A tall butler approached from the shadowed courtyard — dressed immaculately, eyes cold and empty like a man who had killed enough people to stop counting.
He bowed stiffly.
"Follow me."
Zumi did.
The butler led him through stone corridors so silent that footsteps echoed like whispers in a crypt.
At every shadow, Zumi scanned.
Every guard. Every servant. Every hidden watcher.
None exceeded 4/10 loyalty. All were cautious. None dared provoke.
Finally, the butler opened the door to the conference chamber.
"Victor Dragna awaits."
Zumi entered.
And the world changed.
The meeting hall of the Umbra Court was cold, draped in black banners and silver accents. Victor Dragna sat at the head of the long oak table, his presence like a dagger in the dark. Shadows flickered unnaturally along the walls, listening, waiting.
Catherine stood at his side, arms crossed, her crimson eyes fixed on the man who had entered.
Zumi Kogane.
He walked in calmly — not dressed in extravagance, but with the confidence of a man who did not need to prove himself. His aura—calm, controlled, yet utterly overwhelming—filled the chamber like a storm waiting to break.
Zumi activated Loyalty Perception.
🔍 Loyalty Reading: Victor Dragna
[ LOYALTY: 0/10 — Neutral. Testing. Calculating. ]
🔍 Loyalty Reading: Catherine Dragna
[ LOYALTY: 5/10 — Curiosity. Attraction forming. ]
Victor began the meeting.
"Zumi Kogane. I know why you've come. You want the Umbra Court. But shadows don't bow easily."
Zumi didn't raise his voice.
"I didn't come to conquer you with blood. I respect strength — real strength. And I don't need to prove mine. I came to offer you a place at my table, not beneath it. But if I wanted your throne, Victor…" His eyes sharpened almost imperceptibly. "…I could have taken it the moment I walked in."
Victor stiffened. Catherine's breath hitched.
🔍 Loyalty Update: Victor
[ 0/10 → 2/10 — Recognition. Alertness. Respect forming. ]
Victor tried a different tactic — political entrapment.
He leaned forward, voice smooth.
"If I accept this alliance, what assurance do I have that the Kogane family will not one day decide the Umbra Court is… unnecessary?"
A trap. A velvet rope meant to bind Zumi into political submission.
Zumi cut straight through it.
"If your Court ever became unnecessary, Victor… it would only be because you failed to keep up."
The shadows recoiled.
Victor froze.
Because beneath Zumi's calm tone was the unmistakable meaning:
"Should I wipe out your family?"
Victor's political move collapsed instantly. He swallowed hard.
🔍 Loyalty Update: Victor
[ 2/10 → 4/10 — Realization. Fear blended with respect. ]
"Strength isn't about destroying everything in your path," Zumi continued. "True strength is knowing you don't need to."
Victor slowly leaned back, jaw tightening in acceptance.
"The Umbra Court will serve the Kogane Family. Better to walk beside the storm than be destroyed by it."
His loyalty surged.
🔍 Loyalty Update: Victor
[ 4/10 → 6/10 — Submission forming. ]
🔍 Loyalty Update: Victor
[ 6/10 → 8/10 — Acceptance. Permanent respect. ]
Catherine's world shifted. Her father—the man she thought invincible—had acknowledged another as his superior.
Her pulse quickened.
And her loyalty bar flickered.
🔍 Loyalty Update: Catherine
[ 8/10 → 9/10 — Emotional surrender forming. ]
Zumi's hand lingered beneath her chin, his thumb brushing the edge of her jawline. His eyes, calm yet unshakable, held hers. She thought her heart might give out under that gaze alone.
But then his words came, even and steady, like a man unafraid of truth:
"Catherine… before you surrender yourself fully, you need to know something. You would not be the first to give me your heart. Other women—strong, fierce, unbreakable women—have already given me everything. Their loyalty, their devotion, their entirety belongs to me."
Her chest tightened, and for the briefest moment, the fierce Dragna fire flickered in her crimson eyes. Jealousy, sharp and instinctive. But Zumi did not stop speaking.
