Hi! I'm back with another chapter, sorry it's taking so long. Before the anime release, these fanfic wasn't receiving any love so I thought maybe I took it in the wrong direction and people dropped it.

Addressing issues with the pacing and relationships; I've come to realize people warm up to others rather quickly, it doesn't take that long (in my expierience, I go out and socialize a lot). It's been two weeks since the janitor's arrival, and it's been a constant interaction with him both with Ren and Yakumo Ezo (and plenty of other characters) who when it comes to Yuki, they warm up almost immediately. let's not forget that these people are straight (some of them) and never interact with men, moreover the men they do interact with they see with pity in their eyes, so it makes sense for them to warm up rather quickly with Roku.

I'll try being more consistent, even though I have a main fanfiction and it's for the Witcher, you can check it in my profile.

Have a good day and thank you for the reviews.

—

"Look, it's okay"

"No, it's not"

"It is!"

"It's not"

"Can you two please shut the hell up!?"

Exactly twenty minutes after Roku Denki's awakening, the two captains had decidedly explained what happened to the entire pool and Roku's doings. And to no one's surprise, Roku was upset at the turn of events. So much so that Yakumo had been continuously trying to brush it off as if nothing wrong had occurred, and Roku vehemently denied that every time.

Until Mira had finally run out of patience.

"It's…strange! We'll leave it at that. No one got hurt and nothing got destroyed, so it's not exactly the worst outcome, but it's not normal for a man to evaporate two tons of water in the blink of an eye from pure heat either" Roku's eyes guided themselves back to the empty pool behind them and sighed deeply.

This had not been what he expected; instead of feeling better, he felt even hotter than before, and even though it hurt less now, it bothered him to know he could get that hot without realizing it. It was a hazard to everyone involved, and even going back home sounded like a challenge now.

"I say we bring this to Ren…" He muttered, mostly to himself but still loud enough for the captains to hear them.

Yakumo agreed with her head multiple times whilst Mira stared at him with dish-type eyes, absolutely stunned.

"You in name terms with the commander now?" She asked incredulously and the wind captain laughed in return, totally forgetting her own initial reaction to the revelation.

"She requested it" Was the only thing Roku replied before finally deciding to head back to the changing room and retrieve his clothes.

"Damn…" The blonde Yankee ran a hand through her hair, perplexed, before turning around to look at Yakumo (who was still busy laughing at her) with mischief, "You got yourself a tough rival, huh?" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Yakumo's laughter died coldly.

"What do you mean?" At her response, Mira could only smack herself in the face. This stupid individual was indeed the fifth unit's captain, and as always, she was oblivious and numb headed when it came to relationships.

"He calls the commander by her name. Only you do that, and it's only because you lack brain cells. I can't remember the last time I heard her name uttered through someone else's mouth, only her own" Mira's explanation was clearly not enough, if Yakumo's blank face was anything to go by, and the second's captain had to take a deep breath before she decidedly dragged Yakumo's face all over the wet floor, "The commander demanded Roku to call her by her name, Yakumo. Don't you get it? She's clearly on very good terms with your janitor! Open your eyes a little! That woman excels at everything she puts her mind into, if she ever deems it worthy, she will go and steal your boy in less than you can count to ten!" She finally over-explained herself and silence subdued them like a dead-notice.

Until Yakumo fell to her knees comically, staring at the floor with waterfalls under her eyes.

"No way! You're right! She's…I—" Her eyes turned from sad to fiery in an instant, and Mira had to take a step back when the purple haired wind-used propelled herself into the air, "I saw him first! No fair, I won't let her do this to me, commander of the corps or not!" She exclaimed with a fist up in the air to add emphasis.

The Yankee could only sarcastically clap back in response to Yakumo's antics, patiently waiting for the child-woman to go back to normal.

"And how're you planning on claiming him from her claws?" She asked after a second, and it took a few comical moments of silence before Yakumo was back on the floor, looking at her with teary eyes.

"I don't know…" Mira could only sigh and rub temples, already knowing this was going to happen.

"Okay, don't cry. Get over here, let me tell you the plan…"

—

"This…is quite impossible, don't you think?"

The commander Ren Yamashiro, her assistant Ginna and Kaiko, head of the medical bay, found themselves huddled close to an image on a clean table with fear in their eyes.

"The Azuma were explicit and clear. This isn't fake"

The image Ren had received yesterday was…perturbing, to say the least. A parasite that has the ability to eat away your peach Blessing…was utterly dangerous. To everyone involved. Imagining a world without their peach blessings…what Mato shuuki would do to civilians. How'd they fight the gods? It was something that had Ren by the edge of her seat, so much that she'd rushed to get Kaiko and start at least identifying the parasite.

So far, they'd never seen anything alike. No research about it; the thing was clearly dead, Tovera's own words, and it was being brought over in a hazard contienen to HQ at the current moment, plus that small and dark piece of fruit representing Homare Azuma's part of her own peach.

"And how's that ninja girl feeling?" Kaiko questioned as she ran her hand through the image, feeling dreadful.

"Fubuki mentioned she was feeling alright, nothing different…however, python is not a very complex blessing, so there's no saying what the consequences of that parasite may be" The commander replied back with a serious tone, imagining herself in that position.

