Even though he knew what that implied, Hayashi didn't refuse.The two arranged to meet later at six o'clock in Shibuya.
After leaving CCG, Hayashi walked along the road back home. That was when the familiar chime of the system rang in his head.
[You have triggered a Time-Limited Mission: Teach the Brother-in-Law a Lesson]
[Mission reward being distributed...]
Hearing the system notification, Hayashi froze slightly. If not for the reminder, he had nearly forgotten all about that mission. But now that he thought about it, why was the reward only showing up now? He'd already beaten his "brother-in-law" long ago.
[Reminder: Rewards are only distributed when the host is in an absolutely safe environment.]
"Only in absolute safety?" Hayashi frowned slightly. Why wasn't it delivered earlier, like in the car on the way back, or inside CCG Headquarters? Could there still have been some hidden threat?
His mind flickered to images — Ilhei's flawless face, Akira's cold and serious expression, the innocent faces of Kurona and Nashiro.If we're talking about potential threats… maybe only them.
Realization struck.A kidney crisis counts as a potential threat, doesn't it? If that's the case, then it made sense. The system was… considerate, in its own way.
[You have obtained a random Talisman: Dog Talisman
The loyal dog grants you eternal immortality.]
As the voice fell, golden light flooded into his body. Hayashi felt the Dog Talisman fusing with him. The overwhelming life force of the Horse Talisman, always circulating through rebirth and decay, suddenly… froze.
Until now, his infinite regeneration still meant energy constantly decayed and renewed.But now—there was no decay.
From this moment on, not only would he never die, he would remain forever in his peak condition. Even if gravely injured, during regeneration, his body would still stay at its absolute best. And from now on, no matter the damage — even being reduced to ashes — it wouldn't matter.
With the Dog Talisman's immortality stacked on top of the Horse Talisman's full resurrection, he was completely unkillable.
"I'm immortal… does that make me the true Undead King?"
In his mind flashed an image of a skeletal figure, clad in aristocratic robes, crimson eyes blazing, a scepter clutched in bony hands.
"And maybe… with the Dog Talisman, I'll finally be rid of that exhaustion I feel every morning."
Indeed, the fatigue that usually clung to him was gone—he felt invigorated, overflowing with energy.
"As the saying goes, revenge is a dish best served cold. It's about time I went back to Rize and tested this out."
A spark lit up in his eyes at the thought. He was about to leave when the system chimed again.
[Congratulations, you have collected three talismans: Dog, Ox, and Horse.
You now unlock the ability to release talisman powers externally.]
"Release… talisman powers?" Hayashi blinked.
[However, this requires physical contact with another person. Only then can the power be granted. Once contact is broken, the power is withdrawn. Only one person at a time can receive talisman energy.]
Hayashi nodded. That fit with the law of conservation of energy — energy can't appear out of nowhere, nor disappear, its total amount always remains the same.
It made sense: power transfer required physical contact, and once broken, it was canceled. Otherwise, if he could grant powers permanently… everyone would become superhuman, immortal, endlessly regenerating.
If the world became filled with "budget Homelander" copies, how would he have any fun left?
Satisfied, Hayashi thought things through. The Ox Talisman wouldn't be too useful in shared form. But the Dog could save the dying, the Horse could bring someone back fully healed.
This ability could treat characters with little time left — like Arima or even Ilhei. Maybe it could extend their lives. In that sense, it was best used as support.
Still, he couldn't shake the odd feeling that Dog, Ox, Horse carried some special meaning… Maybe he was just overthinking.
Shaking his head, Hayashi decided it was better to relax on his bed and think more later. He quickly boarded the train and returned home.
"I'm back." Opening the door, Hayashi changed shoes at the entrance with practiced ease.
"You're back?" Rize, lying lazily on the bed, rolled over to glance at him. She was dressed in loose, comfortable clothes, watching TV casually, completely at ease.
"Yeah. I made it back alive." Hayashi nodded, glancing at her relaxed figure.
Strange… had she grown more laid-back recently? She didn't feel like the same gentle, alluring "big sister" she usually presented herself as. Their atmosphere felt… different. Almost like an old married couple.
"Hayashi, I'm hungry. Make me something to eat." Rize's voice was casual, natural.
Hayashi, already used to this, began undoing his buttons. But halfway through, he froze.
Wait. He could release talisman powers now. And right here was the perfect test subject.
Why not try it out… on Rize?
His eyes slid over her pale, smooth body, and he swallowed hard. A bold thought burned in his mind.
Maybe it was time for Rize to taste the power of his talismans.