"From above, only our shelter is drawing such a massive swarm of zombies."
"Either they're attracted by the large crowd here... or—someone is commanding them."
"Found them!"
With the horde thinning out, Akuto finally spotted the advanced zombies hidden among the regular ones.
"Lickers? And Web-Weavers? What is this, Resident Evil?"
To ordinary people, creatures like Lickers or Web-Weavers were terrifying threats.
But to Akuto, they were nothing more than fodder — weaklings still lingering at the level of low-class devils.
From the sky, he unleashed a flurry of tracking magic bullets.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!~"
Amplified by the Boosted Gear, the bullets struck the advanced zombies with blinding speed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!~..."
Each impact exploded violently, tearing apart the evolved undead one after another.
Below, Saeko's eyes glittered with admiration.
As expected of the man she had chosen — his sheer strength and ruthless decisiveness matched perfectly with her ideals.
Watching Akuto slaughter wave after wave of zombies from above, entire swaths of the horde vanishing, even evolved zombies fleeing for their lives... Saeko's refined elegance faltered, warmth spreading across her white panties.
[This... Akuto-kun... is simply too magnificent!]
...
With the advanced zombies eliminated, the horde lost its backbone and began to retreat.
Leaderless, the rest were swiftly wiped out by Akuto's forces.
Minutes later.
Standing atop the armored vehicle, Akuto returned to the shelter amidst the crowd's fevered cries.
"Akuto! Akuto! Akuto!"
"Akuto-sama! Akuto-sama! Akuto-sama!..."
"Akuto-sama! I adore you!!~"
The armored vehicle itself was awe-inspiring.
But the greatest shock of all was Akuto himself.
Seeing him sprout wings and dominate the battlefield from the skies, people first gaped in astonishment — then erupted into wild, fanatical devotion.
They knew that in recent days, stronger zombies had begun emerging from the hordes.
Once, even regular people could hold a line if they had guns and worked together.
But what about later?
What if even stronger monsters appeared?
When that time came, they needed someone like Akuto — a leader, a godlike being to guide them into the future.
...
Akuto swept his gaze over the crowd from the top of the vehicle.
He hadn't planned on doing this. In truth, the lives of others meant little to him.
But... the more survivors there were in his shelter, the greater the system's settlement bonuses became.
To him, they were merely NPCs whose existence fattened his rewards.
Yet to them, Akuto had already become something like a king... or even a god.
A being who had evolved beyond humanity itself — if not a god, then what else?
...
"Now, I have a few words."
Akuto raised his hand slightly, and the noisy crowd instantly fell silent.
"Everyone, thank you. While I was away, you held the line."
"Through our joint effort, we held the defenses until I returned."
"This victory against the horde is not mine alone, but ours — the triumph of the City Shelter. No—of humanity itself!"
"Against the undead, we've shown the brilliance of humanity, carrying forward the spirit of cooperation that has guided us since ancient times..."
"....."
After a rousing speech, bolstered by his skill [Speech of the Heretical Protagonist], morale surged once more.
Akuto glanced toward the armored vehicle.
Kaguya stepped forward knowingly, joining him on stage.
"This time, I not only brought back this armored vehicle..."
"I also returned with a distinguished guest. From now on, she and Saya will help me manage the shelter."
"Kaguya, say a few words."
The sight of the noble, kimono-clad girl at Akuto's side sparked murmurs throughout the crowd.
Why did she look so familiar...?
Under their stares, Kaguya performed a perfect royal bow, her posture radiating the grace of a true princess.
Saya's leadership was impressive, but for grand occasions and sudden crises, Kaguya outshone her.
"I am Kaguya Sumeragi, Princess of the Akishino branch of the Imperial Family."
"It is my honor to meet you all as Akuto-sama's partner."
Her words thundered through the assembly.
A princess — of course! That's why she seemed so familiar. They had seen her countless times on television. Now, here she was, in the flesh!
...
What followed was formulaic — leveraging Kaguya's royal identity to further gild Akuto's authority.
With a princess at his side, the people's fervor and loyalty soared to a new peak.
Now the shelter held:
Saya, heiress of old noble Takagi family.
The Yukinoshita family head, representing new nobility.
Princess Kaguya, representing the Imperial line.
And Akuto, the embodiment of absolute power and order.
To live and work here was an honor beyond measure. None dared show poor performance, lest they be cast out.
...
That night, Akuto met each member of his new guard one by one.
He wasn't planning to devour them just yet. He still hadn't finished claiming the main heroines of his story — he had no need to indulge too early.
Instead, he assigned them specific roles.
Much was left to Saya and Kaguya to oversee.
But some matters required Akuto himself.