Vairocana without one of her eight abilities would be…a disaster. Not flying meant no speed, which would ground her in fights and render her vulnerable. No clairvoyance…was just not negotiable, less so now when she had to keep tight guard around the headquarters.

And no ability cancellation…would give any of the other captains an edge she currently held against them.

It would be total chaos and the end of her reign, without question.

"They should be delivering that cursed thing here in about half a day, give or take. Fubuki-sama is joining the delivery team, to make sure no word gets out about this issue…" On the other side of the room, quiet and unusually reserved, Ginna Bizen reported. It had been some time (thanks to personal visits to different unit quarters) since she had been to the headquarters, and she had close to no time to catch up before Ren rained down on her with duties, questions and the gutural realization that things were worse than when she left.

"Good, when they get here, guide them straight to the laboratory. I don't want anyone to be made aware of this until we're prepared and ready to make a declaration" The dark haired commander ordered, and the shorter girl nodded in return, understanding.

"Commander, I—" Kaiko attempted to say something, but the click and slide of a door opening interrupted her before she could.

"Ah—My apologies, bad timing?" Taking a peek, dark hair and dark eyes, Roku Denki on cleaning duty (wearing white).

"Oh, Denki" Kaiko was the first to react, with the commander too busy discussing her inner thoughts and Ginna typing down on a pad note, "How're you feeling?"

"Doctor" The janitor greeted back, showing a small thumbs up in reply, "Busy? I need to clean this place up, but I can go somewhere else" Kaiko hummed in reply, squinting her eyes towards the dark haired man.

"I thought I told you, no cleaning duties for a week!" She folded her arms below her chest, faking annoyance. In truth, she already knew Roku wasn't one to stay idle for long.

"Janitor!" Kaiko's outburst brought back the attention of the small assistant, and immediately she was all over Roku, with a small look of anger on her face, "I've heard rumors you've been getting a little too comfortable with the commander lately, I hope you're aware of your position!" And there she went, exploding with her usual energy without knowing details. Kaiko merely smacked her forehead and chuckled at the situation.

There was no way this would end pretty for the pink haired assistant.

"Huh? Have I been bothering you lately, Ren?" Without skipping a beat, Roku questioned back into the room, fully stunning both the assistant and Kaiko, neither expecting such development.

Immediately and expectedly, Ginna started shouting profanities and threats towards the janitor, who couldn't really even understand what was going on. It had been so long since the last time that little woman, that he had forgotten the ways she acted or looked.

Even then, it was loud enough to draw the commander's attention.

"How dare you speak her name! You—" A small shockwave stunned the loud shrimp in place from pure panic.

"What is all this commotion!?" A dark aura enveloped Ren's body, unaware but still annoyed to no end. This was urgent and serious, and most of all, she couldn't take that level of noise while she still formulated plans inside her head.

That is, until she caught a glimpse of the janitor standing in the room.

Quickly, her eyes opened wide and her demeanor changed. When did he—how…

"Oh, Roku. You were here?" Was all she managed, covering her anger with something else.

"Commander! C-C-Can you believe this…this janitor! Referring to you by name!" Gina came crashing in, attempting to tackle Roku, but it was half-assed and he just stepped aside, effectively evading her.

"She says I've been bothering you" The dark haired janitor explained, dead-panning at the waste of energy this little woman could actually be.

"What—No? You've been…" Her confusion reached Gina's eyes and she immediately made herself small, "What's this all about? Speak"

"W-Well, you know…I have ears around the HQ. Everyone keeps saying you've been getting along with the janitor quite much" The rosy haired woman averted her eyes, suddenly feeling the reality of her situation, "He's been using your name too and that's unacceptable"

Veins popped up on Ren's forehead, and suddenly Kaiko was no longer around. Roku guessed she left to not face the Commander's wrath, even if it wasn't directed towards her.

"You think it's any of your business to get your nose into who I want to spend time with, have a talk with or even co-exist with?" Her eyes turned dark and Gina felt herself turning into a miniature humanoid, scared beyond belief.

Ren aimed to continue berating her assistant, mainly because she wasn't anyone to poke her head where she wasn't meant to, and because Roku had been anything but bothersome, but the janitor himself actually seemed quite uncomfortable, so she hesitated.

That hesitation was all the little woman needed to bolt and run away, comically tripping as she screamed apologies. Whatever the case, Ren would see her later that day in her office.

"Commander" Roku started and the dark haired girl frowned in response, "I sort of knew this was going to happen, I mean, a janitor…on this terms with a commander? It sounds—"

"I don't care how it sounds!" Ren interrupted Roku, infuriated, "We have bigger issues than this, the world's safety is at stake and all these people think about is who I'm getting along with?" The janitor shook his head in denial, eyes searching for an opening through

"It's—it's not like that. They don't have to worry about the things you worry about, they're just doing their part at the end of the day. A little gossiping, a little rumoring. It's just part of society" Roku tried, approaching the seething commander with careful steps.

