Chapter 9 - Kinoko Rusuban???I will say, to have pawns in this life is a truly wonderful thing indeed.

  Perhaps my nguage was too harsh; I only wish to communicate the joys of having associates who are willing to get their hands dirty for your sake.

  In the days of the Sengoku and Edo period, samurai pledged their allegiance to a lord or a daimyo, and served them with loyalty and dedication.

  They were expected to serve their lords faithfully, even to the point of sacrificing their lives in battle for their lord's cause.

  In return for their service and loyalty, samurai received nd, stipends, and protection, from their lord.

  The retionship between a samurai and their lord was based on mutual obligation and loyalty, where the lord provided for the samurai and, in turn, the samurai offered their service and loyalty in times of peace and war.

  Is it so wrong to uphold the cultural traditions of my forefathers? For a lord I am, even in a nd as strange as this.

  My ‘samurai’ of sorts had now expanded my influence to AMX successfully, and the four of us in the second contingent were stalking our way through the decrepit streets that led to Tipsy Tose Hall.

  There was only one thing I found unacceptable.

  “Furusawa,” I began, establishing eye contact with my dearest subordinate. “I imagine having to hold on to that lighter is quite the responsibility indeed – you seem very on edge. Why not allow me to share in the burden?”

  The most important piece is always the King. That artefact naturally belonged in the hands of one such figure.

  “Well, I mean –“

  “Furusawa keeps the lighter.” Spoke the one person who really, truly had not been asked to. “That was the pn. You’d probably just end up fumbling around and setting yourself on fire, rep.”

  I felt Kurogane’s eyes digging into me from behind, though I did my upmost to pay him no mind, continuing to maintain eye contact with my target as though nary a word had been uttered.

  “So?” I urged.

  Furusawa, ever the wet wipe, began darting his eyes between myself and the bane of my existence, unsure of what to do or say in the midst of turmoil.

  Immediately he stroke me as unreliable, and I almost threw away any pns I previously had for recruiting him into my fold.

  “I-I’m okay. The guys up ahead have been clearing the path really well, so it’s just been real easy, haha!” He cheered. If he thought that bubbly mask of his was even remotely convincing, he was even dumber than I thought.

  Regardless, noblesse oblige.

  “Very well,” I affirmed. “We’re counting on you. Ah, Tipsy Tose Hall is just up ahead.”

  As we neared the popur corner, arcades and karaoke boxes strewn and weaved across the usually vibrant atmosphere, I felt the spores begin to lose their potency.

  I didn’t have much time left.

  “Perfect,” Judged Mizuko, perhaps proud of her self-supposed strategic prowess. Starting with the small area in which the mppost stood, the entire vicinity became bnketed in the soft blue glow of the freshly lit fme.

  My eyes were draw to the once audacious storefront of ‘Kabm.’ Here, the establishment appeared as derelict and seedy as the rest of this sordid pce, though upon reminiscing of the first time I’d brought that girl here – Saki, her name was – I was surprised to feel the corners of my lips raised in a smirk.

  Interestingly, I found the verbally-challenged observer among us, Reaper, also looking this way, though I wondered whether they were actually gazing at myself in lieu of the facility.

  I decided to cut off the train of thought before it even departed, centering my focus back onto my juniors.

  “Just one left.” Stated Kurogane, alert. If he kept looking around like that, this next part was going to be a lot more difficult than I’d hoped.

  “Thank God.” Hoshino was the next to speak. “We’ve been lucky so far with the Noise, there haven’t been as many as before. The few we have encountered were kinda…well, pushovers.”

  “Indeed. Though I did notice some strange behaviour amongst them.” The third year exchange student admitted, Cunningham, I believe. “It was almost as though – “

  I felt them nearby – my puppets. They were here, just as expected. Furusawa and the rest were in position.

  “Halt, friends!” Kozuki interrupted, her eyes narrowing as if reading something mid-air, before finally spinning to face me, aghast.

  Unfortunately, time for extra preparation was no longer a luxury. I needed to act now.

