Chapter 5: Nacchan meets an old friend

After a few hours of travels, we arrived in front of a nondescript place in a remote mountain, it looked like a ruined building of western design, pretty much like a haunted house. I look nervously around, Tasuku-sama looks relaxed, but his muscles are tense, while Irina-san and Himitsu-senpai are looking around, puzzled. The tall, grizzly looking man in black opened his mouth, walking at a relaxed pace. Which meant that we had to run after him because his legs were so ridiculously long.

"Project Fenrir, a bunch of mad scientists working for the creation of some super soldier serum. That branch was created after mysterious incidents kept stalling the Gleipnir branch."

His tone was so utterly derisive that nobody here could not pick up on his dislike for the idea.

"If you dislike them so much, why bring us here Kuma-san?"

Tasuku-sama asked, just as we entered the building and the man, Kuma, was typing a code on a hidden panel and scanning his iris.

"We need to borrow Irina-san's luck, and she was pretty adamant on bringing you with her. Normally we wouldn't do that, but considering her history, the higher ups agreed." He turned around and frowned, almost glaring at the blonde who was suddenly glued to Tasuku-sama's arm. " I still disapprove, two of you are unbloodied greenhorns, and there are things down there, those are the stuff of nightmares, I still don't know how they could even think capturing that demihuman and experimenting on it was a good idea."

"Her" Interrupted Tasuku-sama. "You're speaking about Lily-san, correct?"

"Yeah, 'her'. Though its gender doesn't matter anymore, the body disappeared and our only lead, the clone in C class, escaped. We must assume the worst and its body fell in terrorist hands."

Tasuku-sama looks dubious, that Kuma-san's attitude rubs me the wrong way. The ground shakes and suddenly caves in. I immediately fall to the ground, hand into my bag, before realizing we're on a platform that is descending into their base. Soon enough, the dark and dusty surroundings became metallic and bathed in light. The hallways looked like what people would think a laboratory does, all white, filled with people in equally white coats and glasses everywhere. We were ushered in a small room by an exhausted looking middle aged man. Said room only had a door, a table, some chairs and a TV. Kuma-san signaled us to sit and turned the TV on.

"Okay, kids, here's the thing. Tuesday, December the 2nd, at 1 P.M. a sample of the incomplete Gleipnir serum was mishandled and contaminated the staff, leading them to become the mindless zombies girlie here had the pleasure to meet." I nod at him and keep my mouth shut about my now deceased classmate." At 3 P.M. 'Shoujo A' was broken out by a renegade student, one Amehara Himeko. Every camera was destroyed save a hidden one, the sound's not that good. "

He fast forwarded the security video and sure enough, Himeko-senpai took out a shining item. The video was paused and zoomed on an item, a silvery ring from which a thin mist got out. Said mist went into the lifeless body that suddenly shone and shrunk with a lot of squelching, snapping and popping. After a while the girl finally became awake and kicked through the containment. Sadly we couldn't hear what was said.

Whatever could Senpai have in mind ? I can't believe she would be the one responsible for the outbreak, so she'd be a third party ? Argh! Senpai you big jerk! Why did you let me go there if you knew what was going to hap-pen? Wait a minute. Senpai thinks this facility is about to be destroyed, but the only thing that was certain is that...

As a siren started blaring to life, I immediately jump to my feet, kick the chair away and drag Tasuku-sama with me, glaring at the puzzled blonde besides him.

"What? Tena-chan..?"

"That the facility would be breached as soon as you get withing it, what a stroke of bad luck for a luck manipulator, isn't it, Irina-san?"

The blonde girl smiled coldly.

"Luck doesn't matter, mankind's destruction is fated, Tena-chan, even the gods said so..."

"Irina ?"

Tasuku-sama looks shocked, but soon enough he gets up and nods his thanks at me.

"All the gods? Or the goddess Yumeko worships?" After a moment of silence, he nods to himself."I see, so it wasn't only me, you rebounded too fast compared to the books I read and what the councilor said. I suppose you brought us here to kill us?"

That would make sense, but I have a hard time to believe it, Irina-san's unwavering smile says it all.

"She wants you out of the way Tasu-kun, so why not accept it and die together with me? I'm ready to accept Tena-chan and Himi-chan too..." The lights started to flicker, giving her smile a scary edge, she got up and opened her arms towards Tasuku. "So, let's all be reborn together, okay? We'll restart from the beginning in a perfect world!"