"So? You're part of my Head Quarters. A staff member. I don't see why—"

"Because I am a man, commander" He pointed towards himself to make emphasis, "Not only am I a mere janitor, I'm also just a guy…I told you how these things worked. How the world sees men, I mean, you can't possibly tell me you didn't know this stuff?"

And Ren was silent, because of course she knew; prior to meeting Roku she participated in that sort of behavior.

"Yes, I've been aware…" She sighed, not quite happy with her response. Looking around, she noticed they had been left alone for the time being, "So you wish for no more name calling" She stated, a knot forming in her chest and Roku lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"Not my point" The commander crossed her arms, troubled.

"Then—"

"You're always Ren, but I think at important times you're also very much my superior, so…I'll just call it whenever I see it fit. For your reputation and my own safety too, if you don't mind" Roku finished, emotionless face as per usual. Ren couldn't help but huff a little; so this didn't bother him as much as it bothered her?

Or maybe…he was just used to it.

"I don't like it" She finally decided, eliciting a chuckle from Roku. On the most strange things, the commander could be a little childish.

"What don't you like?" He asked, hiding a small tug of the lips.

"The rumors, the stupid way people care. To be honest, it's led the way I go through life for too long, and I'm tired of worrying about what other people may think about me. So what if I befriend a man? So what if he's powerless or weaker than me? Truth be told, everyone is, it doesn't affect me. No one's stronger than me anyway, it shouldn't dictate who can get along with who and whatever" Roku sweat dropped, not quite figuring out at what point did it turn into a speech about herself and prowess, but at the end, at least it sounded like she was trying.

"…okay" He responded in the end, trying not to avert his eyes at her weirdly proud stand, "I stand with my decision, though"

"Fine" She agreed, "But I'll call you however I please"

"You've always done that, Ren" He joked and she frowned his way.

This was bickering. Between friends…a normal conversation.

Why was it so easy to have those with Roku but not anybody else?

"Anyway, do you need this place? I'm supposed to clean it" He questioned, rolling his sleeves up a bit. Not enough to show his multiple scars, but enough to refresh a little.

The commander merely stared at Roku for a second before denying with her head.

"Absolutely not, don't think I don't remember the doctor's orders. One week is one week, you shan't clean nothing" Her words were final and Roku scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He should've expected that to happen, if anyone's going to be a diligent rule follower, it'd be the commander.

She waited for a second before letting go of her serious stare and relaxed.

"I saw in my pad that you requested a meeting with me?" She asked and Roku nodded, happy that she'd remember, "You'll get it, but why not just come by and ask?"

"Oh, check the request time" He realized where she was going for this and explained, "It's just…I've had some stuff in my mind, and I thought I'd rather request it as soon as possible"

A snap of a finger and her personal, red/pink pad materialized in front of her. True to his word, it was sent at 3:00 A.M.

Why was the janitor even awake at such an hour was a wonder itself.

"Then let's head to my office, right now" Ren placed her hands on her hips, expecting an immediate agree, but none came. Instead the dark haired man merely shrugged, faking exhaustement with a hand on his forehead adding emphasis.

"I'm not sure…it's on the other side of the HQ, my doctor told me I shouldn't do much moving today…" He then opened his eyes and they landed perfectly on her own vibrant purple ones, "I remember a certain Commander mentioning something about flying?"

Ren's face turned from pan-faced to open mouthed in a second, before a smile slowly tugged at her lips. How dare he? So witty…

Fine.

In the blink of an eye her mini buddha statue appeared on top of her palms, her eyes turning to letters. Giving someone else levitating properties wasn't something she could do hands free, because she lacked the experience. Not that it wasn't possible for her, but the commander had never attempted to do so on another human.

"Woah, we're doing it here!?" He questioned once she successfully managed to lift his feet from the ground, and then she just applied the same magic around the rest of his body, "Oh, neat. I can actually move"

"I've given you the freedom to levitate for as long as my eyes stay on" She commented, proudly. Roku had no idea (or maybe he did) of how special this occasion was for him. No one else currently alive had experienced her own magic flowing around them so carelessly, and it made her feel a bit strange.

"I move on my own!" He exclaimed, comically trying to swim around the air to no avail, but clearly learning the ropes fast, "It's in my mind, yes?"

"You'd be correct. This type of thing, you control it with the mind" She silently praised Roku. For someone with absolutely zero knowledge about inner power or magic, he could get around the idea quickly, "Let's see if you can follow me to the window"

Roku nodded and unexpectedly, his eyes weren't that sharp shiv they always were, but looked more like his little brother's; full of wonder, and a bit of happiness.

While she still walked, he tried floating. It took some time to adjust, mostly because he was kind of unaware how to turn it off, but it was for the moment, fun.

Reaching the window, the commander realized Roku had managed to follow without much issue.

"You're good at adapting, huh?" She let out and opened the window.

"Sure, comes with the job" The dark haired janitor replied, taking the opportunity to go through the window, forgetting they were on a third floor for a moment.

It was a big scare, but he took the bull by the horns and gulped it down, realizing at the end that in fact, he wasn't falling, but floating.

"Come on, this is nothing. Let's head to my office, tallest tower, center of the HQ" Behind him, Ren hopped off without even paying attention to the heights and flew past him, not fast enough to disappear from his sight but creating distance.