"I did not ask for them to kneel. They chose to. They saw in me what you see now—that I can carry them, protect them, dominate them. If you choose this, Catherine, you will be joining them. I won't hide it from you. So I ask you now… is that enough for you? Knowing you'll never be the only one, but knowing you will always be mine?"
The silence between them was heavy, filled with the weight of truth. Catherine's breathing slowed. She thought of the boy who had left her, unable to stand her fire. She thought of the countless men who tried to tame her only to be burned. None of them had been strong enough.
But Zumi was different. He didn't just handle her flame—he dwarfed it. He was a storm, and she was relieved to finally be caught in it.
Her lips parted, voice low but firm:
"I don't care how many women are by your side. As long as I belong to you. As long as when you hold me, I know I'm yours. I don't need to be the only one… I just need to be yours."
She stepped closer until her forehead nearly rested against his chest, her body trembling with the rare vulnerability she had hidden her whole life.
"If I have that, Zumi… then you can have everything I am."
For the first time, Catherine Dragna—fierce warrior, daughter of shadows—let herself melt.
And Zumi, calm and steady, accepted her surrender the way he had with the others—not as a conqueror, but as the unshakable man who could carry the weight of many hearts, and never falter.
🔥 Loyalty Lock: Catherine
[ 10/10 — 100/100 | Absolute Devotion Achieved ] Status: Loyalty Locked. Eternal. Unbreakable. System Notification: Catherine Dragna has become a System Character.
She stepped into him, trembling as she whispered:
"If I have that… then you can have everything I am."
And Zumi accepted her surrender — not as a conqueror, but as the only man strong enough to carry her fire without breaking.
The air between them vibrated with something raw and undeniable.
Catherine had just surrendered — fully, openly, vulnerably — something she had never done for anyone in her life.
Her breath trembled, her eyes half-lidded as she looked up at Zumi, waiting for whatever he would do next.
Zumi stepped closer.
One slow, deliberate stride.
Then another.
Until he stood right before her, towering over her, presence wrapping around her like heat from a fire.
Catherine's heartbeat hammered in her ears.
And then—
He pulled her into his arms.
Not roughly.
Not gently.
But with the steady, unshakable certainty of a man who knew she belonged there.
Catherine gasped softly as her body pressed into his — her toned abdomen, her strong thighs, her powerful shoulders.
Zumi's hands slid naturally around her waist, appreciating the dense muscle beneath her clothes.
He looked down at her tattoos.
Intricate black patterns curled along her shoulders, her hips, her ribs — shadow sigils and Dragna clan markings that told stories of blood, loyalty, and war.
Zumi traced one slowly with his thumb, admiration unmistakable.
"These markings…" he murmured.
"They suit you. Fierce. Beautiful."
Catherine's cheeks went red instantly.
She had been complimented before — by men who feared her.
By rivals who disguised lust as bravado.
But never by someone like this.
Never by someone stronger.
Never by someone who looked at her like she was a masterpiece.
Zumi's gaze dipped lower, taking in the sculpted curve of her thighs, the athletic strength in her hips, the balanced shape of a woman who had trained her whole life and carried power with ease.
And then—
His hand shifted, sliding lower…
Slow enough that she felt every millimeter.
Firm enough that she knew it wasn't accidental.
His palm settled over the curve of her backside — bold, confident, claiming.
Not squeezing crudely.
Not disrespectfully.
But with a warm, unmistakable appreciation
that made her entire body react.
Catherine froze.
Heat exploded across her face.
Her crimson eyes widened, then softened, her lips parting in a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Her voice came out in a quiet, stunned, flustered whisper:
"Z-Zumi…"
He leaned in slightly, his breath warm at her ear.
"You're strong," he murmured.
"Beautiful."
His thumb brushed the firm line of her hip.
"And everything about you… deserves to be admired."
Her knees nearly buckled.
Catherine Dragna — the woman feared in half the underworld — melted so quickly she could barely keep her balance.
Her arms slid around his back on instinct, pulling herself into him.