She started giggling and the room shook. I bolted towards the door, only to see misshapen abominations roaming the halls.

"Hee hee, you can't escape, I used Tasu-kun's luck to invite some friends. You know, his amount of luck is monstrous, the highest I've ever seen save for Himeko-san's. I don't know what he did to have such a good karma, but it was enough to break eeeveryone out here and there is still a lot! But I have some ideas, it's just too bad I can't use up more yet..."

She pouted, deep in thought, as each and every one of Kuma-san's efforts to apprehend her were foiled by bad luck, from him tripping, to a piece of ceiling, That was official, her powers are just unfair, and between the hands of a crazy woman to make it even worse.

"Some ideas, you say?"

No Tasuku-sama, don't speak to the crazy! I feel like I've forgotten something important...

Irina beamed at him, seemingly happy he spoke to her.

"If somebody leads a righteous life, it leads to them having good karma, intent and action are two important factors, Himeko-san and you must have something in common. What though, I don't know..." Her eyes went glassy for a moment, before she nodded happily... Argh, I have it on the tip of my tongue... "Tasu-kun is human, whereas Himeko-san isn't, so it's not like they even have the species." Himeko-senpai, Himeko-senpai, saw me today, told me that the facility would be destroyed, told me to... " Aaah, it seems your luck is too strong Tasu-kun, or maybe it's their luck..."

She trailed off, looking at me coldly.

"Maybe it's your luck I should annihilate, hm?"

I look back defiantly. If it's Tasuku-senpai's luck I'm fighting, then I have to call out someone who has even bigger numbers. I really hope senpai wasn't kidding...

"I think not. Ratatoskr-sama, please come help me!"

"Gooood Morning boys and girls! Even if it's evening. You get what I'm saying." The black haired young woman was here, wearing a towel and nothing else on her. "Well, ain't that a frosty reception. Are? Ooooh, looks like Y-chan got a new toy, went through the yandere angle this time? Gosh, and here I thought Yume-chan was supposed to become the new Ai-chan..." She nodded sagely, apparently proud of her discovery while everyone else, me included waited for their brains to start working again.

Irina started to hiss of rage.

"Stay out of it! Tasu-kun is mine!"

"Naaa, sorry, you're more my type than him anyways. I'd leave him to you, buuut he's kinda needed. For the same reason your master needs him! Cheerio!"

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She gave off a happy smile and next thing we knew, Kuma-san, Himitsu-san and I were looking at Nagito-senpai's surprised face in front of a building that looks suspiciously like the one I designed for Himeko-senpai. Some parts looked under construction, and I recognized some students from the academy hastening the project by using their powers. Nagito-senpai took this in stride admirably by nodding and checking off a list.

"Right, I don't know for that man, but the girls go the the west hall." He signaled with his right hand." You just ask them. You, come with me, you're a government official, right ? Good, now, we need..."

The exhausted looking brunette dragged the frazzled Kuma-san towards what I had designed to be the control room. I turn towards Himitsu-san, before realizing two people were missing.

"Himeko-senpai ? Tasuku-sama?"

In a remote house in the mountains...

Himeko filled me in about the situation, apparently the zombie breakout is in full swing, Nagito volunteered to make and lead a shelter for the superpowered youth so that they'd survive the zombie invasion, that was awfully out of character for the post new world Nagito, so I think there might have been some coercion from Himeko's part...

I'm currently in the garden training up my spells. You see, the thing is, the status window in itself is a cheat that most people won't have access to, Y intends to let people build up magic their way. There are so many thing that can go wrong with that! Anyways, since I have that advantage, I will use it as much as I can, lives depend on it after all. There is that light barrier I've become interested in recently, it's pretty... What is it ?

A sudden noise wrenched me from my mental diary and I curry towards the house. It's small, wooden and blends in perfectly with the environment. I stick next to the wall under the open window and clutch my grimoire, before leaning my ear against the wall.

"The hell Amehara?! Where are the others!"

Heeee?! Is that Tasu-guy?! What is he doing here with Himeko ?!

"In a safe place. Y's gunning for you earlier than expected you staying with them endangers them, especially with miss yandere wanting to commit a mass lover's suicide. I don't have time for this, so listen. A madgod is remodeling reality as we speak and her plan needs not only the control of space, but also of time. Do you follow me?"