She had attempted to challenge him, but it was clear that the janitor had no intentions of doing such thing. He merely agreed and floated her way, taking his time. At moments, turning around to see the world around him.

At some point she grew tired of waiting and went back to join his slow-mode floating,

"This isn't flying…you're barely moving" She berated him, albeit in good fun.

"I'm being careful, I've never done this before and I like the feeling of freedom it gives me" He replied with honesty, his eyes surveying the disgusting ugliness of Mato's world.

"…So you like it more than that crazy woman's wind?" She carefully asked another question.

Roku actually had to take a second to ponder what to answer the commander. In one way, flying with the fifth chief Yakumo was more like being put on an invisible roller coaster, and for all her seeming carelessness, her wind was always tight around his body, keeping him in place and not allowing any slip offs. He was being taken like a taxi takes a client.

This type of flying wasn't his either, but at least it gave the feeling that it was. He was free to move wherever and whenever, and whilst there was a bit of concern of whether or not he'd end up falling, he knew the Commander would never let him hit the floor.

"I guess it depends. Yakumo is wilder, faster and her wind binds me in place, so I can't move. Flying with you is far calmer, more relaxed, carefully calculated and with plenty of freedom to move around" He managed to praise both of them without turning it into a competition, "I'd say I like yours better to please you, Ren. But truth be told, I can't decide"

She was about to frown and scoff at his comparison and words, but the last sentence allowed other feelings to creep inside. Roku was being merely honest, and even though he was aware about her competitive nature, he has decided to remain truthful.

That was more important than some imaginary contest.

"…I can accept that" Ren finally decided, nodding to herself.

Without realizing, they reached her window. Roku attempted to open it for her, but he only managed to lift himself up instead of the glass, forcing a small bout of chuckles out of her.

"Oh!" He exclaimed and she quickly lifted her eyebrow in confusion, "It's the first time you laugh, commander"

Immediately a blush crept up to her cheeks that she had to force down her throat, and hide it away from the janitor. On the inside, she was quite happy and surprised.

Indeed, it had been a long time since she last shared a laugh with someone.

—

"What is it!? Situation report, now!"

On the northern side of Japan, chaos. From a typical evening to a terrible scene, the former head of the clan and corporation found herself in the middle of yelling, screaming and, most of all, fear.

On the front of all this, her granddaughter Maia and Yachiho, fighting what could only be described as an abomination.

A dark entity, liquid but solid, with a venomous face and disgusting stench of dread, this was no normal Shuuki. This dark matter, it was familiar now,

Eight gods…again.

"Kai and Koi are out cold, but they managed to hold the monster long enough for the others to evacuate" Maki replied with a serious tone, guarding the knocked out entrance guards. Kai and Koi, another two of her daughters.

"And this shit stain?"

"We're not sure, but it's strong…really strong" Maia then turned around and true enough, one of her arms was bruised and bloodied. On the edge of being incapacitated, "And smart…it learned I need to clap my hands to use The Great One and immediately attacked my arm, and it not been thanks to Yachiho, I would've lost it"

"Hey grandma!" The aforementioned girl greeted Tobera with a smile and determination, as she held her defensive stance against the monster in front of them.

It appeared to be missing a finger or two from its already deformed appearance, and it was clear to be Yachiho's doing. Time stopping was a serious threat, even to gods.

"Kids, good job holding out against this abomination!" The former Headmaster finally kicked up and started her engine, fire burning inside her eyes, "Your mom is not here, so that means two things"

The violet monster twisted in a strange way before lunging forward towards the three of them at once, not caring at all for any plan or decision, only for it to instinctively retreat at a seconds notice.

Lifting its arm, it was already rotting away.

"First, you girls need to take care of your sisters" It was Tovera's magic, its range amplified thanks to probably decades of training. Wearing a devilish smile and an aura of power, she marched in front of the two younger Azuma, letting them rest for a moment, "And second…"

The headmaster jumped high and landed in front of the monster, with her magic running tenfold but, finally, on the other direction.

If she had gotten used to giving life, to healing and providing, then this was the actual nature of her blessing.

To absorb.

"You've come to hell, weirdo. Be ready for me!"

—

"You evaporated two tons of water from the pool?"

"And this…Mika people inside of me, it's all too confusing"

Back at the Commander's office, dropping all telltales of friendliness and amenities, sitting down were Roku Denki and the Commander Yamashiro, both with equally troubled looks on their faces. After finishing his explanation, Ren had found herself at a lost of words, having never heard anything like what he mentioned before, and a hand quickly rose up to rub her temple in concentration.

This would need extensive research and plenty of investigation, two of which were quite difficult to get going quickly, and moreso when it came to Roku.

"This…sounds a lot like a blessing, Roku Denki" She finally confessed, too troubled to try and sugarcoat the truth, "And it's dangerous…dangerous for you and everyone around it, if you were to go around and not learn how to take care of that heat"

"How can it be a blessing, Commander? I'm most certainly not a woman…and no one in my family has one either, my mom wasn't offered one" Ren sighed, because it was true. It was impossible for him to have something like that, but there was one perfect way to find out regardless.