She breathed against his chest, flustered, trembling, unable to hide even a fraction of the chaos inside her.
"N-No one's ever touched me like that," she admitted, cheeks burning, voice barely audible.
"No one's ever been allowed to."
Zumi lifted her chin gently.
"You're mine now," he said softly.
"And I will always treat you like someone worth holding."
Catherine didn't just blush this time.
She practically glowed.
Her loyalty bar flickered above her head — bright, golden, locked.
And for the first time in her life…
Catherine Dragna felt cherished.
Catherine was still pressed against him, breathing softly, her fierce crimson eyes softened into something warm… something devoted.
Zumi stroked her cheek once more before speaking.
"Catherine," he said calmly, "before you come to me tonight… talk to your father. Tell him how you feel. Tell him you've chosen me."
A flicker of fire lit her eyes.
She nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. He deserves to hear it directly from me."
Zumi then added, voice firm but warm:
"And tonight, I want you at my mansion. You'll meet the others. You'll be part of the family."
Her breath hitched.
She didn't blush this time— she glowed with pride.
Then Zumi said the last part:
"Also… I'm enrolling in high school for a short while. I want you there with me."
She didn't even pause.
"Yes." No hesitation. No doubts. No conditions.
Just pure acceptance.
Then Catherine reached up, grabbed him by the collar, and kissed him with fierce intensity—her devotion raw and undeniable. When she pulled away, her lips were still parted, her breath still trembling.
"I'll be there," she whispered.
She turned and walked out—confident, powerful, and now undeniably his.
Zumi watched her go.
And as she stepped through the door, he let just a slight pulse of aura slip—
A controlled, subtle spike of desire.
Catherine felt it instantly.
She paused mid-stride, shoulders shivering, and slowly looked back with a knowing smirk.
Her voice dropped to a low, teasing murmur:
"I'll remember that look… King."
Then she vanished into the corridor.
Zumi was escorted out by the same butler who had guided him in— a tall, calm, impeccably dressed man named Antonio Dragna.
Sharp eyes. Measured steps. An aura of someone who has killed before… and would again if needed.
Zumi glanced at him—
And activated the protocol.
🔍 Loyalty Reading: Antonio Dragna [ 9/10 — devotion tied directly to Catherine's wellbeing ]
Celestia whispered:
"Final condition: He must believe absolutely that you will never break Catherine's heart."
Zumi nodded subtly.
They reached the mansion gates.
Antonio finally spoke—voice low, respectful, but edged with warning:
"You moved my Master and my Lady today. That is not something many men can do. Catherine… she hides her pain well. And her strength even better."
He turned to face Zumi fully.
"I hope you understand what it means to hold the heart of a Dragna."
Zumi stepped closer.
Unintimidated.
Unmoved.
Unshaken.
His voice was quiet—
But it struck with the weight of a divine promise.
"Antonio… understand this."
He met the butler's eyes with absolute certainty.
"Your Catherine is mine now. And what belongs to me… I protect with my life."
Antonio froze.
Zumi continued—voice deepening with authority that made the shadows themselves listen:
"No one will break her. Not her enemies. Not her father. Not the world. And not me."
He leaned in just slightly, gaze sharpening into something lethal.
"If someone ever tried to shatter her heart… the only question would be whether I erase the offender's family first… or their entire legacy."
A chill ran through the air.
Not from threat— but from truth.
Antonio's eyes widened— then softened, then warmed.
A rare, genuine smile touched his face.
He bowed deeply.
"Then… you have my loyalty, Zumi Kogane."
🔥 Loyalty Lock: Antonio Dragna [ 10/10 — 100/100 | Absolute Devotion Achieved ] Status: Loyalty Locked. Catherine's Guardian Approves.
Celestia chimed silently in Zumi's mind:
"Condition fulfilled. Antonio Dragna now recognizes you as Catherine's rightful protector."
Antonio stepped back, posture now completely relaxed, entirely respectful.
"Please return tonight, sir," he said warmly. "Lady Catherine will be ready."
Zumi gave a small nod of acknowledgment…
And vanished into teleportation light.