"... Irina said that too."

"Well, at least, you're not going to play dumber. Your time powers make you a liability, if killing you wasn't synonym to sending you to her on a silver platter, I would have done so immediately."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to regret this forevermore, but you need training to become something of a decent fighter, if not a decent human being."

"So you could use me for your own plans?"

"Right now, there are three sides, the refuge where your friends are, my side, and Y's side. You need power or smarts to make it out alive and free, and currently you are neither. The only thing you can choose is who you're going to serve."

I look at the forest, feeling a bit nervous, the sound of the rustling leaves only putting me more on edge. The silence and tension were palpable. The next words sounded clearly forced.

"There's going to be a trap somewhere, but with you, I'd be the only one to suffer... I'm tired of endangering people close to me...I'll be in your care... Amehara-sensei."

There was a loud clapping sound and Tasu-guy coughed. Himeko must have hit his back a bit too hard.

"That's the spirit! Now let me get clothed, no peeping!"

The voice switched to male partway through and Tasuku choked as some cloth fell to the ground. That's just cruel Himeko... Well, if she did what I think she did, which would be accidentally losing the towel and becoming a male before the 'interesting' bits show.

A weird noise was heard and I turned around to see the dark depths of a wooden barrel. I start screaming and feel sucked in.

Then nothing.

----------------------------------------

The end,  stay tuned for the next chapter... *hears pitchforks being sharpened* O-Okay okay, d-don't do anything hasty okay ?

----------------------------------------

After a lot of rolling and some explosions from the outside, I found myself in front of glowing golden eyes, shining into the darkness, and gulp.

"H-Hai?"

"Hi."

The voice sounded flat and genderless, with no inflection whatsoever.

"Erm, who..."

"I don't have any name, but I've been watching you, Yuri."

"Why..."

"You have knowledge nobody else knows, I was the repository of all knowledge, I came to offer you a deal.

"Err..."

"Why trust you? V proved himself unreliable, the stupid tree hugger only see what he wants to see, but I see and know and listen and judge. My support against your knowledge is my price."

V? Why V? And this thing about knowledge. Wait a minute... I blink a few times, the darkness disappears and in front of me is a giant eagle.

"Yes, I am the unnamed eagle. I gather you understand what I want and agree to it. I know you, and I know you enough to foresee your questions and answers for you are following logic and understandable patterns of thinking, contrarily to my brothers and sisters."

The majestic bird got up to full height, before his eyes zeroed in on my book. One claw pierced it as if it was pudding and a small glowing sign appeared on it.

"Your knowledge I got, my support is yours."

The bird's figure glowed and a man appeared, really tall, with sharp features, tanned skin, red hair and golden eyes. He was wearing a black suit without the vest and was looking curiously at his hands.

"This form shall prove adequate for what you mortals call 'blending in'. I shall take you back to your hovel, lest the squirrel 'goes ballistic'."

Without being asked for my opinion, I am hauled in a princess carry, and the unnamed eagle-man jumps off the peak of the mountain, giant dark brown wings sprouting off his back and flying us away. I don't dare say anything and frankly ? I think R spiked my drink again. Soon enough we land in front of the house. Without letting me down, eagle-man kicks the entrance door open.

"Squirrel! I require sustenance!"

...

I don't even...

Oh god, Himeko looks so pissed, I wanna cry.

I look pleadingly at Tasu-guy with teary eyes

Save meeee

Nope, not getting in between them

Curse youuuuuuu

Of all the times to develop survival instinct it had to be that one!

"What. Did. You.Do?"

Narrowed golden eyes, claws sprouting off their hands, an ominous aura around their form...

I take it back, They're Pissed! Of course, eagle-man remains unfazed.

"Renewed our contract. Now make haste, Squirrel, lest I feast on you instead."

...

I preferred him when he was in barrel form. At least he couldn't speak.

----------------------------------------

True chapter end. It was really, really tempting to cut it. Then I thought about what you guys would do to me if I cliffhangered that reveal e_e

Lots of stuff happened!

So, yeah, Barrel-sama's identity is revealed!

Another one joins Nacchan's harem group!

Himeko doesn't approve!

And Tasu-guy apparently got smarter. I was the first surprised.