Frowning, Ren stood up and walked around the room, motioning for Roku to follow her. He did so without question.

"First of all, aren't Peaches supposed to be delivered by the corps? It makes no—"

"That's in the human world. This isn't the human world, here, peach blessings are in their natural habitat…that's not to say they'd appear in a bathroom at random but—it's just too strange to confirm, but also not completely improbable" It was clear to Roku that the commander had entered full serious mode this time, and with good reason, "Regardless, you mentioned feeling warm ever since this started, correct?" She questioned and the janitor merely nodded in response, eyes sharp.

A snap of a finger, Vairocana. Her eyes turned to multiple letters, and multiple times surrounded her being. Unlike giving floating properties, she didn't need to practice this spell. It was her biggest strength and most powerful tool.

"Tell me if anything changes"

Ability cancellation, the blessing upon blessings.

She'd never expected to see Roku fall down to his knees and wither in pain from it.

It happened so fast, so out of place. This spell canceled your peach blessing abilities, nothing else. It didn't suffocate anyone, didn't injure people.

Still, Roku fell to his knees and started choking, clutching his chest in overwhelming pain.

"H-Hey!" Ren barely managed to react and immediately deactivated the spell, her eyes turning back to normal. She crouched next to Roku, unable to do anything about the situation.

She was one second away from calling Kaiko before he finally stopped choking and relaxed, taking deep breaths as Ren examined stoic, not knowing how to comfort anyone.

"What happened?"

"Promise me, promise that you'll never do that again, Ren, please" He immediately replied, his eyes filled with despair. The commander felt a pang of something tugging in her chest. She hadn't meant—

"Roku, I'd never…" She reached a hand and attempted to touch his shoulder, but hesitated.

"I know…but when you nullify this—you suffocate them" And she knew he was referring to the Mika people, "And now I know that if they suffocate then…I die too" He finished and reincorporated, dusting himself afterwards.

"This is no usual peach…blessings have to be eaten, they don't—don't shove themselves into your chest as a sword" The commander frowned, frustrated.

"Maybe it's not a blessing?"

"That'd make things even more complicated" The dark haired woman sighed in return, "Look, we—"

Whatever she was going to say, it was interrupted by a sudden horn coming from her phone.

"Emergency" Before she could say anything, Roku was already all alert, in his hands a phone he'd never taken out before.

"This conversation will have to be postponed" She quickly scanned the emergency message and her eyes turned cold and serious, "I'm leaving, find Ginna and let her know she's in charge" She then walked closer to Roku and placed her hand on his shoulder, "You're strictly forbidden to walk outside the HQ, no matter what happens. Understood?" Her eyes were strict and wide and Roku nodded in agreement, sharp as ever.

This situation, as much as he wanted or not to help, wasn't in his hands and wasn't his responsibility.

"Good. Ginna and Ezo shall remain here and guard the place, I trust you can keep that wind crazed pervert in check" And with that, the commander immediately departed, probably heading straight to a Mato Portal back to the human world.

Taking a long breath, Roku readied himself and exited the commander's room. It'd be impossible to find Ginna, but at the very least he knew where Yakumo lurked around most of the time.

And reaching the elevator, it was soon quite clear that she had been looking for him as well.

"Roku-chin!" Once the doors barely slid open, she skipped past and attempted to tackle him. This time, unlike most, Roku evaded with another careful sidestep. His body wasn't ready for contact yet, not after such a shocking attack on his senses.

"Yakumo" He greeted the Chief with a nod, "Sorry, the commander did something and…my body is not ready for hugs yet" Yakumo's eyes opened wide and she wiggled her eyebrows comically.

"Did something!? Was it se—"

"No, it was not" He quickly interrupted her before she managed to make everything about the commander and him awkward, "Anyway, you heard the alarm? It rang on my phone, but since I'm merely staff it doesn't quite show what's happening…"

"Oh, a monster is attacking the Azuma's household. Fubuki is coming this way and a special team is receiving her, not sure why…but it's so important that she'll leave her own clan to the commander's hands and complete whatever business she has here" Yakumo quickly went over the details, apparently being well experienced with her phone, "I was told to stay and guard? And you…to handle me?"

"I'll make sure you don't go crazy" He nodded to himself. It was then that a strange sound emerged from his own stomach, embarrassing the stoic janitor.

"Oh, someone's hungry!" Laughter and jesting; even through an emergency, the fifth unit's chief always managed to find something to have fun with. In most cases lately, it was Roku himself, "Let's grab something to eat!" She snatched his arm and pulled, this time effectively dragging Roku into the elevator with her.

"I feel like something is wrong, Chief" He mentioned after the doors closed. Yakumo just hummed in response, lifting an eyebrow on confusion, "Something…is not right"

And it wasn't right.

It wasn't right at all.

—

Fear.

In Tobera's life, an unknown feeling. Except for the time the current commander Yamashiro revealed her secret power, her ability cancelation, and thought her peach blessing was gone forever, the child-like monster of a woman had never felt it.

And now, facing this strange monster with a horrid mask and face, she felt it again. Even though she was beating the hell out of it.

Even though she was winning…something was wrong.

