"Special times call for special measures."
"But most importantly—"
Nathaniel Gray turned a warm smile toward Liu Yongsheng.
"I want you dead."
With a light tap of his finger against the empty air, wisps of black mist surged forth from the void. The moment Liu Yongsheng saw that dark mist, his entire expression changed.
"You're Nathaniel Gray? You're Nathaniel Gray!"
His voice trembled uncontrollably. Fear—in this moment, he truly recognized who stood before him.
In China, the most famous person was the White Emperor, followed by the other three Emperors.
But in Ning City, the most famous person was undoubtedly Nathaniel Gray.
Because he was Ning City's strongest ability user. The Spirit Energy Bureau's trump card. The legendary First Sequence.
BANG!
In the next instant, the black mist engulfed Liu Yongsheng completely. Something like the sound of chewing echoed through the air, accompanied by agonized screams. Eventually, the screaming grew quieter and quieter, until it faded to nothing.
Nathaniel's hands had long been stained with blood—though it had always been the blood of mutant beasts. But that didn't mean he was unwilling to spill human blood.
Sometimes, humans were far more terrifying than any mutant beast.
Time flowed on, and waves of turmoil rose across China, one after another.
The shadows that had once been suppressed beneath the light now seemed ready to overturn the heavens once more.
At the Spirit Energy Bureau in Shanghai, a young female ability user with petrification powers and First Sequence potential had her ability stolen. She nearly died. If she hadn't been discovered in time, and if there hadn't happened to be a healing-type ability user present at the Bureau, she would already be dead.
Even though they had barely managed to save her, she remained in a coma, kept alive only through IV fluids to maintain basic life signs.
The talent that had once allowed observers to see vast quantities of spiritual energy flowing into her even without cultivation had vanished entirely. Spiritual energy no longer responded to her at all.
As for the perpetrator, Zhao Feng, he had escaped from the Spirit Energy Bureau. His current whereabouts were unknown.
Beyond this incident, various other special situations had cropped up in different regions, though they had all been suppressed by the Spirit Energy Bureau.
While not every powerful ability user had joined the Bureau, the vast majority of high-potential ability users in most cities had been recruited.
Among those who remained independent, most simply wanted to protect their parents and families. They wouldn't go out of their way to cause trouble, but when danger arrived, they would help without hesitation.
Only a small handful sought to stir up chaos—but how could they possibly compare to the Spirit Energy Bureau? As long as they stayed hidden in the shadows, they were fine. The moment they stepped into the light, only death awaited them.
Setting aside the domestic situation for now, something major had happened in Japan.
The mutant sea beast they had named "Yamata no Orochi" had been slain!
In their eyes, this had been a battle that demanded the strength of the entire nation. Countless ability users had contributed their power to the fight.
And in this war, three individuals had played the greatest roles. They came to be known as the Three Gods of Japan.
The Sword God, Kamizakura Mei: Inheritor of the Kamizakura family's talents, blessed by the divine with a sacred weapon. Japan's strongest. None could withstand a single stroke of her blade.
The Feather God, Rin: Once a shrine maiden, she had since cast aside that role. Possessing archery skills that never missed their mark, she was the strongest ranged support among the three gods.
The Spirit God, Rakusui Sangen: Pride of the common people. Japan's greatest summoner. The future Abe no Seimei.
To the people of Japan, these three represented their nation's future. They were the guarantee of their survival. It was precisely because of these three that the people could feel any sense of security at all—the belief that as long as they were here...
Someday, the disaster would end.
They would return to the peaceful, beautiful lives they once knew, free from these mutant beasts that had appeared from who knows where.
In contrast to the clamor of the outside world, Brandon White's home was remarkably peaceful.
Within Brandon's pocket dimension, Blazeheart seemed to have forgotten she was an angel. She spent her days playing with the Pokémon, occasionally teaming up with them to provoke Brandon, then forcing him to join in their games.
There was no denying it—Pokémon truly possessed a magical charm. They could make you forget your age, your experiences, your troubles. You'd become lost in playing with them, smiling before you even realized it.
When Brandon came back to his senses, he couldn't help but laugh at himself. He really hadn't expected to do any of this.
With Ralts joining the group, Pikachu and the others finally had a new playmate. But compared to the ever-expanding space Brandon was developing, the current population felt a bit sparse.
Brandon wasn't short on points, so he purchased more Pokémon. He was practically trying to transform his pocket dimension into an entirely new Pokémon world.
From Caterpie, Pidgeotto, and Beedrill on the lower end, to Charmander, Lapras, and Growlithe on the higher end—he bought a variety of each.
So now the pocket dimension was quite lively.
No matter where you went, you could see different Pokémon. Even if they were simply going about their lives, just watching them filled you with an inexplicable sense of warmth and contentment.
That was how it should have been, anyway...
But under the influence of a certain angel who had been having too much fun with the Pokémon and had completely forgotten her identity and age, the two of them started doing things only children would do.
For instance, observing the territorial battles between the Pidgeotto flock and the Spearow flock, occasionally dropping a comment or two to stoke the flames on both sides. Then they'd sit back, each holding a watermelon, and watch. Whenever one side started losing, they'd cheer them on.
Or telling stories to Magikarp—specifically, the legend of the carp leaping over the dragon gate.
Or giving Farfetch'd leek seeds and telling it to grow its own leeks, then stealing its leeks to cook with.
They even went to listen to Jigglypuff sing. Though they could have stayed awake through the entire performance, they chose not to. Instead, they pretended to fall asleep, making a big show of lying down. This infuriated Jigglypuff so much it puffed up like a balloon, its round body nearly floating off the ground as it prepared to draw on their faces in a huff.
But when it went to draw, it realized it didn't have a marker. It ran off in a rage.
When they got tired from playing, they'd lie on Snorlax's belly and nap. That warm, soft yet springy sensation really did make your head grow heavy with drowsiness.
In the evenings, everyone would throw a party together. They'd prepare Berries for the Pokémon, Pokéblocks, Dragon Blood Rice, dishes made from the meat of various nameless ferocious beasts, and even drinks and foods crafted from spiritually-rich natural treasures.
Compared to Brandon's world—where they hadn't even properly named the mutant creatures yet—Roxie Vale's world had clearly developed to an advanced degree.
They had even researched which natural treasures and which ferocious beast parts were best suited for making what kinds of food.
Brandon had already considered spiritually-infused food to be so delicious it could satisfy one's very soul. He could hardly imagine how anything more delicious could possibly taste—until he purchased and sampled the creative cuisine from Roxie's world.
It was a transcendence born from food itself. Almost no one could resist it.
It wasn't just Brandon. Even Blazeheart—even the Pokémon—became obsessed with those flavors, practically fighting over the dishes.
Though what they truly loved was the atmosphere itself, such an atmosphere wouldn't exist without food that was unimaginably delicious.
— End of Chapter —