"Yes, Akuto-sama. While you're away, I'll manage the food and water supplies of the shelter. When you return, you'll find it even more prosperous."
A girl with Asuna-like features bowed respectfully and departed.
When the final guard had left, the last appointment of the night began.
Knock, knock.
A tall, elegant woman hesitantly entered.
It was Komuro Aoi — Komuro's mother.
...
The reason was simple: Akuto needed to replenish his Initial Ability Slots.
[Currently, I've used four slots: "Reinforced Slime Suit," "True Evil Pieces," "Pureblood Leviathan Bloodline," and "Boosted Gear."]
[With zombies evolving, it's time to maximize my slots and unleash my full potential.]
...
Akuto studied Aoi. She opened her lips as if to speak, then hesitated, before finally whispering:
"Akuto-kun, you called me here... is it about Takashi?"
She still thought well of him. After all, she had watched him grow up — polite, respectful, gifted.
So she hadn't taken her son's flight too seriously.
"Aunt Aoi, do you really think Takashi just left on his own?" Akuto asked with a soft chuckle.
"What? Wasn't it?" Her brows furrowed.
"Of course not."
"He fled with Hirano, that fat classmate of his. And not just that — they stole firearms and massive amounts of supplies."
"For the shelter as a whole, it's little more than a scratch. But for individuals, it's enough to survive for two years." Akuto's tone sharpened, pressing his hands on the desk.
"What?! Why would Takashi do such a thing?" Aoi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Because he saw me reveal my devil wings. From the start, he never accepted me."
"Devil wings... so it's true. You've evolved, just as everyone says." Aoi swallowed, recalling Akuto's invincible form earlier. It shook her to the core — and stirred a hidden desire to cling to him.
She wanted to remain here, with him.
But now she learned her son hadn't just fled — he'd betrayed her too, stealing vital supplies.
Damn it. Wasn't that stabbing his own mother in the back?!
"Akuto-kun, I'll bring him back and make him return the supplies."
"If I can persuade him... will you—"
Her gaze pleaded softly.
But Akuto only shook his head.
"Aunt Aoi, I can't agree to that."
"As the shelter's leader, I must punish deserters to maintain order. Otherwise, it tells people anyone can flee with resources and face no consequences."
Aoi fell silent. He was right.
"But, Akuto-kun! You and Takashi grew up as friends..."
"You're right. That's why I let him into my shelter, why I gave him authority over the warehouse."
"And this is how he repaid me."
"If not for a shred of old sentiment, Aunt Aoi, you'd already be locked up as bait. You wouldn't even be standing here."
His voice was calm, yet thunderous.
"Can't you forgive him? I'll teach him properly..." She grasped his hands, eyes pleading.
"Forgive him? ...It's not impossible."
"As the saying goes, 'if the child goes astray, the parent bears the blame.' Since your husband is gone, Aunt Aoi... why not bear his atonement yourself?"
His hand slid from hers up to her chest.
"Akuto-kun! You...!"
She froze. Was this his true intent?
From shame to confusion, from fear to helplessness — yet she dared not resist.
The realization dawned: he had wanted her all along.
She had liked him too, but only as a son-like figure. Never like this.
Yet he, clearly, had always seen her differently.
Akuto lifted her chin.
"Aunt Aoi, I've liked you for a long time. Besides, weren't you and your husband only married in name? What's there to protect?"
"How do you—!" She cut herself off, stunned.
"Let me be direct. If you become mine, I won't punish Takashi."
"One, because I truly desire you. Two, because then Takashi's betrayal becomes family business, not public treason. I'll have reason to shield him."
"Well? Isn't this a perfect solution?"
"..."
Long silence. Then Aoi's tear-filled eyes trembled.
"I... what should I do? I've never... I don't know how..."
At last, she surrendered.
"It's simple. Just listen to me." Akuto caressed her hair, inhaling her scent.
Minutes later, under his guidance, Komuro Aoi knelt before him, her black-stockinged toes curling as her eyes rolled back.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host, for seizing Fortune.]
[Source: Komuro Aoi.]
[+1 Initial Ability Slot. Current total: 6.]
The next morning.
Upon waking, Akuto immediately used his new slot.
"System, redeem: True Water Breathing."
[Ding!]
[Redemption successful!]
[Acquired: True Water Breathing]
[Remaining slots: 1.]
Water Breathing strengthened his Leviathan bloodline. As he activated it, his veins pulsed with renewed vigor.
"Mm..."
Aoi moaned faintly at his movement, her feelings a storm of shame, fear, and—expectation.
Sensing it, Akuto answered her with boundless passion.
And so, Komuro Aoi skipped breakfast.
After all, from her belly to her stomach... she was already filled to the brim.
(End of Chapter)
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