"You can take a beating, huh" She said, panting. Absorbing was taking too much toll on her, because keeping the energy in meant she had to hold on to the thing for long. Releasing it was an easy task, but apparently this thing was sturdy enough to tank those attacks easily. Only absorbing its literal life force out of it damaged it, and not for long.

It had been a one sided fight…or at least apparently.

The monster lounged at her once again and she covered herself in energy, deflecting the attack with ease; that wasn't the issue. But every time she repelled it, that tight feeling in her chest grew stronger. Anxiety, dread.

It only increased ten fold when the thing apparently talked.

"You have something of mine…I'm here to retrieve it, no personal feelings" Unlike its way of fighting and moving, his mannerisms were calmer and fancier, like a gentleman.

"I don't have a clue what you mean but you ain't getting shit from me" The former commander spat on the ground and formed a fists with both of her hands together, condensing life energy into a small dot in her palms. The force was so strong that the ground below her started shaking, and the monster took notice of that.

This was her finisher move, and one that took decades to complete. The only reason Ren Yamashiro never faced it was because that woman could hack into you and disable your powers.

"Eat this shit you—" But suddenly, her world came to a stop. The energy dissipated and her hands fell to her sides. Fear has enveloped her fully, hugging her tightly without letting go. This…wasn't natural…this—

"It seems my toxins have finally taken over…and at quite a convenient time!" It morphed into a far more humanoid being, with legs and hands both proportionate, but still wearing that mask and not showing its face, "I'm Jaku'un, one of the eight gods, it is a pleasure to fight the former commander of our main enemy" Courteous, it bowed towards Tobera as it smiled a devil smile her way.

"How the fuck…" For some reason or another, she couldn't even heal herself from the toxins. Not because her peach wouldn't allow it, but because she couldn't even use her blessing.

"It's a very special mixture, you see. Invisible to the naked eye, quite potent on its delivery. It takes time! Yes, but it can suppress the most powerful blessings, so I believe it is a fair trade" The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance, but before she could say anything to retort, a leg found its way to her abdomen, effectively sending her flying into the nearby walls of her household.

Without peach reinforcement, it drew blood and broke multiple bones.

"I wanted to make a statement, you see" It appeared in front of her again, and with one foot, she found herself stamped to the floor, "After you killed my precious sister…I realized, that you and your people only manage to fight us because…because of those powers—powers that derive from us, the gods" He lifted his foot just to smack Tobera on the floor once again, forcing the air out of her lungs, "I wanted to show you all…that you are nothing…nothing without those blessings" He started cackling in that weird, mad vibe he gave off at the beginning of the fight, and Tobera could barely even move from the pain.

She was passing out, the blood from her mouth and injuries making a pool around her and forcing a cold feeling through her cold body. This motherfucker had caught her off guard like never before, with those invisible toxins.

Seeing another attack coming, she feared the worst. Was this how she was going to end up dead? Tobera the Commander, headmaster of the Azuma...dying in the hands of a witty Shuuki God—was iit fitting? Honorable? A worthy death for an Azuma?

She couldn't take it...it was so frustrating, but seeing the strange, dysmorphic foot heading straight towards her head, it was clear this was the end.

The end of—

Suddenly, a loud explosion deafened her ears and dust lifted up so high she had a hard time realizing what just happened. The attack never reached her, so she wondered if someone else intervened.

If her granddaughters decided to come save her and sacrifice themselves..She'd never forgive herself afterwards.

"You mere lowlife, don't you dare touch any of my subordinates again" But that voice, filled with class and superiority, someone else had come to her rescue…someone she sometimes loathed, sometimes admired.

Ren Yamashiro, the current Commander of the Magical Elite Corporation.

"Oh! It's the leader herself...my sister said you might make an appearance if I caused enough ruckus" The monster didn't seem as shocked as Tobera did, who was sure the Commander was at the Headquarters waiting on her daughter Fubuki to deliver that cursed, peach eating parasite.

"You dare attack us again as if we didn't eliminate the last so called God you sent to attack us...you must be joking yourselves…or are desperate for something" The Commander tried ticking off the God and in other, brute cases like his sisters it may have worked, but when it came to Jaku'un, she had no such luck.

"Indeed, I did not come here to fight…" And he shrugged at the scene around him, ignoring the destruction his fight with Tobera caused, "You have something of ours…And I'm politely asking for it back"

"You mean the cursed parasite, yes? We shall not give it back to you, mongrel" Ren stated, posing with fierce conviction, "And if you think I'm letting you leave this place alive, think twice"

In the blink of an eye, the monster was sent flying through multiple trees around the Azuma's private forest, the force so strong and fast he himself hadn't seen it coming. So the Commander of their enemy corporation could deliver attacks like those without needing to charge or take a breather?

But it didn't stop there. As quickly as he was sent flying, he was brought back onto the garden where she had first met him. Teleported back before being kicked away once again, against another group of trees.