  I closed my eyes.

  “AAARGH!” I cried, as I felt a sharp pain split across my back. Though I had initially only pnned to do it as rehearsed, this was hurting a lot more than I thought it would.

  I crumbled to the floor, catching the mortified glimpses of my company. Good.

  “Rusuban!” A voice that sounded like Mizuko cried. Christ, even my senses were beginning to fade just after a single hit. In hindsight, I suppose I could have made it attack me with less strength, but I needed this to be as believable as possible.

  “Quick, get him out of there! We’ve got company!” Another voice, the crity and boom indicating it was Hoshino’s.

  My vision was fading. Of the little that I could still see, I was picked up rather roughly by a strong pair of hands, and was sailing through the air in great jumps.

  When I was set back down, the terrible maw of a beast was surveying me with kind eyes. The corner had become loud and bright with cshing of steel among other sounds.

  “You’ll be alright,” Assured the creature. “Healer! Over here!”

  With that, the monster released a menacing growl before leaping off to join the others in combat.

  Before long, Furusawa had arrived, as beckoned, ying a gentle hand on my shoulder.

  I soon felt my faculties return to me.

  “Wait!” Screamed Junko. “That one in the middle…. WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?!”

  I sincerely hoped our medic hadn’t noticed the smile that was forming across my lips.

  The pn was simple – if this was to be some kind of sick survival game, then it was only logical to make the first move. I would separate the wheat from the chaff.

  To those worthy to stand at my side, I would show them love, provide for them, and ensure their safety. To those I deemed unworthy…

  My philosophy is a simple one – why sully my own hands when there are others willing to do so for me? It’s not like I’m forcing them against their will.

  They like me, they want my approval, my love, and so, they do what they think will earn it, just like how you seek out food when you’re hungry, water when you’re thirsty, rest when you’re weary.

  What’s wrong with allowing people to satisfy their needs?

  Anyway, I quickly learned the scope of my ability during that first battle; to possess and manipute these creatures, Noise, via the release of spores that are practically invisible to the untrained eye.

  Once absorbed into their bodies, the monsters are mine to command for the next five or so minutes, after which, they begin to disintegrate.

  How wonderful, I thought! The power to turn the might of my enemies against them! To procure gold from mere dust! A fitting power for a lord, no?

  Unfortunately, the scope of my abilities does not entail the control of other human beings, though I feel that is yet to come. I can’t expin how, but I just know my truest potential is yet to be unleashed.

  In any case, I quickly deemed the best way to judge warrior from weakling would be to emute a situation such that the distinction between the two is made abundantly clear.

  Using this gift, I infected a small gaggle of Noise from that initial encounter, and had them flee the battle in order to attract more of their brethren, spreading the infection upon their deaths.

  As a result, the amount of Noise in our path drastically decreased, while in secret, they were slowly clustering and building up their forces as per my command.

  So long as they did not travel too far, I could feel them – my servants, growing and multiplying by the minute. For each of the eldest infected that had died off, he had recruited 5 more to my cause, as a loyal underling should.

  By the time we had reached this pce, I had felt the presence of enough Noise to swallow this entire corner in their bck mass.

  What’s more, at the nucleus of the horde, I felt a presence more powerful than anything we had encountered before.

  Regrettably, I did not yet have the mastery over my blessing, nor the remaining EXS required to mesmerize this one, as I had the others, though it seemed the sight of so many brethren congregating was enough to garner its intrigue.

  I had anticipated Kozuki may predict my pn, though fortunately, her foresight had come into py much too te. The dominos had already begun to fall.

  Now, I find myself an onlooker to the chaos – a judge that will decide who will join me in victory and prosperity, and who will be destined to become footnotes in my conquest.

  As my allies do battle with this force of my own machination, I cannot help but feel an excitement bubble up in my chest, a weightlessness that threatens to lift me higher and higher, onto the tallest peaks and mountains, until eventually, I reach the apex of the world, and all that resides within it.