"I'm gonna make sure you remember!" This process repeated multiple times over, destroying the body of said monster a kick at a time, "You don't fuck with me, and you are not stronger than me!" She teleported him back one more time and applied the same spell on both of her eyes, enhancing her legs. She delivered one last shock-attack that created a huge crater on the floor, "None of you gods can face me head on, so stop it with your venomous strategies and fight me so we can be done with this stupid crusade once and for all" Ren finished, not breaking a sweat but panting from the annoyance this all caused.

The god in question remained down on the floor, apparently unconscious.

"...I can't believe this…nobody did a number on you, Master Tobera" Even with the honorifics on, Tobera could taste the ego in Ren's voice.

"That bastard uses the same cheat you use, little kid. Don't sound so full of yourself" At last, the toxins wore off her body and immediately she healed up to peak health.

"The same…?" The dark haired Commander frowned, not quite understanding what she meant until finally it came upon her tenfold. Dread filling her chest and anxiety embracing her, as if something suddenly felt empty within her own mind…

No way.

She tried activating it to no avail.

Vairocana…It was gone. It was nowhere to be seen, her reason for being, her whole existence, denied. Rejected, turned off from the world.

A huge bout of evil laughter filled the commander and Tobera's ears, and quickly they both turned around to see the beaten up monster melting into the floor.

"It seems your body absorbs toxins way faster than hers, dear Commander" It made fun of her…and she was powerless to do nothing against it, too shocked and filled with artificial fear to retort, "Part two of the plan, commence now…Let's see if you can reach your own quarters in time without powers, Commander Yamashiro"

The god finally melted into the floor and disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence over there except for the destroyed battlefield. It was clear that it had been something akin to a clone, or anything of the like.

"Part two…? Shit" Tobera reacted faster, understanding the situation. She dusted herself off, removed parts of her attire that were torn or drenched in blood and started walking towards where she knew all her daughters went to, but stopped once she realized Ren wasn't responding.

In fact, the usually fiery and scary woman was stone cold on the ground, her feet unmoving just like the rest of her body.

"This stuff doesn't last, kid" For all their animosity, Tobera needed the commander on the tip of her toes, if what the monster said is true and they were aiming to attack the Headquarters.

Even then, Ren was all wary and anxious, continuously trying to invoke her Buddha or add power to her legs to levitate and fly.

Nothing. Empty.

"You finally get a spoon of your own medicine, and this is how you react?" A sudden hit on her back managed to finally bring her back to reality, because there was no way someone-even Tobera, dared hit her for any reason, "Stop being such a scaredy cat, Commander. Let's meet with my girls and have a car deliver us to the nearest portal"

"I'm not scared, I'm…just not used to being this weak. How do you live your life like this?" The commander replied back, trying to insult the small child-like woman.

But Tobera just smirked right back.

"You should ask your dear janitor, who could be in danger right about now" She jested and imagined the ever stoic Commander growing flustered. Maybe playing dumb for a little.

Instead, her eyes widened, her demeanor fully changed into seriousness, and she started marching towards the household.

"Let us get going" She stated, a cold stone tone in her voice.

It didn't stop Tobera from cackling and laughing audibly at her. After all those years sharing cold, fake smiles and being the calculating viper of a woman she was, for a boy to be Commander Yamashiro's weakness…it was just too funny.

She'd try not to abuse this discovery too much.

"Why are you so weary today, Roku-chin? Ren will take care of anything, you haven't seen just how strong she is…" Yakumo and the dark haired janitor found themselves sitting on the big steps of the HQ entrance, next to a pillar. The wind user just hung around carelessly, while Roku stared at the distance, alert. Ever since the horn warned them, he'd been on his toes, and it had Yakumo confused.

"I just…feel unsettled. Something is coming, and I want to make sure Lady Fubuki gets here before that happens" He finally let his worries out to the air, not sure if the Chief would be able to understand.

Going by the air-header look on her face, it was clear she didn't quite get it.

"Whatever happens, I'll keep you safe, okay?" She smiled brightly at him and the janitor allowed a smile back in response. They had been fooling around for the last few hours, Yakumo adamant on him not working out or going into cleaning duty, and the whole time, Roku had been anxiously looking over his shoulder every other moment.

It irked the purple haired woman, to know that her presence alone didn't quite relax Roku that much. And it was also annoying to realize that she had no knowledge or tools to actually comfort or talk to a guy the way she'd do so with her own teammates. Roku was a mystery, oftentimes closed with a metal lock on his doors, locked tight.

An idea popped in her head, remembering the few times he'd shared an actual smile her way.

"I know what will get your mood going!" She exclaimed, taking Roku by surprise, "You wanna go flying?" She questioned, eyes expectant and excited.

Roku pondered his options for a bit, remaining quiet and humming.

"Oh come on, you love flying. We can survey the area better that way, too!" She tried again and finally convinced him. Feeling accomplished, Yakumo gathered air around them and, putting some on her legs and surrounded Roku with it, she lifted the both of them, taking off quickly to add some adrenaline to it.

Hearing Roku laugh in uncontrollable excitement from the speed and adrenaline was a bliss to the fifth unit's chief. She did some stunts, twisted and turned around, all while safely securing Roku from falling. To her, it was routine and light fun. To the janitor, it probably meant the world.

Reaching an appropriate height, almost as high as the tallest room in the building, Yakumo finally stopped, leaving a small tornado below Roku that kept him in the air while she floated with ease.

"You finally relax!" The violet haired wind user was happy this worked, and felt dumb for not having tried it sooner.

"Sorry about that, chief" Roku apologized, bringing a hand to the back of his head to add emphasis, "I've been worried…I guess all these events are taking a toll on me" He sighed and it sounded as if the world was placing its weight on top of the Janitor's shoulders.

"No, I understand. It must be quite crazy" She tried empathizing, "I can't put myself on your shoes because I've always lived this life, but…all this sudden change, must be rough"

"It's a different lifestyle, but you make it a bit easier" He complimented, and it was quite casual, but to hear that coming from his mouth made Yakumo blush deeply. To realize that words could have such an effect on her, it was so strange…

"A-Anytime, Roku-chin…" She managed, flustered. She'd never get used to such strong emotions.

"I'm waiting on the Commander and Kaiko to let me know if I can travel back home…I wanna check up on my brother, and some issues I need to resolve" Apparently finding a safe place to confine with, Roku started letting her know about some of the worries that had been keeping him up at night.

"Oh, is your bro-bro unwell?" She questioned, showing that she was paying attention.

"He…has a condition, but doctors are seeing to it, and it should be fine" Roku replied with vague terms and she understood. These type of things were complicated and most of all, personal.

"You know that anytime you have an emergency, I can take you to the nearest portal! Fuck regulations, I can give you a permit and accompany you. With me, no one will bother you" She promised, chest high and prideful.

Roku smiled and nodded her way, thanking her silently.

"It's not really getting there that is bothering me…" Yakumo hummed.

"It's that heat issue, yeah?" She hit the point and he nodded, grunting.

"I've never…not had control of my body. I'm very reserved about it, I don't like not knowing what could happen to it" He frowned, showing his frustration, "I just hope we-" He was interrupted by a certain vehicle traveling towards them at high speeds.

The Azuma personal limousine, as fancy and extravagant as always.

"Ah, it's Fubuki. That ninja monster really took her time, huh?" She smiled. This meant a bit of that worry would lift off Roku's shoulders.

"Let's greet them correctly" He stated and the wind user obliged, moving them back to the floor before the Azuma arrived.

Reaching the main entrance, it was a surprise to find Kaiko already waiting for Fubuki, sitting on the stairs.

"M' love!" Yakumo screamed once the doctor was on sight, and immediately tackled her into a hug. Kaiko was most likely used to it, because she didn't even bulge.

"Chief" She greeted her unit's captain with pats on her back and then her eyes landed on Roku, "Denki, surprising to see you with the chief"

"Yeah, right" He chuckled and dismissed the clear joke.

"Try not going beyond flirting with him yet, Chief. His body still needs rest" She continued with her jesting and Yakumo's face bursted red, while Roku and her merely laughed.

Internally, Kaiko noticed that these jokes didn't seem to bother the Janitor in the slightest. Was he just completely unaware, or was he playing dumb?

"Don't be so mean, Kaiko!" Her chief instead turned into a crying toddler, throwing multiple tornados without force or power, just making her hair a complete mess.

"They are arriving now" The janitor entered his usual serious tone, mannerism changing.

The limousine stopped on its tracks a few meters away from the entrance, and just like the last time, the first one coming out from the vehicle was Fubuki herself.

The strange thing came next, when instead of multiple members of the Azuma clan following her, it was people in hazard suits, their faces untraceable thanks to the mirroring of the light on their face covers.

Carrying a purple, metal box that glowed a strange yet familiar glow.

"Lady Fubuki" Still, Roku tried not to think too much on it, as it was clearly none of his business, and merely bowed to greet the Azuma's Headmaster.

"Roku, as always, a pleasure" She bowed back, elegantly and then immediately turned to look at Kaiko, "This cannot wait, shall we?" Kaiko nodded twice in understanding without saying anything, and the both walked, "This is classified, but we'll talk after Kaiko and I are done" She stated, her eyes still looking at Roku's before taking her leave.

"Hey! What'd I miss!?" On the edge of his eyes? He caught a glimpse of pink hair and loud noises. Ginna, who had been missing through the entire ordeal.

"Didn't you hear? Shuuki attacked the Azuma's clan and —"

"No! Someone broke the barrier! Someone—"

Then, a louder noise deafened their ears. An explosion took place in the middle, between Ginna and Roku, sending them both flying a considerable distance.

Roku was spared the worst of it thanks to Yakumo's quick reaction and wind, but unfortunately for everyone involved, Ginna wasn't. Hitting a rock with the back of her head, she was rendered unconscious.

The barriers around them fell to the ground, and eyes from all places appeared from them. Shuuki, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"I am Jauku'un, the real one" From the dust, the cause for the explosion spoke in an eerie voice, sending shivers down the janitor's spine. It's eyes were covered by a mask, but the stench of dread and putrid were consistent. A god, "And I'm here to retrieve something of ours…and kill at least one of you"

Yakumo immediately jumped at the task, wind in hand, eyes fiery.

Shuuki marched towards them in groups of ten, surrounding them like a stampede and Roku…

Roku felt as if lava was running through his veins.